This week has been pretty normal. Wait, am I already allowed to know what normal feels like? It’s only been a month! But then again, it’s already been a MONTH. It definitely doesn’t feel like time is flying yet, and it still feels like it’ll be a lifetime until I ride up that long escalator in Hartsfield-Jackson Airport to see my family, but I know that this will all be over before I know it. Don’t worry, I’m not just sitting in my room in between meals watching the clock tick (there actually is one girl here who is doing that and I really hope she isn’t following this blog, and honestly sorry I’m not sorry for not feeling bad for her! I don’t think she’s even homesick, it just doesn’t seem like she is wanting to embrace being here. Lame!), I’m definitely trying to soak it all up, visit lots of different cities, make kiwi friends, and take advantage of everything that I can while I’m here! The homesickness level is pretty low these days, which is definitely something to be thankful for! Of course I miss home, but I’ve gotten to know people here better and better throughout this first month, which has provided me with options to do more things on the weekends and just hang out in general! I do little things on the weekdays to make it seem like it’s passing faster than I think it is… like mark days off the calendar, act surprised when I see that the countdown on my computer says 111 days instead of 112, think about how my mom goes back to school next week which also means that people will be going back to Furman soon (weird), think about how it’s almost AUGUST and that a whole month has already passed, count the weekends until mid-semester break (3 more weekends!), convince myself that the date is the day before the actual date and then act surprised again when I check my watch and realize it’s a day after, look forward to calling my grandma every other week, etc… It’s the little things that get me through the weekdays and on to the weekend!
I turned in my first assignment today! In geography we had a long bibliography scavenger hunt type assignment and I finished it this week. It’s not due until Monday, but I went ahead and got it all squared away. When you turn assignments in at my Uni, you don’t bring them to class, you go to the department’s office, fill out a cover sheet, and slip it into a slot with the class’ name on it before 4:30 on the due date. It would definitely make me feel better if I handed it to the professor (in his Elvis shirt), but oh well!
Today was my free day and I cranked out a paper about the current Health & PE curriculum in New Zealand that’s due in about 2 weeks! Now I definitely feel better about going away this weekend knowing that I got it done and all I have to do is edit it! Since I’ve gotten pretty heavy into my Health and Exercise Science classes at Furman the past 2 years, I don’t think I’ve written a real paper in at least 3 semesters. I’ll for sure be making up for those past 3 semesters here with the 7 papers I have in the next few months.
I am headed to Raglan on a 10am bus tomorrow (Saturday) morning and am looking forward to seeing a new city and the BEACH. However, I always feel weird going to any beach without all my cousins (yall come join me!). Hopefully we’ll be kayaking, hiking, and biking! I can assure you that I will take lots of pictures and have another update soon!
Interesting Observations:
-“American Hot Dogs” were served at lunch on Wednesday. They were literally hot pink and looked like a long, thin water balloon, ties at the ends and everything, inside a bun. The few bites I had sure enough tasted like a hot dog inside a balloon. Maybe I’ll start bringing my camera to meals.
-They use butter like it’s the 50’s here. One girl buttered her hot dog (/water balloon) bun! It’s totally normal to have 3 pieces of toast, all loaded with butter. I’m slowly joining in on the butter craze. I love butter, but it’s so frowned upon in the US. Thank goodness for butter-lovin’ kiwis!
-A new mac costs over NZ$1500 here, which translates to about US$1200. Definitely waiting until I get home to worry about replacing the computer.
-One girl told me she really liked my wallabees. Wallabees are like the most boring shoes ever! Thanks though!
-“holiday”=break. Everyone “goes on holiday” in the winter, including people who have real world jobs.
-They use the word “keen” A LOT aka excited or up for it. This is probably my favorite new word/phrase. Examples: “If you’re keen, we can hang out this weekend.” or “Yeh, bro, I’m keen-as!” or “Are you keen to eat spaghetti for breakfast?” (NO.)
-Being the only non-kiwi in a NZ history tutorial (discussion) is REALLY intimidating.
-I got mocked for cutting up all of my food and then eating it. Is that really that abnormal? Sometimes I think they think that everything I or another American does is what every single American does. I’m sure there is a kiwi out there that cuts then eats.
-I found a dairy that serves ice cream(!!!). One scoop for $1.90 and then there was a kit-kat for sale on the counter that was $3.20… really? How is that logical?!
-The exchange rate for US to NZ dollars changes every single day.
-There was spaghetti (noodles and everything) on my pizza AGAIN tonight as the sauce. What is up with the spaghetti fetish this country has?!
Although there haven’t been any obvious struggles (like a broken computer or something crazy like that) this week, it is still comforting to remember that God is guiding this whole experience, through the good, the bad, the people, the classes, the homesickness, and everything in between. It’s so reassuring to know that out of all of the struggles that I go through, whether in a foreign country or in my backyard, whether small or big, Jesus has already gone through it (times infinity) and is there to provide support, comfort, and strength. While I wander from Him everyday, He will never turn around and do the same to me, but will always be there for me while also offering grace, not only in the hard times, even though I’m not worthy of it at all. How awesome is that?! It is so cool to get to have this experience and know that the Lord is teaching me things about His unfailing love and His kingdom even if I’m not yet aware of it all. Just knowing that not a single detail of any day happens if it is not God’s will is so encouraging!
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
so keen about this post! and it is weird to cut then eat.
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