June 9th - June 13th Days 122- 126

The past few days have certaintly tested me. On Saturday I had my sheep production final which was worth 60% of my entire grade....no big deal. But I can't say I didn't procrastinate because that is what I have been doing with my school work the past few days. I woke up at 6:00am to study and was feeling confident about the material, after all I would say that it was probably my favorite class taken at Lincoln Uni. The exam started at 9:05 and I had 2.5 hours to complete it. It was 18 questions, long answer style and I was able to make it out in 2 hours. It was a good test, there were a couple wool questions that were questionable, but overall it was good.

That afternoon Alan and I had plans to go to a coffee shop and get some fresh air away from the hectic school study environment. On our way into town he had said that he needed to make a stop by a farm to pick up some supplies. Well I didn't think anything of it. We get out of his ute (truck) and go inside a garage. Turns out the gentleman who owned the place was originally a Californian native who had moved to NZ 15 years ago. He had started asking me if I get car sick etc...I said no...well turns out we were going for a helicopter ride!!!

Ahhh I have always wanted to be in a helicopter! I was soo excited. We get buckled up, headsets on and take off. We fly all over the farm land of the beautiful Canterbury area. It was so gorgeous. I have vaguely seen the farm land from the planes, but nothing like this. We flew below the clouds but just above the power lines. As we flew over sheep, cattle and horses scrambled below. The area was a lush green of various colors, it was almost like looking into a crayon box of just green crayons. We made our way out to the ocean. Farm land next to the beautiful ocean...what more could you want!? He flew us along the shore line where I could see the ocean come up on the shore and slide back and forth. It was the most amazing thing, I felt like I was in a movie. As we flew along we came closer to the cliff face and he pulls the helicopter right over the edge of the mountain. As we got to the top the view opened up into a gorgeous scene of the ocean and more farm land. At one point we came face to face with a seagull who was considering suicide. We kept going along the ocean side and ended up over at the Akaroa harbor (where I was during Easter break). It was neat to see a familiar area from a sky view. After venturing in Akaroa we flew over the country side and saw more farms with sheep scrambling everywhere, I will never forget it. The whole experience was truly inspiring and mouth dropping. I can't believe he made arrangements for this, it really meant a lot.

After our flight we managed to finally go get a cup of coffee and a few slices. We sat out on the deck and watched as the sun slowly went down over the mountains. I couldn't stop grinning from the flight, it was just amazing. At least now I can check that off of my bucket list!!!

That evening I cooked some dinner as a thank you and try to use up some of the food I accumulated over the semester. I will say one thing...since I have been in NZ my consumption of veggies has doubled (considering I refused to eat any before).

The rest of the weekend I managed to study for my up coming exams the following week, I had my most important ones on Wednesday and Thursday. Something about studying endophytes in ryegrass pastures and the importance of meiosis in genetic diversity wasn't very appealing to me. So I spent my remaining time in the gym "attempting" to read my notes on the treadmill.

Monday morning I got up early to get some extra studying in. I managed 5 solid hours of plant study then had to head to a group study for genetics. I had to stop by the book store and mail a package home. While I was there, there was another aftershock! Ugg not again....the last time I mailed something home is when the February earthquake happened. I get my package sent and head over to the library. While we were there, there was a series of large after shocks which really shook things up. It was around 2:30 when our world literally got shaken up. The building was rolling, it felt like you were on a ship out at sea. I look around me, the printers are banging against the walls, signs are swinging from the ceiling, book cases are rocking back and forth and books are flying everywhere. It was happening again....
We were told to evacuate the building shortly after the aftershock hit us. People poured out of all the buildings on campus and waited for any news. I managed to make my way back to my dorm where we were later evacuated. We were told to grab our things and put on warm clothes. The Uni opened up the dinning hall for all of us to go in so we weren't standing out in the cold. As the buildings got inspected we waited, and waited. Finally it was 4:00 when I got to go back to my room. I quickly emailed Dad and Mom to tell them what was happening.

The quake was a 6.3 caused 55,000 to go without power. Liquefaction poured into the streets and consumed cars and people. Two men had been trapped in a church in the city, building had crumbled to the ground. It was all happening all over again. So many things were going through my mind at this point. I couldn't help but think of my family back home. I had 9 days left in my journey only to have my world get turned upside down.

Alan and I went to tea at 6:00pm and talked about the days events. Later on we had attempted to study for our plants exam that was in two days. But somehow people thought otherwise...
Due to the quake the Uni had closed campus the rest of the day and Tuesday, giving Aegrotats for all of the exams for those days. Aegrotat is basically an application that you fill out stating you were mentally impaired to adeqautely perform well in our exam. Sadly enough my test was Wednesday so I didn't get that option. So while we were studying the people who had gotten excused exams were across the street drinking and playing load music. We called the police twice, and nothing happened. It was very frustrating not only were they making noise, but we had the added stress of the continuous shocks. I couldn't handle it anymore, I had to leave and go isolate myself in my room. The rest of the evening I talked with my podmates and we just reflected. It was nice because it really helps to talk it out. I didn't get any studying done, which only added to the pressure. Every time I tried to look at my notes I couldn't help but think I was in the library again.

All through the night there were aftershocks after aftershocks waking me up. We had a total of 22 shocks from 3:00 am to 10:00pm June 13th alone. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't focus, all I could do was think about how I was going to pass these exams and there worth soo much of my grade! Ugg I keep think about the quakes. I finally came to the conclusion that Im never going to send a package home ever again. Being as how every time I do there is a large quake.

Tuesday morning I was really feeling the stress. I got up early at 6:00am again after a restless nights sleep. I get in another 5 solid hours of plant study, and yet Im no where close to being ready. At 1:00pm I head over to Alan's so I could watch the endophyte lectures again for the plants test. After watching those I get back to my room, and thats when things really hit me. I was feeling so over whelmed and stressed and scared at the same time. I don't know if a person can really feel all of those emotions at once but it was horrible. Liza had spent the night in her kitchen baking to keep her mind occupied and ended up working in the Uni dinning hall all of Tuesday. I decided Id go to the gym and try to get rid of my stress, it didn't work, not even a little bit. I took my notes so I could read them on the treadmill, but I couldn't focus all I could think about was the aftershocks and that I only had 8 days left. I have a slight break down, all of these emotions and they just kept getting bigger and bigger.

I get back to my room and I was able to skype Dad and Mom, it was such a relief, just to see them. They talked me through everything and let me vent and shed a few tears. My Dad said "get the h*** out of there"! Haha it made me smile a bit. However, during my conversation I found out I could apply for the Aegrotat application. I told my parents what it was and what it did. They basically talked me into it. They supported whatever decision I made, and thats what made me decide to do it. I couldn't focus, I couldn't go 5 minutes without checking the news, I couldn't look at my notes more than 2 minutes! I know it isn't the best option for a student and that I do need to try. But even if I took the exam, that doesn't mean I'd do well, especially when I can't even study without the ground moving. It may be the cowards way out, but it is what is best for me. I didn't solely come to NZ for school, I came to experience the world, see agriculture on an international level and gain a better understanding of ag. If it meant me sacrificing a few exams and grades for me to "be okay" thats a sacrifice I was willing to take. School is important, that I know but at the same time for me there is so much more to life than a 3 hour exam. My exams were going to be on the 3rd and 4th floors of the building I was in, in February and mentally I don't think I could have handled going through another quake in there. To me it just wasn't worth it.

My time in New Zealand has certaintly been a rememberable experience. I have seen and experienced things before I never thought I would. And as my final days dwindle down, Im proud to say I have grown as an individual and have had time to reflect on what I want for my future to become. It has been the single most amazing thing in my life. Yet these 5 months have been the fastest of my life as well. Not for a moment have a regretted my decision to come to NZ, if anything it has inspired me to return.

 The helicopter

 A farm next to the ocean. How about having your personal shore?

 This is just some fo the farm land in the Canterbury

This is a photo of the town of Lincoln and Lincoln University

Some of the destruction due to the 6.3 aftershock on June 13th

Cathedral Square, the heart of Christchurch

The Cathedral

May 27th - June 8th Days 109-121

Coming To A Close

The past few weeks have gone by in a flash. As of today I have exactly two weeks until I’m back in the United States. Last week I didn’t have much going on except for my genetics project. The week started out great. I got my genetics test back and got a B, I got my marketing test back…B and I also got my sheep test back..B+ Woo Hoo I wasn’t going to complain. I spent the rest of the week going over my genetics presentation and my paper. This whole project is 50% of my grade and I didn’t put in all this time to do a half a** job on it. The more I worked on it, the more I seemed to enjoy it. I know eliminating a genetic defect in a cattle breed isn’t the best way to spend my time, but I actually found it rather interesting. Not only that, but I really started to understand the breeding strategies involved and trait selection.

As the week drug on I had gone to the library Wednesday evening to print my paper. I had to do it on the color printer, due to my graphs and pedigrees that I included in the document. Well I thought I was one step ahead of myself…hahaha ya right. I had decided to print two copies so then I could take one home. Well me being the “slow” type I forgot to select to have my document print on single sided paper, not double. So when I went to print I had spent 20 cents for each page only to not be able to use the document. So I fixed the setting and retried it…hahaha nope. I went to scan my print card and the machine took money off my account but never gave me my paper. Uggg…now I was frustrated. I asked the lady at the front desk, and she jus told me tough luck. So the next day I had to go and convince the staff that the printer ripped me off of a whole $3.00. And let me just say, that was not easy. Long story short I finally got my paper printer and didn’t have to pay an additional fee.

Finally Friday came. It was the day I had been dreading for 3 months. It was the day I had to hand in my paper and give my lovely 30-minute presentation on genetics. I was the first to give my presentation. And my puzzle went over well with the class; too bad they couldn’t put it together correctly. It’s a shame how 9 college students couldn’t put together 12 pieces. But nonetheless I kicked butt on my presentation and got an A, so that’s all I could ask for. Mara, another CSU student was the last one to give her presentation Well she went up to give it and the power point wasn’t on her jump drive. She ended up going back to the dorms; get her computer only for it to not save on her jump drive again. Well after much struggle we were able to get it worked out. But it was not a good situation. I felt real bad for her. I got lucky that didn’t happen to me.

After genetics I had plants class, it was the last lecture of the semester and we were going to get back our practical exam (the one I took out in the rain). Well I pick up my test…and thank goodness I passed!! Oh man, for the past week I had been nervous to even pick it up. It was such a relief. The week was a success, I passed all of my tests, and kicked butt in my genetics.

Friday night Alan and I had gone into Christchurch for a bite to eat. I had planned on going to Burgers and Beer Inc. It was a place I had found online. So we put the address into the GPS and away we went. Well the further we drove the quicker we found out that it had been in the city center, where the heart of the February 22^nd earthquake was. I looked out the window. There were buildings and rubble laying everywhere. We turned onto a street and it was blocked off by fences and there were soldiers standing post. One of them came over to talk to us and they had closed down the area. The faces of the buildings were all gone. I could see the broken furniture inside and the streets were cracked and damaged. It was almost surreal. I hadn’t really gotten to see this type of devastation before. I did help with the clean up, but it was nothing like this. Words cannot explain the feelings and emotions that were going through my head. It was almost like I was in a movie. The streets were blocked, very few people were out walking around and the army was standing guard. The images I saw within those few moments is something I will not forget.

We ended up finding a restaurant to eat at in Riccarton. We ate at Robbies Bar and Bistro. I had the pleasure of having a legitimate hamburger. But the whole time I was made fun of for my lovely manly eating habits. Well all I can say is that I enjoyed it. We finished the night by going to the Pirates of the Caribbean movie, On Strange Tides. It was rather good, I really enjoyed it. While being in NZ I have noticed that their movie theatres are much nicer. Not only are the seats big and comfy but also the seat you get is dictated by when you buy your ticket. So since we bought tickets right before the movie started, the seats were closer to the front. It’s quite the system. 

I spent the weekend procrastinating. On Saturday I decided not to do much and just relax. I told myself Id do all my work on Sunday….hahaha nope. At 8:00 Sunday morning I was woken up by a loud noise outside my window. I can usually hear the rec center from my window, but this was ridiculous! It was only a few minutes later that I hear helicopters!!! Uggg now I’m annoyed. I get out of bed; look out my window only to discover there is a marathon going on!!! Wow, a marathon the weekend before finals start….now that’s planning. The marathon went on until 3:00pm. And during that time I didn’t get a darn thing done. I ended up meeting Brianna at the library to spend the afternoon studying for sheep production.

Monday morning started off a little rougher than I would have liked. I woke up at 7:00am to an aftershock. I had a skype date with Dad and Mom at 8:00. Right as we both got on skype my internet decided to die. So I had the pleasure of running across campus to the lounge to use the free wireless internet there. Once I got done talking with them I had just gotten back to my room and we had another aftershock. It was 5.5 and only 6 km away from the University. It was a rather good shake to say the least. As the day went on, the more aftershocks there were. They finally decided to die down come 6:00pm.

The week has gone by slow. I have been studying for my exams…well attempting to. It seems like the older I get the less I want to study for school. I have just 14 days until I’m home. Lately all I can think about is Dad, Mom and Karla. I’m anxious to see them and my friends. It ahs been 5 months since I have seen anyone and I’m getting egger. It has been an amazing time in NZ. I have really been able to grow as a person and have a new outlook on life. At this point I don’t know if I should be excited or sad. I crave Mom’s homemade spaghetti and a big hug from Dad. But I know once I leave NZ I will wish my stay would have been longer. I guess the sooner I leave NZ, the sooner I’ll plan a trip to come back, who knows maybe grad school will be an option for the next chapter in my life. 

May 7th-May 26th: Days 89- 108

The past few weeks have certainly been busy ones. I havn't had much time to travel or do anything overly exciting especially with the semester coming to a close. Classes have been keeping me in line and out of trouble for the most part, but I still have a good laugh when I can. The second week of classes from Easter break was very eventful to say the least. May 9th around 12:00pm I was sitting in sheep production class and we had another big aftershock, well not terribly big but you could sure feel it. It was a 4.0 on the scale. It was almost funny because our professor was a guest lecturer that day and the first thing he said was "now don't anybody panic"!! Well it's not like we could really panic. Seeing as how they expect us to hide under the desks for cover, I think it would be a good start if they designed classrooms in which you could actually get out of the seat without sucking in your gut. I think I have a better chance of falling to the side and rolling under the tables rather than jumping and diving under the desks.

It was 3:04am Tuesday when things really started to get shaken up. I had just woke up to a few aftershocks before that time and was laying in bed. Well at 3:04 there was a huge violent shock of a 5.3. It was the most violent one thus far. In my opinion I'd consider it worse than the actual quake back in February. It actually lasted a lot longer than the other shocks, almost to the extent that u'd think it was another quake. I wasn't sure what to think at first but once it was over it rattled me up. People were pouring out of their rooms and halls rushing outside. I heard a few screams out my window and people were out on the lawn for the next few hours.

Ahh yes and for those of you avid readers and emailers...you know that I was asked to the Halls Ball. And of course I had to wear a dress! Icky I know. I havn't wore a dress in over 4 years and I was perfectly ok continuing that streak. However, I was pressured otherwise. So, over break I ordered a dress online. Why I ordered formal wear online is still a question in my mind, but I decided to make things harder than what they should have been. So on Wednesday I was expecting to get this dress, I went and picked it up from the book shop and opened the box. Ahh yes,it was purple and full of sparkles....so other words it was not me at all. Well seeing as how I waited a month for this thing to get to NZ (oh and apparently when you order formal wear online it comes from the US) I opened it up to try it on. Haha ya right!! I couldn't even zip the darn thing if my life depended on it. They sent me the wrong size....oh and to make matters worse it was a size 2!!! So at this point I just wanna say screw it Id rather go in my jeans and t-shirt anyways. But I had a skype date with my Dad, and of course he wanted to see the dress (he has only seen me in a dress once). So I had this freaking bling bling of a dress that I couldn't fit into and the ball was the next day....lovely. So I go to various neighboring towns looking for an alter, and of course no one would work on it. Its 4:00pm, no dress, s***. So I skype my mom and tell her my situation and she tells me to just get another dress. So Alan was nice enough to take me to Riccarton Mall after our coffee date and find a dress and he needed a tie anyways. So all I can say is that I found a dress...and it zipped.

Needless the say I had a dress, well I also order shoes from this formal wear place. And I must say, never order shoes online. The picture looked much "nicer" than the product. I opened my box and load and behold I have a pair of silver hooker shoes...Oh S***. I don't even wear heels, let alone own a pair. All I can say at this point is that this guy freakin owes me big time, and I was praying to God I wouldn't fall and bust my butt. To make things even better, I don't have insurance so if I did fall and practically put myself in a coma...tough luck!

The next night was the ball. I got ready and Alan picked me up at 9:00pm. I struggled with the shoes...terribly. I tripped at least 5 times just getting to the door. And once I got to the door I forgot my ID so of course I had to go back and get it. That meant another painful walk across campus and back. Finally I got in the door and immediately I took of the shoes...I still don't see how any female in their right mind would wear such things. Personally, I think there a male invention to make it harder for women to get away.

The ball was a success, I really enjoyed myself and had a great time. The bar was open and the dinning hall provided snacks, and the live band played kiwi music all night long. The dance mostly had kiwis attend, not many Americans, which was okay too. It was nice to get out and have a good time with new people. That is something that I have tried to do, is hang out and spend more time with the kiwis as apposed to other study abroad students.

The following week was filled with more studying and more work on my genetics project. It is slowly coming together. But this next week I have to give my presentation and hand in my paper so I have my fingers crossed. I had a marketing test Wednesday morning, I ended up studying an hour before the exam and got the second highest grade in the class. Too bad that can't happen more often. I was pleased how things turned out. The rest of the week I worked on learning my various species of plants for my practical.

On Saturday night I cooked Alan a dinner for his birthday that was the next day. I made chicken alfredo with peas and garlic bread. Richard brought over some wine and it was a great evening. The meal turned out edible and that's all I could ask for. Later that night we went in to Riccarton Mall to watch Fast and the Furious 5. When we got there, they said they were sold out. So we got on the phone to see if there were any other theatres....nope. So we decided to go ask the cashier about other movies and discovered they weren't sold out to begin with. So we were able to watch the movie. I really enjoyed the film, Id say its the best of the series thus far. We finished the night of by making a Mackers Run (McDonalds) and then headed back to Uni.

And of course since Alan was turning 20 Richard and I wanted to pull a prank on him...by duck taping is door shut. Haha well it would have been a success if Alan had actually been inside his room at 3:00am. Turns out he caught Richard in the act through a window outside...figures. Its okay though, its not over yet.

The next week flew by fast. I didn't have any assignments or tests to do. So I focused on my genetics project and started to build my presentation. I plan on building a life sized puzzle with the picture of GAR Precision 1680 on it, which is the bull who caused the AM defect. I ended up sketching out the bull and then  sprayed it with hair spray to keep the pencil from smudging. I then cut it into puzzle pieces  and now I'm just waiting on getting some cardboard and velcro to finish it up. So as a final product I will have 12 pieces that I hand out to the class and they have to put the puzzle together. That way I get the audience attention and have a class activity to use up time in my 25 minute slot.

This week was going to be one that tested me. I had a marketing test, sheep test, and plants id test. I had my marketing Tuesday afternoon, it went pretty well and I feel confident about it. Wednesday morning I spent my time studying sheep and plants. That afternoon I had a sheep review and I went to that. I'm glad I did because most of the test material was covered in the review. After the review I went on a plants walk with Alan where we identified weeds, grasses and worked on estimating herbage masses. It was a productive walk to say the least. We then went to Rolleston where we had our usually Wednesday afternoon coffee. It was good to get away. I love going to to cafe's in NZ. With your coffee they draw a design on top of the foam and they give you a chocolate covered marshmallow fish to dunk!!!
Our cups finally ran out of coffee and it was time to head back to Uni. I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening studying for my sheep and plants tests.

This morning I got up early and studied one last time before sheep. I felt confident about the material and it was over stuff I found very interesting, minerals, deficiencies, animal health, feeding, lamb growth. The test was 8 short answer questions and I knew everyone, thank goodness I went to the review yesterday otherwise I would have been a dead duck. I finish my test just after 9:00, head back to my room and start studying for plants.

It was finally 11:00am and time for plants. I know my weeds, grasses I'm decent at. To top off this lovely practical id test, it was outside...in the rain. Ahh life couldn't get much better haha. Oh and it only gets better!! We had 45 seconds to walk to each id site, identify the plant and answer a multiple part question. Our professor supplied us plastic bags so we could put our exam inside it and write to keep it from getting wet. Well seeing as how I like to make things difficult, it didn't really work for me. So I said forget the darn bag! My paper was soaked, covered with dirt and my ankles and pants were caked with mud. Long story short, it was the most miserable testing environment of my life. But thank goodness it is over.

This weekend I plan on finishing up my genetics project and finishing constructing my poster/ puzzle. Things are really coming together for me on it and I'm excited. The project has been a hair puller and has been time consuming but overall I really enjoyed doing it. I got to learn more about the Angus industry and a lot of animal genetic defects in general. This class has been well worth it.

My time in NZ is running out. I have 27 days left until I have to leave this beautiful country. I have built a family here and lifelong friendships. I love the country as a whole and what their agriculture means to the people. I look forward to seeing my family again and being able to spend time with Dad and Mom. Julia's wedding is coming up. And yes, that means another dress! But I'm happy for her and what she has accomplished. My time in NZ has been amazing, but it has gone by far too quickly. It has been an experience of a lifetime and I hope that one day soon I will be able to come back.

Oh and to my avid readers....I have another visitor...Ahh yes spiders! They are back...well at least for a while until I can corner them.

May 2nd- 6th Days 85-88

This week was our first week back from Easter Break. Over Easter Liza and I had been on grabaseat website where we were lucky to find plane tickets to Rotorua for $40!! We both had been wanting to go for a long time and these were the cheapest tickets we had found this far. The only problem was, was that they were only running their deal this week, during school. So we decided to multitask to say the least. I had two tests this Friday and I really needed to study, but on the same note I really wanted to go to Rotorua! So we booked our flight!!! Monday came and went, it was just another typical painful day of school but we learned what would be on our test and were set for departure.

Tuesday morning we left Uni at 10:30, Alan was nice enough to drive us to the airport so we didn't have to worry about catching the bus and getting there on time. We checked in our bags and then waited for the flight to depart. While we waited I was able to catch up on my journal and had a steak and cheese pie for lunch. 11:15 came and we loaded the plane. it was pretty empty so Liza and I were both able to have our own double seats. All along the way I took pictures out of the plane. It was a gorgeous view of the Alps and the lush farm land. It was around 1:30 when we landed in Rotorua We got our bags and waited for 20 min until the bus arrived. As we were gathering our bags we just happen to have the luck where the bus kept on driving, not even looking back to pick us up! Ugg...figures. So we waited another 30 minutes for the next one to arrive. And this time we were ready! Liza stood out in the street and made him stop, it was quite the crack up really.

                             The view from the plane ride to Rotorua.

We made our way into town and after a while we were able to find our hostel, we stayed at Treks, YHA. It was a real nice hostel compared to some other ones that I have been to. We had our own room, so we had no excuses of not studying. Once we got our things dropped off we decided to go walk through town until 5 where we had booked to go to the Mitai Maroi village. We glanced in the various shops for gifts and topped off our afternoon with a flake of ice cream from McDonalds. Once we got back we waited for the Mitai tour to pick us up. While we waited we ended up meeting a couple of guys who were from Canada. They had just arrived in NZ a few days ago and are backpacking through the country, with all of the traveling I've done lately it is still soo neat to meet people from other cultures.

It was just after 6 when we got picked up. We made our way to the village where we were seated and got a brief outline of the events for the evening. At the introduction we got the opportunity to share where we were from etc.. and all of the "tourists" were formed to create the tribe of Nine Nations. We had to choose a "chief" for our tribe who would face the Mitai chief. We learned a few of the Maroi songs and headed off to see the men of the Mitai village row up on their homemade canoe. After we got to see them row on their sacred waters we were taken to a viewing area where we got to see the village perform several dances and songs regarding the history of the Maroi. They showed us the Haka war dance, which the Maroi people are well known for. It was an amazing experience. All through the ceremony the chief taught us about their culture and some of their history. It was actually rather fascinating. During the performance the chief form the Nine Nations (our tribe) had to face the Mitai chief. He had to speak in Maroi and thank him for the gifts he has given us. The Mitai chief accepted his speech and they pressed foreheads.

After the ceremony we got the opportunity to have a buffet of all Maroi food. It was absolutely amazing! They fixed the food underground by cooking it for three hours with stones from the river. It was a neat process they showed us, but the food was even better. They served us chicken, lamb, scalloped potatoes, sweet potatoes, salad, bread, and a delicious dessert of chocolate logs and a custard. Since Liza and I are living in the halls and have been eating nothing but cafeteria food, we went to town on the buffet. But since we paid a decent amount to go we figured we needed to get our money worth!

We topped off the evening by going on a moonlight walk. It just started to rain and they gave us a glorified trash bag to wear. It was literally made from trash bag material, but it had sleeves, cuffs around the wrists and even a hood with the trash bag drawstring!! It was quite impressive. As we made our way through the night we got to see our first Kiwi bird!! Ahhh it was soo

War haka (peruperu) were originally performed by warriors before a battle, proclaiming their strength and prowess in order to intimidate the opposition. Today, haka constitute an integral part of formal or official welcome ceremonies for distinguished visitors or foreign dignitaries, serving to impart a sense of the importance of the occasion.
Various actions are employed in the course of a performance, including facial contortions such as showing the whites of the eyes and the poking out of the tongue, and a wide variety of vigorous body actions such as slapping the hands against the body and stamping of the feet. As well as chanted words, a variety of cries and grunts are used. Haka may be understood as a kind of symphony in which the different parts of the body represent many instruments. The hands, arms, legs, feet, voice, eyes, tongue and the body as a whole combine to express courage, annoyance, joy or other feelings relevant to the purpose of the occasion.

The next morning, Wednesday I had scheduled to go on a tour to the Waitomo Caves. The Waitomo Caves are very famous for their glow worms! The Waitomo Glowworm Caves were first explored in 1887 by local Maori Chief Tane Tinorau accompanied by an English surveyor Fred Mace. Local Maori people knew of the Caves existence, but the subterranean caverns had never been extensively explored until Fred and Tane went to investigate. They built a raft of flax stems and with candles as their only lighting, floated into the cave where the stream goes underground.

 As they entered the caves, their first discovery was the Glowworm Grotto with its myriad of tiny bright lights dotting the cave ceiling. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, they saw a multitude of lights reflecting off the water. Looking up, they discovered that the ceilings were dotted with the lights of thousands of glowworms. Debris and logs littered the waterway, but by poling themselves toward the embankment they were able to leave the raft and explore the lower levels of the cave. Here they found themselves surrounded by the glorious cave decorations.

Jubilant at their discovery, they returned many times to explore further, and on an independent trip Chief Tane discovered the upper level of the cave and an easier access. Only after many subsequent visits did they discover an entry point on land. This is the same entry point used today by thousands of visitors annually.

The Glow Worm caves were absolutely amazing! I truly enjoyed it, I think it was probably one of the best things that I have done thus far on my journey in New Zealand. It is hard to describe how neat it was. They first took us down into the limestone caves and we looked at the formations of the stalactites and stalagmites. It takes 100 years for a cm to grow!! It was so neat! They took us into an area where they called it the Cathedral. It was a giant open room that many events had taken place. People have had a wedding there, choirs etc.. It is said to be the perfect sound system because the limestone does not create an echo effect. Our tour guide even sang a Maroi song and it was beautiful. 

After we looked at all of the formation they showed us the habitat of the glow worms and then took us on a small fishing boat beneath the caves so we were able to see thousands of glow worms light up the cave. 

That afternoon I got back from the tour around 1:30 and Liza and I decided that we wanted to go zorbing!!! Zorbing is an activity that was actually founded in Rotorua by a man whose first intention was to make people walk on water. Well turns out it wasn't that exciting, so instead he put these giant plastic balls on a mountain side! Well, to explain zorbing you are basically acting like a hamster inside a giant plastic ball that can be filled with water or have no water. You get into the ball and they roll you down the mountain! It was actually quite fun, I decided to stay dry and be harnessed. So I got in the ball, harnessed myself into the seat and then they pushed me down. I went head over feet for about 30 seconds until I came to a stop, but it was an experience I'm glad I did.

After our zorbing extravaganza we got back to the hostel where we decided that we should probably study. I spent the rest of the evening studying for my genetics and plants exams. It was such a good trip, I'm really glad we went even though it did cost us time from school. The next morning we got up early and did some more studying before we headed to the airport. We were able to catch a bus at 10:00am and arrived out at the airport. As we got out of the bus they announced that all flights had been delayed!! Ugg, due to the heavy fog all flights had been delayed, we didn't know when we would be getting back or if we were. We tried to check in our bags but they wouldn't take them. So as we waited for the fog to clear and I decided to get in some studying. As time passed I was starting to wonder about our situation. I got my things together and went and asked the front desk what the deal was....well turns out our plane was taking off!!!!! Oh yes they did not announce this and our bags were not even checked in yet! So we gave them our bags and ran out to the plane to catch it just in time. I guess we got too involved in studying for school.

We got back into Christchurch around 1:45. We got our bags and were able to take the bus back to Uni. It was a long drawn out day but well worth the frustration. We spent the remaining time studying some more. And honestly, after all of this Id like to say that we are not so much of bad students, as were are excellent multitaskers who are making the most of their New Zealand experience!

However, the week wasn't as glorious as it seems. Tuesday (Monday morning in the US) my amazing Uncle Fritz passed away. I was sad and heart broken to hear the news, but I know he is in a better place. It was hard to read the email from Dad, reading it I could picture everything that was taking place. But the thing that worried me the most was Dad and Uncle Dan. I talked to Dad on skype the night I got back and it was hard to see him talk about it. I know it really hurt him and the family, I just wish I could have been there to support them all. As much as I love being in NZ, I also know that my time has come to a costly expense. It's hard to read and hear about a tragedy so far from home and not be able to do anything about it. It was only a few weeks ago I sent him and e-mail and told him we had a date for the next county fair in July. I was really looking forward to it, but I know that one day we will have it. Uncle Fritz was an amazing man who touched many lives and I'm proud to call him my Uncle. I love you Uncle Fritz.

A Day That Will Never Be Forgotten

May 2nd, Day 84

Today was a day that will forever live in the hearts of every American citizen, it is a day that was long over due as nine years, and five months of battle, blood shed and sacrifice have become justified. Almost a decade ago our homeland was attacked and innocent American blood was shed on our home soil on September 11th, 2001. When I first heard the news that our home land had been attacked I was in 6th grade, 11 years old. I remember like it was yesterday. The smoke, the rubble, tears and shock on the faces of the American people. I remember hearing the radio in my language arts class. The school was silent, the building creaking was the only noise other than the radio broadcast. I remember going home after school and watching the news with my dad, over and over again they showed the Twin Towers falling, the coverage of the memorial service, it's like it had happened just yesterday.
I know that over the years I heard so many stories of soldiers falling in the line of duty. The stories that soldiers I knew had brought home. And it is such a relief that today, the American people can stand proudly and know that justice has finally been served for all of those innocent men and women who have passed within the 10 year battle. It is because of our brave service men and women that we are able to have the freedoms that we do. Even though I walk the streets and am capable of having my freedoms, I can't help but think of those who had fallen and the families that they will never be able to go home to.
Part of me wishes I was in the States to experience this glorious moment in our nations history. But I do know, that being across seas, and witnessing the defeat against Osama has still been mesmerizing. I look at the pictures on the news stations, listen to the radio broadcasts, and watch the feed over the internet. It is soo good to see the faces of the American people light up. I have never seen my nation soo proud of its people and the accomplishments it have obtained.
Today, as every other day I'm proud to stand and say that I'm proud to be an American. "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all".
 God Bless the United States of America!!!

USA National Anthem

United States of America 

The Star Spangled Banner 

Oh, say! can you see by the dawn's early light 

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming; 

Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, 

O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? 

And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, 

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there: 

Oh, say! does that star-spangled banner yet wave 

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? 

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep, 

Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes, 

What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep, 

As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses? 

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam, 

In fully glory reflected now shines in the stream: 

'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh, long may it wave 

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave! 

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore 

That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion 

A home and a country should leave us no more? 

Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution! 

No refuge could save the hireling and slave 

From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave: 

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave 

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. 

Oh, thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand 

Between their loved home and the war's desolation! 

Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation! 

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, 

And this be our motto: "In God is our trust": 

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave 

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. 

April 24th- 30th Days 76th-82nd

AKAROA

This weekend I had the opportunity to travel to Akaroa with a couple of Kiwi friends and Liza. We left Sunday morning and drove an hour to Akaroa. When we got there we went to our friends "bach" which is basically like a summer vacation home. We walked down to the town and looked around the various shops and galleries, Liza and I were quick to locate the fudge shop. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shinning for the first time in days and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. After our walk we headed back to the house and relaxed until Richard's parents showed up. They arrived around 3:00 and they greeted us with open arms. Since it was Easter weekend, his mom gave us each a chocolate Easter egg. Liza and I look at each other and immediately miss home. We spent the next couple hours sharing our stories and having a cup of tea.

It was about 5:00 when we decided to take the boat for a spin out on the Akaroa Harbor. We wanted to see if we could spot any dolphins, but we didn't see any. The water water clear and smooth, it was the perfect day to go out. Richard took us around and showed us the various historical spots in the harbor. We even got to see these large black drums that are used for paua pearl hunting. Liza and I each got to drive the boat around the harbor. It was a great start for our getaway.
The sun started to set so we headed in to shore, we loaded up the boat and got back to the house. Richards mom had made us dinner; rice, stuffed red peppers and a chicken dish. It was absolutely amazing. I can't help but think of home and miss my moms home cooking and the company of both of my parents. After dinner we had some pudding and ice cream for dessert. We finished off by having a drink and playing a card game of 500. Liza and I just watched, so we could catch on. The game is a lot like pitch but with a different scoring system.

After our card game, we all went out for a walk. We went passed the harbor and walked to the edge of town to a remote place. We sat there and spent the next hour looking up at the stars and listening to the waves of the ocean roll in. It was great. It reminded me of home. Complete silence and isolation from the hectic moments life often brings us. The southern hemisphere has different constellations than we do in the United States. They have the Northern Cross, Sculptor, Crater, Corvus, Cetus, Phoenix, Puppis and hundreds more.

The next day was Anzac Day, which is basically like Veterans day in the United States. We started the morning off by cooking breakfast and having a cup of tea with Richards parents and family friends. Richard was walking with the fire brigade for the ceremony, so we all went to watch. The weather was nasty outside, it was cold, windy and raining. The original location for the ceremony got moved into a community building so we all settled there. The memorial began by signing "God Save the Queen" New Zealand's national anthem. We then sat down and listened to several opening remarks about from various members of the community in regards to Anzac Day and the history of Akaroa. We continued to sign several hymns and as the memorial came to a close several wreaths were laid across the stage. There was a eulogy for the fallen by President R.S.A. and then there was a tribute from the district youth to the fallen soldiers from the banks Peninsula Roll. The memorial concluded with the Australian and New Zealand Anthems and as the bagpipes played people were able to pay their respect by placing a red poppy on a sand cross.

The entire memorial was incredibly moving. The talked about stories of war and sacrifice and courage. I couldn't help but think of my home country. The thousands of soldiers who risk their lives everyday and yet sometimes I think we often don't give them enough support for their actions. Over the years I have heard stories of war and I must say I don't think that the people in our communities support our soldiers the way they should be. I remember the stories my dad told me of his family going off to war and I am proud to call them my family, my grandfather, uncles, and dad.

The ceremony carried over into the afternoon an once it wrapped up we all headed back to the bach. We indulged in sandwiches and quiche for a late lunch. After lunch Liza and I decided to make some apple crisp. So we went outside to their apple tree, got some apples and ended up down at the market to get the rest of our ingredients. We peeled the apples and put our recipe together. However, while it was in the oven cooking, Richards parents had to leave to go back to Christchurch. We said our goodbyes and thanked them for their hospitality. It wasn't long after that our crisp was done. It was a success!!! It turned out much better than what it does back in our dorm.  We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and watching the rain come down on the harbor, it was a great way to start the evening.

For tea that night we walked down to a fish n chips shop where we had elephant fish and fries. It was pretty delicious, but still doesn't compare to the blue cod I had in Kaikoura

warf. Richard made me a deal if I swim in the ocean, then Alan had to jump off the warf at high tide.....and yet neither of us can swim....at least we have life jackets.
We got to the warf, Richard jumped off, then Alan. I can't help but notice their expressions to the cold water. I'm not so sure I want to get in the water. We spend some time at the warf then head over to shore.  It is my moment of truth, the wind is blowing, I put my feet in the water, its sooo cold my feet turn numb instantly. I'm feeling doubt but I know if I don't do it then I would regret it. So, I went in. The water stung my body, it was like several knives jabbing at me, but after a while I couldn't feel it anymore. Richard and Alan came out with me. Alan attempted to swim as well and Richard gave me my lessons. It was quite nice to be honest, but would have been better if I could feel my body. I stay in for about 20 minutes until we call it good. We rush back to the house to get some hot showers.

Once we got warm again in was time for lunch, so we all went to Bully Hayes restaurant which is a place Richard used to work at. The food was great and was good recovery food. After we finished eating we walked along the various shops and then went back to the house. We spent the afternoon on the couch relaxing and watching movies. After our movies we made some tea (dinner) and then Alan and I headed back. I got back to Uni at 8:00 and it was a great weekend.

 On our boat ride we came across one of the more well known rock formations called the "Elephant". The picture is hard to see but there is a part of the rock that descends into the ocean that is shaped like an elephants trunk.

             These are some of the black drums that are used to collect paua pearls.

                 Richard and his parents after the Anzac Memorial Service.

                 This would be me procrastinating my entrance into the ocean.

                                  Getting my first swimming lesson.

School starts back up next week and I have two tests on the same day, I'm not really looking forward to any of it. I have made great headway on my genetics project. As I was able to get in contact with the lead researcher for the defect from the U.S. I still have a bunch left, but it is a work in progress. I had a great time over my two week break. I may not have gone out and traveled a lot like most of the international students. But at the same time I was happy to get some work done and just hang out with my kiwi friends.

The past few days I have been keeping up on the news in the United States, there have been over 300 tornadoes and now there are 329 reported casualties. It is soo heart breaking to see all of the footage of the destruction. Mother nature sure has its wonders. My thoughts and prayers go out to those families and communities affected by the tragedy. I can't help but think about the importance of community service and the act of lending a helping hand. Often times I believe we don't help others enough.

Early Saturday morning we had another aftershock of 5.2 magnitude. It woke me up and really rattled the bed. It was the biggest I have felt since the February 22nd earthquake. I knew I would be feeling aftershocks for some time. But it's almost nerve racking that such big aftershocks are happening even two months after the original quake. They don't bother me like they used to, I have almost come accustomed to their presence.

April 11th- 18th Days 63rd- 70th

This week was certainly a busy active one. I had two mid term tests on Tuesday and Wednesday. I spent my weekend and Monday night studying for both. I had my sheep production test Tuesday, Brianna, Mara and I got together several times before hand and held a study group. But I think that half the time was spent doing other things besides studying. Something about group effort is just very counter productive for me.

Tuesday morning I felt very confident going into the test. Most of the questions were from previous years exams and the others seemed fairly straight forward. However, there was only 8 questions and the test was worth 20% of my grade! I have my fingers crossed. We are now really starting to studying wool and its pieces of value. There are actually 5 pieces to a sheep's wool; 1st pieces, 2nd pieces and lox, fribs, bellies, and neck/back. We learned about what the proper procedures are to take prior to shearing. These would be simple things like not mixing your herds; you don't want merino wool getting mixed with romney. Another procedure would be to empty out the sheep at least 8 hours prior to shearing, this way there is nothing getting mixed in with the wool. I hope to start learning about the crimps for each breed and desirable characteristics so maybe I can go back to CSU and wool judge.

Wednesday morning I got up early to study for my consumer behavior test. I didn't do any studying for it until the night before, but I think its a straightforward subject. I take the test, there was 2o multiple choice and 3 short answer essay. Overall I think it was one of the easier tests have had to date (knock on wood).

The rest of the week I was looking at places to travel for the weekend. I have been wanting to go to the North Island but the air fares right now are not the cheapest. So I plan to go up before finals begin and take a four day weekend to see Rotorua and Gisborne. Thursday night arrived and I decided to go to Kaikoura, I wanted to go whale watching and scuba diving. I decided to go alone actually. I mean after traveling half way around the world only to go vacationing with Americans seemed a bit contradictory to me. Anyways it would be nice to go out meet new people and not have to worry about anyone else.

Friday afternoon I was able to catch a ride with some other Lincoln students who were traveling up to the North Island to go on the Uni's five day field trip. They dropped me off around 4:00pm. And since I do have the best of luck, it was raining, not just that but it was a downpour. Ahh lovely, welcome to Kaikoura. In Maori legend, Kaikoura Peninsula was the seat where the demigod Maui sat when he fished the North Island up from the depths of the sea. Kaikoura is also the closest to see whales. Do to the large continental shelf by Kaikorua it makes the perfect habitat for the sperm whale population. This makes it the closest piece of land to whale ratio.

Well once I got settled in I started making arrangements to do some activities in the area for the next few days. I really wanted to go scuba diving. However, they only let really experienced swimmers go out in case something were to go wrong. And seeing as how I cant ever swim, I decided not to even go there. So I made plans to go whale watching. Kaikoura had three options to see the whales; helicopter, plane or boat. I really wanted to do the helicopter since Ive never been in one, but the weather decided otherwise. It was a cold rainy day and visibility was limited so I had to go with the boat option.

Saturday morning I walked through the town of Kaikoura. It is a nice small home town really driven by the fishing industries. After I did some gift shopping it was time to head to see the whales. It was a three hour boat ride. And it will be my first time ever on a boat out at sea!!!! The tides were high and the rain poured but we finally came into contact with a sperm whale. To locate the whale, the captain used a sonar system that he lowered beneath the boat which then picked up the clicking noises whales make. You can determine how long the whale has been down and when they should come to surface. The sperm whale stays below water for about 45 minutes until they surface. We were able to see two whales and then the captain took us over to see some dolphins. On the way, I even spotted my first shark!!! Ya I'm thinking it's a good thing I didn't go scuba diving after all. We reached the dolphins and there were around 300 of them. They were jumping and doing flips in the air. Some even came and swam along the boat. It was a very neat mind boggling experience. I have never been out to sea let alone seen a dolphin or a whale. The afternoon was a success.

Sunday morning came and it was the first time I've seen the sun since I was in Kaikoura. I decided to do the Peninsula Walkway. It was a 3-4 hour walk which took you all around the Peninsula of KaikouraKaikoura. At this point I'm really starting to wonder why I didn't bring hiking shoes this weekend. My last hour took me through the forest and another farm. The farm land is still so green and vibrant, especially for autumn. Finally at 1:00pm I reached Kaikoura, my feet were killing me, I was dripping with sweat and desperately wanted to shower. Later that afternoon I had planned to go out and go deep sea fishing. There was a tour company that would take you out so you could catch cod, crabs you name it and then you got to keep your catch....but of course the weather was bipolar and instantly changed to a heavy downpour. All of the activities I really wanted to do were either limited by the weather or the fact that I couldn't swim. Hum....I think it's time to learn!!

Monday came. It was icy cold outside and there was snow on the mountains. The boats had all been docked and couldn't go out due to the severe weather advisory. So I spent the morning in a nice cafe enjoying a cup of coffee and reading a book. I was finally able to catch my bus back to Christchurch at 4:00pm. I arrived in the city at 6:30pm and it was raining, of course. Since the earthquake the bus routes have been altered and I was never able to find out where each bus was supposed to go. So I asked around and ended up hitchhiking! Ahh yes needless to say I was nervous there for a while. I didn't recognize any of my surroundings and my imagination was running wild. But I did get dropped off at Uni and in one piece.

The weekend was a success even if my activities were limited due to the weather which was hardly ever in my favor. I loved going out and traveling by myself. It was nice to have some time alone and reflect my time spent in New Zealand. The more time I spend here, the harder it becomes to think I'm going to have to leave in 6 weeks. I have really grown to love the atmosphere here and the agriculture. Its nice to see an entire country so aimed towards ag rather than development and shopping malls. One day I hope to come back and have my own place in New Zealand.

Everyday my actions and decisions have been a result of the February 22nd earthquake that struck Christchurch. This weekend the city experienced another massive aftershock of 5.3. It poured more liquefaction into the streets and homes of the residents who live in this city. Power was lost to numerous homes and debris continued to fall from previous destructed buildings. It is so hard to see the people who have made Christchurch their home have to continuously restart and pickup their lives. Just when they believe again and have hope more destruction is brought to their lives. No one died which is greatful but on the same note I can't help but wonder how these innocent people keep going through all of this hurt. Is it best to pick up and leave? Or is it best to stay, stay at a place you call your home no matter what the result is. Everyday I admire the people of Christchurch more and more. They are such strong, capable, and faith driven people it inspires me. I'm currently working on joining the student  army. Students go out on a regular basis and help rebuild Christchurch. I think it would be an amazing and valuable experience.

 This is my first Sperm Whale experience! A bull Sperm Whale can grow to 20.5 metres (67 ft) long. It is the largest living toothed animal. The head can take up to one-third of the animal's length. It has a cosmopolitan distribution across the oceans. The species feeds on squid and fish, diving as deep as 3 kilometres (9,800 ft), which makes it the deepest diving mammal. Its diet includes giant squid and colossal squid. The sperm whale's clicking vocalization is the loudest sound produced by any animal, but its functions are uncertain. These whales live in groups called pods. Pods of females and their young live separately from older males.

         This is the second whale we saw that was diving back under the water.

 This is just one of the hundreds of Dusky Dolphins that we saw doing its acrobatic moves. The dusky dolphin prefers cool currents and inshore waters but can be found offshore. It feeds on a variety of fish and squid species and has flexible hunting tactics. The dusky dolphin is known for its remarkable acrobatics, having a number of aerial behaviors.

                                               Sunrise over Kaikoura.

             The top of the Peninsula Walkway overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

              Cattle on lush pasture by the ocean!! This one is for you Uncle Bill.

                                   Kaikoura and the Peninsula Walkway.

      This is just some of the farmland that I walked through on my 3 hour walk.

                                  The Pacific Ocean.