Welcome to Pomaria Primary School!! What a great first week of school! I love my class, love my teacher, and I am going to have a wonderful next five weeks here. The staff is so welcoming and helpful too.
On Friday morning, Allie, Kara, Katie and I got to be a part of the powhori. This is a special Maori welcoming ceremony, where all the new staff, students, and visitors are welcomed to the Pomaria family. A student called out to us in Maori, in kind of a chant/song, welcoming us into the hall. Another student led us in, calling back and explaining who we were. As a group, girls led in first with the boys behind, we slowly walked into the hall, down the aisle, and sat off to the side. The students in the picture above were performing the haka as we walked in- it was so neat to see these elementary school kids perform the haka!
Each powhori always ends with a Hongi (the pressing of noses...this was a funny experience for me...I just about locked lips with the drama teacher! haha), and then a Hakari, or a feast. We ended with some delicious food in the staff room. A member of the staff who teaches the Shining Star program (for ELLs) came up to us and asked us what we thought of the powhori. I was telling her how it was a really neat experience, and she then said how she noticed me immediately because when I walked into the hall apparently my eyes got really big as I looked around at everything going on! haha. I didn't even realize it. But I guess I was just trying to take everything in! It was really neat though. You should google Powhori and read more about what went on during the ceremony! On Tuesday of this week we have another Powhori at Henderson South with the other 12 girls in our group. At this one, we get to sing a Maori song that Carol Anderton (our literacy teacher) taught us during classes! I'm excited to be a part of one with all the girls!
Anyway, so Friday after our Powhori, Katie and I jumped on a bus and met a bunch of the girls at Pt. Chevalier, a beach that is just 20 minutes or so away from our house. It was so nice to relax on the beach for a few hours and catch up with some of the girls and see how everyone's week went. Thankfully everyone is happy with where they are at- and of course we all love our students! I really love the age group that I have. 3rd grade is where I fit :) I know you don't really have a choice sometimes, and I'll take any teaching job I can after I graduate, but I think that 3rd grade would be ideal.
Saturday was such a fun, busy day! I love that we are doing so much. I know that I will not leave here thinking I missed out on anything! Any spare day we have, we always plan something fun to do. Something that has been on my to do list was hike Rangitoto, a volcanic island just a 30 minute ferry ride away from Auckland. So we took a 7:40 bus from our house into the city, then got on the 9:15am ferry over to Rangitoto. There is no commercialism on the island, just a bunch of trails that go all around the island. It is a beautiful island, full of gorgeous forests and lots of volcanic rock. It can be seen from pretty much anywhere on the mainland, and looks the same from an angle. When we got off the ferry, we headed straight for the summit. And man was it a workout! We were all drenched in sweat by the time we got to the top.
The wharf! This was right after we got off the ferry.
Welcome to Rangitoto Island!
Part way up to the summit- Nancy, Janet and me!
I really wish my pictures could show what I actually saw...but there is part of Auckland! You can't even tell how pretty the view was, but I tried!
Nicole, me, and Emily!
After we hiked the summit, we decided to hike to the lava caves- somehow we got separated into smaller groups, but we all ended up back together by the end. Whitney had this great idea to take a 'candid' of us hiking! haha. But I love this picture! Whitney, me, Jessica, Diana, and Janet!
The lava caves were SO cool. This was right outside the one that we walked/crawled through and up back onto the trail. Luckily Hannah was the prepared one of the group and remembered a torch (flashlight!) so we were able to make it through!
After hiking through the lava caves, we then hiked to McKensie Bay, where I changed into my swimsuit and gladly dived into the water! It felt so amazing. Jess, Diana and Janet also got in the water. After we dried off, ate lunch, and relaxed for a little while, we started the hour hike back to the wharf, where we made the 3:45 ferry back to Auckland. I am so happy we got to finally hike Rangitoto!
I feel like when I upload the pictures to my blog they don't turn out as well...but this was gorgeous- you looked up and the trees created an archway over the trail! This was on the way back to the wharf from McKensie Bay.
Once we made it back to Auckland, some of the girls went to a Rugby game, and some of us also headed to Albert Park to the Chinese Lantern Festival. I love that there are always free festivals and events going on around Auckland. And this was so cool!! We met up with Alice, Daena and Sid, and Nina was also there! We got to see Zion and Ahanu perform with their Kung Fu group at the festival.
Ahanu (9) is the second from the left.
Zion (10) is second from the right.
They both did so great! It was fun to be able to watch them! And it was a fluke that we actually found Alice with the huge crowds of people that were at the festival. We found Alice just as she was texting us to let us know details about their performance time and all that. We got there around 5:30 or so, and they performed around 6:30.
They didn't look AS cool while it was light outside, but it was still so fun walking around the park and seeing all the lanterns. This is the God of Wealth- and yes I know that I could not look more like an American tourist in this picture...it cracks me up. But keep in mind we had been hiking all day...at least I had changed out of my swimsuit and sweaty clothes! haha. But of course I am wearing my awesome Chacos that I love, and my study abroad backpack that matched with Katie's! haha. We were quite the pair last night. I feel like I can never quite blend in whenever we go to big events like this. It's pretty funny. But we had a great night!
Once again, pictures do not do it justice! These lanterns were so huge and so elaborate and detailed!
It's a sheep farm!
Walking out of the park! I was so happy we had been there before it got dark, because by the time the sun set, there were SO many people there. So around 9 we left, and decided to go to Giopo, a gelato place on Queen street that Daena had told us about. So we walked up Queen street, I got a scoop of some Hokey Pokey and chocolate brownie ice cream in a cone, and we headed to our bus. After sitting down finally, we realized how tired and worn out we were. But it was such a fun day!!! I love Auckland and going into the city. Before we leave, I really want to go back to Queen street and just go into all the fun shops and boutiques there.
Today was a wonderful day at church, as always! I played the piano in Primary again...it's like my unofficial calling while I am here I guess. haha. But I do love it. Sometimes I wish I could be in Sunday School, but being in the Primary is also so great!
After church it was SO nice to finally hear mom's voice! I hadn't talked to her in a week and a half and was definitely missing it! Serving a mission would be so hard...I can't even imagine talking to my mom only twice a year...it would definitely be a sacrifice, but also a wonderful experience. It's crazy to think that I am almost 21 and could be starting mission papers...it is definitely something I am thinking about though. Possibly not any time in the near future, but I think I really would love to serve a mission. Just something that has been on my mind a lot lately.
But Katie and I made dinner tonight- we made a delicious spaghetti florentine recipe that she got from her mom. And we attempted to make bread...it tasted like more like a biscuit, but it was still good! haha. While dinner was cooking, Alice asked me to teach Noah for a little while. I don't know if I have ever blogged about this actually...but Noah loves music...he loves to listen to it, watch instruments being played, play his own instruments...let's just say we think he may have an exciting musical future ahead of him :) Anyway, so the first week we were here I told Alice about how I play the violin, and she rented a violin for Noah for three months so that I can just work with him a little bit while I am here. I don't know exactly how to teach the violin, but I tried! haha. Noah just loves to hold it and 'play a song'. But I was so happy when I turned and saw Katie snapping some pictures!
It's a teeny tiny violin! But we had a fun little mini-lesson tonight with Noah before dinner :)
After dinner I got to skype with Mekelle and Kyle. I just love talking to them. I don't know what I will do when they move away from Utah...I can't even think about it for too long because I start crying! But thankfully I have a month or so with them once I get back to Utah! They are so great and I love them both so much!
I am excited for what this week will bring :)
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