Okay... so I did my first WWOOF site and it was CRAZY! I milked cows and dealt with a racist fundamentalist family living in the TAranaki region! This people were like extra secluded and the father censors everything for the girls...did I mention they have 11 girls...WOW right! but I was there for 4 days and then got right out of there... I ended up at this other site called SMart Organics with this hippie people and it was hella fun~! Met some cool people there and painted a house for battered women..and slept in the solar powered house...no shower...extra mad...haha.. but finally after a five hour drive im in the CAPITAL!! It's so tight..I feel like a hot mess not having any of my clothes here..cuz everyone is dressed up... Im at an internet cafe that is closing at midnight..I been on skype talking to my mom, and Jelly, Jordan, Vinay, Marquis and Denise...so Good on you guys for keeping in touch! Oh yeah...Solomon gave me a ring too...much appreciated! but yeah... I am sleepy and I gotta walk back to my hostel... University of Welling VIctoria is pretty cool...glad not to see cow buts for a while...but I am happy to see some more Maori people! I was on the radio today...you know being famous in NEW ZEaland and what not...haha... I will get the link later...and I got video too..haha... but yeah... hit me up on skype!and yeah.... miss everyone...until next time...
I had some good Mexican food today from Mexican people! It was great!! Loved it! cost 15 bucks~!! but I was supporting my people... I got a lot going on..haha and someone thought I was from FIJI, and Tahitian...and I just keep getting Islander while I am here..haha... but people say NEGRO over here too..not cool....I got some more to say about that later...
RACISM is VERY PREVALENT HERE!!!!
ALL THE BEST<3
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Day 12: Back in Auckland
So Last night was soooooooo Awesome! Guys Pahia is like this town with nothing really going on...but we went to on this Cream Tour and it led to good things! So I had to get up at 7:30am and be ready to go by 8:30, but I took my time and was the last one to be ready at 8:45am :) We ended up walking from our hostel to where the tour picks up and I didn't know what to expect. First I was mad for having to wake up that early and second because I was tired of all the moving around we have had to do. But, I was up and ready with my packed lunch.
Before arriving in Pahia, I went to MitiMiti beach and stayed on a Maorae. IT was the coolest experience because it was the most brown people I have been around this whole trip. Staying on the Maorae , reminded me of being on Native Reservation in the States. It was hard not to be attached to them, sharing thier culture with us and kicking it with us at a pub! Then we got to see the male and female HAKA! OH MY GOSH! You have to see the Haka in person, it is like the most awesome thing! Then men have their eyes all wide and stick out their tongues and just look so powerful! Ladies, your man needs to be able to protect you like a Maori can! :) I was like I need one in my life...hahah... but yeah ..good experience...
So back to the cruise... Once I ended up on the boat, It was nice to relax on the sea and not worry about anything. We got a tour of the Bay of Islands and learned a little about the history. I took lots of pictures and a video. There was even an option to swim with dolphins and a couple of my classmates, Wilson and Katie swam with Dolphins!! But it cost 30 bucks and I was like this trip is already 100 bucks...so yeah... can't even do it...and you needed to be a strong swimmer so looks like I would have been drowning if I had jumped in ... so while waiting around on the boat...like usual, I was making friends on the boat. This is where I met my boo Timaira :)
I approached him asking about the coffee on the boat...and we ended up talking the whole trip! He even showed me his house from the Cruise! He was pretty awesome people! I talked to Lara , another Maori employee and Nami who took pictures for the company.
I was like, "I'm only in town for the night...( snoop dogg reference :)" and I invited all those guys to go out for the night! It was great! After the tour we met up and went out to the bars right by our hostel. Finally found a club that played hip hop music and I felt like I was the best dancer there... only confirmed by other girls trying to copy my "american dancing skills" :) haha..., but Tamaira and Nami came out and we kicked it the whole time! Tamaira bought drinks for everyone and yeah.... definitely had fun.
Well now I am back in Auckland, just got on the computer thanks to Monica again...but yeah...sad to have left Pahia....good times...highlight of the trip so far... well gotta go!
Before arriving in Pahia, I went to MitiMiti beach and stayed on a Maorae. IT was the coolest experience because it was the most brown people I have been around this whole trip. Staying on the Maorae , reminded me of being on Native Reservation in the States. It was hard not to be attached to them, sharing thier culture with us and kicking it with us at a pub! Then we got to see the male and female HAKA! OH MY GOSH! You have to see the Haka in person, it is like the most awesome thing! Then men have their eyes all wide and stick out their tongues and just look so powerful! Ladies, your man needs to be able to protect you like a Maori can! :) I was like I need one in my life...hahah... but yeah ..good experience...
So back to the cruise... Once I ended up on the boat, It was nice to relax on the sea and not worry about anything. We got a tour of the Bay of Islands and learned a little about the history. I took lots of pictures and a video. There was even an option to swim with dolphins and a couple of my classmates, Wilson and Katie swam with Dolphins!! But it cost 30 bucks and I was like this trip is already 100 bucks...so yeah... can't even do it...and you needed to be a strong swimmer so looks like I would have been drowning if I had jumped in ... so while waiting around on the boat...like usual, I was making friends on the boat. This is where I met my boo Timaira :)
I approached him asking about the coffee on the boat...and we ended up talking the whole trip! He even showed me his house from the Cruise! He was pretty awesome people! I talked to Lara , another Maori employee and Nami who took pictures for the company.
I was like, "I'm only in town for the night...( snoop dogg reference :)" and I invited all those guys to go out for the night! It was great! After the tour we met up and went out to the bars right by our hostel. Finally found a club that played hip hop music and I felt like I was the best dancer there... only confirmed by other girls trying to copy my "american dancing skills" :) haha..., but Tamaira and Nami came out and we kicked it the whole time! Tamaira bought drinks for everyone and yeah.... definitely had fun.
Well now I am back in Auckland, just got on the computer thanks to Monica again...but yeah...sad to have left Pahia....good times...highlight of the trip so far... well gotta go!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Day 7: The Kauri Museum
So I finally packed up and left Auckland and we got all of us in two vans WITH OUR BACKPACKS and drove to Dargaville. I looked at the vans when they arrived and I was like "How was all of these backpacks 'bout to fit in these vans and fit us in there as well?" But we made them work. We drove about an Hour and some change to where the Kauri Museum is located. It was pretty cool, well cool to me and anyone else who likes history. I was surprised they let you touch all the exhibits so I was touching everything just cuz I could...hahah... There was also an old church house and an old play ground outside the museum as well. Apparently it was the old house of some guy named Tudor and like the manaquins and what not were replicas of his family members. It was kinda cool to see that.
We stopped at this diner/family owned off the road resturant and had the most amazing view of pastures... It was so nice to look out the window and see nothing but grass and cows.... and give the buildings and city life a break. I do get anxious with all the things that are going on back in the States, but I know God will work everything out for me. I do sorta miss everyone at home and I wish I could talk to people, but It's hard with having to pay for the internet and then some places we are traveling to don't have the internet available OR they charge ridiculous prices like $2 for 15 mins of internet use! YEAH RIGHT! I don't have money to be throwing it around like that.
Luckily today my lovely new found buddy, Monica McDonald,was smart enough to bring a mini laptop on this trip and paid for 24 hours worth of internet. I had to wait until she was finished with what she needed to get done but now, midnight, I have it all to myself. I decided to write on this blog and write down all the addresses people have sent me and I also will be working on some scholarship essays that are due on the 13.I really hope that I get this money because my fifth year is about to be all about applying for scholarships so I can have things paid for.
I got on facebook today and saw some pictures my soror, Crystal Green, posted from MOM's WEEKEND and I was excited to see all the nuttiness (the words of my c4ub, ACE) that occured , but unfortunately that can't be portrayed on a photo. It was my first mom's weekend I missed but luckily next year I will be there for my last one.
Oh yeah we called our WWOOF sites today and I will be going to a livestock farm to help out this family who has kids and a dairy farm. Basically college students volunteer their time to these organic farms and in turn they get free meals (well not really free since you worked for it) and you get a place to stay while you are there.
I have Never worked on a farm before, but I do have experience dealing with different animals because my family had a mini-farm in Tacoma. YEAH TACOMA, I said it! WE had fresh eggs every morning :) I also found out the family I will be working with has HORSES!! So we will get an opprotunity to ride them! YAY!I'm stoked!
Well That's all for now. Tomorrow we go on a hike after 6 hours of class...yay :( But I am excited to learn more about nature.
Until next time....
We stopped at this diner/family owned off the road resturant and had the most amazing view of pastures... It was so nice to look out the window and see nothing but grass and cows.... and give the buildings and city life a break. I do get anxious with all the things that are going on back in the States, but I know God will work everything out for me. I do sorta miss everyone at home and I wish I could talk to people, but It's hard with having to pay for the internet and then some places we are traveling to don't have the internet available OR they charge ridiculous prices like $2 for 15 mins of internet use! YEAH RIGHT! I don't have money to be throwing it around like that.
Luckily today my lovely new found buddy, Monica McDonald,was smart enough to bring a mini laptop on this trip and paid for 24 hours worth of internet. I had to wait until she was finished with what she needed to get done but now, midnight, I have it all to myself. I decided to write on this blog and write down all the addresses people have sent me and I also will be working on some scholarship essays that are due on the 13.I really hope that I get this money because my fifth year is about to be all about applying for scholarships so I can have things paid for.
I got on facebook today and saw some pictures my soror, Crystal Green, posted from MOM's WEEKEND and I was excited to see all the nuttiness (the words of my c4ub, ACE) that occured , but unfortunately that can't be portrayed on a photo. It was my first mom's weekend I missed but luckily next year I will be there for my last one.
Oh yeah we called our WWOOF sites today and I will be going to a livestock farm to help out this family who has kids and a dairy farm. Basically college students volunteer their time to these organic farms and in turn they get free meals (well not really free since you worked for it) and you get a place to stay while you are there.
I have Never worked on a farm before, but I do have experience dealing with different animals because my family had a mini-farm in Tacoma. YEAH TACOMA, I said it! WE had fresh eggs every morning :) I also found out the family I will be working with has HORSES!! So we will get an opprotunity to ride them! YAY!I'm stoked!
Well That's all for now. Tomorrow we go on a hike after 6 hours of class...yay :( But I am excited to learn more about nature.
Until next time....
Friday, April 9, 2010
Day 6: Polynesian Market
Okay guys,
I am finally starting this blog thing! haha... Thanks Marquise! You are awesome for the link!
So I will try to write on here as often as possible since I don't get to go on the internet everyday...not that it isn't available, but because it cost $3.00 an hour to do so and I am NOT made of money :) haha...
So what I have done... Well I am in Auckland, New Zealand with 16 other students from UW and 2 professors. I have found that it is quite different to be studying and learning with the same people you are living with! We are staying in this Backpacker/ Hostel called International BackPackers on Churton street and Earle. There are so many people who come to New Zealand or this city as backpackers...There are places everywhere for you to stay. If you don't mind being in a bunk with someone you don't know, it's actually a cool place to stay. I really enjoy the people I am with, I kind of feel bad for Wilson (student on trip) because he is the only boy in the whole group, but we are making him feel as welcome as possible, but he is a big sweetheart so it is hard not to treat him well.
We went on a tour the other day of the Waitangi forest (Not sure If I spelled that correctly) But it is the preserved area of Aukland that shows what the island was like before all the people who colonized it from Europe came over. They call the people Pakhia which is anyone from European descent. The natives to the land are called Maori. I came on this trip thinking I would be surrounded by Islanders / Islander looking people, but in Auckland there are hecka White people and Asians, just like Seattle! I feel like I haven't even left! I wanted to see diversity and I got placed somewhere there are the same types of people FML!!! hahaha... but it is only the first week and We have been in the same city but once we start moving around, maybe I will run into some!
Today, was our first day off from school, yeah I am actually going to school from 10-4pm everyday so I'm not just kickin' it! haha.... but I got up early today at like 7:30am cuz this girl in my room wants to do excersise in the morning so I woke up when she did! DANG IT! hahah... but it's all good...made me get up... and Iwent to the Polynesian market... SO GLAD I WENT!!! It took a whole Hour on the bus to get there and the bus cost $10 bucks for an all day pass or $4.80 each way, so it just worked out that way and we all bought the passes... but it was like driving from North Seattle to the C.D or going to Tacoma... cuz there was hecka ISLANDERS!!!! I was soo pumped...I was like there are dudes everywhere! I hardly saw any white people there, but Otara was like the place most immigrants from Samoa and Tonga come to, and it isn't as developed. At the market they were selling all types of things, food, clothes , jewelry EVERYTHING! hahaah... I got a free pear from one of the farmers just because I said hi and was nice to him. There was a guy from Spokane,WA selling Kettle Korn haha... and then the ultimate happened... I saw DEREON CLOTHING!! It's like my favorite brand of clothes and this Asian guy had lost the shop he sold the clothes in and decided to sell it all at the Polynesian market for Hecka cheap! I am so sad I am here as a back packer and not as a visitor, with a suitcase! haha.,. .I couldn't resist, I got 3 Dereon shirts, an Apple bottoms shirt and a COOGI shirt for 4o bucks!! So pumped! I wanted to buy the whole rack but I don't know how I would ever get it home! haha.. my backpack coming here was hecka full. I know Merissa, Solomon, Shay and Stephan who saw me the day I got delayed in Seattle with my luggage , they can say I had a stuffed backpack! HAHA...
WEll it is 4pm here and my time is running up since I only bought an Hour.
But I miss everyone, but I don't miss my responsiblities at home. I can't tell you how liberating it is not to have to be in charge of X,Y, Z at the moment.
OH YEAH, I FORGOT to tell you, I went to this Drag show thing for one of the older girls in the program who turned 33 and she wanted to go for her birthday. I just went for the experience and I was like, WHY IS THAT DUDE acting more of a woman than I am??? WHAT THE HECK! I have videos! I will upload in JUNE! YOU WILL BE AMAZED! haha...
WEll lots to say and no time to say it in!
LOVE YOU ALL!
I am finally starting this blog thing! haha... Thanks Marquise! You are awesome for the link!
So I will try to write on here as often as possible since I don't get to go on the internet everyday...not that it isn't available, but because it cost $3.00 an hour to do so and I am NOT made of money :) haha...
So what I have done... Well I am in Auckland, New Zealand with 16 other students from UW and 2 professors. I have found that it is quite different to be studying and learning with the same people you are living with! We are staying in this Backpacker/ Hostel called International BackPackers on Churton street and Earle. There are so many people who come to New Zealand or this city as backpackers...There are places everywhere for you to stay. If you don't mind being in a bunk with someone you don't know, it's actually a cool place to stay. I really enjoy the people I am with, I kind of feel bad for Wilson (student on trip) because he is the only boy in the whole group, but we are making him feel as welcome as possible, but he is a big sweetheart so it is hard not to treat him well.
We went on a tour the other day of the Waitangi forest (Not sure If I spelled that correctly) But it is the preserved area of Aukland that shows what the island was like before all the people who colonized it from Europe came over. They call the people Pakhia which is anyone from European descent. The natives to the land are called Maori. I came on this trip thinking I would be surrounded by Islanders / Islander looking people, but in Auckland there are hecka White people and Asians, just like Seattle! I feel like I haven't even left! I wanted to see diversity and I got placed somewhere there are the same types of people FML!!! hahaha... but it is only the first week and We have been in the same city but once we start moving around, maybe I will run into some!
Today, was our first day off from school, yeah I am actually going to school from 10-4pm everyday so I'm not just kickin' it! haha.... but I got up early today at like 7:30am cuz this girl in my room wants to do excersise in the morning so I woke up when she did! DANG IT! hahah... but it's all good...made me get up... and Iwent to the Polynesian market... SO GLAD I WENT!!! It took a whole Hour on the bus to get there and the bus cost $10 bucks for an all day pass or $4.80 each way, so it just worked out that way and we all bought the passes... but it was like driving from North Seattle to the C.D or going to Tacoma... cuz there was hecka ISLANDERS!!!! I was soo pumped...I was like there are dudes everywhere! I hardly saw any white people there, but Otara was like the place most immigrants from Samoa and Tonga come to, and it isn't as developed. At the market they were selling all types of things, food, clothes , jewelry EVERYTHING! hahaah... I got a free pear from one of the farmers just because I said hi and was nice to him. There was a guy from Spokane,WA selling Kettle Korn haha... and then the ultimate happened... I saw DEREON CLOTHING!! It's like my favorite brand of clothes and this Asian guy had lost the shop he sold the clothes in and decided to sell it all at the Polynesian market for Hecka cheap! I am so sad I am here as a back packer and not as a visitor, with a suitcase! haha.,. .I couldn't resist, I got 3 Dereon shirts, an Apple bottoms shirt and a COOGI shirt for 4o bucks!! So pumped! I wanted to buy the whole rack but I don't know how I would ever get it home! haha.. my backpack coming here was hecka full. I know Merissa, Solomon, Shay and Stephan who saw me the day I got delayed in Seattle with my luggage , they can say I had a stuffed backpack! HAHA...
WEll it is 4pm here and my time is running up since I only bought an Hour.
But I miss everyone, but I don't miss my responsiblities at home. I can't tell you how liberating it is not to have to be in charge of X,Y, Z at the moment.
OH YEAH, I FORGOT to tell you, I went to this Drag show thing for one of the older girls in the program who turned 33 and she wanted to go for her birthday. I just went for the experience and I was like, WHY IS THAT DUDE acting more of a woman than I am??? WHAT THE HECK! I have videos! I will upload in JUNE! YOU WILL BE AMAZED! haha...
WEll lots to say and no time to say it in!
LOVE YOU ALL!
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