I started my new section of philosophy, time travel. With a new section comes a new professor. I sat down feeling confident that I would be able to follow and wrap my head around this new section. Then my new professor walks in. Bar footed, mountain man wanna go for a hike looking, Mcgruff beard, big enough to hold me and I know I wont break him, hair messy like Harry Potter. Then he opens his mouth (another American) and jokes about how early it is, and takes a deep sip from his coffee. son.of.a.bitch. I looked over at Andrea and just started laughing. How can I concentrate with this? Screw you, NZ.
Well I decided I was going to conquer this. It is just one extremely attractive man, speaking donnie darko to me. I will take on this challenge!
With this new attitude, I brought it to the rest of my life here. Last week I thought the hills and stairs were getting easier. Not so much this week. SO, I decided to take the longer and harder way every where I go. Yes, every Kiwi can hear my pant while their breathing is steady and silent. Bring it on- No elevator for me!
My taste buds don't even like sweets. So why do I eat them if they are sitting in front of me. I will only have 1 piece of carrot cake a week. I can feed my machine with all the good, grainy, wonderful food that I buy from the market. Embrace being healthy. After last week's tramp, I started stretching more. I found out how much I miss ballet. I started doing a little yoga here. I think when I get home, I am going to dig out my ballet barre. I am feeling GOOD.
In my sociology discussion, I decided to be a leader. Its always that first day where in your head you ponder, wallflower or leader? My tutor was really interested in what I had to say, being an American. He was one of those "mid-life crisis, leave my job of 15 years to do something I actually like" tutors. I felt like I knew what I was talking about in the class. Granted, I minored in sociology but I give all my credit to one of my favorite professors, MarkyMark. He and my soc buddy, Matt, would be proud of the way I ranted about how riots and protests function. Its kinda amazing having a soc class while i am abroad. It lets me look and see things differently, and remember those differences better by being in a class where I can discuss my findings.
I had another interesting session with the philosophy mountain man professor. This time I only couldn't concentrate when he mentioned Lost, and when he didn't lost his sense of humor and politeness when a student came up and spit on a napkin to help him erase the white board. The student was sincerly trying to help. It was the funniest thing I witnessed the whole week.
WWOOF- Willing Workers On Organic Farms.
SO, I went WWOOFing for the first time this weekend! It was an incredible experience. Courtney and I woke up early and made our way to the train station. I bought some doughnuts and we hopped on our hour ride to Otaki. We got to Otaki, and were not sure what our hosts looked like so we spent some time on the swing set. NZ has the coolest swing sets! I was a bit surprised when our host, Ron, laughed behind us as we played.
I could write a whole book about the two days at the farm, but I will try to be concise. My hosts were from Canada and California. Ron met his first partner, a Kiwi, while he was WWOOFing in the Middle East, being a cowboy. He eventually moved to NZ and has been here ever since. Leanne, also married a Kiwi and found her home in NZ. They both were business, white collar workers who lived out of a suitcase. Their lives changed when they watched two movies: The Inconvenient Truth and What a Way to Go: Life at the end of an Empire. They then did a 180 and became farmers, sold their cars, and started a new life.
This new life involves sustainability, permaculture and community. Some examples of their household are: their garbage can for the whole property is the size of my arm. The whole time I was there, I didn't through a thing away. They save their pee for fertilizer. Ron warms 3 liters of water in their compost over night and uses that for a shower. They heat almost everything on a wood burning stove.
Their farm had olive and Feijoa trees (feijoas taste like kiwis but More sweet and sour...so I felt like I was eating a sour patch). They also have other fruit trees, potatoes, and a vegetable garden. They use sea weed as fertilizer at the moment but are experimenting with local fish heads that would otherwise be thrown out.
I helped make compost, re soiled new garden beds, planted, started samplings, made paper holders for samplings, pruned, raked, and harvested fruits. We would have a morning tea break (cupa), a wonderful lunch and the best dinners. All the food was organic and most came from the farm. My favorite foods were the fresh pumpkin soup and the feijoa crumble, which I helped make both. I also met two other German WWOOFers. We ended up playing a mean game of ultimate Frisbee. Courtney was able to witness my aggressive side. We had such a good time with the Germans, that they are coming to visit next weekend.
At night, Courtney and I would exchange stories with the Germans, Ron and Leanne. We played games and Courtney and I also took a nice walk. Ron had saved some old community magazines. I looked through many of them. I found a more recent one and paged through an article about an assisted living community. It had a Waldorf Steiner focus. After reading the article, I realized I had visited this community when I was in 8th grade. I was astonished how everything came full circle while I was WWOOFing. The experience got me thinking about how I could do something on WWOOFing, community building and Waldorf for my masters...
It was strange as Ron waiting for our bus to arrive. I told him that I felt like I was leaving an Aunts house, and he responded that he felt like he had known me for quite longer than 2 days. I am excited to see them again soon. I hope that I will be able to visit after my spring break adventure.
The weekend put me in a wonderful mood. Good thing, because Andrea and mine's media and arts philosophy class was dull as an old boy scout pocket knife. Andrea and I left our philosophy class and made our way to my place for a break in between classes. I tried studying religion notes but then got distracted thinking about marriage and relationships (it was related to the reading, I am not planning on getting hitched any time soon). We continued a deep discussion on how complicated and difficult relationships are. People have to grow together, and with wishful thinking, you hope you can grow WITH your partner. By the way, New Zealanders say boyfriends/girlfriends/husbands/wives as partners...and I love it. Anyway, people change, and its difficult when a partner doesn't change with you. I used this lens with friendships back home. It was helpful. We then ended our discussion with religion. What if there isn't a God, and how so many people waste their lives praying, doing rituals, and not living their lives. What if there is a God; I don't think that force would want us to constantly acknowledging it, or living your life in the name of it. this doesn't mean a person should be loving, kind and compassionate. I am still debating this issue in my head.
On a lighter note, Claire came to visit! Initially she wasn't sure if she could fit me into her schedule but she made it happen. I skipped my leadership programme for the evening and found her on a corner. She noticed me first from across the street. I started jumping up and down, and she started crying, which made me cry. I was waiting for the cars to pass so I could run over to her. I noticed a guy walking past Claire. He wasn't sure if he should stop and see what was the matter so he sorta made a circle but then realized I was running over. I held her so tight that I didn't realize the backpackers that were watching us from behind..haha.
On a lighter note, Claire came to visit! Initially she wasn't sure if she could fit me into her schedule but she made it happen. I skipped my leadership programme for the evening and found her on a corner. She noticed me first from across the street. I started jumping up and down, and she started crying, which made me cry. I was waiting for the cars to pass so I could run over to her. I noticed a guy walking past Claire. He wasn't sure if he should stop and see what was the matter so he sorta made a circle but then realized I was running over. I held her so tight that I didn't realize the backpackers that were watching us from behind..haha.
That night, I took Claire to my favorite cafe/bar. We shared some tea and my favorite carrot cake with yogurt. I was happy that she was able to meet some of my friends, too!
The next day, Claire decided that she would just stay with me for the rest of the week. She would wake up with me and cook me breakfast before my class. I had a test, so she made me
some brain food of crepes baked with kiwis and apples! After my exam, Claire brought me lunch. It was delicious and we ate it outside on a bench by my hall. We began to get into another emotionally conversation and tears arrived again. This time, a supervisor from my hall came out to see if everything was okay. I tried to discuss the situation but the Kiwi lady was not satisfied. After she chatted with us for 5 minutes, she figured we were alright and let us be. That night we made a magnificent dinner, and rented a 99 cent documentary on advertising in the 70s and 80s. The movie was called Art and Copy. It was with the rentals that no one gets...Leprechaun in the hood was in the same category- If anyone was forced to see that by an older brother who thinks he has good taste, than you may understand why Claire and I thought the movie was going to blow balls. It was a steal! I highly recommend it!
The next day, Claire decided that she would just stay with me for the rest of the week. She would wake up with me and cook me breakfast before my class. I had a test, so she made me
some brain food of crepes baked with kiwis and apples! After my exam, Claire brought me lunch. It was delicious and we ate it outside on a bench by my hall. We began to get into another emotionally conversation and tears arrived again. This time, a supervisor from my hall came out to see if everything was okay. I tried to discuss the situation but the Kiwi lady was not satisfied. After she chatted with us for 5 minutes, she figured we were alright and let us be. That night we made a magnificent dinner, and rented a 99 cent documentary on advertising in the 70s and 80s. The movie was called Art and Copy. It was with the rentals that no one gets...Leprechaun in the hood was in the same category- If anyone was forced to see that by an older brother who thinks he has good taste, than you may understand why Claire and I thought the movie was going to blow balls. It was a steal! I highly recommend it!
Wednesday, Claire and I walked around Wellington and got WET. It was an off and on rain day, per usually, but that didn't stop us. We went to Central park, played on a adult flying fox, hiked trails, and checked out some of the community gardens. We then walked through Cuba street (where the city flavor is) and checked out civic square, a city and sea museum and also slid down a sweet slide shaped like a light house. We stopped at the market and bought some things before heading home. We made a fabulous dinner (but every dinner was great) and drank some wine. I decided that we were going to act like girls and get somewhat pretty that night. We danced to BritBrit in my room and made up a new tune to 'you are my sunshine' for our sister Meredith.
We then met up with some of my friends and hit up a place called the Library. Claire was able to meet Stu. After minutes of meeting him, Stu began telling Claire about the bar and how the bouncer looked like Rasputin.After arriving, we saw Stu's truth. inside we sat in booth's filled with books all around us. We ordered two drinks, one that tasted like punch, the other like after dinner mints! Stu entertained us with his first and only stripper story. He was in Asia somewhere with his family, including his grandparents. They went to some kind of wrestling show. The opening act was a nice lady singing. Stu, the 9 year old, sat neatly between his grandparents enjoying the music. Slowly the singer took of articles of clothing. His family was silent. Ever since, Stu hasn't been able to approach a strip club. Images of his grandparents faces and their disapproval haunt him to this day.
Claire met some more of my friends, including the Meredith look-a-like. Some of us ventured to another bar and danced to MJ and then finished at another bar. This last one was pretty awesome. We listened to the Venga Boys, followed by Cotten eyed joe...I realized how similar Claire and I danced. Last time I went dancing, I didn't have the greatest time. It was nice to get my groove back. We crashed at about 1:30 and then I got up for my 9am. Claire was nice enough to cook me oatmeal baked with naners and kiwis. That day we spent by ourselves, having some quality sister time, some of the best times we have ever had. We laughed at the shitty but entertaining Tru Blood, and fell asleep. We woke up at 6am, cuddled for a bit and then prepared for departure. We made our way to her bus. I was satisfied that in her backpack was food for that day and the next. She wouldn't be hungry at the airport. We surprised each other one last time with our likeness of one another by leaving each other secret notes.
WWOOFing and seeing Claire really filled me up. Walking away from Claire's bus, I knew I was ready for what ever New Zealand decides to throw at me.
By the way, I took the hardest way to get to class:)
fantastic post. that's all. :)
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