I love to see the temple. . .

Hamilton Temple

This weekend we had the amazing opportunity to head down to Hamilton and Rotorua. We left Friday morning bright and early so that we could get to the temple by 9:30. It was a lovely drive and we were all so anxious to get there! I have always been told not to take for granted the closeness of our temples is Utah, but I never really understood until coming here and realizing that even for people that live in Auckland, it takes up most of the day to drive there and back and perform the work. They don't have the option of just picking up one morning, running to the temple, and continuing on with the day. It has to be planned ahead of time, especially for those that live on the south island! Anyway, it was wonderful, and the workers were as cute as ever, so excited to have us there and so friendly! After the temple, we continued on our journey for a couple hours to reach our destination in Rotorua where we stayed with a wonderful family in their huge home! We simply relaxed, cooked dinner, and watched a movie. The rest of the week went as follows:

Saturday: SHEEP SHOW!! Yes, we went to a sheep show! Did you know that the person to sheep ration is 1:10? Ya, out of control! Anyway, we were there an hour early so we could get front row seats to the show! Ha 16 American girls sitting front and center and excited! We got to take lots of pictures beforehand with the sheep and with some baby animals too. It was actually quit a fun adventure! After that, we headed back home to eat lunch and put on our togs! Off we went to expereince the infamous zorbing! That was by far one of the funnest top 5  things I have ever done!! I didn't think it would be that exciting but the giant ball is filled with water and there were 3 of us inside. We were sloshing around and couldn't stop laughing from the second we superman dove into the ball! Anyway, we went home and relaxed in a natural mineral water hot tub, sung some karaoke, and ate dinner. 

Sunday: oh where to begin. . .this was one of the most adventurous Sunday's I have ever experienced. It began with a lovely day at church, where as always, the members were extremely welcoming and wanted to talk to each of us. As we were ready to leave though, we kind of got stuck in the parking lot. We have a huge 13 seater van that got stuck into a spot with cars on every side! We had to back in and out, which took ten minutes. Then he went the wrong way so we got stuck at the top of the parking lot, meanwhile, the missionaries are trying to guide us out and members are staring and laughing. It was quit a sight I must admit! We finally got out though and backed all the way down the parking lot! Later that day we took a drive to a beautiful lake. It started raining on the way home and a stop sign was coming up that Dr. J didn't see, so he slammed on the breaks and we skidded sideways for about 10 seconds which felt like a lifetime when you are convinced you would tip over! It was literally amazing that we didn't, it was really scary! 15 minutes later, one of our tires blew out. So we changed it and went on our way. Too much adventure for one day! We had to relax and watch a movie to recover. It is a miracle we are alive with the way that man drives! His famous line is "oops", which he says every time he pulls a scary move, such as passing cars as we are going around sharp turns so you can't see whose coming! 

Monday: After recovering from Sunday's adventure, we woke up and headed out to Te Puia, a thermal pool park and Maori village. We saw a fabulous performance that some of the girls got to participate in and Dr. J got to be chief! We then toured around the thermal park, which was beautiful and smelt lovely (sulfer. mmmm) We actually got to see two live kiwi birds, which is rare because they are endangered! They are huge birds, it was neat though! We then drove to 3 different lakes, green lake, blue lake, and Tarewera lake. These were gorgeous as well, as is all of New Zealand! We then went into downtown Rotorua to see the old architecture and walk along the ocean. Later that night, we attended a small dinner theater show that the family we were staying with owned. We got to try all sorts of NZ cuisine, such as mussels, crab, kumara, and lots of ham from a hangi! 

Tuesday: This was our last day and we ended it as best as we could! We had the fantastic opportunity to go Black Water rafting in Waitomo Caves as we viewed the glowworms! It was absolutely amazing and a blast! We had to get all geared up and crawled into a tiny hole that led to a cold cave. We hiked through water for a bit, jumped off some waterfalls backwards, and floated through the cave while looking up and seeing the millions of gorgeous glowworms! It was actually very peaceful. Great way to end a wonderful vacation. 

P.S. I find out tomorrow if I get an internship, basically none of us will be bale to sleep, can't wait!!

Hamilton, New Zealand Temple

ya, most of them couldn't see

I almost got attacked right as they took the picture. . .look at the sneaky fellow behind me

Poor sheep about to get sheared!

All 16 of us there nice and early, front row!

Before we went down!

Rolling. . .

We made it!

Relaxing in the natural mineral pool!

Just singin some karaoke. . .

Poor van. . .what a rough day!

 

Hooray for lake number 3!

So Wishbone was staying with us, he is retired, so he has let himself go a bit, but we love him anyways, he was our buddy!

And this is why I am a teacher. . .

My class: Kahu 4

My love for this country only continues to grow as it did today, on my last day at Ranui Primary School! I am amazed at the kindness of these people as we were welcomed with open arms by the entire staff. I felt apart of the school the first day we were there by every single staff member. The day started with our lovely 30 minute walk to school. We got our usual honk and whistle and saw the same people we do everyday, feels just like our own town now. When we arrived at school, I went to my room to give my associate teacher a gift and as I got there, I was greeted by a couple girls who said "you cant go in, we are surprising you!" Then there was a lot of, "hey you weren't supposed tell her, the decorations were for her!" haha oh kids. . .so I left and as I was walking to a different class, and I was hug attacked by a bunch of random girls who said not to go and that they will miss me. This has occurred the entire time we were here, random kids knowing us without us knowing them, random kids making me notes and telling me I look beautiful. I have never felt so loved by so many kids! I then headed to my class where I was greeted by many who started giving me there little bands they all wear around their wrists. D.J. gave me one that said I love you on it and he had a huge smile, Bruwyn gave me one that said Best Friends, and Lavinia gave me a "i miss you" one. As the day went on, my class had a party so we watched movies, had a huge shared lunch, and just played around. Right before lunch though, the kids gathered around me and whoever wanted to, stood up to say something to me. The majority of them stood up to tell me thank you and that they will miss me. I was pleasantly surprised by Bruwyn, Kahu, James, and Faaiu,  my "too cool for school" trouble makers, who stood up and said some really sweet things and even that they loved me! Ya, I started to tear up, how could you not! They were so sweet! Then those who had gifts for me handed those to me. D.J, my crush, gave me a really nice flax bag that I actually had been wanting, some earrings, necklace and bracelet all made of bamboo. He was so excited! I also got a bunch of candy, some really cute notes, perfume, a gold bracelet, and the best gift of all. . . a dress and some high heels!! Oh be prepared, I will post a picture soon :) After the gift presentation, it was lunch, so I went out to play with the kids one last time. As I was walking, I was kiss attacked by a huge group of girls! I had my camera out so immediately I was surrounded by a ton more kids wanting pictures. A couple kids wouldn't let go! Petesa insisted she was coming home with me, probably about 12 times! Bruwyn told me he would just get in my suitcase if thats okay! Oh I can't forget, infamous Kahu in his little blue boxer briefs running around today after swimming,I asked him where his clothes were and why he was in his underwear, he told me, "I just got done swimming Whaea Nicole!" oh of course, how could i be so silly, since its normal for kids to swim in boxer briefs, what a funny kid! At the end of the day, the school announced over the loud speaker we were leaving and how grateful they were for us!I then gave the kids their cards and treats and I received more hugs than I have my entire life probably! Ha, D.J. was so cute, he said bye, and left, but came back four times to say bye and give me more hugs, he then told me he wanted to stick glue on him to stick to me forever! I hate to have favorites but I will definitely miss that boy, one of the sweetest, funniest kids to joke around with! Sweet, troubled, James came up to me all shy at the end of the day asking for my email, along with Kahu. The two boys I took as my special projects, to help. Kahu because of his behavior, and James because of his academics and behavior.  And this is why I am going to be a teacher, the reward at the end of the day isn't the money obviously, its the love the kids have for you, and seeing the kids, like James, come up to you and say "Whaea Nicole, can you teach me some more today, I really want to learn more!" The students excitement about their progress and success is priceless. Their smiles, hugs, and kind honest words are life changing. I have the greatest profession by far!
 Not only have these kids been so sweet, but the teaching aspect of this experience has been amazing! I can not even begin to start with all the things that I have learned! I have been enlightened with a new culture, and a new way of doing things. My associate teacher, Toni, was absolutely amazing and made me feel good about my teaching abilities even when it got really tough. I will always remember this experience and the people that I have had the chance to meet and learn from. I do not know how I got so lucky and blessed but I am so grateful for every second of this experience, no matter how tough it was!

Oh I absolutely love this boy!

Our shared lunch, we ate heaps!

Some of the boys. . .love them!

The sweet group of girls. . .

Me and Toni. . . and some of the kids!

This is what happens when you try taking a picture of just a couple of students . . .

D.J. loved giving me his hat to wear, they said I was looking good!

Me, Kahu, and Sandouane after swimming, yes Kahu is in his boxers, and yes, he thought he was super funny getting me all wet right before this picture.

Silly Boys; the one in the hat is Kaipara, the boy who has pulled a knife on a teacher and more. . .sweet boy, just make sure he doesn't get angry:)

More of my kids!

The cute bag D.J. gave me!

My hot outfit Rose gave me, we are convinced she raided her mothers closet! Although, I think I found what I am wearing to the Opera House in Sydney!

The fantastic four at Ranui Primary School!

Bittersweet. . .

Me and Junior! Yes he is in his P.J.'s but at least he has clothes on!

Oh what a week in the land of no worries! It all began with a family home evening straight out of a storybook, or possibly little house on the prairie! We went to a little family in our ward, the Kristy's, who is absolutely perfect! They have 4 adorable children and their house all by itself but surrounded by rolling hills, trees, horses, and beauty! We had a little lesson and played some games such as three legged races which got pretty intense, and then they let us ride their horses. I rode to the top of the hill and could look out across acres and acres of pure green bliss. The stars are amazing from their house, so peaceful, as we sat around the campfire and ate homemade blackberry pie, not to mention the blackberries had been hand picked that morning by the kids! Basically my dream home! Anyway, moving on, this week was like any other, except a little bittersweet seeing that this was our last full week and weekend in Auckland! I continued to teach my crazy class and try and help as much as I could. We went on a field trip on Thursday to Polyfest which was fun except some of the kids are little complainers; so every now and then I had to do Happy Checks and make sure they were smiling! They ended up having a good time and so did I, it was fun to see what 9 year old girls spend their money on. . .lots of food, and random Bob Marley bracelets, and you can't forget the twilight attire!

Friday was our sleep in day. . and we did just that! Caught up on sleep we don't get throughout the week and did some homework, which I am almost all the way done with and I will be free of school forever! We then had almost all of the girls over for stay late/sleepover with some. Emily brought her famous homemade cheesecake and mum of course was too sweet and served all of us ice cream even though we told her not to worry about us! She is too nice, always so welcoming, and makes all of us feel right at home! And if you were wondering, what does a group of 12 girls talk about. . . horror stories of our classes of course, I mean we are all teachers! It was good to talk to everyone because it made us realize we are having crazy adventures and we just have to tough it our this last week. Not to mention that when we get back to the states, we will have our own class with our own rules,(that is if we get accepted into an internship which I will find out in a week and a half) we are keeping our chins up!

Saturday we went to brunch at the top of the Skytower! We felt all fancy, seeing as it was like a 5 course meal as we rotated around the city! I don't think I have felt that full since being here. . . there were danishes at the beginning, then an appetizer, main course, side, and dessert. None of which were small! It was a fun adventure though, that took 3 hours!! Later on that evening, after we had digested and felt a little less full, we got picked up by a boy in our ward (Derryk, the ward mission leader) and his friends and they took us to another rugby game! It was the Auckland Blues vs. Wellington Hurricanes, and oh yes, we got free flags to support our home team, The Blues! WE got really good seats again but even better than before because we were in the middle! We could literally see their calf and thigh muscles from our seats! In fact, Derryk, he plays rugby and knows a lot about the teams, pointed out a guy on the Wellington team that recently had surgery on his calves because they were too big!! these guys are not small. . .anyway it was a really fun game, and WE WON!! Afterwards we went to get a feed, thats what they call it but it's very traditional to always go get something to eat after hanging out.

Well it was a long weekend so it has been a relaxing Sunday but sad too, it was our last day in our ward. I will be in a new city/ward each coming Sunday for the next 3 weeks, 4 technically if you count home. Our ward has been absolutely amazing to us and I looked around today and it felt like home. It was sad to say goodbye to our ward and the young woman that we have been working with. I have had an amazing time and many great experiences just being in their with them. It was the last time I will get to sit by those cute kids in church, and good grief it was the first Sunday little  junior kept all his clothes on, what a treat!! These kids are  great examples, little junior who is 2, sat by me in church and held the hymn book with me as he pretended to sing he entire closing hymn. He closed it right up, folded his arms and was ready for the prayer! They learn so young!  It will be good to be back home but I am sure going to miss my kiwi family here in Auckland!

View from the Kristy's house 

Another view. . .

Getting ready for our three legged races

Homemmade Blackberry pie. . . 

Two of the adorable kids. . .

We got to walk across glass at the top of the skytower. . .I thought of dad as I did this :)

Jess, Heidi, me, and Em

Another view from the top. . .Harbour Bridge

Waiting for lunch!

The Skytower

Yep, I got a flag, I'm a true Blues fan!

Go team!

Halftime!

Its been established, the sky in New Zealand is the most amazing sky, every night!! Pictures don't really capture it!

Our team, waiting during the moment of silence for Japan.

Precious Tatiana. . .so perfect. . . :)

Only 26 days. . .

Weekends in Aotearoa are always fantastic, especially because it gives our minds a break from the stress of teaching. After these past 4 weeks, being in the classroom that I am in, and experiencing and getting to know these kids and the way they learn, or lack of learning in many cases, I realize I feel bad for all those people who go into teaching just because they think it will be the easiest and most practical. . . well are they in for a surprise! I have realized many things since teaching, two of which are, 1st that I absolutely love the career I have chosen and there would be no way in this world I would or could handle this if I didn't love it, and 2nd,  I have grown up in a bubble, I always knew there would be tough children to handle, but didn't realize to what extent. These children here are so sweet, yet have so much background baggage that they get angry so easily and are not easy to teach. Therefore, most of them are extremely low, there is a group of them who can not do basic addition, read, or tell time and they are 9 and 10 years old. I came here thinking I would get to have experience with the older grades so I would be more prepared in how to teach long division and multiplication etc., only to find out I have to teach the basics again. Despite that fact, it has been an amazing experience thus far, and taught me how to accommodate for every type of learner, especially the violent, and defiant ones! These kids need serious catching up and that is what I intend to do! 

Anyway, Friday was more or a relaxing, catch up on homework day but we couldn't leave it at though. So, four of us took a bus up to Takapuna beach to watch the sunset and eat dinner. We chose Pita Pit because a good friend/teacher told us that if we go to that beach, we HAVE to ear pita pit at it. So we did, and it was delicious. I thought it was funny I have lived in Provo for three years and now I am clear across the world the first time i try Pita Pit, well it was worth it! It was a lovely relaxing adventure! 

Saturday, we went to the infamous Pasifika festival which was full of traditional foods, music, dance, etc. They had all the different islands set up like Tonga, Tahiti, Fiji, Samoa etc. We tried traditional Samoan pancakes, pork buns, and a pineapple drink all thanks to mum who kept brining it one by one! It was all actually pretty good! The night ended with Tatiana cuddling up with me as Neeley read some stories. That is the only thing to calm her down, she is a little monkey, always jumping on us, climbing, hopping, dancing, you name it! I love these kids and am going to miss their funny little personalties! Only 1 month (26 days)  left, feels like its only been a couple weeks, time goes by too fast but I will be ready to get back to my real life by then I'm sure, but not quite yet!! I still have much to do, including finish teaching, doing baptisms in the temple which will be a highlight, go to Rotorua, see glow worms, go black water rafting, zorbing, go to the very northern tip of NZ, go to the top of the sky tower, see another rugby game, and much much more! It will be a bust but lovely last month here in NZ, I couldn't be luckier! 

Before our dinner on the beach!

Um you have to have a classic foot picture of course!

Lovin' the nightlife on the beack. . .

The Pasifika festival

This is random, but I thought it was funny, its my one little favorite sock drying on the line, all by itself. . .