Here are the two links to the videos watch them in this order. There are also some videos from my trip this weekend.
http://www.crazylovebook.com/videos_awe.html
http://www.crazylovebook.com/videos_stop.html
Monday, July 26, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Queenstown
I had the most amazing weekend in some of the most beautiful country that I have ever seen. I could not believe my eyes. At moments I thought that I was looking at a poster or something. This beauty is unbelievable.
The school group that I came to New Zealand with went to Queenstown for the weekend. Arriving friday, we went on a shotover jetboat ride on a river (look it up on the internet) . We then had the rest of the evening to ourselves. The next day we awoke to more glory with the sunrise on the Remarkables (the misty mountains in LOTR). We took a hour coach ride to the Routeburn Track, which was absolutely unbelievable. I honesty think I could hike that everyday and never grow tired of the sites. We hiked to the first hut and then a little further to the saddle before the snow was too high to pass. The pictures will not do the 25 km hike justice. I was also able, for the first time ever in my life, to drink with my hands from a spring. No filtering required. Amazing!
On sunday, some people bungy jumped. I decided to save my money for other adventures a little more lasting. I was able to have some time on the town, which was actually very encouraging. I ate lunch at this world class burger place called the "Ferg Burger". IT WAS THE BEST BURGER EVER. Massive, juicy, and with brie cheese. I then wanted to talk to some locals about ice climbing, which is popular in Queenstown. I do a fair bit back in the states and have not met anyone here who is keen to do some ice, mixed, or alpine climbing. It is hard to get into the climbing community here. Anyway, I went into the first outdoor store I saw and talked to the first person I saw. We chatted for a bit about ice climbing and he offered to go out with me. He has not been here very long, just moved from the UK in march. I thought that was pretty neat that the first person I talked to was keen to do lots of climbing. We exchanged numbers on the store business cards and shook hands. As I am about to leave he reads the my name and says, "Councell? Are you related to Andrew Councell?" I was absolutely shocked! He apparently had climbed with my brother (who is a climbing guide) in colorado. I could not believe my ears. There is not such thing as a coincidence. So, we are planning on climbing whenever we the weather permits... I just have to find how to get to Queenstown from Dunedin (a 3.5 hr drive).
I experienced such peace and rest this weekend. I was able to catch a glimpse of God's glory, as the song goes, "I see your face in every sunrise..." Then, to add to the already amazing weekend, I meet this guy who has climbed with my brother who lives in UK and happened to be the store that I chose to go into. Unbelievable. I am going to post some pictures, though there are more on my facebook. Also, I am going to post two links to videos that express in better words some of the feelings I had while being in the wilderness this weekend.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Classes
It is the second week of classes and things seem to be going well. They have a somewhat different style of... well ... everything here. Lectures are broken up between multiple professors. Classes are massive -- some 300 +. Then there are tutorials which are smaller classes where you can discuss some of the things you are learning. I am in a 200 level (which would be a 300 level at Davidson) microbiology class called, "Microbes in action". Today we talked about the oil spill in the gulf and the use of bacteria for the cleanup. Classes also do not always meet in the same room or even the same building. My biostatistics class meets 8:00 am in one building everyday of the week except on tuesdays when it meets at 5:00 pm in a completely different building. Then I am in a english class on crime fiction. There is a lot of reading but fortunately most of it is actually crime fiction, which is easy to read quickly. I am taking a lighter load so that I will be able to travel around and explore the island. I am learning a lot... in more ways than I expected.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Weekend
I am not keeping up with this blog as much as I thought I would.
This past weekend, I wanted to do something involving traveling and seeing something of New Zealand. The truth is, I haven't really explored all of Dunedin. Despite this, I'd rather go climbing at least see some countryside. Plans were made to go climbing at Long Beach just 20 minutes north of Dunedin. The weather was great all week, ensuring good conditions for climbing. Apparently, though I think it sounds more like an excuse not to go climbing in the cold weather, once it rains, the rock is wet for a long time. Well, of course, it was misting on saturday morning. So the people I was going with and I decided to swing by the farmers market. Again, I think I spent too much money on food: three loaves of really yummy bread, some cheese to go along, chicken, pears, apples, humus, and some chocolate fudge. We decided to wait for a bit to see if the weather would clear.... but it didn't. I sat around in the cold flat doing some reading and much needed skyping. I think we probably could have gone and I was keen to do so even for the opportunity to see some seals, but James had some work that needed to do. Fortunately, we went indoors to the small bouldering gym, which we had to ourselves. I actually was climbing pretty well, considering I had half a kilo of ice cream (for only 2 bucks!!!). The rest of the evening was pretty chill, consisting of me overcooking cous cous with tuna, vegies, and cheese.
Having to cook for myself sucks. Real life, eh? Having to plan meals and actually cooking them is difficult, especially when I am worried about a budget for food. I will need to go to the grocery tonight. BUT my strategy is to cook a large meal that will last me at least two days so that I will not need to cook enough and save electricity. Electricity. I will appreciate you so much more when I return to the the motherland. Every light switch or outlet here as a switch on it. You MUST turn it off in order to save energy, which is really expensive here. That is one reason for the cold flat: not enough money to keep the place warm all the time. I am constantly walking in and out of rooms turning off lights and thinking in terms of how many units of electricity I have. If nothing else, this will make me a more energy efficient person.
Anyway, on Sunday, I was able to go to the Reform Church of Dunedin -- about the size of my flat. It is a really quaint church on the southside of the city in a really peaceful part of town (mind you, I live right next to party central: couch burnings, random street parties, people pissing and drinking all over the street, etc.). The service was really nice. We sang hymns, many of which reminded me of "the meeting days", which I was not really a part of. Singing with other people was really refreshing. The sermon was quite applicable, speaking about being in the moment of suffering because we are called as Christians to experience suffering: "We should not be surprised at our sufferings". Afterwards, I chatted with a few people. Most of the church consists of elderly people (most of whom are dutch). I met some younger people as well; familiar faces from bible study. I was then invited over for lunch by the stand-in pastor and the guy who picked me up from my flat. It was really nice to be around other Christians and I spent a good four hours there talking about basically everything. From the "closed brethren" to dating long distance to climbing. The have friends who have a winter home near mount cook and the Mrs. Van Dyk invited me to bring back Lindsay and stay there. All in All, they are very humble, Jesus seeking people. The mother offered an open home whenever I needed it.
I promised to slackline with James, the person I have been climbing with, that afternoon, so I finally left their nice home overlooking the ocean. The slack line was across the Leith the runs through town (modeled after a Scottish town). I have never done such a high line before. We had a safety line but it was still intimidating. I think I got three steps into and then, forcing myself to fall forward, try to grab the line with hands... otherwise go for a swing. I will have to come back now that I trust the system a bit more.
Since I had eaten a lot on Sunday: the too many nutella/ honey pancakes for breakfast and the lunch out. I didn't want to waste food, so I just had some bread and cheese. I also was in a bit of hurry to go to another church at 7:30 pm that is, apparently, near where I lived. The internet was down, so I had to channel the Spirit (I joke). I did find the church called Cornerstone Bible Chapel, which I found similar to Littleton Bible Chapel (though smaller). I met some more people there -- more younger people, who invited me to their bible study thursday nights (and band practice). After the service, I was invited to go up to the youth leader's straw bale house that was recently built (land is cheap here...). We watched a movie about gnosticism in Hollywood, interesting but a little bit cliche. And that was my weekend. God has been good in providing good sermons and fellowship. Still, I am mostly by myself throughout the day but I do try and talk with the randomest of people. I look forward for the rest of this week and next weekend because I will be in Queenstown (maybe do some ice climbing...).
Kia Ora
ps. sorry for bad grammar you are no doubt going to find. I have not read over this and am sure, as Lindsay likes to point out often, that I have abused some homonyms. :)
This past weekend, I wanted to do something involving traveling and seeing something of New Zealand. The truth is, I haven't really explored all of Dunedin. Despite this, I'd rather go climbing at least see some countryside. Plans were made to go climbing at Long Beach just 20 minutes north of Dunedin. The weather was great all week, ensuring good conditions for climbing. Apparently, though I think it sounds more like an excuse not to go climbing in the cold weather, once it rains, the rock is wet for a long time. Well, of course, it was misting on saturday morning. So the people I was going with and I decided to swing by the farmers market. Again, I think I spent too much money on food: three loaves of really yummy bread, some cheese to go along, chicken, pears, apples, humus, and some chocolate fudge. We decided to wait for a bit to see if the weather would clear.... but it didn't. I sat around in the cold flat doing some reading and much needed skyping. I think we probably could have gone and I was keen to do so even for the opportunity to see some seals, but James had some work that needed to do. Fortunately, we went indoors to the small bouldering gym, which we had to ourselves. I actually was climbing pretty well, considering I had half a kilo of ice cream (for only 2 bucks!!!). The rest of the evening was pretty chill, consisting of me overcooking cous cous with tuna, vegies, and cheese.
Having to cook for myself sucks. Real life, eh? Having to plan meals and actually cooking them is difficult, especially when I am worried about a budget for food. I will need to go to the grocery tonight. BUT my strategy is to cook a large meal that will last me at least two days so that I will not need to cook enough and save electricity. Electricity. I will appreciate you so much more when I return to the the motherland. Every light switch or outlet here as a switch on it. You MUST turn it off in order to save energy, which is really expensive here. That is one reason for the cold flat: not enough money to keep the place warm all the time. I am constantly walking in and out of rooms turning off lights and thinking in terms of how many units of electricity I have. If nothing else, this will make me a more energy efficient person.
Anyway, on Sunday, I was able to go to the Reform Church of Dunedin -- about the size of my flat. It is a really quaint church on the southside of the city in a really peaceful part of town (mind you, I live right next to party central: couch burnings, random street parties, people pissing and drinking all over the street, etc.). The service was really nice. We sang hymns, many of which reminded me of "the meeting days", which I was not really a part of. Singing with other people was really refreshing. The sermon was quite applicable, speaking about being in the moment of suffering because we are called as Christians to experience suffering: "We should not be surprised at our sufferings". Afterwards, I chatted with a few people. Most of the church consists of elderly people (most of whom are dutch). I met some younger people as well; familiar faces from bible study. I was then invited over for lunch by the stand-in pastor and the guy who picked me up from my flat. It was really nice to be around other Christians and I spent a good four hours there talking about basically everything. From the "closed brethren" to dating long distance to climbing. The have friends who have a winter home near mount cook and the Mrs. Van Dyk invited me to bring back Lindsay and stay there. All in All, they are very humble, Jesus seeking people. The mother offered an open home whenever I needed it.
I promised to slackline with James, the person I have been climbing with, that afternoon, so I finally left their nice home overlooking the ocean. The slack line was across the Leith the runs through town (modeled after a Scottish town). I have never done such a high line before. We had a safety line but it was still intimidating. I think I got three steps into and then, forcing myself to fall forward, try to grab the line with hands... otherwise go for a swing. I will have to come back now that I trust the system a bit more.
Since I had eaten a lot on Sunday: the too many nutella/ honey pancakes for breakfast and the lunch out. I didn't want to waste food, so I just had some bread and cheese. I also was in a bit of hurry to go to another church at 7:30 pm that is, apparently, near where I lived. The internet was down, so I had to channel the Spirit (I joke). I did find the church called Cornerstone Bible Chapel, which I found similar to Littleton Bible Chapel (though smaller). I met some more people there -- more younger people, who invited me to their bible study thursday nights (and band practice). After the service, I was invited to go up to the youth leader's straw bale house that was recently built (land is cheap here...). We watched a movie about gnosticism in Hollywood, interesting but a little bit cliche. And that was my weekend. God has been good in providing good sermons and fellowship. Still, I am mostly by myself throughout the day but I do try and talk with the randomest of people. I look forward for the rest of this week and next weekend because I will be in Queenstown (maybe do some ice climbing...).
Kia Ora
ps. sorry for bad grammar you are no doubt going to find. I have not read over this and am sure, as Lindsay likes to point out often, that I have abused some homonyms. :)
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Musing
We are called to be in the present; to enjoy what we have now, not looking back on what we have. One way I have heard it put is that we should not be sad about things that happened in the past or wish that we were back there but be glad that they happened. A thought I woke up to this morning is how much patience this experience is going to require. I would like to be seeing friends and family or be around people that I love and trust. Yet, I am called to be here in the moment and no amount of wishing is going to change the situation. Sounds like something that will help my climbing too!
Reading in Philippians it says somewhere that we must be what we desire from other people for other people. In less confusing grammar, I want to be hugged, to be loved, to have a community, to laugh with people, and to climb. Therefore, I must hug, love, invite community, cause laughter, and organize climbing trips. Of course, being a lazy and selfish being, I would much rather someone else do all of this for me. I would like to know that someone wants to hang out with me without me initiating it.
Also, I know that there is some sort of Christian group here on campus called Student Life. And I think there might be others. I met some people again today and asked them, hoping they would get the hint, where they hang out and they were not very informative. It made me realize perhaps they way I have acted at Davidson being apart of RUF. I know now what if feels like to be wanting to be in a community and that community not being really welcoming. Cool things at work and changes to make.
I finally have the class schedule smoothed out. Right now I have no classes on thursday and only one on friday morning.... so if the opportunity presented itself and I needed a four day weekend... hehe. Thank you all for your prayers!
Reading in Philippians it says somewhere that we must be what we desire from other people for other people. In less confusing grammar, I want to be hugged, to be loved, to have a community, to laugh with people, and to climb. Therefore, I must hug, love, invite community, cause laughter, and organize climbing trips. Of course, being a lazy and selfish being, I would much rather someone else do all of this for me. I would like to know that someone wants to hang out with me without me initiating it.
Also, I know that there is some sort of Christian group here on campus called Student Life. And I think there might be others. I met some people again today and asked them, hoping they would get the hint, where they hang out and they were not very informative. It made me realize perhaps they way I have acted at Davidson being apart of RUF. I know now what if feels like to be wanting to be in a community and that community not being really welcoming. Cool things at work and changes to make.
I finally have the class schedule smoothed out. Right now I have no classes on thursday and only one on friday morning.... so if the opportunity presented itself and I needed a four day weekend... hehe. Thank you all for your prayers!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Wanaka
So I just got back from climbing in wanaka -- my first climbing experience in new zealand. I went with three kiwis I met: a guy named James and his girlfriend and another guy named Anthony. The company was colorful to say the least. We climbed both days, though it seemed that the people here are much more laid back and can accept spending half a day on a 12 m route.
It is interesting to see how climbing ethics are different from place to place as well. There are soooo many bolts at wanaka. Cracks are bolted. 20 foot routes have 4 or more bolts. I found myself skipping 3 bolts on one route! But the climbing was really good. The rock is a schist and mostly loose unless well traveled. We did much more climbing on the second day and we had excellent weather the whole weekend.
I have felt lonely since I have been here and not meeting people who I can relate with. I found, though it is not the best option, sometimes distraction is the best thing. Climbing seems to distract nicely... and the day goes by quickly. More positively, even though I feel isolated even among people, seeing the beauty around me brings peace and reminder of God's love. Anyway, pictures should be up soon.
Today I am going to classes and trying to figure out schedules, which is quite stressful.
It is interesting to see how climbing ethics are different from place to place as well. There are soooo many bolts at wanaka. Cracks are bolted. 20 foot routes have 4 or more bolts. I found myself skipping 3 bolts on one route! But the climbing was really good. The rock is a schist and mostly loose unless well traveled. We did much more climbing on the second day and we had excellent weather the whole weekend.
I have felt lonely since I have been here and not meeting people who I can relate with. I found, though it is not the best option, sometimes distraction is the best thing. Climbing seems to distract nicely... and the day goes by quickly. More positively, even though I feel isolated even among people, seeing the beauty around me brings peace and reminder of God's love. Anyway, pictures should be up soon.
Today I am going to classes and trying to figure out schedules, which is quite stressful.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
International orientation day
Today was a beautiful day: blue skies, crisp air, and slightly warmer. At 9:00 am here all the international students had an orientation. I think it was interesting to be treated as an international student... Anyway, I then was able to obtain the course that I am currently enrolled in. Tomorrow, however, I will need to have the courses approved. Apparently, this will require most of the day, as some of the 22,000 students will all be trying to have courses approved tomorrow. It will be especially frustrating because I do not want all of my classes and I do want others -- I have no idea how it all works here. To say the least, tomorrow will be hectic. Also, tomorrow is supposed to have awful winter weather. I like winter but here that means really really cold rain. Oh well.
After the orientation stuff, I decided to go for a walk. There is the this mountain behind the flat that seems to overlook the ocean and city, so I thought it might be cool to go up there. Of course, I did not know how to get up there. I ended up somewhere completely different. There are many trails all around me, which is good to know because it seems I will have plenty of time to explore. Today I found a graveyard, which then turned into a rugby field on top of a massive hill, which is linked the botanic gardens that runs all the way to uni. cool!
I then texted James, a climber I met here, and I went slacklining for a bit and then met three other guys from new jersey, who seemed to share my sense of humor. We went to a coffee shop while James went to get something to eat and I was laughing away with these guys talking about random experiences so far in New Zealand. We met back up with James and went buildering. We tried to do some problems on a building on campus, and they were actually really really good problems. We were caught once by the campus watch (which really have no power) and then by the police (who didn't do anything). Getting noticed two times in one night seemed good enough, so we called it quits. I had a really good time and it was encouraging to be around people and share some laughs!
Now, I am looking at timetables for classes, seeing what I can do to be ready for tomorrow, and I am going to bed soon so I can get up and watch the germany/ spain game at 6:30 am.
After the orientation stuff, I decided to go for a walk. There is the this mountain behind the flat that seems to overlook the ocean and city, so I thought it might be cool to go up there. Of course, I did not know how to get up there. I ended up somewhere completely different. There are many trails all around me, which is good to know because it seems I will have plenty of time to explore. Today I found a graveyard, which then turned into a rugby field on top of a massive hill, which is linked the botanic gardens that runs all the way to uni. cool!
I then texted James, a climber I met here, and I went slacklining for a bit and then met three other guys from new jersey, who seemed to share my sense of humor. We went to a coffee shop while James went to get something to eat and I was laughing away with these guys talking about random experiences so far in New Zealand. We met back up with James and went buildering. We tried to do some problems on a building on campus, and they were actually really really good problems. We were caught once by the campus watch (which really have no power) and then by the police (who didn't do anything). Getting noticed two times in one night seemed good enough, so we called it quits. I had a really good time and it was encouraging to be around people and share some laughs!
Now, I am looking at timetables for classes, seeing what I can do to be ready for tomorrow, and I am going to bed soon so I can get up and watch the germany/ spain game at 6:30 am.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Rotorua and initial Dunedin
"Today was cold again in Rotorua. We went around to look at the local flora and fauna and discuss the formation of enzed. Then we went zorbing – look it up online if you wish. It was not that exciting but it was fun.
The best part of the day was going to see a Maori tribe and eat a dinner cooked by them. It was cool to look into a different culture. Also, this allowed good time to get to know more people on the group and I seemed to get along with everyone I was sitting next too. It might have been the coffee-hot chocolate that got me hyper, but being in a more lively mood seemed to help.
I am leaving for Dunedin tomorrow and it will be very cold there. "
That was two days ago. It is cold in Dunedin. I would say that it is no colder than winter in north carolina. it probably stays a good 4-8 ºC during the day and -2-0 at night. But the difference lies in the fact that my flat does not have heating. I have heard that it is the coldest flat on campus. Making dinner tonight, which consisted of a peanut butter sandwich and an apple, I could see my breath.
That brings me to a good story: the stupidest thing I have done in a long time. I went to the store to get some things. I wanted to purchase at least on sheet for the bed because sleeping in a sleeping bag on top of a bare mattress seemed strange. I also needed to obtain soap, shampoo, laundry detergent, and food to last awhile, seeing as the store is a good 20 minute walk away. I was completely overwhelmed in the grocery store. I guess I have never really had to think and plan about so many meals, know how much I could cook for a meal or how long food would last. I think, unfortunately, I became rather compulsory in that 1.5 hr I spent going down every isle. I have plenty of food...
You may think that was pretty stupid but just you wait. I then needed to carry this load back to my flat. I had my small backpack and the bag jennie gave me for christmas. I thought I could just brave it out, so I went outside to begin my haul back to Dundas Street. As I begin to leave, a pleasant woman yells, "you left this!" pointing to the neglected laundry detergent. Walking back, she asks where I am going with ALL this stuff. I tell her. She laughs, She says I need a tax. I ask her the cost, She says that it is 10 min but probably more. Well, seeing as I spent some money already, I refused. I laughed to myself as I neared my apartment 35 minutes later that I looked like a crazy person or a mule loaded with gear. I still think everything I purchased was necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle here (like a peanut butter sandwich for dinner).
Anyway, tonight I went bouldering with this guy from uni. He and his girlfriend are both biology majors. He is a microbiologist and she a geneticist. The gym is really one small room but it is pretty nice place to hang out.. and i met a lot of people who seem keen on doing some climbing else where. I may be able to go to wanaka for mix climbing, queenstown for ice, or castle rock for bouldering this weekend. we shall see. tomorrow night, the guy I climbed with tonight and I will go buildering.
The best part of the day was going to see a Maori tribe and eat a dinner cooked by them. It was cool to look into a different culture. Also, this allowed good time to get to know more people on the group and I seemed to get along with everyone I was sitting next too. It might have been the coffee-hot chocolate that got me hyper, but being in a more lively mood seemed to help.
I am leaving for Dunedin tomorrow and it will be very cold there. "
That was two days ago. It is cold in Dunedin. I would say that it is no colder than winter in north carolina. it probably stays a good 4-8 ºC during the day and -2-0 at night. But the difference lies in the fact that my flat does not have heating. I have heard that it is the coldest flat on campus. Making dinner tonight, which consisted of a peanut butter sandwich and an apple, I could see my breath.
That brings me to a good story: the stupidest thing I have done in a long time. I went to the store to get some things. I wanted to purchase at least on sheet for the bed because sleeping in a sleeping bag on top of a bare mattress seemed strange. I also needed to obtain soap, shampoo, laundry detergent, and food to last awhile, seeing as the store is a good 20 minute walk away. I was completely overwhelmed in the grocery store. I guess I have never really had to think and plan about so many meals, know how much I could cook for a meal or how long food would last. I think, unfortunately, I became rather compulsory in that 1.5 hr I spent going down every isle. I have plenty of food...
You may think that was pretty stupid but just you wait. I then needed to carry this load back to my flat. I had my small backpack and the bag jennie gave me for christmas. I thought I could just brave it out, so I went outside to begin my haul back to Dundas Street. As I begin to leave, a pleasant woman yells, "you left this!" pointing to the neglected laundry detergent. Walking back, she asks where I am going with ALL this stuff. I tell her. She laughs, She says I need a tax. I ask her the cost, She says that it is 10 min but probably more. Well, seeing as I spent some money already, I refused. I laughed to myself as I neared my apartment 35 minutes later that I looked like a crazy person or a mule loaded with gear. I still think everything I purchased was necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle here (like a peanut butter sandwich for dinner).
Anyway, tonight I went bouldering with this guy from uni. He and his girlfriend are both biology majors. He is a microbiologist and she a geneticist. The gym is really one small room but it is pretty nice place to hang out.. and i met a lot of people who seem keen on doing some climbing else where. I may be able to go to wanaka for mix climbing, queenstown for ice, or castle rock for bouldering this weekend. we shall see. tomorrow night, the guy I climbed with tonight and I will go buildering.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Arrival
So I have been here two days now. And it is gorgeous. I have not even been to the scenic areas either! Auckland for the first day where we were dragged around in order to fight the jet lag and saw most of the city, and then today we made the coach ride to Rotorua and had a short stop at Hobbiton (the shire). We also went through the reserve to see some kiwis and tuataras (martha i purchased a kiwi stuffed animal for you, which makes a noise when squeezed -- perfect for the baby, eh?).
Everything seems so fresh here. The water tastes better, the food is more tasty, and the air is clean. It is also quite cold here, which i actually like better than the humid, hot weather back home. Stuff in general is really expensive (but the american dollar goes further). For example, i looked at this climbing guide book for the south island -- a small book -- and it was 60 bucks! I'll have to be smart with buying things. Today was also a good info sesh from the arcadia organizers, who told us what we needed to know about how to survive on our own in enzed.
I feel like i have more things to tell and share but my mind is blanking right now. I think it has been difficult here. Morning are hard. I am not too good and meeting new people it seems. It is a bit lonely here as well, most people are out getting slammed and I am looking for internet to communicate with people. (I will go have some dinner and maybe go as well soak in the thermal pools and then head to bed early because my head hurts -- the cold is still present). Despite the loneliness, I have had good interactions with most people on the trip... but after tomorrow I most likely will not see them again. The country is peaceful and I am hopeful for the coming days. All in all, things are going well.
I am trying to get this cell phone working. once i do, i should be able to communicate easily internationally using google voice. and texting is cheaper as well. also, it seems that Otago as great internet connection that is free and my flat might as well. I am looking forward to settling down for a bit.
I miss everyone! I will try and remember the things that I want to share on here... my mind is not working right now. So perhaps the next post will actually be coherent and full of good stories. Thank you for all the prayers! I know that I am being provided for and that brings me peace. I don't plan on trying to deny things that I believe in just to fit in, so I imagine there will be some "persecution".
Anyway, New Zealand is very pretty (I have I said that already?). It also seems to be a biologist dream world. All the animals and the diversity in ecosystems are fascinating. Everything is so unique to this area, from trees to little penguins.
anyway, gotta go
Everything seems so fresh here. The water tastes better, the food is more tasty, and the air is clean. It is also quite cold here, which i actually like better than the humid, hot weather back home. Stuff in general is really expensive (but the american dollar goes further). For example, i looked at this climbing guide book for the south island -- a small book -- and it was 60 bucks! I'll have to be smart with buying things. Today was also a good info sesh from the arcadia organizers, who told us what we needed to know about how to survive on our own in enzed.
I feel like i have more things to tell and share but my mind is blanking right now. I think it has been difficult here. Morning are hard. I am not too good and meeting new people it seems. It is a bit lonely here as well, most people are out getting slammed and I am looking for internet to communicate with people. (I will go have some dinner and maybe go as well soak in the thermal pools and then head to bed early because my head hurts -- the cold is still present). Despite the loneliness, I have had good interactions with most people on the trip... but after tomorrow I most likely will not see them again. The country is peaceful and I am hopeful for the coming days. All in all, things are going well.
I am trying to get this cell phone working. once i do, i should be able to communicate easily internationally using google voice. and texting is cheaper as well. also, it seems that Otago as great internet connection that is free and my flat might as well. I am looking forward to settling down for a bit.
I miss everyone! I will try and remember the things that I want to share on here... my mind is not working right now. So perhaps the next post will actually be coherent and full of good stories. Thank you for all the prayers! I know that I am being provided for and that brings me peace. I don't plan on trying to deny things that I believe in just to fit in, so I imagine there will be some "persecution".
Anyway, New Zealand is very pretty (I have I said that already?). It also seems to be a biologist dream world. All the animals and the diversity in ecosystems are fascinating. Everything is so unique to this area, from trees to little penguins.
anyway, gotta go
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