Tena koe

What a day!! Our classes were only from 8 to 1130 and it was an introduction/welcome to New Zealand culture from a native kiwi (what they call themselves). After a breakfast of milo (like hot chocolate but not as sweet) and wheet bix (like shredded wheat without the sugar) and toast with some marmite (a yeast spread they love that I would recommend in very small amounts) Sarah and I walked to the chapel from our house only about a 15 minute walk. We laughed on the way out because we didn't have to worry about jackets or ice or freezing in general. It was a beautiful perfect day. It only gets up to the 70s with a super mild climate. Not really humid but not dry just perfect!

Class consisted of our literacy professor with help from her daughter teaching us Maori (the native NZ people) words like kai- food and hongi- the traditional Maori greeting of pressing foreheads and noses together which we practiced. We played a traditional children's stick game and we learned the national anthem in both English and Maori (look it up on YouTube it's God Defend New Zealand). We talked about traditional foods and customs. Our host mum is awesome at bringing us into the culture and helping us try all of the new things. I've learned so many new things college is high school here and the trunk of a car is the boot. The highway is the motorway and people say heaps instead of lots.

We only had half a class today which left plenty of time for the beach!!! We hopped into some cars and drove 30 minutes to Milton beach. The water was gorgeous and the huge mountain you see is a dormant volcano. The waves were pretty calm and the water perfect. The sun is a lot stronger here and a bunch of the girls already had sunburns from a previous beach trip so they hung out in the shade but we ended up convincing them to come swim in the water. It was pretty windy but awesome!! The picture of the city is Auckland and its so pretty!

I rode home with Erika and after dropping off some of the girls she bought me some of the best ice cream I've ever had (because all the girls had had some when they first arrived in country)! It was so creamy and full of fresh mixed fruit that had just been picked. I decided that food in the US well just isn't that great. Here you can taste the difference and its so much better!! What a great way to spend the first day of class :)