Diversity, Boxing, and Religious Freedom?
Got an email from Trish at UCSC today saying that I am the first non-minority to receive a Cota Robles Fellowship. Wow. She said that really says a lot about my commitment to diversity. Yes, that is true, but must've also been one fine letter of recommendation she wrote. Either way, I electronically accepted the admission today, so everything is set in stone (well, pretty much--you know what they say about life... don't make plans, is it?). Felt a little uncomfortable about that whole "first non-minority" thing, at first, because it was weird being recommended for a
diversity fellowship. However, knowing that I was awarded the fellowship specifically for my commitment to equity issues makes it a bit more right in my mind. Anyway, I'm obviously not going to decline the award so there's no point in quibbling over it in my little head, now, is there? Que sera sera...
Last night I sparred with Stacey for the first time. We went a good three rounds--nothing is bleeding or broken (Mom). It was fine. This was real sparring, not stupid sparring like they do at some boxing gyms (not going to mention any names...)--meaning neither of us was instructed to hit as hard as we could; in fact, both of us were instructed to avoid the face and not to knock each other out. Heh heh. I would hope that goes without saying...Anyway, it was fun, and like Coach Grant (name of the coach here) says, you're not learning when you're just punching a bag. That's just working out. The bag doesn't hit you back. True enough.
My year 8 class is improving. Their behavior has been much better the past couple of days. Yesterday we practiced going quietly to and from their desks a couple of times and then we were able to have a fairly good lesson on the layers of the Earth, in which I had them make comparisons between the Earth's layers and an avocado that I had brought in. Then we made some other comparisons: the temperature of the Earth's core (5000 C) to the hottest day in Auckland, boiling water, and the temperature of a roasting lamb. We discussed how magma in the mantle is sort of like _________________ (chocolate, jelly--that's Jello here, etc) because it is molten at high temperatures and solid when cooled. We drew and labeled some pictures of the Earth.
Oh yeah, I know what I wanted to talk about, too. Last week when we read the Maori volcano lesson, I asked one class if it was a true story. Most everyone said no but one girl responded with yes. So, I mentioned how, to some people, it is a true story, but it's what we call a legend--the type of story that some believe and others don't, depending on your cultural background. So... there's an interesting point of discussion. I have always been so against creationism in science class, but this little incident reveals to me that, if I want to be a proponent for multiple viewpoints--and if there is room for indigenous students to believe in indigenous legends, then there must also be room for creationism. Yes, I said it--but, do you see that I did not teach the Maori volcano legend as science? I used it as a hook/focus to teach the science of volcanoes. There's the difference. But, with that said, room for multiple viewpoints must be allowed to exist, but not necessarily taught, in science class. That is my humble opinion. Oh no, now I'm going to have Pat Robertson-ites coming after me for indirectly referring to the Bible as a collection of legends, aren't I?
What buoyancy test?
Really, I, uh, think there's somethin' wrong with it...
Dive Site I
Off to Poor Knight
Sara No Mayo
That was my nickname for the weekend... Long story, but mainly used to distinguish me from my friend, Sarah and originated with my request for no mayo on the ham sandwich they served us during our diving excursion in Poor Knight's Island. Anyway, long story....
Went up on Friday afternoon straight after school. Was supposed to meet Sarah's "host-dad" (the father of the children she nannies)'s coworkers and company in Ponsonby, a neighborhood in downtown Auckland. From there I was to ride with them to Tutukaka, where we would stay this weekend. Thought I'd be fine with just the address of their house and an atlas. WRONG! The exits are all totally confusing and I ended up crossing the bridge that leads out of Auckland over the harbor and far far away... Well, not that far, but far enough to get more than a little frustrated. After a few "Om Mane Padme Oms" and a couple of "I never did mind the little things..." (
Point of No Return, Bridgette Fonda?), things worked out and my ride came to pick up my little lost self. Just left my car on a side street there (in Northcote, turns out) and hopped in with the others.
We made it up to Tutukaka (yes, it is a real name) where we were to stay at a beach house for the weekend. Was quite a lovely house. All the rooms were beautiful except the one where Sarah, me, the 8-year-old twins that Sarah nannies, and another woman about my age, Jackie, all shared. 'Twas an attic with no A/C, extremely hot, smelling of saw dust, and not-so-comfortable beds (finally realized at the end of the weekend that mine was just an old foam pad with a sheet over it--that would explain the back pain). Wouldn't have been too bad except that (unbeknownst to me before the trip) we were all apparently renting the house for $250 a night. After everyone split it, it only ended up being $50 a piece, but still....BUT, just one of those things where you have to (again) take a deep breath, hold your tongue, and visualize people having real problems (which then makes the whole situation seem much more tolerable). So, sleep was not something I got a lot of, but I had a great weekend.
Went diving in Poor Knight's Island--one of Jacques Cousteau's top ten dive sites in the world. Was awesome. During the first dive I was a little--okay, a lot--rusty. Cold water diving is way different than Carribean diving. Hard to get my buoyancy all figured out. You have to use the BCD a lot more--whereas in Carribean diving you can use your lungs to regulate your buoyancy. Also, had to use more weights due to the thicker dive suit. Plus, couldn't get my right ear to equalize. That was not so good. Then, I had problems with my mask not being the best one (okay, also I'm a little rusty) and it kept filling with water. SOOO, the first dive was more about me flailing around trying to fix my stuff and make sure I wasn't going to lose my right ear. Yeah, but the second dive was MUCH better and beautiful. Cool stuff--nudibranches (little sea sluggies) and they were mating! Also saw lots of scorpion fish, sting rays, eels, etc. I do have to say (and, mind you, I didn't say this to anyone on the trip) that Katie (sister) and I have been spoiled by our Central American diving. Every dive is like fish galore--lots of them and all kinds of different ones, sea turtles, etc.... Plus, stingrays don't look like much compared to the HUGE manta rays that I dove with in Baja. Okay. Spoiled. But, it was still fun--just being underwater looking at things is fun. Hmmm, well, the first dive wasn't fun b/c I really was the least graceful diver on the boat. I didn't win any prizes for the smooth factor. But, we had a good time. And, I'm sure everyone had a good laugh (at me).
Sarah's twins are soooooo cute. I had a really good time with them. They are absolutely hilarious. We told jokes and played Uno. They took me on a "blind walk" along the beach and made me fall into a whole. Good fun.
Anyway, will write more later after a good night's rest.
Love,
Sara
Moving to Santa Cruz
Okay... now that things are official and I'm not going to muck anything up (kiwi expression, 'kay?) by making an overly previous announcement, I can make this "public." I have been offered a Cota Robles Fellowship for my first two years of graduate study at the University of California in Santa Cruz. This will cover tuition and in-state fees plus a pretty decent living stipend. The UCSC Education Department will pay my out-of-state fees. I have also been offered a research assistantship for the summer of 2007 that will continue after my two-year fellowship expires. As a Research Assistant, I will be working with exactly the professor with whom I aspired to work.
So here's the story: During my visit in January, Dr. S tenatively offered me a pretty significant research assistantship for the duration of my doctoral program--working on a really exciting grant in which we would be implementing teacher-training programs specific to science education for ELL students, designing the program, monitoring the pre-service teachers during their student teaching experience, and then also during their first year of teaching. She had said that our interests and experiences were a really good fit--was so nice to hear because I felt the same way about her, obviously. She was still trying to find a way to pay my out-of-state fees, though, and so she recommended me for this fellowship. We were not sure about how realistic it was, but thought we would give it a go. Only 10 fellowships are awarded for the entire university. So, anyway, just found out today that I got the fellowship--which means I won't need the research assistantship for the first two years while I am on fellowship. Although I was looking forward to being a part of the research team for the science teacher ed program from start to finish, being on fellowship means I can focus entirely on my academic program the first two years of my doctoral studies. And so begins the next stage of my life...well, once I get back from New Zealand, that is! I will be moving sometime in August. Road trip, anyone?
Love,
Me
My name is Ms. T, and I am a US Marine!
Oh yea, right--that's not entirely true. But, I do have to say that I, for the first time since I've been here, did have to pull out the whole Michelle Pfeiffer/Dangerous Minds bit out on one class today. Today was the second day of specializations (I mean, specialisations), which is kiwi for subject areas--meaning, today was the second day that kids left their homerooms for other classes. Anyway, Ms. A and I have two Year 7 classes and one Year 8 class. Today the year 8 class refreshed my memory of the HUGE differences between the ages of 11 and 13. 13 year olds, as you know, can be a little testy. They were relatively okay, just not where I want them to be on the second day as far as listening to instructions and following them without threats. Consequently, two of them stayed for lunch detention and we had the typical Ms. T chat, which they may become more familiar with than they like. It goes something like this:
Please copy and answer the following questions.What did I do that was inappropriate?
What does inappropriate mean?
Why was my behavior inappropriate?
How can I modify my behavior so that I can be more successful?
What does modify mean?
What does it mean for you to be successful?
One child's response was that, yes his behavior was inappropriate, but he did it anyway because he "likes to." So I said, "Hm. Let's consider that idea. Sounds kind of cool. Let's all do what we feel like when we feel like it from now on." And, we, of course, had a little discussion about what kind of world that would be.
I am so grateful for this class, however, because I was getting spoiled by my other two classes--one being my homeroom so we have a natural "bond," and the other being very motivated by praise and positive reinforcement. This class is a good reminder of what it is like to really teach, especially in an inner city area. I feel that I will need to be consistently reminded of this if/when I go into teacher education--b/c the realities are that if you don't take the FIRST MONTH to firmly and consistently establish respect, community, authority, boundaries, procedures, etc, you will NEVER be able to implement these awesome instructional strategies that we learn about in teacher ed programs. SOOOO, this class will not do science the whole period on Monday. The first half of the next class will be a discussion and practice of rules and procedures. And, included in that lesson will be practicing how we line up, how we have a discussion, how we follow instructions, etc... but, even with that said, I also know that next week's lunch periods will be full of detentions for those who need a little extra help getting the picture :).
Other than that, I had an excellent day. And, even with the one more difficult class, it was still nice. I've feel that I've finally come close to mastering the concept of not taking things personally as a teacher. Kids will be kids. And, like I said, it was a good reminder. Thinking of asking Ms. A if I can teach that class from here on out until I leave...They weren't really that poorly-behaved, either--but just pushing the limits enough to see whether or not they can. The trick is not to let them. At all. Then we can become one big happy family. Well, one big family, at least, 'cos families aren't always happy, are they? But they are always families...
Oh, and the lesson I taught was COOL. We had fun. We learned about volcanoes. First, I read them a Maori legend about The Great Battle Between the Mountains. Then, we watched an interactive slide show that I created on volcanoes in New Zealand. It was pretty cool. They got to see photos of familiar neighborhoods in Auckland that have been built on volcanic remains/extinct volcanoes (Mt. Eden, One Tree Hill, etc). After that, the students labeled and colored (coloured) maps of New Zealand and identified all the active volcanoes. Then I was hoping to have the students make up their own volcano legends, but--well, map-labeling takes a bit more time than I expected.
Lonely day
Today is a lonely day for no particular reason. It just "woke up" that way. Have some work to get done, got to go grocery shopping as well. Will find things to fill up the time. Went to see
River Queen yesterday. Was such a good movie! You've got to see it. It's about the Maori Wars during the mid 1800s, about this Irish woman who has a child with a Maori man, and then her child is taken from her when he is 6 by the Maori chief. Very engaging and emotionally involved movie. I highly recommend it. Kiefer Sutherland is in it, too. Then I went and bought a Time and a Newsweek! Yes. News... I'm so out of it--although Friday I found a BBC station on the radio that I can listen to while I'm going to and from work. That will satisfy my NPR withdrawal.
Went out with Aidan and Bridgette last night to a friend's "barbie." Had sizzlers and chicken skewers. Man, I am eating my way through this country. There was a dog there named Jack--a little Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy. Oh, he was sooo cute, only 4 months old. Little wrinkle face. Made me miss my big baby monster!!!!! Then, we went dancing for a bit, came home, and then we stayed up talking til pretty late, so I am tired and groggy today. Maybe I am mistaking fatigue for loneliness... Who knows...Anyway, keep the emails coming, PLEASE. Sorry if I don't get back to you all right away. I do read them all and enjoy hearing from all of you.
Love,
Me
One by one, we divide
Then one by one we multiply.
Subtraction's next
Then don't forget--
Drop down the number
That is left....
This is a little diddy I created for my students this week. They are on a roll with long division. I'll add this one to my collection, including the Scientific Method Blues (shout out to my Attucks MS summer school students in Houston), the Tendon and Ligament Lyric (holla to IS 145 in the Bronx), and ahhhh--the countless crazy tunes we came up with in NGTP Mexico and Guatemala. I'm currently looking for a Schoolhouse Rock contract and hope to be on the road with my collection in the next year or two... ;)
Sometimes I forget where I am when I'm teaching, until the students open their mouths to speak and this thick kiwi accent emerges... The similarities are uncanny. Kids are kids, I guess. Don't get me wrong--there are differences, and I cherish them, but, really, these are the same curious, bright, fun-loving kids that got me hooked on teaching in the first place. So interesting... They even like hip-hop ("Have you met Ludacris, Miss?"), and--unfortunately--there is the same threat of gang violence--even the same gangs (the Bloods and the Crips). HOWEVER, (and not to negate the problem) I imagine the threat is much less pervasive than the general population often believes--just as it was with my students in NY. I do find it a little weird, though, that the gangs here are replicas of the East Coast/West Coast rival gangs in the US. Never underestimate the power of the media.
I don't believe that the gang problem here can have nearly the potential that it could have in the US, a nation where gun control is nearly nonexistent (compared to all other industrialized nations). A police officer came to speak to our class this week. Apparently, his job is community relations, so he goes to the schools to talk to the students about the job of the police force. Anyway, he told the kids that A) he doesn't carry a gun, and B) he is so glad because guns are very scary. It seems that most police officers do not carry guns. There are a few on each force who are trained to use and carry them, but very rarely do they have problems of gun-related violence in this country. How nice... As a single woman, I feel much safer knowing that, if someone were to break in to the apartment (and the chances of this are very slim, Mom), they would almost certainly not have a gun. That is such a comforting thought--the idea that I don't have to be scared at night when/if I am alone in my own home. Oh yeah, and apparently, there are no venomous snakes, no poisonous spiders, really no predators in general. How bizarre. Although all that stuff doesn't really bother me, but I guess that means I can go hiking in my Chacos, ay?
Okay, back to the students... some differences: They play interteam sports at lunch where each class chooses 12 students to compete in a game of cricket. Huh? Little "inner city" kids playing cricket!!! Picture it... I was scorekeeper the other day. Talk about confusing... Kids shouting out to me about who broke what rule, what counts and doesn't count as a point or an out... Whoa. Well, now I know how to play. Talk about baptism by fire...
What else? The students are doing very well on their long divison. One group has already moved on to long division with remainders. They had another assembly on Friday. This one was a singing assembly. It was all I could do not to cry in front of the entire Year 7 class. They were so amazing. There is a small student band that assists the music director in leading the students in song. The first one they sang was a Maori folk song. Then, they learned the KI school song, which is also totally in Maori. It is such a beautiful language. The girls have a part, and the boys have a part. The boys' part is sort of like a warrior chant. It's unbelievable.
Oh, that reminds me of the whole dual language issue I wanted to talk about. Almost everything in this country is at least partly translated in Maori (remember, the Maori are the indigenous population here)--road signs, names of government services and offices, etc. Most of the kids learn at least some Maori in primary school, and some (usually Maori students) even attend kindergartens and preschools in which Maori is the only language. Our school is looking to hire a Maori language teacher as well--and apparently you can make pretty good money if you are fluent in the language.
I think there are many reasons for such as strong propagation of the indigenous culture here. First of all, NZ was one of the last "colonies" of the Commonwealth. Secondly, the Maori have been pretty astute about becoming bicultural--learning the ways of the dominant class without losing their own heritage and traditions. It doesn't appear to have been easy--for a time it looked like their language was going to die out (due to a staunch English Only campaign here a while back), but they've fought long and hard to make sure that doesn't happen. Not to say that the Maori don't struggle to attain their rights--always a difficult task for a minority culture, but their successes have been significant if you compare their struggles to those of most indigenous peoples in colonized countries around the world.
Okay, I've been rambling on here with no particular order or structure to my rambles. I'm going to the mall :).
Love,
Sara
Smashing, Aidan...
Fun with noisemakers...
Settled, at last.
I have finally gotten my schedule together and it is busy busy busy, as usual--hence, less blog time. However, with a gentle hint from my sister I've decided to try to update it at least 2 times a week.
The trainer at my boxing gym has added an extra practice for us more "serious folk," so I will be going to practice again tonight. Apparently, I am a "damn good fighter." Well, okay--a little ego stroking and next thing you know I'm training like I think I'm Rocky or something. On Tuesday night, I ventured a drive into the City (downtown Auckland) and found, amazingly, this tiny little Shambhala Center I'd been looking for. It's a Buddhist meditation center based on the teachings of Chogyam Rinpoche. Was good meditation--an hour and a half--and then a little dharma talk. The cushions are actually quite nice, much nicer than the Athens Zen Center, I must say. Anyway, they are also reading his latest book,
The Sacred Path of the Warrior, which I had picked up right before I left and almost bought, except talked myself out of it just before reaching the register (learning not to give in to the impulse buying...). Hmmm... guess I'm meant to buy that one, though, huh?
The Center is in a very cute part of town called Parnell--lots of nice looking restaurants and cafes, and a place to buy New Zealand wool. Think I will go early next week and have a look around.
The party bus last weekend was entertaining, although after 3 Red Bulls I'd had enough and was ready to go home, so we went and danced off our energy drinks for about an hour before catching a taxi back. This weekend I make a day trip on the ferry to Waikehe Island with Sarah, but I'm actually thinking about just taking it easy. There are also some motorcycle races in town, according to the radio today, so I'm going to investigate that a bit as well.
Will give an update on the kiddies this weekend. Will try to catch some ZZZZZZs quickly before I go to boxing tonight.
Love,
Me
First Days of School
This week has been quite a long one. It is so unbelievably strange to me that I have only been here for two weeks. Can that be possible?
Week 1 at my school has been, overall, a great learning experience. Here are a few key things to remember if you are a student at KI in Auckland:
- "Source" and "sauce" are difficult to spell because they are pronounced exactly the same way.
- Don't ask your American teacher too many questions during the first week because she has difficulty understanding you. (i.e. "Is there another word for jewelry?" means "Is there another word for during?" "Can I get some water?" means "Can I start on the bottom (of the page)?"
- Also, don't ask your American teacher for help completing the crossword because she has probably never heard the expressions: "fizzy drink" (a soda), "ice block" (an ice cream), "paddock" (a field for sheep), and nor would she know that cricket is a summertime sport or that rugby is a sport that you can play all year round. She would probably also have no idea that "lolly folly" is a clue for chewing gum...
- Shoes are, apparently, optional during the first week.
- Bring a pencil for "Maths." (Yes, it is "maths.")
- Don't put your hand over your heart during the national anthem like the fanatical Americans do (Yes, this is exactly how it was explained to the students!)
This school is in an area that has a reputation for being a "rough" one. However, I don't find that to really be the case. But, because it is what we would call a diverse, urban school, the way things are run are actually very similar to the way they were run at AT Junior High in the Bronx. Discipline is very strict. All of the students wear uniforms (this was not the case in the Bronx--although it might be now--but I wish it had been!). I actually kind of like the jerseys and the fleeces and will probably buy one of each for myself! The only weird thing is that the students are allowed to wear sandals, but they aren't allowed to wear socks with their sandals. I mean, I have to admit that socks with sandals is a bit unfashionable (though I've been known to do it, anyway), but fashion regulated by school policy is pretty interesting...
What else? This week was the very first week of the new school year, since school here starts in February and ends in December (with breaks in between, obviously). That was good because I got to be a part of class rule-making, etc., and seeing how teachers set the standard for the rest of the year. I really like my supervising teacher. I'll call her Ms. A for the sake of the blog (since it is public and I'm talking about a school, etc.). She is of Indian descent, studied in Canada, and taught in a very poor Muslim school in Africa (she was the only female teacher--brave!). So she is pretty wordly. Anyway, she has done an excellent job of welcoming her new students here at KI with a tone that is firm, yet reasonable and understanding. She is strict, but she explains all of the school rules carefully so that the students understand the reasons behind each of them. The kids come up from their desks and sit on the floor in the front of the room for many of our class discussions. Ms. A led them in a very detailed discussion of "put-downs" and why we don't use them in the classroom.
Although it is difficult for me at times to not be in the "driver's seat" while in a classroom, I have already had several opportunities to teach. I taught a lessons on the heart, long division, order of operations, and goal-setting. Okay, the order of operations lessons was a review for manyof the students. BUT--interesting fact: here they use the acronym BEDMAS instead of PEMDAS. Why? Because parentheses are not parentheses here--they are called brackets. HA! But they don't have a cute little saying like "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally" so I am going to have to help them make one up for BEDMAS. Ideas, anyone?
Long division was interesting because I've never taught that before--haven't really taught much "maths" at all. Plus, I was assigned to teach the lesson about an hour beforehand--which is fine. I didn't mind that part. Actually, the whole school--teachers and students--receives a workbook that they use for the first two weeks. Students don't begin to change classes until after the first two weeks, and that way teachers don't really have to worry about lesson planning, either. This gives teachers time to really establish the rules and procedures that will ensure a good, productive year. That is absolutely awesome--you don't have to worry about making copies, etc., either, because you already have the workbook. The workbook is half "maths" and half reading/writing activities--but many of those are based on science and social studies concepts.
What else? Enough about school. It's the weekend. Time to NOT think about school. Okay, I joined a boxing gym--finally! Started on Wednesday, and they train MWF, so I went last night as well. Was good stuff. THere is another girl there who has already had a few fights. She seems quiet and nice. She's an awesome boxer. I will finally have a good sparring partner! The trainer told me he wouldn't start me sparring immediately--give me a couple of weeks to get back in shape (or "back in fit" as they say here). Even then, he says that she won't get in there and try to pummel me, like some might, but that we can both learn from each other. Then, he watched me hit the bag for a little while, gave me a few tips, and said I was a "little terror." Cool. Was nice to get the affirmation that it's not just my coach in Athens who thinks I'm a decent boxer.
Today am going shopping with Bridgette, my flatmate, and Sarah, my American friend, (why are there sooooooooo many Sara(h)s in this world?), and then we are going out to celebrate one of Bridgette's friends birthdays.
Miss you all. Give my monster a BIG hug for me, Katie.
Love,
Sara
Somebody pinch me...
Okay, really... I'm going to try to update you about my weekend trip to Rotorua as succinctly as possible (and for those of you who know me well, that is going to be quite a challenge--me being the champion of making a short story long...). Anyway... we left on Friday morning. No problems driving. Only missed a couple of minor head on collisions, but pulled ourselves out of it. These blasted roundabouts are a killer. I'll take a pic of one and post it for those who are not familiar with them. But, we made it to Sarah's host dad's brother-in-law's (second cousin's uncle's father-in-law's sister's... no, really--only kidding) house right in town. There's a pic there in the collage (love this new photo manager program by Google, btw, Picasa--download it if you haven't already; it's free--sorry, Bill!). Nice deck--we watched their pets all weekend in exchange for a free place to stay. Had my own room w/ pics of all the latest hearthrobs posted on the walls--clearly the room of a pre-teen!
The first night we went and made reservations for our (gasp) spa treatments at one of the top 10 spas in the world, Polynesian Spas. Then, we went out, got dinner, and went to a little pub to hear a live cover band and (try) to meet some locals. Got good and giddy on ginger beers (100% non-alcoholic--Sarah's not a real big drinker, either) and danced a bit before calling it a night around 12.
Then, Saturday I got up and went for a run. Tried to take the dog, but he preferred to try to eat the leash rather than run with it. Then we went and ate breakfast at Shirley's (don't call me Shirley--lol!), and then stopped by the tattoo parlor (no, Mom, not what you think) to ask for info on some of the better tourist sites. Ended up jotting down their instructions but totally ignored them completely and went to Waimangu Valley, home of Tamaku volcano and dozens of hot springs. So--all those pics in the collage that look steamy--they are! The steam is from magma that is a little too close to the Earth's crust and heats the water. It is literally scorching hot. Could not even put my big toe in the streams (and you know how hot I like my baths! Okay, well, maybe you don't, but I like them nearly scalding, you see?)... Basically, New Zealand is right where the IndoAustralian tectonic plate meets the Pacific plate and Rotorua is right there on top of a subduction zone--where the Pacific plate goes under the IA plate and the result is that spurts of magma rise up through the Earth's crust (or just under it), causing volcanic eruptions and/or hot springs. There you go. A little geography lesson. And that all makes for some VERY HOT water.
That night, we went to the Mitai hangi. The Mitai are a Maori family that live in Rotorua. They (for a heftly little price, but it's all good) invite you to their land and cook dinner for you. So the pic you see of those potatoes on the ground, etc--that's what we ate. They are being roasted atop of a fire pit. Before dinner, we went to one of their tents and watched them perform some traditional Maori rituals. We learned a lot about their customs and culture. Was really amazing. The chief had tattoos all over his legs and buttocks (well, they don't have a need for briefs, 'kay?) that apparently took over 55 hours. That's really not bad b/c apparently the tattooing custom used to be such that they cut you open, insert the ink, and then continue to recut you as you are healing. Only the strong and brave can withstand the pain. You don't say... Anyway, then we went back and ate dinner--roast chicken, lamb, stuffing, yams, potatoes, curry egg salad (yeah, that's not exactly traditional), etc. All you can eat so we did. And then some! We sat at a table next to a couple from Melbourne, Australia. They were in their late 70's and such little lovebirds. Sarah asked them how long they'd been married and they said, "We're not! We're living in sin!" HA! So cute... "LIfe begins at 70," says the woman. Well, I have a lot to look forward to, then...
After that long day, we were absolutely "stuffed" (as the Kiwis say), so we called it a night. Then, Sunday, we went for our "spa treatments" and sat in heated mineral lakes all day. I had an Aix massage, which is where the therapist massages you under several shower heads, so you are essentially massaged both by the shower heads and the massage therapist. Yeah... not too shabby.
Sunday night we met the family who had lent us the house for the weekend. They were very nice and I picked their brains a bit about politics and the system of government here. There are essentially two major parties that control Parliament and the liberal Labour party has been in slim majority for the past few terms--highly unusual, apparently. Anyway, hope the States might follow that trend in the coming election... I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Today we went to the Art and History museum before we left and I picked up a book on Maori culture, since, as you know, most of my students are Maori. Well, that's it for now. Think I covered the major points of the trip.
Love you all,
Sara
Weekend Trip to Rotorua Thermal Hot springs, volcanoes, and Maori village
Away for the weekend
Going to Rotorua this weekend, so I'll be out of touch until Monday (well, I guess that's Sunday over there). Bought a car today!!! A '94 Ford Laser for about $900 US--really great deal. Probably will put another $100 into it for a new battery, but wanted to try to keep the total under $1000, so it's all good. Runs well, but it's a manual so I will have to learn how to do "mirror image" shifting. Went for a drive tonight with my flatmates and pulled out onto the wrong side of the road... Fortunately there were no cars heading my way! Anyway, don't worry--I'm not driving this weekend. Going with Sarah, the au pair, who I met on the plane. She is taking her "family car," which is an automatic transmission at least.
Talked to my dad today. So nice to be on the other side of the world and, still, comforting voices are just a phone call away. Was nice... we live vicariously through one another's travel adventures, I think!
Love,
Me
pushbikes and crockery
Crockery--that's dishes in kiwi, and a bicycle is a "pushbike." Went to my school today. It is a beautiful school... As the principal was explaining, standards of poverty in New Zealand are much higher than they are in other Western countries. Maybe we should take some lessons from the kiwis in that department. Anyway, I figured out how to get the bus over. Was pretty easy, though I was following along in my brand new road atlas so I would know exactly where I was. Went to the mall this afternoon to buy some more New Zealand chocolate (yummy!) and get my eyebrows waxed. TMI, yeah I know. It's bloody cheap here, though--like $4US, but I guess it depends on where you go...
Oh yeah, back to my school... The kids have two breaks: "morning tea" and afternoon lunch. The largest percentage of students are Maori, then Polynesian, then Asian and European. Very, very diverse. Can't wait. One of the school staff members was telling me about some important cultural differences between European descendens and Maoris. You should never sit on a table or desk. Good thing she told me this cuz when I teach I often do just that! Apparently, it's bad manners in Maori culture. ('Course it's probably bad manners in my culture, too, eh?) BUT, it's okay to wear jeans. Nice ones. I have one pair of those...
They seem to run the school quite like the way my principal ran the school where I taught in NY. Classroom mangagement (aka "Discipline" for non-ed folks) is #1, first and foremost. 'Course I totally agree with that. YOu can't do much in the way of anything if the kids won't listen to you. The supervisors seem to think I'll fit in quite well. The Bronx experience seems to carry quite a bit of clout--guess they've seen all the "Dangerous Minds" movies, etc. ('Course I don't win my babies over with chocolate bars...)
My principal did say that he likes to work from a non-deficit perspective. AWESOME. Looking forward to learning more about how he facilitates that kind of environment. I'm so happy he feels that way. That's always how I've felt about my students. In other words, "what poverty?" All I've ever found is them is richness and life...
