A long awaited post

Oh HeeEEY!  Sorry it’s been a little while since my last post.  There were a few days that didn’t have a whole lot of interesting things to write about and then these last several have been jam packed and I haven’t had time to update.  So here I am, back at it.  I think I shall write one post for each of the next few days and that way I won’t be up for the next 3 hours trying to post all at once.  It’s also good to provide some suspense : )

So let’s see…I have been in Dunedin for going on 2 weeks now and the adjustment is going well.  I have definitely experienced some culture shock though, which is only to be expected.  For the first week or so it just felt like I’ve been on vacation, and now it is more like wow, I’m actually living here and I have to cook meals and pay for electricity and go to school.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s still great here and I am really enjoying my time abroad but it is a definite adjustment to get used to.

Classes begin tomorrow – I know right?  Grove City is just coming back from their short spring break and I am just beginning.  I haven’t gone to classes in over two months so hopefully I still remember how to study.  I only have three classes this semester so it should be real good.  I am actually really excited about them too: Marine Vertebrates, Ecology, and Adventure Education.

Alright, an update on what I’ve been up to these last few days.  On Wednesday there was an international students’ scenic train ride.  I went along because I got a free ticket and thought that it’d be ok and maybe I’d meet some new people.  Boy did I underestimate how cool that train ride was going to be.  It was about 2 hours each way and we just rode through the most beautiful landscapes and scenery that I’ve ever seen.  Each time I looked out the window I was just astounded and couldn’t give my camera a rest.  In fact, the entire way back to Dunedin I stood outside on the platform and shot that way.  One of the coolest parts of the ride was when I started to talk to the few other students who wanted to stand out on the platform as well.  There were five of us – 2 guys and 3 girls.  I was talking to my friend Carolyn about the church that we both attended last Sunday and one of the girls overheard and said that she’s a Christian too and was interested in Grace Bible Church.  Then the other girl was like whoa, that’s cool because I’m catholic.  And then by this point the guys who were out there chimed in and said that they are Christians and we realized that it is pretty darn cool that 5 random people who just wanted to get some good pictures are all Christians, all very far from home, and all with similar goals for this semester.  God is so good.  Click here to see the sick pictures from the train ride. 

view from the back of the train - heading out from Dunedin, Otago

After we got back from the train ride we took our time getting back to campus and went for a bit of exploring.  Alex showed us some amazing graffiti and we got some really great shots of the town and the Uni at dusk.  Click here to see those photos.

approaching sunset near Uni

clocktower building at Uni

Then Thursday was clubs day.  This entails all of the campus clubs setting up tables in the student center and everyone can walk through and sort of shop for clubs they want to join.  I browsed everything and looked into the diving information but it’s really expensive to get certified and I think I want to spend my time here seeing more and save my $400 for other things that I will be able to use more.  But in the future, definitely interested in getting certified to dive.  I looked for a climbing group and sort of got information about an off-campus group that meets to climb, called the Alpine Club.  So I’m probably going to check that out.  The club that I did join is called the Tramping Club (note: tramping here means hiking, just fyi on that).  Membership gets me deals at the sponsored outdoor shop, free gear rental whenever I want, and good rates on guided trips throughout the semester, in addition to some free stuff.

Thursday night I went out to the Robert Burns Pub for live jazz night.  Robert Burns is one among the many pubs and bars in Dunedin and has a really good atmosphere.  The live jazz was provided by a band of folks who were all at least 70 years old and it was some of the best jazz I’ve ever heard.  I didn’t have my camera with me when we went but I promise to bring it next time and get some video of these guys.  I went with some friends and my flatmates and got to meet up with Elizabeth Simmons, a former Grove City student who decided to move to Dunedin.  It was a good night.  Friday rolled around and I did some shopping, opened a bank account to get a student deal where they give you $30 for opening with Westpac, and it was my turn to cook flat dinner in the evening.  And…I survived!  This was the first real meal I’ve cooked completely on my own (for other people) that wasn’t macaroni and cheese or some sort of sandwich variation.  It was tacos.  Then on Friday night there was an international students’ party at one of the Octagon bars called 10 bar (the Octagon is like the main center of the city of Dunedin, and yep, it’s a giant octagon!).  The party was fun for a while and I got to meet some new students.  But I must say, I’m not much for the club scene, too wild for me.  Mom and dad, you can be proud : )  Really though, I do thoroughly enjoy going out and the more mellow pubs with some live music will be a really good option for when I do stay around for a select few weekends this semester.  But I’m planning on being away most weekends and seeing this amazing country!

Then Saturday was a seriously jam-packed day and was probably the best day I’ve had so far in New Zealand – it was really fantastic.  And here goes the suspense part, because I’m-a-gonna write all about that tomorrow.  Until then, enjoy the sweet as photos!