So I realized today that I am over a week overdue on my updates so I am going to try to expedite things. I have had my notes by my bed for the last week waiting for time to summarize it all, but time has gotten the best of me. However, I am in for the night and going to do my best to crank it all out.

Last Sunday, my natural alarm got me up around 7AM in time to eat breakfast and ready for a group trivia contest. We were divided into groups randomly of 5-6 and were asked questions about NZ culture, music, slang words, etc., as well as what we should do in certain situations -- a fun way to get us exposed to the NZ lifestyle. The last part of the contest was an athletic challenge throughout the several acres that the YMCA owned. We were given a piece of paper, pencil, and a map. We had to go around the landscape looking for specific markers with symbols on each, as specified by the map. Part of my group went towards the beach, while the rest of us ran to the top of the mountain to find the ones towards the entrance. I was with an Amherst football player and a Vassar rugby player, so it was all I could do to keep up, but I had a great time. For those of you that are familiar with Road Rules/Real World Challenges, that's a bit what it felt like. Although I'm not too crazy about comparing my New Zealand experiences to that of an MTV reality show, it is what it is.

After lunch, we headed out on the water for some good kayaking. We were separated into groups, each with a trained staff member, so it was very safe and well organized. I can't say we were the fastest kayak out there, but we did our best to hold our own. We were able to pull off to look at starfish and sea urchin, which was really neat. The natural beauty here is amazing. On the way back, I was part of a team of about 8 kayaks that joined together to sail back. We had 2 people standing up in the front holding a fairly large tarp, someone steering in the back, all while trying to hold the 8 kayaks together -- it was quite the team effort. Needless to say, my arms were grateful.

We had a quick dinner when we got back before getting a briefing on the Maori culture. The Maoris are the indigenous people of New Zealand and still have a very prominent presence here. An older member, I believe her name was Waitawura, came to speak to us about what we would be experiencing the following day, when we would visit and spend the night at an actual Marae, the meeting place of the Maoris. She taught us the pronunciation of their language, songs that we would be expected to sing, and overall do's and don'ts of their culture. We even chose 2 guys in our group to speak on our behalf in the Maori language by memory upon our arrival. Growing up, I always heard about such vastly different lifestyles, but they always sounded so foreign to me. It was fun to have it come alive.

After a night walk with my friends Laura and Nina, I showered and called it a day.

The top photo is a picture I took while on my walk that night -- not the best quality, but the view wasn't too shabby. The bottom picture gives you an idea of our course for the athletic challenge. If you look closely, you can even see the orange rope that marked the finish line.