KIA ORA!!!!

This is how the Maoris say “hello/welcome” It is pronounced,“key or-a” pretty easy.

First of all yes I am ALIVE. I was very busy with my programorientation as soon as my flight landed. The internet is very hard to find inNew Zealand and it is more expensive then in the U.S. That’s why it has been forever since I have written.Hopefully, I will have the internet hooked up in my flat (apartment) by the endof this week. It was suppose to be set up and running on Wednesday ( which would be on yourTuesday), but I don’t know what happened. New Zealand is 18 hours ahead ofOhio. It makes calling a little confusing sometimes. I is cool. I feel like like I am calling from "The Future". I know what time it is in Ohio by adding six hours and subtract one whole day. I find it easier than subtracting 18 hours for some reason.

Anyways, back to my orientation. I traveled around Auckland,Rotorua, and Wellington. For the orientation we did activities and saw thingsthat were “New Zealand”.

New Zealand is known for extreme sports. I went zorbing,(not that extreme) which is when you are in a plastic bubble with two otherpeople and a little water and roll down a hill. We went to a sheep show. Mygroup got to see a guy shear a sheep. We also watched a sheep dog round up somesheep into a pen. We then traveled to a geothermal park. This smelled worsethan the sheep show. It smelled like rotten eggs. Every now and then we had abreeze of fresh air, but that did not last long. I was able to see a geysererupt and some mud pools. AND of course we did a little of the “Lord of the Rings”thing. I went to Matamata, where Hobbiton and The Shire were filmed. I did notgo on the tour because it was expensive and we just stopped for lunch. I didget my picture taken with a Gollum statue!

I start school this Monday. I am so excited about starting.I’ve been out since the middle of Dec. and I am excited about going to class.Classes are called “papers” here.

I am living in a flat with four other people. They are allkiwis, so I have been learning the ins and outs of NZ life, university life, the campus,and the city. My campus is on the top of a hill. The city is at the bottom ofthe hill and my flat is between them. I really like the location of my flat.The hill is very big, so I have been getting a workout going up and down it.

There is so many things to do in the city. So far I wentto the botanic garden near my new campus. It was so pretty.

I have not been too confused with the lingo yet. Except,this one time when I was told to leave an avocado on the bench for a few daysto ripen. Yeah, I was very confused by this too. “Benches” here are kitchen counters.If you are wondering I did not put the avocado outside.

Sorry I wrote a little about everything. There was a lot totell you. Enjoy the cold, snowy weather. I will try not to enjoy the warm,sunny days here. (TOO MUCH!!!)