Remember when I was having a hard time with classes two weeks ago? Well, the class that saved me from future headaches is a class on tourism. That's right, I get to take a class that fuels my passion for traveling. This may or may not be a good thing in the long fun financially, but that's not important right now. I love this class so much, that I feel it deserves it's own blog post.
I like this class for the obvious reason of talking about traveling the the beautiful countries that make up our world. But I also like it for other reasons. Out of all my classes it is by far the most fun and the most intellectually stimulating. The professor is funny and makes class entertaining. He also encourages class discussions, which does not happen in any of my other lectures during the week. The class literally has me on the edge of my seat and I am thoroughly enjoying the material in it. Looking back, it almost seems silly that I did not go to school for Tourism to begin with because it is something I am so passionate about. I'm confident my future will work out how it is supposed to regardless of my major.
My first assignment for the class is a paper on a country, city, or region. With this paper I have to pick three words through mind-mapping that describe my chosen destination. Then, I back up these three words through ideas and examples that I find through research. It may not sound fun to everyone, but I am genuinely looking forward to writing this paper. I'd be happy if all my classes involved writing papers on various travel destinations. I'm anxious to learn more through this class. Although it will not help me towards graduating, it will help me in accomplishing a big portion of my bucket list. Nothing excites me more than the idea of traveling the world, and this class is going to deepen my understanding of tourism. I feel so thankful to have a class that has me this exciting about school here in New Zealand.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
Six60 Concert
On Thursday night I was able to see Six60 live at a venue called The Front Room. Six60 is a New Zealand band that I was introduced to during the Bridging Cultures Program the first week I was here--which, in case you were wondering, already feels like forever ago. I fell in love with their music and have continued to listen to them since I've been in Wellington via YouTube.
My favorite song by them is "Forever," which was their encore for the evening. You can listen to it by clicking on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JC_Z3WBkeo
I also really enjoy "Don't Forget Your Roots." You can listen to this fantastic song by checking out this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQEG9JwSyFg
"Rise Up" is the song they opened with. It can be listened to here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICPA0XM4qQ8&feature=related
The last song I recommend that you listen to is "Someone to be Around." I'm sure you already know, but click on this link and you can listen to it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAlMvXLnz0A&feature=related
Side Note: I recommend that you listen to other songs by them because they are all incredible, but these are my top 4 at the moment.
Hopefully these songs can give you an idea of how epic Thursday night was for me! Oh, and did I mention that I was right up against the stage?! I also was able to touch the lead singer, lead guitarist, and lead bassist many times throughout the show. The lead singer made eye contact with me for a whole 4 seconds at the beginning of the concert! Four seconds may not seem like a lot, but it is when you consider that fact that he was simultaneously singing directly to me, it definitely is a lot!
When I listen to music I have to be able to relate to it. Music is one of my biggest passions; it defines who I am. If a song or band makes me feel good when I listen to them, I'll forever be a fan. Six60 does this for me and I truly do relate to their music. In fact, when they sang "Forever" at the very end, the lead singer had us become quiet and he said, " Can someone, please, anybody...tell me you can feel that shit right now!?" Yep, that pretty much sums up exactly how I felt in that moment. My passion for music and listening to live music never fails to disappoint me. After a busy week with school, a concert was just what I needed.
Thankfully, I was able to enjoy the concert with two of my friends: Quinne and Sam. Beforehand we went to Burger Fuel, which is a fast food burger joint chain that is amazing! We arrived at 7:45 and there was already a line forming outside of the venue. Luckily, it didn't stop us from having an awesome place to see the band from. Originally, the concert was scheduled for Friday, but it sold out before I could get tickets. They ended up doing two shows while on their tour in Wellington which was great because I could 1) actually go and 2) get tickets for a student price. By how packed the place was, I am sure they sold out for our show too. That's how big of deal this band is here in New Zealand. The only bad part about the night was that we had to wait an hour before the opening band began and another half hour for a change over. I'd happily wait that time again. There are no words to describe this concert and I can honestly say I have never experienced a concert like this one before. Six60 is talented in every way and they sure do know how to rock out a "wicked as" concert!
Look in the bottom right of this photo and you'll see me! I think it was taken right after I got a guitar pick!
My favorite song by them is "Forever," which was their encore for the evening. You can listen to it by clicking on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JC_Z3WBkeo
I also really enjoy "Don't Forget Your Roots." You can listen to this fantastic song by checking out this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQEG9JwSyFg
"Rise Up" is the song they opened with. It can be listened to here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICPA0XM4qQ8&feature=related
The last song I recommend that you listen to is "Someone to be Around." I'm sure you already know, but click on this link and you can listen to it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAlMvXLnz0A&feature=related
Side Note: I recommend that you listen to other songs by them because they are all incredible, but these are my top 4 at the moment.
Hopefully these songs can give you an idea of how epic Thursday night was for me! Oh, and did I mention that I was right up against the stage?! I also was able to touch the lead singer, lead guitarist, and lead bassist many times throughout the show. The lead singer made eye contact with me for a whole 4 seconds at the beginning of the concert! Four seconds may not seem like a lot, but it is when you consider that fact that he was simultaneously singing directly to me, it definitely is a lot!
When I listen to music I have to be able to relate to it. Music is one of my biggest passions; it defines who I am. If a song or band makes me feel good when I listen to them, I'll forever be a fan. Six60 does this for me and I truly do relate to their music. In fact, when they sang "Forever" at the very end, the lead singer had us become quiet and he said, " Can someone, please, anybody...tell me you can feel that shit right now!?" Yep, that pretty much sums up exactly how I felt in that moment. My passion for music and listening to live music never fails to disappoint me. After a busy week with school, a concert was just what I needed.
Thankfully, I was able to enjoy the concert with two of my friends: Quinne and Sam. Beforehand we went to Burger Fuel, which is a fast food burger joint chain that is amazing! We arrived at 7:45 and there was already a line forming outside of the venue. Luckily, it didn't stop us from having an awesome place to see the band from. Originally, the concert was scheduled for Friday, but it sold out before I could get tickets. They ended up doing two shows while on their tour in Wellington which was great because I could 1) actually go and 2) get tickets for a student price. By how packed the place was, I am sure they sold out for our show too. That's how big of deal this band is here in New Zealand. The only bad part about the night was that we had to wait an hour before the opening band began and another half hour for a change over. I'd happily wait that time again. There are no words to describe this concert and I can honestly say I have never experienced a concert like this one before. Six60 is talented in every way and they sure do know how to rock out a "wicked as" concert!
Look in the bottom right of this photo and you'll see me! I think it was taken right after I got a guitar pick!
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Fresher's Trip
As I mentioned in my last post, I joined the Tramping Club at VUW. Tramping is either hiking, rock climbing, or mountaineering. They have trips every single weekend and this past weekend was their first trip of the year: Fresher's Trip. It was only $30 so I decided to go. Lucky for me, I packed a sleeping bag, hiking boots, and a backpacking pack when I left Wisconsin. Also, I have a good supply of warm clothes so I had no reason not to go. Plus, what better way to see a country this beautiful other than to actually get out and explore it by foot!
We left Friday evening around 7 and returned Sunday night at 7:30. The place we began to hike at was about an hour and a half away from Wellington. As we set up camp for the first night, I questioned what I had gotten myself into. Not only was I already cold, but this "tent" they said we would be in was more or less just a tarp on poles. So yes, I basically just slept on the ground with a tarp over me. Luckily, there are no harmful animals in New Zealand so I didn't have much to worry about; however, I got very little sleep because it was ridiculously cold the first night. I was too busy trying to figure out how to keep warm than actually sleeping. At times, I was wondering if I was indeed dreaming, or just thinking really extravagant ideas in the peacefulness of the New Zealand night.
I will not go into great detail about each day of hiking. The first day was easier because I was not sore from my brand new hiking boots or carrying my pack 10 kilometers yet. The trails were rocky, steep, slippery, narrow, covered with overgrown plants, muddy, wide, carved by the roots of the trees, flat, and beautiful--all at various times of course. There were many times I had to cross through small streams or a large river. There were large bridges at various points in the hike to cross the big parts, but the smaller parts I was on my own. Either way, it was simultaneously enjoyable and physically demanding. I learned a lot this past weekend.
Lessons from Tramping:
1. You can never have too much chocolate.
2. Everyone you meet has something to offer.
3. You never know when you're about to make a new friend.
4. Electrical tape works wonders for preventing blisters.
5. Only focus on what's directly in front of you.
6. Tramping is all about the food.
7. Water in New Zealand is safe to drink.
8. Mats under sleeping bags are a necessity.
9. Just because you don't feel the bugs biting, doesn't mean they are not biting.
10. Downhill trails can be just as challenging as uphill trails.
I'm still exhausted. I'm ridiculously sore all over my body. I'm also sick. I'm covered in bug bits. Despite all this, I had a blast this weekend and cannot wait to go on another trip to continue to see this beautiful country I am in. As much as I love to shower daily, I'd be willing to give up this luxury to enjoy the great outdoors. I can assure you that if you do not believe in God, the beauty of this country is enough to change your mind.
We left Friday evening around 7 and returned Sunday night at 7:30. The place we began to hike at was about an hour and a half away from Wellington. As we set up camp for the first night, I questioned what I had gotten myself into. Not only was I already cold, but this "tent" they said we would be in was more or less just a tarp on poles. So yes, I basically just slept on the ground with a tarp over me. Luckily, there are no harmful animals in New Zealand so I didn't have much to worry about; however, I got very little sleep because it was ridiculously cold the first night. I was too busy trying to figure out how to keep warm than actually sleeping. At times, I was wondering if I was indeed dreaming, or just thinking really extravagant ideas in the peacefulness of the New Zealand night.
I will not go into great detail about each day of hiking. The first day was easier because I was not sore from my brand new hiking boots or carrying my pack 10 kilometers yet. The trails were rocky, steep, slippery, narrow, covered with overgrown plants, muddy, wide, carved by the roots of the trees, flat, and beautiful--all at various times of course. There were many times I had to cross through small streams or a large river. There were large bridges at various points in the hike to cross the big parts, but the smaller parts I was on my own. Either way, it was simultaneously enjoyable and physically demanding. I learned a lot this past weekend.
Lessons from Tramping:
1. You can never have too much chocolate.
2. Everyone you meet has something to offer.
3. You never know when you're about to make a new friend.
4. Electrical tape works wonders for preventing blisters.
5. Only focus on what's directly in front of you.
6. Tramping is all about the food.
7. Water in New Zealand is safe to drink.
8. Mats under sleeping bags are a necessity.
9. Just because you don't feel the bugs biting, doesn't mean they are not biting.
10. Downhill trails can be just as challenging as uphill trails.
I'm still exhausted. I'm ridiculously sore all over my body. I'm also sick. I'm covered in bug bits. Despite all this, I had a blast this weekend and cannot wait to go on another trip to continue to see this beautiful country I am in. As much as I love to shower daily, I'd be willing to give up this luxury to enjoy the great outdoors. I can assure you that if you do not believe in God, the beauty of this country is enough to change your mind.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Heaps of Good News from NZ
This past week brought along a lot: nice weather, heaps of chocolate, confirmed class schedules, and new involvement. I can sum things up by saying this week was full of fun and great news.
Wellington is an extremely windy city, but despite the random bursts of wind, Wellington was beautiful this past week. It was wonderful to see the harbor full of sailboats. New Zealand is entering into winter currently, which means the nice days will become less and less. Just like the crazy winter we've had in Wisconsin, New Zealand has had a summer full of rain. The beautiful days here are rare. Saturday was probably the nicest day that I will ever experience while in New Zealand. In honor of the hot sun, I went to the beach. I also completed my version of a Wellington initiation inspired by my roommate, Casey, of jumping of a plank along the harbor into the ocean. I would say it was about a 15 foot jump, so enough to give a person an adrenaline rush. I will admit I got scared as I inched my way away from safe land onto a plank with a beautiful ocean beneath me. I did this with my other Wisconsin friend, Ashley, and we drew quite the crowd. Since I was sort of panicking in front of all these people, someone told me to run and jump, so I did it. I figured that I couldn't stop myself if I changed my mind. It was such an awesome feeling. I'm glad I did it. And I hope I have another nice day to do it again.
I will admit, my last post was quite negative, but I did manage to get things straightened out with school. I had some other bumps which included: swapping classes more than once and worrying about the status of my financial aid and enrollment at UW-La Crosse. Even though I had difficulties, I was able to figure things out. To make a long story short, I am now taking a class on Business Tourism. It will unfortunately only transfer back as elective credits, but it will be a fun course to take while here. I'm anxious for it and feel it may end up being my most favorite course here. Don't worry, I won't be switching my major for a sixth time.
This week has also blessed me with a lot of chocolate. From ice cream, to cookies, to chocolate bars, I have dove right in to enjoying the wonderful selection of sweets this country has to over. Before I left I thought that I might lose some weight because I wouldn't be eating as much sweets. You see, the problem with this is that there are so many different types of sweets here and I am determined to try them all. Everyone hear says "heaps" instead of "a lot" or "tons." So, this week I have had heaps of chocolate. My favorite discovery has been Tim Tam's: "the most irresistible chocolate biscuit." Side note: (New Zealand word for cookie = biscuit). They are a delicious cookie that come in a variety of flavors. They are expensive, but worth every penny to me. Plus, they are currently on sale! I went to the grocery store on Wednesday and $9 of $45 bill was dedicated to chocolate. I think I have a problem.
Lastly, to top off this week I joined the Tramping Club. No, it's not what it sounds like. Tramping is hiking, rock climbing, or mountaineering. It only had a $20 joining fee and has weekend trips or daily hikes every single weekend! This is exactly how I want to see New Zealand: by foot, outside, and surrounded by beauty. It was an easy decision to make. In fact, this weekend I am attending the "Fresher's Trip." I am so anxious to leave and I am glad I came prepared with hiking boots, a sleeping bag, and a backpacking backpack. I forced these things into my suitcase so I could go on my own weekend hiking adventures. Now I have a club full of people who share my passion for hiking to enjoy New Zealand with. I am so excited about this opportunity!
Wellington is an extremely windy city, but despite the random bursts of wind, Wellington was beautiful this past week. It was wonderful to see the harbor full of sailboats. New Zealand is entering into winter currently, which means the nice days will become less and less. Just like the crazy winter we've had in Wisconsin, New Zealand has had a summer full of rain. The beautiful days here are rare. Saturday was probably the nicest day that I will ever experience while in New Zealand. In honor of the hot sun, I went to the beach. I also completed my version of a Wellington initiation inspired by my roommate, Casey, of jumping of a plank along the harbor into the ocean. I would say it was about a 15 foot jump, so enough to give a person an adrenaline rush. I will admit I got scared as I inched my way away from safe land onto a plank with a beautiful ocean beneath me. I did this with my other Wisconsin friend, Ashley, and we drew quite the crowd. Since I was sort of panicking in front of all these people, someone told me to run and jump, so I did it. I figured that I couldn't stop myself if I changed my mind. It was such an awesome feeling. I'm glad I did it. And I hope I have another nice day to do it again.
I will admit, my last post was quite negative, but I did manage to get things straightened out with school. I had some other bumps which included: swapping classes more than once and worrying about the status of my financial aid and enrollment at UW-La Crosse. Even though I had difficulties, I was able to figure things out. To make a long story short, I am now taking a class on Business Tourism. It will unfortunately only transfer back as elective credits, but it will be a fun course to take while here. I'm anxious for it and feel it may end up being my most favorite course here. Don't worry, I won't be switching my major for a sixth time.
This week has also blessed me with a lot of chocolate. From ice cream, to cookies, to chocolate bars, I have dove right in to enjoying the wonderful selection of sweets this country has to over. Before I left I thought that I might lose some weight because I wouldn't be eating as much sweets. You see, the problem with this is that there are so many different types of sweets here and I am determined to try them all. Everyone hear says "heaps" instead of "a lot" or "tons." So, this week I have had heaps of chocolate. My favorite discovery has been Tim Tam's: "the most irresistible chocolate biscuit." Side note: (New Zealand word for cookie = biscuit). They are a delicious cookie that come in a variety of flavors. They are expensive, but worth every penny to me. Plus, they are currently on sale! I went to the grocery store on Wednesday and $9 of $45 bill was dedicated to chocolate. I think I have a problem.
Lastly, to top off this week I joined the Tramping Club. No, it's not what it sounds like. Tramping is hiking, rock climbing, or mountaineering. It only had a $20 joining fee and has weekend trips or daily hikes every single weekend! This is exactly how I want to see New Zealand: by foot, outside, and surrounded by beauty. It was an easy decision to make. In fact, this weekend I am attending the "Fresher's Trip." I am so anxious to leave and I am glad I came prepared with hiking boots, a sleeping bag, and a backpacking backpack. I forced these things into my suitcase so I could go on my own weekend hiking adventures. Now I have a club full of people who share my passion for hiking to enjoy New Zealand with. I am so excited about this opportunity!
Saturday, March 10, 2012
First Week of Class at VUW
I officially survived my first week of school. Not that it was hard or anything, but it definitely was not the best week I’ve ever had. School here is very different than what it is in the states. There are some things that are different here that seem to make sense like the fact that all the buildings are connected so you stay out of the wind when moving from building to building. I’d really enjoy this luxury on a cold winter day back home! It is also nice that my flat is literally five minutes away from essentially of the buildings that my classes are held. Despite these convenient factors, for the most part, I do not like how things are run here at all, but I’m biased.
Currently, I am enrolled in four papers (classes). My classes are: 1) Global History, 2) Gandhi, India, and the World, 3) Visual Perception, and 4) Discursive Social Psychology. I have each of these courses anywhere from 2 to 3 times a week in a large lecture hall. Starting next week, I have a two hour lab for each of my psychology courses and an hour long tutorial for each of my history courses. The large lectures are very different to me and I feel they will not fuel a positive learning environment for me. I love to have discussions in class and get to know my professors. Here, professors are called lecturers because that’s what they do, they lecture and that’s it. The tutorials are designed to be more discussion based; however, from my understanding they can be hit or miss depending upon the students that are in them. I was not happy to learn this week that I would be in class an additional six hours each week between tutorials and labs. Each student schedules labs and tutorials the first week of class. Back in the states, you know exactly what your schedule is right when you register. It was frustrating to make sure each tutorial and lab didn’t interfere with lecture times. I will never understand the logic of not having this all done right away when registering.
The biggest difference in classes is how they are structured. For most of my classes, I have two or three random assignments that are required throughout the semester as well as a final examination. It does not give me a lot of room to, well, slack. There are a lot of readings for each week that are recommended. However, “recommended” readings in the states = me not doing any reading. I’ve met a number of people who say that they do all of the readings and also a number of people who do not do the readings. Clearly, I agree with the people who do not do the readings much more. I am not sure how well I will adjust to all of this extra reading. It makes me miss UWL and what I am familiar with when it comes to how to be a college student. I just do not know how to do it here and I have way too many distractions that are preventing me from figuring it out. In all honesty, I have never been good at doing readings for class, but it hasn’t mattered because class covers the readings (at UWL). Here, I do not know yet if I can say the same thing. Keep your fingers crossed for me.
I also found out some somewhat bad news this week. There is a possibility that I may not graduate in May 2013 because my Discursive Social Psychology course here will not transfer back to what I was hoping it would at UWL. I have basically just enough credits left to complete that will involve 18 credit semesters and some winter or summer courses. Long story short, I am trying to take a fun class in place of it. It is a 300 level class, which involves a lot more work than a 100 or 200 level class here does. I do not want to do the extra work if it won’t help me towards graduation. My logic: I’d rather take a fun class that hopefully involves less work so I can travel around more on the weekends. I am hoping to get this all figured out first thing on Monday.
Sorry to have a somewhat negative blog post. This week has just been one full of adjusting. I am confident things will work out. My college career has gone somewhat sporadically (compared to others) due to a combination of being a state FFA officer, transferring, and switching my major. Studying abroad has been extra work and more challenging since I am doing it as a college senior. Most people do this as sophomores. Regardless, I am happy to be here and am doing what I can to make things work out in the most enjoyable way.
Currently, I am enrolled in four papers (classes). My classes are: 1) Global History, 2) Gandhi, India, and the World, 3) Visual Perception, and 4) Discursive Social Psychology. I have each of these courses anywhere from 2 to 3 times a week in a large lecture hall. Starting next week, I have a two hour lab for each of my psychology courses and an hour long tutorial for each of my history courses. The large lectures are very different to me and I feel they will not fuel a positive learning environment for me. I love to have discussions in class and get to know my professors. Here, professors are called lecturers because that’s what they do, they lecture and that’s it. The tutorials are designed to be more discussion based; however, from my understanding they can be hit or miss depending upon the students that are in them. I was not happy to learn this week that I would be in class an additional six hours each week between tutorials and labs. Each student schedules labs and tutorials the first week of class. Back in the states, you know exactly what your schedule is right when you register. It was frustrating to make sure each tutorial and lab didn’t interfere with lecture times. I will never understand the logic of not having this all done right away when registering.
The biggest difference in classes is how they are structured. For most of my classes, I have two or three random assignments that are required throughout the semester as well as a final examination. It does not give me a lot of room to, well, slack. There are a lot of readings for each week that are recommended. However, “recommended” readings in the states = me not doing any reading. I’ve met a number of people who say that they do all of the readings and also a number of people who do not do the readings. Clearly, I agree with the people who do not do the readings much more. I am not sure how well I will adjust to all of this extra reading. It makes me miss UWL and what I am familiar with when it comes to how to be a college student. I just do not know how to do it here and I have way too many distractions that are preventing me from figuring it out. In all honesty, I have never been good at doing readings for class, but it hasn’t mattered because class covers the readings (at UWL). Here, I do not know yet if I can say the same thing. Keep your fingers crossed for me.
I also found out some somewhat bad news this week. There is a possibility that I may not graduate in May 2013 because my Discursive Social Psychology course here will not transfer back to what I was hoping it would at UWL. I have basically just enough credits left to complete that will involve 18 credit semesters and some winter or summer courses. Long story short, I am trying to take a fun class in place of it. It is a 300 level class, which involves a lot more work than a 100 or 200 level class here does. I do not want to do the extra work if it won’t help me towards graduation. My logic: I’d rather take a fun class that hopefully involves less work so I can travel around more on the weekends. I am hoping to get this all figured out first thing on Monday.
Sorry to have a somewhat negative blog post. This week has just been one full of adjusting. I am confident things will work out. My college career has gone somewhat sporadically (compared to others) due to a combination of being a state FFA officer, transferring, and switching my major. Studying abroad has been extra work and more challenging since I am doing it as a college senior. Most people do this as sophomores. Regardless, I am happy to be here and am doing what I can to make things work out in the most enjoyable way.
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