Friday Morning arrived, and it was time for our University Orientation.
This time in lovely weather we were treated to another Pōwhiri, at the Victoria University Marae – Te Herenga Waka – which means the “hitching post for canoes” – quite appropriate for a university campus, right? This space is an oasis on campus, and is used as a gathering spot, lecture hall and ceremonial space. The space is beautiful, and serves as a “melting pot” of sorts for all of the different iwi and waka, (essentially tribes or families) within Maoridom.
I was fascinated by the stories they shared with us about the carvings – and found lots more interesting information here, in the booklet from the Marae’s grand opening – if you are interested, as I was – it is definitely worth a read.
A few pictures from the Marae:
I learned the painted tiles represented food important the Maori – this one is Crayfish, I believe.
This is a famous scholar, war hero and figure in Victoria University history
Weavings, carvings and paintings all come together with beautiful symbolism.
Having to do with achivement, and reaching the peak.
After our welcoming ceremony we were officially a part of the Vic U community. We took a tour of the campus, ending at the education buildings, a set of temporary tin buildings at 15 Waiteata Road. (The school of education has relocated from the former Karori Campus – and they are awaiting renovations on a new building to move there.)
I didn’t take many pictures as we toured the campus, unfortunately – but I am sure there will be an opportunity for that later – I do love the old buildings.
Queen Victoria
Once at 15 Waiteata Road, we had 2 sessions, one on our University Human Ethics Application, a requirement to do any research in New Zealand involving people – it is a detailed application, and will require some thought, time and real reflection about what my project, process and product will look like – this will be my task for much of the next two weeks. I am hopeful that I can get a draft done by Wednesday, then review it with my university supervisor before submitting it by the 24th. The ethics application will then be reviewed by the University Human Ethics committee, and any comments, necessary changes and revisions will be sent back to be to act upon. Ethics approval is required before I do any research, so it is pretty important that this get moving.
Our second session was lead by Pine (pronounced Pen-ae), who is the Principal Advisor to the Faculty of Education, and an amazing resource for information about Maori cultural matters, language and the like. Pine also undertook the laborious task of getting our access cards, log-on information and everything together so that we did not have to run around the university getting things settled – having done that before to get things settled on a university campus, I was very thankful for her work!
Pine then took us to our shared office space – called “the hotbox” in Block B.
It will be a nice place to work from when I need a place to write with fewer distractions than home – except – check out the view from the office window:
Yep – fewer distractions might be hard to come by!
Leaving the office I took some time to check out how the Faculty of Education has brightened up their space – so cute! I especially like the Tukutuku panels and the stories behind them, that I can only assume were a class project of sorts. Tukutuku panels are the traditional woven panels in the Marae, so the symbolism is important.
I walked home from campus, trying yet another path, always seeking the best avenue to get up there from up here.
The upcoming weekend is a weekend full of festivals and fun in Wellington – so more to come soon!
Today it was a bit of a workday for me, as I had a RU class scheduled and needed to catch up on some grading – so I got up fairly early and spent the morning grading assignments and later teaching and online class – which went pretty well – until a power and internet outage disconnected me – the good news is I was pretty much done with the lecture portion of the class and I was able to send the remaining notes to the students via email.
After class was settled, I headed to the Wellington City Library to get my library card – there is something about having access to a wealth of knowledge that a library card provides, so that was a priority for me. Thanks to my friend Gillian sending me a card in the mail, I was able to use that envelope as a proof of residency, and got a library card rather easily.
I spent some time exploring the library and walking around the parts of the CBD (Central Business District) that I had not yet explored, then tried a new way home, through Wellington’s Central Park. Wellington, to be a major, capital city is truly full of some of the most amazing greenspaces I have seen. I am excited to explore the walking trails in this park more, as it is literally right around the corner from my current home.
Wednesday
I started my Wednesday by heading to the bank to try and get my account opened, armed with documentation from my landlord and my passport and my visa documentation. There are 3 branches of the bank, so I headed to the one on Cuba street, because it was minimally closer to me than the other 2 branches, and learned that I needed an appointment – which no one mentioned at my previous visit – but they were able to squeeze me in later in the afternoon – so I secured a 3:00 appointment, which was certainly better than having to wait any longer – seriously – I needed to be able to pay my awesome landlords rent!
Random Sites around Wellington:
With a suddenly much clearer morning, I decided to head on up to the university – I had an 11:00 meeting with my advisor just to check in and have a chat – so I took the trek up to Kelburn where the campus is located and took a brief tour around the campus to get my bearings – I arrived early for my meeting – mistakenly thinking there would be somewhere in the education department to just hang out – lesson learned, there really wasn’t. Nevertheless, Louise and I had a coffee and conversation about my project – (Have I mentioned my obsession with the lovely NZ flat white?) We discussed some of the project and the direction that I am moving in and I have a bit of a footing to get started on once I get through the University Orientation on Friday and can get in the ethics application platform.
Once I finished my meeting with Louise I realized that I had a fair amount of time to kill before I had to be at the bank at 3:00, and it was a bright, clear sunny day, so I started the trek up to Mount Victoria – the highest point in Wellington – which promised panoramic views of the city. It was quite the trek up to the Mountain – but totally worth the views – the pictures truly don’t do it justice. I have decided I have gotten my bearings pretty good – as I was able to identify most of the neighborhoods of Wellington from the peak. While I know it can be super annoying to some (you know who you are!) my insanely good sense of direction is serving me well in this city.
There was a really cool monument to Antarctic expeditions at the peak area, and it was arranged so it pointed directly to Antarctica – which in a line from the triangle shaped monument is the next land mass through the ocean.
There were also informative signs about wind chill (the wind here is no joke my friends!), stargazing and Maori stories.
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I completely lost track of time, and had to get an Uber to make it down the mountain in time for my bank appointment. (Whoops!)
Opening the account was relatively painless, and in 20 minutes I had an account in NZ and was ready to go home later and navigate the world of wire transfers (which is no joke – btw).
I left the bank and headed to what is quickly becoming my favorite spot in Wellington – the waterfront (where they do in fact have decent enough Wi-Fi to Skype from!) to enjoy the weather and catch up with a few folks from home before heading back to the house for dinner.
All in all – I walked over 12 miles today – no wonder my feet were sore – I also have had my first run-in with the New Zealand sun – note to self – wind, sun and hiking should equal a reapplication (or 2) or sunscreen!
Thursday
After walking all over creation on Wednesday, I allowed my self to sleep in a bit Thursday morning, and awake to a lovely coffee and muffin from my landlords (I’m telling y’all – I am not sure how I lucked out with these people – but they are the GREATEST!).
I spent some time writing a few letters and post cards to folks back home, then headed to the Post office to mail the cards. On my way I stopped for lunch at the Capital Market – which is quite the hub for international cuisine, and for an adventurous eater like me, a ton of fun. I decided to try Armenian food and had what was called Chebureki – which was really like meatloaf with an interesting blend of spices stuffed in this yummy crispy bread. I might have to investigate other Armenian dishes just to try at some point.
After lunch, on the way to the post office, I realized I was a bit thirsty, and stopped into a dairy (or convenience station) to grab a drink – intending to try a L&P soda (Lemon & Paeroa) – but I got side railed by Coca-Cola Ginger – so L&P will have to happen later – Ginger Coke is lovely – and needs to become a thing in the US. It might actually be worthy of a twitter campaign!
After successfully sending my post, I then decided to head to the TePapa museum to rest my sun weary forhead, chest and arms. TePapa is great, and I love the fact that the museum admission, except for special exhibits is free, so I really have the opportunity to take my time and work my way through it. Today I focused on the first floor – which houses a very informative and relevant exhibit on earthquakes – including a earthquake house where you can feel an earthquake. Going through the exhibit was fascinating – New Zealand really is the epitome of seismic activity because of how the island literally sits on tectonic plates – it was very clear why so many geologist make it a goal to visit and study NZ’s geology – I was fascinated. The next exhibit was the animals that are found in New Zealand – which included the Colossal Squid – he was truly huge – larger than a large human – and pretty creepy in a cool science teacher kind of way!
Next up was an exhibit on the NZ bush, and it was an outdoor oasis – what a wonderfully done exhibit – full of plants and features that made it really feel like I was back hiking through Otari -Wilton’s Bush again.
I spent some time on the Waterfront after this before heading home and getting ready for my university orientation on Friday. Next post – University Orientation – I am so close to catching up my friends! Look for a post or 2 in the next 24 hours!
After the Fulbright NZ orientation, I found myself with a fair amount of free time to explore Wellington, and I also found myself home alone, as Julian and Joanna went to visit their farm, which I am eager to do with them at some point once things get situated with orientations and scheduling, because – wait for it my friends – their farm is in fact a vineyard – and they have their own wine – a fantastic Pinot Noir that I just love – they also do olives and other things – and I have discovered that maybe I don’t hate olives as much as I thought – please keep that to yourselves though – the last thing I need is one Sydney Gunter celebrating that she is right! 🙂
Anyway, all of that meant that I was free to really have a weekend getting to know Wellington, so armed with a wide brim hat, some sunscreen, good walking shoes and a water bottle I set out.
Ready to explore!
The view as i leave the house of the city center and bay below.
Since it was a truly lovely summer day in a city that has not had much summer weather to celebrate, I did what anyone might do and headed to the beach – I was eager to see Oriental Bay, determine exactly how far away it really was from where I am currently staying and what the beach was like. I walked to the beach which from my current location took right at an hour – and it was totally fantastic- and even better it is less than 20 minutes from the flat I will hopefully be in in a month. Friends, I love this beach – I can foresee a many a day relaxing, reading and writing from right here. So gorgeous and calming!
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Here are some lovely videos of the beach – they made me a pretty happy camper!
After I left the beach I strolled back to the waterfront area, and just enjoyed people watching and the sights along the way!
At this point I decided since I was at TePapa (the national museum) I would just stop in. I felt like I needed some coffee (I know you are shocked!) so I headed to the 4th floor where I relaxed with coffee and a nice caramel cake, before heading up to the 5th floor and checking out the observation deck.
The wind! I might have hair everywhere, but it is such a beautiful place!
After this I decided that I wanted to wander back to Aro Valley – well – specifically to check out the Garage Project – so I went first to the brewery (which is an old converted petrol station) to the location they call the Cellar Door – and got set to sample beer – and discovered that samples were free, and this was the location you go to sample beer to buy and take home. (very cool – and they had a lovely cereal milk stout on tap that I tried, and loved, so I bought some to take home). Since that was the only dark beer on tap at the cellar door – I popped across Aro Street to the tasting room, and had a nice dark flight and some fun conversation with some locals before going home, having dinner and going to bed.
Sunday:
Sunday morning I woke up with an alarm with plans to go to the 10:00 Service at St. Johns in the City – one of 2 Presbyterian Churches in Wellington that piqued my interest as I was looking. The service was nice, I enjoyed the minister, and the coffee/tea time afterward gave me a great opportunity to mix, mingle and get to know the people – they were all very nice, welcoming, and made me feel right at home. I will definitely be back! The first 4 pictures below are from one of the many walking paths that I can choose from to get from the house to the main street.
After church, I grabbed lunch at a Noodle place – I do have a goal of trying as much different cuisine as possible while I am here in the culinary melting pot that is Wellington. After lunch, I explored the farmer’s market.
I then came home and spent some much needed time looking at research notes, reading and other “Academic” stuff, including some blogging.
Monday
Monday in New Zealand was a holiday – Waitangi Day (Which I talked about some in the Fulbright Orientation Blog). It was also Super Bowl Sunday back in the states, and I was pretty excited for the big game.
The Ludbrooks and I started the Day with a lovely tramp through the Otari-Wilton’s Bush area – what an absolutely stunning place. I saw plants trees and landscapes I have never seen before – Julian and Joanna were so incredibly kind, and pointed out lots of the unique plants and birds – but I am not harboring a talent as a budding horticulturalist or botanist with the names – I just know it was paradise!
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After our hike, I said adieu to the Ludbrooks and went to a sports bar to watch the Super Bowl. I think my reaction to the game can be summed up in emojis by quarter. 🙂😀😁😭
I was heartbroken for those boys to have the season end that way – but hey – they had a great season – and surpassed all expectations – so while the sting is real – it is still great to be a Falcons fan.
After the game I went to my favorite spot on the Waterfront (it seems to be my happy place) until it started raining on me, then I went home to a most excellent dinner of New Zealand Lamb, Gold Kumara and salad prepared by the Ludbrooks – have I mentioned I might be getting a little spoiled?
Unfortunately, I have to get up in the morning at a normal hour for my orientation at Victoria University of Wellington, and as a result I should really go to bed, so the update for Tuesday – Thursday will have to wait – but I hope I have given you all enough pictures and words (Over 1000 words and at least 100 (I am guessing) pictures in this post!) that you will forgive me. I will get caught up – I promise – I just keep having to much fun! 🙂
My housing situation is once again settled. I cannot say how appreciative I am to my landlords, Ian and Jenny. They have truly gone above and beyond in helping me deal with this little hiccup in my preparations for New Zealand. They have been incredibly helpful with the housing situation, and thanks to their connections and friends, I have found a place to stay until the construction on the Aulsebrook’s Apartment building is completed.
I will be renting a room in a 3 story villa from some friends of theirs in Aro Valley, a neighborhood just west of Te Aro, where the apartment is located. The house is actually just 2 km from the apartment, so I am still close to the Central Business District in Wellington, and walking distance to everything I will initially need access to in the city. The house is also very close to several bus stops, so when the weather is less than ideal, I can easily catch a bus. It is definitely a great thing, and they are both very excited to host me. Julian is a former New Zealand Consul General to Hong Kong, and Joanna is actually a librarian in a local primary school in Wellington, so I look forward to learning from and with her, and I think the connections she will be able to help me facilitate will be very beneficial to my research project. Things do work out in mysterious ways!
Part of Aro Valley
Aro Valley is also home to The Garage Project, a lovely brewery that I am certain to enjoy (and it is less than 650 meters from the house!). Wellington’s Central Park will literally be in my backyard, so I am excited about strolling through the park and getting to know the unique ecology of my new home! You can learn more about Aro Valley and Te Aro if you are interested.
Staying with Julian and Joanna will also be a great introduction to Wellington for me, and I look forward to sharing meals and getting to know them and my new temporary home better while I am staying there. Going from knowing no one in the entire country (or hemisphere, actually!) to feeling like I am going to a place filled with friends absolutely makes the whole living abroad thing less stressful. I have been so lucky to have people reach out to me who know others, or have friends in New Zealand and have facilitated those connections for me to get to virtually “know” their people, and the Fulbright Alumni and my Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert Networks have both been so great in figuring out logistics and details. I truly feel like I am getting ready to go and see friends, which is a blessing.
By the way – the countdown is certainly on – as of today, I am 50 days away from taking off and heading to Wellington! I guess I should start packing, eh?
As of yesterday, I am 2 months away from my New Zealand Adventure – 60 days until I depart to be exact. The past few weeks have been filled with exciting steps in the whole process, and I was finally feeling like I was settled and ready to go – I had a FABULOUS apartment booked, secured and ready to go, all of my paperwork was in order – had been assigned a fantastic university supervisor – who I cannot wait to collaborate with and learn from her expertise, and I had (most importantly) reached a point with my fundraising that I felt I was in good shape getting ready to leave and having everything in order.
The Apartment:
Many of you have had to look at pictures of my amazing flat – I have been so very excited about it. I really did luck out with the opportunity for this flat – I found it by “blog stalking” the other Fulbrighters – primarily Lisa (http://lpurcell.weebly.com/) and Sue (http://www.staffdevjnkie.net/). This flat is where Lisa stayed, so way back in April, right after I received word I was selected for the Fulbright, I contacted Lisa and she put me in contact with her lovely landlords Ian and Jenny – this flat is amazing – it is sunny – bright and in the perfect location in Central Wellington – and the building has a cool history – it used to be an old biscuit factory – the Aulsebrook’s Building. Fantastic Location – beautiful apartment. I paid my deposit back in September, happy to have living arrangements situated – short-term furnished rentals can be difficult to find in New Zealand! (More on this later).
THE AMAZING Living Area!
The awesome Jenny and Ian!
The cute building!
Kitchen
Living Area
Bedroom 1
Bedroom 2
Bathroom
The fantastic balcony!
The Advisor
This week one of my biggest questions was answered, when I found out who my university advisor will be – and I must say – I could not be more excited. I will be working with Dr. Louise Starkey at Victoria University in Wellington. I have read many of her publications, cited her work in my academic research and am absolutely flattered to have the opportunity to collaborate with her during my time in New Zealand.
Fundraising
Many of you know that I was at a deficit of the funds provided by the program and the expenses I had to pay to maintain insurance and things here in the states while I am abroad. I have been blessed with generous gifts from individuals and organizations that I belong to, and I am so pleased to say that I am within 10% of my fundraising goal – and I am so humbled by the outpouring of love and support I have received. I am a lucky, lucky lady! I am confident the last bit of fundraising will come through in the next few months, and I am grateful.
THE BAD
But, as they say – they best laid plans often go astray. . . As many of you are undoubtedly aware, New Zealand suffered a significant earthquake a few weeks ago. At that time my landlords and I were in contact – and all appeared well. Unfortunately – after further inspection by the engineers – it was determined that the building did, indeed, have some damage that was in need of immediate repair – repairs that would require evacuation of all units in the building for part of the time that I was planning to be there. So, for at least a month, I will be in need of another housing location while repairs are completed. I just found this out last night – and there are still more things to work through – but I am so thankful that Jenny and Ian have some suggestions and ideas, and we will Skype in the next few days to chat about where we go from here.
There is much to be celebrated – and I am confident that this will all work out – and sometimes it is good for my “plan ahead” self to have to exercise some flexibility and work through a minor setback – who knows – this might just lead to an even more amazing adventure than I could have anticipated. As they said to us all multiple times at orientation – it will all be ok!
4 months ago today, I found out that I was selected for the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program. I was beyond thrilled, humbled and completely amazed that I had been selected for this prestigious award. The past 4 months I have been trying to “let it all sink in” and with each day that passes, I am beginning to realize that it is really going to happen.
From the work perspective, I will go to Wellington, New Zealand from January/February – June/July of 2017 to explore the use of instructional technology to impact student learning in New Zealand. To say that I am excited is an understatement – New Zealand has to be one of the most gorgeous places on earth, and I am so fortunate and blessed that I will be able to do this. I can’t wait to bring my experience back to Woodstock and to the students and teachers in the Cherokee County School District.
Personally, I cannot believe the opportunity this will give me to explore another side of the world – quite literally. As much as you all enjoyed traveling with me to Europe, I can’t wait to bring you along to New Zealand!
For the purposes of the Fulbright experience, this blog will have all things travel about the cool locations I travel to and visit. My Teachknowlogista blog (https://teachknowlogista.wordpress.com/) will feature the posts from my visits to schools and attendance in classes and workshops in New Zealand. There will be some cross over, I am sure. (And that is how I think this will all work at the moment – that is subject to change – I may find that I need to consolidate the blogs, but I don’t want to overload people who may only want to read the “fun” stuff or the “work” stuff.)
In case you want to read more, here are some articles that have been written about my experience.
Merry Adventures 