Vacation Day One

I was going to write on this blog everyday, but then I got a life. I simply don't have time to cater to your Drew-needs on a daily basis. So you'll just have to deal with my blog posts being less than up-to-date (please read my blog).
My "Vacation Days" happened after my first day in Auckland. My new friends and I were taken to a city, Rotorua, to have some adventures before we settled into Uni (University) life. This is what I did during my second day in New Zealand.
Prologue: The Journey
Getting to Rotorua involved a short four-hour bus ride. Because I was very bored I took some pictures for you. Isn't that nice?

A gift shop with toilets and ice cream. Good thing I'm laying off dairy.

Another gift shop with toilets...in a dog.

Eventually, we made it to Rotorua. And since we had so much fun seeing gift shops, we got to see more stuff before going to our hostel.

A helicopter that goes to volcanoes. Nothing special.

Yes, I did watch Black Swan recently.

After the short four-hour bus ride, we arrived at our new temporary hostel, the Four Canoes Hostel and Bar (interestingly, there was no bar). This place was nicer than our previous hostel in Auckland, but they forgot to mention the incredible rotten egg smell! Apparently, Rotorua has natural hot springs, and Four Canoes utilizes them to make a "hot tub". The hot water brings a horrendous sulfur smell with it! It's a good thing we didn't stay there for too long on any given day.
Maori Village
From our hostel, we drove to a local Maori Village to learn about their culture. Before we left though, we were informed of an introduction ceremony we needed to participate in before learning from them. One of us would be chosen to represent our group to show the Maori peace. After little debate, we picked my new friend Thomas due to his impressive stature (seven feet tall). Thomas was shown an intimidating display by one of the Maori youth, after which the youth would set a stick on the ground in front of him. If we came in peace (much like Buzz Lightyear), Thomas would pick up the stick. Luckily, Thomas picked up the instead of declaring war on a random village. But that was the easy part. After we were accepted into the Maori Village, the Maori sang us a few songs, and expected one in return. For some reason, we decided to sing a verse of "Ain't No Mountain High Mountain" (don't pretend you don't know what that song is).
Despite our worst efforts, they accepted the song and let us learn from them. Each of us was put into one of four groups that would cycle through four different classes in a certain order.
The first class I went to had us make one of these things.

Isn't it awesome?!

These things (I don't remember what they're called) are used for music and fighting. The musical ones have soft materials (like cotton) on the inside. The user will slap herself with it and produce various sounds and rhythms. If you want to fight with one of these, fill it with rocks (and probably make the handle sturdier). Mine was special because everyone made it but me. I couldn't braid the handle, roll cotton in a small enough ball, put cotton in a bag, or tie simple knots. But don't worry, I'm going to be a great engineer!

My second class for the day (classes already?) taught me how to do the Hakka. The Hakka is a "dance" that is meant to intimidate those who watch it (like me). If you've ever watched the All Black's play Rugby (nope? Me neither), you have seen the Hakka. The Hakka was fun to learn with other people who weren't laughing at me (for once), and we all learned about the importance of intimidation in Maori culture. 

Ever wanted to see a flower made from a plant that's not a flower? Here you go!

Look how pretty!

That was the third class. I actually made this one on my own.

Finally, we had a weapons class. I learned about a unique weapon they use that is built with function and symbolism. Since Maori ancestors didn't use metal, they built a staff-like weapon with a ridge.

The ridge can be used to catch an opponent's weapon, and it also packs a mean punch! Symbolism wise, the staff represents ancestors, and the ridge is called the "tongue". The "tongue" cannot touch the ground, or else your ancestor will be "licking" the ground. Don't be gross, keep your weapon up.

At the end of the day, we were treated to a nice meal (fish, chicken, pasta, etc) and a show from some of the Maori (see Facebook for videos).

Can you find me?

Epilogue: The Lukewarm Tub

Ryn, Thomas, and I decided to try out the "hot tub" the Four Canoes offered. It turned out to be lukewarm at the hottest. Nevertheless, we decided to talk about science, engineering, and school (col kid stuff). But after awhile, we were joined by a woman from Canada. Being the ladies men we are, we continued to talk about science, engineering, and school. We were very surprised when she joined in the conversation. We ended up talking to her for a good half an hour or so.

Tune in next sometime I feel like writing for another exciting adventure!

New Zealand at Last!

Kia Ora!
Due to my lack of internet for the past few days, I have had no access to this blog. You might be wondering what I'm doing at the moment, but it's not quite as exciting as the first few days I was here.
Here's a short (long) recap of the first day.
Since I last posted (which seems like a long time ago), I have met my fellow study abroad students. They come from a variety of non-Utah places that sound interesting, and we have started molding our friendships. There was one person from Utah, but she saw reason and left the state for a California school.
Despite what I assume is your undying need for a lengthy detail of the twelve-hour flight from San Francisco to Auckland, I'm going to give you highlights. This was a two-story airplane! When I walked in the door, there were people going upstairs in an airplane to get to their seats! That isn't normal. That is a big plane! I was seated in the middle of the bottom floor (dang it) and was separated from my friends. We were greeted by a Lord of the Rings themed airplane safety video on our personal television screens that was not only awesome, but also included some of Tolkien's grandchildren and Peter Jackson himself. The rest of the flight involved sleeping and watching both The Wolverine and Thor: The Dark World.
Now we're in New Zealand! I reunited with my friends, exchanged my American money for colourful (that's how they spell it, don't judge) New Zealand dollars and walked out the door. The fresh air was invigorating after that long travel process and I was eager to see the sights of Auckland. So promptly, we climbed onto our bus, started driving on the left side of the road and started touring. Here's some pictures:

Yes, those are other people in the last picture. And yes, they do enjoy my company, despite being forced into it. Stop asking. Those two are Eric and Ryn (from left to right), just two of my new friends.

We drove around the city for a few hours before we reached our new destination, the YHA Hostel. Admittedly, this was not the best place to stay, but it would only be for one night.

The rooms had four beds, but the view wasn't too bad. Luckily, we didn't have to spend much time there.

After a short introductory presentation, we were set free into the city between meals. I used this time to walk around the city and buy a few essentials. I bought a cool pair of sunglasses (an essential) and a Huawei brand phone through Skinny Mobile. My walk (not alone) took me to various places around the city.

To say the least, it's the coolest city on the planet that I have visited thus far. And that was merely the first day.

A Very Long Day

This is it! A new adventure in a new country! Yipee! Yahoo!
Oh, what's that? The flight from Salt Lake is at 8 am, and I need to be there three hours early? Alright, I guess that's okay. I've lost sleep before.
So the plane arrives in San Francisco at 9:25 am and the next plane leaves at 7:45 pm? If I carry the two that means I'll be in San Francisco's airport for...
Oh no.
Today is a long day. Today probably won't count as the first day of my spectacular trip in New Zealand because I'm not in New Zealand for any part of today. No, today is the day I sit in an airport and feel my brain rot.
I started my day at 2:30 am and quickly got ready to leave Springville by 3:30. From there I was taken (by my dad) to the SLC airport. It was recommended that I arrive at SLC airport by 5 in case flight complications occurred or I had trouble with customs. You know what customs was? "Let me see your passport and driver's license". Done. 5 seconds. The rest of that time (about two hours after I got through security), I sat. Then I sat in a plane for 2 hours. Now I'm in San Francisco, waiting to board another plane so I can wait for it to take off so I can wait for 13 hours to get to New Zealand.
I luckily made some good packing decisions that can remedy some of the boredom. I've got a book at my disposal (The Way of Kings) that I can absorb for a little while. I brought my computer that has Scott Pilgrim vs. the World on iTunes. And I also have a portable gaming system with nothing short of a collection of games.
Before this process started, I had heard that the San Francisco-New Zealand flight would be a group flight; that means other people in my exact situation would collect here at the airport for the same flight. I was excited to get started with one of the best parts of a trip, meeting new people. Not only new people, but new people who would be going through what I'm going through. The same excitement and worry that I can relate to. There is only one problem with this plan: No one is here yet!
The only people I've met so far that will be on my flight are an older couple heading for southern New Zealand (not where I'm going) after the flight. I can't relate to that. And I can't just shadow them for hours; we can't be on the same flight with a restraining order in the way.
So here I sit, near gate G97, waiting to wait. I think people are starting to show up though. Maybe I can pass two more hours talking to them. Wish me luck!