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!