the one where the ground moves

First of all: 

Never in my life have classes been canceled (unless you count that time in high school where there was a bomb scare and last period let out early). Growing up, it only snowed once or twice at home and hardly enough to even coat the ground, wild fires took place in the summer so school was already out, and I think my college has made it a goal to have school in all weather (ask me about the time previously cancelled classes were un-cancelled BECAUSE of a hurricane...). Today, is the first day the school I attend has formally asked I not show up to class. The university is closed because of the earthquake(s) this weekend. 

I get an earthquake day!

So much better than a snow day. 

Moving on:

This week has been busy but great. Last Saturday morning, I successfully navigated the bus system and made it to a pool to swim. It was great to be in the water doing something familiar. No matter what happens or changes, swimming is always the same (except for the part where people swim on the left side of the lane here and I almost kill the swimmers behind me when I flip turn...sorry guys). I decided to walk back because I figured it would give me a chance to see more of the city. No one would give me directions though because it was "wicked far," so, ignoring better judgement, I set off walking. I didn't really know where I was because I left for the pool when it was still dark out, but I had the basic idea and knew I could always follow the ocean shore. Common sense told me to climb the nearest tall object and look out from there to check my direction. Long-story-short, this is how I accidentally climbed within 100meters of the summit of Mount Victoria.  It was actually a great walk, and happened to be the first and only 2 hours of sunshine in my first 5 days in Wellington. 

     Classes started last Monday and I genuinely enjoy all of mine. I have neither lecture nor tutorial on Fridays and none of my classes have exams during exam month; truly brilliant, unintentional  scheduling. Contrary to a not so proud, past record of first days in Junior high and high school:  I made it to all of my lectures on time, to the right location. I may or may not have literally patted myself on the back for that one. 

view of Wellington from Mount Victoria 

   Highlights of the week included the discovery of a Sunday farmers market, walks and runs through the botanical gardens, attending a couple of University club meetings, getting to know plenty of new friends and going to Weta Caves, the special effects and makeup geniuses behind many action, sci-fi and adventure films (Lord of the Rings, Avatar, Chronicles of Narnia).  

rope swing! 

at the top of Mount Victoria 

     Thursday morning I climbed Mount Victoria (intentionally this time) with a couple of friends. It is only a couple miles from where I am living and has spectacular panoramic views of the city and harbor. We found a rope swing a little ways down that was gleefully fun. It was situated on a hill over looking the city so as soon as you pushed off, the ground disappeared 10 feet beneath you and it felt like you were swinging over down town. 

     Friday I woke up at nine and set the snooze for ten minutes. I woke up in 5 when my bed started shaking. By the time I realized it was an earthquake it was pretty much over. Nothing much to worry about, but still the biggest earthquake I had ever been in. The shakes continued on and off throughout the weekend and I woke Sunday morning to a couple of large ones. By the evening, there had been a few more episodes but no damage. Around five, I was sitting at my desk when another one started. It seemed like the others and I figured I would just wait it out, but after about 5 seconds it was clear it was much larger. I am pleased to say that the years of earthquake drills in Elementary school paid off and I was in duck and cover position under my desk in record time. 

     In 2011 there was an earthquake in Christchurch that killed 185 people and did serious damage to the city. Because of this, people here are simultaneously accustomed to and incredibly wary of earthquakes. I didn't realize just how much the quake had shaken me (endless pun opportunities) until I had been laying in bed for going on two hours, jumping at every gust of wind (which to be fair are not only frequent but also incredibly loud). From those I've talked to, it sounds like nobody slept too much last night. Nerves and aftershocks apparently outweigh fatigue. Because Wellington is built on top of a fault line, the majority of (if not all) buildings are designed with earthquakes in mind and rated accordingly. Considering the size of the quake, very little damage was done to the city and much of the public transportation that was shut down is already back up and running. In the end, the earthquake probably did more damage to people's nerves than to most buildings, and while somewhat exciting, I would not mind if it did't happen again. I'd post pictures of the damage in my room but I figured the photo of the closet door that opened of its own accord and the jar of peanut butter positioned 4 inches further to the right, really aren't that exciting. The moral of the story is: I'm fine, but there are no longer any heavy objects near my bed and I now know where the emergency kit in my flat is.  

now, for your viewing pleasure: the cutest earthquake preparedness video ever created  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RrUpc9qFvWA 

watch it. seriously. 

Auckland Sky tower

Obligatory Lord of the Rings Picture

So many different kinds of sheep! 

wooly, stubby legged sheep 

Auckland 

Sheep! 

baby goats! 

sunrise over the lake 

lake and hot-springs

mud-pits make hilarious noises 

mud pit

geyser 

zorbing! 

Made it safe!

     Not going to lie, I seriously stressed about coming up with a witty title for this blog for about a day and a half. Then I remembered only about eight people will read it (hi mom) and settled on wonderland. My time so far has been amazing. The last six days have flown by, yet it feels as though I have been here for ages. Arcadia's orientation was jammed packed with activities, hiking and site seeing. I do believe we managed to do more in four days than I have done in the last four months. 

     I arrived in Auckland on Sunday (Saturday ceased to exist thanks to the international date line) and was greeted by the Arcadia orientation team.  Our goal for the day, we were informed, was to stay awake until 8 pm. They then ensured we did not have a chance to fall asleep. We checked into the hotel, had pastries and got to know one another, went on a walking tour of the city, bought lunch, walked to the top of two dormant volcanos/volcanic craters overlooking the city, returned to the hotel for the single greatest shower of my life, and headed to dinner. After dinner a couple of us headed to a cafe for hot chocolate and sat and watched the ice skaters at a nearby rink. The next morning I went for a jog with a group and our orientation leader and was able to see a little more of the city. Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand and it was great to be able to explore for a bit. The rest of orientation was spent in Rotorua, a town three hours south of Auckland known for its geothermal activity. Over the next couple days, we watched sheep be shorn and herded at a farm show, viewed Kiwi birds at a conservation center,  soaked in a natural hot-spring spa, hiked through the geothermal park, went zorbing (think giant hamster ball thrown down a hill) went to Tamaki Maori Village, flew into Wellington and went on a walking tour of what will be my home for the next five months.

     I had the sudden realization somewhere between taking a wrong turn out of my flat and the subsequent 20 minute walk into downtown, that I have never really been alone in a city, let alone lived in one. Luckily, Wellington appears to be the perfect starter city. It reminds me of a cross between San Francisco and Portland; the city is built on hills right up against the harbor and is borderline obsessed with coffee (to which I have no objection).  Due to the hilly environment and ocean border, the city center is compact and can be walked with relative ease.  There is plenty that is new and different here but fortunately, comes with a great learning curve (you only step out in front of so many busses before realizing cars hurtle towards you from the left side of the road now). I learned that coffee here is MUCH stronger (what we call expresso they call coffee) and following an afternoon of practically seeing sound, I now have a firmer grip on which coffee term applies to which drink.  There is no indoor heating in my flat and I am learning that I should have taken people more seriously when they told me to bring layers. Earlier today I purchased a hot water bottle. I am currently sitting in bed with it tucked into the covers, marveling at the difference a little boiling water can make on my outlook on life. I do believe this little pouch of warmth may be the greatest technological advance human kind has ever made. Forget space exploration, forget computers, forget actual indoor heating, the hot water bottle is the pinnacle of human advancement. 

     New Zealand on a sunny day looks as though someone had a little too much fun with the saturation settings in photoshop. I really wish pictures did the place justice but they definitely do not. I have never before seen so much green, nor such vibrant colors. I'll post pictures as soon as my computer decides that opening photos will not actually cause the end of life as we know it.  I'm off for a mandarin snack (one advantage of reverse seasons: mandarins in July) and tomorrow, I plan to attempt to navigate my way through the city to the pool...wish me luck.