Disclaimer: I've "borrowed" several photos from friends. Thanks guys!
The show is utterly surreal and words cannot do it justice. It is also incredibly far from my budget so volunteering was definitely the way to go. As a volunteer, I worked at seven shows selling merchandise before and after the performance. It was a big time commitment and happened to fall on the same week that a number of substantial essays were due but it was well worth the experience. Aside from having the privilege of attending the show twice (I could have gone to all seven of them and I still would not have been able to see everything), I am also now able to: dictate from memory the price of about twenty different products, simultaneously explain what each product is and operate a rather finicky cash register, hum (and dance a bit) to the entire soundtrack of the show and laugh at jokes like its the first time I have heard them (no, the wine does not come with the wine sleeve, but I assure you you're the first person to kid about that). We ran out of programs the last night which caused quite the scene and involved sounding remarkably like an automated customer service hotline as I apologized profusely and offered "a refund or a copy of this year's calendar" to several hundred disappointed attendees. Side note: if the phrase "I know this isn't your fault but..." has ever come out of your mouth, do your absolute best to ensure it never does again. All in all, it was a rather enjoyable experience; I got to meet many interesting people, work with a fun group of volunteers, and benefitted from a free T-shirt, multiple show tickets and was surprised with a copy of the 25th anniversary commemorative book. All the volunteers also received tickets to the after-party following the final performance. It was a Sunday night and we all had plenty of schoolwork that had been ignored as a consequence of the show but, operating under the assumption that there would be appetizers, we figured it was a good way to avoid cooking dinner. Our shameless plan was to slip in, grab a bite to eat and slip out.
Reality was a bit different. The party was in the show room of a local brewery, had a full buffet complete with dinner, dessert and drinks, a live band and plenty of dancing. We were hilariously out of place, surrounded by professional dancers and models whom, aware that the party was glitter themed, had gone all out on outfits (bordering on costumes). It was one of few times in my life that I have felt painfully short and I was immensely glad that I had decided at the last minute not to wear jeans. We embraced the awkwardness of being merchandise sellers and had a great time. Four hours later, we headed back to our flats to complete our neglected schoolwork.
World of Wearable Arts:
A week after arriving in Wellington I received an email from our study abroad coordinator letting us know about a volunteer opportunity for an international arts and fashion show that takes place in Wellington each year. Since arriving in New Zealand, I have learned that the best way to experience an event (and attend for free) is to volunteer at it. So I signed up and then immediately forgot about it for three months. I had absolutely no idea what I had gotten myself into. It is difficult to adequately explain the World of Wearable Arts show (WoW). It is part fashion show, part art exhibit, part circus, part dance and theatre performance. Honestly, you should probably just google it. Here, I'll even do it for you: http://worldofwearableart.com/about/
The show is utterly surreal and words cannot do it justice. It is also incredibly far from my budget so volunteering was definitely the way to go. As a volunteer, I worked at seven shows selling merchandise before and after the performance. It was a big time commitment and happened to fall on the same week that a number of substantial essays were due but it was well worth the experience. Aside from having the privilege of attending the show twice (I could have gone to all seven of them and I still would not have been able to see everything), I am also now able to: dictate from memory the price of about twenty different products, simultaneously explain what each product is and operate a rather finicky cash register, hum (and dance a bit) to the entire soundtrack of the show and laugh at jokes like its the first time I have heard them (no, the wine does not come with the wine sleeve, but I assure you you're the first person to kid about that). We ran out of programs the last night which caused quite the scene and involved sounding remarkably like an automated customer service hotline as I apologized profusely and offered "a refund or a copy of this year's calendar" to several hundred disappointed attendees. Side note: if the phrase "I know this isn't your fault but..." has ever come out of your mouth, do your absolute best to ensure it never does again. All in all, it was a rather enjoyable experience; I got to meet many interesting people, work with a fun group of volunteers, and benefitted from a free T-shirt, multiple show tickets and was surprised with a copy of the 25th anniversary commemorative book. All the volunteers also received tickets to the after-party following the final performance. It was a Sunday night and we all had plenty of schoolwork that had been ignored as a consequence of the show but, operating under the assumption that there would be appetizers, we figured it was a good way to avoid cooking dinner. Our shameless plan was to slip in, grab a bite to eat and slip out. 
Mount Hector
I had a Sunday free between WoW shows and went with a group up to the Tararua mountain range to climb Mount Hector. Technically speaking, I don't think the climb is considered a day-hike but I went with a group that appears determined to create their own definition of the term (I have found my people!), so a day-hike it was.
Mount Hector is the tallest peak in the Tararua range and the sight from the summit is supposed to be spectacular; with views across the Cook Straight to the South Island, a full panorama of Wellington, the valley, and the surrounding mountains. Supposed to would be the operative words in the previous sentence. As has become a theme of my time here, the weather was a wee bit uncooperative. For those of you who desire to experience a hike similar to my time on Mount Hector but find yourselves in the incorrect country, fear not! You too can experience the joy! Simply tape a piece of white paper to a baseball cap, jump on a stair climber for a few hours and hire someone to throw handfuls of shaved ice at your face. This is the most accurate description I can provide of my experience above the treeline.
Despite how it sounds, I actually had a great time. Something about knowing you get to go home after the hike as opposed to spending the night in a damp sleeping bag in the woods makes this kind of hiking far more enjoyable. We made it to the hut located about twenty minutes from the summit before determining it to be unsafe to continue, ate some lunch and headed back down. There was a fun experience where, for an hour and a half of the initial descent, I lost absolutely all feeling in my hands; far past the point of anything I had experienced before. Whatever happens about twelve steps past numb is, that is where my hands were. The weather cleared slightly on the descent and we were able to see a couple of the ridge lines we had climbed. Even with the distinct knowledge that there will be no view, and that the deafening wind against your desperately inadequate raincoat may create horrific sensory deprivation, there is something to be said for looking at a mountain and climbing it simply because you can.
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| The amazing view... |
Food:
At times- especially days where I have minimal interaction with other humans- it is easy to pretend that I'm back in the States. There are plenty of things similar between New Zealand and home which works to create an environment that is simultaneously disconcerting and comforting. One of the most distinctly different things between home and here however, (aside of course from the accents, metric system, and near death experiences involving left side of the road driving) becomes apparent whenever one walks into a grocery store, coffee shop or restaurant. Differences in food is something I was not really expecting to experience during my time in New Zealand but while much of the food consumed is the same, the names used to describe these foods are often confusing enough to make me think a different language is being spoken. Corgettes are zucchini, capsicum are peppers, a kumara is a sweat potato, pies are almost always savory (and not in the pot-pie way), a "lasagna bite" is eaten with your hands and is somehow deep fried, all candies are called lollies regardless of whether they have a stick to hold on to during consumption, marshmallow candies resembling the old American 'circus peanut' candy are abundant and often covered inexplicably in chocolate, jam is jelly and jello is jam, and, most importantly, cookies are called biscuits...unless they're called cookies. The last one is where the problem lies. I have been either a part of or witness to an embarrassingly large number of discussions regarding exactly what a biscuit is- sweet cookie or savory scone like bread consumed primarily in the south with gravy. We determined that there is no equivalent to an American biscuit here in New Zealand and learned that for some reason, we all took great offense to having them be brushed off as strange scones. The only solution, it seemed, was to have a biscuits and gravy breakfast. It only occurred to us (me and the four other Americans involved) that not one of us had ever actually made biscuits and gravy, on the day of the meal. All worked out just fine though and it was the perfect excuse not to study on a lazy Saturday. I'm proud to report that nothing was ruined or burned and the greatest catastrophe of the entire event was that I forgot to stock up on milk for tea. In other exciting food news, I discovered my flat has a waffle maker that produces penguin shaped waffles (penguin waffle nights are now a thing); I forgot about the chicken I was cooking, for three or four hours and learned that, if left long enough, lemon and onions will basically turn into charcoal; and I ate my first ever kindersurprise. The kindersurprise is one of those things you don't know you need until you have had it. Why all chocolate does not come with a toy is now utterly beyond me.
Rock climbing
On sunday I headed up to Titahi bay with the Tramping club for some rock climbing right on the coast. The extent of my climbing experience is one or two preteen birthday parties, an afternoon last year with a few friends after class and hours of belaying fifth and sixth graders in high school- all of which took place in a gym, free from wind, dirt and rocks that can slice open your fingers. I have scrambled up my fair share of rocks during hikes in the last few months but none of that involved climbing much higher than ten feet. 
Finals and my mommy and traveling:
That more or less catches us up to today. As of two hours ago, I am officially done with my first semester of junior year! "Finals week" in New Zealand is actually "finals month", stretching from late october to mid November. However, I ended up with a truly amazing schedule that involved taking all final exams this week. While this meant that I suffered through finals week in my own private bubble of stress, it also means I have exactly one month before heading back to the states entirely free of school, work or mandatory swim practices. We have entered the stage of 'study abroad' that really is just 'abroad.' From my two hours worth of experience, I would like to say that I am rather enjoying this turn of events.
What will I do to celebrate my newfound freedom you ask?
Answer: Dishes, vacuuming and putting away laundry... because my mom will be here in less than 24 hours!!!!!! You guys, the level of joy I am currently experiencing is pretty ridiculously high. As amazing as my time here has been, there is also a decent amount of homesick and the prospect of getting a hug from home is almost enough to make me just camp out at the airport over night. She will be here in Wellington until Monday, at which point we will leave together for Australia! I cannot contain the excitement, it is actually a problem.
Now here comes the really crazy bit, and trust me, I'm still not convinced it is actually happening: a very good friend of mine from Wooster had moved to China and invited me to visit. Because the majority of my friends here are in finals, because I don't know if or when again in my life I will have a chance to travel free of most all responsibilities, and because it means I get to spend time with a friend whom I wasn't sure I would see again for a very long time: I will be flying from Australia to Beijing in about two weeks! In case the last two paragraphs had not clued you in: I. AM. FREAKING. OUT. Long story short: I probably won't have any updates on life for a while but I'm sure I'll have some pictures to share when I get back.
