Here are some random pictures that I uploaded from friends or didn't know what post to include them in, so I'm making this post for them! Life here is great and can I just say....I LOVE TEACHING!!!
Yesterday was Sunday, since I am a day ahead over here in NZ, and I was lucky enough to be asked to give a talk. Actually I should say that me, Margo, Brittany, and Ramona's husband--Chris, were lucky enough to be called to speak. It went well, I think. The funniest topic was given to me, which was "preparing to enter into the temple". Brittany was asked to speak on "individual worth" and Margo's was on "positive attitudes or being happy". Me and Margo ended up talking WAY too long and so they passed a note to Chris during my talk, to tell him there wasn't going to be enough time for him to speak. It was mostly my fault because I found a good talk online for my topic, that had multiple good points to bring up, and I was writing it so late that I never timed it. I felt bad that we went over on Chris's time. Sorry Chris.
It was weird preparing a talk with no printer though. I had to write all my quotes and thoughts down (which took a lot longer than being able to type them) but it was good to help me prepare for it and I was able to give my talk just the same :)
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One of the girls in my group captured a picture of me
doing the Hongi at the Powhiri Ceremony! The girls
in my group laugh at me in this picture because I
am as tall as this little elementary student. |
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There are fruit buckets that are brought around to each
room in the school every day. Each day it is a different
fruit and there are enough for everyone in the class.
Today was apple day :)! |
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| My nightly stretching haha. I think this picture looks hilarious! |
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| Playing Knuckle Bones with the kids. |
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| They are so good. I need to work on getting better at this game. |
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| Love these girls :) |
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| LOVE our group!! Such amazing people. |
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We watched the kids while Nisha and Phil went out
on a hot date. Look at how cute they look all dressed
up!! Nisha is due any time now! So exciting :) |
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My new addiction. Peanut butter (and also dipping pretzels into it). This
is like my subsitute for chips and queso. I think I like it so much because
both of these two things taste the closest to food back home! |
A sad experience happened the other day. In the Island cultures is it disrespectful to eat your food while walking around. You should be sitting down when you eat your food, it is just part of the culture. Well....right before lunch one day, I was put incharge of the class when Mrs. Tararo left suddenly. Because she left so quick, I did not know what she wanted me to do, and the kids kept telling me it was time for them to eat their lunches. After hearing the bell ring (meaning that the 10 mins of silence for eating lunch was over, and it was now play time), I decided I better hurry and let them eat quick so they could go out and play.
Naturally I took out my sandwich, walked to the front of the room, and told them they could start eating before they went to play. As I was standing in the front, I was walking around eating my sandwich keeping an eye on all of my class. Of course the kids did what the teacher (myself) was doing. They were walking, jumping, and playing together as they ate their food. Then Mrs. Tararo came in and BOY WHERE THEY IN TROUBLE. She came in yelling, "why are you walking around and playing as you eat your food? You do not walk and eat your food at the same time...."
I stood there frozen, with my sandwich in my hand and a big bite in my mouth, freaking out because I had TOTALLY forgotten about that rule. Mrs. Tararo continued to give her class a big lecture, made them sit there while she yelled at them, and excused me to go to lunch. I could see all the kids eyes looking at me, wanting to point to say "but the teacher did it!", as I left the room. I felt so so so so so bad. Agh. I can't believe I did that! I totally forgot!!!
Note to self.
*don't walk while eating
Oh and also.....don't sit on the table or desks (This is also another part of the culture here. It is very disrespectful to sit on the tables because that is where food goes.)
Another thing. There are also many children that go without lunches every day in my class. One boy in particular I have noticed has not brought a lunch once to school in the weeks I have been here. He always takes the fruit that is brought into the classes each day, and that's what he eats. Of all the boys in the class he is probably one of the skinniest. It kills me to see the heaps of food that I bring to eat for lunch, and yet he's just eating a pear or an apple each day. So the other day I gave him my pretzels. But then the whole class wanted the "treats" that they thought I was handing out, and that sweet boy gave them most of those pretzels that I gave him.
The other day Mrs. Tararo had the class raise their hand "to see if they only sometimes bring a lunch to school", and about half of the class raised their hands (including that boy). She then told me that a lot of them never bring lunches. I want to bring enough food for every kid in my class each day; I feel way too spoiled growing up with so much food.
