Day 9

So today was my first day of university (“uni” as the locals call it). It was pretty good! My first class, Physics of the Atmosphere and Ocean, was at 11, and I can tell it’s going to be a really tough class. I purchased another book for it today, all about Elementary Climate Physics. I also learned that I have a field trip for that class, where I’m pretty sure we will be going to the University of Auckland Physics Field Station. After that I had Coastal and Marine Geography, which I’m really looking forward to. It’s a class about how beaches form, and the different types of beaches, etc. This class has two field trips, which cover five beaches on the west and east coast of the Auckland region. Can’t wait to get out and see more of the coastline! The two days for that field trip is next weekend, so March 12 and 13 I think.

I also signed up for the Auckland University Underwater Club, which is basically the scuba club. I’m SO excited to go on their trips. The first club meeting is this Wednesday, which I’m also really looking forward to. They advertised by having a boat on the sidewalk to attract people’s attention. There were also tons of other clubs and sponsors, so I joined the Auckland University Student’s Association and got a free planner, some candy, a small calculator, and more of those reusable bags. Places here sure love to give away reusable bags, like the ones you can buy at Stop and Shop. Other clubs had activities such as stack as many binders as you can or put on a sumo wrestling suit and wrestle a friend. If I had more time I would have absolutely have done that, but I had to run to class. I also got to try Pineapple Lumps today, which are like chewy pineapple flavored candies covered in chocolate. The Kiwis assured me that they are a very New Zealand thing to eat, and I might say they are very different from any other candy I’ve ever had.

Then I came back to the dorm for delicious fish and chips, which the Kiwis think that they invented. I’m pretty sure that every nation thinks they invented fish and chips. It wasn’t as good as home, but it’ll do! After lunch I relaxed a little bit and then had my Marine Ecology course. It was funny because about ten minutes into class the computer and projector screen turned off so the professor couldn’t give a lecture, and then right after that the lights in the room turned off, so we all just packed up and left. So much for learning today! This course has a two-day field trip up to the Leigh Marine Lab, which is about an hour and a half north of Auckland, and we will be staying there overnight.

After dinner a bunch of us went to the game room to play a few games of ping pong and foosball. Some funny Kiwis thought they could fool me by telling me about this great card game called “Pickup 52” but I know that’s where you just throw all the cards up in the air and pick them back up! I’ve also started a list of places that people from International House are from: Massachusetts, California, Vietnam, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico, Canada, Virginia, Ohio, Dubai, India, Iran, and Russia. I’ll add more as I meet more people! I’d say other than New Zealanders, most of the students here at International House are American.

It’s still early here so I’m going to start reading my physics book then off to bed!!