Spring Break!Aug 26, 2005
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| Well, I guess I should fill you all in about what's been going on in the last few weeks... I did start my internship at RMS. It's cool! I've been reading mostly, for my research project, but there have been some days that I have actually 'worked'. The first day I was there, I spent 3 hours at a seminar for cross-cultural workers. I got to meet the Auckland cross-cultural workers and we had some fun with drawing stick figures. (We had to get into groups and draw out what 'culture' meant.) I've met a lot of people who are resettled refugees, and they are all so nice. It's awesome to be able to work with people from so many backgrounds. This week, it's been pretty quiet around there, though, because the group of refugees just left last week. They stay at the Refugee Reception Centre for a six-week orientation program before they are moved into their new homes throughout the country. Today, I helped to get ready for the new group, which will start arriving next week. We made 'friendship bags' with pens, paper, cups, sweaters (or 'jumpers' as they're called here) for the women, sweatshirts (or 'tracksuits') for the men, hats, and socks. This helps when they arrive, especially for those who have lost a lot and will arrive without many possessions from their countries of asylum. But, today was my last day for a few weeks, which means I have officially started my spring break! Here, spring break is TWO weeks long! On Sunday, we're flying out...we have a week-long 'required field trip' to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. Everyone is so excited! For the second week, my mommy is coming! We're going to ride a train through the North Island from Auckland to Wellington. I think it actually goes through the area where part of the Lord of the Rings was filmed - the parts with the volcanoes, anyway. We're going to stay there for a night and then fly down to Dunedin the south of the South Island. We're staying for a few nights at Larnach Lodge on the grounds of Larnach Castle...New Zealand's only castle. How awesome is that? Kind of expensive, though. After that we're going to fly back to Auckland and spend a few days here before she has to go back. Maybe I'll take some pictures and actually get them developed... :) |
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