CU Abroad – Alison Keggan

It is hard to believe that four months have gone by already.  It seems like just yesterday that I was sitting in the Newark airport holding back tears scared of what lie ahead of me.  It is now time to adjust back to life in the United States.    However, this past week has left me with many happy memories of the country.

Wednesday morning was my last final and one of the better finals that I took. Needless to say, I was pretty ecstatic to be done!  Wednesday and Thursday were spent packing my stuff and cleaning my room and afternoon everyone was done with finals on Thursday, we danced the night away, excited to be done. 

Not wanting to spend my last few days in Palmerston North, Friday morning, my friend Maria and I turned in our dorm room keys and were headed to Maria’s house in Wanganui.  Our hour drive brought us through the country side of New Zealand into the quaint river town.  The first stop was at a small cafe for a lunch of potato wedges.  We then went to the Wanganui museum, following which we stopped to buy bread at the New World supermarket to feed the ducks at Victoria Lake.  Getting out of the car, literally hundreds of ducks came running at us to get the bread we were holding.  We walked around the lake and then went to the winter gardens and the bird aviary.  Our next stop was to a hockey game between two of the local high schools.  It was then home to Maria’s house for a very Kiwi dinner of fish and chips.  We spent the night playing one of my favourite games: Monopoly.  Even more exciting was that the game was the New Zealand version and Lambton Quay was the highest price property, not Park place. 

Saturday morning, I awoke early, a bit nervous about the nearly 26 hours of travel time I had ahead of me.  My first flight was not until nearly 2 pm, so Maria and I went to her younger sister’s net ball game.  As the time neared 11 o’clock, it was time for us to get heading to the airport for my short flight to Auckland.  Saying goodbye was sad, not knowing when I will see Maria again.  Thus, I have enjoyed my time in New Zealand- make sure to read my next blog about the lessons New Zealand has taught me. 

At the end of every university semester comes the inevitable: finals. And, being abroad, doesn’t relieve me of them. I have four finals: History of New Zealand, Organisations and Management, Supply Chain Management, and Agricultural Policy and Law. Ironically, this is actually the most finals I have ever taken in a semester. Up to this point in my college career, I have had three or fewer every semester (and that has even been with having a 19 credit semester last fall!).

This semester’s finals though, are different. First off, they count for a huge percengtage of grade: 60%. I will admit, that makes me nervous to think that three hours can practically determine my grade for an entire semester! Also, these are the first and only tests I have had in my papers (classes are called papers in New Zealand). Now, I know that sounds nice not having tests throughout the semester, and indeed it has been, but it is also nerve racking not knowing exactly what to expect. From what I have gathered, though, all my exams will be completely essay based. That’s going to be one sore right hand after three hours of writing!

Campus Living, the group that is in charge of housing at Massey held a fun afternoon for international students to experience any last bits of Kiwi culture that they may have missed out on. The afternoon included sausages on bread, feijoas, kiwi fruit, marmite, and other foods to taste. It also included a “cow” milking contest, since New Zealand has a large dairy industry. For entertainment, everyone could partake in a Maori dance style called poi. My favourite though, was the Pavlova eating contest, which I shamelessly “competed” in! Pavlova is a very New Zealand food similar to meringue and very delicious. If interested in experiencing a tasty New Zealand treat, here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

> 3 Egg whites

> 1 teaspoon vinegar

> 3 tablespoons cold water

> 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

> 1 cup castor sugar (made by putting granulated sugar in a blender or food chopper)

> 3 teaspoons corn flour

Beat egg whites until stiff, add cold water and beat again. Add castor sugar very gradually while still beating. Slow beater and add vinegar, vanilla, and corn flour. Place on a greased tray and bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes, then leave to cool in the oven.

When ready to serve, cover top with whipped cream and slices of kiwi fruit.

This past Friday was the very well-rejoiced last day of classes for most students at Massey.  With a few days over three weeks left in New Zealand, this weekend was absolutely the perfect time to head out of Palmerston North to explore more of the country before I leave.  This weekend’s destination was Rotorua.  Sulphur City, as one guide book calls the place, features natural hot springs, bubbling mud, and a looming smell of Sulphur. 

Saturday morning, three of my friends and I caught the bus to Rotorua.  Being excited to visit Rotorua, the five hour bus ride seemed to go rather fast.  It soon became obvious when we arrived in Rotorua: we could smell the sulphur in the air.  After we got off the bus, we checked into our hostel, sorted out some room issues, and then headed out to explore the town.  We had a quick dinner at the Pig and Whistle restaurant and then relaxed for the night at the Polynesian Spa.  At the Polynesian Spa, we soaked in various hot tubs containing the mineral water of the area.  My favourite pool contained green water and reminded me of swimming in Hi-C or some type of tropical drink! Tired from the day, it was soon off to bed. 

The next morning, we awoke, excited to be going Zorbing!  What is zorbing?  Zorbing, honestly, reminds me of a human size hamster ball.  One or more people sit inside a large plastic ball and then go rolling down a hill.  Normally, there are two zorbing options: dry, in which you are in a harness inside the ball, or wet, in which you sit in several gallons of water.  After having a quick breakfast, we caught the bus out to the Zorbing location.  When it was finally our turn to go zorbing, our first trip down the hill featured three of us in the ball going straight down the hill.  I will admit, I was a bit nervous once we were in the ball together, however, it was such a fun thing to do.  I laughed so hard, my cheeks were quivering when I got to the bottom of the hill. The second time I went, I came down a zig-zag course.  If ever in New Zealand on the North Island, I would recommend almost anyone go Zorbing.  Not only were the people there great, it was one fun time! 

Sunday also included taking a gondola ride and going luging, which were also very exciting.  Having enough adveneture for the day, we were ready to head back into town and get ready for dinner.  Seven of us went to a cafe called the Fat Dog.  Together, we represented six countries: Norway, Sweden, Germany, Australia, England, and America.  Talk about a cultural experience! 

Monday was our last day in Rotorua and also the Queen’s Birthday, a holiday celebrated in New Zealand on June first every year.  We spent our morning exploring some shops and then walked out to the Rotorua Museum.  We decided not to tour the museum and instead walked around Lake Rotorua.  Time was quickly dwindling and before we knew it, it was time to board the bus back to Palmertson North.  Rotorua was truly an amazing place to visit and a great end of the semester trip.  I am now ready to begin studying for my finals!