Well, I’m working on my fourth month here. This is the month I had some apprehension about before leaving to NZ, since people say it is around this time that you get that old culture shock. Well, thankfully I feel and have felt at peace, and don’t anticipate that it will change. The main culture shock I recall was in the first couple of weeks where all the differences were really prevalent, and I knew I was definitely not home and wouldn’t be for a long time! But after, all the differences seemed to blend and fade and I just feel like this is home. I have to admit, since Auckland is a big city, and quite a mixing-pot in itself, there’s a lot of similarities to California. There are periods where I reminisce back to California memories more often, but not with heartache, just a smile. I’m grateful for this since I know that this is definitely not the case for other student’s on my program. It seems the Lord quite prepared my heart to be here and is blessing it every moment of the way (that’s just like Him, eh?), though I reckon I don’t know what is yet to come. Either way, I love you all and am praying for you.

So what did April bring?! Fun times, baby!! What you must realize about the New Zealand semester, is that you have six weeks of study, then a two-week mid-semester break, correlated with Easter, then another six weeks of study, then three weeks of finals! The midsemester break landed in April.

So I tell you April in stories:

EASTER WEEKEND: Practically all of New Zealand gets four days off for Easter: Good Friday- Easter Monday. This gave us a short week at Uni, and Thursday night I was all jazzed to go to the bakery and supermarket in the morning and prepare for some good meals for the weekend. So I wake up and Diane tells me, “There’s only two days of the year where the whole country shuts down, Good Friday and Christmas. So the supermarkets won’t be open.” *L* The best laid plans of mice and men… I run up the road and find that one of the bakery’s is open, regardless, selling LOADS of hot cross buns. The rest of the weekend I remember loving the fact that I could walk across any of the busiest streets in town and not be afraid of being hit by a car since barely anyone was out!! How neat to see how seriously they take this holiday!! I spent a lot of the weekend reflecting and enjoying fellowship. Friday I went to an all-day outing/picnic with Diane’s church. Sunday, I treated myself to a breakfast of manufactured crumpets and maple syrup made out of honey and vanilla extract. Sarah and I went to church together and afterward, we were driving to my flat to have an Easter celebration with Diane. However, my car got a FLAT on the way home right in front of Uni. Another *L.* Thankfully I caught it early and even thought I didn’t want to be anywhere near Uni at this time, it was nice that nobody was out on the roads. So we called AA (equivalent to AAA) and got it fixed. What a wonderful afternoon the three of us had afterward! Just chatting and eating- took a walk in Cornwall Park, and then saw the musical at our church. Monday was the second sit-down meal with my flatmates, Diane, Craig, and Cliff. Finally heard all about Cliff and Diane’s past. Really interesting to hear, as they are both immigrants- their reasons and all but this would take forever to tell.

The trip: I picked up Sarah on Wednesday at noon, and we left for a week long trip. It was SO much fun, with such good company. Go to my photo album to read all about it.

Since I came back from the trip, I’ve been working hard core on assignments and studying for tests. The pace is so up/down, which is challenging, but I’m learning to time-manage better!

Side notes:
FRIENDS: Yesterday I was thinking about loneliness, and that I hadn’t had that feeling in a long time… good, eh? The trip with all those people gave me some nice connections, and I’m really enjoying getting to know my flatmates more, even if it’s little by little. Every night, Diane and I pull out our “Boundaries before Marriage” book, the equivalent of “Boundaries in Dating” in the US, and I read her a chapter, and we discuss. Last night we saw the Passion together (my second time!) and had coffee at McCafe (do they have those in the US? associated with McDonald’s) afterward to chat about it. Nice! It’s also an upper when I receive emails and notes from y’all. ;o)

CHOIR is a blast- we had two performances last Sunday at rest homes, where they just got a kick out of us. Some of our numbers have movement which makes for an entertaining showcase. Plus the songs, like “Mack the Knife,” “I Love a Piano,” and Broadway compilations are songs these audiences know. One of my favorite parts of singing with New Zealanders is doing it with an accent. It’s no longer ‘that part of my heart,’ rather ‘that pa-ht of my ha-ht,’ in the best manner I can describe it. Currently I am choreographing the ABBA medley that we are rehearsing.

ASTRONOMY is fine as well- I’m loving getting to know co-volunteers and sharing astronomy at the observatory. On my trip I saw some of the darkest night skies I’ve seen in NZ. The horizon to horizon kind…

(an add-in on Monday, May 10, 2004):
… and along with astronomy, might I add that yay!, dun…dun…dun…, on Saturday night I just got offered a part-time job at the observatory as a presenter!!! They said I could be trained in less than a month. I will work two nights a week for about four hours each night. Visions being fulfilled… such a blessing.

Take care!
Michelle