post/update!

well, it's been a while since i've updated everybody, so here it goes.

Some highlights of the past week and a half-ish:
                . went to AFS exchange student camp
                . joined the barbershop quartet at school
                . went to an awesome free concert at Auckland Uni  

i think i'll start with last weekend.

Last weekend was AFS exchange student camp with all the kids from around the world staying in the greater Auckland area and Northland. About 40 kids in total, and i was the only American, and probably the only kid that new just one language well. But it was some of the most fun i've had since i've arrived in NZ, and making friends from around the world was pretty cool in itself.
The weekend began with the arrival of all the exchange students on Friday night at this camp about 2 hours outside Auckland. At first, it was kind of weird, i didn't really know anyone except the few people from my West Auckland chapter, and it seemed as if everybody, except me, knew someone else that was there. But soon enough i felt as if i knew everybody there personally. In just a matter of hours i felt as if i had known all these kids from around the world (mostly Scandanavia and Argentina) for my whole life.
Unfortunately, it rained most of the weekend there, and it was boring at times with the repetitive orientation stuff that i had already heard about a dozen times. However, that hardly stopped anyone from having fun on the huge waterslide in built on this steep hill, or from hanging out, pretty much all night, and talking, jamming and doing fun stuff, etc.

But, the weekend had to end, and as we all said goodbye to each other and left, each of us had made more friends in NZ, and that seemed really cool.

Then the school week began. Fairly event-less as far as a school week goes, maybe that's just because by now i've adjusted to school here. However, Friday was a teacher work day and Thursday was what is known as a Mufti day, a day in which everyone is allowed to wear normal clothes instead of the heart-clenching uniform.
But Thursday the fire alarms also went off at school (so exciting, right!) and that was just sort of a  bummer because it went of during lunch, and pretty much wasted our entire lunch time with our lunches locked in the classrooms.
But school is all good, still boring, but that's school anywhere. I got to say though, the best part about school is the Year 9's. The equivalent of 8th graders in the states, they are pretty funny little people. They're mostly overweight, short and think they can take anybody in a fight, and always fight at lunch. They scream at each other and at other people - "EY BRO i'm a gonna smash you afta schoo" and then just end up taking off their shirts and fighting (or slapping) each other on the field during lunch. It's pretty entertaining and can get super funny sometimes.

But strangely this week I felt a lingering homesickness that stayed with me throughout the week, that is until Thursday. Mostly I just missed my dog, which may sound pathetic and weird and stupid, but i totally missed my dog.
But Thursday soon came and I, along with my friend Nick headed to Sounds in the Sun, a free concert at Auckland Uni. Upon reaching Uni, we met up with my friend (who i met at AFS camp and who went AFS last year) Anton. He goes to Uni and we all hung out with his friends and jammed out for like 4 hours to a bunch of Kiwi headline bands like Katchafire, Black Seeds, Mt. Eden Dudstep.

it was the most fun ever! Just a few hours in the sun listening to music and hanging out with friends.
The coolest part though, was running into my exchange student friends there totally unplanned. I was dancing in the center of the crowd and totally just ran into about 10 kids i had just been with the last weekend! it was so cool , and that whole afternoon/night was really fun.

well, that feels like enough for this post, and i'm going to start posting more consistently, like weekly (at least i'll try.)
But i gotta say, NZ is just getting better and better and i'm really learning a lot about this culture and about myself as i move along.
I've been here about 2 months and have another 4 to go, but i'm starting to find this place as home now. I feel as a fixture here almost. I have my friends, my home and my life here. I love it, i don't really know how to explain it, but it's awesome.

I don't know how to post pictures on this blog, but i'll figure it out.