Fa'a Samoa

Our week at Safua Hotel on the island of Savaii is one most of us will never forget. We spent our time there learning about Samoan culture, and discovering the rest of the island via natural and cultural history tours with Warren Jopling, a wonderful Australian geologist who has been living in Samoa for over 25 years.

Some of these trips included lava fields from an early 1900’s volcanic eruption, and a village that was covered in lava during that same eruption. We visited a rain forest where Samoan flying foxes can still be found. One day included a visit to a waterfall and freshwater river, while another included stops by lava-formed blowholes, and the new market in Salelologa, built with Japanese development aid.

Thursday we spent the entire day at Safua Hotel learning about Samoan culture. Many of us were able to try our hand at basket weaving, cocoa roasting, coconut husking, and tapa making.

Ashley's Samoan Birthday

Photo courtesy of Ben Hepler, (Messiah '12)
Most of us usually spend our birthday at home or going out with friends. Ashley (Messiah ‘13) however, spent her birthday at the abundantly hospitable and genuinely Samoan, Safua Hotel (which was included in Patricia Schultz’s, 1,000 Places to See Before You Die). At dinner, the staff at Safua treated Ashley by making her a throne and crown, both made of coconut leaves. The Safua staff sang and danced with Ashley as a way to celebrate her 21st birthday. And if that wasn’t generous enough, the Safua staff presented Ashley with a stylish lavalava. Of course, no birthday would be complete without a cake to share with all your friends. Before the post-dinner dance party erupted, Jess (SLC) read Ashley a poem that the CCSP family each contributed to. Writing only one or two lines, each member of the community put love and laughter into the poem. Below are just a few excerpts.
“You may be picky with your food, but you always maintain a good ‘tude.”
“I am often frightened by your sass, but you have the finest…hair.”
“Your toenails are purple and your eyes are blue. CCSP wouldn’t be complete without you.”

Samoan Psalms

Allie’s Group
I look up to the coconut trees.
Where does my food and shelter come from?
It comes from the Lord, the maker of the tree of life.

He will not let you slip or stumble
While you are climbing the coconut tree.
He who watches over your fale at night
Will not slumber or sleep.

Indeed, He who watches over Samoa
Will not leave the front step.

The Lord watches over you always.
He is like your family and your land
Have been the same for generations.

The tsunami will not wipe your family
Nor the cyclone destroy your fale.

The Lord will keep you and your family
From all harm and watch over your lives.

The Lord will watch over your coming and going
Whether New Zealand or Australia, both now and forever.

Courtnay’s Group – To the tune of Sweet Caroline
Sweet Savaii, beach fale
Feel the breeze that’s passing through
I stay reclined, Samoan cocoa
Put the fan down, eat with me.
So…we…can…

Go fishing with spears
And get a t-shirt tan line
Back in time to play Bingo

And when I hurt
Allie will ask if I drank water
I will say no, but lots of taro

Sand, in my hair, in my bed
Buggin ‘ me, buggin’ you

Sweet Savaii, coconut trees
Hear the palm fronds in the breeze
I’m so thankful, there are no roosters
Can I please get an Amen?
Amen! Amen! Amen!

Sam/Emma’s Group – To the tune of Ice Ice Baby
H-O-S-P-I-T-A-L-I-T-Y
Do you know what that means?
Hospitality
We got our own matai, sippin’ coconuts, beach fale, ocean view
Thank yous, not enough – fa’afetai.
REMIX
Men assigned to sit outside while we lie
Keepin’ protection.
SAVAII
Fannin’ while we eat, fan clubs on the street, walkin’ in Jesus’ feet
SAVAII
Heat, heat baby. Heat, heat baby.
Alright, stop! Collaborate and listen
Samoa is teachin’ a brand way of livin’
Children, grab a hold of me tightly,
Takin’ care of us daily and nightly.
Will it ever stop yo, I don’t know
Takin’ Samoa with us wherever we go.

Tyler’s Group
I would rather visit beautiful Savaii, than get woken up by a rooster.
I would rather drink cocoa Samoa for every meal than get woken up by that rooster in the middle of the night.
I would rather have my lips numbed from kava than have my ears numbed by that dumb rooster crow.
I would rather grind coconuts for a week than have my ears grinded by that malicious rooster.
I would rather lose Perry’s passport a thousand times than lose my mind from that awful and ugly, stupid rooster.
I would rather get kicked in the coconuts by Ete than have to listen to that pure evil sack of feathers they call a rooster.
I would rather do a commando handstand in a lavalava at an ava ceremony than go through the agonizing, hellish squawks that blast out of that rooster’s dumb face.
I would rather plug my ears with cone snails than have that spawn of Satan rooster-beast lick me in the ears with its large talons.
I would rather get a colonoscopy with fire coral than listen to that fire breathing death monster that smells like death, called rooster.
I would rather slip on a mini banana peel, get dragged away by my ears through the lava fields by feral pigs, chased back to my fale by a mob of children, get run over by Tao’s bus while getting swarmed by mosquitoes on my sunburned eyelids, all the while Warren gives me a sound verbal thrashing by calling me a “young fool” and on top of that…
On second thought, I would rather get woken by a rooster if it means I can stay in Samoa.

Jess’ Group - Also to the tune of Sweet Caroline
Before we arrived
That sign just kept swinging
So did the plane that we were on.
Sitting on the plane,
Hearts filled with expectation
Bellies were filled but then were not.

Sun, burning skin
Sweating hard, can’t get cool,
Need to swim

Ohh sweet Samoa (ba ba ba)
Ocean’s never seemed so blue (so blue)
We’re falling in love
With the people and the view
But now there’s…

Millions of kids
Hanging off all my limbs,
Wish I had more to hug them with.
Coconut milk,
Well, coconut everything,
Baskets and fales, canoes and ropes.

Fans, shooing flies
Bringing tears to our eyes
With their love.

Ohh sweet Samoa
People never seemed so kind
I’ve been inclined
To just skip the flight back home
Oh le’ai, le’ai.

Courtnay and the Chocolate Factory

Anyone who knows our beloved Program Director, Courtnay, knows that she loves chocolate. Actually, “loves” might even be an understatement. So, what could be more perfect for a birthday celebration than to get a Golden Ticket to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory? We had so little to see and so much time! Wait. Strike that… reverse it…

As we gathered at the gates in front of the Convent… erm, chocolate factory… Courtnay was joined by a hodgepodge of characters from the 1971 movie, including all four bedridden grandparents (Perry Isley, Messiah '13; Chloe Sellers, Westmont '13; Rebecca Penner, Bethel '12; Tyler, Student Life Coordinator), Augustus Gloop (Ben Hepler, Messiah '13), Violet Beauregard (Lauren Lorentz, Bethel '12; Karleigh Vroman, Westmont '13; Samantha, Kitchen Assistant), Veruca Salt (Caitlin Crowley, Bethel '11: Emma, Kitchen Manager), Mike TeeVee (Allie Oberholtzer, Eastern '11), Slugworth the recipe stealer (Kendra Wise, Biola '12), some oompa loompas (Kayla Jones, Biola '12; Erica Lieuwen, Dordt '12; Ashley Sensenich, Messiah '13; Jada Vance, Messiah '13), Charlie’s mother (Krista Stephens, Westmont '12), and even living lickable wallpaper (Hannah '13) and a shnozberry (Allie, Program Administrator)!

Willy Wonka (Jess, Student Life Coordinator) greeted the guests with a somersault and some lickable wallpaper that Emma and Sam made. Then the crew, led by Courtnay and Willy Wonka, filed into the beautiful candyland at the heart of the factory. Gumdrops and peppermints and marshmallow flowers decorated the backyard along with the ferryboat—Courtnay’s kayak—in a “chocolate river”. Even Agatha the concrete nun decided to dress up like an oompa loompa for the occasion.

We divided into teams at the behest of Willy Wonka and had to perform three separate tasks in order to prove our worth to win a Lifetime Supply of Chocolate. The first task was a messy affair as teams had to fish in a flower filled with cream to find chocolate fish. In the second task, teams had to consume various items dipped in the chocolate river without knowing what was what—an oompa loompa must have accidentally rerouted the garbage chute to the river because not only were there bananas, apples and marshmallows dipped in chocolate, but also carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms!

The third task required teams to perform a Tim Tam Slam in a step-by-step relay race! After a flurry of running, stirring, biting, sloppy slamming, and milo-chugging, Courtnay’s group came out first with chocolatey grins. We all celebrated with a large basket of chocolate treats for the birthday girl, a dolphin-shaped no-bake cake, and chocolate pudding. It was a day of great fun and although we nearly collapsed in sugar-comas after consuming so much sweet stuff. Happy Birthday Courtnay!

Sheep Shearing, Yarning, and Hooning about the Hills—Kiwi As!

During reading week the students had the opportunity to visit Kevin and Sandra Topp’s shear farm. Kev and Sandy are dear friends of CCSP whose 4,000 acre farm—named Totaranui—is nestled in the Kaikoura range in the Puhi-Puhi valley over the Jordan River. Similar to another place which lies across another Jordan River, the Topp’s farm is something of a Promised Land; green pastures spread up mountainsides and the peaks of some of the highest giants of the Seaward Kaikouras peer from between the hills.

After meeting Kev and Sandy Topp—two tough-as, sweet-as, and hospitable-as kiwis—Kevin gave the students a tour of the wool shed and an idea of what the wool industry and wool processing looks like from the shear-farmer’s perspective. Stewart the sheep—the former CCSP pet—had his second haircut that afternoon as Kev sat the somewhat bewildered Stewie at his feet and sheared him with an electric tool as the students watched. We then saw how more traditional shearing tools are used and witnessed the process of wool sorting and baling—Adam (Messiah, 13) and Ben (Messiah, 12) helped stomp down the bales of fluffy wool.

To our delight, Sandy and Kev had also herded a mum with two lambs into the woolshed and we were able to cuddle with them (though the lambs simply seemed to want to be back with their mum). Kev explained that shear farmers must remove the tails of lambs so that they don’t have trouble with flies and maggots, which can disease and kill sheep. We were a little afraid that he was going to pull out those super-sharp shears again but Kevin used a cool tool to put rubber bands around the tails of the two lambs: after a while, the tails will simply fall off without any blood circulation.

The rest of the tour involved a look at the chooks in the henhouse, saying hello to the sheepdogs and prized pet dogs, and being educated on Turkish cat breeds. After a spot of tea we piled in the vans and followed Sandy up the road to the cow pasture. “Now just imagine,” Sandy told us as we left the vans and walked through the pasture, “You’re driving six white horses in a gilded carriage and are about to visit your country cottage…”

Amongst blossom trees and snowdrops stood an old, dilapidated but intriguing turn-of-the-century house that belonged to a family from London who came to Kaikoura to escape the hubbub of the city. The small “estate” included a butler’s quarters and outside lavatory, now enmeshed by a network of tree branches. Students explored the rooms; Lauren (Bethel, 12) found intricate shards of glass while others discovered old woodstove and even faded and shriveling maps of New Zealand from the late 1800’s plastered on the walls and ceiling of the butler’s house. Kevin and Sandy discovered this place after purchasing the property and it was a pleasant surprise to both of them.

It was wonderful to visit our friends at Totaranui farm, as always, and we are sure to be back again sometime. Kev is even trying to convince Adam to be a shear farmer…

Homestay Weekend: Adam at the Topp's Farm

Adam Arditi (Messiah '13) writes;

“The Topp of the Pops”

Spending a weekend at a humble abode tucked away in the mountains in the Puhi Valley outside of the town of Kaikoura was quite nice to say the least. Kevin and Sandy Topp, two fireplugs with hearts of gold, or should I say wool, run a sheep and cattle farm covering 4000 acres, with more than 3,000 sheep on it!!! And get this. There are no buxom, young lads there on the farm to do the nitty-gritty, backbreaking work – its just Kev and Sandy and that’s the way they have being doing it for the past 23 years.

Having the privilege of being able to see how these two live away from busy town life was quite refreshing. We (Kayla and Ashley – two lovely female fellow CCSP students, and I) arrived at the Topp household in Sandy’s sky-blue compact SUV (equipped with mints and treats on the dash, and stocked with plenty of tissues to wipe away the winter nose drippies). And as soon as we were in the door, Kevin and Sandy did everything they could to make us feel welcome and a part of their home. There was always a kettle waiting incase we got the hankering for tea or Milo, and the pantry was densely packed with treats of all sorts: Tim-Tams and butterscotch suckers were my personal favourite. Throughout the whole weekend my sluggish body gleamed with complete satiation on the verge of food induced coma. Sandy Topp sure knows how to feed people, and just when you think the meal is over, magically; all the plates are full again! - Inviting you for seconds. This was so wonderful because at meal times everyone was able to have a laugh and enjoy the abundance of food that God had provided.

Food aside, what I liked best about my weekend at the Topps was that it was real. It was not an adventure, fantasy camp get-away; it was a humble weekend spent in the one place where time loves to be spent: a home. From walking with Sandy and listening to how her and Kevin met as young schoolies, to watching Rugby with Kevin, followed by simultaneous recliner naps haha, I enjoyed every minute of my stay. In the land of New Zealand, money can buy you a lot of adventure and wild times, but no matter where in the world, it cannot buy genuine love and care. That is what I was lucky enough to have experienced this past weekend. So my hat is off to the Topps and their ten dogs (TJ, Chrissy, Patience, Jara, Ant, Sky, Nell, Joe, Tess, and …) for the best weekend yet in New Zealand.

Much love and respect,

Adam Daniel Arditi

Homestay Weekend: Ben & Josh with Stephan and the Boys

Ben Hepler (Messiah, '12) writes:

I was extremely excited when I found out that my home stay host was an outdoor enthusiast. It didn’t bother me at all either that his wife would be away for the weekend, and Josh and I would be going to a house of four Kiwi “blokes” (ages 8, 11, 12 & over 30ish). I pictured us doing all sorts of manly activities, which wasn’t far from the truth. I also learned, however, that Kiwi brothers are the same as American brothers: they fight constantly, love practical jokes, and throw temper tantrums when they don’t get their own way. In other words, there was never a dull moment this weekend.

As far as activities go, I was not disappointed. Saturday, we went four-wheeling on the beach. I had never four-wheeled before, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget my first time. Being all guys, we had to also build a fire on the beach. As outdoorsman, you would think that we would do it by rubbing two sticks together. Wrong! Our host, Stephan, was smart enough to bring a can of highly flammable hairspray. Soon, we had a nice fire going, and we even saw a dolphin about 20 meters offshore. Later that day, we watched a junior league rugby match. It’s such an exciting game to watch, and Josh and I both hope to form a touch rugby team of CCSP students (hopefully we won’t be the laughing stock of Kaikoura!). My favorite single event of the weekend was when Steph spotted a rabbit in a field and began to chase after it in his truck. We were all cheering and laughing. It was great! (Don’t worry, the rabbit got away!).

After a great church service at New Life on Sunday, we had a great lunch of roast chicken. We also had a few more laughs as the boys had a few more arguments. I even got to fight the youngest. I think I won, but Josh thought it was disputable. The main event of the trip was a diving/spear-fishing excursion later in the day. Steph kept on telling us how cold it would be, but we really didn’t care. There are two things I made note of about the diving trip. First, that it was in fact freezing cold. Despite the fact that I was wearing a wet suit, I felt like I was swimming in a glass of ice. I literally could not stop shivering when I got out of the water. Second, it was amazing! It’s like a different world down there. The bull kelp made it seem like swimming in an underwater forest. Steph caught a pretty big crayfish, which he cooked for us later that evening. It was one of the best things I’ve ever tasted. Josh and I both cannot wait for our next dive (hopefully it will be warmer next time).

“I couldn’t have asked for a better home stay weekend experience.” That’s exactly what I told our host when he dropped us off Sunday night, and I meant it.

-Ben

Student Trip Weekend: Seaward Kaikoura Hiking

Allie Oberholtzer (Eastern '10) writes:

This past weekend we were all kicked out of the convent to explore New Zealand, needless to say it was one of the best weekends of my life. I will try to convey as much as possible here. Adam, Kooba, Josh, Ben, and myself headed out for a three day tramping trip through the Mt. Fyffe track.

Thursday
We are dropped off by a Tyler (one of our Student Life Coordinators), at the base of Mt. Fyffe. We climb up in the heat and arrive at the hut in the cold. The boys set up tents, hammocks, and tarps in an attempt to stay outside. Due to a mischievous possum and some very cold weather, Kooba and Adam found their ways back inside.

Friday
We wake up to watch the sunrise and get ready for the day. We pack our bags and begin the final ascent up Mt. Fyffe. The ground is covered in snow and the wind begins to pick up. By the time we reach the top the temp has dropped to 18 degree Fahrenheit and I suspect the wind was over 50 mph. We crawled across snow-covered ridges, clinging to anything we could get. We eventually made it to the top, but Josh and Ben discovered that our path down the other side was too dangerous. The mountain defeated us, so we must go down to the Valley. We descended the mountain, running into wild boar wallows and various pricker bushes. We climb through forests (where pigeons live in trees) and finally make it to the way to the Kowhai River (prononced ko-fye). From there we hike for another hour and a half until we reach the river crossing.

We faced our first river crossing just a few moments walk from our hut. The water was cold and fast, but with some help from friends we made it across safely.

Saturday
We were awakened by an earthquake rocking our hut. We sat up in bed, determined that it was an earthquake (not big foot), and Adam very calmly told us to go back to bed. The next morning we were off to climb to a waterfall we could see from our hut. Two of the boys (who will remain nameless for their mother's sakes) climbed to the very top. Myself and the other two boys climbed half way. The day ended with a game of home run derby, yoga, and washing dishes in the river.

Sunday
We wake up and begin our long trek home. We crossed many rivers and climbed many rocks. After 6 hours of hiking, we finally arrived tired, but very happy.

Here is what I learned from this weekend:
1. I am a lot stronger than I thought. The human body is an amazing thing, capable of great feats. Our bodies are meant to be used, bruised, and a little broken. We live in fear of destroying ourselves, but really we are destroying our bodies by doing nothing with them.
2. I am not strong enough to do this on my own. I needed help, and learning to ask for help was greatly liberating. I am strong enough to give help. I should help more often.
3. God is an amazing creator and protector. He loves what he has made and he protects it at all times.
4. Tuna straight from a can tastes better when you have hiked all day.
5. Big Foot just might be real, and he might be gnawing on boar legs outside of huts in the backwoods of NZ
6. Friends are amazing, even if you don't know them well yet.

Student Trip Weekend: Christchurch Earthquake

Luiza Leite (Messiah '13) writes:

As you may have heard, New Zealand suffered a 7.1 earthquake last Saturday and has been enduring after shocks ever since. During the time of the earthquake, 9 other students and myself were in Christchurch traveling for a first weekend break. After a long and busy day, we went to bed only to be woken we our world forcefully shaking all around us at 4:30 a.m. The girls in my room, including myself, were a bit nervous but to be honest we did not think much of it. In fact, Katie and I got up and tried to go to the bathroom so that we could go to bed. However, on our way to the bathroom, some other girls in our hostel asked us if we had to evacuate. They were only half dressed so Katie and I offered to go find out. When we opened the door of our wing, we saw the occupants of the entire hostel flooding downstairs. We went back onto our wing, informed all the girls to leave, grabbed our shoes and jackets and quickly rushed downstairs. When we go into the lobby, a man told us to get outside and follow evacuation procedure.

Outside, we looked for the rest of our group. When we began to look around, we realized that the streets were flooded with people from all the surrounding buildings. The church bells were ringing, car alarms were screeching, and people were rushing towards the center of Cathedral Square. It was a cold night, but thankfully the rain from earlier had cleared. Some of the members of our group had not grabbed a jacket or shoes, not thinking that we would be outside for the next two and a half hours. As a group, we were not concerned about what we had just faced but we were concerned about the rest of the group (now more like family) traveling and hiking in places far away from us. We prayed for them and talked about what we had just experienced, but very little. Eventually, the staff of our hostel started taking role and then giving directions. They passed out blankets while we waited for our building to be cleared by the fire department.

Eventually, we were allowed back inside. First, they funneled us all into the bar area because that was stated to have been the safest area of the building. There, they passed out water for us along with more blankets. Finally, we were allowed back into our rooms. Hannah, Dan, and Perry’s room got moved because their area of the building seemed to be a bit unstable an it had suffered the most amount of damage. We went back to bed knowing that there was no power, water, and there would be no transportation out of the city for a while. I don’t know how, but we thought nothing of it we just figured we would go to bed and wake up and continue our weekend. I contacted CCSP to ensure them of our safety and I made sure I called my parents as well, but then I went to sleep. We were woken up a few time by some aftershocks (tremors) but they were not nearly as violent as the earthquake was.

At some point, Courtnay contacted me and gave me the game plan for the day so I knew what I was to do. Hannah came into our room and got us and told us we had to get out. We were all really confused at this point but we got up, got out, and met up with the whole group. Together, we all walked to where we would be getting picked up by the wonderful CCSP staff. They were coming to get us because they weren’t sure when we would be able to leave the city. The group was really calm and we were all in such great spirits. We found a place in town to eat by maneuvering around some of the debris and ruble. The city was fascinatingly calm and the day was beautiful. There was not a cloud in the sky and it was a war 60 ish degrees outside. We found a little delish café to eat at; there were few and far between places running.

The owners of the café were just great to us. They treated us really well and got us whatever we wanted to eat. The owner even came over and talked to us about how we were feeling with all that has just happened. He had his head up high and a smile on his face, even though he had woken up to a wrecked house. He told us that most of the stuff in his house was smashed and the two cars he owned had been completely wrecked by the debris. This man, wearing a huge cross around his neck, told me this with a smile on his face and finished by saying “well the insurance will just take care of it”. He and his wife carried on their business, bringing a sense of normalcy to the day, which was really beautiful.

Eventually our CCSP staff picked us up and they embraced us with such love and joy. We drove home, seeing the Alps in the distance the whole way (a really rare sight). The animals were playing in the field and the birds were singing. The sky was a bright blue and everything looked so still and beautiful on the ride back. Once we reached Kaikoura, the ocean was a light greenish blue and its waves were crashing so beautifully. All day all I could think about was how lucky we were. Lucky to be safe, to be together, to be in New Zealand. How lucky it was that the quake happened in a country that could recover. I had “your love is strong” and “your love is amazing” stuck in my head all day. I was focused on getting the group to where we needed to be and keeping people calm but I just kept thinking about God the entire time this happened. In the midst of turmoil, I found tranquility.

Ben's Birthday Invasive Species Hunt

Whoever said that birthdays are just another day, obviously never spent time with CCSP. We like to recognize birthdays as a day to celebrate as a community. Just four days into the semester, Ben (Messiah, ‘13) found himself no longer a teenager.

After finding out about his fascination with snakes, especially the hognose snake (Heterodon platirhinos), we set out to capture New Zealand’s only hognose snake (which conveniently left clues for us to find it in our compost pile).

We didn’t go untrained however. Groups were first assigned to construct a destructive invasive species of the New Zealand forest and then “hunt” them off the clothesline. Everything from a feral pig made of a bucket and beach ball, to a deer with soccer cleats for teeth were eventually “harvested.” Caitlin (Bethel, ‘12) tried to hide her identity or perhaps just got a little too into the hunt by sporting a thick black beard. When all was said and done, no actual animals were harmed during the birthday celebration.

Orienting to a New Home

Taking a walk around the Kaikoura Peninsula was an orientation highlight for many students. Our good friend and Department of Conservation (DOC) officer, Bret, provided insights along the way, teaching us about the peninsula’s flora and fauna, geology, and even Maori stories of it’s creation. Bret then visited us back at the Old Convent later in the week to introduce more Maori culture. Who knew learning to count to ten in another language could be so much fun?

One of the most unique characteristics of any culture is its food. With that in mind, we shared an iconic New Zealand dinner. We stuffed ourselves with Jaffas, pineapple lumps, mince pies and pavlova. Of course, we washed it all down with some L&P.

At this point, we all needed a little rest and relaxation. So off to Hanmer Springs we went for a splendid day soaking in the naturally fed hot tubs.

A community barbeque followed, which allowed us to meet many locals and dear friends from the Kaikoura community. Even with poor weather, we had no problem filling the Convent with laughter and conversations about our families, friends and dreams.

The weather stayed wet for a couple more days, but we wouldn’t let that stop us from learning more about our new home, which included hiking through native forest and visiting the Resource Recovery Centre, where we were astonished to find out that 72% of Kaikoura’s waste is diverted from landfills and reused or recycled in some way. Everyone found the RRC thrift store a fantastic place to stock up on warm clothes and other unique fashion accessories. What a special place to call home.

With orientation under our collective belt, students left to spend a weekend exploring some of the nearby cities, towns and wilderness before academics begin on Monday. We look forward to the challenges, adventures, friendships and so much more during our time together.

A New Season

Welcome to the CCSP South Pacific Fall 2010 blog!

The students and staff have just wrapped up orientation week and are eager to begin academics here in Kaikoura, New Zealand.

It was a full and exciting week for each of our students (Jada, Kendra, Chloe, Ben, Josh, Karleigh, Erica, Danielle, Luiza, Adam, Perry, Hannah, Katie, Caitlin, Allie, Lauren, Rebecca, Dan, Kooba, Kayla, Ashley, and Krista) who now call the Old Convent, home. Most were surprised after meeting the CCSP SoPac staff, (Courtnay, Allie, Sam, Tyler, Emma and Jess) to step out of the airport into New Zealand winter. It’s been averaging around 50 degrees Fahrenheit (around 9 C) over the past week; however, thankfully, the first few days of orientation were beautiful, allowing students to take in both the ocean and mountain views that surround our home here.

Our first night students and staff enjoyed a classic New Zealand dinner of fish and chips on the beach and spent some time together dedicating the semester before everyone went to bed early in order to catch up on some much needed sleep in their new rooms.

Most of the bedrooms in the Old Convent have names based on past occupants, lending even more character to the 100 year old building, so some students found themselves at home for the semester in rooms with names like “Mother Superior,” or “Sister Anne,” etc. The first few days were spent getting oriented to the Convent and to the town of Kaikoura. This included introductions to CCSP bicycles (each student gets one to use for the duration of the semester) and remembering to stay on the left side of the road. Also, a tour of the library (including everything from New Zealand travel guides, to Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, by Annie Dillard) occurred in the morning. And Emma and Sam, our kitchen staff, discussed things like the “leftover fridge,” which at most times will contain a delectable sampling of leftovers available for those mid-afternoon cravings or weekend brunches.

Students had their first taste of downtown Kaikoura as they split into groups and conquered a scavenger hunt arranged by our SLCs (Tyler and Jess). When finding the hospital, most groups take a photo from outside the building, but Ben (Messiah ‘13) decided to go one, or maybe two steps further and pose inside while lying on an empty patient bed (with permission from the on duty doctor).