Sweet As

This is Jessica reporting from Auckland, New Zealand. It is currently 73 degrees Fahrenheit on March 17, 2009- Happy St. Patrick's Day! Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be such a big deal around here, at least not at the school I'm teaching at (Ranui Primary School). But Amy and I (Amy is my roommate, also from BYU) dressed in green for fun because Americans just like to dress up for fun.

Anyway, looking back on this semester, I feel like I've accomplished and learned so much about life and teaching. The first month here we squeezed all of our BYU courses and we were taught by New Zealand professors, as well as our director who came with us from BYU (Dr. Jacobs, we call him Papa J). So from these courses, we got more of an idea of how to teach in the primary schools (that's what they call elementary schools here). After taking the BYU courses, we took a 2 week holiday to the South Island (Queenstown and Christchurch) and then to Rotorua. For a more detailed account, check out my blog. :) And then after the 2 weeks, we began our 6 week practicum in the primary schools. I can't believe I have 1 1/2 of those weeks left and then one week exploring the Northlands, and then back home. Through the practicum, I've gotten a different feel for teaching because the teaching styles here are different than the US. It seems to generally be more laid back and doesn't seem as structured. We spend a lot of time doing art and fitness/swimming, and so far we've done a lot of assessing but not as many lessons as I expected. I like it but at the same time it feels like we're not getting a lot done. But I am grateful to have come and be able to see how another country's schools are run and take what I want to into my future teaching.

I have also just really had time to think about life and be with people I've never been with, and do things I've never done. Life is here, it's going on right now, might as well do things and not just sit there on the laptop or watching TV. that sounds so boring to me once I think of all these other things I can do with my life like go out on walks, go explore the city, figure out the train system, cook with my host family, do aerobics, play with my neighbors...there's so many things to do! why did I always spend so much time on the computer or the TV before? True I am on the computer right now, but to write in here and to do homework. That's what the computer is for anyway, but not to sit in front of for hours. I have also realized how great it feels to do service. Every Sunday at about 6 pm, our host family picks up the Relief Society President and we go to a bakery that closes at 6 and then they give us the leftover bread, because they are just going to throw them away. We bag them carefully (there's heaps! we probably fill up 10 huge bags, bags the size of Melinda maybe) and then bring them to the Relief Society President's house where other people come and bag bread from the bread that we got. We take several smaller grocery sized bags of bread ourselves and only keep a couple. We give the rest to our neighbors. It has become something we look forward to because and so do some neighbors. We get to know our neighbors as well, and there are two adorable Samoan girls who we like to play with and they go to Ranui (well one is too young but the other one goes there). It has been a pleasure serving these people and getting to know them.

Overall, I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to come to this beautiful country, to learn about the different cultures and to live among the people. I love my family and my friends and for everything God has given me. Life is beautiful.