Kia Ora whanau! (Hello family!) “Kia ora whanau” is a common greeting here in Aotearoa, even the professors say it. I’m slowly but surely picking up on all of the New Zealand slang. “You’re alright” is translated into “You’re welcome and “Ka pai” is a common Maori phrase, meaning “understand”, “ok” or “good.” Classes are…
Otago March 3rd
Kia Ora! It is March 3rd here in Dunedin and I have officially wrapped up my first week of classes. These past two weeks have gone by so fast. O-week welcomed in the international and first year students. O-week consisted of back to back concerts, meeting people from all over the world and settling in…
Blog 1
Week one in Queenstown has been absolutely AMAZING! It is February 17th and I feel like I have experienced so much of New Zealand already. TEAN has jam packed our orientation week with so many fun activities! On our first day, a Kapa Haka (Maori performing arts) group came and taught us a traditional Maori…
Last days in London
The last days I had in London where a blast. Everyday I went out into the vibrant city from sun up to sun down. I wanted to make sure that once I leave London I do not have any regrets. Two of my favorite things I did during my last days in London was visiting…
Touchdown in Paris!
I’d say today was long day, but honestly that past 48 hours has all muddled together into a muddy recollection of airports and buses and planes. No matter how tired I am, I am here. In Paris. A city I’ve only ever dreamed of. It is what I imagined? Well, from my first three hours,…
Blog 6
Anyone who knows anything about the University of Otago knows about the famous Hyde Street Party. The day is very similar to the Rollins College Fox Day, except it is always on a Saturday and is planned weeks in advance. In its history, the Hyde Street Keg Party (as it was originally named) was a…
Blog 4
The past two weeks have been full of beach trips and a little sight-seeing around the town of Dunedin. The closest beaches are St. Claire and St. Kilda which are known for surfing, but the coolest beach we’ve been to is Tunnel Beach. The entrance to this beach is, as the name implies, a tunnel…
Blog 3
The first week of classes was a huge culture shock for me coming from a small liberal arts college of less than 2,000 students when my first lecture had over 300 people in a room bigger than the Busch Auditorium at Rollins. I knew immediately that I would have a little trouble getting used to…