Actually being a student?

Classes started on Monday. I left an hour early to locate my classes - an excellent idea since I got turned around a few times trying to find my first class. (Whoever thought that putting 4 buildings in one but not actually having them be separate buildings was not thinking straight.) My first class was my Sociology of Aotearoa/New Zealand lecture. It was interesting because there were over 200 students in the lecture hall and I knew no one - a very different experience from that at Gustavus. When my professor started talking, she said "you may have noticed that I have an accent" to which I was thinking, well of course you do! Then I realized she didn't have a New Zealand accent - she's from Austria. The class was kind of boring since it was an introduction class but I talked to the people sitting around me before class started, and when I was confused about phrases; they were first-years, so this was their first day ever of university.

After my first class I wandered around the courtyard, which was filled with AUSA clubs trying to get me to join and giving away free candy floss (cotton candy). It was overwhelming because there were ridiculous amounts of students everywhere and I was walking by myself, just trying to find iSPACE (the international students lounge). I had a couple hours to kill since my sociology tutorial doesn't start until next week, so I read through my tourist travel books before heading off to my next class.

My Italian women writers/filmmakers class was two hours long and in a room with poor ventilation, but I am already excited for it. I don't know that much about Italy in general and my professors are Italian (meaning they have fabulous accents) so that was really cool. And when they started talking about gender roles I basically lit up since it was so interesting. Whew. And Monday night I got to skype with my parents (finally) and just sort of hung around my flat. I was so exhausted from the day. Later that night, though, three of my flatmates and a guy from another flat hung out and we watched classic youtube videos that some of my flatmates hadn't seen! It was actually really fun.

I was able to find my dance technique class pretty easily yesterday. It was awkward because I was the only new student, the only international student, and apparently the people in my class have had 3/4 of their classes together since last year since they're all Dance Studies majors. We did some Melissa-esque warm ups where we focused on our breathing and became aware of our bodies and did slight stretching. I seriously was in heaven being in a dance class again - besides the fact that while people were nice and talked to me, I was still an outsider.

I really don't know what to do about that class, though. My professor has a ridiculously strict attendance policy (if you even miss class for sickness/injuries you have to write a 700 word paper of her choosing and turn it in by the next class. SERIOUSLY) and on Fridays I only have that class so I was hoping I would be able to skip a couple times if I ever wanted to travel someplace further away for the weekend. I don't know what to do. I want to take a dance class really bad, but all of the technique classes have a time on Friday with this professor and I don't know which is more important: taking a dance class but I can never, ever miss a class, or having the opportunity to travel for a longer period of time. I wish I could take the class for no credit.. I mean, there are studios in Auckland I could take class at, but then I would have to go and pay for each class and whatnot. But it would be so beneficial for me as a person and for my feet to be able to dance and meet other dancers. But I didn't come to New Zealand to take a technique class, I came to experience the country and the culture and I hate that this class could limit me. I mean, it's not like I would be going someplace far away every Friday, I just hate that this class wouldn't give me the option!! Ugh. :(

On my way back from class I stopped in the Domain and journaled. Sat in the grass, leaned against a tree, and journaled. I understand what Gael was saying when she said that you can go an entire day being on campus but not really connecting with anyone; I was feeling my first wave of homesickness. I think being in dance class made me miss being at Gustavus a lot, where I have my amazing GAC dancers and professors and am a part of the company there. I can walk to and from places on campus and always see and say hi to someone I know, even in passing. I know I'm new in Auckland and at UoA, but it's weird to feel alone in such a big place; it makes me miss home. I also miss having best friends within walking distance. I'm of course making friends here but they're obviously not close friends yet and I miss hanging out and talking with people I know and love and trust. I also just felt really overwhelmed by schoolwork again, since it's really been over two months since I have had any real schoolwork. And the dance class thing stresses me out. I was just not feeling too good yesterday afternoon, and I hate that it took less time than I thought it would for me to feel homesick..

However, once I got back to my flat I felt better. I went to the grocery store and bank with Adi, my flatmate from Canada (I bought some comfort food ice cream for the next time I'm feeling homesick). Apparently she's started to feel a little homesick too, which was nice because my other three flatmates have friends here and are comfortable in Auckland and UoA already so it was nice to know that I'm not alone. I think it's just being around people and doing things that make me feel better?

PSV went as a group to play laser tag last night!! it was actually ridiculously fun, I seriously enjoyed it :) On my team was me, three of my flatmates, a guy that's been hanging out with us a lot (Rob) and another girl, and let me say that while it may have taken me 2/3 of the first game to realize that I had been shooting at people but it didn't count sicne I only had one hand on the laser gun, that we won both games! The second game I ranked 7th out of 18 (three teams of six), so I was pretty proud of that.

There has been preliminary talk of travel plans between myself, some of my flatmates, and some IES people, but I would really like to go somewhere this weekend, even if only for a a day or an overnight thing. I might join the tramping club, and I know they're going somewhere Saturday and Sunday, but we'll see if I want to fork over $20 to join their club in general and $10 for the trip this weekend.

Another goal of mine besides bungee jumping while I'm here: zorbing. I saw pictures of it from someone else who lives at PSV and I seriously want to go - it's like you're in a giant beach ball with some water in it and you roll down a hill. I also want to go parasailing! Yep.

I think I might be going to a comedy club tonight in Ponsonby with my flatmates? I might text a couple IES people who live downtown to see if they'd like to join in too. If it doesn't happen tonight, it will happen sometime because I think going to a comedy club would be really fun! Even if the comedians aren't hilarious, it will still be fun, and tonight is cheaper than other nights of the week. We'll see I guess!

Here are a couple pictures!

where I stopped to journal

winning group for laser tag! (Adi, me, Georgina, Andrew, David & Rob)

My name: Lithos. (No, I didn't pick it.)
7th highest score in the game! Moving up in the world..