Fun with Kiwis!

Crayfish barbie

I have been repeatedly overwhelmed with Kiwi hospitality - so if you ever meet a Kiwi in the U.S., be sure to return the favor. Kiwis really know how to treat people right. Here I am at a barbeque with the other Texas teacher trainees at Selwyn, and a Texas transplant whose wonderful husband dives (and catches crayfish, too). They invited us over, along with their wonderful Argentinian friends, for a dinner of crayfish. In NZ, crayfish = lobster, and is similarly a delicacy! This was truly one of the best meals I've had. The company was wonderful, and the view was, too!

The staff at Selwyn have greatly contributed to this overwhelming Kiwi hospitality - I cannot express how welcome they have made me feel. I feel as though I have made many friends, and I will very much miss Selwyn staff and students. If I'm ever in the neighborhood, it would be an honor to work at Selwyn.

In addition to all of the great content and teaching and management strategies I'm learning at Selwyn, I have had several staff members invite me to join them for special school outings and non-school events. I attended a Michael Parmenter retrospective after a wonderful dinner with one of my cooperating teachers and her family - it was fantastic (both the dance and the dinner).

This past Friday, I attended the Polynesian Festival and watched secondary students compete in Tongan, Cook Island, Maori, and Samoan dance. Culture in New Zealand is celebrated, and it was inspirational to see young people with so much talent and so much pride in their culture. I feel very lucky to have attended the PolyFest. I went with 3 teachers and 2 other teacher trainees, and I was very proud of Selwyn's Samoan dancers - they were awesome! If you vist NZ and have a chance to go to the PolyFest - I highly recommend it. The dancing is spectacular, and of course there's ethnic food, too. I recommend the Tongan taro leaf pie and watermelon drink, and the Asian chop suey lunch plate. There's Danish ice cream for dessert, and also New Zealand's Tip Top ice cream. Yes, it IS tip top!