If you're wondering this question then this post should help you a bit. I'm in a city called Palmerston North on the North Island of New Zealand. I'm in a region called Manawatu.Below is a map showing Palmy North and Massey University Campus!
Here's the Campus close up with some of the things i visit/use! Oh and here's me at Palmy North Square with the clock tower!
Ok, so i've just been going through all the stupid bits of paper that i've aquired over the past few days and organised them all. In my animal biodiversity lab this morning, i found out that i'll be looking at different types of dead birds to look at their lice etc, to see if they're an example of co-speciation. Sounds cool!
The mid-winter hall/xmas event last night was really cool, it involved outdoor games, santa and lovely dessert!!! Got some funny pictures of some of my fellow residents to (or Cole did, while we all ran about like idiots!)Here are a few...
Anyway next hall even is to film a spoof music video with our assigned groups. Looks like lots of fun. Our group has picked Toxic and Bye Bye Bye. here's a reminder of the originals!!
Ok, so i've almost been in New Zealand for a whole two weeks now. I'm pretty much adjusted to the time difference and getting settled. The people over here are really lovely. The RA's, (a bit like HA's back home) are really nice at McHardy, Mai and Cole. Been hanging out with the american international students too, which is good. All in all i'm enjoying everything so far, even though it hasn't been all go yet, due to not everyone being back yet and classes not starting until monday. My timetable is stooopid though, with a packed monday and friday having almost nothing!!!!
Well I went out on saturday evening to one of Cole's friends flats to have some drinks, then headed to a club called Detroit. It was really, really good fun and of course I was pretty drunk. ;)
Havn't taken any photos with my camera yet, although i really should i know! But some of my american friends have... I'll just see if i can nick some of theres and post them here.
*Anyway since starting this post i've actually started my courses on monday and it's wednesday eve now! My ecology courses look really really interesting. We've already started one of our practicals where we are harvesting flour beetles to see how the populations react to it etc. Basically it's a scaled down version of harvesting fish seemingly...or so they say! Behaviour Ecology is cool, we have to design a project to test the behaviour of any animal...there are loads of mallard ducks around here so i was thinking them, or the ant colony that i'm trying to get rid of in my room! (actually a guy just came in and exterminated them, oops!)
I was doing a soil course too, but it was absolute shit. There was 7 of us altogether and the lectures ended up being like tutorials, where we had questions being aimed at us. The course was more directed for those people doing agriculture, so it was more fertiliser, sheep, cows, blah blah blah. Anyway i've managed to change my course to Global Environmental Issues. I spoke with the professor via e-mail and he said it was fine. I went to the lab for GEI after getting mega lost in the agricultural building which is currently being rennovated. It was cool, we just watched a video which showed how they built a large residential block in Boston which was completely green. Really cool, then discussed it afterwards!
Ok so yesterday, i had a bit of a low point where i just ended up stressing out about courses and so on. But i've soon got over that. People are generally very nice and helpful but like anywhere there are people that are less so. lol
Oooooh and we've got a mid-winter xmas hall event tonight. We had to get secret santa gifts that were no more than $4. That was a task and half. But yeah i managed and it's being held later tonight in the common room, so i'll hopefully get some pix from that to flash! :)
It was clubs day today too. So i ended up just having a browse and bumped into Cole and Patrick, Zann and Lynelle. Lynelle was doing fire poi. i.e. where you fling fire balls round your head! Its so cool. They have it back at edinburgh, but i got to have a go with the practice ones and kept hitting my head! I also signed up for the Environmental group and Uni Q. Also got asked by the christian society (Pulse) to fill out a form on how i felt about god. That was pretty hilarious seeing their faces when i handed it in.
Anyway i'm away through to angie's room to help her with her internet. It's being a pain! Grrr. lol Oh and here's a song thats everywhere at the moment! The I Kissed a Girl Song by Katy Perry
Will hopefully do another post soon. And if you're reading this on Facebook. Go view the orginal post as it's so much prettier! :P
I'm Blair and i'm currently blogging about my experiences from and exchange between Edinburgh University, Scotland to Massey University, New Zealand. Oh and i'm studying Ecology!
Oh and here's me at Palmy North Square with the clock tower!
This is McHardy Hall, where i'm living!
