Changing Places

I have made my final move from the hostel into the place that I will be house-sitting for the remainder of my time here in NZ. It's been a busy week, and taken some adjustments to get used to my new routine here, but I'm already liking it better. It feels so fabulous to be able to come home to a nice, clean home, turn on the heat-pump, crash on the couch, and relax the evening away. I'm slowly getting used to the idea of cooking for myself, but am surprisingly enjoying it since it means I can eat what I want, when I want. It's so nice to have my freedom back and not have to worry about working hostel shifts and timing things around the dinner bell.

With this move, I have also invited Matt (a friend from church that is staying in Blenheim for a few more months to make some money working in the vineyards before flying home to the UK) to stay with me. I checked it out with the house owners and they are ok with it. The invitation is mostly selfish on my part since I'm desperate to have some company with me in this old house, but I figure I'll also be helping him out quite a bit financially since he'll only have to pay for some of the power costs.

The place really is fabulous. I feel so lucky to have found this gig. What a change from the conditions I was enduring while living at the hostel. Although it's still got some of the qualities that come with an old house (cold, drafty, noisy), it's got all of the charm and character that comes with it too (stain-glassed windows, hard-wood floors, etc). Check it out for yourself!









Oh... and here's Fred. The one-eyed, very friendly cat that I will be taking care of for the next 8 weeks while I'm staying here...

St. Clair Half

Yesterday I competed in the St. Clair Half-Marathon - a very popular race here in Blenheim that sells out several months in advance. Lucky for me I was able to snag someone's entry the day before since they could no longer do the race. Since it was a last minute entry for me it became more of a "Saturday morning run" than an actual race.

The most hilarious part was the weather. The forecast the day before was looking absolutely dreadful: strong winds, pouring rain, and freezing cold temperatures. Since I'm a sucker for punishment and was looking for a reason to go for a nice long run, I decided I would enter anyways. Much to everyone's pleasant surprise, it turned into a wonderfully beatiful autumn day. Although it was quite cool to start (close to zero degrees when I woke up), the sun shone the entire day and the temperatures steadily increased throughout the race.

The course was absolutely beautiful. You can't beat running through a bunch of vineyards with a all sorts of varying colours. In keeping with my recent track-record, I couldn't help but take some time to stop along the way and capture some of the scenes around me.

Walking to the start line from the parking lot...

The crowded start line...


And we're off...




The Wither Hills from a distance...

No race in NZ is complete without some form of livestock along the course...

A random pumpkin patch...


Jacinda (a co-worker of mine) and her daughter - Jacinda owns property that the race course runs on so she got a free entry. She walked the entire half-marathon despite the fact that she is almost 8 months pregnant!


Meeting up with Tineke at the finish line (Tineke also walked the half-marathon with some of her co-workers)...

Emily, Claire, and I happy to be finished and looking forward to our finishing prize!


I ran more than half the race with Claire but during the last few kms my knee started to hurt, so I took off at a slightly faster pace to see if it would alleviate the strain. I think it helped. I crossed the finish line in approximately 2hrs 14mins, and was super excited to enjoy a freshly made chicken pie as a reward. I also took home my "trophy" - a bottle of St. Clair Sauvignon Blanc special reserve - a reward that every race entry receives.

On a different note, today was Mother's Day in NZ and I was able to enjoy an early mother's day chat with mom (and dad, and Laura) on skype. Matt made a guest appearance with his cute head of curls. They were particularly wild since he had just gotten out of the tub. It was nice to catch up with the fam and to hear of the latest happenings.

My Grandmothers

After graduating university and buying my first car, I finally found myself having the time and the means to visit my grandmothers on a more frequent basis. Thus begun a semi or tri-annual tradition that I coined "the grandma tour".

On Friday night I would hop in my car and drive to Ingersoll. In Ingersoll, I would meet up with Grandma E where we would enjoy dinner and a movie at her place. The next morning we would go for a walk and/or I would help her to run some errands. After an early lunch I would say goodbye and head off for London. In London I would meet up with Grandma T at her apartment, and after some sort of afternoon activity (errands or a walk to the park or afternoon drinks on her balcony), we would share dinner together along with another movie or some Saturday night television. On Sunday morning we would go to church, and after lunch I would head home.

Depending on how early I could set off on Friday, I sometimes switched things up and drove to London first, and Ingersoll the next day.

I always enjoyed these weekends away. They were always so peaceful and relaxing. Can't beat sharing some good-ol quality grandma time! I look forward to re-instating these "tours" when I get back to Canada this summer...

On one of my "grandma tours" I discovered that Grandma T had gotten hooked on one of my favourite tv shows called "Grey's Anatomy". Upon discovering this fact, I was sure to bring along Season 1 on DVD the next time I visited and we watched at least 4or 5 episodes in that one night alone.

I received a letter in the mail from Grandma T the other day and I couldn't help but laugh when I discovered that it contained a newspaper clipping with an article about Grey's Anatomy. Apparently the show's marketing department is capitalizing on the upcoming marriage between Derek and Meredith and they've created an actual wedding website complete with an RSVP section and a registry where any goods purchased will be donated to charity. Pretty neat, actually!


Thanks for the update grandma. Although we are approximately a half-season behind here in NZ, I look forward to watching the upcoming nuptials unfold.

More Marathon Stuff

I've been sorting through some of my photos and came across this one of my marathon training schedule. In true "Heather fashion", I used a star chart to monitor my progress and attempt to motivate me along the way. I'd say it half-worked. There is a legend which outlines what each colour star represents, and I've totalled up my weekly kms along with totals (in brackets) that represent what I was *supposed* to have run that week...


I've also come across some newspaper clippings that I've been meaning to post for quite some time. This one is an article that one of the hostel supervisors showed me several months ago. It was written by a guy that was training for the race, a month before the actual race date, hilariously making fun of the fact that the race course runs through some of Shania Twain's property (click on the image to enlarge it):

This next article was in the paper the day after the race, written by the same author as the previous article. It came complete with a fantastic shot of what one of the many river crossings looked like, and also had a great write-up about the race. I particularly liked the "punny" headline that is a take-off from one of Shania's greatest hits "Man, I feel like a woman":


I'm not sure how I missed it, but after I threw out the paper, I discovered that the story at the very bottom of the page was also about the race (unfortunately I didn't capture the entire article). It talks about some woman who couldn't run the marathon due to a broken toe. It also, funnily enough, talks about a woman who protested her race results, because she was stuck in the port-a-loo when the gun went off! Looks like I wasn't the only one.

One final marathon photo to share comes from my brother Mark - a shot of him after completing his very first marathon in Boston. I think he looks pretty good, all things considered!

Book Review: The Alchemist

Just finished reading one of the many books that I currently have on the go.

Side note: I feel like a bit of a "book whore" right now since I've currently got so much reading material around me. It's like a bit of a pot-pouri when I crawl into bed at night and try to decide what to read.

Alas... I finished this one in a relatively short period of time. It was great. A quick read, but one that is filled with meaning. I started off knowing only that the book was about a young boy that goes on a journey in search of his dreams. Turns out the book was filled with parables and analogies for life lessons, and the moral all came together in the end. Here are some quotes that stood out for me as I came to the conclusion of the book:

Love is the force that transforms and improves the Soul of the World. It is we who nourish the Soul of the World, and the world we live in will be either better or worse, depending on whether we become better or worse. And that's where the power of love comes in. Because when we love, we always strive to become better than we are. pg. 152

No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn't know it. pg. 160

Definitely a good read. Makes you breathe easier knowing what this book has to say.

Here is what Chapters has to say about it:

"My Heart Is Afraid that it will have to suffer," the boy told the alchemist one night as they looked up at the moonless sky."Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams."

Every few decades a book is published that changes the lives of its readers forever. The Alchemist is such a book. With over a million and a half copies sold around the world, The Alchemist has already established itself as a modern classic, universally admired. Paulo Coelho's charming fable, now available in English for the first time, will enchant and inspire an even wider audience of readers for generations to come.

The Alchemist is the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure as extravagant as any ever found. From his home in Spain he journeys to the markets of Tangiers and across the Egyptian desert to a fateful encounter with the alchemist.

The story of the treasures Santiago finds along the way teaches us, as only a few stories have done, about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, above all, following our dreams.

The Demographic I'm Teaching

Although I have been fully aware that I'm working with a fairly diverse demographic here at my school, the shocking reality of JUST how extreme things are was brought to my attention today. It was brought on by a conversation that I engaged in with one of my students about why education is important. I was trying to explain to her that having your highschool certificate really is a good thing since it opens up opportunities. I tried to use a bit of a scare-tactic and mentioned that without a certificate, you get stuck in a minimum-wage job. Her response was to tell me that her dad doesn't have a highschool education but he makes millions of dollars selling "P" (otherwise known as Methamphetamine, or Speed I think).

Shocking? Well, sort of... But surprisingly, not so much for me. It's amazing how very few things seem to phase me anymore. It certainly helps to explain some of her behaviour in class. My heart goes out to this student who is trapped in a very unhealthy family environment. The question I ask is, "how does one go about trying to help someone in that sort of situation?"

Back to School

Well, we were back to school yesterday for the start of Term 2.

The headline crasher yesterday was how the Swine Flue epidemic may possibly affect NZ after some students returned back from a holiday at a resort in Mexico. Oddly enough, I hadn't heard a thing about this epidemic until then. It's amazing how much you can fall behind if you don't watch the news for two or three days in a row!

Also hitting the headlines is the weather. Most of the country is under rain clouds...

... and the forecast for the next week is looking dismal. Especially for Blenheim!

It's quite balmy and warm though - odd for this time of year. I've been waking up the past few nights in a hot sweat since I have one too many layers of merino and fleece on (a quantity that wasn't sufficient in keeping me warm at night a few weeks ago!).

Not surprisingly, we are all roasting in our classrooms since the boilers get fired up at the start of Term 2 regardless of the actual temperature outside. Nevermind the fact that we were freezing our butts off the last couple of weeks of Term 1. Gotta love the rationale in which decisions - like when to turn the heat on - get made!

Boston Marathon

I'm about to take off for a wee reunion with Nic & Nic in Twizel very shortly, but wanted to share my excitement for my big brother Mark who just completed his very first full marathon. I'm not sure how quick they were to upload the latest chip times, but according to our stalking times, he just finished a few minutes ago in a time of 4:47:11!

We (my family and I) have been e-stalking him on the Boston Marathon website. It was a very exciting thing to be a part of! Even being on the other side of the world and in a completely different time zone, I was able to partake in the last hour of the excitement and the back-and-forth family emails!

Way to go Mark! Your little sister is very proud of you! How do you feel???

Strange Emotions

What I enjoy most about attending my small group is that you never know what you are going to get. It’s composed of a mix-bag of “newbies” to the church, with varying levels of knowledge and experience. Each person is unique and brings something different to the discussion.

Tonight’s discussion centered around the topic of “prayer” which was fitting given that Donna-Marie and I were just having a wee conversation about this topic via email last week. Here is a snippet of what I had to share with her on this subject:

As you can tell, it's not something that I'm used to doing. I mean, I do pray from time to time, but I'm not yet fully convinced of its power. I'm starting to develop some of my own theories on how it all works, but of course these ideas are based only on my limited knowledge and biased thoughts and opinions... Would love to chat more about this with you sometime!

Tonight was a night that I suppose could be described as another “landmark” in my spiritual journey...

Our session tonight began with us watching a short video clip by a man named Philip Yancey. I thought the name sounded familiar and later on realized that he is the author of a book that I’m currently reading called “What’s So Amazing About Grace?”

After hearing what Mr. Yancey had to say in his video clip, I couldn’t help but be reminded of another book that I browsed through when I went camping with Kelly at the start of the term. Kelly is an avid reader and brought several books with her that day, one of which was "Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?"

With such an intriguing title, I was compelled to skim through the first chapter to get a taste for what it was all about, snapping pictures of a few pages that caught my attention:

...Is God listening? Why should God care about me? If God knows everything, then what’s the point of prayer? Why do answers to prayer seem so inconsistent? Does a person with many praying friends stand a better chance of physical healing than one who has cancer but with only a few people praying for her? Does prayer change God or change me?

...I have come to see prayer as a privilege, not a duty. Like all good things, prayer requires some discipline. Yet I believe that life with God should seem more like friendship than duty. Prayer includes moments of ecstasy and also dullness, mindless distraction and acute concentration, flashes of joy and bouts of irritation. In other words, prayer has features in common with all relationships that matter.

...If prayer stands at the place where God and human beings meet, then I must learn about prayer. Most of my struggles in the Christian life circle around the same two themes: why God doesn’t act the way we want God to, and why I don’t act the way God wants me to. Prayer is the precise point where those themes converge.

Some interesting thoughts indeed. And these were just a few of the lines that intrigued me. I will have to see about tracking down this book and reading it fully from cover to cover. Oh, and I forgot to mention, turns out this book is also written by Mr. Philip Yancey!

So back to tonight...

Why such a landmark? Well, tonight was the first night that I have officially been “prayed for”. Yes, if you were a fly on the wall, looking in on the living room and watching it all take place, you might have thought it was a strange event. Even I, who was a willing participant, felt a bit odd. But I decided to give it a go. You see, Susan suggested that she thinks we, as a group, should be watching out for one another more, and she feels that prayer is an important component of this.

So I sat there. In a comfy chair, in the middle of the room, with 5 others surrounding me, their hands resting gently on my shoulders. Susan began leading the prayer. Within seconds I was filled with emotion and immediately felt a flood of tears come to my eyes. I did my best to control myself but there was no stopping the tears. I let them roll down my face as the prayer continued and did my best to control myself from releasing a really loud and embarassing sob.

When all was said and done, I felt good - relaxed - at peace. Although still embarassed about my emotional display, the others assured me that it was all ok. Talking further about the experience, I expressed my thoughts on the fact that I couldn't really understand why I broke into tears. The theory amongst the group was that I was experiencing the Holy Spirit in it's finest form. Although I can't help but wonder this myself, I also can't help but be skeptical and think "maybe I am just worn down, and am feeling sorry for myself, and brought these tears on myself". Who knows... We shall see. An interesting experience indeed...

More back-posts

My blogging habits tend to go to the wayside at various times for various reasons. But since I'm this crazy anal person that wants to keep good records of my experiences here in NZ, I take the time to write about things that happened in the past whenever I can get the chance. Here's a random collection of posts that I've made over the past couple of months that were way out of date when I wrote them.

And to my dear friend, Nelson, I've done my best to include more pictures as per your request :)

http://mathgeekgirl.blogspot.com/2009/04/cute-note-i-had-evening-off-last-night.html

http://mathgeekgirl.blogspot.com/2009/03/teachable-moment-we-had-guest-speaker.html

http://mathgeekgirl.blogspot.com/2009/03/pilates-weight-gain-i-dont-know-if-ive.html

http://mathgeekgirl.blogspot.com/2009/03/dedicated-training-enduring-hail-storms.html

http://mathgeekgirl.blogspot.com/2009/02/live-music-i-went-to-concert-last-night.html

http://mathgeekgirl.blogspot.com/2009/02/book-review-my-sisters-keeper-last-week.html

http://mathgeekgirl.blogspot.com/2009/01/hickey-at-church-no.html

http://mathgeekgirl.blogspot.com/2009/01/north-island-adventures-arriving-home.html

http://mathgeekgirl.blogspot.com/2009/01/sumner-in-christchurch-backposted-on.html

http://mathgeekgirl.blogspot.com/2008/12/christmas-holidays-claire-and-i-had-no.html

http://mathgeekgirl.blogspot.com/2008/12/dinner-at-larrys-claire-and-i-cycled-to.html

http://mathgeekgirl.blogspot.com/2008/12/spontaneous-weekend-after-random-text.html

Dad's Response to the Hoax

Just got this email from dad...

This is a scam!! BAD BAD
Do NOT reply
It has been in the news. People are being duped
Dad

Ok... so my intuition was right.

Canada Revenue Hoax?

I got an email today with the following message:

I haven't clicked on the link cause I'm sneakily suspicious of this message. Surely the Canadian Revenue Agency must be more streamlined than this? I can't possibly see the need for me to "complete this last step" towards getting my tax refund. I would think that should be automatic???

Libby's Wedding

Yesterday was Libby's wedding and it was a beautiful event. It started off with the ceremony in the backyard of her parents property and finished with the reception taking place at the Vitners Hotel and Winery.

Here's some pictures from the day...

Arriving at Libby's parents, being greeted by Libby's horse...

As we walked through the gates, we were welcomed with a glass of bubbles...

Waiting for the bride to arrive...

Libby pulled up in her dad's old car and it was really sweet to watch Mark (the groom) turn around and wait to see her walk down the aisle instead...



The ceremony was short and sweet and had all the personal touches that Libby so carefully planned out for the day...





The MGC crew...

The bride and groom's first dance...

Emily & Mark playing with shadow puppets on the wall...

My little nephew, Matthew

Just got these pictures in an email from my sister. She says there will be copies of them waiting for me when I get home.





Oh my goodness! Soooooooooo cute! I want to gobble him right up!!!

My he's getting so big! He's developing into a little boy now! What a huge change from the last set of pictures I got...

ps. Love the hair buddy... nice work! He's definitely got your curls!

Book Review: Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell


Warning – this post contains very few of my own thoughts and a whole slew of the author’s thoughts. I just figured that it was easier to take the direct quotes that resonated with me rather than try to summarize in my own words. I’m not sure what the current laws are, but hopefully I don’t get nailed for copy-right infringement!! Lol..

Although I finished this book way back in January while doing copious amounts of tramping over my summer holidays, it has taken me until now to consolidate my thoughts on it.

To summarize, I really liked this book. I think I was most moved and most inspired by Chapter 2. It is titled “Jump”. Here is just a wee flavour of some of my favourite lines:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Several years ago my parents and in-laws gave our boys a trampoline. A fifteen-footer with netting around the outside so kids don’t end up headfirst in the flowers. Since then my boys and I have logged more hours on that trampoline than I could begin to count…

…It is on this trampoline that God has started to make more sense to me. Because when it comes to faith, everybody has it. People often tell me that they could never have faith, that it is just too hard. The idea that some people have faith and others don’t is a popular one. But it is not a true one. Everybody has faith. Everybody is following somebody. What often happens is that people with specific beliefs about God get backed into a corner, defending their faith against the calm, cool rationality of others. As if they have faith and beliefs and others don’t.

Subtitled “Way”:
+++++++++++++++

As a Christian, I am simply trying to orient myself around living a particular kind of way, the kind of way that Jesus taught is possible. And I think that the way of Jesus is the best possible way to live.

This isn’t irrational or primitive or blind faith. It is merely being honest that we are all living a “way”.

I’m convinced being generous is a better way to live.
I’m convinced forgiving people and not carrying around bitterness is a better way to live.
I’m convinced having compassion is a better way to live.
I’m convinced pursuing peace in every situation is a better way to live.
I’m convinced listening to the wisdom of others is a better way to live.
I’m convinced being honest with people is a better way to live.

This way of thinking isn’t weird or strange: it is simply acknowledging that everybody follows somebody, and I’m trying to follow Jesus.

Subtitled “Springs”:
+++++++++++++++
…This is where the springs on the trampoline come in. When we jump, we begin to see the need for springs. The springs help make sense of these deeper realities that drive how we live every day. The springs aren’t God. The springs aren’t Jesus. The springs are statements and beliefs about our faith that help give words to the depth that we are experiencing in our own jumping. I would call these doctrines of the Christian faith.

They aren’t the point.

They help us understand the point, but they are a means and not an end. You take them seriously, and at the same time we keep them in proper perspective.

Take, for example, the doctrine – the spring – called the Trinity. This doctrine is central to the historic, orthodox Christian faith… So God is one, but God has also revealed himself to us as Spirit, and then as Jesus. One and yet three. This three-in-oneness understanding of God emerged in the several hundred years after Jesus’ resurrection. People began to call this concept the Trinity. The word trinity is not found anywhere in the bible…. But over time, this understanding, this doctrine, has become central to how followers of Jesus have understood who God is. It is a spring, and people jumped for thousands of years without it. It was added later. We can take it out and examine it. Discuss it, probe it, question it. It flexes, and it stretches.

In fact, its stretch and flex are what make it so effective. It is firmly attached to the frame and the mat, yet it has room to move. And it has brought a fuller, deeper, richer understanding to the mysterious being who is God.

(continuing about the springs)…This truth about God is why study and discussion and doctrines are so necessary. They help us put words to realities beyond words. They give us insight and understanding into the experience of God we’re having. Which is why the springs only work when they serve the greater cause: us finding our lives in God. If they ever become the point, something has gone seriously wrong. Doctrine is a wonderful servant and a horrible master.

Subtitled Bricks:
+++++++++++++
Somebody recently gave me a videotape of a lecture given by a man who travels around speaking about the creation of the world. At one point in his lecture he said if you deny that God created the world in six literal twenty-four hour days, then you are denying that Jesus ever died on the cross. It’s a bizarre leap of logic to make, I would say.

But he was serious.

It hit me while I was watching that for him faith isn’t a trampoline; it’s a wall of bricks. Each of the core doctrines for him is like an individual brick that stacks on top of the others. If you pull one out, the whole wall starts to crumble. It appears quite strong and rigid, but if you begin to rethink or discuss even one brick, the whole thing is in danger…

…What if tomorrow someone digs us definitive proof that Jesus had a real, earthly biological father named Larry, and archaeologists find Larry’s tomb and do DNA samples and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the virgin birth was really just a bit of mythologizing the Gospel…

What if that spring was seriously questioned?

Could a person keep jumping? Could a person still love God? Could you still be a Christian? Is the way of Jesus still the best possible way to live? Or does the whole thing fall apart?

…a brick is fixed in size. It can’t flex or change size, because if it does, then it can’t fit into the wall. What happens then is that the wall becomes the sum total of the beliefs, and God becomes as big as the wall. But God is bigger than any wall…

…Somebody showed me a letter from the president of a large seminary who is raising money to help him train leaders who will defend Christianity. The letter went on about the desperate need for defense of the true faith. What disturbed me was the defensive posture of the letter, which reflects one of the things that happens in the brickworld: you spend a lot of time talking about how right you are. Which of course leads to how wrong everybody else is. Which then leads to defending the wall. It struck me reading the letter that you rarely defend a trampoline. You invite people to jump on it with you.

I am far more interested in jumping than I am in arguing about whose trampoline is better. You rarely defend the things you love. You enjoy them and tell others about them and invite others to enjoy them with you.

Me again here... I just have to say that the last line there really resonated with me. I’m all for the jumping! Finding the joy that jumping has to offer and inviting others to join in with me!

There was so much more about this book that resonated with me too. I could probably re-type half the book if I was to highlight every single line that I liked. But I won’t. Instead, I’ll share just a few more and invite you to read the book yourself if this sort of thing interests you.

(page 108)…The goal here isn’t simply to not sin. Our purpose is to increase the shalom in this world, which is why approaches to the Christian faith that deal solely with not sinning always fail. They aim at the wrong thing. It is not about what you don’t do. The point is becoming more and more the kind of people God had in mind when we were first created.

(page 109)…This now leads to another danger of embracing only one dimension of salvation. When faith is defined solely in legal terms, the dominant idea often becomes “inviting Jessus into your heart”, a phrase that is not found anywhere in the bible. That doesn’t mean it is not legitimate; it just means we have to be careful that we don’t adopt ideas that come with it that aren’t what God has in mind. The problems come when salvation becomes all about me. Me being saved. Me having my sins forgiven. Me being reconciled to God.

…It is one thing to be saved. To believe in Jesus. It is another thing to be healed. It is possible to be saved and miserable. It is possible to be saved and not be a healthy, whole, life-giving person. It is possible for the cross to have done something for a person but not in them.

(page 144)…Christians are people learning who they are in Christ. We are being taught about our new identity. Do you see how deeply this new identity affects the life of a community? I heard a teacher say that if people were taught more about who they are, they wouldn’t have to be told what to do. It would come naturally. When we see religious communities spending most of their time trying to convince people not to sin, we are seeing a community that has missed the point. The point isn’t sin management. The point is who we are now.

AAnd yes… the list goes on – that is, the list of quotes and phrases and paragraphs that I enjoyed in this book. But I’ll stop there. Although I plan to give my copy away to a lady at school that very kindly covered one of my classes so that I could leave early for my long drive to Wanaka for my marathon, I still plan to buy a new one to keep on my shelf when I get home.

Aliens??? & RIP Garmin

Last night I awoke to an incredibly loud noise outside my window. The noise sounded similar to that of a really large vehicle, or a massively large machine. Upon pushing my curtains to the side, I couldn't help but also notice a bunch of flashing lights in the yard...

My initial thoughts: The aliens are landing!

Seemingly unconcerned about this fact, I rolled right over and fell back asleep.

I might not have even remembered this odd occurrence if I hadn't met up with Willy for a run in the morning and she happened to mention that there were lots and lots helicopters in the sky last night and early this morning. Yes... that's right. It's frost season in Marlborough and the vineyard owners are going crazy trying to protect their grapes. Apparently it's quite common for their to be over 100 helicopters flying overhead on a particularly frosty night.

Upon reflection, I'm a wee bit concerned about the fact that the possibility of aliens circling overhead in a spaceship even came to mind when I was awoken from my deep sleep...

In other news, my Garmin is now officially dead <sniff sniff>. I charged it last night so it would be ready to use this morning and when I went to turn it on, the screen would not appear. Several attempts and a few gentle whacks on the table were of no use. I'm sad to say goodbye to this ingenious piece of technology, but I guess I can be happy with how much use I got out of it. Considering I purchased it in 2004, I'd say it had a good life. I think I'm gonna have to start searching for the latest Garmin model and add it to my birthday wish list :)

A Better Day

Ah... what a relief. Today was a much better day.

During 2nd period, one of the DPs showed up at my classroom door with the naughty student from yesterday in tow. After stepping outside with them for a minute, I received a formal apology from the student along with a written apology for her inappropriate behaviour. A quick chat with her now seems to have that problem resolved.

At lunch, when I stopped by the main office to drop off some letters to mail home, the receptionist informed me that someone had sent me some flowers. Completely shocked and confused, I insisted that there was no way they could be for me, and asked if she was confusing me with the Mr. Edwards that also teaches at our school. Alas... the card proved me wrong, and it turns out that Donna-Marie had seen my desperate need for a cheer-up (possibly a result of the text I had sent her the night before saying "shit man... I'm in a dark place right now") and ordered a beautiful bouquet of flowers to be delivered to the school.

Apparently she received my text this morning and immediately went into full-prayer mode. Donna-Marie is convinced of the power of prayer and wants to prove it to me. She prayed for me at several points today and also sent me several motivational texts staggered throughout the day.

Although the skeptic in me says "well, it could have just been a better day", the other side of me considers the alternative possibility...

Either way, thanks a million Donna-Marie! You rock!

Over It!

I can't get over how much I'm struggling these days. It's really hard to describe it too. I can't figure out if I'm stressed with work, feeling homesick, feeling unsettled with my upcoming move home, or if I'm just plain unmotivated. But everything is a struggle. Getting out of bed, being positive at work, getting out for physical activity... it's all tough work.

Today I had a really shitty class last period of the day. It started with a student breaking a window, and was made much worse when a student told me to "f-off" and shove the "f-ing test up my a**" when I caught her talking during a test. This was followed by two hours of parent-teacher interviews for my senior students. Uggh... I'm so over it right now!

I've only got one more day to go, and then my holidays begin. We shall see if the time off helps out in any way...

Later this evening, after rushing home from the PT interviews and catching the first half of the the end-of-term dinner at the hostel, I showed up late to my Tuesday night small-group session at Susan's house. The focus of tonight's session was on one of our group members, Matt, who gave his testimony. Matt shared a truly inspiring story about how he got involved with drugs at a young age and how he overcame it in the end. He told us about how the drugs started to take over, how his life became overshadowed with guilt since he was always telling lies (lies to his parents and lies to his friends), and how he ended up having to deal drugs just to cover the cost of his next fix since he was always in debt with others. His story continued with even more shocking and horrific details of how bad things got and how trapped he became. The whole time I couldn't help but think about how completely sheltered and innocent my childhood was in comparison.

Matt's story has a very positive outcome, though, and he went on to describe how it all changed in one pivotol moment. One night, his brother (who was equally involved with drugs) was admitted to the hospital after having a seisure. Knowing that he had to tell someone the truth, Matt fessed up to his parents about the drugs that his brother was using. He watched his parents break down after receiving this devastating news and then found himself standing outside in his backyard with this enormous force weighing him down. It was at this moment that he felt a calling. He knew that it was time. This was his chance to be freed. So he went back inside and told his parents about his own struggles with drugs, beginning a tough but successful road to repair in his life.

The best part about Matt's story was his conviction - his conviction that he has no doubt that his life was changed by the Holy Spirit reaching out to him. He is certain that God spoke to him that night and led him on a path to recovery. Today, he lives a completely transformed life, totally at peace now, knowing that God is fully in control.

Matt's story has left me feeling both inspired and jealous. Yes... jealous.

I am inspired by this story of how, yet again, humans are capable of overcoming anything. If only you could see just how transformed this guy is. Wow... it's amazing.

Oddly enough, I do feel jealousy as well. Jealousy of just how certain he is about God and His role in his life.

I must say, it's definitely been an interesting experience for me the past several months as I have begun to further explore my beliefs. Many parts of this search have been exciting and moving. However, on many other occassions, I can't help but find myself looking at everything from a critical standpoint and wondering just how certain I am about my discoveries so far.

Alas... I suppose it's all part of the journey. Ups and downs. And when it comes down to it, it comes down to what you feel in your heart...

Marmite vs. Vegemite

Since moving to NZ, I have discovered a new type of spread. It comes in two forms: Marmite (made by Sanitarium) and Vegemite (made by Kraft).

According to Wickipedia:
Marmite is made from yeast extract, a by-product of beer brewing, and is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. The British version of the product is a sticky, dark brown paste with a distinctive, powerful flavour, which is extremely salty and savoury with umami qualities, somewhat comparable to soy sauce. This distinctive taste is reflected in the British company's marketing slogan: "Love it or hate it."

This spread is blackish-brown in colour and smells like crap. On the first few tries, I'd say it tastes like crap too. On several occassions I tried it and just couldn't do it. I honestly wondered how anyone could ever like the stuff.

Well... that was until recently. While away on the Adventure Camp the other weekend, one of the instructors insisted that I give it another go. For whatever reason, I did, and this time I liked it. Go figure!

I believe that the secret to enjoying this stuff is entirely in the application:
- You must start with a freshly toasted piece of bread.
- You also must use real butter, and make sure that the butter melts into the bread.
- You then finish with a really thin application of the spread -- too much spread and it's no good!

I'm really not sure why I like it now, but I do. Apparently it's also really nice with a slice of avocado on top!

After discovering that I liked this stuff, I decided to give it the ultimate taste test and do the comparison test: Marmite vs. Vegemite. It's quite useful that the hostel stocks both brands to keep the students happy (apparently people are really particular about which brand they prefer).

The official taste test is out: Marmite wins hands down!

I actually like it so much, that I might end up buying myself a bottle of my own. I wonder if I can get this stuff in Canada?...