Long time no see! Anyways we have been really busy here in NZ and having lots of fun too! We've met heaps of people from all over the world! There are people from Tonga, Samoa, England, Malaysia, India, Thailand, Philippines, Australia, Fiji, Poland, Israel, Japan, Taiwan, Ireland etc. Its really fun getting to know them and their cultures.
The schools here are pretty awesome too. Their classrooms are well decorated with all sorts of art work and crafts and has a really homely feel. Most classes have a sink in the rooms, a couple of computers and the tables are arranged for group learning. I love the schools I'm helping out in and the teachers here are fantastic. I didn't have such a fun classroom when I was in school. Comparatively, it was pretty clinical. White painted, single files of desks facing the blackboard, a huge teacher's desk in the front of the room, cabinets to keep exercise books out of sight, no hands on resources (except for the science labs), two noticeboards flanking the blackboard, all very neat, a notice board at the back with notices neatly pasted and a wastebasket and a broom next to the door. Sometimes we got to decorate the classroom for Chinese New Year or Hari Raya but that was about it.
Recess (its called Playtime here... how fun does that sound) was a quick 25 mins which included walking down from the fifth floor, queueing to buy food from the canteen, finding a seat in the canteen, finishing your food, then going out to play in the field or basketball court or along the corridors with our yeayeas and our skipping ropes or 5 stones. Here, the kids have two playgrounds (with this really cool tarzan swing), free to play balls which no one steals its just scattered on the floor, a huge field, a sandbox etc. No canteens which means you have to pack your own lunch and tea. One thing that saddens me is that many of the kids eat stuff like potato chips and cheezels as part of the lunch or for snacks. Its like part of their daily diet. Anyway, its not much of my business. But the kids here are really allowed to be kids. School starts at 9am and ends at 3pm (SHARP!) with breaks for 2 playtimes and lunch. How cool is that! No waking up before the sun does! The best part.... NO EXAMS!!!!! NO EXAMS to grade you and channel you to whatever stream which you are too young to be streamed for at primary school!!! No stressful PRIMARY SCHOOL LEAVING EXAMINATIONS... after primary school.... you just go to a secondary school. Sighs..... By 330pm, the school is dead quiet. No one's around. Why? Cos everyone here has a life.....
Anyway, enough comparing.... we all had our good times in which ever school we were in anyways. We had the best times of our lives with our friends and made the best out of every fun and stressful moment in school eh.....
On another note: I had loads of time to bake and cook too! I think I've cooked more lunches here than in one year in Singapore! I've managed to cook up my own chicken recipe, made Chee kuih, baked muffins, made Tau Sar Piah (with friend), made my own egg toufu, made my fav fried hokkien mee, Prawn noodle soup, teriyaki salmon, curry mee, bought a cool grill to bbq as well. Oamaru is a pretty small town and we have to go to either Dunedin or Christchurch to get some Asian groceries. But thats not too bad... I'm gonna make lots more stuff soon.... :)
Alrighty, here's some pics for you Sil... I think putting it up in Facebook is easier but I'll put it up here anyways.... Goodness me... it takes decades to get it up online.
Christchurch: Avon River near the town centre.
Mt Cook: Hooker Valley walk. It was fun to walk!
Mt Cook: Before our 1 hr drive into the Mt Cook itself.
Queenstown: The Cable car ride up was fantastic!
Glacier: One of them... cant remember which
Arrowtown: Chinese Settlement.
Cheers' Mate!
