Sunday, February 14, 2016 -- On to Dunedin, South Island

This past week has been an interesting one. And a very very long one!  But today is the day of love, so Happy Valentine’s Day!

Tuesday we went to the University of Auckland and had a short tour of the Maori studies part of the university from a professor there. We got to see the Marae there and it was beautiful inside. We got our Mexican food fix afterwards, and it was goooood. That evening I started editing one of our videos – the Backpack Journalism video. We had a lot of fun with that one haha. I’ll post a link to it!

On Wednesday my group got to do a cool story at a tattoo shop! We got some good interviews and learned more about the traditional Maori tattoos, Mokos, which was the focus of the story. And not going to lie, we got some really cool footage. My camera was doing the time lapse so I filmed a guy getting a full tattoo! Let's say since my tripod was being uncooperative and wasn't in the right spot anyways, my arm got realllllyyy tired haha. But we are very excited about that project!

Thursday was a sad day because it was our last day in Auckland with the YSAs. In the morning we got a lot of editing done and just relaxed.  Ethan came over to get footage (because he made the sweetest video of our road trip – check in out on my FB, I am tagged in it) and brought us a bunch of Whittaker’s chocolates. What a saint.  Also we had a surprise delivery to our dorms with individually- wrapped personalized Maori necklaces with each of our names embossed on them and a sweet note to our group thanking us. That was SO thoughtful of them and they are the ones that need to be thanked! I am so grateful for each of the YSA there. Later that day we joined the YSAs at Mission Bay. There was some touch rugby going on, some eating, some swimming, some talking, and some climbing the fountain. It was just a chill day. After a few hours we got some food.  I had been craving Better Burger all day, so Ben, Jason, Ryan were kind enough to accompany me there. Then we got a dozen donuts and ate them on some steps. We had everyone come to our apartment to say goodbye. The saddest part was when Ethan and Craig said goodbye and we all took pictures with them and had a group hug and cried inside because we were going to miss them SO much.  Check out the goodbye pictures: http://vsco.co/jesssanne/journal/goodbyes-suck

That night I only got about a two and a half hour nap, and woke up at 4:30 AM Friday. I packed up the rest of my stuff, sorta got ready for the day, and said goodbye to my cute little dorm room. I am really sad to have left that place behind. Not only was it nice and we had so much space, but it was our home in Auckland.  I still feel like we are going to go back in a few days… to our home!

We each hauled all our luggage up the super steep hill to the main road where the bus picked us up at 5:30 am to take us to the airport. Going up that hill was the hardest thing I’ve had to do this trip haha. Anyways it’s a good thing I was SOO tired, or else I may have been too sad and mad to get on the plane to leave Auckland and fly to the South Island.

When we finally got to our hotel in Dunedin, we had to wait about 4 hours until our rooms were ready.  And although it is called a Hotel, the downstairs level is definitely a hostel, and that is definitely what we are staying.  Reviews for this place say that it is haunted. It’s a creaky old building that looks like an orphanage. There are bullet-looking-holes in the doors, blood on some of the mattresses, and a flickering vacancy sign in the front. You can just picture it huh? Yeah it is pretty fun. A real charmer, especially after being spoiled in Auckland. I’m not gonna lie, that first day in Dunedin I really had a hard being here. I just didn’t have a good feeling about it, I was tired and grumpy, there were drunk guys in the hallway trying to talk to us, I was really missing Auckland and the crew, and I was not feeling well. My stomach gets destroyed every time I travel, even though it was just an hour and a half flight or whatever (I was asleep so I don’t know). 

We went to a mall close by and got food; I got rice and naan.  My stomach was not happy even with that.  After a nap, later that evening, some of us walked around town.  It was raining and no one was on the streets- and it was a FRIDAY night! It was kinda cool though.  We found this area called the Octagon and walked along some cafes/ bars and found out that’s where all the people were! Instead of a crazy party scene, people were just sitting, eating, drinking, and talking. I thought that was a cool and unique kind of nightlife you don’t usually see. (The only completely wasted people we saw were the guys in the room next to ours!...) Anyways that was a nice little walk. We came home for group scripture and prayer, which I have never felt like I needed more haha. I know things feel better with the Spirit in my life so I’m trying to do everything I can to invite it and keep it in.  Anyways, I’m so grateful we do this every night.

http://vsco.co/jesssanne/journal/day-one-in-dunedin

In the Octagon area just up the street there was a huge market that they have yearly. We were lucky to catch it so effortlessly! So this is where we spent most of Saturday. It was really fun to look around at everything, take lots of pictures, and have a positive experience with the city. There were little live bands everywhere (I got the best video of some people dancing), the most interesting people to talk to, and there were even alpacas for sale. I feel like I spent way too much money but I got some great souvenirs and gifts so I feel good about it! Madie and I went to a cute waffle booth and were so excited to get yummy gourmet (but expensive) waffles. While having some good conversation with the people running it, I pulled out my card to pay and he told us they didn’t take cards!  Neither of us had any cash on us, we were sooo bummed. But then the man in charge said “You can have just these for free - since you’re Americans ” We were so surprised and grateful! What a kind man!!  Later we were thinking about how if we hadn’t been interested in them and excited about waffles, and if we hadn’t started a conversation and just ordered without saying anything else, that probably wouldn’t have happened!  Ahh he was just so nice. And I just love people. It was nice to have a relaxed day to just enjoy the markets.  

Since we now finally have a full kitchen (minus an oven), we can cook more! I am so happy!! I want to try to eat a lot healthier as well (gonna lay off the Tim Tams). We went grocery shopping and later that day we took another walk. We were trying to make our way to the wharf but got lost on the weird streets. Haha Amy described them the best: “It looks like we are walking through streets of movie sets that never got finished”. It was a bunch of worn down warehouses and closed down buildings. There was evidence of life, but there was no one to be found haha. We had fun taking some pictures. We finally found the wharf, and although it is WAY too cold to jump in, we were happy to find it because we had missed the ocean.

Today Sunday we attended a 9:00 branch service not too far away. The bus dropped us off at the bottom of a big hill that we had to climb up, and then the church was right next to this cliff face. In a way it reminded me of St. George up there. Church was great. There were a few families, a few older couples, and quite a few singles. The Sunday School class we went to was called YSA Sunday School, then we combined with the others for Relief Society. I was thinking a lot about my home ward today, and I was missing my JR ward! 

After church, Dori (one of the director’s wives) made us Taco Salad which we were so grateful for! After everyone ate Valentine’s chocolates and took naps, some of us girls went over to the museum across the street to use their wifi from outside haha! We had the best conversations too. Since it is Valentine ’s Day, we all went around and gave each other compliments. Everyone gave everyone genuine compliments and it was just so happy. I feel so much love for these girls. It was nice because it was girls I hadn’t been super close with but I just love them so much. While we were gone, Ryan and Jason (the only two boys in our group) did the cutest thing.  They had tied flowers they had picked onto little candy bars and left them on each of our beds. What thoughtful brothers we have ;) Then Madie, Sam, and I walked around and checked out a little more of the city, took pictures, and had the best fries and desserts at a fancy restaurant in the Octagon. Check out Valentine's Day: http://vsco.co/jesssanne/journal/v-day-yo

A little more about Dunedin…

It is cold here! Yesterday it was in the 50’s. That will probably be the coldest day we have so that is good. I know I shouldn’t complain because everyone back home is in the snow, but I’m used to Auckland’s real summer beach weather.  Plus I’m seeing snapchats from multiple people skiing back home in the 45- 50 degree weather! What’s up with that! Is winter over??

They definitely have a different accent down here.

This is a weird one haha but… The guys are a lot creepier here!

This city is a lot older and historic feeling than Auckland. It is very European feeling with really pretty architecture and such. There are such pretty churches and train stations around us – as in directly out our windows. So we are fortunate. Then there are colorful houses on the hills. It’s charming, just very different than the North Island. After tonight’s walk, I’m realizing I still don’t have a grasp on it. It’s a different kind of city for sure. It really does feel like a movie set everywhere. 
It’s a pretty old city but also really pretty and classy. There are really pretty buildings. Then randomly we see really run down ones. Oh and there’s a ton of really cool street art as well!  It’s a quiet town… it just feels… abandoned for some reason.

Sorry that it is a long email that is kinda boring, but there’s my week!

This week’s NZ facts:

•          Everything always closes sooo early, even (and especially?) in the city in Auckland. If you want food late, your options are McDonalds and Wendy’s.

•          I say this out of pure love… But ya know how a lot of returned missionaries have a certain intonation in their voice where they go up at the end of sentences? Well New Zealanders have a certain intonation like that as well. It definitely doesn’t sound weird or anything though; it flows with the accent. In fact it sounds nice haha but they definitely do that!