Pasifika Festival

Looking out across the spring-this was such a beautiful park with so many walkways and shady trees, and lots of people, so I felt like I was at Disneyland again (just without rides).

Enjoying the stillness of the spring that surrounds Western Springs Park-this park was so large, so Kara and I got a great workout walking through it all :)

Pretty view

You may not be able to really see it but there is an eel down in that water! Eww!! Except I will say, I have tasted eel, and they taste pretty good when they are smoked.

Just a snapshot of some of the hundreds and thousands that attended the festival today. Also, in the background are two sign posts for two different islands-Kara and I were walking around Aotearoa at the moment and then headed uphill to Samoa. My favorite island was the Cook Islands and that is where I got the cutest saran (don't know if I spelled that right) that would be great to put up in my classroom, and an adorable shell bracelet for myself.

Some entertainment: at this moment that I took the picture, the man in front was singing "The Climb" and he did beautifully!

One of the shops we stopped at-I was just entranced by the beauty of the shell work

Pukeko bird-a native to New Zealand

Circle of Friends Rock

So sorry it has taken me literally a week to blog, but to be honest, until today there wasn't must happening. One exciting night was Tuesday, the day before I started getting really sick, because Brother Skeen from Richland came over with his wife Tanisha! He was never my seminary teacher, but I remember him substituting and doing the Haka for our class, and thinking how cool he was. We had a grand time eating fajitas, talking about Richland before he left to go back to New Zealand in 2007, all the students he knew, who was married, who I liked and where everyone is now. It was so fun to think back on those good ol days :) The food was amazing too! So yummy, just like the Mexican back home, which I am super excited to start eating again at home. Farran's family was also in town for a wedding happening Saturday so it was a full house, but a very fun night. I love small Mormon worlds, and I know that seeing Brother Skeen and having him in my ward was a tender mercy just so I wouldn't be so homesick, knowing that someone from my hometown was happy in New Zealand too.

Pomaria is good just like always, but also very trying. Some students were little pills but due to a tender mercy in the form of a cold, I realize how much I love them and want to be around them (even when they give me headaches). On Wednesday my body was just aching and my head killed (and not from the kids this time), my nose was running constantly and I was shivering, even though it was a warm day in Auckland. By the time we had finished lunch I knew I had to go home, and Jan Scott was all for it. She didn't even think I should have been at school that day. I agree with her; I was so awful to the students-yelling at them, not wanting to be around them because I was feeling icky and not being enthusiastic Allison like I usually am. The students could tell my patience was running thin so they were very disobedient and hard to handle, but that could have been my perception to because I felt so awful. Once lunch hit I just started crying thinking how awful I was as a teacher and how much the students hate me, but I know I wasn't in my right mind, and thanks to Sue Wilson for taking me home (she's the assistant principal). I love the support from Pomaria, it is so amazing, and the staff really is like a family.

After that half day of rest and then a whole day in bed just watching Disney channel originals (Kara's orders), and a weekend of rest and relaxation and shopping, I feel heaps better! Kara and I got some great souveniers, skirts, and sunglasses at the mall. But the best part was today, Saturday, at the Pasifika Festival, and just walking around all the island shops and seeing how the Pacific Islands are similar and different. Each island is unique and so beautiful as we saw from the music, shops, food, and entertainment around Western Springs Park. Also, we bumped into a few of the BYU girls which was a pleasant surprise. Fun weekend, and now I am ready for a good Sunday with the Valiant 11 (primary class) and another week at Pomaria, hopefully snot-free he he.