I made it!  It was a rather long flight, and by the time I exited the airport in Wellington, I was so grateful for fresh air!

I have begun to get situated in my new abode.  It is a quaint, four bedroom house, with a small kitchen but lots of light throughout.  It has a nice living room with two couches and a working TV (and by working, I mean we get three different channels!)  My room is also small, but has four large windows and it is very cozy.  It has a view overlooking some part of the city. This is not unusual, because almost every place you are in Wellington, you are looking doooown!  Also, Joey lives very close nearby, and his house is also very nice, with a much larger kitchen. 

I really like Wellington.  In the first day, I was a bit disappointed, because it was rainy and ugly outside, and it wasn't as quaint as I had expected.  However, after getting to walk around the town a bit more, I like its massive amounts of restaurants and activities available.  It is absolutely mountainous, and you could not understand what this means until you have to walk into town and back UP!  But there's no shortage of exercise for the calves!

Yesterday, I went to a farmers market right by the harbor.  There were dozens of vendors selling fresh fruits and vegetables.  I tried a fruit called the omega which I had never eaten before.  It was yum!  I also bought some honey, vegetarian cheese, and fresh basil.  It was very enjoyable, and inspired me to be a bit healthier! 

It is gearing up to be another sunny, hot day here, which is nothing to complain about in comparison to the 3 feet of snow back in the US! 

I am learning quite a few cultural quirks here, and it is very interesting to learn about New Zealand society.  Many vocabulary words are different here, but I'm getting used to saying rubbish bin instead of trash can!  Also, it has taken me quite a bit long than I have expected to get used to the fact that cars drive on the left side of the road! Before I arrived, I thought it would make sense, because I'm a lefty, but I still have to practice looking right and then left!  Additionally, university society seems to be much more independent than in the US, so you really have to seek out the support and activities you desire! 

What else? People address their professors by their first names.   They essentially never tip in restaurants (which saves me 15-20% in addition to the currency conversion!).  Also, I found out that many New Zealanders don't get married, and instead they just have partners.  I do like the way most toilets have two settings, in order to save energy!  Although, I haven't yet taken the time to notice that the water flushes in the other direction here.  The word "cheers" is still strange to me.  "Cheers" can mean "thanks," "you're welcome," "enjoy your food," and more.  It doesn't make sense! But perhaps by the end of this week, I will have found a way to use cheers appropriately in context! 

Also, I watched some Maori television today, and learned that "Ae" is yes and "Kao" is no!  While I don't know much about Maori culture, it seems really interesting and different from any other culture I have experienced, and I hope to learn more!  Joey and I are hoping to go to a Maori welcoming party, which I believe is called a Powhiri (I think it is pronounced Pofiri). 

I'm off to finalize my registration for courses.  I have gotten into everything I wanted!  Classes start in a week, and I will keep you posted on other adventures coming in my life!  Pictures will hopefully come soon, as well, granted I get internet fully installed in my house soon!

(I am adding on to this later today, just to keep you posted on the most embarassing moments in my life! See below:

1. Today I went to an Indian restaraunt with Joey. It was yum.  Afterwards, I took a spoonful of the desserty herbs in a bowl by the checkout counter.  I started nibbling, only to find that it tasted like soap, and what I thought was dessert was probably potpourri.  Although, I am sure the stupidity of this act had nothing to do with the fact that I was in New Zealand-it's just me!

2.  I was walking back from school to my house today.  On the way, I saw this beautiful kitten on the side of the road.  I looked at it and saw it had a collar, and that there was a phone number on it.  It was very gentle, so I picked up and brought it to Joey's house, because I was trying to do a good thing so the cat's family would know I found it.  When I got there, I looked more carefully at the collar, only to find out that the cat's address was on there: right at the house in front of where I "kittynapped" it from!  So Joey and I had to trek back to return it to its rightful lounging territory.)