Hello everyone!  Thanks for continuing to follow my adventures!

I have had a very nice beginning to my schooling here at VUW (Victoria University of Wellington).  I have finally decided on which classes to take, which was not too difficult!  I got the hint that it would be good for me to drop one of my philosophy classes as soon as the professor began talking.  While he seemed to be a very knowledgeable fellow, he lectured with his eyes closed!  I just don't think I could handle that--I could fall asleep the whole time and nobody would notice. 

So now, I am taking three Philosophy classes and one Applied Linguistics class focused on strategies for teaching grammar to second language learners.  This is a very new and interesting classroom environment for me, because about 80% of the students are Malaysian Muslim females who wear hijabs (and another 10% are Malaysian males).  I have had the great opportunity to learn about Malaysian culture, such as the fact that they write their language in the English alphabet.  However, some people also know the Arabic alphabet, and I have found it much easier to learn my classmates' names using the Arabic characters. 

One of my philosophy teachers is so kind and genuine.  He holds ten hour-long review sessions at his house just to help his students! And he brings coffee, tea, and cookies to class so we can snack during break! He says he does that because he wants his students to feel as though they are at home. 

Also this week, I went to my first yoga class in a few years. It was quite enjoyable, and nothing beats taking the class in a room on a hill that has panoramic views of the entire city of Wellington!

Yesterday afternoon, Joey and I went into town. We ate at Aunty Mena's Vegetarian Cafe (http://www.menumania.co.nz/restaurants/aunty-mena-vegetarian-cafe) which was great!  It is one of the only vegetarian restaurants in Wellington, and even carnivorous Joey claimed it was one of the best meals he's had so far in Wellington!  After dinner, we strolled over to Paper Bag Princess, a consignment clothing store with a great selection.  Joey got a pair of bellbottom jeans, which he has been in search of for months! 

Today, we went to Zealandia at the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary (www.visitzealandia.com). I was surprised that it was located so close to where we live (only 2km walk), yet it is such a different world from the bustling city!  This is not like a zoo; picture a large forest with paths, where you might get lucky to see a rare animal roaming around in its natural habitat.  We saw some beautiful birds, as well as the weta insect, some lovely tuatara, and an intriguing kaka bird (not to be confused with the kakapo, which is flightless). Hopefully, I will be able to post pictures soon!

Oops! I shouldn't forget to mention that last weekend, we went to Te Papa, the huge free museum here in Wellington.  It is great because there are many interactive exhibits about plants, animals (giant squid), Maori culture, and even Anne Frank!  It is a great place for kids, too, because it's not boring at all and there are so many things to do. I feel this is an essential place to visit on any trip to Wellington!

The plan for tomorrow is to do the now-routine visit of the farmers market downtown.  I hope to get some lovely veggies and fresh cheese!