AFS Camp

Ok, I know that I said I would give description of school next but the truth is that I have been to school for a grand total of 4 days out of the month I have been here! That is due to the fact that I have been sick for the last 2 weeks and therefore was unable to attend school (lol). Of course, I was not to sick to go to Berlin and go shopping, but that is another story altogether. Long story short, the school recount will have to wait. But I do have photos of my afs camp that happened last weekend in Berlin!! I like photos.

But before the photos, a few, ummm, "highlights" of the camp. Hmmm, maybe "highlights" is not the right word, read on and you will understand...

Ok, so the camp consisted of 20 odd students from all over the world. Despite the many different countries, we were inevitably put into different groups. There were the "Latinos" (roughly 80%), The Asians (6 or so) The Brazillians and, well, the NZers. All good except there were only 2 NZers, me and a girl called Maddy from Wellington. We both soon realised that, despite being english speaking (a typically arrogant assumption I think) we were definitely not the majority by way of what language was spoken. I don't know, I guess we just automatically assumed that english would be the common language and everyone would be speaking that. (of course, whats ironic is that no one even THOUGHT that maybe we would be speaking in German, despite being in Germany!). But no, spanish was the main language for the weekend. No problem really, I mean everyone DID speak english to a certain point but Maddy and I were definitely the minority which was weird.

Anyways, now that you've made it through that random blurb here's the real stuff. As typical girls, we went to inspect the bathroom facilities and were shocked at what we found. We had 2 toilets (for about 15 of us) which wasn't TERRIBLE I guess and three shower heads. Now stop and re-read the last sentence again.......We had three shower HEADS, but not three shower cubicles!! Oh no, these were community showers!! Oh what a joy! With the help of some handy shower curtains we were able to create 2 separate showers, one with just one head and one with two. But the thing is, there was still no guarantee someone wouldn't decide they were comfortable enough with their bodies and themselves and jump in next to you if you were in the double shower area. And I tell ya, it was a seriously scary thought!! The first morning I got up and Maddy and i went to take a shower (SEPARATELY). We got in there and there was no one in the showers so they were all ours. Maddy took the single shower (lucky thing) and I took the double. It must have been the shortest shower I have ever (or will ever) taken! Honestly, I think 10 years must have been taken off my life in that 1:08. Everytime the door opened in the bathroom I got more and more worried that someone would spot my single pair of feet in the double shower and jump in.

The next morning I decided that it wasn't really necessary to take a shower EVERY day...stimmts? :P :D

On the topic of showers I will now do my best to describe a very interesting girl we encountered on camp...

Her name was Fatima, but she was known as Mexico; I suppose this nickname was due in part to her original origin (Mexico) but something tells me that there were other reasons that I won't disclose in this post (email me for details). She was the only one from Mexico and she was in the "english speaking" group with Maddy and I. In hindsight, I realise that she really wouldn't have caught my attention the way she did if she hadn't been in my group. But fate had it that she spoke and understood a good level of English and was therefore designated to our group. Don't get me wrong, there are absolutely no regrets on my part, in fact I am actually quite glad that she was with us. Without her it could have ultimately been a very boring weekend...

*Interesting opinion #1*

We were discussing what was different between our host families here and our families back home. The usual little things came up "I have to share a room", "there's no snack food in the house" etc. and then Lorraine came up with the matter of cleanliness. In Lorraines host family, they take a bath once a week but use the same water. After chatting about it a bit, Mexico came up with the fact that her host parents only let her take one shower a day. There was kind of a bit of a confused silence and then I asked exactly how many showers she needed a day. To which she promptly replied "three", as though it was the most normal thing in the world and I was strange for even asking! She told us that she took 3 a day in Mexico. The grins were slowly beginning to form around the room but there was still time for further explanation before the realisation hit all of us. And so, she explained: "Obviously I have one when I get up in the morning before school, and then one when I get home from school, and then one before I go to bed at night."

In answer to that, the obvious question was "Why???" but we were all busy trying not to laugh. Our AFS managed to change the subject with the good 'ol line: "well yes, things are definitely different from your home countries".

*Interesting opinion #2*

Fatima was having trouble at school and she didn't like the classes. When asked what was wrong with them she replied that she wished they were the same as in Mexico, where 'apparantly' you can just sleep on your desk if your not interested or just leave the class if you are bored. Hmmm...interesting indeed...perhaps the schools in NZ should take a page out of Mexico's education system?

*Interesting Action #1*

Mexico liked taking photos. I mean, really really really liked taking photos. She would take photos of everything. It really wasn't anything different at first, I mean we were all taking photos. Photos of each other, the landscapes, the room and things we were doing. But Fatima, ever the one to break away from the crowd, would lie on her back taking photos of the ceiling. It wasn't a particularly nice ceiling, you know, as far as ceilings go it was pretty average. It was a normal creamy colour, same colour as the wall, and the other wall...and...well, the other wall! Come to think of it, it was pretty much a boring cream room. But still the photo's were taken without restraint. Perhaps it was her artistic license?

Ok so enough about Mexico, although I could go on about her forever!

Here are some photos of the weekend and the people:

These are the Latino Guys

My Juggling sticks, ever the great entertainer..

Me, Diego and Maddy

All of us

And us girls (Mexico is on the far left)

A son lost, but many gained

An outpouring of love and grief for a South Korean teenager continued yesterday in Whangarei.
Eighteen-year-old student SangJe Lee died on Monday, hours after being run over in a hit-and-run incident at Okara shopping centre.
His heartbroken father SeungJe Lee told those who went to farewell SangJe at a funeral service in Pompallier Catholic College's hall that although he had lost his only child, he had also gained many sons and daughters.
Mr Lee and his wife Sunga Baek arrived in Whangarei from Korea on Tuesday. They had been deeply touched by the love and support they received, and the deep friendships SangJe had enjoyed, Mr Lee said.

They would always have warm feelings for the city their son loved and where he had lived for four years, Mr Lee said.
Mr Lee's Korean was translated by family friend - and the dead boy's host father - Byung Kuoog Kim of Whangarei. An emotional Mr Kim also spoke of how happy SangJe had been in Whangarei.
He asked friends at the service to remember SangJe, to think of him as they lived their lives: "To keep him alive in your hearts".
Several of SangJe's friends also spoke, among them the school's head boy Joshua Hodgson. They told of a good, loyal friend; a quiet, outwardly shy boy, who loved skateboarding, sports and music, was lots of fun, always ready to listen, to laugh, to share good times and bad.
Principal Madeleine Armstrong said SangJe had won hearts with his willingness to take part in the school's social, sporting and academic activities, even acting in a school production. "They were all threads he used to weave himself into our lives," Ms Armstrong said.
SangJe had had an ability to dissolve geographic, social and cultural boundaries and as such was a new-age pioneer, she said. He taught his fellow school students an understanding of other countries and people.
Yesterday, in the hall packed with Korean family and friends, school mates and their parents, staff and members of the local international community, his farewell included three of his favourite rock songs. As tears flowed freely, during one song - Wonderwall by Oasis - students in the audience spontaneously started singing too.
Then as school mates carried the casket from the hall, followed by SangJe's grieving parents and other family members, a Maori woman's voice rang out in karanga.
SangJe's parents will take his ashes home to Korea, where there will be another funeral service.
Meanwhile, police are still appealing for information about a dark Nissan Skyline car believed to have been involved in SangJe's death.
Detective Shane Pilmer said he expected interviewing of witnesses to have been completed yesterday before the task of checking service station security camera footage began. Footage from about 10 service stations from around the town would be analysed.
"It's a laborious task but a car needs petrol. It must've gone to one around town."

Just found this also:

Rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers have sent their condolences to the family of a young fan killed in Whangarei early today, while queuing for tickets to their upcoming show.

The 18 year old was hit by a car about 3.25am while he was sleeping in a shopping centre car park before the outlet opened at 9am to sell tickets to the band's Auckland show next month.

The vehicle, described as possibly a dark coloured Nissan Skyline, did not stop and police are now hunting for the driver.

A band management representative said the group was shocked by the incident.

"The band's hearts and prayers are with the family at this sad time," the representative said.

The band's New Zealand and Australian tour promoter Michael Coppel also expressed his sympathy to the parents, family and friends of the young Northland fan.

Detective Shane Pilmer of Whangarei police told NZPA they were looking for a grey or gun-metal grey Nissan Skyline in relation to the incident.

Witnesses saw two people in the car, he said.


The teenager was struck as he was lying by himself in the middle of the carpark outside the Rebel Sports Complex in Port Road.

It was not known why he was sleeping away from the rest of the group waiting for the ticket outlet to open, Mr Pilmer said.

This morning I got an email from my parents telling me that a guy from my class in New Zealand had died. Here is the news story :

A Red Hot Chili Peppers fan died after he was hit and left on the side of the road this morning as he queued for tickets for the band's upcoming Auckland concert.
A Whangarei police spokesman said the incident happened about 3.25am today, as the teenager slept while he waited for a ticket outlet to open at 9am.
The teenager, who suffered a suspected ruptured spleen and broken bones, was taken to Whangarei Hospital where he died.
Sergeant Graham Povey said the teenager was outside the Rebel Sports Complex, Port Road, when the car hit him, then drove off.
The car was described only as dark coloured. He appealed for any witnesses to come forward.


I can't believe it, someone hit him and then took off.

So this is a "tribute" to San Jae. Its not lame or a cliche. It is just me trying to do something to remember him from halfway across the world. If any of my class mates read this, I hope you are doing ok and just wish I was there to give you a hug.

The Interesting Party

So, I believe a proper update is in order rather then a bunch of photos.

Well too bad, you’re not going to get one. But here is a story about a party in Berlin we went to…

Basically Anke and Hermann knew a lady who’s boyfriend was turning 40 and having a big party. Neither of them knew the boyfriend, nor anyone who would be at the party but nevertheless, when the invitation was received they couldn’t refuse and so it was agreed upon that we go. Having no idea what kinda party it was we typed the address we were given into the GPS system and off we went.

Winding through the streets of Berlin, we ventured deep into the “not so good” zone. In Germany, that means the area that the police don’t have any control over and don’t bother to patrol. Really, the police themselves are scared to walk these streets but fearlessly we drove on, with all windows up tight and all doors locked. With one hand on the shotgun and one hand on the baton, I did my best not too look scared. (Its not so bad, I think every town has a place like this, for example in Whangarei we have O.T. :-P)

So we find the place and are fortunate enough to find a park right outside of the venue. The venue being a skungy little pub filled with massive bikers and clouds of smoke. That’s one thing that really sucks about Germany, (or one thing that rocks about NZ) smoking is allowed inside restaurants and stuff so if you go out anywhere, you come back reaking of smoke, its not that cool. But back to the bikers…they really were massive! All in their big black jackets and knarly beards. Each had his (or her) fair share of tattoos and one guy had this big face on the back of his head…it was kinda creepy. Every time another bikie arrived they would all jump up and yell and hug and shake hands and cry out for another beer. Would have been ok if the venue was a bit bigger but it really was quite tiny and so if you weren’t seated at the time of the greeting, there was about a 93% chance you would be bowled over.

For the party, they hired a band to play covers and stuff like that. It was a very interesting band; they didn’t seem to have much stamina. Between songs they would all take a quick gulp of beer and then after 2 or 3 songs (depending on the beer supply) they would take a break and stock up. And their song choices were very, well, random. One second they’d be playing slipknot and the next they’d be trying their hand at the Calling or Savage Garden. And after that, well they’d stop playing because they’d run outta booze.

Hermann Anke and I all agree that we were thoroughly bored that night. So why didn’t we just leave you ask yourselves? Well now that is another story in itself. This place wanted to make it easier for its customers to buy and consume drinks from where they sat, so they wouldn’t have to keep going to the bar and paying. So they had a 10 euro card which you paid 10 euro for (duh) and got like 12 stamps on the card. Everytime you ordered something, the waitress would just stamp 2 or 3 places. It was very convenient except for the fact we went through our first one relatively easily so Hermann bought another. That was when the band began. Anke and I found our thirst’s fully quenched and really didn’t want anymore drinks. But we had to use the card up!! So I relented and had an orange juice, Anke a water (water cost the same as beer, it was crazy) and Hermann another beer. But we still had half a dozen stamps left. Anke and I tried to egg Hermann on but he was quite content sipping away at his beer. Then it started getting cold and we decided we’d had enough. So we gave the card to the lady A+H knew and headed back to the car, hoping it was still there.


The next installment will be a detailed recount of my first few days of school, the teachers and the students.

Chao

~Becks~