Opposite Seasons

Even though it's slowly but surely getting closer to summer over there, it's doing the same thing here with winter. And regardless of the sun the winter diseases are getting around. Monday we drove home and when we got there I wasn't feeling 100% great. I usually have life group on Monday's but my life group was going to Movenpick for some icecream so I opted to stay home and get rid of whatever grossness I felt. A headache,a week stomache, and a sore throat makes many days go by not so pleasantly. I spent most of Tuesday & Wednesday hiding in my room which I nicknamed "The Batcave", darkness made my head feel better and when you're asleep you're not aware that your stomache hurts. Although Aunty Jill & Aunty Phoopie (which is shona for "short" aka sonia) took me to an art auction. Aunty Jill said that artists and buyers would both be at the event so i could wear whatever funky outfit I wanted. ofcourse I did and so did sonia and when we got there we nicknamed ourselves Riff&Raff. We stuck out of the crowd like nobody's business but it was still really fun. Some works of art were worth thousands and thousands of dollars, others worth only hundreds in the buyers eyes. If you've ever been to an auction you know what I'm talking about, but the excitement in the room when a beautiful piece of work is up for bid is just electrifying!! hands shoot up all over the room, each person with their own kind of style. Some like to be really sly and barely lift their number, others nod, some wink, some wiggle their left ear (ok i made that one up but you know what I'm talking about!) I really enjoyed it, almost if not more than the icecream that I was treated to afterwards! :)
Thursday, I spent the day working on a Mapping project with my community coordinator, she had planned other things for me to do but they fell through. Friday, I helped with the preparation for Easter with the co-co too. I got to use my creativity for easter baskets, i really enjoyed it. Next week i'm going to a primary school dressed as the Easter Bunny. I'm not terribly looking forward to it but, it's for the kids. After a huge board meeing i was able to come home each day for some one on one with two girls from the youth group. Sometimes some good ol' girl time. Friday night the youth group went to the observatory, it was really cool. It is the newest observatory in the world and displays a video of their current series "A 100 Hours of Space"focused on the sun and the different astrological signs. Youth group nights are a lot of fun, I get to hang out with all the kids as a partial leader but also as a partial participant. A change from the beginning of my time here is that , now the girls ask to hang out with me during the school week. Kids are really school minded and are restricted on during the week plans so most social things happen during the weekend.
Saturday, Aunty Jill spoke at a church and Aunty Jane, Sonia, and I went to listen to her do her thang. Then it was SHEEPWORLD! Aunty Jill had a friend tag along and so did I. We all headed to sheepworld where a shearer demonstrated how they do their work. Rob, our shearer, had 4 dogs. An eye-dog, that stares and intimdates the sheep and gets them to do what he does, a head-dog that round all the sheep up, and a different dog that barks really loud and gets all the sheep mmoving. The other dog was just a pup that he was training as an eye-dog. Next, Rob demonstrated how they sort the sheep with a fence and moving hing doors. The sheep are marked with colors and shapes in their ears. I was chosen to try and sort them all, blue went one way, orange another and blonde straight through. After some nice blonde jokes and a few death stares from me I was up to my shoulders in really fast moving sheep. I'm not going to be working with sheep anytime soon. I got some blues with the oranges and a blonde or three with the others, but I only hit one in the head with the gate though! I got one on the bum on accident. They come so fast and you can't stop them what so ever! Next Rob showed of at the art of shearing. The sheep's head is held between the knees and it's completely at peace. Some sheep even fall asleep during shearing. The different positions of the sheep are to protect the sheep from getting cut by the electric comb shears. Then he asked for volunteers and pulled me up on the platform and I actually got to shear a sheep!!! It was sooo cool! I got to keep the wool as a souvenir! Then they released the baby sheep and we got to feed them milk from baby bottles!!! They are sooo cute and all I wanted to do what hug it (which i did). Aunty Jane got to feed a baby calf. I call this particular kind of cow oreo cows because both ends are dark black/brown and their middles are white. I love oreo cows, they make me really want an oreo! Outside there were neon pink sheep (for easter I can only imagine), a bull that looked like Chewbaka, baby pigs, llamas, possums, and a cafe where we had our afternoon tea. Aunty Jane had plans for the night so we headed back to Mairangi Bay where my friend Beca and I stayed at the house for a movie night. After Beca left Aunty jill and Sonia kidnapped me for some Movenpick icecream in the city (it's one of my favorite things to do).
Today, Aunty Jane and I drove to church and ofcourse Aunty jane told jokes and made me laugh the whole way there. I sat in between AUnty Jill and Aunty Jane (which is something I never do but none of the youth were there so...)The sermon was about Jesus' crucifixtion in preparation for Easter Sunday and the worship was great. Aunty Jane always harmonizes with what I sing so it sounds so much cooler. A left-overs lunch and some catching up with friends in the states did my evening in!!!

Hope your spring breaks were great!!!!