Changes in Latitudes

Even though I still have one more day in New Zealand, I would use this time to say: Hei konā rā, Aotearoa. What a ride the past two and a half years have been. I came here with expectations and nothing that I expected about this country was true, except that I knew I would love my time here. I feel that being able to reside here for so long has given me an appreciable sense of independence and growth as an individual. I have met some people who I know I will be friends with probably for the rest of my life. Not to mention the amazing experiences that they have given and shared with me. I have also had some great lecturers for my undergraduate degree. There have been some rough times and some smooth sailing, but overall I have no complaints. So thank you to my parents for allowing me to stay here for so long. I have missed you, but some things you just gotta do. Last night was my final hurrah in Auckland. This morning, the 2 beer "hangover" was treated with a trip to the Choco...

(From Dad)

I finished all of my exams today at 4:30pm. I am pretty sure I did well in all of my courses, despite the Tommy Boy scene that always plays through my head when I walk out of that last exam: "Oh my God, D+... I passed! I'm gonna graduate! ...I wish we knew each other, this is a little awkward." 4 years of university education later I can say that my childhood ambitions are now reality. Not many people can say they became what they wanted to be as kids. It still hasn't sunk in that I have my Bachelors degree now (well, when they've finished marking exams and give out grades). Now I can go into the world and put what I've learned to practice -- but not too much unless I do my MSc...which is on the agenda. This blog will change from "Life in New Zealand" to "Life in Norway"...stay tuned!

Documentary filmmakers really do their job well. They really get me inspired to do something - including studying for exams! What will you do to reduce your carbon footprint? What will you do to improve the situation of our planet? If there's one thing I learned from taking a semester of only ecology courses, it's that we as humans are making a massive impact, and that needs to change. [ Please watch ] "Our past, our present, and whatever remains of our future, absolutely depend on what we do now," - Sylvia Earle

Weeks ago I emailed Congressman Thaddeus McCotter about the H.R. 892 (Stop Asian Carp Act), which is "to require the Secretary of the Army to study the feasibility of the hydrological separation of the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins". And I now received a reply from the Congressman, glad to see that he has been on board. Please write your Congressmen about this so that they understand that it is an issue that is important to numerous people. "Bighead carp grow to 100 pounds, have no stomach and eat up to 40% of their bodyweight every day, eliminating food supplies for native fish and causing their populations to crash. The Great Lakes generate billions in economic activity that mean thousands of jobs for Michigan residents. Stopping Asian carp is an economic necessity for Michigan. We will not have a second chance once they enter the Great Lakes. " A hilarious CNN report (video available on youtube) says that a "major concern" is the physi...

I only have a 5 minute walk to campus, but I seem to have traumatic experiences. OK, that was a bit of a dramatic word to choose, but it is weird how often my walk goes from normal to strange. There was the time the girl got her foot crushed under a steel plate in the road on the first day of classes. The occasional cross-dressing or naked guy running for Craccum editor (the University magazine). I can't think of others but I know there are some! Today, however, I was pooped on by a bird. I'm used to it; happened a lot last year on my field trip to the gannet colony. I hope that it is "good luck" like they say, and not that I have bad luck for getting pooped on by a bird. a good portion of the projectile feces hit my glasses, that wasn't so nice. Luckily there was no one passing to see it! Wait...did that use up my good luck?

Yesterday I decided to take a break before I had dinner to go for a run though the park. I usually run through here and have been particularly using a long, semi-steep hill to train my legs for the Stoltzen Opp in September. ANYWAYS, when I was looping through the wooded trail to get back for another lap up the hill, I thought I'd try going down this other side trail that I hadn't used before. It looked like it had been walked on frequently so I figured it would lead back to the main trail. But it came to a dead end. There was a tarp and garbage bag fashioned into a tent and I stopped for not even 3 secons and saw a hand reach out from behind it. I was so scared that I turned around and ran away as fast as I could. I never thought I'd run into a hobo-hut on one of my numerous runs through the Auckland Domain! SCARY!!

Today I have the final two lectures of my BSc. Very weird to think that in a month, I will be graduated and have a piece of paper that says that I'm officially a Biologist. Not very nice weather for such a momentous occasion though. It's very windy and pouring rain. Welcome to Auckland winter. Yuck. (By the way, NZ builders do not know how to properly seal windows and doors. My windows are shut and locked, and yet still whistling!)