Parachute

So this last weekend I had the really great opportunity to go to a Christian music festival called Parachute. Now when I say 'music festival' I don't mean just your random little family fair. I mean this thing is HUGE. In fact I think a better word for it would be..... MASSIVE.

It was more than a little ridiculous to be perfectly honest. The numbers that I heard were 25,000 people were there. No I didn't put that comma in the wrong place or add too many zeros. There really were 25,000 people there. This was a massive event. The largest in the southern hemisphere and to be completely honest I think it could give anything up north a very good run for their money. I had a totally awesome time and discovered that Jesse, one of the staff members that I went with, apparently has connections with some mafia type of group. :) To get into the festival you would normally have to pay quite a bit (we got 1/2 price tickets - thank you Hadassah and Jack). Once we got into the festival we discovered that Brian "Head" Welch (yes, that would be the guy that used to be in the band Korn) was going to be doing a Q&A session at one of the buildings. We tried to get in to see Chris Tomlin speaking but found out that we'd have to pay an extra $50 a piece to do so!! Jenn (Jesse's wife) and I were like "oh bummer - oh well, I guess maybe next time". However Jesse and Nat (kiwi guy that was in my semester when I was a student here, and now comes back to help and visit now and again) were not going to be so easily swayed. So, then went, and talked, cajoled, joked, pleaded and who knows what else and we all got to go in for free!! I was super excited. Not to mention we also got to see (the pictures are in this order) Rapture Ruckus, Seabird, Parachute Band, Chris Tomlin, and Louie Giglio. :)

Princess Tea Parties

While the main parts of my job here in New Zealand is cooking food for the staff and students, and hanging out with the students (the fact that that is considered a 'job' is pretty much the best thing that a social butterfly like myself could ask for), there are a few extra perks that I get to have. One of which is hanging out with staff families.

The great thing about hanging out with staff families is that I get to enjoy playing with and being idolized by small children without really having to have any responsibility for them. That's why I also love being an aunt. :) So this last week, before all the students came, "Princess Sophie" and "Princess Annalise" came to visit and we decided that it was absolutely necessary that we have high tea together. :) Our citrus tea and goodies were shipped "all the way from the Orient, by the emperor himself". Thank goodness for the resource room and good imaginations! :)

My Next Adventure

Wow - can I just say that I saw the date of my last post and quite honestly I feel like crawling into a hole and painting myself black to try and cover my shame. Nothing since August? That has to be a glitch in the system... Or I'm just not a very faithful writer and I've got a feeling that it is much more that than anything else. So I guess it's time to play a little catch up and get you all informed of my next big adventure :)

School was great - I had a good time finishing everything up and my last few months in Florida were great. I really enjoyed it and learned a lot both in and out of school. As part of my schooling though they require that you do a three month internship underneath another chef. At first I was considering coming back to Colorado but then my mom suggested looking at the Capernwray schools again and seeing if any of the European schools needed help. Sadly though all the Euro schools were a no-go. But thankfully!! NZ was looking for somebody! :) So I now have the great pleasure of writing all of you from my new home base, Unit 1, at Capernwray. It sounds slightly like a place on a spaceship... Unit 1, aboard the mothership Capernwray. Who knows. I guess I've been watching a tad too much Battlestar Galactica lately. :)

I don't have any pictures just yet but I will say that I am completely spoiled already with my lovely little place. They even set up for me with fresh flowers and a few starter groceries :) Completely lovely. I must confess though - I find myself semi-picking up their accent and it's really starting to bug me so I'm trying to stop. :) Anyway, I'll try to be a little more faithful with these posts and let you know what's going on as my new adventure unfolds.