Last Few Days of [school-free] Summer

It seems odd to have been transported to summer from Canadian winter, but the transition wasn't too weird for me. I've been all over the place since classes ended at UBC in December - first Yelapa, then Englewood, then Tofino, then Kingston, and finally Christchurch. My body's became so confused about climate that it's been nice just to be in one place for more than two weeks. Sadly though, summer will be drawing to a close in the next month or so, and nothing marks that more than the commencement of CLASSES which start tomorrow. I'll let you know how they go!

The last week has been so all over the place that I wasn't really sure how to write a post about any individual thing, so I'm trying to mush it all together. 

SUNDAY
Downtown Christchurch isn't as big as Vancouver, nor is it as quaint as Kingston. But it's still beautiful. We explored the shops and sites, then spent some time in Cathedral square, the centre of the city. 

MONDAY & TUESDAY
International Orientation days were a bit of a write-off. Somewhat helpful, but mostly unnecessarily drawn out. The coolest part was the Maori welcome at the beginning, when we all got to sing together. 

WEDNESDAY
Went to New Brighton to get ma surf on. Angie and Drea came along, and we rented (or hired, in kiwi speak) boards from a shack right on the beach. It was Drea's first time and she was a determined pupil - she managed to stand up twice! I was very proud but don't think I can take the credit for it. Now there are a lot more people in Ilam who want to try surfing, so I'm sure we'll head back soon. Next time though, we'll have to put more zinc on our faces - despite lathering up twice in a four-hour period, we all ended up with pink faces!

Drea, myself and Angie about to head out

THURSDAY
Enrolment day - not exciting at all ... spent the day in line to get my classes confirmed and get my Canterbury card. The day picked up at around 7 when we started getting ready for the school's massive Toga party. The O-week shenanigans have begun!

FRIDAY
Recovery from the Toga party and preparations for the Vessel party / Peter's birthday (we hosted a gathering where one had to drink from something unusual - I used a purple vase).

SATURDAY
For three weeks now, Becks, Arleen and I have been going to a Saturday morning farmer's market that's about a 30 minute walk away from Ilam (Becks knew about it from last year). The number of people making the trek has grown each week, and yesterday there were about 15 of us. Pretty good showing for 9 in the morning! The market is held on the Riccarton House grounds, which is essentially a park. It's gorgeous, but I hadn't brought a camera till this week.

Becks, Lee and I taking a rest before walking back to Ilam

While walking from Ilam to the market, you really get an idea of why Christchurch is nicknamed the Garden City. The average house has a lush, almost explosive garden, and I always think about how much my mum, or grandmothers, would love the gardens!

Pretty glorious, eh? I think so. It's actually hard to resist stealing a few flowers to take home - of course I haven't done so, but maybe I'll fill that purple vase with a couple from a nearby florist ...

I'm saving the activities of today (Sunday) for my next post. I'm sure they'll be entertaining to recount!