Time is Flying... and the Tag

The second half of this semester has just raced by! only one more week til I'm finished classes til after winter break.  In some ways I'm glad it is that time cause I'm looking forward to having a break, but in other ways I wish that time would go slowly cause I'd still like to find a way to get some more money before the holidays.  

Had my parents phone last night to ask a whole pile of questions bout who is able to come for my 21st.  Managed to get a few things I wanted so thats positive.  Like I didn't really want 3 events for it.  Finally Dad's agreed that he'll come to the one with the people I know, as long as I keep the numbers at that one down - so at least it means I can cut it back to 2.  I'd rather it were 1 but 2 is better than 3.

Well the extreme NZ weather appears to be continuing.  Theres an actual snow warning for all the locations that normally get it during winter (tho this is early for it still)  but there are also snow warnings for Taupo, Rotorua and WANGANUI.  It's crazy!  None of those 3 places gets snow!  Wanganui's had it like 2 times in over 50 years! I'll believe it if it eventuates, but it would be typical if it did - cause of course I'm not in Wangas currently meaning I'd just miss it again.  

Anyway continuing the pattern - joining in on the game (albeit briefly) - sorry some of these may be slightly hard - I'm getting most of these off the radio cause I can't get into itunes right now

1) You can change a heart, change a motivation,

Take it right back to the start

2) I'm looking for a pulse, and a sign that I live.

But with unclean hands, and unclean lips

3) Look to me, and you see, 

I will be, there to guide you

4) Next day I'll see you, 

you ran the race, 

you finally made it through

5) Everyone needs forgiveness, 

the kindness of a Saviour,

the hope of nations

6) Once I spoke of power and high position, 

You took a  towel and washed my feet instead

7) I can't contain the thought, you took away my shame

And walked ball and chain, through the wind and rain,

8) Never ending love, I don't know where it begins.

I don't know where it ends, I don't know how high

9) Do the hard times for you,

On the front lines for you

10) And on this road to righteousness

Sometimes the climb can be so steep

11) Turn it up, feel the beat 

and scream the lyrics you know

12) In the trials, in the storms of life

You're the reason, I open up

13) I step up to the mic, with just two things to say

Firstly you rule the night, and second you rule the day

14) And when my world is falling down, in you I will be found

15) You are my eyes when I cannot see

You are my voice, see, sing through me

You are my strength in weakness be

Have fun!

40 hour famine...and a crazy story

2 posts in 2 days.  that must be a record (at least for me this month) and this appears to be a rather long one sorry - so please bear with me - there is a crazy story at the end for those of you I haven't told already.  Anyway this weekend is a slightly different one.  Its the weekend where something I've been involved in for 14 years (only just realised that its been that long!) is taking place.  That event is the 40 hour famine, organised through World vision.  I know I've told a number of you about it before, but for those who don't know or haven't heard of it basically its a time where people (mostly students of all ages) go without something (traditionally food) for either 20 or 40 hours (usually primary age kids do 20 hours and everyone older does 40) and for doing that people sponsor them money, which, when collected, goes towards World Vision's projects overseas.

I guess this is quite a big thing for me to a certain extent, particularly since I did the 20 hour famine 4 times, the 40 hour famine 8 times and was the student organiser for 3 years...plus helped 2 of my schools to get the respective scholarships for their age levels and got selected to go on both scholarship camps.  This year however I'm not playing such a big role. I may go back to it one year in the future but will have to see about that.

Those doing the traditional food famine are allowed just barley sugars and juice/water for the time of their famine, however due to people wanting to participate who were unable to give up food, alternative famines have also been added in that see people giving up technology, living in cardboard boxes or even giving up talking for 40 hours.  The years I was a student organiser, the whole school got behind it with a mufti day, student vs teacher sport, bouncy castle (yes even highschoolers like them) sausage sizzle, spot prizes etc.  We had local businesses donating the prizes and even managed to arrange a pizza lunch for the class who raised the highest total.  other years organised things like pancake breakfasts at the conclusion of the famine and many other different events.

The scholarships are given out at intermediate (middle school) and high school level.  The schools (from those who have been involved for at least 1 year previous) are selected based on a number of criteria such as most money raised total, most money on average per pupil, largest percentage increase in amount raised etc.  The scholarships are funded by sanitarium and are provided to about 20 schools at each of the 2 levels who get to select one senior student representative fly to a location to attend the scholarship camp week.  Its a really fun week of activities that ends with an awards dinner where plaques are presented to the students both for their schools and for themselves. 

my plaque from the high school camp

Personally I found I was more surprised at my selection for the High School camp than the intermediate one, partially because for the intermediate one, it was relatively likely that the school would receive a scholarship (we would have the previous year however that year had been the first time the school had been a part of it and so wasn't eligible) and that was the year I managed to exceed my aim in raising sponsorship (I always aimed to raise $100 more than the previous year - starting from $50 - I'd always just reached those targets right til that year, where the goal was $550 which somehow I managed to exceed by $200.) That I did sorta find funny cause there was a bar graph of what each class had raised displayed in the school...but they'd learned from the previous year (where I'd raised $450) so I sorta had my own colomn for it.  

With the High School camp however,  it was not so clear cut.  During the 3 years that I'd helped organise, the total raised had gone from what I think was a shockingly low figure of about $4000 (for a school of over 1500) to $8000 the following year to $16000 in my final year.  We still weren't sure that that would be good enough for a scholarsip tho - and when we did find out that we got one selection was looking at all of us who organised the event.  In fact we hadn't thought that we'd got a scholarship at all cause it wasn't til the day before nominations of representatives closed that us organisers got called into the principals office and were told that we'd succeeded.  I was thinking the position should go to one of the other organisers since I'd already had the opportunity to go to one camp, however, one by one, they pulled out saying they were busy at the camp time or they were going overseas for the holidays and thought someone else should...and in the end I was the one who got chosen again. I can imagine Mum's surprise when I phoned her from school (since it was the final day I had to get permission right then and there).  I think the thing I found most surprising bout that camp tho was when one of the adults who was helping out mentioned that they had thought my high school would never reach a scholarship.  I guess that just made me realise again the true story behind charities like World Vision - people can make a difference - even those who you think can't do much at all can, with a little effort, play a big role in helping in some way shape or form.

To all those involved in the famine this year - well done on your involvement and good luck with this weekend.

Finally that crazy story I mentioned at the beginning - a bank over here is trying to track down a couple after they took out an overdraft for their business that was struggling financially.  That $100,000 overdraft limit was accidentally incorrectly entered as $10 million.  The couple withdrew about 6 and a half million of that and are on the run.  The bank has since tracked down bout 2.8 million of what the couple had with them and have seized properties belonging to one of them worth approximately 1.9 million, however this still means the bank has currently got about $2 million unaccounted for.  An international manhunt was launched for the couple who are now believed to be somewhere in Hong Kong

Weather warnings

Well I will get the remainder of the NZ pics online soon - probably when I get back down to Wangas (yup not long til winter break now) Speaking of which winter definitely seems to have arrived early and with force this year.  Yesterday almost all the roads through the North Island were blocked off due to either slips and repair work or ice and snow.  That didn't happen til July last year (of course the place where I am doesn't usually get snow so I still haven't seen it...that being said Tauranga doesn't usually have extreme weather either but it sure did just over a week ago as you can see here and here. I guess its always a possibility... just not very likely)   

We haven't escaped the low temperatures here tho - was about negative 4 Celsius last night and has been 2 Celsius for much of today (finally up to 8C) but here only gets bad frost (like we had this morning) and the occasional hailstorm (though not like in those pics from Tauranga).  Snow has never yet been recorded here that I know of (and it has only snowed twice ever in Wangas - and only once during my lifetime...but on the other side of town - for some reason I just seem to keep missing it.)  

Should be interesting seeing what the next few days are like.  The Desert Road still has a road snowfall warning over it for the next few days as well as the other main North Island State Highway, due to the fact heavy snow is again forecast for the next few days for the Central Plateau area (which you can see minus snow in the pics from the drive back north)  If that does happen it's likely the routes through the North Island will be blocked off again cause the other routes currently have construction and road repair going on...all but the Forgotten Highway...and that road is partially unsealed.  Will definitely be interesting seeing how long this weather lasts

Tag

Ok so this was a tag I received on email but decided to do on here.

Favourite snack food?

• Pizza...if you call that a snack...else maybe cheezles?
  

Current location?

• Hamilton
  

Most missed memory?

• depends on which way you look at it - if you mean memory that you would like to repeat then probably conversations with friends - if you mean the memory you keep missing (not remembering) then how would I know cause you've missed it so it wouldn't be a memory
  

First thought when waking up?

• what's on today?
  

Fav movie/book quote?

• now thats a tough one...probably for movie 'We need people of intelligence on this mission....quest....thing' (LoTR)
  
• For book its even harder...I would put my favourite Left Behind quote here but it's 1 and a half pages long so that won't work...(its from apolyon if you were wondering)...and its just too hard to choose between any of the others 
  

Role model?

• one of the youth leaders from my last year in youth group
  

When I grow up I want?

• so I'm not considered to have grown up yet?  Well in that case it depends on what age is 'grown up', tho I'd say most likely travel.
  

Shoes you wore today?

• sandals
  

Fav drink?

• L&P, Mountain Dew, or Orange and Barley and lemonade for cold drinks, hot chocolate or milo for hot.
  

Generally, in life, what makes you happy?

• talking with/chatting with/hearing from friends 
  

How well do you handle critiscm?

• I'd hope reasonably well
  

What would your friends be suprised to know about you?

• well I don't think this'll really surprise you but I tend to wear sandals 99% of the year regardless of weather
  

What can you smell?

• Tea cooking
  

Worried about anything?

• not much currently
  

Last thing you bought?

• I think it was a CD for a friend
  

Name three things you are truly thankful for?

• all my awesome friends 
  
• life
  
• music
  

Three things you are looking forward to?

• Getting the money I need for a few things
  
• Our winter break (which is during June/July)...and also our summer break tho that isn't til November
  
• Being able to travel more
  

Are you reading anything at the moment?

• rereading Brink of Death...and of course the readings I have to do for class
  

Last song you listened to?

• Run (PC3)
  

Pics of NZ - Wangas to Hamilton

Well these are some more NZ pics from that trip - all of these were taken from the car on the road between Wangas and Hamilton.  Auckland ones still to come. (note - these are not in location order)

Looking down at Te Kuiti

Between Taumaranui and Te Kuiti

Mount Ngauruhoe in the distance and the Rangipo Desert (an area also known as the Central Plateau - where 3 of the mountains are - Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe)

The Rangipo Desert

Looking up at one of the viaducts (which was in one of the previous pictures, looking down from the train)

Mount Ruapehu (where a lot of the mountain scenes from LoTR were filmed)

Mount Ruapehu again

Farmland just outside Wangas

slightly further out of wangas

Just after the farmland ends

And again.  This is part of the Whanganui National Park

First signs of Autumn (keeping in mind this was 3 weeks ago)

Whanganui National Park again

and again

The Whanganui River nearing Upokongaro

The Whanganui River from Anzac Pde

The Huka Falls 

The Huka falls again

Will put the pics of the trip between Hamilton and Auckland and Auckland itself up soon

Here again

Finally things are almost back to normal.  Have had 3 large assignments in the last week which is the reason for my temporary absence round here.  Handed the last of them in yesterday tho so things should be a bit more like normality from now onward.  Honestly I know I've only been back at uni for just over 2 weeks (well if you don't count the days when class was cancelled it's only 2 weeks) but I'm already looking forward to the winter break - not long now - 1 month and 2 days to go :D.  

Kinda crazy thinking bout how quickly this year is going - 1/3 of the way through already.  July's coming up far too fast for my saving (just in case you didn't know theres at least one (sometimes more) family member's, or friends of the family's, birthdays on every odd numbered day in July...plus a few on the even ones - 23 in all) 

Will try to get the rest of the pics of my last holidays up soon if people still want to see them.  Have some of Wangas, a few of the car ride between Wangas and Auckland and some of Auckland itself.  Will probably put a few more on here and then the remainder on facebook if anyone is still interested. Sorry bout the delay.

Hope all is well with everyone

Lest We Forget

Tommorow marks a special day for Australia and New Zealand.  Its a public holiday, where many shops will be closed for the morning and many services will take place all over the country beginning with the Dawn Service.  Its a day known as Anzac Day.  The Anzacs were the Australia and New Zealand Army Corp and were the group of soldiers from these countries who went to fight in Gallipoli (in Turkey) during World War 1. The beach where those Anzacs first landed has been named Anzac Cove.  Many soldiers from both countries were killed at that place (over 10500 in all), but the day has since expanded to remember all Kiwis and Aussies who died at war.   It is usually remembered through the services where parades are held and returned servicemen wear their badges and stand to honour their fallen comerades.  Wreaths are also laid in memory of the fallen and the Last Post is played during a time of otherwise silence.  Poppies are the symbol of rememberance for those who lost their lives - as can be heard about in the poem 'In Flanders Fields' by Lt Colonel John McCrae:

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow 

Between the crosses row on row, 

That mark our place; and in the sky 

The larks, still bravely singing, fly 

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago 

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, 

Loved and were loved, and now we lie 

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe: 

To you from failing hands we throw 

The torch; be yours to hold it high. 

If ye break faith with us who die 

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow 

In Flanders fields.