It occurred to me that, since the fall, I haven’t explained what I’m doing in New Zealand.  I’m sure some of you have not read that post, and even if you did, my project has morphed since then. In short, I am here on a Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching grant.  To read more about … Continue reading The Plan →

It’s amazing the number of differences you can identify when travelling in another westernized, English-speaking country.  There are so many similarities that sometimes the differences can be jarring.  At first this left me on edge—going through daily life unsure of when I’d encounter a difference, or discover I was doing something wrong.  Even simple things, … Continue reading Observations of a Kiwi Culture →

Most of the Fulbright teachers to New Zealand. My Fulbright grant officially kicked off on February 1.  This first week included an orientation led by the Fulbright New Zealand office and an orientation at Victoria University of Wellington.  Both orientations gave the Fulbright grantees opportunities to learn about New Zealand culture, particularly the Maori culture.  … Continue reading A Welcoming Culture →

Wow- life has already gotten busy.  Since I last wrote, we finished our travels on the South Island, attended orientation, and moved into our apartment in Wellington.  I’ll write an update about orientation and the move in later.  For now, I’ll write about our time in Queenstown, Wanaka, and Franz Josef.  Mostly, I’ll let the … Continue reading The End of Vacation →