rotorua - the stinky city

Welcome to the Yellowstone of New Zealand!

It’s called Rotorua. The whole city smells like rotten eggs. Unlike Yellowstone, it’s not a national park. It’s a city. People live there! I was extremely confused because at first I thought that the neighbor’s house was on fire.

But it’s actually the steam coming from the sulfur pools known as “hot pots”. They are everywhere! In people’s backyards, in the middle of the city, inside the parks. . . they just surround the pots with small fences. To prevent people from falling in and dying (which apparently has happened a few times).

If you’re smart, you build a tub around the pots and use it as your own jacuzzi! We stayed at a member’s house (bless their hearts for letting 20 girls crash there) and they had their own hot pot tub! With a TV built into the wall! We sat and watched Karate Kid. And came out smelling like eggs.

hungry for hunger games

I saw hunger games two days before America - I will never stop bragging about that! And boy I was happy about what I saw! The movie followed the book, the actors didn’t annoy me, and I even cried when Rue died.

Now I’m just waiting for Catching Fire to come out. I’m praying that it will be after December 2013 when I’m home from my mission. I’m already going crazy to see it. I’m also wishing that I could braid my hair as good as Katniss.

hamilton temple trip

Last Friday we took a trip to the Hamilton temple to do baptisms. The temple was absolutely stunning and I loved being there. We were so lucky to go and it felt so peaceful there.

I am so grateful for temples!

Interesting fact: the Hamilton temple in New Zealand was the first temple built outside of the United States.

Just down the road is a small shop inside of a trailer called Mama’s Donuts. I’m not normally a huge donut fan, but these were to DIE for! I ate lots of apple cinnamon donuts. At first I only ordered one, but once you’ve had one, you’ve gotta have more! pretty soon you've spent all your money and you feel sick. Thank you mama!!

last day of school

Definitely a bittersweet kind of thing.

Last day meant no more planning and no more staying late after school.

But it also meant saying bye to the kids, which was sad.

But it did turn out to be quite the party :)

For weeks I’ve been telling the kids that they would get a pizza party if they were able to get 200 points. My associate teacher and I have been keeping a tally on the white board of the party points, which has been an extremely effective management strategy. It cracks me up because the threat of “I’m going to take away party points” works like a charm, every time. They just don’t realize that teachers manipulate things so that the kids always end up with a party. The last week when we were still far off from the goal, I started handing out points in tens instead of fives. Yet they were still so excited and surprised when they reached 200 points!

my associate teacher, Mrs. Templeman. She's honestly the best.

The party was a hit. Perfect ending to six weeks. We combined all the senior classes for a huge farewell party. All the kids brought food from home and we ate our hearts out. I played some j biebs on my ipod and they all went nuts.

heaps of food from the kids!

(sorry got lazy with the picture rotating thing)

"HELLO AMERICA!!!"

At the end of the day they sang me a song – I love when they sing in Maori. It’s so beautiful.

And turns out one of my students actually wrote me a song, which she sang for me. What a gem! Quite inspiring lyrics.

Miss Lambert you're so funny, you make my wishes come true

I wrote a description about you, what I've learned about you

about you

i appreciate all the time you spent with us, playing and laughing with all of us

it breaks my heart that you have to go, please hold my hand and never let go

let go

We love having you at school, we'll miss you very much

I really got to know you in all the time you spent with us

with us, with us

we've done storyboards, party points, t ball with us

we love you so much don't ever go back to America

I like you so much Natalie, I wonder if you like Barbies

I've never seen your house before, but that would be a real big score

big score, big score

i appreciate all the time you spent with us, playing and laughing with all of us

Just hold my hand and never let go

let go, let go

I mean. . . not to brag or anything. She's the one who wrote it not me!

I was also given a beautiful headdress, a chocolate bunny, and a handmade bracelet. If you ever want your self-esteem boosted, come talk to these kids because they do a good job of it!

Can't wait to eat this chocolate bunny

Me and Stacey

and that's that! I can't believe how fast six weeks went by. It was one of the best experiences I've had and I know I'm gonna miss seeing those kids everyday.

a transylvanian golfing experience

ever been golfing in transylvania?

or even heard of transylvania?

I admit I had to look it up online. So much for my world freshman geography class.

For FHE, us girls went mini golfing at the "Transylvania" center. Which looked like a mixture of Christmas trees and Halloween to me. it was really quite morbid!

But if you ask the knowledgeable ones, such as Mallory, she'll tell you that vampires come from Transylvania, so that's where the creepy factor comes from. It's also cold there, so that's why all the trees are covered in snow.

I guess this is where the Cullens would go golfing? who knows.

Needless to say, mini golfing in the dark with neon lights and Halloween music playing was a different experience. definitely messed with my putting skills. Which is probably why I got a higher score than I did when I went bowling. sooo not good.

creepy mcgee!!

setting up to putt. . .

and then Mal was kidnapped! Dang Cullens.