Spring in Dunedin!

So it’s been a pretty chill week with nothing too exciting happening after break.  I spent a lot of time with some of my flatmates this week just hanging out after dinner and such.  Wednesday was Bob’s birthday and we went out to eat at a Thai restaurant.  I got so full and we still had cake afterwards!  But it was great and even though Bob lives in our complex, but not our flat, he is basically an honorary flatmate.  I had a reading test for my visual culture class on Thursday and I ended up doing quite well on it so I was pleased!  Afterwards, I went out to coffee at the Otago museum with Werner.  We talked a lot about American football versus rugby.  He didn’t understand why everybody just hits each other, so I attempted to explain to him the general rules.  Maybe I should just get him to watch “Remember the Titans!”  Thursday night I went over to another flat for an ABC party.  I wore a surprisingly stylish sheet toga (we looked up on the internet how to wrap them around us).

Friday I skyped with my parents, which was great since I have only been able to skype them three times since I have been here!  It was also the most beautiful day, in terms of weather, since I have been here so I put on some shorts (exposed my pale legs) and went with Erin to lounge in the Botanical gardens for a while.  It has been so nice lately (I’m sure it’s just a teaser though at this point) as it officially turned Spring here September 1^st!  It’s so crazy celebrating spring in September.  And I cannot even imagine Christmas in the summer!  Once the sun started going down, we ran a few errands and then later that night baked oatmeal pumpkin chocolate chip cookies! Delicious! 

Saturday I worked on a little homework outside and then went for a run!  It felt so good to just run in shorts and a t-shirt!  Then that night, Liz, Marvin, Xavier, Tucker, and I took a tour of Speight’s Brewery.  It’s the famous brewery in Dunedin which started in the 1800’s and is considered “the pride of the south.”  That sounds so American to me haha!  Our tour guide was pretty cool because his great grandfather was one of the founders of the company so he had heaps to tell us including a story of the brewery ghost and how the workers are allowed to even drink on the job as long as they are responsible!  After the tour, we were given time to sample the different kinds of beer they brew.  The original brew (what I have had before) was pretty good, the dark ones were pretty disgusting, but my favorite one was the cider!  Although our guide told us that cider is like cheating beer and that we should pick another favorite.  I also realized my future as a bartender does not look very bright.  We were allowed to get our samples from the tap ourselves, but I could never pour a proper glass without filling half of it with foam!  After the tour, we headed to a Marie Clair’s birthday party.  Lots of birthdays this week!  Today I wrote my reading log (yay for being productive) and just hung out for a while.  I also got to skype Kelly and Lorenzo in Chapel Hill!  But I am headed over to Marvin’s soon and we are going to town to get some sushi!  I have seriously been craving it lately so I am so excited.  And then a bunch of us are watching a movie tonight!  Cheers!