FAQ-01

If you don't know about it, some students from "Collège de la Tour" in Montguyon (Charente-Maritime) are following my blog and they already have some questions, so this would be my first FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) post :

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From all the class : what do you have for breakfast / lunch / dinner ? What's the food like ? Can you send photos ?

Breakfasts are similar to France : bread, butter, jam, coffee, hot chocolate, fruit, etc ...

I have not seen unknown food yet. Of course, there are different preparations and cooking, different combinations, but nothing really new. For my future wwoofing, I will take my meals in photos.

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From Johann and Klara : how long do you work every day ?

I have generally worked 4 hours a day up to now. You can work in the morning or afternoon, or both (and you can also have some days off). To define that, it's a discussion between you and your host to choose for the best solution.

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From Klara : would you recommend this experience for girls ?

New Zealand hasn't particular security problems. There are many girls who are travelling alone in this country and I have met a lot of them.
Of course, just be careful, don't walk alone at night, don't trust people too fast, always try to let somebody know about the places you are visiting, etc.

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From Johann and Amandine : what time do you usually get up ?

During wwoofing days, I woke up everyday at 8 am to work and even on my days off to be able to talk with my family and friends because there is a 12-hour jet lag, so when it's 8 am (in the morning) for me, it's 8 pm (in the evening but the day before!) in France. In addition, when you are travelling, you enjoy having real "full"/long days, sleeping becomes secondary.

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From half the class : Are Harold and Ashley nice ? When do you plan going to a new host family ?

I stayed with Harold & Ashley for about one week. They have been fantastic hosts ! They picked me up when I arrived to Whangarei. I had a very wonderful time with them. Harold drove me to the beach, to other places to visit, taught me a lot of things about NZ culture and nature, he is a human encyclopaedia. They always kept smiling. The work was really interesting, they gave me a lot of advice.

After my first two experiences, I now want to travel a little bit. But I plan to start wwoofing again soon !

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From Léa, Eden and Enzo : what do you miss from France ?

What I miss the most from France is of course my family and friends and that feeling is sometimes hard, because I took the decision to make this trip on my own. Otherwise, another thing that I really miss is to have a decent internet connection, it's so slow here !??

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From half the class : have you seen whales / snakes / sharks / other (dangerous) animals ? Can you send more photos ?

No, sorry, for the moment I haven't participated yet to Survivor (Koh Lanta) in NZ, so I haven't seen any dangerous animals! If I have the opportunity to see some, I will take and send photos.

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From Jeanne and Mélissa : how hot is the ocean ? what's the weather like / what are the average temperatures ?

January is the middle of the summer in New Zealand. The sea is very warm, you can go in without problem, particularly in the north island, which is generally warmer than the south island. Otherwise, sometimes, it rains and it can be very windy. The temperatures are between 21 and 28 degrees (celcius). I wear shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops everyday.

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From me the teacher (!) : (Usually, I answer questions from the students, but I'm nice, I'll answer yours too)

Have you met Maori descendants ? Have you spoken with your host families about the referendum on whether to change the flag ? Do people speak English or have you already heard some speaking Maori ?

I visited Waitangi, especially the place where the Treaty of Waitangi was established (it was the photo of the white house in my last post). The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty which was first signed on the 6th of February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand. The Treaty established a British Governor of New Zealand, recognised Māori ownership of their lands and other properties, and gave the Māori the rights of British subjects.

I could also speak about the whole story of the referendum and the flag.

I haven't heard Maori speaking yet, but I wish I would !!!!

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Now, I'm in Welltington, and tomorrow, I will visit Weta Workshop (Lord of the Rings studio!!), so my next post will be awesome...

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Have a good day

Comments

[Papa]

Bravo à toi pour l'aide apportée à la classe de Montguyon.
Vraiment bien, tu vas faire des envieux.

Bonnes ballades.
Papa