Saying Goodbye to Papamoa
There are many elements to the ending of a study abroad program. Not only have students been scrambling to wrap up their academic work, but they have also taken time to give something back to the community that has hosted them. On this particular program we did that by planting indigenous trees in a newly reclaimed conservation area. As you can see, student "dug right in" and did a stellar job.
Another important closure for the group was saying goodbyes to Doug, our well-loved and much-appreciated local "cultural informant". Here's the poem constructed from the students' descriptions of this important player in this first-for-Landmark, New Zealand study abroad program:
Doug
Doug...
He’s friendly, patient, generous and caring
Quick witted, informative and adventurous
Resourceful…helpful…thoughtful…insightful
Intelligent and inviting
Entertaining and enthusiastic
Spiritual and silly
He’s fantastic, awesome, one-of-a-kind
Doug...
Never rude, nasty or mean
Never bitter or boring
And never ever late for excursions
Doug...
He could make us laugh or blow our minds
He could write a book or run for office
But he should definitely keep doing what he’s doing.
Doug...
A lasting impression. Kia Ora.
Finally, there's packing and cleaning up. This time around students had so much left over food that we held a Kiwi Cook-off in which we gathered all the leftovers and created a delicious shared meal. Annie and Danielle were particularly helpful in this creative culinary process.
Bright and early in the morning we'll be piling back into our trusty van with all of our luggage and heading for a day in Auckland and then to the airport for our long flight back to the U.S.
