Welcome to my blog!! This is a a place where the possibilities are endless, please remember to read, learn, comment, and smile!!! This blog is open to any questions, advice, suggestions etc.

Tuesday, 6 November 2007

Tradition, or Animals?



These beautiful creatures are being killed in Japan, Samoa, and lots of other countries , and some of the targeted species are already endangered species of whale (eg: the Humpback whale). "So?" you may be saying, "just make a law against the killing of whales". Well, its not as simple as that, the problem being that Whale hunting and meat is a tradition in these countries, and part of their culture and heritage, yet, the Humpback whales numbers are estimated around 30,000 to 40,000, approximately one third of pre-whaling levels. Once, the Humpback was hunted to the brink of extinction, although now its conservation status is vulnerable. The Whale hunting is also bringing down the business of whale watching, ARGH!!! Even though some laws have been made, it is known that there have been a large number illegal killings.
But what do you think, how could it be fair for everyone?

Monday, 29 October 2007

The three-toed sloth!



Appearance:
They have long gray or brown hair that blends in well with the surrounding environment, making it difficult for predators, such as the jaguar, to see them. This hair curves in the opposite direction of most other mammals: from the stomach to the back. Their hair is often covered with a coat of blue-green algae during the rainy season. This algae provides camouflage. They grow to a length of between one and a half and two and a half feet (in about 2 1/2 years). Their ancestor, the Giant Ground Sloth, which lived before the last ice age, reached the size of the modern elephant.

Food and Drink:
They eat leaves and buds.

Their low rate of metabolism enables them to live on relatively little food. They do not have incisors and crop leaves with their hard lips. Their teeth grow continuously, as they are worn down by the grinding of their food. They don't drink but get their water from eating juicy leaves & licking dewdrops.
Defense:
They can defend themselves with sharp claws, but their main form of protection is their camouflage. Predators, beside people, include large snakes, harpy and other birds. Also, jaguars and ocelots are a danger when the sloth is on the ground. On the ground it moves extremely slowly. Surprisingly, sloths are good swimmers.
Gestation/Birth:
A sloth's gestation period is almost six months. The newborn is about 10 inches (25 cm) long, and weighs about 12 oz (350g). It clings to its mother until about 5 weeks old.
What They Do Upside Down:
They do most things upside down: eat, sleep (an average of 15 hours per day), mate, and give birth. Because of their upside down life, many of their internal organs (liver, stomach, spleen, pancreas) are in different positions from other mammals. Sloths sometimes let out a cry or hissing sound.
Going to the Ground:
During the rare times they go down to the ground (such as to change trees for food), they move very slowly.

Lifespan:
The probable maximun sloth lifespan is between 30 and 40 years. Some sloths in zoos have reached these ages.




Thursday, 6 September 2007

Life is like a box of chocolates...



"Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get"


Forrest Gump is a 1994 drama film based on a 1986 novel by Winston Groom and the name of the title character of both. The film was a huge commercial success, earning USD$677 million worldwide during its theatrical run (the top grossing film in North America released that year). The film garnered a total of 13 Academy Award nominations, of which it won six, including Best Picture, Best Visual Effects, Best Director (Robert Zemeckis), and Best Actor (Tom Hanks).


The film tells the story of a mentally retarded man (or gump) and his epic journey through life, meeting historical figures, influencing popular culture and experiencing first-hand historic events while largely unaware of their significance, due to his lower than average intelligence. The film differs substantially from the book on which it was based.


The movie begins with a feather falling to the feet of Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) sitting at a bus stop in Savannah, Georgia. Forrest picks up the feather and puts it in a book, then tells the story of his life to a woman seated next to him (the listeners at the bus stop change regularly throughout his narration, each showing a different attitude towards Gump's narration, ranging from disbelief and indifference to rapt veneration).

Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump
Forrest is shown to have been taught much about life by his mother (
Sally Field). Forrest often recalls her favorite sayings, including "Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you gonna get" and "Stupid is as stupid does."
Both sayings became popular catchphrases following the movie's release.

Other people who play key roles in Forrest's life include Jenny Curran (Robin Wright Penn), a childhood friend who is physically and sexually abused by her father; Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue (Mykelti Williamson), a young black shrimper who serves with Forrest in the Vietnam War and knows "everything there is to know about shrimping"; and Lieutenant Dan Taylor (Gary Sinise), under whose command Forrest and Bubba serve.

A few years after the war is over, Forrest proposes marriage to Jenny. She turns him down.
In the morning she disappears. To cope with his heartbreak, Forrest runs across the country for three and a half years.

Forrest is waiting at the bus stop because on March 30, 1981, he received a letter from Jenny who, having seen him run on TV, asks him to visit her. Forrest shows Jenny's letter to the current listener, a patient elderly lady who has already passed up one bus to continue listening; she tells him that the address is only a short walking distance away.

He thanks the lady and immediately starts running.

Once he is reunited with Jenny and her young son (Haley Joel Osment), Jenny tells him that the boy is named Forrest, after his father, who he at first incorrectly believes to be the son of another man named Forrest, although she confirms that the child is indeed his.

She also tells Forrest she is suffering from an unknown virus (In all likelihood HIV, which was an unknown virus in the 1980s).


Together the three move back to Greenbow, Alabama, where Jenny and Forrest finally marry, but their married bliss is cut short by Jenny's death "on a Saturday morning" according to Forrest. Her gravestone gives her date of death as March 22, 1982. (As a matter of fact, March 22nd, 1982 was Monday, not Saturday.)


The film ends with Forrest escorting his son to a schoolbus, where the father and son tell each other that they love each other. The feather in Forrest's book is blown away by the wind, and floats into the sky, echoing the film's beginning.


It is a fantastic movie and i defianately recommend seeing it!!

Thursday, 30 August 2007

My concience screams at me...


My concience screams at me...

...to let go...

but i will not...

my heart takes over my head...

my hands strain harder...

my teeth are clenched...

his nails pierce my skin....

his scream rips through the damp air....

his sweaty grip slips....

once..

twice..

until his hand is finally free...

i feel dizzy and shriek as....

my world comes crashing down...

he goes crashing down...

into the lifeless darkness....

of...

nothing.



http://www.tcmspace.com/image/fs_assistance.jpg

Wednesday, 29 August 2007




WOW!!! Who saw tuesday nights luna rossa eclipse?

it was amaziing!!! but what actually happened?


A lunar eclipse happens when the moon passes through the Earth's shadow while the moon, sun and Earth are directly aligned.
The Earth's shadow blocks the light that normally reflects off the moon, and the moon visibly dims, as light is bent by the Earth's atmosphere into the shadow.
If there is enough dust in the Earth's atmosphere, the surface will appear blood red.

The last total lunar eclipse, sometimes called a blood moon eclipse, seen in New Zealand was in July 2000.
Total eclipses are rare because the sun is usually above or below the plane of the Earth's orbit.

The next total lunar eclipse in which all stages will be visible from New Zealand is not due until 2014.
The eclipse started about 7.50pm as the moon slowly moved into the Earth's shadow, but only became visible after 8.50pm.
The moon was expected turn a coppery colour between 9.50pm and 11.55pm last night, when it would start to move out of the shadow and was expected to be back to normal shortly before 12.30am today.



Friday, 17 August 2007

A shiver of pride crawls up my spine...


"The haka is a composition played by many instruments.
Hands, feet, legs, body, voice, tongue, and eyes all play their part in blending together to convey in their fullness the challenge, welcome, exultation, defiance or contempt of the words."

"It is disciplined, yet emotional.
More than any other aspect of Maori culture, this complex dance is an expression of the passion, vigour and identity of the race.
It is at it's best, truly, a message of the soul expressed by words and posture.."



"Ka Mate"

Leader:
Ringa pakia! Slap the hands against the thighs!
Uma tiraha! Puff out the chest!
Turi whatia! Bend the knees!
Hope whai ake! Let the hip follow!
Waewae takahia kia kino! Stamp the feet as hard as you can!
Leader:
Ka mate, ka mate ’Tis death, ‘tis death (or: I may die)
Team:
Ka ora, ka ora ’Tis life, ‘tis life (or: I may live)
Leader:
Ka mate, ka mate ’Tis death, ‘tis death
Team:
Ka ora, ka ora ’Tis life, ‘tis life
All:
Tēnei te tangata pūhuruhuru This the hairy man that stands here...
Nāna nei i tiki mai whakawhiti te rā …who brought the sun and caused it to shine
Ā upane, ka upane A step upward, another step upward
Ā upane, ka upane A step upward, another step upward
Whiti te rā, hī! The sun shines!


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haka_of_the_All_Blacks#.22Ka_Mate.22
http://www.haka.co.nz/haka.php
http://www.my-newzealand.com/all_blacks.jpg

Monday, 13 August 2007

My Daemon...


Daemons have now been metioned on both primprim and kitty kats blog......meet mine....
Name: Kyzak (pronounced ky-zik)
Weight: 23.6kg
Common Form: Otter - Squirrel - Platypus (mostly otter but changes for defence, attack and when hunting
Favourite Food: Spicey Kumara
He has a bright, active personality and is always on the move. He is cheeky but very loyal. He is very creative and bold.
Gender: Male
Loves to.... weave grass into my hair - solve problems which involve being active - swim as fast as he possibliy can as the cool crisp water washes past
While in Favourite Form...
Colour: a reddish brown with a distinctive white spot under his left paw
Animal: OTTER
Size: 30cm
Eye colour: Deep, velvet brown

Tell us about your Daemon!

Tuesday, 31 July 2007

It's a runaway dream...


There it sits, just out of my sight,
It’s a runaway dream…
For a moment it pauses, in the light,
It’s a runaway dream…
I know it is there, yet it is unseen,
It’s a runaway dream…
I think I see it, it starts to preen,
It’s a runaway dream…
My heart starts to beat, I stumble around,
It’s a runaway dream…
I lie there, defeated, on the ground,
That runaway dream…





http://www.lemen.com/images/DreamCloud.jpg

Wednesday, 25 July 2007

a friendly hippopotamus...

a friend should be a hippopotamus....

H helps you drive through it all and just carry on....
I is encouraging...
P passionate...
P promising...
O ongoing loyalty...
P patient...
O of reliablity...
T trustworthy...
A always sticks with you...
M motivative...
U understanding...
S supportive...

hippopotamus is the essence of friendship....


http://storms.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/hippodance.jpg

Monday, 16 July 2007

Hieroglyphics


A hieroglyph is a character from a logographic or partly logographic writing system.
The term originally referred to the Egyptian hieroglyphs, but is also applied to the ancient Cretan Luwian, Mayan and Mi'kmaq scripts, and occasionally also to Chinese characters.

The word Hieroglyphs derives from the Greek words ἱερός (hierós 'sacred') and γλύφειν (glúphein 'to carve' or 'to write', see glyph), and was first used to describe Egyptian hieroglyphs.
The word "hieroglyphics" is derived from the fact that the Greeks called Egyptian hieroglyphs τά ἱερογλυφικά γράμματα 'hieroglyphic letters'; however, they sometimes simply dropped the word γράμματα, "letters", calling them τά ἱερογλυφικά 'the hieroglyphics' ('letters' being understood). This was used in informal use.

In the same way, although the term "hieroglyphics" is still used today, this usage adds a tone of informality, and is technically incorrect. It is more correct to use the noun "hieroglyphs" for both the language as a whole and for the individual characters that compose it, or to use the term "hieroglyphic" as an adjective (e.g., a hieroglyphic writing system).

Information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hieroglyphics

Picture: http://www.nku.edu/~anthro/hieroglyphics.jpg

Tuesday, 10 July 2007

A fairly 'high-up' NZ wonder...




Cape Reinga (or Te Rerenga Wairua in Māori) is the northwesternmost tip of the north island, New Zealand. Cape Reinga is located over 100 km north of the nearest small town of Kaitaia. There is a road all the way but the final 20 km (approximately) are gravel road. Suitable vehicles can travel much of the way via Ninety Mile Beach and Te Paki stream bed.
The name of the cape comes from the Māori word 'Reinga', meaning the 'Underworld'. Another Māori name is 'Te Rerenga Wairua', meaning the leaping-off place of spirits. Both refer to the Māori belief that the cape is the point where the spirits of the dead enter the underworld.
Cape reinga lighthouse (up and down)
Cape Reinga is generally considered the separation marker between the Tasman Sea to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east. From the lighthouse it is possible to watch the tidal race, as the two seas clash to create unsettled waters just off the coast.
The cape is often mistakenly thought of as being the northernmost point of the North Island, and thus, of mainland New Zealand. However,
North Cape's Surville Cliffs, 30 km east of Cape Reinga, are slightly more northerly.


This post is because i went up there these holidays so i have found an interest in it and i hope you have too.
Please note that all of these pictures were taken by me and therefore do not need a reference.
All of this information was found at WIKIPEDIA.

Sunday, 1 July 2007

It all starts with a smile...

this is the world,

this is life,

and you are living in it.

all actions affect

the world,

this life,

and you live in it.

help make this world,

this life,

a better place

to live in.


celebrate how the smallest things make you what you are, how you feel, and what you do. help others by passing on a smile, it all makes a difference.


it doesn't take much, start the chain and smile


share something, it might be the smallest thing, that you have done lately to make yourself or others around you feel good.

*this*is*a*bit*of*a*random*post*:)

Saturday, 30 June 2007

Veggies are your friends!!


Veggies are your friends!!

What do you think?
What is your favourite vegetable?

Go to this website to find some cool recipes;

http://www.nestle.co.nz/maggi/advsearch.asp

This post is a bit random, sorry! I just needed something new.

Stonehenge & Bermuda Triangle

STONEHENGE
standing strong,

staunch,
tall,

growing old but not to fall


The Stonehenge is a group of standing stones on Salisbury Plain in southern England. Dating to c. 2000-1800 B.C., the megaliths are enclosed by a circular ditch and embankment that may date to c. 2800. The arrangement of the stones suggests that Stonehenge was used as a religious center also as an astronomical observatory.



BERMUDA TRIANGLE

where mysteries strike

disaster screams

peace is torn
at the seams



A triangular area of the Atlantic Ocean bounded by Bermuda, Puerto Rico, and a point near Melbourne, Florida, in which numerous watercraft and aircraft are said to have mysteriously disappeared.

p.s. what do you, as the readers, want to see on my blog? i love feedback!


p.p.s. feel free to add extra info in comments.


Friday, 22 June 2007

My Narrative Poem...

i have figured that my blog is probably the best place to get feedback from so... this is my narrative poem, i am all for feedback, tips and everything else, thank-you!
The air was cold and the air was crisp on Georges morning walk,
Off he thumped and along he bumped until he reached the talk,
"My dear, my dear!" a small voice cried,
"You must listen to me,
Hear her song, find her tower,
for that is where she'll be
she'll be!
For that is where she'll be".

the elephant frowned, then looked around
but nothing was to be heard,
So there he shrugged, then off he chugged
without a sound or word
He sailed away for a year and a day
listening for her song,
but all he heard was the crashing of waves,
he began to think he was wrong,
wrong!
He began to think he was wrong.


With all hope lost, at huge cost,
the elephant sat and wept,
on he cried, to stop, he tried
then finally he slept,
now in peace, a moment of lease occurred in his head,
then with a jolt, he woke with no fault,
back to reality and dread
and dread!
back to reality and dread


then all of a sudden it came to him like plum and strawberry sauce
it was her song, with no wrong,
an incredibly overwelming force,
his eyes gleamed, he had redeemed,
the track to find his love,
he followed that voice, without a choice,
as the sun shone above,
above!
as the sun shone above.


finally george reached a calm-looking beach,
where the power in the air blazed,
he jumped offf board and onto shore,
where he was truely dazed,
before him lay, i suppose you could say,
a twenty foot tall tower,
he gaped in awe, just before,
the rain began to shower,
shower!
the rain began to shower.


louder that ever, as pure as a feather,
that song persisted with flair,
then his eyes, without a lie,
were drawn to some stairs,
with only one care, he climbed up the stairs,
along the tower wall,
the higher he got, fret, he did not,
he responded to her call,
her call!
he responded to her call.


"My dear! My dear! Do you hear?
it's me, George, your love!"
"O let us be married, to long have we tarried",
under the stars above,
so they traded vowls, then watched by owls,
they sat on the sparkling sand,
and there they slept, their vowels kept,
they lived life hand in hand,
in hand!
they lived life hand in hand.


pic one
http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/towns/peel/pi_rt1.jpg
pic four
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/senior/fruits/images/large/plum.jpg
pic five
http://seascouts.ecn.net.au/vent/reports/2005canoe/calm%20before%20storm.jpg
pic seven

Wednesday, 20 June 2007

let it seep...


let it seep through your bones, silently, patiently

let it seep into your shoulder, lifting them, fearlessly

let it seep up your spine, tingling, building up

let it seep into your lungs, swirling, twitchy

let it seep up your neck, shivering, excited



let it BURST into a smile, don't hold back, let it free.


http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/50/99/22779950.jpg

Monday, 18 June 2007

beauty and beyond...

oh, how I love him
so sleek
lustrous
beautiful

oh how I admire him
so patient
proud
modest

oh how I respect him
so diligent
industrious
hushed


And as he peers at me, with those deep green eyes, and that kind, proud, look on his face, I smile.


Dash, that beautiful cat.

http://www.starstore.com/acatalog/Shrek_2_Cat-eyes_L-01.jpg

Monday, 11 June 2007

GWEN STEFANI LYRICS
Long Way To Go

We've got a long way to go
When snow hits the asphalt, cold looks and bad talk come
We've got a long way to go
It's beyond Martin Luther, upgrade computer


His/Her skin wasn't the same color as mine but he/she was fine,
he/she was fine
If all men are made equal then he/she was fine, he/she was fine
Up until the time we went out on a date, I was fine, I was fine
Now I'm getting dirty looks I wonder what they'd say if we were
blind,we were blind people


We've got a long way to go
When snow hits the asphalt, cold looks and bad talk come
We've got a long way to go
It's beyond Martin Luther, upgrade computer


We've got a long way to go
When snow hits the asphalt, cold looks and bad talk come
We've got a long way to go
It's beyond Martin Luther, upgrade computer


Beauty is beauty, whether it's black or white
Yellow or green baby, you know what I mean
What if Picasso only used on color?
There shouldn't be a rule how to choose your lover
Lovers in love such a wonderful thing
Maybe in time we'll get together and sing
I really hope so, there's nothing wrong with this picture
We got a long way to go, we gotta get there quicker


We've got a long way to go
When snow hits the asphalt, cold looks and bad talk come
We've got a long way to go
It's beyond Martin Luther, upgrade computer


We've got a long way to go
When snow hits the asphalt, cold looks and bad talk come
We've got a long way to go
It's beyond Martin Luther, upgrade computer


What color is love?

We've got a long way to go
When snow hits the asphalt, cold looks and bad talk come
We've got a long way to go
It's beyond Martin Luther, upgrade computer


We've got a long way to go
When snow hits the asphalt, cold looks and bad talk come
We've got a long way to go
It's beyond Martin Luther, upgrade computer


... the all men are created equal...
... children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by...
... the color of their skin...
... but by the content of their character...


this is a really meaningful song and i think it has a lot of thought put into it. i admire and agree with it. this is a great example to use inference on

who is Martin Luther?

http://www.google.co.nz/search?hl=en&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=martin+luther&spell=1

words...
http://www.lyricstop.com/albums/gwenstefani/longwaytogo.html

picture...
http://www.catemackenzie.com/images/this%20is%20the%20colour%20of%20love.jpg

Thursday, 7 June 2007

You should be proud...


you should be feeling proud to be a NEW ZEALANDER right now because....

as you all probably know, our Emirates Team NZ has been facing Italy's Luna Rossa in the Louis Vuitton Cup finals in Valencia. it was the best of nine, and the Luna Rossa won the toss.

one nil.

two nil.

three nil.

four nil.

five nil!!!

On Wednesday New Zealand won the Louis Vuitton Cup 5-0 and with it the chance to try and grab the America's Cup back from Alinghi.
The Kiwi crew jumped up and down on deck, hugging and cheering as they crossed the line 22 seconds ahead of Luna Rossa.

GO NEW ZEALAND!! BE PROUD!!

Tuesday, 5 June 2007

something random...

just something random....i would like to congratulate and thank room5 for being such a great class, we cant get much better now...hehe
we have such a quality, responsible, fair, passionate, respectful class and i would like to congratulate you all for your successes and i know there will be lots more to come...keep it up everyone.
lets prove that we really are the best!
.....ten more class points to go!!

from your fellow classmate, I'M A ROOM5IAN (and proud to be)

Tuesday, 29 May 2007

pH !!!

a pH scale

The "p" stands for "potenz" (this means the potential to be) and the "H" stands for Hydrogen. So you must write pH with a lower case (little) p and an upper case (capital) H.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PH
http://www.purchon.com/chemistry/ph.htm
http://www.msichicago.org/ed/learninglabs/imgs/waters_ph_chart.jpg

Monday, 28 May 2007

The clock is ticking...


The clock is ticking…

The clock strikes twelve and I gaze around, coolness seeps up through the ground.
Lightning rips through the sky, birds shriek and away they fly.
Salty tears pour down my cheeks, the sky rumbles and on it weeps.
I silently wail and feel for light, but that’s not to be found on this cold dark night.
Away from the scene my eyes tore, and there I collapse on the muddy grass floor.

Its a pretty emo poem...hehe
use inference!
i dont usually write poems so any feedback always helps (especially those regular poets like kittykat, miss candy, pim:P and spud. but all feedback is usefull!! thank you!
is the title better now?
the moral could be "make the most out of life, no matter what happens!
What do you think the moral could be?
COPYWRITE

Tuesday, 15 May 2007

Global Warming/tThe greenhouse effect


The Greenhouse effect.....


The greenhouse effect is the rise in temperature that the Earth experiences because certain gases in the atmosphere (water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane, for example) trap energy from the sun. Without these gases, heat would escape back into space and Earth’s average temperature would be about 60ºF colder. Because of how they warm our world, these gases are referred to as greenhouse gases
The Earth’s atmosphere is all around us. It is the air that we breathe. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere behave much like the glass panes in a greenhouse. Sunlight enters the Earth's atmosphere, passing through the blanket of greenhouse gases. As it reaches the Earth's surface, land, water, and
biosphere absorb the sunlight’s energy. Once absorbed, this energy is sent back into the atmosphere. Some of the energy passes back into space, but much of it remains trapped in the atmosphere by the greenhouse gases, causing our world to heat up. The Earth's temperature will probably continue to rise as long as we continue increasing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

The atmosphere covers the Earth. It is a thin layer of mixed gases which make up the air we breathe. This thin layer also helps the Earth from becoming too hot or too cold.

Whenever you...
· Watch TV
· Use the Air Conditioner
· Turn on a Light
· Use a Hair Dryer
· Ride in a Car
· Play a Video Game
· Listen to a Stereo
· Wash or Dry Clothes
· Use a Dish Washer
· Microwave a Meal
... you are helping to send greenhouse gas into the air.


To perform many of these functions, you need to use electricity. Electricity comes from power plants. Most power plants use coal and oil to make electricity. Burning coal and oil produces greenhouse gases.


What might happen?
http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/bigdeal.html



What can we do?
http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/difference.html





The absolutely fantastic website that is where i got all of this great information from is... http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/cc.html


Tuesday, 8 May 2007

Random stuf 'bout animals!

DID YOU KNOW ...
The word Elephant in latin (ele' and 'phant') means the 'Huge Arch'!
Male giraffes are called 'BULLS', female giraffes are called 'COWS' and baby giraffes are called 'CALVES'.
The name 'hippopotamus' comes from the Greek word River Horse .
Gorillas are very good at climbing trees with their long, flexible limbs, but they cannot swim.
There are 264 known species of monkey.
The word 'rhinoceros' means 'nose-horn'.
When Zebras ears are layed flat in a backwards position it means they mean business or to the other members of the group - 'you had better follow orders! ' :)
Are Zebras black with white stripes or white with black stripes?
http://library.thinkquest.org/11922/african/zebra_mountain.jpg

this is a really cool animal website; i got the info from here: http://www.animalcorner.co.uk/ -try the elephant, giraffe, Gorilla, Hippo, Lion, Panda, Rhino, quiz!

Saturday, 5 May 2007

The Whole story...

Diary day one

After all the learning, careful planning, survival preparation and excitement, we finally headed off in the school bus with Mr Dyer to climb our maunga.
We drove towards Te Awamutu, across the beautiful rolling Waikato dairy land, parked up and got ourselves into our expedition teams.
With backpacks stuffed with only the most important survival gear, we wandered off across the farmland towards the verdant slopes and regenerating bush.Some of us moaned at the growing heat and the ever steepening slope.
Others reveled in the freedom from the classroom, surrounded by birds, native trees, and our ever-rambling teacher, Mr Woody.Once across the farmland, having encountered the odd inquisitive jersey cow and skittish newly shorn ewe, we clambered across the last bit of number eight wire and entered the bush zone. Even though it was shadier, the incline made it hard going.
Rewarewa and kohekohe sheltered us from the scorching sun, but our shirts were soon drenched with sweat.
We all sighed with relief when we broke into a clearing and got to sit down to rest and drink our precious cool water.Mr Woody was twittering on about fantails, wood pigeons, skylarks and various obscure invertebrates when suddenly....
A deep rumbling sound replaced the constant twittering of birds, along with the sharp surprised cries of children (and Mr woody) stumbling over the shaking ground.
I called over my group over to a strong-looking Kauri tree.
As they struggled through the screaming crowd and across the unsteady ground, I gazed out, in shock, at the unwelcome, foaming ocean roaring in.
Tsunami and die, were the two words that were unwontedly shoved into my mind. I let out a piercing scream of fear and held on to the tree for my life, as the water smashed up against base of the chain of unharmed maungas.
It finally settled.
The rumbling stopped and silence took over.
Slowly the birds started chirping again like nothing ever happened but it did.
My group reached me with a look of horror planted on their faces.
Ocean water surrounded us and we decided to make our way to a higher clearing, just to be safe.
We finally reached a green overgrown grass clearing, small, but it had to do.
After short discussion we decided to split up into groups, Annmaree and Monica went to collect water from the surrounding ocean and milk from the surviving cows, while Kelsey set up a fire and Emma and I made shelter.
We used an old tree that had fallen, to drape the two tarpaulins that we had over into a tent like shape and fastened the tarpaulins onto the tree with a rope and placed the ends onto the ground with some rocks we found.
We also used the rocks to fill in gaps that the tapeline hadn't covered.
Then, done, and just big enough to fit us all in, perfect!! Then Emma and I set out to find baby ferns for dinner!

Diary day 2

We woke up squinting at the hot sun and what seemed like a bad dream sunk back into my mind.
I stretched my stiff muscles and reluctantly sat up with a jerk, the large hypothermia blanket slipped off me.
Annmaree, Monica, Kelsey and Emma stirred and eased themselves back into reality.
We wearily got up and called a group meeting.
Annmaree and Monica surprised us with a note that was found when they went for water.
A haunting sound of a horn rung.
What is it?
Our minds were triggered with thoughts and possibilities.
Tribes. Maori. Huts. Refuge.
We divulged our emotions, the note and the horn and decided to follow the poignant sound of the horn that we heard earlier.
We briskly collected our belongings and began our hike with only a map to guide us.
We made quick progress and were all very alert.
Suddenly Annmaree stopped as she thought that this would be a good spot to camp for the night.
So we collapsed in a heap, exhausted.
As the weather looked sturdy we decided not to bother with shelter and a snack bar each did the trick.
The small chunk of the moon shone luminously as we fell in an exhausted heap and drifted off to sleep.

Diary day three

We woke up and went exploring in our weak pack, after once more studying the note which still didn't make any sense although a diagram caught my eye.
While we were exploring I noticed that Emma was gone so I looked around and saw her standing in front of an, er, pit.I stumbled over to her in confusion and a pit beside a fence lay before us. I knew that I had seen that scene before, and then I remembered......the note!
Emma is already had it and was peering at it with a look of pure confusion her face.
I twisted the note to the right as the others scrambled over to us.
The picture on the note looked exactly the same as the one that lay before us.
We snapped out of our wowed state and decided that Monica and Kelsey would climb in and investigate.
So we watched as they dug into the pits side.
Suddenly Kelsey screamed in pain and leaped away from the hole with her two right fingers dripping with deep red blood.
We hauled her out and went down to help Monica.
We carefully poked, prodded and dug with sticks and stones.
The wall finally gave way and revealed what had gashed Kelsey's fingers. We dug all of the stones glass and sharp objects out of the way leaving a decent sized tunnel before us.
We peered in, puzzled.
What now? We thought.
Monica crawled in without saying a word and I followed hesitantly. We came to thin vine that blocked our way.
Monica gave it a jerk.....nothing.
Suddenly, wasps came charging at us in a buzzing haze.
We screamed and scrambled out of the tunnel with the enemy piecing our faces.
We finally reached the light and collapsed out of the tunnel.
We are hauled out and our aching stings got treated with an unknown substance.
We lay there, lazily recovering and we watched as Emma plunged in.
She was away 15 - 20 minutes and we got worried so we all went to see if she was alright.
We found her at the end of the tunnel in a cave, leaning against the wall looking exhausted so we said nothing.
Although an old decorated stick lying beside her caught our attention. There were two crates in the cave and a sack of grain.
Box A held; a 20metre light weight rope, a 2 by 3 tarpaulin, two flares and a box of waterproof matches.Box B held; 2 cans of baked beans, spaghetti, salmon, tuna, condensed milk, corn, peaches, fruit salad and tomatoes.So we feasted that night and dreamt in the cave of our friends and family.

Diary day 4

We woke up once again to the drowsy blast of the horn.
Breakfast was good old spaghetti and we all felt surprisingly calm.
We slowly packed our gear and set off over the rocky ditch below and over to the functional looking Maori pa site.
We all steadily but slowly crossed the ditch and traveled up to a weak bridge lying before the gate. We crossed slowly and absentmindedly.
We all may have been a lot fitter but we were sweating and exhausted anyway.
We entered suspiciously.
We peered into the nearest tent and see some sort of stick.
I absentmindedly picked it up and strong feeling of power overcame me and I unstably staggered backwards, still holding the…er, staff.
Annmaree and Emma steadied me.
We were confronted, in tent two, by piles of kumara, we were all stoked and shoved it all into our packs and weighed down with every thing, went on to the next tent.
We leaned into the airy tent and in the center of the tent lay a backpack, woven with strong green flax.
We all piled into the tent and happily placed the kumara into the care of the new pack and out of our own.
As we put it all in, it seemed as if there was always room for more.
Puzzled but pleased, we put the last of the kumara in and smugly rolled out of the tent. The pack was happily plonked on my back and it was unusually but extremely light considering the amount of kumara in it.
We plodded over to the last and largest tent.
We waltzed on into a room with Maori carvings covering any sign of walls or a ceiling for that matter but the thing that caught all of our eyes was two strong, bold, Maori carvings. Annmaree aimlessly stumbled over to the strangely welcoming carvings and placed her shaken hand onto the oddly loose shape that was held possessively in the first carvings hand.She clasped her fingers around it and yanked it free.
No one questioned her.We regrouped and trotted over to the first pit and peered in suspiciously.
Suddenly I ripped myself away in agony and confusion.
It is as if my whole world was turned upside down and then................unconsciousness.
I felt a sharp tingle of pain shoot up my arm and ripple through my body.
I woke to four pairs of eyes lying on my face and Emma’s staff was placed on my arm. We got up and, after much persuasion, and carried on and examined the pit once again.We unpacked two of our ropes and Emma and Monica were lowered into deep darkness, guided with worn foot holes in the wall and a dim torch.Kelsey, Annmaree and I settled down and examined annmarees...object.We heard a sharp shout and we scuttled over to pit hole number two and saw shadows of the others as they passed the opening.Hours passed.We worried.We decided to go and find them.
After much chaos through the complicated tunnels we found Emma and Monica in a shivering heap, sobbing violently.
The tracks we left got followed backwards until it wore out, then we just followed the never-ending tunnel mindlessly.Light sparked as the end came into sight, and we switched back into reality and broke into a run.
We collapsed in the shelter of cave, finally out and free of the confined tunnel, and slept under the watchful eyes of a secretive, unknown creature.

Diary day five

I woke to the tedious echo of the horn yet again.
I looked around and then relaxed a little, admiring the way that the birds chirped enthusiastically and the sun glared down at Annmaree and I intensely.
Wait
Annmaree?
Where were the others?
I violently shook her awake and elucidated the horrific situation.
They definitely didn't go to collect food etc as we agreed not to do anything like that until everyone knows when and where we are going.
We worried,
And worried,
And worried, but we concluded our discussion of possibilities and decided to drift back to sleep, though neither of us did.
Eventually our impatient stomachs forced us up for lunch.
I wearily used my staff to boil some water for some luscious kumara, and that went down with alacrity and we flopped back, into a pile of frustration.
Why.
'Why' was the word that was constantly on our minds.
We preserved our energy for half an hour or so.
But our thoughts were disturbed by a yell of triumph.
Alex!
We united as three frustrated, tired but excited room5ians.
We spent the rest of the day reasonably laid back, recounting our adventures.
Dinner was, once again, kumara.
But as we stared silently up at the brewing night fall, something was not right though.
The sky shone brightly, yellowy.
And the moon was becoming full, but with a mysteriously unusual dark patch on it.
Sleep was summoned.

Diary day six

Silhouettes were vaguely made out through my sealed eyes.My body suddenly sensed presence and I snapped out of my doze.I immediately wondered whether this was reality or if I was still dreaming.Because before my weary eyes lay creatures I had only ever imagined.I let out a piercing scream and the others shot into awareness.I let my mind adjust to the thought that mythical creatures were standing opposite me.My instinct screamed at me that they were nice and the gleam in their eyes, somewhat familiar, convinced me to trust them. “Caitlin!” was yelled, from what seemed like miles away but was from Alex, standing at my side.I finally grasped the thread in my mind that was causing me so much confusion; some of our fellow classmates had been critically transformed into mythical creatures.
We greeted them with a hesitant wave.We responded to their beckoning by uncertainly heaving our selves on what we thought was Caitlin the Pegasus’s back.We soared past trees at an incredible velocity. We ducked and dodged everything in our path. We surveyed the astounding scene and admired everything with tremendous joy.We gradually decelerated to a smooth landing at what we recognized as pa site 1.A small wide-eyed figure jerked awake with fright then relaxed, her fear facially evaporated and was replaced with obvious relief.
The creatures left with a nod and a swoop.
‘Kate’, we murmured under our breaths as we glanced at the person sitting exhausted on the ground.
Annmaree, Alex and I plonked ourselves on the dirty ground with a thump beside kitty Kat and begun to exchange our adventures.

Diary, day 7

I woke once again to the distinctive feeling of presence.
My eyes reluctantly flickered open.
A strange tingle of power rippled through me with ease, clogging my body with deep magic.
I tried to rip away, past the boundaries, and out of that firm grip that limited every thrust, plunge and jolt that I fought to make, on I urged.
Eventually my energy drained away with the weight of fear frustration and effort.
I surrendered to my trust worthy instinct and slept, praying that this wasn’t the last time that this wasn’t the last time that I felt my face burning with fear, heard the sharp echo of footsteps, and tasted the foul layer of dust that had settled in my mouth, even if it was one of the many recent 'worst moments of my life'.

The instant my eyes felt for light, they were immediately locked in a harsh but familiar gaze.
Through my peripheral vision, I made out the weak pale figure of Alex.
Suddenly, everything started to blur and then…….I was trapped inside my head.
by now I had learnt that trying to fight does nothing and only makes the situation worse, so settled down in my stressed and depressed mind, and watched.
Words scrambled around, slowly forming some sort of script. Finally the words sharpened and became readable.

It read…
“100, 00’s of years ago lived a young boy. At birth, he was presented with an amulet, the amulet of
POWER!!
He was frustrated; all of the other had amulets of nature or animals.
Why this he thought.
One day a giant space octopus seeking food crashed into the tribes beloved Kakepuku.
Suddenly the boy was flooded with power and used it to destroy the octopus.
The octopus was buried on Kakepuku.
It started to rot, causing everything to die.
Finally it was gone, but left its body shape, 8 tunnels surrounding a cave.
Slowly the mountain reinhabited.
Then one day the sky went a bruised colour and slowly the moon, night after night built up the shadow of an eye.
Back n the octopus’s planet octopus’s worried.
Finally an octopus was sent out to search. So he sent every moon the shadow of his eye signaling his search.
He crashed on earth after a brief journey.
Soon he realized, it was too late and he seeked revenge.
He stormed up the mountain, furious only to be bombarded with phenomenal amounts of power. He tried to repel it, but failed.”

I blinked back into reality and stared into the strangely familiar girl’s face, which saved Alex and I.
‘And everyone else?’ Alex and I asked simultaneously, while blinking back tears of depression.
Her face paled.
‘Dead’