Qualitative Report on Experiences of First Semester 2010 at Otago Uni (aka: oh goodness me, only one month left!)

Just when (okay, okay probably several months after) you reckoned I had given up on this blog....

I. Introduction:
In just over a month I will be flying back to Minnesota.!? 2 weeks of class, 3 weeks of exams left?!. The deciduous trees around Dunedin are turning colours and, though I know it is not going to ever truly seem like winter to me (needs snow or at least dead grass), there is definitely chill in the air. For instance, I currently have several sweaters on and, perhaps more pathetically, am at my desk inside my sleep bag.

II. Methods: Though two of my classes are supposed to be equal portions human and physical topics, the heavy workload of my geology paper has made this semester feel very scientifically oriented (hence the necessity of the structure of this post and the hierarchal labelling below). But because my soul dies a little each time I am asked to write in passive voice, I chose to ignore the traditional “objective” science writing style. This post explores the question of what have I been up to this past (southern hemisphere) academic semester.

III. Results:
i. Classes:
a. Plants, People and the Environment: As you might guess from the title, the paper is pretty heavy into botany. Historical biogeography (working out disruptions (human, glaciations, etc) to the environment based on the distribution and physical characteristics of the plants currently growing there) is sweet and the coursework different from what I am used to – I have sprouts in my window sill and every week get to wander around in the gardens for three hours comparing species.

b. Developments in Environmental Management: A small class by Otago standards with around 20 students. Great, wonderful and every other word indicating happiness. The “heavy” reading load is not onerous by Morris standards with emphasis on deconstruction of knowledge about environmental issues and critiquing different management strategies. Also there are lots of discussions with fellow students (who are mostly postgrads with development/planning experience) about issues close to their hearts such as intensification of dairy farming and the seawall at St. Clair’s beach.

c. Resource Planning and Management – the undergraduate equivalent of the one above. In some ways repetitive of things I studied in environmental politics last semester or just have picked up on having spent four years at a college which prides itself on its environmental consciousness. But I am more and more sure it is what I want to do with my life – distributive justice of resource allocation, recognizing how the different scales at which international banks vs NGOs vs local people interact with their environment and can contribute to best practice management. I am currently writing a paper on Australian coastal management – a bit of a laugh seeing as I could count the number of times I had been to the ocean before coming to NZ on one hand.

d. NZ Field Studies: GeoloGY! (with the appropriate arm gesture) More significantly: field work! Something I have wanted to do since getting pulled toward the subject three years ago. The class was huge (about 80 people) which made every assignment and trip a logistical nightmare. We had our first field camp in Maerewhenua Valley in Central Otago the week before official classes started. It was a very intense week trying to find (make accurate enough observations) of contacts in order to map the rock units, followed by another very intense week trying to finish a map/report of the area while getting other classes sorted out. Our second major project was centred at Borland (Fiordland NP). It was far less intense although twice as much report and featured an overturned syncline, grain flow conglomerates, and sooo many turbidites. Sadly the day I most cared about and my last day in the field (we were looking at crazy cross-cutting relationships of the igneous and metamorphic basement rocks), there was heavy rainfall so we only half heartedly were allowed to do the exercises. We had a lab final for the class a few weeks ago and the class is now over. :-(

ii. Flat Life:
Despite positive impressions in my February post, some of my flatmates definitely did not end up getting along nicely. Alistair was not comfortable with large groups of people in the flat (and decided to outright disrespect American geology students) which clashed with Paul and Liz’s (reasonable) desire to spontaneously have people over, mostly American geology students. This root problem spread negativity to every other activity in the flat. I missed most of the sparring because I would be the university library until after people had gone to bed and then wake up to the sound of slamming doors. It reached the ridiculous point of having professional mediation! Alistair has subsequently moved out.

iii. Random Adventures:

a. stubborn cow in the road on the road to “Paradise” (the name of an actual town)


Fig. 1 Cow

b. midsemester break trip to Green Lake Hut found out my knee is messed up and that I probably shouldn’t go on anymore long tramping trips


Fig. 2 Green Lake Hut

c. Anzac Day activities – dawn service, poppies, anzac cookies, the Settlement Museum display on Dunedin soldiers

d. Dushan (demonstrator for my field studies class)’s optional geology trip up the West Coast to the tippy top of the South Island


Fig. 3 Sunset on the West Coast

e. watching drunk kiwi geologist try to take the strike and dip of a teeter totter during the "geology race"

f. Epic game of table tennis (ping pong) in Big Hut (Rock and Pillar Range)


Fig. 4 Inside Big Hut

g. fire dancing with poi and staffs on a clear night at the monument on top of signal hill

IV. Conclusions: I poked a jellyfish and miss squirrels.