P2P Day 12: Cutting Peat, Helping the Elderly and Hurling Before an Irish Meal

Boggy good day it seems!

I heard from Katie today. She looked great and was tired after a busy day.

Harvesting.

History.

They did some historical study about the area and then they learned how to cut peat. This has me intrigued so I went and found a video to help me understand what was really going on here.

Turns out turf is a solid fossil fuel so it's like cutting wood but instead it's ground! I gotta get me a peat bog. Sounds kind of cool - I really want to know how it smells. Maybe really rich and loamy? It's nice to have a bog nice family. (If you listen to the video, that accent is so great - you can hear his teeth all tight while he talks.)

Katie FINALLY touches the
Atlantic ocean and it's on the
opposite side.

Not sure Katie and Jessie
really needed a Pub...

The leaders posted some photos of the kids working with the elderly. I didn't get a chance to talk to Katie about it but there are smiles in the pictures so I bet they made a good impression.

There are also some photos of the kids learning to play Hurling or Gaelic Football. I have no idea what they were doing but I bet we get some good stories when they get home.

What Katie did tell me is they were all meeting at the pub and that sounded so cool. I've always wanted to say, "Meet me at the pub!".

I guess they have one more day in Ireland; they will be making their way back to Dublin tomorrow with plenty of activities along the way.

From the People to People Itinerary

Welcome to Cahersiveen, famous for Daniel O'Connell the 19th Century Irish Politician and campaigner for both Catholic emancipation and for Repeal of the 1801 Act of Union between Ireland and Great Britain.

Our morning will start with a stroll through the town learning about local history, political and economic issues as well as the flora and fauna that is to be found in these wonderful hills overlooking the Atlantic.

Step back in time and learn how to cut peat with John. Once dried, this will then be given back to the elderly of Cahersiveen to burn for winter fuel.

Join our Irish hosts in a day supporting the local community - preparing and delivering meals for the elderly, visiting the local hospital and working in the gardens of this community.

Be welcomed at St Mary's Gaelic Athletic Association to learn the Irish sports of hurling or Gaelic football.

This evening prepare for a ceili [oh this had to be totally worth it to watch them do this!] where you will learn the art of Irish music and dancing whilst enjoying a traditional Irish meal. If you have not already learnt about "the craic" you will have done before the end of the evening!

 

P2P Day 5: In Search of the Loch Ness Monster (and Other Things in Scotland)

Ohmigod! Is that her? Is that Nessie?

Today was the day they went looking for Nessie.
This is not a hard thing for a Santa Cruz girl to do.

We are always hippie and dippie and we trust in lots of things like the Universe, legalizing pot and respecting all sorts of lifestyles. Why looking for the Loch Ness Monster is just another day in paradise.

The kids stayed at the Youth Hostel in Inverness for another night and so I went on Google maps to get the lay of the land.

Lock Ness is just a jaunt down the road a bit and as I zoomed out, I noticed a rather interesting thing - clearly something most Californians would notice, or geologists - Loch Ness is sitting on a fault line (the red dot is the loch).

Sure looks like the San Andreas fault to me!

In fact, it sits on the Great Glen Fault, which is a strike-slip fault dividing the north and south of Scotland. Loch Ness is also near the Cairngorms National Park which is where you'll find Balmoral Castle (the place Queen Victoria described as her "dear paradise in the Highlands"). But the kids won't get to see that. They will be heading the other direction tomorrow - south to Glasgow on their way to Ireland.

The day included some other great things as well! I can't wait to hear stories about Scottish farming, sheepdogs, sheep shearing and the Highland Games!

They are still cut off from the Internet - I can't imagine the pain they must be in, poor sweeties.

From the People to People Itinerary

This morning we go hunting for Nessie! The worldwide fame of Loch Ness owes more to the legend of its famous occupant, the Loch Ness Monster - or 'Nessie' - than the breathtaking location of the loch itself. You will learn about the research undertaken in the past by explorers seeking the monster.

Spend the afternoon with a visit a traditional Scottish farm and learn about the training for sheepdogs as you observe them performing under full control of their handler in the beautiful surroundings of the Scottish highlands. 

As part of the sheepdog demonstrations, you will also get to see first-hand sheep shearing (watch because you can't understand a word he says), try bottle-feeding orphan lambs and watch the collie dog pups herd ducks (watch) instead of sheep as part of their training.

Take part in Highland Games with a Highland Chieftain and a prize for the winning team! You'll also be visiting a working farm, a traditional sweet shop and encountering life in a 1700s Highland township at the Highland Folk Museum (and look at these images, I couldn't decide on just one!)

Loch Ness

Day 6: Avoiding Things on Wheels and Off to the South Island, Picton and the Home Stay

Turns out my daughter truly knows me. I got this first text from her yesterday at lunchtime my time. Congrats to all you parents who can do this middle-of-the-night phone calls. I got my first one last night and it kicked my butt!


Katie called around 1:10 via Viber (the iPhone app that will supposedly save us big bucks because it uses the Internet instead of telephony - we'll see - the call was clunky; like talking on those first Cisco IP phones!). We talked for about 10 minutes and then she sent some photos.

Here's what I learned:

1. Even though I am an extrovert, I am not the best conversationalist in the middle of the night, especially after already being asleep.
2. I've been worrying about the wrong things. With the plane crash at SFO, I've been all "flight safety conscious". Clearly that's not the issue because apparently Katie was nearly hit by a bus, a car, a bike and a skateboard. Yeah, time to readjust my focus.
3. There is something on earth that has bigger feet than Katie: goblins! (see photo below)
4. Speaking of feet, it appears Katie's souvenir from New Zealand will be socks. Apparently she paid an arm and a leg for a pair of "cute socks with Kiwi's on them!" and then found cheap ones like five for $8.
5. The Farmstay was a little awkward when the hosts learned the three kids they had staying with them really didn't know each other and therefore the whole darn crowd was a bunch of strangers! 
6. A hotel lobby full of People to People Ambassadors all calling home at the same time sounds like a telemarketing sweat shop!

They had to get up early this morning (5:30) to get moving and make their way via ferry to the South Island. They have their home stays tonight and tomorrow night. On they itinerary, they mention their location is Mount Hutt College, which looks fantastic on its website. I wonder if they will really get to see the campus? 

Here are a few of the photos Katie sent along. There are also a few shots from her leader. I think you can click on any of them to see them larger.

             

          On an alligator at Weta.                                     Gandalf the Grey romance.                            Her feet are small! First time! 

 

                                            From Shelia McKell:  the Maori Meeting House.                              A goblin garden.

From the People to People Itinerary:

• This morning, board the Inter-islander Ferry for your journey across Cook Strait and through the beautiful Queen Charlotte Sounds to Picton, located in the South Island.
• This afternoon meet with your home stay families and experience everyday life with a New Zealand family. 

This is the Interislander Ferry heading up the Strait.

Up by Ship Cove is where they come south from Wellington. 

The harbor at Picton. It looks stunning. 

Downtown Picton. How sweet! But they drive funny! 

Day 5: Meeting the Weta, Visiting Parliament and Enjoying Wellington, NZ

I think Peter Jackson is a national hero in New Zealand. He's certainly done a lot for the tourist industry!

Today the kids will visit the Weta Workshop Museum (which is kind of like Pixar or LucasFilms out here) and get to see behind the scenes visual treats about the Hobbit, Lord of the Rings and Narnia (UPDATE: a few pics here).

The Weta Cave

They are filming the second Hobbit movie now and if you really want to be on the cutting edge with inside information, you should "like" the Weta Facebook page for updates on how it's going.

And in case you are wondering, "Weta" is a large brown wingless insect related to the grasshoppers, with long spiny legs and wood-boring larvae, found only in New Zealand. 

There you have it. Oh and I found a little photo for you just in case you couldn't imagine how huge this thing actually is! 

Maybe the kids will bring one home for us! The weta bug.

After Weta, they head on to Parliament (which might mean they are dressed in P2P outfits today) to learn how government works in New Zealand. After that, it looks like they will tour some museums and learn about the local art scene.

UPDATE: got a very short note from Katie around midnight. All was well, they are having a blast and she'd say more when she had more wifi! Got another note from her this morning. She sent a few pics from yesterday and a little video (midway down for both)! So far so good!

From the People to People Itinerary:

While you continue your tour of Wellington:

• Visit Weta Workshop Museum, the multi Academy Award winning special effects company that helped create movies like the Lord of the Rings, King Kong, and Chronicles of Narnia.
• Learn about New Zealand’s system of government when you visit Parliament buildings and enjoy a guided tour of the facility.
• A center for the arts, Wellington has many museums and art galleries.
• Visit Te Papa National Museum, a fascinating museum devoted to Maori culture, natural history, modern art, science and technology. 

Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand

Te Papa National Museum