Culture games

 Wizards

Wizards is a game from Russia (Fun Fact: Russia, is the biggest country in the world!). A kind lady named Valiya, came in to teach all the leaders and house captains (including me), the game. The game is kind of like freeze tag but a bit different. The game is simple really, you could have 3 wizards, and 5 runners. you would need and even group of kids, and split them into 2. You could have more than 3 wizards and 5 runners, depending on how much space you have. The wizards job is to tag you, then you need to freeze, on the spot, extending your arms and legs like a starfish, while you do that you have to shout, "Chai, chai, chai!" I think the word means help in Russian. If a runner tags you again, you are free to run. 

Stream

Stream is also a game form Russia, and requires you to be quick. You can have as many people as you want in the game, just make sure to keep the flow going. For this game you would need an odd amount of people in pairs with there hands in the air like they high fived each other. And there is also one more person at the front, running under all the hands and they have to grab one random arm and the person who got grabbed has to follow the person to the back of the line and put there hands together in the air, and the person who lost their partner, goes to the front and repeat the same thing. The idea is to keep it going like an infinite water source. These games were really enjoyable, blog you later! 

Spark Arena

Today we went to Spark Arena! At Spark Arena, we went into, "Tune forks" Inside tune forks we saw instruments, and pictures of some famous artists. I saw a picture of, Bruno Mars, Ed Sherran, Six60, Taylor-Swift, Imagine Dragons, and some other famous artists. 

There were some helpers who had set up some computers that taught us how to play a drum-pad, and a set of drums. We were very lucky for our school to get picked, following by 2 different schools, (Royal rd, and Linking rd.) Suzy Cato told us there are three different places, Happy Place, Sounds Fun, and Van Gogh. We got to go to Happy Place first. 

Happy place is a place to have fun and to be happy. In Happy Place is big ball pit that's right up to my chest! The instructed told us (Me, Dev, Ibriham, and Nijel.) to jump on his count but when he said "You guys have to jump-" Ibriham jumped in head first into the ball pit! When we had all jumped in, we were all laughing as the teachers took photos. When Nijel jumped in I  literately couldn't see him! His whole body was inside the pit! 

It was really enjoyable, but at the same time, it was hard. I had a hard time getting out, but it was quite funny. Once I got out, I went to this space where heaps of chains were. (If you've ever been there, you'll know what I'm talking about) Eventually, I bumped into myself about 6 times, and it was so confusing. I also scared Naweed (Sorry Naweed.), then I saw a room that was all yellow, and had yellow ducks around the walls with a bathtub in the middle of the room. I didn't want to try it out, because it felt quite creepy for me.

 
There was also a disco room, and Mason was really busting out some poses. There was also a upside down room. We had to either jump, or act like it was natural. But obviously you would have to jump, we also tried not to  smile to make it look real. Then we had to go back to tune forks, and played some instruments which is called, Sounds Fun.

At Sounds Fun, we played instruments, sang songs, and learned to play some beats.

I came across a drum set, but this was a ordinary drum set, it was an electrical drum set! It looked futuristic, and bright. There was a screen attached to it, telling you when to hit the drum, and when to tap your feet. If you get all green, it means you got a perfect score and you get heaps of stickers. Then I went to the other side of the room, and tried out an instrument, I forgot what it was called, but it felt like I was playing in a marching band. Then we went to Van Gogh.

Van Gogh is basically an art gallery with all, 'Van Gogh's' art in digital. Van Gogh painted heaps of people and flowers. I think it was Martin who said, "The people that Van Gogh painted, is probably all his his friends who died." I agreed with Martin. There were heaps of beautiful flowers, and houses, with some dramatic music in the background. There was also a train, I still don't understand why there was a train, but I think it has something to do with his past. It felt really cool going to Spark Arena, and it was a whole lot of fun. Blog you later!

Fitness

First day back at school from the 2 week holiday, we started off with training diary's. First we had to fill in our (The students) names, and emails. Then we had to fill in the address of the school. Eventually we read some of the information the Warriors do for their training. 

After we read the information, we went outside to do some fitness. The first fitness we did was the plank. For the plank, the teachers would told us to tuck our T-shirts so they could clearly see if we dropped down. If you don't how to do a plank, you have to lay down on your belly first, then stand up with your toes and elbows, to make it look like a piece of wood laying down. Me and my friend, Dev (Go check out his blog!), stopped at 1 minute, and had forgotten we could do longer than that! LOL! 

Next we were doing the burpees. To do a burpee, you have to lay down on the ground as if you were going to do a push up, then get up bending down, and jump, I got 18 in 60 seconds. Then we had to do the 10 metre shuttle. 

We had to run 10 metres forward, and run 10 metres backwards, I got 6.8 in 60 seconds. And last but not easiest, THE ENDURANCE RUN!! The endurance run was really hard, but I managed. There are 4 leads, if you do all 4, that is 1 whole lap. The rugby pitch was about 27 metres, and form there  to the climbing frame was about 18 metres, and there back to the post was about 23 metres. (Really stressful huh?) Blog you later!

ANZAC DAY

On Anzac day, we (My family) went to the museum! We saw some clothing from the 40s - 60s, and decided to try them on. The clothing was thick, and a little heavy. Next to it, were some of the very few items they (The soldiers) packed for the war. They would pack it very tidily. They would pack only 1 pair of socks, a shirt, pants, a toothbrush, a comb, soap, and maybe some chocolate, and an underwear. There package is very tight, and small. The reason why they pack so tight, was because they would have to carry their luggage for weeks, maybe even months! One person also carry's the whole communication system, there's a big computer at the back, with a long antenna on top. Their phones were more like, walkie talkies but almost the size of a book! But before all that, was the telegraph. The telegraph was one of the most secret common communication system all the soldiers used in the war. They would also hack into other lines, and hear what the enemy is saying. The telegraph make short beeps, and long beeps for you to code. And if your really careful, you could listen to what the enemy is saying. You could decode the beeps, and find out where there next attack is, and where there weak, and strong spots are. We also saw some medals. The medals looked interesting, and also have a meaning to it. After the war, the general would present all the medals in a medal ceremony, to all the soldiers that went for the extra miles, and did some bravery out in the battle field. War is ugly and violent, war isn't pretty and not a good thing to talk about but, thanks to all the soldiers that fought and to all who died, for fighting for our freedom, and for these lives. Blog you later!

My dad's graduation

🎓MY DAD'S GRADUATION🎓

My dad is 50 years old this year, and he has done his educations days and achieved ok for himself. During the lockdown we spend so much time together at home so he think he could do something, so he enroll himself on a course in bible study with the Trinity Bible College. 
On Sunday the 18th of April, he achieved a LTH in theology from the Methodist Trinity College.
The day started very early in the morning. We (My family) have to get up early and get ready for the graduation. We got to the church at Ponsonby Methodist church which they held the graduation ceremony, and try to get a good seat so we can see the whole thing. Boy aren't we were lucky? Because after half an hour or so I turned and look back the whole church was packed and people have to stand outside. But it's ok because there was a marque and a big screen tv already set up next to the church for the over floats. 

At first, the band played the song Humaieiki (Into my heart), to lead the students to their seats, then a lady came up to the front, and started calling the students names. The students had to stand up, once their name was called. When it had came to my dad's name, I tried to snap a picture of him. Once the three reverends finished their speeches, they started calling the students names, to come up and receive their book, and stole. I snuck up the front, and tried to snap a few pictures of him, shaking hands with the president of the church.

At the end, all the students gathered up to the front and took a photo, I managed to take heaps of pictures. I felt really proud of my dad, which inspired me to never give up and everything is possible. I hope one day I will graduate to. My dad never gave up on his study, and succeeded.🥳CONGRATULATIONS DAD!🥳 Blog you later!

Trenches/basic facts test under gunfire

On Wednesday I thought it would be a regular day like any other day would, but a kid from the middles named: Boston. Boston ran to me saying, "Hey Ros! Everyone is lining up, looking at the wire in the seniors!" At first I thought he was just using his imagination, but when I said "What on earth is going on?!" They all said "There are strings in the class!" I instantly regret what I thought about what Boston said, even though he said it was wires. (But not the kind that will obliterate you, that would be silly.) When I first saw the teachers, they were wearing black, and I thought they were getting ready to rob a bank! They also had face paint going across their face! Once we went in, the teachers said we had to stay under the strings for six hours! If our head, and arms were above the strings, and the teachers spot it, you would get shot, and lose a point. They also read us stories to write down for us to remember what happened in the wars. When we did our basic facts test, they would put gunfire sounds in the background to distract us. (This was very hard!) I also got two carpet burns on both my knees! This was an experience based on the war.  

Earthquake/Tsunami 2021 lockdown

One night, we were all in the lounge, there was a alarm going, "BEEB! BEEB!" It said that there was a earthquake, and that there would be a tsunami. At 4:00am my dad was still awake, he said he felt the ground slightly move, he said he thought it was just his mind playing with him, but he looked at the fish tank and he saw, the water going up and down. If the earthquake had lasted a little longer and stronger, he would wake me, my younger sister, my younger brother, and my baby sister. When we woke up in the morning, our dad told us all about it. When I first learnt about a tsunami, I thought it would happen to us right away! But my dad said that, it wouldn't happen, (Witch was a few years ago) but now it did! It was my first time knowing that a natural disaster had just happened in the morning! New Zealand doesn't really have that much natural disasters, I thought there would be after so much training when I was a year 1! To this year, I find that natural disasters can happen anytime anywhere! Now that i'm aware that a disaster can happen, I think i'm ready. I just wish I could experience an earthquake next time. But luckily there was no tsunami, were all safe now so we won't need to worry about the tsunami anymore. Wish you all the best for 2021! Blog you later, and stay safe!