Aro Neighborhood

Snapshots of life.

Aro in the Evening

(walk by this store everyday to go to school)

(this picture was taken at 2:00 a.m.)

(one of the only high rises around)

By now it should be clear that I love my home, Aro Valley has so much life. People on Aro just give "it" an extra touch that other districts lack, humanity- a handful of roses on display for the night. Simple, charming, intentional, overlooked.

Thesis Woes

Why did I choose to do a thesis? No matter how much I read, discuss or write I feel as if nothing of significance has been composed. It is very, very, very difficult to measure progress.

Theses tend to choose us. Some how, through our life circumstances we have been entrusted the responsibility of knowledge- to find evidence to PREVENT. Mostly, if we are good students- good stewards of knowledge, we are in awe of the things we learn. We are in awe of what there is to know.

No matter what, we must keep going. Results were already in before this thesis began. It is time to extol them.

I look at this envelope with a mix horror and awe. This MA process is truly a journey into my deepest beliefs. Coming into school with the positivist attitude that all is not known and will at some point be known through and unknown process was, and is, still key. Now that I am here and have to give a presentation in front of geographers from all around the world in July, on an MA thesis topic I have yet to find results in is giving me great anxiety. Am I worthy of such a task? An absolute slew of thoughts have been discussed, written, and read up on (but not thoroughly), I have yet to analyze and test my hypothesis. At least I have that. Time heals all wounds, and hopefully fleshes out all hypotheses!

Images from Aro Street

Desperately clinging to light, now that there is less of it. I am in love with my giant window when the sun is beating through, but the nights are cold.

Blurry Food and Bugs

Golden kiwi fruit, a strange encounter subjectively speaking not as good as the green kiwi fruit. Wrapped in the plaid lunch bag Chieko made for me (which I use everyday!) are feijoas- my new favorite fruit, i must eat about 6 of them a day. Julia has several feijoa trees, and the season is now, full force (for we must each six of them a day). Winter is upon us in New Zealand and all the bugs & mice are working their way indoors, toward warmth. Found a dead mouse in our office last Friday. In the past couple of weeks there have been many spider and bee rescues, it was much too late for the mouse.

Groups of People

(fundraising for Oxfam at school, do I look like an academic yet?)

(art class i "taught")

(bowling with church folk)

Not much to say about the days past. Here are some fresh images. More later.