So last night, we had a party with our Russian and Korean flatmates. We had some vodka, hummus, chicken (for all the non-vegetarians), potatoes, Korean pancakes and little "pockets" that kind of looked like ravioli (but were stuffed with veggies and noodles), and tomato/onion salad. It was a lot of fun, and it makes me sad to think we're leaving them next week; I will miss talking to and getting to know them. I really do hope we stay in contact.

Perhaps what I enjoyed most was sitting with people, some of whom might have been described by the American government as "the enemy" some twenty-thirty years ago, and realizing that we are, essentially, all the same. Oleg, Viktor and Sam are in New Zealand to learn English so they can better the lives of themselves and their families. We all have the same desires: education, enough to eat, clean water, opportunties for our kids, gainful employment.

I found yesterday night to be a testament to the fact that we are all part of the same human family, and that at our most basic level we aren't very different and strive to meet the same needs.