Week One: The Adjustment Period

Kia ora!
That is hello in Maori, the traditional language spoken by the native Maori people of New Zealand.

Well I did it! After a horrendous 13-hour plane ride, Emily Kerins and I made it safe and sound to the land of Kiwis. So much has happened in this first week alone. We arrived to hot, humid and sunny weather; a little different than the snow and ice we had been experiencing back home. Tired and jet lagged, we started our journey from the airport through the largest city in New Zealand. As any small town girl would say, Auckland is huge! Home to over 1,300,000 people, it is certainly a change. 

Besides the fact that they drive on the wrong side of the road and there is no such thing as pickup trucks, it seems like any other city. The main landmark of course is the Sky Tower, the tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere. This picture is taken from the drive over the Auckland Bridge. Big I know!





One lost suitcase (Emily's) and a shuttle ride later, Massey University campus came into site, 20 minutes north of Auckland. We are staying in the student accommodation called Millennium Village, Unit 14. It's a cute little flat, as they say here. Four bedrooms, 3 (small) bathrooms, kitchen, a living room, laundry, the works.  Along with Emily and I, two other Kiwis (New Zealanders, for those of you who don't know) share the flat with us, Kristian and Nic. I will tell you more about them in my next post.

The rest of this week has been orientation week. Being in college for two years already, some of the meetings were full of information I already knew. But there has been some perks to orientation, including Mix and Mingle Night at the Ferg (the on-campus bar),  sports day and a beach party. One particular highlight of this week was the Foam Party at the Ferg. Picture this; standing on the bar dance floor, lights and music blasting, chest deep in huge mounds of foam and bubbles, the kind you see in bubble baths. Not even 30 seconds after jumping in, I was soaked in slimy dish-like soap. Needless to say, i felt very clean after showering after the party.

So far, things are not too different here. I would have to say, the Kiwi atmosphere is much more laid-back and relaxed. Most people here do not even wear shoes. It is not uncommon to see Kiwis walking around barefoot in the supermarket. But, New Zealanders are as friendly as can be. The accent is always fun to listen too, and Emily and I have fun trying to imitate our flatmates. But one thing is for certain, do not mistake a Kiwi with an Aussie. Bad things will happen!

I am a little nervous about starting school in a different country. Their school system is very different than our American school system. I start school on the 25th. So we will see how this goes.


I have so much more to write, but sadly I must draw this post to a close. I don't want to bore you guys with tons of details. I will write more soon.

 

Until then, Ka kite ano!

Michael