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How can I begin to describe a place to amazing!
From the plane it looked like I was being dropped on some tiny island but as the sun came up I realized how being here far exceeds any pictures available online. New Zealand is incredible.
The countryside is very hilly and includes some of the steepest streets you could imagine, take San Fran and times it by about ten and you have the roads here in NZ. The roads are about as narrow as my driveway at home yet they are lined as two way streets and yes there is cars traveling both ways quickly around the windy roads. The houses are little homes with quite plain architecture yet amazing little decks and windows. I am fortunate enough to have what I believe to be, one of the greatest views of the city right from my apartment. I live in what’s called the Stafford House. Formally a government building, it’s one of the safest buildings in the entire city and on the New Zealand safety scale for earthquake protection it rated a 172%, so I feel very safe to be living here. Speaking of earthquakes, today for the first time in my life I experienced one. I was sitting in my bed taking a nap and it woke me up from a sound sleep because my whole room starting shaking, it was only a little 3 on the Richter scale but still a scary thing for an American who has never experienced one. Apparently earthquakes here are quite common and people usually experience about 50 tiny ones per year. But no worries everyone I am fine!
So back to telling you all about this awesome place I reside! I live here with two girls, Amirh and Dash. Dash is a native Kiwi (from New Zealand) and Amirh is from San Diego, California. They are both amazing girls and Dash especially is such a treat because she’s from this amazing place. We have a tiny kitchen area equipped with a washer/dryer (they are all one machine here it’s a little odd) dishwasher, table with two chairs, some pantry space and a little stovetop and sink next to the fridge. Our flat is tiny but the perfect size for me. Our bathroom is so nice and has one of the best showers I’ve ever had, I’m kind of addicted already to about three showers per day it’s so nice. In addition to the bathroom being nice I also shower a lot because its only 40-50 degrees here right now with HUGE wind gusts so you can only imagine how freezing I am coming from 90 degree weather. Also wellington has huge wind gusts. Literally you have to hold on to something when these big gusts come. I kid you not the wind knocked me over; it’s more powerful than I’ve ever felt. It’s funny to see the kiwis react to this because to them this is normal and they just laugh, hold tight, and then be on their way. For me this wind and rain is unlike anything I could have imagined. I bought a North face wind and rain jacket and THANK GOD I did because an umbrella wouldn’t last a minute here in “windy welly.”
Next is my bedroom! My room has a little wardrobe, desk, nightstand and bed. But what’s so awesome is the view from my bedroom. I am located on the 12th floor of 13 floors and I can see the whole city from here. In the distance I have a perfect view of the bay, the hilly countryside with houses amongst it, and two volcanoes in the distance. What’s so different here is that I only get to enjoy that great view of the daytime for about 9 hours because it only gets light out around 9am and will be dark again by 5pm. You have to remember I am here in their winter so it’s much different than the states! It may sound unappealing when regarding the weather but this city/country is beyond words. Last night for example my roommate talked me into coming with her for a yoga class (I’m really trying to agree to every invitation I receive to try something new because I’m the newbee here and I want to take it all in!). I’ve only been to yoga once and it was a pretty radical form of yoga rather than the intense stretching which I experienced last night. I realized really quickly how NOT flexible I am and how hard it is for me to be serious. I suck with my balance and had the hardest time keeping my feet flat on the floor in some of the positions. Overall it was a FAIL but a great learning experience!
Probably what made it most incredible though was the room our yoga class was held. The campus consists of four campuses and the one we were at last night was Kelburn which is home to the largest gym on campus and the Arts and Humanities school. The school though sits on top of the hill which basically means as you can assume, I literally have to hike to class every day. It’s about a ten minute walk directly upward; part of the path is even in the woods. It’s very steep and I am sweating by the time I finally reach the top. I’ve come to realize this campus is not for anyone overweight because you’d simply not make it to class. Of course I can take the bus but everything here in NZ is expensive and plus I enjoy the challenge! So last night when we finally made it to the top of the hill it was about 6:30 which meant it was all dark and my roommate wouldn’t let me look down until we got to the very top. I’m so thankful she did because when I finally reached the top, I saw that the school sits on top of the mountain overlooking the entire city. The air was crisp and I felt like I was looking at an expensive postcard of an exotic city. It was a breathtaking sight, and what was even better was the to the top of the hill it was about 6:30 which meant it was all dark and my roommate wouldn’t let me look down until we got to the very top. I’m so thankful she did because when I finally reached the top, I saw that the school sits on top of the mountain overlooking the entire city. The air was crisp and I felt like I was looking at an expensive postcard of an exotic city. It was a breathtaking sight, and what was even better was the fact that the gym has all glass walls. Since it’s on top of the hill they did that so the view would be that much better. So as I did yoga I was surrounded by glass walls and was able to watch the city lights at night from the very top…what a sight!
The life here is different though, very different. It’s a new city and reminds me in some ways of the nicest parts of Manhattan. The shopping here is affordable yet very chique and modern. Everyone here dresses so great! I am fortunate enough that my flat is located in the perfect location so I’m close to everything rather than living on the countryside which would have been a really long walk to anything. Also I found out that Wellington has the most cafes per capita than anywhere in the world! I kid you not there are at least two individually run cafes on each block and they are awesome looking! They have ikea looking furniture and their own unique blends and recipes. Everything here is fresh and locally grown too which is such a change from the states. What’s even better is that I can enjoy these cafes with free Wi-Fi so I can’t wait to choose my favorite one for when classes start.
In addition to the style and shops is the food. Now this is probably my favorite part because it’s so unique and exquisite! The grocery store here is called a “supermarket” or “new world market” and it’s unbelievable. Unlike things like Giant in the US, which sells food as well as shampoo, medicine, cleaning supplies etc; markets in new Zealand only specialize in giving the finest and freshest food and drink. I looked like a kid in a candy store truly. When I walked in to my right was a wall filled with every assortment of nuts, dried fruits, candy, and various sunflowers…next to six isles of wine from US bottles to native New Zealand and Australian bottles. Next as you walk to the left comes the “international cuisine” where you can get premade, hot to order dishes from Indian food, native NZ food, and halah meals as well which are Maori meals. Next to that there was a huge fresh open bar of olives, cheeses, breads, muffins, fresh pastries, cakes…all freshly made. After that they sell all kinds of meat. But what I found to be different was the types of meat they sell. In the US we typically have just fish, pork, steak and chicken. Not here! To be honest to find those meats it’s actually more difficult. The main types I saw were venison, duck, quail, lamb, and veal. Meat in New Zealand also comes with the greatest spices and marinades. Nothing is plain here! Basically think of the most luxurious market you can think of and that’s what we have here in Wellington. So besides that market which is right across the street from my flat thankfully, on the weekends they have a “live market.” This is basically where you go down to the waterfront with a box and just pile in the box fresh fruits, veggies, and full bodied fish freshly caught. Apparently according to the locals it’s the cheapest way to shop and a great way to mingle with locals. They have that every Saturday and Sunday so I cannot wait to head down there this weekend!
Next brings me to the school. The school itself is awesome, besides its amazing location it’s like the “big school” feel I never had. There’s a huge international population and a strong kiwi and Maori population as well. The campus has only one police officer whom we met today. His name is Baz and he is awesome! Unlike a typical police officer he joked about having a beer with us if we ever saw him around, offered us to come down and chat about NZ, or if we ever get lost on the way to a pub or nightclub just call and he’ll give us a lift. Now who in their right mind would ask a police officer in the states to do that!? Haha it was awesome!
The people here are crazy and so friendly! It’s true what they saw though that they are very timid at first and its best to let a Kiwi approach you on their own terms. Unlike in the US if you see someone on the streets you usually give a “hello”, nod of the head, or something just make eye contact with a smile. That is nonexistent here, people are on the go and everyone keeps to themselves. It’s funny because you’d think then that it means they aren’t friendly but when they start talking to you, they will you treat you like a brother/sister, it’s amazing. Their humor is awesome too. For example our transportation from the airport in wellington to my flat at the Terrace (which is the location of where I’m staying) was given by a woman named Bubbles. Her starting statement was, “I swear I haven’t been drinking quite yet but hold on to ya knickas cuz im a woman driva and im bloody horrible!” Haha she was amazing and probably THE craziest driver I’ve ever seen with the worst sailor mouth I’ve ever heard.
All in all though kiwis are very well traveled and super accepting. Since they live on such a small island I haven’t met one who hasn’t traveled all over their country and to other various countries as well. I met a kiwi guy tonight who worked in Fiji for a while to take a break from the normal NZ lifestyle. He called me mate about twenty times and used sayings I’ve never heard of. Not to mention kiwis are trusting! I met a woman today who could tell I was lost and asked if I wanted to borrow her car to get to my destination! Holy shit, who does that?!? New Zealanders will stop you on the road to ask you randomly to share a cup of joe with them, they’ll invite you home for dinner, offer you anything they own and treat you like family. You would NEVER experience hospitality like that in the United States, I was blown away.
Honestly I can’t wait to find out more about this little city. In the upcoming weeks I plan to do a lot of weekend traveling which I am super excited for. I was telling someone earlier, if I didn’t have such a beautiful life back home I’d literally pick up and move here. This lifestyle is ideal…they live as if they have no care in the world and strive on relationships with people rather than power and prestige. I love it here and it’s only been one week since I left Lebanon. I have months to go and I’m already hooked. I miss my family and especially my boyfriend but I’m trusting in God to help me when I’m feeling sad and I’m relying on new friendships to help me along the way. I advise everyone to come to this country at least once in their life, it’s going to be an unforgettable four months here and I can’t wait to live it up.
My next blog will be completely pictures so you can all see truly what this city has to offer!
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