Differences and Observations

The cost of living in New Zealand is crazy.

I got a couple snacks and some meal type stuff at the grocery store and it came to $113.  I get the same grocery list in the US for about $35. 

Also…you pay for everything here.  I mean EVERYTHING! I have to pay for electrical in my dorm and WiFi (which is limited).  Yes, I realize paying for electrical is a normal life pain, but not typically when you are in college! You have to pay to get “free wifi” at public places.  You pay for each bag the bagger puts your groceries in at the store.  You pay $4 for the cheapest bottle of water I have found so far.  I’m honestly waiting for the day when you have to pay per word you speak. 

It’s quite frustrating and discouraging actually. They don’t pay for school here, so when they pay for electrical and wifi and to go to the school gym and such it’s not THAT big of a deal.  But I’m still paying RWU tuition (which includes electrical, wifi, gym, food, HEAT, classes, clubs so I don’t have to pay separate) even though I’m not there.  So paying all this on top of that is crazy. 

They also eat a TON. It was actually funny.  When we arrived at orientation we got breakfast, “morning tea “(another meal), lunch, “afternoon tea” (another meal), dinner, and then supper.  This is not a joke. This is how they eat here.  Needless to say, I’m joining the gym tomorrow.

Also, classes are of 300 kids.  At RWU, my class size is around 20 students.  So I will be in a lecture with 300 other students.  I am a little nervous for this.  Also, they don’t really have assignments during the semester.  Everything is really focused on the exam at the end of the semester.  I am not the best test taker so I guess we will see how that goes. 

They are also VERY relaxed about everything here.  Colleen and I were freaking out about not being registered for ANY classes for Monday and everyone at the school was like oh no, don’t worry about it! And Monday is tomorrow (as I’m writing this) and I’m still not registered for classes.  So!

They call food or “tea time” Kai.

They say things like “sweet as” or “cheap as” for things that are really sweet or really cheap.  It sounds like they never finish their sentences but it’s ok.

They also hardly pronounce vowels.  The accent is taking a little while to get used to but I’m learning fast.  Also I thought this was interesting.  American accents aren’t really noticed by New Zealanders (so I’m told by them) because American culture is such a big part of their culture through music and movies and TV shows and such.  They don’t really notice an accent in us at all. 

Orientation!

(click on pictures below for a bigger view)

I arrived at Auckland Airport an hour earlier than expected and since it’s their winter it was pitch black out for the first 3 hours I was there! But I got to see the sun rise as we drove to the Whangaparaoa peninsula.  I was expecting to be freezing cold but it really was not bad temperature wise!

So this is where I was staying the first 4 days and 3 nights into my adventure:

I was lucky because I was hardly jetlagged. I was dead tired by 7:00pm but otherwise through the day I was wide awake. The orientation crew purposely kept us up and filled our days with activities so we didn’t just sleep all day. Our days started at 8:00am and the first night they let us go to bed at 8:00pm, the second night around 9, and the last night we got to bed around 10pm. I along with almost everyone else tended to wake up at 5am. Although it was 1pm back on East Coast time so why 5:00am was the popular time to wake up I don’t know. 

The first day we went on a nice wander (hike) around. What’s awesome there is that there were no paths…we could literally wander wherever. There were gates but they served no purpose other than landmarks to know where you were.  They had steps so people can hop them.  There were no boundaries and there was something incredibly exhilarating running about gorgeous rolling hills.

That night we went to hot pools and it was INCREDIBLE! The pools were fed by natural thermal mineral water and the water actually felt different on my skin than plain water. It felt very nice after being jetlagged and sore from being cramped for around 24 hours on a plane. My new friends and I also met a group of New Zealand/Scottish guys who were incredibly entertaining to talk to. They were doing pranks for “points” and whoever had the most would win. Two of my friends and I joined in and tied for 2^nd place!

Day 2 of orientation began be doing some ROGAINE (Rugged Outdoor Group Activity Involving Nature & Exercise).  We got into groups and had a huge scavenger hunt all over the peninsula.  We had only 45 minutes and we had to use a map to find landmarks and then hidden by them were little wooden blocks with symbols on them.  We had to draw the symbol for a certain amount of points and whomever had the most points won.  The ones further away were worth more so thank god my group was athletic because we were sprinting up steep hills and jumping fences and it got pretty intense.  We came in 2^nd place by only 10 points so my group did AWESOME! This was one of my favorite things we did.

We then went kayaking in the ocean.  This was awesome to sum it up the best I can.  The water is crystal clear blue and actually really warm.  Like warmer than the Atlantic Ocean even though it’s winter there and very close to Antarctica.  I was in shorts and a light windbreaker and was soaked head to toe and still very warm! We played a game of Ultimate Frisbee but in kayaks…my team blew everyone else away with some awesome moves and ended up winning. 

I also went mountain boarding…its pretty much skateboarding down mountains.  Through this experience I learned I cannot mountain board to save my precious life. I was the single only person to never get the hang of it.

We also went into Auckland and explored the city! This turned into me and 3 of my new found friends sitting in a random cellphone store for over an hour because we had wifi for the first time in 4 days! I got to talk to my mom and Connor, which was just so nice.  Seeing them type a response to me for the first time made me cry. It's funny how when I was isolated in the rolling hills of this new foreign country I was able to forget all the worry of being alone across the world from everything I knew. When I was finally able to have contact with that side of the world I knew and left, it made me severely homesick. Wifi here is hard to come by anyway.  You normally have to go into a café, buy something, and then get a code that lasts about an hour and then you buy something else to get the updated code.   When we finally realized how lame we were being crying over WiFi, we left and I was really home sick and sad but it didn’t take long until I forgot all that and was excited again.  My friend and I went up into the Skytower and I took these sweet pictures!

Some girls I met from the group

Sky Tower from below

Auckland from above (and a rainbow)!

Aaaand we ended up holding up the bus that was to take us away from Auckland and so Marilyn, Anna, and I had to sing a song to the bus.  It was quite funny. But then we drove to the Marae! There was a whole ceremony that I will explain briefly…If you’re bored reading this skip down this whole explanation!

Ok so women are in the front, men follow and after one of the Maori women makes a high pitched call we walk into the meeting house (taking our shoes off first).  Then the Maori sing a song and talk, and then it was the visitor’s turn to talk (us) and this was followed by the hongi, where we all lined up and pressed noses with each of the Maori people.  The hongi (pressing of the noses) is a traditional Maori greeting.  I was quite uncomfortable at first but it was a cool experience. 

This is where we slept that night……

We also went on a night walk. They have a traditional Maori village set up where the Maori people dressed up in traditional clothing and went through the process of what would happen in the old days when visiters came. They did the Haka—a traditional war cry where they dance intensely and buldge their eyes out and stick out their tongue. The visitors must not flinch while this happens. This is what it looked like….

Then they sang us some songs and it was all fun!

The next day I climbed a volcano.

volcanic crater 

This same day I flew to Wellington.  OH and I never mentioned.  There is only one other girl from the group attending Massey Wellington.  And she is awesome so I’m so glad she was (and is) with me! Most everyone either stayed in Auckland or went to Victoria University in Wellington.  Same city, different school. 

And with that, Orientation was over! 

Almost There! Itinerary for Orientation and Semester Events

Well, I've reached the less than a week mark and this is starting to get very real.  A couple days ago my mom said, "So when should you start packing? Probably this week right?"..."Well I would hope so" I replied. We just looked at each other and laughed because I think we both keep forgetting how fast the days are going by.  As of 2:38pm next Saturday I will be leaving little Connecticut behind.

So this is what my room looks like.....

My current job is to pack my life into one(1) 50 pound suitcase to last me 5 months.

I also have gotten more details on what my first few days will be like.  I land in Auckland at 6:30am Monday, July 8th (For everyone on the east coast that would be 2:30pm on Sunday, July 7th).  Here I will call my parents, and then NO communication for 4 days! (this freaks me out a tad but it's probably for the better).  There is no service or internet or phone access during orientation, so my last call will be that I survived (or did not survive) the plane ride to Auckland.  From the airport, I will be going to the Shakespear Lodge where I will be staying for the first 2 nights of orientation, on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula!

This is the Shakespear Regional Park, where I'll be staying.

Here I will be learning to play rugby and cricket (popular sports), kayaking, hiking, going to the beach, and visiting the Wai Wera natural hot pools.
Here is a website for more about where I'm staying.
http://www.ymcaauckland.org.nz/find-your-ymca/shakespear-lodge/Pages/default.aspx

The last night of orientation I will be spending on a Maori Marae (meeting place), Te Hana Ao Marama. http://www.tehana.co.nz Here I will get to experience a night walk through a traditional Maori Village! After that, the next day I will be flying down to Wellington (July 11th) and I will arrive there at 2:30pm (10:30pm July 10th east-coast USA time). That night, the program director will take us out to dinner for the first night in Wellington.

There are also 4 events planned throughout the semester through IFSA-Butler.  One is New Zealand Experience Weekend, which is Saturday the 28th and Sunday the 29th of September.  On Saturday, we set sail on the Bluebridge ferry to the top of the South Island and through scenic Marlborough Sounds.  That day we will either kayak the Marlborough Sounds or mountain bike the Sounds.  That night we will have a 3 course dinner at Herzog Winery and have a wine tasting! On Sunday we will be cruising around Marlborough Sounds in search of dolphins! If we see them, we get to go swimming with them.

Marlborough Sounds

Another event is the Cultural and Volunteering event that will take place Saturday, August 17th (my birthday!) and Sunday the 18th. We will be cooking our very own ethnic lunch at the Asiana cooking school.  We also will be attending a show, movie, or sports match (still to be confirmed).  Sunday morning we will catch a ferry out to Matiu/Somes Island in the Wellington Harbor.  Here we will get in some volunteer work and take a walk around the island...I hear there are little blue penguins here (Connor will be jealous)! 

Matiu/Somes Island

On Sunday, October 15th, we will travel to Otaki and go rafting down Otaki Gorge.  There also might be some rock jumping and rapid swimming and a nice hot meal at the end of the day.

The last is the farewell dinner.  This will happen late October and there will be a celebration for the end of the semester including spot prizes and awards. So that is a snapshot of what orientation/planned semester events should look like.

Soon these Google Image photos will be replaced with my own! I'm getting more and more nervous, and every time I imagine going to the airport with my parents, brother, and Connor I start to freak out.  I've been planning this for so long, it's almost like I was planning for this other person and I can't believe it is actually me.  I officially am the owner of an iPad Mini since most of my friends have iPhones, I can easily iMessage and FaceTime in place of texts and calls.  For those without iPhones I've downloaded Skype.  Well, this is probably my last post written in America, unless I get bored on the plane.  So the next entries will for sure be more exciting! Stay tuned.

A Little Intro and Background

Hello readers!

Or maybe I should say "Kia Ora", which is a Maori way of saying hello.

I created this blog because in less than a month I will be headed to Wellington, New Zealand for almost 5 months! Since communication will not be easy, I figured this would be a great way to catch people up on what I'm up to and such.

For starters, here is some basic info about the situation:
1). I'm going to be attending Massey University (Wellington branch) and studying my major (media communication)- and possibly interning!
2). The time distance is 16 hours.  That means most of the time, I will be a day in the future.
3). The seasons are opposite ours, so I will be headed there smack dab in the middle of their winter and will be there through the end of spring. However, their climate is pretty temperate, and so their winter temperatures average anywhere from 45F to 55F (not too bad!).  Spring ranges around 48F to 59F.
4). New Zealand is made up of 2 islands, the North and South.  Wellington is in the very bottom end of the North Island.
5). I am leaving Bradley Airport on July 6th, around 2:45pm (with stops in DC and LA), and leaving LA around 10pm still on July 6th.  I will be arriving for orientation in Auckland, NZ around 6:30am on July 8th. Confusing with the time differences...I'm pretty sure from LA to Auckland the flight is 18 hours, but I'll be 2 days ahead from when I leave America. Had to read that sentence more than once? It's ok...writing it was just as confusing.
6). When I arrive in Auckland I will have orientation there for 3 or 4 days I'm not sure (glad I know the details right...) and then will be taking a domestic flight down to Wellington July 11th maybe? Around then? And then classes start the 14th. And no, I most likely will not know what classes I am taking or where exactly I'll be living or with who until I get there!

So those are some basics. Currently, I'm trying to figure out the details such as how I will use money there, what to do about contacting you lovely people in the States, electrical stuff, learning how to cook meat (I will need to cook all my meals!), and fitting in more doctors, dentist, endocrinologist, etc etc appointments than one could imagine.

If you were to ask me how I was feeling about this whole trip, "experience of a lifetime" at this very minute, I would probably give you a different answer each minute.  There is one constant- I always am at least 35% excited.  But I'm also a mixture of terrified, anxious, angsty, and a little sad about the whole thing.  Terrified because, well, I've never left the country alone! Let alone the whole other side of the world.  I will be living in the capital city (I have never lived anywhere that wasn't the definition of "rural"), and there are just a lot of details I don't know yet like what classes I'm taking, will I make friends, all that normal stuff.  I also feel anxious.  For those of you close to me you know I can get anxiety and panic attacks very extremely.  Also for those of you close to me, you know how much this has greatly improved this last year! So, I'm up for the challenge of beating this anxiety and NOT LETTING IT GET TO ME! This will probably be my greatest personal challenge.  So this is slightly horrifying but I just keep telling myself what a triumph it will be to to go on this trip.  As for why I'm angsty, I've been applying, communicating with 3 different schools, filling out official government documents, planning, planning, planning*(see below) FOR WAY TOO LONG! I think I've spent a significant more amount of time applying to study abroad and such than I will actually be studying abroad.  I'm also sad to leave my friends, family, and my wonderful boyfriend Connor for 5 months.

*By planning I mean vaguely planning. I pretty much can't plan on anything. More so just guessing situations and planning for that. You know, tedious and possibly unnecessary planning.

I'm working on getting a tablet for communication back home, finding out about getting a local NZ phone to talk to people I meet there, getting a credit card without travelers fees, buying a backpack for a ton of hiking I'm planning, running a TON to stay in shape for all this hiking, waiting to hear that I will be granted a student visa (or not), and I'm starting to think of what to pack.  Every time I go in my closet I make a mental note of some clothing i just HAVE to bring. Unfortunately this mental list is getting quite long.

So there is a very BROAD overview on what the deal with my life is right now.

Sorry if that was boring- I've never written a "personal" blog. Speaking of blogs- my non-personal blog where I talk about things that are happening in the world and sneak in some of my opinion (so my semi-personal blog?) is jessicacook5.blogspot.com if you're curious (or bored).

I'll probably be writing next a day or so before I leave and then the good stuff will begin!