Sunny-Side Up

Kia Ora, my faithful readers! 

Believe it or not, I have just reached the halfway point of my semester at the University of Otago. (What?! Time doesn't just fly--it moves at freaking warp nine speed.) Tomorrow I leave for Nelson (a sunny city at the very top of the South Island) with my Kiwihost Georgia for mid-semester break! I'll be staying in a backpacker/hostel near the city centre, and since the weather should be nice-ish, I'll get to explore the city, visit some beaches, and try out the local hiking. 

I won't have my computer with me, so I will post a blog update sometime next weekend! With pictures! Before I leave, however, here are some Random Abreana Notes from the past weeks...

1. I GOT TO RIDE MY FIRST HORSE! 

Isn't she pretty?? Her name is Shannon. She's an Irish sport horse, very gentle, and takes a rubber bit. Her favourite thing is to run on the beach; she also loves jumping! (Obviously this was Day 1 for me, so we just walked around the hills for a bit...) We rode English style, which means the saddle doesn't have a horn like it does in Western style riding. 

And I absolutely loved it. 

2. My body is adapting to-- and enjoying!-- the Dunedin weather.

"Isn't it a bit cold, eh?" asked a guy from park maintenance. I was at a playground (on the swings, of course), and it was cloudy and drizzling rain. 

"Nah, it's nice!" I responded. 

Since when did I start adapting to this weather??

Swinging in the rain happened sometime last week. Then this morning I woke up to another cold/cloudy/rainy day (after a few consecutive days of sunshine) and I was actually excited about it. 

It means I get to wear my blue fuzzy hat!! It also means my porridge and hot tea taste even better. Man, I'm such a complicated person. 

3. Flowers are blooming! Spring must be arriving!

4. "You've Got Mail!" 

This is from my dear friend Maddie. :) I loved the Monet painting on the cover of the card...and the stamp was a Global Forever stamp, which I didn't even know existed! How fun!

5. Apparently I like to hang out by myself and take pictures.

I wandered around the Botanic Gardens the other day (the same place where I got to feed the ducks and pigeons!) I came across a tree that is supposedly older than Dunedin itself. I also found a sunny-side up egg on the side of some building, as well as a silver fern on the floor of the native bush forest. 

 

 

Next up... my mid-semester break adventures in Nelson!

Snow! And Fiji culture! ....in Dunedin?!

SNOW!

Everybody stay inside - it's not safe. Close the roads leading into the hills, cancel this morning's health centre appointments, tell the students not to come to class... Snow is on the ground in Dunedin!

 

I mean.... really? The entire city shut down for this little dusting?

Dunedin may be known for its damp, bone-chilling cold... but this coastal city don't know a thing 'bout snow! 

I've been loving it though! Snow makes for a proper winter, in my opinion. Theoretically this weather will keep me inside to work on my tourism essay, but then again...it might just be another excuse to keep reading Lord of the Rings. 

Yes. That seems preferable. 

But while I am in the blogging mindset...I might as well tell you about my Fijian culture experience from earlier this week. I got to participate in a traditional Kava ceremony, Fiji style, which I signed up for through the Student Centre (they offer so many great activities), because... why not? It sounded like something cultural.  

Kava is a drink made from the root of the Piper methysticum, which is related to the pepper plant. Drinking kava is a huge part of Fiji culture - it can be social and casual, but it is also highly ceremonial. For example, the oldest male (or the chief) always drinks first; the women always drink last. You always clap once before receiving your bowl of kava, then you drink it in one go, and afterwards clap three more times. 

Preparing to mix the Kava in the communal bowl

We were totally on "Fiji time" that night. Our hosts prepared a PowerPoint presentation about Kava, its history, effects, preparation, etc. We would go through only one or two slides before we drank another round of Kava. We were all relaxed and sleepy because Kava is mildly narcotic. 

To put it positively, Kava tastes earthy. To put it very literally, it tastes like warm, muddy water with sawdust. But experiencing Kava is less about the drink itself and more about the people you are with. Kava is entirely about the community. 

Our little group (of about 7-8 people) stayed in the student centre until the building closed, which was around 11 pm--a full hour over our allotted time. We were just relaxing cross-legged on the floor, listening to Fijian music, chatting about nothing in particular. 

And so, while in New Zealand, I got a small taste of Fijian culture. I also got to experience snow in Dunedin, which only happens a couple times a year, if at all. So I'd say it's been a good week! 

Cheers, everybody!

Greetings from New Zealand

After four flights and over thirty hours of travel time, I finally made it to my flat in Dunedin!

I was absolutely ecstatic as we were riding from the airport to the flat office. Window down, arm hanging and head popping out the window — I felt like a dog! Here are some pictures I took. See if you can spot the sheep in the second picture. (There are more sheep than there are people in New Zealand.)

My first thought was, “This is what they call winter?? It’s so green.” I actually laughed at them. But then the sun set…

Forget about culture shock – how about weather shock??

For those who know me, you know I hike Colorado mountains in a tank top and wear my beloved Chacos in all weather conditions. Well, to put things in perspective, this morning I wore two jackets, jeans, and my sneakers. And for the first time in..I don’t know how many years…my body didn’t overheat.

Being inside feels almost as cold as outside. Last night I slept with 2 pairs of socks, 2 layers of sweat pants, and 3 shirts/jackets…and I was still cold. (Pretty sure my room gets below 60 degrees Fahrenheit at night.) So the first thing I did this morning was buy flannel underwear and a hot water bottle.

But enough complaining, because this was the view from my bedroom window this frosty morning…

It was my first sunrise in New Zealand… New Zealand, guys…And that’s pretty damn exciting.

So I’ve spent the last day and a half getting acclimated — or rather, spending money. Groceries, phone, bedding, etc. Things are quite expensive here, but at least the currency is rainbow colored and highlighted with native birds.

Some random observations/thoughts/experiences I’ve had so far:

1. I love the Kiwi accent! It’s like a British-Australian-Scottish accent, but still uniquely New Zealand.

2. Yes, the toilet water does swirl counter-clockwise when it’s flushed. (This one is for my brothers.)

3. Right away, I found the need to start walking on the left side of the sidewalk to avoid running into people.

4. Also on that note, I am re-training myself how to cross the street (Preschool style)… “Look right, left, then right again.”

5. My Google, Facebook, and Spotify ads are all tailored to my new location. This clearly isn’t an earth-shattering discovery, but it was just a random life detail (normally taken for granted) that I guess I wasn’t expecting to change so effortlessly. Google probably knew I was in New Zealand before my parents did.

6. Like the typical Coloradan, I don’t know which direction is west without the Rocky Mountains. Dunedin sits in a basin so we can only see rolling hills in all directions, but the Southern Alps (the “proper mountains,” as my Kiwi friend informed me) are still west of Dunedin, so I find that comforting.

7. Coffee is EVERYWHERE!!!! There are even coffee cup holders on the grocery carts. I also found this inspiring wallpaper at a cafe at the Christchurch airport:

I’ll post some pictures of my flat and of local Dunedin soon. Until then… soak up some summer tans for me!