Kiwi Slang lesson of the week: when something is really true in the USA- as in really hot or really cool or really expensive- people would say, "Man, it's hot af outside," or, "Your sweater is nice af,". (For those few that have been living under a rock and have never heard the slang "af", it stands for "as fu*k".) In Kiwi slang, they drop the expletive and just go with "sweet as" or "hot as". When I first learned about this I was very confused- it feels like it's missing something. New Zealanders call themselves Kiwis, so in some advertisements you'll hear them refer to things like a juicy McDonald's burger as "Kiwi as". Anything that's a distinctively Kiwi thing is "Kiwi as": for instance referring to McDonald's as "macca's" (pronounced mack-uhs), or calling the trunk of a car the "boot", or referring to candies as "lollies", or if in bringing your flip flops and swimsuit to the beach you're actually bringing your jandals and togs. These are all words I've encountered on a daily basis, and slowly but surely I'm being converted into a Kiwi. Soon enough I'll be Kiwi as. After touching down in New Zealand, I essentially had 2 weeks of vacation in the summer sun before classes started. Besides the everyday tasks of running to the grocery store to buy the essentials, attempting unsuccessfully to feed myself, showering, and doing my soaking wet, rancid laundry from orientation, I had plenty of time for adventure :D
I don't know what I did to deserve to live in this flat- it's better than anything I could've imagined. We're on the top floor of the last building in Carlaw Park: we have a view of the Auckland Skytower (with the sunset behind it every night) from our living room and I have a view of the Auckland Domain from my bedroom window. My favorite part about my flat/apartment is all the natural light- there are so many windows and we get so much fresh air circulating around that it feels light and airy and happy. (Sorry Providence but it blows the yellow walls and wooden furniture of Cunningham Hall away.) Even on a hot, sunny day, the air conditioning is blasting on the 7th floor and if we open the front door the cool air flows right in. It's very clean-looking (white walls, white counter tops, tan cabinets) in addition to actually being very clean. The common areas are all decorated and our pantry is stocked with every piece of cooking equipment we could possibly need thanks to my flatmates- I'm very thankful to them for saving me a lot of time, stress, and money since I didn't have to go to the store and buy kitchen supplies or decorations to liven up the white walls. I guess you could say our flat has good feng shui- the layout is open and all the walls are white so our big apartment seems even bigger, but all the decorations and personal touches manage to still make it feel homey. I think I could get used to living here :) One of the things I was most excited for in coming to Auckland was meeting my flatmates. I really wanted to do a home-stay but that wasn't an option for my program, so I hoped and wished on my lucky stars that I would have nice Kiwi flatmates. To Kendall and Jordan if you're reading this, my wish didn't come true, you guys are awful flatmates, and I'm moving out. The truth is, I couldn't have asked for better flatmates. They're both Kiwis from the North Island in their 5th year at the University of Auckland and were both RAs at one point. Getting a university degree typically takes 3 years here in New Zealand, but Kendall is getting 2 degrees and Jordan switched his major so they've both been here for longer. For someone completely new to the University of Auckland and New Zealand in general, they're great people to know because they have a wealth of knowledge and experience that I don't have. They've been super helpful in guiding me and giving me advice which I heed (most of the time). They've been nothing but kind to me and are also a lot of fun to live with- I'm a pretty lucky girl. I also have an American flatmate named Carly who moved in before Uni orientation several adventures after the one I'm telling you now. She's from Connecticut but goes to school at Fordham in New York. BUT the best flatmate of all is not even my flatmate- she's my bonus flatmate (along with Lizzie who's spent a decent amount of time hanging out with me in my flat and sleeping on my couch :P and who has become one of my best friends in just short of a month). My bonus flatmate, Jordan's girlfriend Harriet, is one of my favorite humans on this Earth. I knew from the moment I met her that we would get along very well- she's one of the sweetest, kindest, most beautiful people I've ever met. As an added bonus, she studied French and did an exchange in the Loire Valley (where my family is from) so we speak French together sometimes. It's a great way for both of us to practice speaking- she has the best French accent I've heard for someone who isn't actually French. It's been nothing but a joy getting to know my flatmates (and bonus flatmates) and having them around, and they make me excited for the rest of the semester. I may not have been placed in a home-stay, but I feel like I have a new home here in Auckland. Shout out to my flatmates for being awesome (don't make me take it back). After a long few days of change and adjustments and several trips to the grocery store, myself and other students from the IFSA program decided to head to Mission Bay. It's a man-made beach about a 15 minute drive from Carlaw Park. We all had a long week and needed a bit of sun and relaxation- the beach was the perfect medicine. If you ever find yourself in New Zealand, beware of the sun. The sun is much stronger here (something having to do with the the ozone layer and more harmful rays being able to get through). No joke, New Zealand has the highest rate of melanoma skin cancer in the world (more than twice the rate in the USA). You can feel the sun burning your skin minutes into being on the beach- needless to say we lathered on lots of sunscreen and hid under umbrellas to get a break from the sun. It was so nice to be outside by the water- just stick me on a beach somewhere with a nice breeze and I'll jump in the water and be the happiest girl alive. Since it was a man-made beach there were no waves to ride (and consequently no lifeguards), but the water was calm and nice to wade around in. You could swim out pretty far towards Rangitoto Island in the distance and still be able to touch the ground. The coolest part was that you could just sit on the beach and be able to see other small islands across the way under the clear, blue sky. Another highlight of the day: Vanilla Dream Swiss ice cream. Especially coming out of the dead of winter, there's nothing better than a little ice cream to top off a beautiful day at the beach. Since we'd been in Auckland under a week, we decided to take the scenic route back to our apartments and walk. In retrospect, it probably wasn't the best decision since the sun was so strong and it took about an hour and a half to walk home, but hey, we did it and we survived with minimal burns (or at least some of us did, others were not as generous with their sunblock and turned into baked lobsters). It was a really nice walk home and we got to see a lot of the city, but there's no way in heck I'd ever do it again. We could see the Skytower the whole walk back and it never felt like we were getting any closer. But if I had to walk for an hour and a half in my sandy shorts and jandals in the blistering sun, I'm glad it was in Auckland.
Our next adventure involved a little more hiking and a dormant volcano: climbing Mount Eden :D (It wasn't so much a hike as a decent walk up a big hill) It takes about an hour to walk there, but it was only about a 5 minute walk and10 minute bus ride from Carlaw. Mount Eden is a dormant volcano in the middle of Auckland. You can climb to the top, but you can't walk in the crater because for the Maori people it is sacred ground, and walking on it would be highly disrespectful to their ancestors. I went up Mount Eden with Lizzie, Yael, and Jakim from my program, and none of us (besides Jakim who grew up in New Zealand) were prepared for what we would see: breathtaking 360 degree views of the city of Auckland. For some reason, I wasn't expecting the volcano to look the way it did: It was so green and I always thought volcanoes came to a peak and spurted out lava, but apparently they have craters- ya learn somethin new every day. We just sat up at the top of the mountain and chatted and took in the view and the fresh air (when Lizzie snapped the picture above). Sure the view was beautiful, but what makes every great moment great is the people you spend it with. We made "hiking" a lot of fun just being goofy and enjoying each other's company. After talking about our plans to visit the South Island and acknowledging our shared love for the Lord of the Rings, Yael started playing the Hobbit theme song and I recorded one of my favorite videos of all time: us swaying and jamming out sitting in the grass on a dormant volcano looking out at the city and Jakim yelling "Frodoooooo! Sammmmm! in time with the music and waving out into the distance as if they were walking towards us up Mount Eden at that very moment. With the wind blowing and the Hobbit theme playing with the green all around us, it really felt like we were in the Shire. It was a dream. Mount Eden is pretty close to home and I loved sitting up there so much that I considered climbing up there every day just to sit and do work or let my mind wander while I look out at the cloudy blue sky.
The biggest, longest, most favorite adventure we've gone on so far was Piha Beach- and it almost didn't happen! I honestly don't know everything came together- especially since we had gone out the night before and didn't get home until 4:30am only to wake up at 7am (you can thank Lizzie the almighty planner and navigator who I rely on way too much because she's really good at it) and then flaky car rental companies almost didn't give us our cars. But by 12pm we were on the road! Lizzie, our faithful leader, was feeling brave and wanted to drive on the left side of the road for the hour drive to Piha. I, her intrepid navigator, sat by her side and guided her (with the help of a GPS) along the way. As we got further and further outside Auckland, the roads got narrower, the land around us got greener, and we could feel the elevation get higher and lower as we drove up and around the mountains and down to the beach. Piha Beach is a black sand beach on the West Coast of New Zealand's North Island. The sand is black because of the iron in it originating from volcanoes. When we finally got to the the beach it was UNREAL. Rocks and mountains and ferocious waves. The view from above was spectacular, and then you walk down onto the beach and can't believe your eyes. It didn't seem like anything we saw in front of us was actually real. The first thing we did was climb Te Piha (called Lion Rock because it literally looks like a lion lying down on the shore looking out into the water). The rock was a sacred site for the Te Kawerau a Maki people whose ancestors lived on the lower parts of the rock during seasonal fishing. The summit of the rock was the tihi, or the last line of defense during attacks from other tribes- always better for your enemies to have an uphill climb. Their people had lived, fought, and died where we walked. I could feel the power of their history as I stood there. We couldn't go all the way to the top of the rock because of the danger of falling rocks, but we could climb up to the guardian Pou watching over the waters and beach. It was drizzling while we were standing up there, so it felt very mystical. You could almost sense a presence there on the rock- a spirit come alive watching over its people. The waters of Piha Beach were treacherous- especially by the rocks. We actually watched a rescue mission as surfers got pulled further out into the ocean and rocks by the rip current. The lifeguards alone weren't enough to rescue them and they had to pull out the rescue boat. Every time the boat moved a bit forward over the waves, it shot up at a 90 degree angle as the wave crashed against it. It was scary to watch and everyone on the beach just stood there waiting for what felt like ages until they were rescued. I learned afterward that New Zealand has an actual TV show about PIha Beach, its deadly rip currents, and the rescue missions that happen there. Normally, I dive right into the water and go out far so I can ride the waves and swim. I'm never shy with the ocean, but I was even nervous to go out any farther than the shore. It took all of my strength to fight against the rip current and keep my two feet planted firmly on the sand. I watched as those around me got knocked over and dragged to sea at the mercy of the waves. The water pulled back out into the ocean stronger than I've ever felt before- so much so that there was no water left around me all the way to the shore. All the water had been taken out to sea just to strike us full force with the next round of waves. If you weren't paying attention or didn't have your feet firmly planted on the ground, it would take you too. Eventually I found the courage to go a little farther out and ride the big waves back to shore. I wish I'd brought a boogie board- it was honestly so much fun being in the water and waves. Even when I was by myself I was smiling and laughing with the people around me as the waves rolled in and they went for a wild ride. As I stood in the water, I looked at the rock formations around me: to my left it looked like the rock had a face with eyes and a mouth. It made me think of Moana and Tefiti- the rocks coming alive and becoming powerful forces. To my right was lion rock laying proudly in the sand looking out at its domain. The one thing you don't think about when you imagine black sand beaches ironically has to do with the sand being black- black absorbs more heat so the sand gets hotter faster. It wasn't even a sunny day (it was overcast and muggy and foggy) and the sand was literally burning hot. I had to wear flip flops anywhere I stepped and even then the sand that flipped up onto me burned my skin. If I stood on the sand for more than a few seconds it started to feel like putting your hand on a hot stove. It was like walking on solid, black boiling water- ow! From Piha, we went to go see Kitekite Falls close by. The hike to the waterfall only took 30-40 minutes but we had to hustle to make sure we could get back in time to return our little red car before the rental place closed. We had a good five minutes at the falls before we had to start hiking back up to make it home in time, so we stripped down to our bathing suits and jumped right in! If we had more time we could've hiked to the very top of the waterfall and swam in a little pool there. The 5 minutes we had in the water was totally worth it- we didn't even care that we'd have to sit soaking wet in the car for an hour. The water felt so refreshing and it was an awesome experience. We booked it back to the car through the trail and made it back to the rental place with time to spare. The only casualty of the day was the left side of my face- I was so busy enjoying the nice breeze and co-piloting that I forgot about the killer New Zealand sun beating down on me through the car window. Needless to say, I got a lovely sunburn on half of my face while the other half was unscathed. I wish I could say the look suits me. On a rainy day when I was tired of sitting around and felt like going out to explore by myself, I took a walk to the Auckland Art Museum. Because I'm a New Zealand resident and student, I got in for free (which is always a good thing). Normally, I really don't enjoy going to museums- if I go to a museum it's never my idea, so I'm always with other people and have to go at their snail speed no matter how much I want to leave or run around yelling, "HOW IS THIS BLOB ON CANVAS ART?!". I've gotten more appreciative of artwork over the years- admiring artwork is an acquired skill that comes from learning to see things through different perspectives and taking a step back to look at the big picture rather than the small details. I'm a big fan of impressionism with it's pastel colors and patches of detail, but for the more abstract artwork I had to learn not to take it so literally and see if I can feel what the artist is trying to convey. I didn't mind walking around the Auckland Art Museum Toi Tamaki because I got to walk around by myself at my own speed. I walked over to artwork and spent as long as I wanted looking at it- I didn't have to wait on anyone or stare at anything for too long. I even found a few pieces of artwork I liked.
When we got to Rangitoto Island we started tramping (hiking) right up to the summit. It was a tough hike for my asthmatic lungs, but nothing is as tough as Table Mountain so I was doing pretty well in comparison and continued huffing and puffing my way up. When we got to the summit, the views were worth every second of the climb. It just keeps getting better and better- every peak we climb is a little bit taller and the view is a little bit more breathtaking. Blue skies, white puffy clouds, city, islands- it's hard to believe something so beautiful is really there in front of you. It's so easily taken for granted. The Maori have a nice way of honoring the land that they come from. I have a hard time feeling the gravity of everything I've experienced. Things this amazing are hard to process.
The last little adventure I'm going to tell you about is near and dear to my heart. After Lizzie and I took the ferry home, I got ready for Harriet's 22nd Birthday Party :D (If you've forgotten, Harriet is my flatmate Jordan's girlfriend) After only a few days of getting to know her, she invited me to her Dad's house in Takapuna to celebrate her birthday Diner en Blanc by the ocean with the rest of her friends. Diner en Blanc originated in France and involves people gathering together eating cheese and crackers and drinking fine wine all dressed in white. I'm thankful for Kendall knowing so many people because instead of having to pay for an Uber or take the bus, we hopped into the back of his friend Anita's car. There was only one problem: there were 4 guys, 1 Anita, and 1 Claire with only 5 seats in her little car. Solution: cram 3 guys and 1 Claire in the back seat of the car. They're lucky I'm flexible. We piled into the car and the guys smooshed to the right side of the car while I contorted my body so that I could fit sideways on the end. I'm lucky the car ride to Takapuna isn't that long because even after the short ride I had pins and needles all the way down from my butt to my toes. The important part is that we all made it there in one piece. Takapuna is beautiful- it reminds me a lot of the Hamptons in New York or the Waterfront down in Cape Town. You could tell as soon as you drove in that it was definitely a wealthier area. We entered the gated community with a passcode and went inside to see Harriet. It was a beautiful house- white and clean and crisp and you could see directly out to Takapuna Beach through the glass window/doors. Just a short walk from the kitchen and you were down on the beach. Normally when you go to a party not knowing anyone, it can get pretty awkward, but Harriet's party was really lovely and a lot of fun. To be fair I did know a few people that were there (Harriet and my flatmates and their friends I'd ridden over with), but even then I'd only known them for a couple of days at that point. I met a bunch of Harriet's friends from school and chatted with them. I find it funny how people react when I tell them I'm from New York: their eyes get wide and they say some variety of, "OH, New York!," and tell me how much they'd like to go there. I've never been looked at as the exotic New Yorker before, nor have I heard the words "exotic" and "New Yorker" in the same sentence, so it's been an interesting adjustment. I always end up having to explain where I'm from and how New York City isn't all it's cracked up to be: it's loud and smelly and crowded with people. I'm not much of a city girl (I'd be the most happy in a field of sheep somewhere in Ireland) so Auckland is a much nicer city to me because it's so green. The family friends of Harriet that I talked to were really interested in Bath & Body Works and if they went to New York they wanted to go there most of all, so I showed them my Bath & Body Works hand sanitizer that I carry around with me everywhere. I also talked to Anita a lot and got to know her better- we attacked the cheese and crackers together. Anita brought her nice camera to take pictures, so we all headed down to the beach all dressed in white looking like a wedding party or, if you're Kendall, like the KKK. We took a bunch of pictures on the beach with Rangitoto Island in the background. It dawned on me as I looked out across the water that I'd literally just been at the top of it that morning- I'd say it was a pretty successful day that'd come full circle. When we were satisfied with our pictures and got back in the house, we talked and wined and dined some more and Harriet made us a delicious dinner with her special salad, lasagna, and even chicken nuggets. Before we ate, Kendall said grace in Te Reo, the Maori language, which was really cool to experience. It reminded me of how connected the world is- how unique our cultures are yet how much we have in common. Harriet did a wonderful job with dinner :) I can't thank her enough because it was the first real food I'd had in days. She is the epitome of a kind soul and a sweetheart (and a wonderful cook!).
I'm so thankful for Harriet and her family and friends and everyone there for making me feel so at home and like I belong here. I never felt out of place with them and there was always someone to talk to our dance with (especially Harriet- we both love to dance and don't need an ounce of alcohol in our systems to do it). I may be thousands of miles of away from my home, but I feel like I have a home here too.
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