Independent Survival
3:55 PM
OmIgODD! I can't believe I'm finally blogging! I've been craving to get on the internet for the longest time EVER. And all i could manage for the past few days was a couple of minutes to sign up for a couple of courses and check my e mail and Cassie's blog (Cassie, u can stop gloating now)...
Anyways, there is so much i wanna spill here... Too much in fact. My journey has been nothing short of an amazing adventure of independent survival, meeting so many different people with different personalities and overcoming fear (...I've done this so much this week, that I feel I can take on anything that comes my way!)
I have LOADS of things left to do, there's ALWAYS something to do here. I've never had a free day since I got here, which makes things better to be honest. It doesn't leave room for homesickness... Am blogging from the computer lab btw. There're about ten different labs here, and they used to charge for internet utilization but NOT ANYMORE. Which means, double hurrah for me. Labs get really packed tho, and even within the ten, it's difficult to find a suitable place.
So, enough about the labs. Here are some of the things I need to highlight.
1. Do you ever wonder why Caucasians normally have athletic legs (...apart from it being genes)... It's coz they walk EVERYWHERE. And in Auckland, there aren't any flat roads at ALL. It's either downhill or up hill... The walking is insane! But I absolutely ADORE it. The salubrious weather makes it an extremely pleasant task. So for the past few days I've spent my time walking from one end to another from approximately 8 am to around 5 pm. My legs have never hurt more. And I am beginning to think exercise is redundant when it comes to this country (....but that doesn't explain why many people are obese over here).
The roads are crazy steep i tell you. There was once I was walking down with Su Lyn (Cassie's friend who I got acquainted with once I reached New Zealand) and I almost broke down in tears for fear of the "bunga" on my sneakers not being good enough to keep me from falling.
I guess, I've gotten used to it now. I know a couple of roads pretty well. And I know the city campus pretty well too. Just getting from one place on this campus to another is like participating in a leg of Amazing race. Requires strength, stamina, determination, a good sense of direction and speed. Hurrah to walking I say!
2. People.
To be honest, this country is FAR MORE multiracial compared to Malaysia. You can find people from every end of the world. You name it and they're here. Even my residence hall comprises mostly of international students. My RA-resident advisor, is an angel. Her name's Trishvin and she's a JPA scholar from Malaysia. She took me jogging on my 2nd day here at this huge park and I ended up gasping for air like a fish outta the sea. We're doing it again tomorrow morning with Ash, this guy from India.
So far, I've made friends with Malaysians, Fijians, Americans, Germans, Swedes, Australians, Kiwis, Indians, Brits, Singaporeans, Japanese and Hongkies. But I have a feeling that this is only the beginning and more is yet to come. The friends i have (apart from Su Lyn) remain acquaintances though, I mostly walk places and get things done alone. Which is really unusual in my case coz I'm so used to having someone around. But I could easily get used to it. Sometimes i'm amazed at things I managed to do here that I was afraid of doin at home. Su Lyn has been a darling though. She helped me recognize places and sign up for my courses and get books. She;s just been so helpful.
3. Adaptation
I expected to take MUCH longer to adapt over here, but I think I've pretty much adapted somewhat. Everyday is like a new adventure here and you never know who you're gonna meet or what's gonna happen. On the 2nd day, some of my residence hall mates, Thrish and I went to a park nearby to witness a free outdoor orchestra with laser displays and fireworks. It was the BOMB. Even New Year's day in Malaysia couldn't compare. And then on the third day, almost all the residence stayed downstairs to play board games and mingle. I had such a blast that I forgot to call home!! Thing is, for some weird reason, I have more guy friends here as opposed to girls. Maybe it's a little too early to tell but we'll see. Went for a long walk yesterday after dinner from one end of the quay to the other end. Was a bit apprehensive at first coz I was the only girl but I would've regretted not going.
There isn't a moment when I don't miss home but things here haven't been bad at all. In fact, they've exceeded my expectations so much that i don't think I'm scared anymore. The loneliness gets to you sometimes but I've never been alone much. The food here sucks! There's nothing cheaper than 8 bucks except subway sandwiches and other sandwiches. The catered dinner meal plans haven't been all that great either. I normally don't eat too much at dinner, although it's a great place to socialize with the other residents.
Am planning to apply for a job here. None of my classes are in the morning, they only start from 11 am on wards. Not necessarily a bad thing. I also have classes at the Tamaki Campus which is a free bus ride from here although I've not had the chance to familiarize myself with it yet.
Hmmm, so I think I've babbled enough. I should get my internet connection up by today coz I just registered for the wireless Whoosh services. Fingers crossed I will be able to do it all by myself. I have a single room all to myself with a double bed (surprised?), a small fridge, a desk, a huge closet, window and little walking space... No complains there. The bathrooms are fabulous. I've not had any problems with it since arriving. Signing up with vodafone was a tad tricky but all's well now.
Better get running before the sun sets then. Missing you guys!
You know you love me!
xoxo
Anyways, there is so much i wanna spill here... Too much in fact. My journey has been nothing short of an amazing adventure of independent survival, meeting so many different people with different personalities and overcoming fear (...I've done this so much this week, that I feel I can take on anything that comes my way!)
I have LOADS of things left to do, there's ALWAYS something to do here. I've never had a free day since I got here, which makes things better to be honest. It doesn't leave room for homesickness... Am blogging from the computer lab btw. There're about ten different labs here, and they used to charge for internet utilization but NOT ANYMORE. Which means, double hurrah for me. Labs get really packed tho, and even within the ten, it's difficult to find a suitable place.
So, enough about the labs. Here are some of the things I need to highlight.
1. Do you ever wonder why Caucasians normally have athletic legs (...apart from it being genes)... It's coz they walk EVERYWHERE. And in Auckland, there aren't any flat roads at ALL. It's either downhill or up hill... The walking is insane! But I absolutely ADORE it. The salubrious weather makes it an extremely pleasant task. So for the past few days I've spent my time walking from one end to another from approximately 8 am to around 5 pm. My legs have never hurt more. And I am beginning to think exercise is redundant when it comes to this country (....but that doesn't explain why many people are obese over here).
The roads are crazy steep i tell you. There was once I was walking down with Su Lyn (Cassie's friend who I got acquainted with once I reached New Zealand) and I almost broke down in tears for fear of the "bunga" on my sneakers not being good enough to keep me from falling.
I guess, I've gotten used to it now. I know a couple of roads pretty well. And I know the city campus pretty well too. Just getting from one place on this campus to another is like participating in a leg of Amazing race. Requires strength, stamina, determination, a good sense of direction and speed. Hurrah to walking I say!
2. People.
To be honest, this country is FAR MORE multiracial compared to Malaysia. You can find people from every end of the world. You name it and they're here. Even my residence hall comprises mostly of international students. My RA-resident advisor, is an angel. Her name's Trishvin and she's a JPA scholar from Malaysia. She took me jogging on my 2nd day here at this huge park and I ended up gasping for air like a fish outta the sea. We're doing it again tomorrow morning with Ash, this guy from India.
So far, I've made friends with Malaysians, Fijians, Americans, Germans, Swedes, Australians, Kiwis, Indians, Brits, Singaporeans, Japanese and Hongkies. But I have a feeling that this is only the beginning and more is yet to come. The friends i have (apart from Su Lyn) remain acquaintances though, I mostly walk places and get things done alone. Which is really unusual in my case coz I'm so used to having someone around. But I could easily get used to it. Sometimes i'm amazed at things I managed to do here that I was afraid of doin at home. Su Lyn has been a darling though. She helped me recognize places and sign up for my courses and get books. She;s just been so helpful.
3. Adaptation
I expected to take MUCH longer to adapt over here, but I think I've pretty much adapted somewhat. Everyday is like a new adventure here and you never know who you're gonna meet or what's gonna happen. On the 2nd day, some of my residence hall mates, Thrish and I went to a park nearby to witness a free outdoor orchestra with laser displays and fireworks. It was the BOMB. Even New Year's day in Malaysia couldn't compare. And then on the third day, almost all the residence stayed downstairs to play board games and mingle. I had such a blast that I forgot to call home!! Thing is, for some weird reason, I have more guy friends here as opposed to girls. Maybe it's a little too early to tell but we'll see. Went for a long walk yesterday after dinner from one end of the quay to the other end. Was a bit apprehensive at first coz I was the only girl but I would've regretted not going.
There isn't a moment when I don't miss home but things here haven't been bad at all. In fact, they've exceeded my expectations so much that i don't think I'm scared anymore. The loneliness gets to you sometimes but I've never been alone much. The food here sucks! There's nothing cheaper than 8 bucks except subway sandwiches and other sandwiches. The catered dinner meal plans haven't been all that great either. I normally don't eat too much at dinner, although it's a great place to socialize with the other residents.
Am planning to apply for a job here. None of my classes are in the morning, they only start from 11 am on wards. Not necessarily a bad thing. I also have classes at the Tamaki Campus which is a free bus ride from here although I've not had the chance to familiarize myself with it yet.
Hmmm, so I think I've babbled enough. I should get my internet connection up by today coz I just registered for the wireless Whoosh services. Fingers crossed I will be able to do it all by myself. I have a single room all to myself with a double bed (surprised?), a small fridge, a desk, a huge closet, window and little walking space... No complains there. The bathrooms are fabulous. I've not had any problems with it since arriving. Signing up with vodafone was a tad tricky but all's well now.
Better get running before the sun sets then. Missing you guys!
You know you love me!
xoxo
3 comments:
dmeeeeeeee =) i miss you loads..and i actually already knew most of the stuff you blogged here...and i knew you were updating today...and tee hee am really glad su lyn is agreat help to you...do send my regards to her k! and pls take care of yourself..can't wait to chat with you online!i MISS you!
and i always knew you will fit in..cause of your personality and all..tee hee your high need for affiliation would have push you forward to make frens!=)
*hugs*
Hey!
New Zealanders are built. I guess their love for extreme sports kinda help. In Australia, overweight people usually live in suburbs. Are there lots of overweight people in Auckland? Because they seem to be able to control their 4M population quite well, starting off by restricting overweight people to migrate over. (Remember the overweight woman that was denied entry to NZ?)
Usually homesickness kicks in after the 'hustle and bustle' of the first week because there are plenty to do and tons to see. I've never really been home sick until this time because I'm staying alone. I guess it's just different and I miss the company and noise. It's somewhat funny because I shouldn't be homesick on my third year here, it's just wrong.
Btw, internet helps A LOT. My router just arrive today and here I am, getting updates from you guys. I just love the internet. Four nights alone seems so slow without the Internet.
No doubt it's more multi-cultured over there, however I guess the percentage is quite low? I guess Malaysia is still special because the ratio is closer =)
Auckland seems fun! Btw, you should really really seriously fly over to Melbourne some day, preferably in these two years when I'm still here! How long is your course over there? New Zealand is just beautiful. When are you going to do your bungy jump? I don't have the guts to try but since you are living there, it's a must, yea?
Cheers,
Erin
hey cass! miss u too. But i talk to you all the time. N i'm gonna see u when i get back so i'm comforted by the knowledge of it all... *hugs back*
Hello erin! Haven't heard from you in a long time!! I haven't bn keepin up with blogs either, sorry about that. Ne ways, people here are generally more built than they are overweight. Altho, if they are overweight, they're HUGE! And yea, there has been a lot of controversy with regards to healthy weight range and obtaining PR...
Hahha, now i know what u mean about homesickness kickin in after the first week coz I am beginning to feel it as i reside into routine once again. The first week was all n adventure for me...
And the internet definitely helps, I keep it on even when i;m not around...
I will definitely come to Melbourne for a visit one of these days coz i've got loads of frens there. However, i must start workin and earn my own wages first so I don't fee guilty for spendin it on holidays. I wanna see other places here in NZ as well. FIngers crossed, I will be able to find a job soon.
Anyways, hope ur doin fine and uni is gettin on well. Do pop by every once in a while yea. Take care!
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