How To Be a Kiwi in 6
Easy Steps
Step 1: Travel (to
the FUTURE)
As much as
I love flying, 16 hours in a plane can make anyone a bit stir-crazy. Add the excitement and anxiety of going to a
different country to the mix, and it’s a wonder I was able to sleep at all on
the flight! I also thought crossing the
International Date Line would be a bigger deal.
Not that I was imagining a bright dotted line in the middle of the
ocean, but I thought someone would at least make some kind of
announcement. I did get to see quite a
stunning sunrise from the plane, complete with a lightning storm in the
distance!
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| Sunrise over Australia |
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| One of the many famous sculptures on the Wellington Waterfront |
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| A bit of the scenery on my walk to school |
Step 2: Meet the locals
New
Zealanders on the whole are quite friendly and always willing to help out their
neighbors. They have also done well in respecting
the Maori community and culture here, and kept many of their traditions alive
even in a modern, more Westernized perspective.
Wellington is known as the “artsy” city, and Kiwis get creative when
there is little space to work with. About
half of the buildings have old, elaborate architecture (as you would expect in
the city’s center), but with more modern and minimalist buildings and
skyscrapers sandwiched in between or even added to the top. It makes for an interesting mix. Most walls are covered in murals and colorful
graffiti. You can also find
festivals, fairs, and markets nearly every weekend! I’ve noticed that people (including myself)
feel very safe here. Children and
teenagers are often seen running around the city on their own or with friends in
the afternoons and early evenings. I
haven’t travelled to the South Island yet, but the North Island feels like one big
community. I think because the country
is quite small and isolated, it gives New Zealanders a more immediate
connection that larger countries don’t have on the same scale.
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| The famous Colossal Squid on exhibit at Te Papa Museum of New Zealand |
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| An old Maori saying. They believe in honoring their connection with Papatuanuku, the Earth Mother, and Ranginui, the Sky Father. |
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| The view of Wellington City from Mount Victoria's summit |
Step 3: Have a love-hate
relationship with hills. And wind.
Almost
everything is within walking distance, despite all of the hills. There
are so many in and around the city that it is impossible to see far ahead
unless you’re at the very top. Once you do get to the top, the view suddenly
hits you out of nowhere, knocking out whatever air is left in your lungs.
It’s full of strange, abrupt changes in scenery that somehow fit and add to the
city’s charm.
