OH BOY! It has been such a long time since I last posted, very sorry about that. It has been a hectic first few weeks here in Wellington, but am finally settled in now that classes have started. It's difficult trying to describe my experiences so far, but I will do my best to give you an overview what has been going on here. (photo below is the view from my flat window).
My first week in Wellington consisted of finding a grocery store, which I could identify the food sold, getting a phone sorted out, buying sheets, laundry detergent, and some other essentials. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to get around in the city. You can practically walk anywhere you want, unless it is in Lower Hutt, that I would suggest a bus. Although, some days when it is quite windy and rainy out, I would like to have some sort of car or transportation to and from New World(cheap-normal grocery store), which is about a good 15-20 minute walk away from my apartment. Other than shopping for things to make my flat more homey, my first week also was a week of waiting; waiting for my flatmates to arrive and for classes to start was a bit nerve-racking.
Before school officially started, I did a few fun things in Wellington, including going to the beach (should be obvious to anyone who really knows me), shopping down Lambton Quay, and sipping chai lattes at eclectic, and vibrant cafes on Cuba St. Everyone can agree with me when I say you always have some expectation when you travel somewhere new. In this case, Wellington definitely exceeded my expectations. I say this only because when I arrived in Auckland, I wasn't sure if I was going to like Wellington more or less because I liked Auckland so much. However, it is very hard to compare these two cities because they are so different. I very much like Wellington for it's unique style of urban-living. Having lived in the city of Chicago for a summer, I know what the hustle and bustle of city life can bring, but Wellington has it's way of keeping you calm. It's incredibly refreshing.
Ok, now on to the nitty-gritty stuff, classes. I have had two weeks of class and have already had more than 10 hours of reading, and a presentation to do. They really don't waste anytime here getting to work. While the workload is tough, I keep reminding myself where I am and how lucky I am to be here. With that said, I am lucky enough to be taking four classes, which include the following: History of Journalism (English, American, and New Zealand), Travel Writing (thought it would help my blogging, but it doesn't seem like that so far), Hollywood Cinema (had my presentation in last monday-went very well, I think!! lol), and finally Popular Culture and the Media. All have both interested me and kind of turned me off by the amount of reading and work we have to do. I am pushing through, and trying to enjoy the weekends, which have been beautiful (sunny and in the 60s).
On a lighter note, taking a break from studying, one of my flatmates and I are planning a trip for our break in 5 weeks time. We still are figuring out the little details, but it looks like I am going to visit her home in New Plymouth in the north island for a night or two, then we will fly down to Dunedin in the south island, where we will spend another couple nights before going to Queenstown. I am sure most of you can guess what I will be planning to do down there, but I'll give you a hint, it involves a bridge!!
I promise that from now I will keep up with posts and things going on here down under. If for any reason that a natural disaster should hit Wellington, since it there has been stuff, earthquakes and tsunamis, effecting a lot of places around me, I will for sure let everyone know what my status is. For now, I am safe and enjoying my adventures!!
Till Next Time! Cheers!
