Toursting

So, what did I do this past week? After a lazy and rainy Sunday consisting of german toast, laundry, and watching movies, it was time to get to work. Classes Monday and Tuesday were long and grueling. On Monday I take a 3 hour class on New Zealand's society. Although this is interesting, I find that much of the information relayed to me is biased. From what I understand, all kiwi's now embrace difference and accept everyone for who they are. This, I found is not real. Although people do not outrightly say it, there is still racism, classism, and sexism in New Zealand. Although it is not as prominent here than in the U.S., I feel that I am given this view of New Zealand that is not real. It is refreshing to talk to people my own age and to my host parents because they tell me what it really means to be a kiwi, and they do not suffer with the identity crisis I am told New Zealand has.

My second course, or paper as they call it here, is on Maori culture. I really enjoy learning about the Maori culture, traditions, and language. Their history surprisingly resembles that of the Native Americans. The difference is that the Maori's were not treated as harshly maintain a solid portion of New Zealand's population. This is all very great, but it's taken about 9 hours of lecture to explain this. I know that Hobart and William Smith has small class sizes, which was a main factor in choosing the school; however, the papers here are all lectures with a minimum of 400 students. Seeing as there are only 17 of us in the classroom, I have found the transition of teaching styles difficult to adapt to. This is all part of the experience, however, and through these observations I learn more about who I am and what it means to be a student.

As for the rest of the week it was rather exciting. Monday I met with a friend that was on the sailing team before me, and it was so nice to be with another American that has gone through similar experiences, not only on the team, but also in Auckland. Tuesday I went to the war museum. There were so many exhibits including fashion, geology, Maori, animals, the World Wars, and many more. The most interesting part about the museum was the war memorial floor. Without realizing it,  everyone was suddenly silent. It was as if we were all encapsulated in the facts laid before us. In the middle of the third floor of the exam are the names of all of the soldiers that gave up their lives for not only New Zealand but the ideals of freedom and democracy. There were so many names, however I know that it is only a small fraction compared to the total number of losses and even those of the U.S.

By the time Friday came around I was ready for the weekend. After class I went to the Art Museum. Again there were many different sections, but they were all very small, it seems as if everything is proportional to New Zealand's size. My favorite part of the entire museum was the building. It had a modern/retro feeling with a touch of classical elegance. It is truly stunning. My host brother works there so I got to take a enough paparazzi shots to help pass the time. That night, I went with Kaitlyn to a "real kiwi party." It was so much fun! Everyone was supporting the US rugby team because they were playing against Australia. I was surprised at how many people from this small group of friends were not New Zealanders. People were from Australia, South Africa, and the States. It was refreshing talking to other students my own age. Plus Kaitlyn and I have similar sailing team phrases that we seemed to say synonymously. After one of the boys failed to crack open the coconut on his forehead, sending a trickle of blood down his forehead, we proceeded to yell at each other "it was a tie, do it again!" It is nice to have that connection to the sailing team, as it might be the one thing I miss the most.


PS Sailing tomorrow
PPS they have the prettiest sunsets here