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Tag: New Zealand

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By Nora Wolcott

As of today, it has officially been one week since I touched down in the City of Sails: Auckland, New Zealand. Now, a few bruises and many mosquito bites later, it seems remarkable that so much has happened over the course of 7 days. My first tramping trips, tastes of the new city and bonds with the locals and fellow international students alike happened in one large adrenaline rush.

Tramping, or hiking as I naively called it back in the States, was one of my main objectives coming to this mountainous country, and so as soon as I recovered from jet lag I set off to find a trail I could dig my teeth into. The first that came to mind was Mount Eden, a trip the locals treated with nonchalance, but for me was quite striking. Mount Eden is the highest of the almost 50 volcanoes in the Auckland area, and a mere 30 minute walk from my dorm. The hike up this startlingly green crater rewarded me with expansive views of the Auckland skyline, and the Pacific beyond. Over the 15,000 years since the volcano last erupted, the fertile mountain has given rise to leafy forest that gives travelers like me respite from the sun. Pictures don't do justice to the sheer size of the crater, but I hope the image below can give you a concept of the scenery.

...continue reading "Volcanoes, Sheep & Squirrel Food"

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By Nora_Wolcott

I began planning my time abroad, really planning in a realistic way, at the end of my Spring 2017 semester. By the end of September I had narrowed down my search to a specific program. These past six months I've spent my time planning every detail of my abroad experience, and after all that time I am finally one night away from my departure date. And somehow, I am suddenly just realizing how many gaps are left in my plans.

For starters, I completely forgot to take the date line into account when planning flights, putting my arrival date only a few days before the start of classes. I registered for an international health insurance plan without checking to see if it was approved by my University, leaving me to switch to a new plan just days before the start of the semester. I hadn't looked into the kind of electronic converters I needed, or what kind of entertainment material would be necessary for the grueling plane ride; for these problems I can thank Amazon Prime for saving me a very frantic airport shopping trip. I put all my belongings and suitcases in a storage unit without fully calculating how much my two small remaining suitcases would hold (thank god for expandable zippers). Also, amid all my extravagant travel plans, my research into bungee jumping and camping trips to the mountains, I neglected to focus on one thing: my schoolwork. In the midst of all this planning, somewhere along the way my actual course load at the University of Auckland was pushed aside, leaving me to scramble to print syllabi and organize schedules at the last minute.

This whole ordeal has, at the very least, been quite a learning experience. My practical learnings range from how to open a bank account in another country, to how to calculate voltage conversion, to how to contact a foreign embassy. However, it is the rather impractical that I enjoy the most: the fact that New Zealanders call flip flops "jandals" (which I first thought was some kind of denim sandal), and the correct way to say goodbye in Maori, "Nga mihi", pronounced (Nah-mihee).

...continue reading "The Final Stretch"

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By Nora_Wolcott

As a GW Exchange student at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, I’ve spent the past couple months watching my friends embark on their study abroad experiences. Reading the facebook posts, blog entries, and firsthand accounts of their travels has only solidified what I’ve known ever since I was a high schooler applying to college: studying abroad is sure to be one of the landmark moments of my college career. However, so far my 2018 has looked a little different than all of my peers abroad, in that I haven’t been abroad at all. Because New Zealand operates on a yearly schedule opposite to the USA’s, I am actually attending their fall semester, which doesn’t begin until nearly March. Consequently, I’ve spent the past few months staying in DC and working full time, saving up to ensure that this experience is the best it can be.

During my time in DC, spending my hours working in a genetics lab and dog walking, I’ve had a lot of time to think about how I want to spend my semester abroad. So, blog readers, I present to you my official New Zealand Bucket List:

...continue reading "New Zealand Bucket List"

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By shellytakessingapore

Across universities, cultures, and people, college student's best friends are naps and coffee. With temperatures ranging from the mid 70s to 90s, the heat in Singapore, among several other factors, steals a lot of my energy and leaves me fatigued. To combat this issue, I have found myself taking more naps during the day than I normally do back in the States. While napping does help me regain energy, it requires staying in bed more often and takes a lot of time out of my day. Therefore, coffee has been an effective source of energy. However, I learned the hard way that the type of coffee and way of ordering coffee is not the same in Singapore as it is back home. After committing a few cultural faux pas, I believe I have mastered the proper way to order coffee in Singapore.

In Singapore, the term for coffee is the Malay word "Kopi". Kopi is a sweeter, richer version of coffee. The beans are usually roasted with butter and then brewed through a small sack made of cloth. As a substitute for fresh milk, Kopi is served with condensed milk which adds an additional sweetness to the drink. When I had my first cup of Kopi, I immediately noticed how it was much sweeter and thicker than coffee that I was accustomed to. However, for those who enjoy a less sugary cup of coffee, Kopi can be modified to several different versions. The two most common versions of Kopi are Kopi O and Kopi C. Kopi O is served without milk and with sugar. Kopi C is served with unsweetened condensed milk and no sugar. Kopi is also very cheap in Singapore and costs SGD$0.80 (USD $0.60) for one cup. It is often served with toast that has a coconut jam spread called kaya. Just as the java jacket protects you from burning your hands from the hot coffee, a small plastic bag is wrapped around the coffee and allows you to carry it without holding the cup (please refer to attached picture).

...continue reading "Coffee: A student’s best friend"

Published on

By mtumasz

DSC_3661Kia Ora Mates! In case you guys didn't know, I'm really into photography, and this is one of the reasons I picked New Zealand to study abroad. The scenery and landscapes are simply breathtaking here. You don't need to have a nice camera to take a good picture though. Document everything. Even if it doesn't seem that cool to you, everyone back home will still be totally jealous.

I have probably taken over 10,000 pictures since getting to New Zealand, and I can say for a fact that not all of them are good. But I feel like it's important to document things, even if they don't look cool. Yes, you may look like an idiot taking a picture of a random sign, but years from now, you'll look back on this picture and remember exactly what that area was like, simply by looking at that sign, or whatever other random object you took a picture of.

Also, I prefer being behind the camera, taking the picture, instead of being in the picture. My friends started demanding that I get in some pictures too, and I'm so glad they did. It did look kind of odd on my Facebook where I was tagged in no pictures but posted a ton of pictures of my friends!

On another note, if you want a really good picture, it might take some dedication. I have woken up early for several sunrises on the beach, or went on hikes to watch the sunset from the top of a mountain. Or maybe you have to get a little down and dirty to get just the right angle on a picture of that waterfall. Don't be afraid to try something new. Worse comes to worse, you delete the picture and no one even knows!

In this waterfall picture, it was pouring rain, freezing, and all the rocks were very slippery. But did I rough it to get a good picture? You betcha.DSC_3763

And that second picture? Taken at the halfway point on a 19.4 kilometer, 7.5 hour hike. Chilling a couple thousand meters up and freezing cold, but was it worth it? Or course.

So just remember, don't be afraid to snap a couple pics for you. If something looks cool to you, who cares if your friends think you look dumb, studying abroad and traveling is for you, so take pictures for yourself!

Cheers!

Published on

By mtumasz

DSC_4157What's up mates! This post is going to be short, due to the fact that it's right in the middle of exam time here in New Zealand!

So final exams in this country are very stressful. Mine are all worth 40-50% of my final grade, very different from back in the states! I have been studying just about non-stop for the past week and a half in preparation for exams, and I started to go a little insane. So, I did what any responsible college student would do: take a day off from studying and go lie on the beach all day!

My friends and I went to this gorgeous place in Coromandel, NZ called Cathedral Cove. Scenes from the Chronicles of Narnia were filmed here, and it even makes an appearance in Macklemore's "Can't Hold Us" music video! We were so lucky with weather on the day we went. It rains in NZ just about everyday, and it can change drastically so fast. But for some reason, it was beautiful and sunny the entire time we were there, not a cloud in the sky! We all might've gotten a little sunburnt...

It was really nice to just take a day off from the books and just relax with friends. With time coming to an end here in paradise, it was nice to venture out of Auckland for just the day. When we got back to our apartments, we were so tired from doing nothing at the beach all day that we all went to bed wicked early. This was good because we were all able to wake up early the next morning to get back to studying! A win-win all around.

So if you're feeling stressed about exams, don't be afraid to give yourself a little "me time." It will definitely be good for your mindset and probably help you out in the long run!

Cheers mates!

Published on

By mtumasz

Kia Ora mates, unfortunately this will be my last post.

I will be departing New Zealand this Monday, November 18th. These past 5 months have been absolutely incredible, and they have definitely flew by. I could blog all day about my amazing experiences, and I would still not be able to write it all out. Studying abroad has been one of the best decisions of my life, and I highly recommend if anyone is even thinking about study abroad, that they should definitely do it.

I'm not totally sure what to write about in this last post, other than I am so sad to be leaving. I have not started packing because I am in denial that I have to leave. I have been trying to cram in all these last minute activities to do before I leave, to help keep my mind off things, and I think this method has worked pretty well!

While I am wicked sad to leave this amazing country, I am also really looking forward to being home, especially for the holidays. Having to start school in mid-July was totally worth it so I could be home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. My family and friends are thrilled for me to return, but hopefully they don't mind when I'm cranky from all the jet lag!

I hope all of you have enjoyed reading my blog these past 5 months and I have hopefully given you some useful travel information and heaps of incentive to come to New Zealand!

Cheers!

Merideth

Published on

By mtumasz

I"m typing this as I'm cooking dinner, so of course I have food on the mind. As I'm nearing the end of my time here in New Zealand , I started to think about the delicious food I got to go back to. But then I also started to get sad about all the food (and drink) I would have to say goodbye to here!

Things I'm looking forward to when I go back to the States:

  • Dunkin Donuts (or simply filtered coffee)
  • Chipotle burritos
  • My mother's banana bread
  • American Chinese Food
  • Cheez-Its
  • Ben and Jerry's

Things I'm going to miss from New Zealand:

  • Kiwi fruit
  • Pavlova - the lightest dessert, it seems like there's no calories! (there are...)
  • L&P soda - a soda unique to NZ!
  • The chocolate! For some reason, their chocolate is amazing. Hershey's got nothing on them...

You don't realize what you're going to miss whenever you leave or go somewhere new. Who knew I was going to start drooling as soon as someone mentioned Chipotle? I did luck out though, because New Zealand culture is fairly similar to the states, so I didn't have to worry about the food being too different. But the few things they don't have here (like filtered coffee) have caused me to go a little insane. I can't wait to get my American food fixes when I return, but I also have to figure out how I can mail New Zealand treats back to my house...

Published on

By mtumasz

Kia Ora mates! It's Merideth writing from Middle Earth.

In New Zealand, universities are starting to prep for final exams, and this means I actually need to get my butt into gear and put the "study" back into study abroad. This is stressful, and it's common for abroad kids to start to feel homesick during this time. I am totally guilty of this, and have been getting pangs of home-sickness lately.

All semester, we have been able to coast through our work and have fun and go adventuring, but there's no escaping finals, and being stressed in a foreign country just makes you miss the comforts of home even more.

Dealing with homesickness can be tricky, but I've come up with a few pointers to cope with it.

  • Stay busy. You will miss home less if you're not constantly sitting in your room debating life!
  • Make plans in your study abroad country until right before you leave. This way you have other things to look forward to besides going home.
  • Try not to plan things for when you are home, because then you will just focus on those and look forward to those activities, instead of taking advantage of the last little bit of time you have abroad.
  • Try not to Skype your friends from home too much. If they tell you how much fun they're having while you're gone, it will only make your homesickness worse.
  • You're not alone! I'm sure most of your friends abroad are also going through the same thing. Talk it out with them!

Hope this is helpful! I have a countdown of when I'm going home on my laptop, which probably isn't the best idea, but it will be bittersweet when I leave!

Just try to remember to make the best of the little bit of time you have while abroad. You don't want to regret anything as soon as you get back to the states!

Cheers!

Published on

By mtumasz

Hey guys, it’s Merideth again!

No matter what country you visit, or where you’re from, everyone is susceptible to getting sick. Whether it’s the common cold, the flu, allergies, injury, or something more serious, there’s always a chance for us to start feeling a little under the weather.

I’m not a doctor so please don’t take what I say as accurate medical advice; I’m just speaking from personal experience and what my friends have had to go through as well.

About a week after I got to New Zealand, I got acute tendonitis in my left foot, which means I was constantly at the doctor’s.  I was at student health, a blood work office, and a Radiology office all within the same week. Luckily, for international students studying in New Zealand, student insurance covered almost every procedure I had to get. Don’t rely on this though. Check the specifics before you get wherever you are studying abroad. I had to pay upfront for my ultrasound and then get reimbursed, but all my medications were free!

On another note, getting sick with the common cold while you’re studying abroad definitely puts a damper on things. As obvious as it may sound, take proper precaution when cold and flu season starts to approach in your foreign country. Have plenty of orange juice and vitamin C around, keep tissues and hand sanitizer handy, and try your best to get plenty of sleep. You won’t be up for a hike or that awesome weekend adventure if you can’t breathe and your throat is on fire!

Doctor’s procedures and appointments might work differently than you’re used to, so don’t freak out if something seems out of the ordinary and just trust the employees. They are there to help you and if you’re polite and ask questions, they aren’t going to get irritated.

Hope this helps everyone who is thinking of studying abroad! Stay healthy!

 

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