It has been a rough 8 hours coming back to Hawaii but I am happy to be home!! In the first week, I have felt this so called reverse culture shock. For one thing, I got out of winter and arrived to Hawaii's hot and humid summer which was a huge shock. But what was most shocking was the traffic back here. On the bright side, I missed my family and friends so much and have since been hanging out with them. Before I sign off one last time, let me give you ten tips on what you should know before you study abroad.
1. Bring a raincoat/winter jacket with you. Personally, I easily get cold but the winters there are much colder than Hawaii. On top of that, if you do travel to the South Island or North of Auckland during the winter season, bring some gloves, warm socks and a hat to keep yourself cozy. 2. The easiest place to create your bank account is at the ASB in the OGGB (Business) building at Uni. Many banks don't take you in unless your staying there for at least a year on your visa but this was the only location that did. 3. If you are curious to see what the final exams will be like before taking your class, here is the website that will show you exams from previous years so you can gauge what you will learn and the difficulty. https://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/exam-papers/ 4. If you would like to see reviews for certain classes, here is the website link for that. Please note that some of the reviews may be outdated, bias or just poking fun at that class so its up to your judgement to determine what information is useful. http://www.studentcoursereview.co.nz/q/new-zealand/university-of-auckland 5. Take advantage of the free gym classes! 6. Don't be afraid to meet people! Make friends on your floor, utilize the study abroad facebook pages and go to lots of events! 7. TAKE THE KAPA HAKA CLASS!!! I promise you that this class that is once a week for three hours was memorable, fun and a unique learning experience. 8. Bring photos from home to decorate your room and buy a plant that you won't kill. It'll make your room a much more brighter and happier place to study in. 9. This is an obvious tip but please be careful when crossing. I've watched so many people jaywalk when its so unnecessary and cars that may not always be aware when you're crossing. 10. DRIVING. So my take on this is that when I first arrived here, the UOA study abroad coordinator gave a story about how a study abroad student and her family died when she drove on the wrong side of the road and collided with another car. That was enough for me to not want to touch the steering wheel. Unless you are very confident with your driving skills and can remember to stay on the left side of the road, I personally would not recommend driving here and especially in the city. Your safety is more important above anything else. Having said that, I hope you guys enjoyed reading my blog! If you ever get a chance, I would recommend studying abroad in New Zealand. Not only was it very different but it reminded me of home a little bit! Overall, I felt safe being in New Zealand and the professors at UOA were top notch!! Cheers! Melissa
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Ki Ora guys! Since the last time I posted, I was lucky enough to go on two trips before finals!! However, these trips by all means did not stop me from studying. During the trips, I brought my laptop up with me to study. Fortunately though, UOA has finals week spread out from June 13th- July 1st! That's about three weeks! My tests days were placed in a way where I had more than a full week to study with no classes and had a three day break before the next exam. Having said that, here are my adventures to North Island and Wellington. My first trip to North Island involved a five hour bus ride to Kerikeri with my friend Hwa Jin. While we got there super late, one of the best things about this place were the stars. Given that there was very little light pollution there, the stars beautifully lit up the sky as we were walking to our Airbnb. During the day though, this area is known for its waterfall hikes and their farmer's market. Our next stop was to Paihia where we did this tour around the tip of North Island to Cape Reinga, 90 Miles Beach and Te Paki Sand Dunes. This definitely was the highlight of the trip as the views were beautiful but the experiences were something we could never find back at home. On the day of our tour though, I learned the true meaning of how finicky weather is in New Zealand. It was rainy during the start and all throughout the bus ride, it would constantly switch from being sunny to rainy every half hour or so. I think it toyed with everyone's minds that the trip was going to end up with us all cold and wet. Despite the weird weather, we managed to get to these places before the rain got to them. Cape Reinga is known for being the most northernmost part of New Zealand. However, it is said to also be the last destination that Maori spirits go when they pass on. This area is a sacred site and we found out through our tour guide that no kai (food) was allowed on the premises since it is considered disrespectful to eat there. Te Paki Sand Dunes was next on the list as we slid down the hill of sand dunes. It was a little daunting looking at how high up you were but once you slid downhill on your body board, you would want to walk up the sand dune again to do it all over. You wouldn't expect sand dunes to be here in New Zealand but due to their unique environment and formation of the land, many types of environments are able to exist ranging from their mountains, sand dunes and coastal areas. Our last place was 90 mile beach. This was the weirdest part of the tour because vehicles are actually allowed to travel across the beach. While it did rain for a little bit, we were met with lots of rainbows, seabirds and even saw some wild horses walking through the beach. WellingtonThe week after, my friend Hannah and I jumped on a plane to Wellington to which I did not know it was New Zealand's capital, the city was on a fault line making it prone to earthquakes and that it was the world's windiest city. But don't worry, all is well in Wellington and this place has so much character! Much of this is due to the fact that a lot of movies such as the Lord of the Rings has been shot here. Here are some of the adventures we had in Wellington. After arriving in Wellington, Hannah kept it a secret that Ben (another good buddy of ours) coincidentally planned a trip to Wellington. So they both surprised me during breakfast and we ended up spending our first two days together. If you do get a chance, I would highly recommend going to the Te Papa museum! Personally, I found the exhibits much more interactive than the one in Auckland and the best part is that it is free to the public!! The next day was one of my most favorite days being in New Zealand. And without Ben, we wouldn't have been able to drive out of Wellington and get some hiking done. I think that day, Ben drove for at least 5 hours while we got to see some crazy things. First, since we were out of the city, we saw lots of cattle and sheep. But on the road, some herders were leading hundreds of cows coming from the opposite direction of us as we were driving. Note that this was a one way road so the cows literally were walking on the road and since they were going in all different directions, we had to stop our car and just admire all the cows walking through. Our first stop after passing the herds of cows were the Pinnacles! It was a rocky hike and luckily, it didn't rain that day so we were able to get to the top pretty easily. On our way down, we had to cross a little stream back and forth to get back to our car. It was such a unique hike since you could tell that a lot of the trails were maintained yet you knew that not too many people went on this walk since many of the flora and rock formations here were untouched. Our last stop was at Cape Palliser which was another lighthouse lookout point. It was a very iconic place to hike up to but I think the best part was what was below the lighthouse. On the coast line as we were driving, there were seals just lounging around literally next to the road. And the best part was that there was a ton of them. In all my life, I have never seen so many seals just lying on the coast line. Compared to Oahu where you only get to see very few monk seals, this place was teeming with these seals and it was a great sight to see. If this place was next to the city, I'm sure the seals there would be disrupted by so much by tourists that such a place like this would not exist. Lastly, if you are in Wellington, I would recommend going to their botanical garden which is also free!! This garden is my all time favorite out of all the gardens I went to since everything is so maintained and the diversity of flora there is huge!! Additionally, I would recommend also heading down to Zealandia which is an eco sanctuary that has the smallest kiwi breed out of the five types. The work that they do there is spectacular and these places remind me of working at the Lyon Arboretum. Everyone there really focuses on making sure that the environment and the species in it thrives and the people welcome you with open arms. It's still weird to think that I only have one month left in New Zealand and that finals are coming up so shortly. Till then, wish me luck on finals!!
Cheers! Melissa After spending much time in central Auckland, I have always wanted to travel to the more rural and suburban parts of the area. And after doing so, I was really in awe of the places I've went to and on top of that, they would make great running spots! Here are a couple of places I would recommend going if you want a good run or just a change in scenery. One Tree Hill (Cornwall Park) By far, this is my favorite park. In terms of running, it is very hilly but worth it if you want to get a good workout in. However, the reason why I love this place so much is because of the sheeps. Yes, there are hundreds of sheeps roaming around with two farmers that oversee them. The cool part is that the sheeps are gated off throughout the park however, you are allowed to go through these gates and get a close view of them. They are so majestic and are very docile when you walk near them. But there is one downside....If you do end up wanting to check out the sheep, be prepared for the sheep poop. I am not exaggerating when I say there is sheep poop everywhere once you go through the gates. It was worth it in the end though! Orakei Basin This place isn't your typical tourist spot but it made for a great running path. After taking a bus ride to Orakei Basin, this place was really peaceful and in a quiet neighborhood area. The path circled the basin and majority of it was flat making it an enjoyable run. After running, there is a place nearby called Orakei Bay Village that makes for a great shopping destination. Majority of the stores there are local and they had great restaurants such as Bird on a Wire! Orewa Beach & Park My friends and I took a trip in hopes of seeing the Red Beach. However, after much google mapping, we have concluded that the Red Beach is not a beach but what the area is called. However, all was not lost. We ended up going to Orewa beach and walking along the park that was there. This place was very flat and long making it a great place to do endurance running. The downside is that it takes about an hour and a half to get there by bus. Even if things didn't go our way that day, we had so much fun being together, dipping our feet into the cold water and relaxing! With that, these are some places that I will never forget going! But the adventures don't end there. In the next coming weeks, I'll be traveling to Paihia, Kerikeri and Wellington before finals begin. And I know its crazy to do some traveling before finals but I have prepared far in advance. Exams are in a little over two weeks or so and I have made study guides already. All that I need to do is go over the content day by day and I'll be more than ready to ace the exams!!
Cheers! Melissa Hey Guys! Currently, it is assignment season! For a lot of my friends, everyone has essays due this week as well as next week. For me, I have two projects that are due pretty soon and I've been working relentlessly to get them done. Remember to always get a head start on the projects so you can hammer out all the questions you have with your professor. For my finance class, I have never seen 20 people come up to the professor after lecture to ask questions about the project. While it is difficult, I was fortunate enough to get help from my lecturer beforehand as well as discuss any problems with my friends so we could help understand the content. Anyways, despite being busy with academics, I wanted to put up a list of some food places/food that you should definitely try while your here or to bring back home. 1. Pic's Peanut Butter: Made in Nelson, NZ this peanut butter just melted in my mouth. You can find this at any Countdown or major supermarket chain and is one of the most popular peanut butters. 2. Remarkable's Fudge: The only storefront is located in Queenstown. However, they do ship all throughout NZ if you wanted to order them online. By far, there fudge isn't overly sweet but there's something about the taste and texture that leaves you coming back for more. My favorite would be birthday cake and oreo fudge! 3. Hogarth Chocolate: If you are looking to buy chocolate, the brand to check out is Hogarth. These chocolates are really addicting and my personal favorite would be the Milk Hazelnut chocolate. If you look on their packaging, some of these chocolates like my favorite have little stickers that say this chocolate has been awarded for best chocolate which was one of the reasons I bought it. It did not fail my expectations whatsoever. 4. Copper Kettle Chips (Sea Salt & Black Truffle): Who doesn't love truffle? These chips are delicious yet decently priced for $4.50. Usually, it takes me about 3-4 days to go through a bag. Restaurants to Go to with Friends
1. Best Indian Food: 1947 Eatery: I would try the lamb and add some naan to it. It was my first time trying authentic Indian food there and I absolutely loved it. 2. Best Japanese Food: The Don: I have been to a lot of Japanese places but the Don lives up to the standards of Japanese food! I got the cheese katsu which was full of flavor. 3. Best Steakhouse: El Sizzling Lomito: In my opinion, New Zealand doesn't have much steak places. However, this steak place has been my absolute favorite for one reason. From Monday-Thursday in the afternoon, they have this lunch special for either steak or lamb for $12.50 with a side salad. This by far is the cheapest meat place I've seen and they make sure to bring out the flavors from these meats. While you're add it, I'd recommend getting a side of Kumara Fries! 4. Best Boba Place: Hulu Cat: This was a very tough choice given that there are so many individual boba places in Auckland. However, my personal favorite is Hulu cat since they have this crazy good taro milk tea. Add that with boba and its a great treat to have on a summer day. 5. Best Bagel Place: Best Ugly Bagels: Despite these bagels being on the pricy side, I am pleased to say that the savory bagels there are worth the price. The amount you get justifies the price and what I ordered was the frickin chicken. I also lucked out because the man gave me and a few other customers a bag of free bagels to take home! :) 6. Best Acai Bowl Place: Nourishpod: This place has made me emotionally sad. When me and Sam first tried this place, their acai bowls out beat some of my favorite acai bowl places back at home. It was crazy good and they added kiwi fruit to theirs. HOWEVER, AFTER GOING THERE ONE MORE TIME, THEY DECIDED TO SHUTDOWN THEIR AUCKLAND LOCATION. They didn't even leave a reason as to why they closed. Their storefront just vanished and that was that. No more good acai bowls in Auckland. However, if you do get a chance, there is one more storefront but that is located in Hamilton which is about 3 hours away. :( 7. Best Cookies Place: Mrs. Higgins: This place is like Hawaii's Cookie Corner. Their cookies are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The best part is that they are baked on site and given to you fresh and warm! I could keep listing more food places but I think the best part about going to food places is just spontaneously finding them. There are plenty in New Zealand to choose from and trust me, half the time, it will not leave you disappointed :) I have to finish up my assignments now so till then, thanks for reading my little food post! Cheers! Melissa Hi Guys! With majority of my midterms being finished last week, I started off my two week mid-semester break by embarking to Queenstown (in the South Island) and Australia with Sam! It is crazy to think how time flew by so fast and I am still amazed over the places I've seen and the things I've done in both of these places. Here are a few snippets of my adventures so far!! Above here is Lake Wakatipu! Trust me, the view is way better in real life. But anyways, Queenstown is known for its natural views and is a quaint town. Coming here was so peaceful yet unnatural since I've always lived in an urban area all my life. If you ever go to Queenstown, make sure to stop by The Remarkable Sweet Shop! They are known for their fudge and they allow you to try many different flavors. My personal favorite was the birthday cake fudge! Cromwell is a town next to Queenstown which is known for their fresh fruits. There are many fresh fruit stalls here so be sure to try their pears, peaches and apples! If you do have time, I would recommend seeing Mt. Cook which is New Zealand's tallest mountain. However, it's a three hour drive to get there from Queenstown so we did a day trip tour through Queenstown Transfers. They did all the driving while we got to see spectacular views in Cromwell, Lake Pukaki and my favorite...the animals. In all my life, I have never seen so many sheeps and cows in one place! And then they even had deers and other critters roaming around! When we finally reached Mt. Cook, we hiked to get a better view of the mountain and visited the various monuments around the area. Sydney, AustraliaComing from Queenstown to Australia was a huge difference in weather. The weather currently in Australia reminds me of back home while Queenstown is super cold so be sure to pack a warm jacket if you are heading there. Sam and I were lucky enough to stay in the Bondai area so the beach was a five minute walk from us! In terms of the beach, the sand was softer than most beaches in Hawaii but other than that, this beach is pretty much the same! While at Bondai, there are also beautiful walking trails to take and everywhere you go, you will see someone walking their dog. I have never seen such a dog friendly city so it warms your heart seeing so many dogs around you. Above is the infamous Sydney Opera House. While we did not see a show here, it was still cool to check out the architecture of this amazing building. The picture above was taken at North Head which is the closest you can get to bush (greenery). It is a 30 minute drive from the Manly area and these trails have lots of military history to them. They have memorials, forts and posts along the trails so I highly recommend checking it out. However, just be careful when you're hiking in Australia. While Sydney doesn't have that much crazy wildlife like in the outback, you should be cautious wherever you hike. This hike fortunately was well maintained and had a map to guide you so we felt a little safer knowing where to go. Above are two pictures with the infamous Sydney Harbor Bridge. One interesting fact about this bridge is that you can actually climb it! However, it's much more fun just to walk through the bridge and stare out into the water in my opinion. And if you want a garden view with the bridge, I highly recommend stopping by Wendy's Secret Garden. It is no secret to the public that this is the perfect place to enjoy the plants and have a picnic there. But the sad part is that they have no signs that tell you what the plants are.
My adventures are not over yet though! I still have a few more days in Australia and its off to hitting the books yet again to tackle my last midterm. -Melissa Hey Guys!! Since tests are coming up, I have been studying immensely so I haven't had the time to do much this week as well as last week. However, I am happy to announce though that I have attended my first rugby game!! I went with two of my super good friends and one of them actually plays for the UOA rugby academy so she filled me in on what was happening! I learned so much from the game through her and it is honestly one of the most intense sports to watch up close. Even watching the spectators was fun because they were super into the game as well, screaming and waving flags when the Blues (Auckland's Home Team) scored. Additionally, I also went to the Auckland zoo in search of New Zealand Birds! And I was not disappointed. This zoo was much larger than the zoo back at home and I was so stoked to see my first kiwi. Sadly though, I was not able to take pictures of the kiwis since their enclosure was in a dark room. But it makes sense since they are nocturnal birds! However, one bird that did capture my attention was the Kea bird! These are by far one of the most unique birds that I've ever met. They are typically found on the South Island of New Zealand but what makes them so interesting is that they are known to dismantle car parts like your windshield wipers and bite through rubber. There are even warning signs posted in certain areas to beware of these birds!
Kia Ora! As every week goes by, classes are getting more hectic so I've had less time to adventure. But regardless, my priority is student first so I'm trying my hardest to keep up with my studies. However, here are a couple of places I went went I had some free time to spare. Also, I have listed a couple of food places to head if you want to try really great food! Auckland Art Museum Admission: Free!! (Bring your student ID) Location: In City Campus directly next to Albert Park Other things to note: There is mojo (a chain coffee shop in the museum in case you need a drink or snack. Mt. Eden Admission: Free! Other things to note: This is Auckland's highest volcano and worth checking out (especially during sunset)! Difficulty: A very refreshing 2k hike that takes under an hour to do! Piha Day Trip! Cost: $42.00 NZD Site to Book: https://www.bookme.co.nz/things-to-do/auckland/activity/piha-paradise-full-day-trip/4172 Other things to note: If you want a reasonably priced tour that takes you outside Auckland, I highly recommend doing this tour. We saw a waterfall, did a lot of hiking along the coast and went to the beach afterwards. While on this tour, I would bring packed lunch so that you don't have to spend time walking to the restaurants since you only have a certain allotted time there. Also, on this hike, you will be learning about the kauri trees which is one of the trees that New Zealand is trying to preserve since these trees are dying out from a fungal disease. Additionally, the prices of the tours change depending on the day you go so it may be more expensive or cheaper than the day I went! Mission Bay Beach
Cost: Just pay bus fare! Things to Note: I didn't know sandflies were a thing when I got here. So don't bury yourself in the sand which a common sense thing to not do. You don't really realize when they bite you so you end up with blood on your legs. But don't worry, just be sure to treat it and put a band-aid and you all good to go! Along the beach, there is a huge fountain surrounded by lots of adorable birds and a line full of various restaurants to check out! After I got settled in, I was scared that I wasn't going to make any friends. However, I am happy to say that I've met some amazing people that I am lucky to call my friends today! Here is some short stories of I ended up making friends in different ways. Posting on UOA International Exchange Facebook Page When I first arrived to the Huia Residence, I wanted to go visit the Auckland Domain Wintergardens but I had no one to go with. So what I ended up doing was sending out a post on Facebook asking if anyone wanted to come with me. That is how I met Sam! When we toured the gardens together, we clicked so well and ended becoming great friends afterward! The crazy part is that we've started making plans to the South Island over semester break. Even though I've known her for a week now, I know that I've made a lifelong friend so don't be afraid to post!! Commenting on UOA International Exchange Facebook Page Similarly, don't be afraid to comment on people's post if you want to join them! On the first week, Justin posted if anyone wanted to join in for board game night and little did I know that a lot of people that came were on my floor! After a savage game of monopoly, I ended up becoming quick friends with Justin and Shubhashri and we all ended up going to Devonport days afterward! A friend of a friend is my friend When I went to Devonport with Shubhashri and Justin, Shubhashri invited Rebecca along for the day trip. While I didn't know her at first, we talked a lot with each other and enjoyed our time exploring Mt. Victoria and getting our feet burned on the beach. But point being, be open to meeting new people and enjoy the company! You'll eventually find groups of people that you can easily connect with! Meeting people outside...or in the kitchen! Days before my trip to Devonport, Sam and I went to Tiritiri Matangi Island with Hannah and Iris. I met Hannah the first day I came to New Zealand and Sam and I met Iris during orientation. Despite the chilly day, we explored the bird sanctuary island together and endured a very windy but delicious picnic. Even though we aren't taking the same classes, we still find time to see each other! Also, the kitchen is a good way to make friends (and try foods from other cultures). When I was cooking one day on my floor, I met Sae'ed who was kind enough to teach me how to debone a chicken and make maqluba. Originally, he is from Jordan and was more than happy enough to share his culture with me. To be able to learn more about him and his country opened my eyes since I've had little exposure to Middle East culture. Because of that, we would teach other things about where we came from and hopefully, I'll be able to show him the foods we make here in Hawaii.
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July 2019
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