"Nice Gummies!"

Kia Ora from New Zealand!
After many hours of air travel, I touched down safely in Dunedin.  It's only been three days (whaaaat?) and already so much has happened, so here's the highlights!
1) Cross Cultural Mix Up
Air New Zealand had given out dinner, and included in this was a small packet of gummy bears.  A native Kiwi was walking down the aisle, stopped next to me, and said "nice gummies!" to which I replied "yes isn't it nice they handed these out?".  He starts laughing, explaining that "gummies" meant rainboots.  Who knew?  Also for the record, "tramping" means hiking, "pegs" are clothespins, and "uni" is the University.
2) Grocery Adventure
Upon arrival I met my Kiwi host Sarah, who is full of fun, is kind, and seems like a great person to live with.  We swapped stories over tea, and then walked to the grocery store.  Now, one would think it would be walking through a city and a bunch of roads, but instead we walked beside a river, into the woods, and through Dunedin's botanical garden.  Just when you pop out of the beautiful scenery - bam! You have arrived at the grocery store!  Not a bad walk!
3) Can You Please Direct Me Towards....
Registering for classes at Otago is a bit of a maze, so Sarah kindly accompanied me on the first bit of the journey.  We bonded over the fact that both of us lack a good sense of direction, so instead of taking the beeline way to wherever we needed to go, we meandered and explored, enjoying the sunny day and the views of campus.  Here we are in front of the clock tower!

4) It Is Very Plausible That There Might Be A T-Rex In My Backyard
The flat that I live in is the last one at the top of a hill, so we are lucky enough to enjoy the view of Dunedin in front of us and some woods in back.  "Jurassic Park" was filmed in NZ, and these woods are the doppelganger for the ones in the film.  As I watch through the window from the living room, I half hope to see a raptor pop out and scamper down the lane...
Here's a picture of the view from my room!

5) Tunnel Beach
Absolutely beautiful, although the wild NZ ocean roughed me up and stole my sunglasses....a small price to pay for the gorgeous hike down and the great company! My roommate Magnus from Norway and our neighbors Julie and Espen and Luke all made the trek.

The hike down to the beach

 

Tunnel Beach!

6) Wild Hedgehogs and Scary Spiders
Apparently Dunedin has wild hedgies that roam around our flats at night.  My flat mate Magnus and I put out a little treat to try and lure one near, but alas! No luck!  Good thing we have 6 months to spot one. (:
I had an adventure this very morning with another NZ creature who gave me a terrible surprise! I was going to run to the market with my flatmates.  I grabbed my backpack just in time to see a huge spider crawling into my backpack pocket.  I panicked, grabbed it by the handle, and ran it outside only to proclaim "who's out here and who's feeling brave?" Luckily, my Norwegian neighbor came to the rescue, while I stood on the nearby picnic table awaiting the spider to emerge from my bag.  Even he said "that's a monster!"  and I let out a stream of expletives.  All the boys came to stare, and I had to beg them to kill it.  My Norwegian neighbor is now my hero and designated spider killer.  Sadly, I don't think anyone thinks I am a brave individual anymore.

7) Flat BBQ
Our whole flat complex came together for a BBQ that lasted from 5:00pm to 2:00 in the morning.  Needless to say, it was a great time and I am blessed with some awesome neighbors!

8) Outdoor Concert
Julie, Jane and I went to sit in on an outdoor concert this evening, and just talked for an hour enjoying the sun, the wind in the trees, and the music drifting over the Dunedin hills.  I realized how much I love these types of moments, and feel like there are many more to come.

Three days, many adventures! Overall, I am so happy here, and New Zealand will be a beautiful home for the next half a year.  Cheers!!

Christina