Thursday 12 July 2012

Leith Street Nth

So...I'm a bit late starting this blog, but I will soon catch you up. I've only been in New Zealand for about two weeks, but I've already had a few adventures and met a great group of people. My time here started with Air New Zealand losing one of my suitcases and my shuttle to the flat leaving without me. It was okay, though, because then I knew that my trip could only get better from there.

And it did. I met a kid named Philip who was also missing one of his bags, and we split a taxi into town. I was the first one to arrive at my flat, but luckily the "kiwi host" (New Zealander) next door pointed me in the direction of a supermarket. The path to the store is through the botanic gardens, so it's a beautiful walk every time I go to get food. There's also a great little Asian grocery store through the gardens - their mochi is very good.

Well, my flat is cold. You really take for granted the little things at home, like central heating and insulation. I remember standing in the middle of my kitchen cooking eggs that first day - I could see my breath and could not feel my hands, and I just thought, "why did I think New Zealand was a good idea?!" I thought I knew how to dress warmly since I go to school in Maine, but this is something else altogether. It has gotten better, though that may be because I finally figured out how to work the heat pump in the living room. Speaking of which, here are a few pictures of my flat:


My apartment
The aforementioned living room
My kitchen - it's small, but I'm not a master chef anyway.

My cozy bedroom (that fan is a heater, and my new best friend!)
the view of the garden out of my bedroom window

I'm living with an American, Chris, a German, Marvin, and my kiwi host, Sophie. Our apartment is part of a complex, so there are always people around to talk to and cook with. Also, most of the houses on my street and the few blocks around it are student flats, so there always seems to be party within reach. It's re-orientation week, and people are celebrating before the workload picks up. I'll write more about that later, but for now, enjoy these pictures and another post will soon follow!

3 comments:

  1. That is a nice little flat. What is mochi?

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  2. hey! i hope you are adjusting well! and i hope your flatmates are friendlier than mine were in london! miss you and can't wait for the stories!

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  3. Mochi is a type of Asian food - bean curd inside a rice ball, I believe. My friend Philip loves it, so I tried the mochi he got from the store, and it was great!

    And Jordan - my flatmates are awesome. We hang out and cook together a lot, so it's already an improvement over your situation!

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