Author: namugganakayiza

This is not what I was expecting at all…

It’s been a week in Dunedin and I have been introduced to a world that I never imagined myself to be in.

My flatmates have been arriving one by one. We are a total of 4 people living in our flat and we are all international students excluding our Kiwihost.

A Kiwihost is a native that lives with international students to provide them with an easier transition to living in New Zealand by exposing them to the culture.

I appreciate this living style because it provides me with an opportunity to learn about multiple kinds of culture. Actually, all 4 of us are from 4 different continents which makes the diversity percentage 100% in my flat. We have North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia represented.

The school has hosted events to welcome us to the school and all its perks. The biggest event was the International Student Welcome where the mayor of Dunedin was present to speak to us. A selection of waiata were performed for us by a group of Māori singers to welcome us onto campus. The president of the Otago International Students Association welcomed us as well.

A waiata is a song in Te Reo Māori (Māori language).

The school’s welcome truly gave me chills. It was very fascinating to be in a space where a language other than English was dominantly spoken and nothing was interpreted for us either. We just had to listen and show respect. The welcome was also presented to us in English, but there were parts in which only Te Reo was spoken. The group also performed a haka (performance art) for us which I was only familiar with because I had seen viral videos of the New Zealand rugby team, the All Blacks, performing one prior to their game.

A haka is a chant historically performed by men before going to war.

Outside of the few events hosted by the school, my flatmate and I have been making an effort to get acquainted with the new environment. We have gone to the grocery store where they encourage people to come with their own bags to promote sustainability. We have walked through the Botanic Gardens that are right next to the campus. We have walked through nearby neighborhoods and realized that this place is full of steep hills.

Did you know that the steepest street in the world is here in Dunedin? I am yet to visit it.

There is also a river that flows through campus called “Water of Leith”. It flows into the Otago Harbour. Speaking of the harbour, a cloud cover formulates over the city because of its close proximity to the ocean. It has been feeling extremely cold and the clouds are always making journeys across the sky.

It’s been a nice week of admiring the environment’s beauty. I am excited to start the semester tomorrow. I’ll keep you updated!

See you soon!!

I have officially made it to Dunedin, New Zealand and let me tell you about the journey here.

To begin with, your girl was in a rush on the way out to the airport. I have and may always be a last-minute person. As I was finishing packing (3 hours to my flight), I realized that my suitcase was well overweight. Who knew that winter clothes could weigh so much? At this point, there was no time to decrease the weight of my luggage so we were out of the house. On the way to the airport, I realized that my mother never finished braiding my cornrows that I had prepared for her to complete in my last week at home. She braids better than me so she had to be the one to do them.

After checking in my overweight luggage and while dreading the moment I had to bid farewell to my mother, I asked her to braid up a few cornrows in my hair. It was dawning on me. I was leaving for a LONG time. No more home cooked meals or siblings to tease for FOUR months. I also realized that I was underdressed for the weather that was awaiting me, but there was no time to make a change.

Eventually, I said goodbye to my mother and got onto my plane. My flight had two legs. The first was 13 hours to Auckland and the second was about 2 hours to Dunedin. It was really, really cold on the plane. I was highly unprepared. It’s very hard to leave 75 degree weather in a huge coat and a bunch of layers. Oh, I forgot to mention, my mother didn’t finish braiding my cornrows so I had one more cornrow to do on the plane to complete the hairstyle.

I was very tired on these flights, but I was lucky to have not been sat next to anyone so I was able to lay down for a little bit. The food wasn’t the best, but I’m not complaining. I enjoyed my two meals. Dinner and breakfast. Don’t get me started on the entertainment. I listened to a variety of music on the plane. I don’t recall if I watched any movies. I was super tired.

During my layover in Auckland, I had to pick all my luggage from the baggage claim and then head over to the domestic terminal to check in for my flight to Dunedin. My overweight bag really showed me who’s boss in this short journey across the airport. Luckily, I sobbed *wink wink* my way into not paying for the heavyweight baggage fee. From there, it was smooth sailing.

We arrived in Dunedin and the airport runway was lined with cows. It was a very beautiful sight of the countryside. It was a very small airport and I could easily identify the other students who were returning after their school break or for study abroad. There is a shuttle that you can pay $20 NZD to catch a ride from the airport to the University. You have to book for it in advance. That was something I didn’t do because I was very unprepared. Luckily, the airport staff assisted me and got me a spot on a shuttle that was soon about to leave.

Riding in the shuttle was an eye opener. Kiwi people (that’s what you call New Zealand natives) drive on the left side of the road and there seems to be a lot of European influence in this part of the country. Upon arrival, you can hear so many different kinds of accents. Our shuttle driver has a Scottish/Australian/New Zealand accent mix. As you can already imagine, I found it difficult to comprehend what he was saying.

So far, New Zealand doesn’t feel too bad. It’s just super cold and windy. I am settling into the new environment. My flat (that’s what they call student houses here) looks similar to a cabin. None of my flatmates have arrived yet so I am the only one here. I’ll keep you all updated. I’m tired.

See you soon!