A View from the Top

With the second week of classes under my belt, I am starting to get back into the swing of things. Since the town life is non-existent past 5pm I have plenty of time to study study study! Palmerston North is a small quiet town, especially on the weekends! This aspect of Kiwi life is where i have suffered from culture shock. I attempted to have a night on the town on Friday. Generally this would not have proved to be such a difficult task! I was able to find a local show to attend and convinced a few friends from the states to go with me. We were all in various stages of shock when we found the town deserted! The bars were empty, save the numerous older gentlemen who were enjoying a nice quiet chat and a beer or two. The streets could have had tumbleweeds blowing across them, as we were the only people walking around town.

{Don't worry, it was perfectly safe. We stayed together as a group, and traveled on the main roads under the lights!}

Although I am living in a different country, I don't feel like an 'international'. Life as a kiwi is quiet similar to the country life in America. So each time that i receive a double-take from a shop clerk, or the first time i spoke in any of my classes and all the heads turned to stare at me, felt quite ridiculous! Hailing from the Midwest, I have never thought of myself to have an accent and yet I am reminded of how 'foreign' i sound nearly every day with each new person i meet. To me it is the oddest feeling.

I went exploring a different side of the campus and found a hiking trail in what feels like the 'tropical' area. Here is one of my new favorite spots. The bridge overlooking the river is covered by the dense brush and palm trees are scattered along both sides of the river.



The next photo is a view from atop one of the large hills on campus. It is overlooking half of Massey University. I love it because you can see the Tararua Hills in the background. The hills surround the city, and on a clear day you can see them from any point in town. It is a view I doubt I could tire from.