First Impressions

Last time I wrote it was 8 O’clock in the morning and I had been awake for more or less 36 hours, mas o menos (more or less, still trying to practice the Spanish).  I was in a daze, and really I still am, not sure where I am at the moment feel very much like I am working on auto pilot.  That aside I still have a few things to tell you, for you to be able to imagine where I am (literally) at the moment, from my eyes that is, and the best way to see this at the beginning of each journey is to start with the first impressions.

There are a few ways in which to assess this, I will analyse my trip into subjects.  The first being culture.   Well let’s have a look, not knowing anything about New Zealand, their history nada (nothing) so I decided a trip to the museum was in order.  I spent the first day getting my bearings and having a wander around down town, I started to sight see on the second day.  Now I know that the English colonised New Zealand, but who are the New Zealanders, who are the original natives. I found out that Maori (I hope that is spelt right) are the indigenous people who the British colonised, to get a picture of what they look like think about the Hawaiian people but with black paintings over their body, then mix it with a All Black rugby player, put a beaded, straw like skirt on them and you will probably be half way there (terribly worried that I say quite a few things that may offend, apologies).  Do you know that there was a 30 year guerrilla war between the British army and natives after the treaty of colonisation was signed, very interesting. 

My All Black rugby image turned into a bare footed 4ft Chinese man!!

Despite knowing nothing about the New Zealand culture I imagined what the people would like, something like the All Black rugby team, (which they are all crazy for, and I just so happened to turn up when they just beat us in the Rugby World Cup, my timing is just classic).  My idea of the average New Zealander was very wrong, well in Auckland anyway, and this leads me on to the second topic the culture and the people.  I was very wrong in thinking that I would see all these burly men, bare chested, chanting with a menacing look on their face, because in fact the first people I saw were Chinese, crazy.  Their community is so strong here that there is some signs and instructions in Chinese.  What, where am I.  Even my hostel was run by Chinese girls, lovely, but I was asked to take my shoes off at the door and not to wear shoes in doors emmmm.  My All Black rugby image turned into a bare footed 4ft Chinese man!!

So with a mixed raced city you can imagine it was difficult to grasp the culture here.  In fact it felt like an English town, but something wasn't quite right, something was different.  I was looking for the culture of the people to hit me in the face, but nothing, I just can't put words to it, it was like it was a culture mixed too much, trying too hard to be something and not managing to get there (this sounds terribly harsh doesn’t it).  You can watch the TV, look at the signs on the bus and notes and comments scattered around the city and notice this, it seems like such a manufactured place, like something out of stepford house wives, like it staged.  Sorry, I probably am not making sense but that is how I felt in Auckland.  Don't get me wrong it was lovely but I knew I needed more so I decided to move to the East to Rotorua, (more on that later)

My mixed impression and confusion with figuring out the culture was also how I felt about the people.  Some people are fantastic, really lovely but I have had a few episodes where I was back to the developed, wealth orientated and blunt attitude.  What is that, what is it about wealth that can cause so much destruction, (I can imagine what you are thinking, bloody communist) but I being serious, and I don't mean all cases, but I have met people who literally have nothing and would give you everything, and then met people who have everything (material) and wouldn't lift one finger to help you, even if it is just answering a question.  And this isn't about New Zealand this is the whole world, and no I know it’s not black and white but it is definitely something to think about.  They are just my run-ins with reality.  It was today actually, the situation that stands out the most and it was with the bus driver on my way to Rotor.  First off I put my bag in the bottom of the bus and he mumbled 'when we you guys learn to strap all your bags up'.  Okay so a little on edge, probably tired.  But then, as there was no toilet on the bus, and breaking my neck to go I asked when we made a stop if I could quickly go to the toilet 'NO'.  'I'm sorry, no', I said 'when will be the next stop', nothing, that’s right he completely ignored me, I asked a few more questions in which he carried on ignoring me and that was it.  He got on the bus, and if I hadn't had followed him he would have driven off.  Well, if I really couldn't go then fine, but he didn't need to ignore me.  So I have mixed feelings at the moment.  I hope no Kiwi is reading this. 

Maybe I am just finding it difficult to settle into travelling again, that’s why I got on the move.  The first day I relaxed a bit, sorted myself out, watched some TV, can you believe Shortland street was on, NZ Eastenders, it was on British TV ages ago, Laura (curly) you would have probably seen it  and what even funnier is Coronation street was on, classic.  Yesterday I spent seeing the city, museum, the docs and went up the Sky Tower which is 220m high, good views.  But I know that NZ has much more beautiful sights to offer, being the volcano capital of the world.  There is lots to see in such a short period of time, so I have had to pick the places I really want to see.  First stop Rotorua, see some more of what I imagined NZ to be like, the Maori people in their homeland.  That should be good, anyway, another early night for me folks, I’ll let you know about the sights of NZ soon.

Chao for now.  Oh yeah, missing Spanish so much I still can't stop saying things, I said 'Si' and 'Gracias' the other day, I bet they thought I was crazy.  In Auckland I hear more Chinese than English; maybe I will pick up on that.