Culture Shock in Auckland

The City of Sails!
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Well I feel as though I've hit a wall. I left India on the evening of the 7th and after spending a day sleeping in an airport hotel in Kuala Lumpur where I spent as much on a room for 6 hours as I did for more than three weeks of accommodation in India, I arrived on the 9th, almost 2 days later! I at least arrived somewhat rested but I wasn't prepared for the culture shock that I experienced for my first....week? maybe more? of my time in New Zealand.

Everything is so clean, and quiet. Auckland is certainly small compared to the cities I was used to encountering in Egypt and India. The scale is definitely a comfortable one to use. They definitely speak english here, although sometimes I do have a difficult time understanding what they are saying. There are also new phrases to be learned. I like "sweet as" this can be used in other ways such as "stupid as" or anything else that you would use "as" with. Fascinating! My other surprise is that vegetables have different names. Peppers are capsicums and a sweet potato is a kumara for example. I am also experiencing sticker shock as even the groceries are expensive here! I have suddenly entered a travel world where every place you stay has a kitchen and in order to save money you must cook your own food. Of course after two months of Indian food I am all too happy to make my own food, yet I strangely crave Indian food when I see it!

I really do like Auckland, you can walk and explore the central business district with ease, the harbor front is really quite large and has an active life. The Queen Mary happens to be docked for the day and the numerous bars and restaurants are hopping the one night I venture out to explore the nightlife here, something I would have never felt comfortable doing in India on my own.

Not only am I experiencing culture shock I am also suddenly extremely indecisive about what I want to do next. Fly to the south island? Rent a car? Buy a car? Join up on one of the many hop-on-hop-off bus tours of the country? Bus a flexi-pass? I think that I am indecisive only because there are so many options! Yikes! Well, after taking a free Stray bus tour of the city and getting myself oriented, as well as deciding that the bus tour thing is not the direction I wish to head in, I am now vacillating between the car rental/purchase option. It is when I am standing in front of a bulletin board reading the numerous adds for cars for sale that Sebastian, a friendly Canadian approaches me and offers me a ride to Napier. Now admittedly Napier was on my list of places that I wanted to visit, but I was feeling as though I was stuck in Auckland and the opportunity to get out and start experiencing the country was to good an offer to pass up. So I accept his offer! I already know that I will have to be back to Auckland so I can spend more time exploring at that point. It's nice to have someone else make a decision for you! I'm off to explore all that this country has to offer!