kmummer-blog

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This weekend, Wellington held the wonderful, wacky Cuba Dupa, an annual Street festival that celebrates Welly's best art and music. There were so many lineups, and Cuba Street was filled with people dancing and having a fantastic time. This festival is definitely something to see!

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See the flash of small, moving lights? Although they might look like it, they aren’t shooting stars. They are actually glowworms we found in a cave after a hike up Tinakori Hill! As it turns out, they’re extremely difficult to catch on camera. To get a better idea about what they looked like, imagine looking up into a pitch dark sky filled with little green-hued stars. It was not an easy hike, but it was very much so worth it.

Oh, and interesting story I heard on our tramp (NZ for hike). Recently, a mother and her children got lost around this area. They were lucky enough to have cellphone service, prompting them to call search and rescue. Obviously, the s&r team needed them to describe their surroundings. It was dark, but the mother said she could see the lights of boats twinkling on the harbor. With a little more direction, the s&r team began their search. After a while, they still hadn’t found the group. Confused, they have the mother another call. Finally, they ended up finding the family and realized what the confusion was all about: in the pitch darkness, the trio had walked into a cave and had been staring at glowworms the whole time!

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There’s always something going on around the city! Every Wednesday, the Library (not an actual library, though the walls are covered with books) has two for one cocktails! Also, nearby is a bar called the Fringe, which holds a plethora of events in every genre imaginable! We were lucky enough to see a slam poetry and live music night that blew us away!

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A beautiful view of Welly I see every day before classes!

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Welly has some very odd the wall art events that are perfect for your daily dose of "wat?". Here we see an artist stepping on sugar cubes. In the background, the phrase "how to write about the whiteness that burns (?) you" is repeated over and over again. It was quite a strange sight. This was just one of many temporary "stalls" made of train cars that showed up to this arts fest.

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As part of my intro to the Māori language class, we were invited to a noho marae. We arrived and presented a song and chant (pōwhiri) to our hosts. After taking off our shoes and entering the whare nui (a sign of respect for the sacred place), we learned some beautiful karakia and waiata (prayers and songs). We were also given traditional moko. These moko are sacred to the māori people, and they are given for specific purposes. As a Pākehā (English speaker), I appreciate and understand the moko’s cultural significance to the Maori people and accepted a temporary version to show my love and acceptance into the Whanaunga (family) created during this wonderful event. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katua.

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Every Sunday I go to the Harborside Market near Te Papa. Before you reach the fruits and vegetables, there's a wide array of food trucks that serve up all sorts of yummy things, from paella made in giant pans to organic smoothies. This time, I decided to get a chimney cake. It's got the consistency of a soft pretzel, and you can choose from a list of flavors. I got Doris plum, and I also opted to have the inside covered with chocolate(: they're a bit pricy, but they're definitely something to try!

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The money here in NZ is a little bit different than what we have in the states! There are no single cent coins, but the coins they do have are much higher in value (pictured: $2 coins). Also, their bills are made of plastic, making them tear and water resistant! No more worrying about your crumpled up dollars disintegrating in the wash!

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Tēnā koutou! (and other things I've learned in class)

As an exchange student, I really get to experience a part of New Zealand that the average tourist doesn’t get, and that’s its education system. Because of this, i thought it would be a good idea to take a couple of classes I couldn’t get anywhere else! First off (as I made clear in the title), I’m taking an introductory to the Māori language. It is such a wonderful, vowel filled language, and it’s absolutely ātaahua! With the language, I get to learn a little more about the native culture, too! As a way to further understand this country, I’m also taking a NZ literature class. It’s a very efficient (and very interesting) way to not only expand my literary horizons, but delve deeply into the roots of this country’s history. As of yet, we’ve talked about the use of the Māori and the land during British colonization. I’m looking forward to seeing the progression of NZ’s personality through these pieces of work.

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With class, free time has dwindled to a spare few moments. Today, I had enough time to go with my Kiwi friend to a place called Little Beer Quarter. It was here I tried my first official fish and chips, a Parrotdog Pilsner battered bit of fried heaven. On Thursdays, LBQ offers this meal (along with a few others) for $10 NZD! After asking the bartender what to pair it with (and further inquiring on which was cheaper), I ended up ordering a Panhead Pilsner to drink with it. Panhead is a brewery founded right here in Welly. As for the flavor... well, it tasted a lot like pine trees, a flavor that reminded me of home.

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Here are a couple of sea stars (maybe brittle sea stars?) I found while walking along oriental bay. The water there is absolutely clear, though a touch cold. If you’re in the market for sea glass, the bay is the way to go!

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In a slightly sketch alleyway from the main strip is always a good place to find hidden gems. Here is a little place called Six Barrel Soda, but without a little guidance you may never know it’s there. They handcraft a multitude of strangely refreshing soda flavors, such as apple cucumber and hibiscus. This location is actually the HQ where production, retail, and other HQ activities happen (http://www.sixbarrelsoda.co.nz/stockists/). They have floats, classic, and specialty flavors to choose from. However, if you’re like me and cannot decide on one, you can pick 3 3 oz classic syrup samplers for 5 NZD.

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Cocktails in Welly aren't hard to come by! A night on the town is best spent near Courtney place. There are a plethora of bars, clubs, and pubs of every style. I went to Public. and Chow with a group of lovely Korean exchange students and a local Kiwi. 2 for 1 Cocktails at Chow every Wednesday and Saturday! I suggest Geisha Girl Grog, personally. It's a sweet, ginger beer base with just the right amount of fruity.

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Walking to the waterfront is never boring, and is oftentimes pretty inspirational. Quotes pop up all over, be it hidden in rocks or written in chalk. This particular quote was engraved in a piece of concrete faux balanced on the brink of the pier. One step and your in the water.

~added on later: I found out from my NZ Literature class that this quote come from a piece by Bill Manhire called 'Milky Way Bar'. The sculpture is part of the Literature Walk in Wellington. I'll post more about this as I find them!

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My first beer comes with a story of its own. You never really know what you're going to find walking down Cuba Street. My first time going was, in all honesty, overwhelming. Street performers, people of every walk of earth, and more restaurants than you can name on two hands crowed this busy little alleyway, and here I was, two days in and completely over my head. After my third (or fourth) walk around the same stores, I was approached by this young man asking if I was alright. From his accent I could tell he was a local, and I asked him about where one could sit for a drink. Then, without a seconds thought, he invited me to sit with him and his father to share a jug of ale. We were able to talk about the differences between NZ (NZed, as they put it) and the states, and it was great to hear their stories and perspectives on their beautiful country. You don't get this sort of hospitality just anywhere, and I'm lucky to have ran into such a friendly couple of guys.

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On the hike (and I’m not in any way exaggerating) up to campus, there is a small, very old cemetery cut out of the hill. As you can see, it gives way to a very beautiful view of the city and even a smidge of harbor. If I find out anything more on its historical significance, I’ll be sure to let you all know!

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Free samples

When I was a little girl, my favorite part of grocery shopping was the free samples. Well... to be honest, the samples are still the best. It's always a joy, going from one bin to the next, snacking here and there different chips, cakes, cheeses, and fruits. Each has its own texture, its own flavor, something that really sets it apart from the previous. What fun it is to savor each tiny morsel, swishing it around your palate, trying to understand what made it become what it is, and swallowing it up into your happy stomach. This week was the very first time I have ever stepped out of the United States, the great superstore whose isles I am at least somewhat familiar with, and entered somewhere completely new: the open (un-Murican) world. After a wholesome family get together in Texas and a tiger pie in Sydney, I wound up in the deliciously diverse city of Wellington, NZ. A week here has been like pop rocks on steroids to my midwestern palate. Every step has brought me something new, each treat different from the last. As I spend these next few months here, I hope to share with you some of the fun, new things I get to try. Cheers to free samples, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.