We made it!
The flight from Honolulu to Auckland was great; we each had our own tv with a bunch of movies and different games. The seats were spacious, and the flight crew was really nice. The first thing I noticed were the accents of the people. Everyone on the plane, including the flight attendents, spoke with a New Zealand accent! It was really neat. We had dinner on the plane: parmasean chicken pasta, or some beef dish. It was pretty good. They also offered us breakfast, but by that time, we were sound asleep and too tired to be hungry.
We arrived in Auckland at 6:30 AM and our small plane to Hamilton was scheduled to leave at 9:30, so we took our time going through customs. Logan declared his dried aku and the customs officer was very interested in what kind of fish it was and how he got it. The customs agents were all so nice to us. They were interested in what we were doing in New Zealand and welcomed us into their country. It seemed very different from the U.S. Everyone was so much more relaxed and hospitable.
It just so happened that our small plane to Hamilton got cancelled due to poor weather in Hamilton. So, all the passengers that were scheduled to fly with us (about 10 people) got shuttled down to Hamilton. I guess it wasn't much of a big deal and it must happen a lot because no one seemed shocked or too dissapointed. It was about a 1 hour and a half drive, but I slept the whole way. When we got to the Hamilton airport, we had to call our uni (what they call universities) to come and pick us up!
We got to school and got dropped off at our halls. I live in College Hall and one of the RA's named Huhu helped me to get settled into my room. Logan lives in Bryant Hall, which is a 20 minute walk from College Hall. The halls are made up of different blocks (buildings). The rooms are pretty small with just a bed, closet, and desk. The weirdest thing about living here are the bathrooms. Everything is unisex. I live on a floor with a bunch of guys and we all share the same bathroom, shower and all.
After getting settled in, Logan finally made it to my hall without a cellphone (which is very impressive) and we caught the bus into town. The bus fare is $3, but for the two hours after you purchase the ticket, the bus is free. We walked around Hamilton, but most things were closed because it was Sunday, so we happened to find a mall in the middle of town, which had a bunch of different shops and eating places. We ate at Subway! haha.
We talked to a bunch of different people and about different cellphones we should get. One lady reccomended us to a store called "Ducksmith". So, we went around searching for the store, but couldn't find it. Come to find out, it was called "Dicksmith," we just didn't understand the lady's accent! haha. Everyone was so helpful. They told us what each cellphone company would give and the costs and what not. We ended up with 2 Degrees, which allows us to call anyone anywhere for 22 cents a minute, and text for just 2 cents. This even applies to international calls and texts!!
After going to the town, we caught the bus back and walked to the Warehouse, which is equivalent to our Walmart. Everything SEEMED really expensive, but that was because our dollar is worth more. We bought just some basic things, soap, shampoo and things.
The weather here is like Oregon, rainy and cold. The days are dark and the sky is always foggy. But the people definitely make up for it! EVERYONE here is SO nice and helpful. We tell them that we're from America and they answer all our questions and give us advice about everything. The first bus driver even gave us a deal on the bus fare because we didn't have enough money! haha.
That's our FIRST day in New Zealand!
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