Kia Ora (Hi) everyone. Greetings from the DEEP south! Here I am at the bottom of the world (or top...depending on your perspective) and it's bloody cold here!!! I think I'm settling in quite nicely here. I've gotten down a general layout of the city and I know how to get from my flat to school, to the shopping areas, to other places and most places in between. Classes begin on monday and it's both exciting and a little not exciting (in the sense that I don't want to hit the lecture halls just yet). It's also been pretty darn good weather (if not very cold...as previously mentioned) which has helped me get used to the climate. Bad weather is on the horizon so let's hope I've sufficiently acclimated...keep your fingers crossed. Anyways, the flat mates are pretty cool all around and I'm very optimistic about how this semester abroad will be! Here are some pics to keep you all happy. I would also have pics of the flat but they've already been uploaded to the lappy and I'm currently on a library computer...oh well. In any case, enjoy.
This is the Clocktower building which is probably the most memorable building on campus. Being at the oldest Uni(versity) in NZ means that these buildings have a nice "old world" charm to them. You won't see anything like this at USC! Notice the overhanging clouds...if I just had waited a couple hours, it cleared up and it would've been a much better looking pic...such bad luck.
Here I am standing by the University of Otago sign. It's still cloudy in this pic too...dammit.
Dinner on Tuesday night was this lovely Sausage & Mash dinner from the Speight's Ale House. I tried watching the Auckland v. Lions match there but no such luck since we got shoved into the corner of the restaurant far away from the big screen telly. Drats. You can see the nice piece of toast that also came with the meal and the piece of beer battered fish that Cat traded to me. Those of you with sharp eyes will notice the glass of L&P in the background. I love that stuff...World Famous in New Zealand!
We did a bit of shopping after the international student orientation on Wednesday. Kathmandu was visited as was the shoe shop in this pic. I didn't need to buy shoes but Jennifer (one of my flatmates) & Cat (fellow USC Trojan & "Hawaiian" Cat) were both looking. Both of you should've bought those shoes...then, because of the sale, I would've been able to get the 3rd pair for free...
Thursday, I embarked on a great journey to see the World Famous Baldwin Street. As you can read in the pic, it is the world's Steepest street.
Here's a pic of the actual street. It may not look that steep in the pic but you'll have to believe me when I say it's damn steep. It's hard to see in the pic but it's so steep that the sidewalk is actually a continuous flight of stairs.
After climbing all the way to the top, as you can imagine, I was really, really tired. Nothing like good Kiwi music (I was listening to the new Blackseeds album that I just bought on my iPod)and a good hike. You'll notice the water fountain next to the bench. How thoughtful of them...I took full advantage of the fountain and, one good thing about the climate, it was actually cold! Sweet As!
Last but not least, I walked through the Dunedin Botanical Gardens. Really, really beautiful stuff (though I expect it looks much prettier in warmer weather when you might actually see some flowers). Very well manicured gardens and endless trails. This will be an excellent place to do some trail running since there is some elevation, beautiful scenery and lots of variation.
There you have it folks. A bunch of pics to let you all know what I've been up to here in Dunedin. Shoot me some emails if you'd like (or drop a comment) and I'll check as often as I possibly can. It's great here and I'm really looking forward to a wonderful semester! Pics & Blogs will come as often as time will allow and if I have adventures to share with you all. Also, please let me know if you'd still like to donate to the car fund...I'd really appreciate it!!! Cheers and Aroha!
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2 comments:
How exciting! That Baldwin street seems like quite a workout. It looks like your semester abroad is off to a good start.
looks like another summer vacation! ahh, but how can one ignore airline food, eh? yes, ALL international carriers have superior meals compared to US carriers, sorry to say. spoken like a true travel consultant. hope you're having a blast!
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