God Save the Queen!

Even though I'm in a English-speaking country, being in a new environment such as this quickly draws my attention to every single detail that is both different and similar.  With several language differences (such as cookies being biscuits), I am starting to think that all parts of the culture will have differences to American culture.  But then I go to the cinema, I am surprised to see that 7 out of the 10 movies being screened are all made by American film companies (reminding me that the world is a lot smaller than we really think it is).  From walking into a supermarket to going to dinner, I'm always cogniscent now of every detail that is both similar and different, and I constantly look to see how I am being perceived by the people I meet while I am here.

Meanwhile, I'm coming up on being in New Zealand for one week already!  Kinda crazy.  Reminds me that the rest of the time will pass by quickly, and that I'll need to take advantage of every moment here that I can.  I took a trip out to Devonport (and dipped my little toe into Bayswater) and saw some really great views Auckland and other surrounding areas such as Rangitoto Island (which has a volcano I intend to hike up).  And here's the trademark student-is-abroad-and-takes-a-cool-picture-with-country-unique-background-in-it picture!

Home for the next two months is off in the distance!  (Thanks to Ariel Stadden for taking the first picture of me in NZ; proof that I am in fact in the country.)

Devonport has a lot of charm to it.  It may be small compared to Auckland's City Centre, but it has so much to offer in the way of shops, views, places to live, etc.  Ariel, a friend I graduated with from Marietta College, has been living near this area for over half a year and was a fantastic tour guide.  Devonport Chocolates, a local shop, made a series of chocolates in honor of the Queen's birthday this Monday (including an interesting Dark Chocolate/Earl Grey flavor).  The sunsets are also gorgeous, and I got to see one at the Bayswater Marina, which I intend to be the first of several sunsets I see while I'm here.

This is just one of the "good" ones.

As I mentioned earlier, the Queen's birthday is this Monday, the 4th of June (I'm also practicing writing dates this way so I can fill out papers and documents without messing up).  I asked my supervisor what the city was doing, and she told me that New Zealand largely views the holiday as more of a "day off" than a special event.  A case of a longstanding tradition changing over time?  Whatever the case may be, the city has been doing some events on the wharf to celebrate, and some shops have been offering special deals for shopping on that day.  These observations and seeing the Queen on the $20 bill make me want to explore to what extent New Zealand defines itself by being a Commonwealth nation.  I plan to explore the wharf more thoroughly tomorrow to see what turns up.  This upcoming Tuesday also marks the first day of work, which is where things start to really get interesting!  Stay tuned, my friends.

Now go play GoldenEye on the N64 and beat the game before Monday
not just to save England, but the Queen's birthday too.