Being back in school is so weird! My fall finals ended on December 17th and my first day of classes in New Zealand was February 18th, so after nearly two months of unproductivity and relaxation, I find myself thrown into a new, slightly confusing class schedule with assignments already due. How exhausting! However, I’m trying to be proactive from the very beginning, completing assignments as early as possible. My Diversity of Life class has quizzes after each lecture and while they have a due date of a week after, I’m trying to do them the same day or at least before the deadline. It would be a cruel joke if I end up breaking my habit of procrastinating during the very last semester of undergrad. Though, maybe it’s for the best because I am slightly worried for the Genetics course I am taking; it’s a 200-level course and the professor is keen on the self-teaching method, so I have a lot of catching-up in order to be on the same level as the Kiwi students.
I was also productive this weekend as I spent the rainy days cooped up inside my flat, binging Netflix in the background as I cleaned up the entire kitchen and its contents. I would say that apartment-living is agreeing with me, and I am very thankful for having three very understanding flatmates who are humoring me and staying out of my way as I go all “Monica Geller.” I can now safely say that everything is sanitized and ready for use. As a matter of fact, I will be going to the grocery store tomorrow and buying my groceries after pre-planning for the week—like a real adult!
However, my past week wasn’t all boring, responsible stuff. On Thursday night, a couple of friends and I went to our first Christchurch bar, Fat Eddie’s. We got there a bit early, but the party truly started when the live band came on. They were actually really good, and wow, all Kiwis must take professional dance classes or something because so many couples looked great out on the dance floor! Unfortunately, I didn’t dance but maybe another time. The next day, my friend Katie and I went to the Botanic Gardens located in Hagley Park. There was too much to see; we didn’t even have a chance to finish. Bonus: it was all free! It was a gorgeous sunny day, albeit a little hot, and the flowers, river, and ducks made a lovely little picture. I must say, life in Christchurch so far seems very idyllic—let’s hope my semester remains just as calm as the city!
Things I learned this past week:
- Christchurch is super safe—safe enough for three college students walking an hour through a public park after midnight to not get mugged
- The wave—like those done in sports events and pep rallies—is known as the Mexican wave here.
Things I still need to learn:
- How to find books in the UC library, especially the New Fiction Releases section
- How to remove all of the stubborn food stains from baking trays :(