CU Abroad – Alison Keggan

Palmerston North, “Palmy,” or “Student City” is a town bustling with youth. A large portion of the population is between the ages of 17 and 25 and the town largely reflects that. Of course, there are many shopping venues (including a K-Mart) and also a multitude of cafes and other hangouts. There is also the Te Manawa, a free attraction combining history, science, and art.

The history part of Te Manawa tells about Maori weaving and also the settlement of the Manawatu district. There was also a featured display about a Palmerston North radio station that had been famous in New Zealand. Moving from the museum area toward the science centre, I was reminded of being in a carnival Fun House. All around were different sizes and shapes of mirrors that were both amusing to look into and interesting to learn about the physics of the reflections. From the museum and science portions of the Te Manawa, the art centre is only a few steps away once you are outside.

The current exhibits at the art gallery portion displayed three areas: photographs that have been featured on the front of the Dominion Post Newspaper, modern art from New Zealand artists, and a section I thought was work of local artists. The photographs featured everything from a lady standing on her front lawn bedecked in pink polyester pants and a beehive hairdo to a flood that had occurred in New Zealand last year. Seeing the photographs and reading the captions told the story of 2008 in New Zealand. The modern art section was rather interesting as well and featured a piece that reminded me of a giant 3-D butterfly cocoon. It was in fact layers of old paint on top of each other until a massive creation was formed that hung from a metal display.

The last section of the art centre featured multiple panels of artwork. There were photographs, watercolours, sketches, and other designs. As I walked upon the panels of work, I imagined the people who had created these pieces. They were all such high quality I figured the artists had to be at least semi-professional. I imagined people in their thirties creating them in hopes that one day their work would be famous and they could quick their “normal” job. My expectation of who created these pieces of art was put aside when I reached the end of the display and there was a sign telling that the work had been from students at a local secondary school.

Needless to say, I was rather impressed by the student work. I held an expectation of who could have created the work, but I was barely even close in my guess. Students several years younger than me had created work I would have expected from people at least several years older than me. Nonetheless, it is so easy to get caught up in our expectations. We have expectations of who could have created a piece of art, of what a beautiful looking plate of food should taste like, or even how much we will enjoy an award winning movie. The truth is expectations do not always meet with reality. For instance, why didn’t I initially think the work I saw was from secondary school students? Perhaps I have never seen student work at such a high calibre. Thus experiences shape expectations. With every new experience, whether studying abroad or anything else, I imagine my expectations will change. That too is an expectation though. And maybe that is the beauty of life: we can’t know something until we have experienced it and only when looking back will we have hopefully learned.

With the beginning of classes, everyone is eager to make small talk with the people they will be seeing in lecture for the next four months. Of course, questions include, where are you from, what are you studying, and where are you staying. The first time I was asked where I was staying by a New Zealander, the conversation went something like this:

Kiwi: “Will you be staying in a flat or in a hostel?”

Me: “Oh, well, umm, I’m actually staying on campus. In a dorm.”

Kiwi: “Oh, o-kaay?”

Little did I know that a hostel is what Kiwis call a dormitory. Life in the Walter Dyer “hostel” has fared me well so far. I have enjoyed getting to know the people on my corridor and living like a full-fledged New Zealand student. While the hostel has been comparable to life in Carl Becker House or Balch Hall at Cornell, certain things are obviously different. Of course like American Universities, all the girls gather around the TV for “Grey’s Anatomy” night to hear about Meredith, Kristina, Izzy, and George’s newest problems at the Seattle hospital. However, looking around the hostel, it becomes apparent I am not in American anymore.

One of the things that intrigues me the most is the window for my room. The window opens rather freely and yet there is no screen on it. Now, this poses two problems. First off, I have seen a rather large population of various insects come through my room. Since most bugs don’t bother me, I’m okay with that. The second problem is the ease with which students can exit through their windows. Called a nation addicted to adrenaline, plastered on all the windows are friendly stickers reminding residents, “All ledges and architectural structures are strictly out of bounds. Failure to comply liable to disciplinary action.” Where in the US we might worry about things being thrown out of the window or bugs entering our rooms, here the worry is that students might just try and scale the building façade or perform some other “daredevil” type activity!

Leaving my room and walking toward the bathrooms, there is a familiar site: a Purell machine just like the ones in many of Cornell’s dining rooms. However, as you get close to the dispenser, there are two signs detailing how to use Purrell and the benefits of its use. To me, this is such a difference from the United States where it seems like we come out of the womb with a fear of germs. I don’t think there is such a fear here. In fact, it is not uncommon to see people bare foot, wherever you happen to be. Go to the dining hall, see someone barefoot. Go to class, see someone barefoot. Go to the supermarket, see someone barefoot. Quite frankly, I would be a little bit worried about contracting some sort of foot “fungus”, but no one else really seems to care.

I will admit I have been spoiled in my prior college housing. I no longer have high speed internet, multiple electrical outlets, or even a shower tall enough for me to fully stand under. While I vaguely miss these things, I have embraced what I would call the New Zealand motto, “No worries.” I am enjoying the idea that shoes are almost always optional or that sand in the hallway is pretty normal. Being someone who would characterize myself as a total Type-A personality, living in “Wally D” has been a wake-up call for me to relax, to be more patient, and to enjoy life. It is a reminder that there is more to university than just classes and a reminder to experience life.

A little over ten miles outside of Palmerston North is a town called Feilding. “Friendly Feilding,” as it has been called, is probably most well known for its Friday livestock sale. Thousands of sheep and cattle are sold at the Feilding Saleyards every week, making it one of the largest of its type in the Southern Hemisphere.

Wanting to see the livestock auction in action and some other sites in Feilding, one of my friends and I took the bus to Feilding on Friday. As we were waiting for the bus, we met several other Massey students from Germany headed to the same place as us. We introduced ourselves, but when the bus arrived, we parted our own ways. Once in Feilding, my friend and I looked around a farmers market that was taking place and then headed toward the saleyards. We strolled past a few shops and cafes and practically in the middle of the town was the saleyard.

Once at the saleyard, we walked amongst some of the sheep pens waiting to be sold. We then made our way to the main sale rostrum. The atmosphere of livestock sales is always one I have enjoyed. Several hundred New Zealand farmers anxiously watched beef cattle come through the front pen. Dressed in dark woolen sweaters, shorts, and boots, bidders would make notes in books as pens of animals came through the sale area. One of several auctioneers would then describe the animals in the pen and more information was overhead on a computerized screen. The bidding would begin and after some outbidding, the hammer would finally fall and the animals were sold! Once the animals were sold, they were herded outside by one of the hardest working saleyard employees- the cattle dog

After watching the auction go on for a while, it was finally time to explore more of Feilding. Walking back through town, our first stop was for a bite to eat. At the entrance to the café was a sign taped to the door telling people not to enter with dirty boots. Below the sign were two pairs of muddy boots, and inside we saw the boot owners clad in their socks.

As our day came to an end, we were reminded of the bus we needed to catch. A bus had arrived in Feilding at 2.00, but we were on our way to a store and knew a second bus would be coming in a little over an hour. As time for the bus drew near, we began walking toward the bus stop. On our way, we ran into our German friends we met earlier. Because it had begun raining, we waited near a building until we could see the bus. From where we were standing, we saw the bus drive around the town square, began walking toward the stop, and much to our dismay, the bus did not turn and did not come to the bus stop. We fiercely braved the rain to run after the bus. Unfortunately, we were going to have to wait for the next bus at 4.00. Worried that the same thing would happen again, we began asking people about the bus. We were finally told that the bus would arrive a little after 4.00 and that if we want the bus to stop we should “wave friendly.” As 4.00 approached, all eight of us began lining the road to wait for the bus and to ensure the bus driver would see us waiting and waving for him.

Much to our delight, at 4:03, we all loaded onto the bus and were on our way back to the more familiar Palmerston North. While I enjoyed Feilding and seeing the stockyard, the bus is probably what I will remember the most. “Waving friendly” seems like a simple practice, but I wonder how often I forget to do just that. I’m not certain if a wave can ever be unfriendly, but when we begin to panic, it is much easier to become upset and not always be as kind as we can be. However, “waving friendly” got us onto the bus and in many other situations being kind, patient, and friendly can help us find the success we are looking for.

“Friendly Feilding” was a great day trip. Not only did I have the chance to witness a New Zealand livestock auction, it was a chance to be reminded of something so universal: being friendly to others. Whether in New Zealand, the United States, or probably anywhere else, a smile and a friendly wave can go a long way!

When I was first accepted to study abroad in New Zealand, I created a list of goals for myself. On this list were classes I wanted to take, places I hoped to see, and things I hoped to accomplish. One of the items on my list was to go to a New Zealand beach. After being here a little over a week, I have already completed several of my goals, including this one.

I didn’t set out this morning with the thought, “Today I am going to the beach.” In fact, it started as an ordinary day: Orientation events in the morning and then laundry in the afternoon. As I was waiting for my laundry to be done in the dryer, I received a knock on my door. One of my friends was standing there with a huge smile. Katy said her and several others were leaving in fifteen minutes for Himatangi beach and I was invited. I frantically ran to the dryer where my laundry was, pulled it out wet, then raced around to find my swimming “togs,” and with a minute to spare met Katy. We were on our way to the beach.

The drive to the beach took us through the New Zealand country side and then right up onto the beach. Once we were at the beach, I was excited to swim in the Tasman Sea. After some time in the water, it seemed logical to sunbathe on the beach. Kaleb however, happened to be playing on a Skim board. One of my American friends and I walked toward Kaleb when he asked if we wanted to have a try, which of course we did! I was first to try. I grabbed a hold of the board just as Kaleb had, stood near the edge of the water, and lowered the board toward the sand. I then waited for Kaleb to tell me to give the board a push into the water at which point I would then run and jump onto it. Finally, Kaleb gave me the word. I released the board and saw swim through the water. I ran after it, certain I was going to land on it perfectly. I jumped. My feet hit the board, but the rest of me hit the sand. Kaleb, told me that was a good first try and I should try again. I repeated the process and stood an entire two seconds on the board. Destined to get this “skim boarding thing,” I wanted to try once more. So Kaleb told me, “Once you jump on the board, make sure you do it with your entire body- not just your feet.” My problem was that my feet would land on the skim board but I was holding the rest of myself back. So I tried Kaleb’s advice, fully committed to the task before me, and finally had success.

As I thought about what Kaleb told me, his words applied to much more than just skim boarding on the Himatangi beach. In reality, his words apply to many other situations. Sometimes, we are afraid to fully commit to something. We have our feet on the board, but yet the rest of us is not there. Jumping on the board with my “whole body” meant I was successful at skim boarding and likewise, when we are planning a project, working at a summer internship, or even creating lasting friendships, we must be fully committed to ensure the best outcome.

Trips to the beach seem like the perfect time to relax and let your cares go away; a chance to take in the scenery and to swim in the sea water. Today, though, it was a chance to learn a life lesson: success is as easy as jumping on the skim board with your entire body.

Massey University has a long history of agriculture. The university was originally founded as an Agricultural college and, today, has many parallels with the land grant structure of Cornell. Being somewhat proud about their agriculture, one of our first trips during International Student Orientation was to three of the research farms on campus: a dairy farm, a deer farm, and a sheep farm. For me, the dairy farm was the most familiar while the deer farm was a new experience.

Massey University is home to several thousand research animals ranging from cows to deer to possums (or so I’ve been told!). The particular dairy farm we visited included 500 cows. The cows are milked twice a day in a rather state of the art facility. As the cows enter the “milking shed,” they are cooled with streams of water to subdue the New Zealand heat and then enter onto a rotary milking unit. One person can milk all 500 cows in approximately 2 hours, which is rather impressive.

From the dairy farm, our next stop was the deer farm. Deer are raised in New Zealand for several purposes, including for velvet, for meat, and for leather. The deer at Massey are not the whitetail deer common of the Northeastern United States. They are a lot taller and more characteristic of what I would call an elk. Either way, the deer are being used for research and teaching purposes, which means many of them are rather fond of people. At the farm, we had the chance to pet several deer who of course took advantage of nibbling some human clothes!

Heading from the deer farm, our last stop was the hillside sheep farm. New Zealand is a country well known for having a great quantity of sheep, the majority of which are of the Romney breed. These sheep are raised for two purposes, for both meat and wool. In New Zealand, a good sheep shearer is able to shear a sheep in only about two minutes! In the process of a day, that adds up to several hundred pounds of wool. In order though to keep the herds of sheep “in line,” it is rather common to see herding dogs. On our visit to the sheep farm, we were given a herding demonstration. A herdsman will generally have two dogs: one who is responsible for herding the sheep into the barn and a second who is responsible for getting the sheep from the barn into the pasture. The first dog is smart and contemplative. He lowers his body and silently stares down the sheep from a distance until they run as a herd. He then trots behind to keep the flock in line. The second dog however is a bit more “gutsy.” To disperse the flock, he’ll yelp and bark, then, if necessary, will run up to the sheep as if attacking. When given a particular command, this dog will fiercely jump on the backs of the sheep ensuring they have no other choice but to move! To see these herding dogs at work was an amazing experience.

Massey University and New Zealand have great pride in their agriculture. Seeing the research farms was an impressive look at agriculture different from what one might expect in the United States. For me, though, it was a chance to feel as if I were back at home where the smell of farming life is not uncommon!

At last, I have arrived.  After nearly twenty hours spent on four different airplanes, I have found my home in New Zealand for the next four months.  My journey here to New Zealand has been both exciting and exhausting.  It has also provided me with an outstanding glimpse of New Zealand and the people who call this island country home. 

Sitting on an airplane hour after hour, seeing nothing but clouds was not exactly a thrill.  In fact it was rather painful for both my legs and my mind.  However it did make me realize the value of time and often I take it for granted.  Before leaving, I found the following passage about the value of time:

            To realize the value of one year, ask a student who has failed his final exam

To realize the value of one month, ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby

            To realize the value of one week, ask an editor of a weekly newspaper

            To realize the value of one hour, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet

To realize the value of one minute, ask a person who has missed the train, the bus or the plane

             To realize the value of one second, ask the person who has survived an accident

To realize the value of one millisecond, ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics

Finally landing in Auckland was like a dream come true!  It was also a great insight into the friendly nature of so many of the New Zealand people- one lady helped me with my suitcases, customs was rather friendly, and Biosecurity even cleaned my shoes!  Being a country based largely on Agriculture, biosecurity is an issue that is not taken likely.  Every person arriving in New Zealand, as in any country, must declare if they are bringing anything in, but also detail if they have any items which could pose an agricultural threat.  Included on the list of agricultural threats are hiking boots, many food items, even seashells.  Since I had a pair of horseback riding boots in my bag, I was sent off to have my bag searched by hand and my boots to be scrubbed before I could depart the Auckland airport.  All passengers exiting the Auckland airport are further required to put their bags through an X-ray machine, just to make sure there are not any illegal agricultural products or other threats.  After my bag had been searched and X-rayed, I made my way outside to my last flight terminal headed for Palmerston North.   Ironically, passengers stepped right onto this plane without having their bags searched one bit! 

While I have not experienced much of New Zealand yet, I can say two things: The people so far are absolutely so nice and the scenery is positively beautiful.  Nonetheless, if I need a break from NZ, there’s McDonalds, K-Mart, and Subway Sandwich shop within a short distance and my cellphone works to receive calls and texts J  Joking aside, I am looking forward to everything that awaits me in New Zealand!