There must have been a drive from the airport to Russell’s house, but I have absolutely no recollection of it. After more than 48 hours on airplanes and in airports, I may have been walking and talking, but I was not awake. Those first few days in Dunedin were spent in a haze of errand running and getting lost. I don’t remember much about those days – I know I set up a bank account, checked into my flat, walked around, bought groceries – but what I did and when blurs together like it was years ago, rather than a week. What I do remember is that I wrote a list. It was a list of things I learned, things that surprised me, that I wish I had known or done. And here it is:
- Believe the weather report. I looked at the weather report for Dunedin before I left for India. 50oF and raining, it said. I figured that it was getting the same rains as Australia, that it would all blow over by the time I got there. Besides, Google Earth had a picture of my flat, and in that picture it is sunny and there is a palm tree. Plus, February is dead smack in the middle of summer here in the southern hemisphere. So I packed for India, and figured I could buy some warmer clothes once winter set in. Nope. The first thing I bought in New Zealand was a sweater from Kmart. New Zealand wasn't named "The Land of the Long, White Cloud" for nothing.
- Metric System Being a scientist, I know how the metric system works. However, taking my bench/classroom knowledge and applying it in the store is a completely different story. I have no idea how many bananas 1 kg of bananas is. Or how fast 100km/hour really is. My first trip to the grocery store nearly stopped my heart, until I realized that the prices were per Kg.
- DON’T BUY ANYTHING without talking to my hosts Signing a lease to a flat before seeing it was stupid – the landlord convinced me that it would be impossible to find a flat once I arrived. Lies! There are plenty of flats left even now, many of them better and cheaper. Had I asked my host sponsor (to give myself some credit, I didn’t know who it was until I was already in India), he would have given me the real story. Plus, Rotarians like the give me free stuff. I have so far accumulated a tent (not a backpacking one, Mom, sorry, you still need to send mine), a stove, camping dishes/utensils, dish towels, several guidebooks, roadmaps, a wok, dishware, silverware, apricots (those are gone already), a keyboard AND a violin.
- Look ALL ways when crossing the street Just looking left and right isn’t good enough. I would probably be roadkill by now if Eddy hadn’t figured out quite quickly how oblivious I am. When cars drive on the left, they suddenly become able to appear out of absolutely nowhere.
- Don’t worry so much My first few days were actually quite slow. Not knowing anyone else, I ended up sitting in my flat quite a lot, worrying about how I wasn’t experiencing things or meeting people. Eddy helped me to get out of this funk. Journaling, reading the local newspaper, walking around, going to meetings (Rotary meetings especially), helped me to slowly realize that this is where I am, this is how it is, get used to it.
- Even if it looks just like home at first glance, look again. There is always something new and incredible to find
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