I have arrived...

I left Victoria International Airport on February 12, 2006. I arrived at Dunedin International Airport on February 14, 2006. Before you gasp, keep in mind that New Zealand is about 18 hours ahead of Ontario. All in all it took about 26 hours from start to finish. And to be honest, the flight wasn't half bad. The longest part of my flight was from LA to Auckland which was approximately 12 hours. I slept for almost 9 of those hours. I can't even believe it myself considering the uncomfortable and stiff seats. And my head sits at an uncomfortable angle on the headrest because I'm just a couple inches short of the standard. Well, I feel incredibly lucky for the swift and safe flight. However, I knew it was too good to be true.

Once I landed in Auckland, I had to switch to the Domestic terminal to catch my flight to Dunedin. I was running late so I had to transport my bags myself on a cart and boot it there. Of course, I'm still in Canada mode, so I'm "driving" my cart on the wrong side of the road. As I almost knock over a family, a kiwi shouts "you're in new Zealand now!" and then it clicks. Oh right, get on the left side. Well anways, ten sweaty minutes later, I'm standing in front of the Air New Zealand counter to check in when I am told that my luggage is 20 kilos over and thus must pay for the extra weight. Well, I'm glad Air Canada didn't tell me about this when I was still in Canada and could have lightened my load. I don't have time to argue, so I pay the hefty $100.00 charge ($5/kilo) and boot it to my flight. Finally, about 3 hours later, I am in Dunedin where I am picked up by a friendly shuttle bus driver who gives me a brief history of New Zealand during the drive to my residence. Of course, the first thing I see on the drive are sheep, hundreds and hundreds of sheep. I am pretty sure I saw them on the plane flying across New Zealand. In New Zealand, they say there are 20 sheep for every person.



I am staying at an International Residence apart of the University of Otago. The majority of its students are upper years. I would say the average age is 21. It is an international residence, however there are probably 20% kiwi residents as well. I share a flat with four other people. Thiago is from Brazil; Kim and Jennifer are from the U.S.; and Sam is from Egypt. There is an incredible mix of students here and I wouldn't be surprised if I met someone from every single country by the time I leave.

I have been here since Tuesday and have done an incredible amount of things and met an incredible amount of people already. Some of the things I have done include: a rugby match (Otago vs Auckland); a trip to the beach; a bizarre but entertaining classical concert; BBQs; tours, tours and more tours. I have attached some photos of some of these events. I will try very hard to update my blog on a regular basis, so check back often.

All in all, I have been having an incredible time. I haven't had time to think about being sad about being away from my friends and family....yet. So, please don't forget to e-mail me or write. My address here is:

Julia Paek
Flat Rua
Toroa International House
8 Regent Rd
Dunedin
New Zealand

If you ever wished to call me, this is what you would dial: 011 64 3-471-4516

Miss everyone lots!!!!