Kia Ora from New Zealand- land of lollycakes, gumboots and mullets- where spaghetti is a breakfast food and shoes are optional!
My time at Michigan State University and ended with a BANG- after a not-very-fun and very self-conscious year of toothless-ness following the taxi accident that I was in last May, I, smile (finally) intact, was the student commencement speaker (speech attached). The absolute hands-down biggest complement that I could ever receive in regards to my college experience was the unprecedented standing ovation I received- starting from my classmates and friends in The School of Hospitality Business- who (I didn’t know at the time) had nominated me “Outstanding Senior” just prior. It was a high that I could ride all the way to New Zealand...
…with a little help from 3 planes, a van, a train a Ford and a Saturn…
None the less I made it.
By fluke and a bit of hard work I have found myself in an Agricommerce post-grad program at Massey University’s Turitea campus in Palmerston North on New Zealand’s north island. Campus resembles some sort of strikingly unkosher combo between MSU’s farm scene and UofM’s downtown. There is a great trail for running just 2 minutes from my dorm as well as botanical gardens, a big river and lots of cows and sheep.
I share a lovely little office (with a window, might I add!) at 428 Social Sciences Tower with an outstanding hostess and all-together classically wonderful post-grad student from the South Island, Jess. Though our style for the time being might best be described as minimalist and our names are only on the door because we wrote them there on a white erase board we have tissues, candy and a tea corner for guests-it has really proven itself a lovely place to do some heavy reading as I have tried to narrow my thesis- something along the lines of an economic analysis of the impact of the value chains of alternative agricultural networks in cocoa.
I live in a quaint 22 person “Hall of Residence” with 17 Chinese “flatmates” from Wuhan, a guy from Sri Lanka, Rosanna from Hong Kong who likes things so plain she doesn’t even put tea in her hot water, one Thai bloke and a Costa Rican who swears that everyone from Costa Rica has two belly buttons. I do not have any roommates- although roommate means something a little bit different here…I do not have any of “those kind” of roommates either.
In fact, despite our best efforts to break up due to “logical reasons” and the generally dismal success rates of long-distance relationships, Ben and I are doing better than ever. Upon completion of a series of military schools as of April (or whenever the Army says so) Lieutenant Arbitter will be stationed on my neighboring Pacific Island, Hawaii.
Though I haven’t gone for a proper tramp yet, I have gotten around quite a bit (… hmmm…please note that that sentence takes on a different meaning here, too). To Wellington with my friend and fellow North American, Caeley who likes trailmix as much if not more than I do (is that possible?) to watch the Allblacks defeat the Springbok’s in a cold and rainy testmatch. To Napier tagging along with my advisor, Hamish as he went off to a meeting and I did a little cappuchino-tourism through the art-deco town and black-stone beach. And around Palmy- where the birds make sure I don’t sleep in past 7:30 in order to spend some time at my favorite spots- the local library (coolest one I have ever been to), Café Cuba (where the largest coffee comes in a bowl) and the river trail where I have been training for the Manuatu Striders Half in a few weeks.
That is the update for now- I am sure there are more adventurous adventures to come. Hope all is well at home- wherever home may be.
Much love,
Alexandra
