My mini-holiday in Windy Welly was a great success, despite the two days of bad weather. I arrived Wednesday afternoon and made the long walk from the train station to Base Backpackers through a mist that, because of the wind, successfully dodged my umbrella and managed to soak everything that was not covered by my raincoat. I was immediately surprised (and pleased) to discover that my roommate was also Canadian, we were instantly friends, ate our meals together (pizza pigout for one night), and even had a few drinks together.
Thursday was spent at the Canadian High Commission writing tests which are required for applications to government jobs (snore). Friday I enjoyed a day of lovely sunshine and warmth and spent the day wandering through the city, seeing the sights, and doing some Christmas shopping (
I have to have my presents mailed by next week to ensure they arrive on time, ok?).Saturday was another rainy day with winds reaching 1 000 000 000 km/hour (at least it felt like that) so I spent the day at Te Papa Tongarewa, Museum of New Zealand. Te Papa was huge. I particularly enjoyed the Maori exhibits, including the incredibly detailed and beautiful Marae, an important ceremonial, cultural, and familial building. I became interested in Maori myth and religion.
Finally, on Sunday I woke
up early to visit and tour New Zealand Parliament before catching an England-Nigeria match for the Women's Under-17 World Cup (England 1- 0 Nigeria). New Zealand Parliament was quite interesting and the three buildings which make up the centre of government were very distinct. The tour was interesting but I longed for Ottawa's spacious and dominent Parliament Hill. New Zealand's government complex just didn't seem to demand the same attention as it does our Parliament Hill and I found myself, for the first time since I've been in New Zealand, wanting to plaster a big Canadian flag on my backpack. Thankfully, the High Commission provided me with a poppy and a flag pin.
