POTATOES, POTATOES AND POTATOES!

Column September 2018

I’ve been living in New Zealand for seven weeks now. Soon the spring holidays will begin and it will get warmer and warmer, because while you’re all mourning after your beloved long-gone summer holidays in Switzerland, here the hot days and thus the barbecues are right around the corner.

August began with quite mild temperatures. Down here the sun has an immense power. As soon as the big fireball is up in the sky, you feel like you’re trapped in a sauna in your thick down jacket. The weather close to the sea is very unpredictable: Out of nowhere it starts raining, and if it does, it’s raining cats and dogs. Luckily, I got used to the weather quite quickly: After just a few days I was walking around at home in shorts and jandals after school, which particularly amazed my host mother.

The dietary change was much more difficult to handle than the climatic difference to Switzerland. A normal day usually begins with some cereals or two slices of toast. Then I normally put a sandwich, an apple, some kiwi fruit and muesli bars into my lunch box and shortly after, I’m off to school. Kiwis really like being outside. That’s why, there is no cafeteria at my college. However, the school kiosk offers instant noodles for $2.50, which are perfect as a workaround in case you happen to forget your lunch. After school, many students meet up in one of the many fast food restaurants. – there’s something for everyone who wants to expand their muffin top. For tea Kiwis often opt for potatoes whether as chips, mashed or as hash browns combined with meat or fish. Vegetables can be expensive depending on the time of the year. That’s why, peas and corn are what you’ll find on your plate most of the time. In order to not eat potatoes all year round, I started going to the supermarket with my host mother to get the needed amount of greens. I’m not in any way trying to say that the food doesn’t taste good. The problem is simply that I have never been a big potato lover.

Since there is always a risk of experiencing an earthquake in New Zealand, every school runs an exam week where you have to write so-called mock exams. If the actual exams at the end of the year cannot take place due to an earthquake or any other reason, the grade given in the mock exam counts. In addition to these precautions, false alarms are regularly used as evacuation exercises.

New Zealand schools also attach much importance to solidarity. Every fortnight an assembly takes place. This is a gathering of all students mainly focusing on entertainment and celebration of achievements. From funky dances to speeches by the Principal about his part-time job as a firefighter, there’s a bit of everything. Yet, old-fashioned gender segregation is also important to Waimea College: In assemblies girls sit on the right and boys on the left. We’re not even allowed to use the same entrance.

Thanks to a Teacher Only Day I am currently enjoying a long weekend. Next week I’ll be going on a river rafting trip followed by a three-day tramping camp. What a great way to have school!