Four months of living & studying like a Kiwi

First four mo

nths of living and studying like a Kiwi

L-R: Nona Walpuski, Nguyen Minh Uyen, Caja Janitz, Ingrid Gjermundsen Hermansen

Avondale College's international students come from all over the world and are a vibrant and important part of our diverse school community. This week we caught up with Nguyen Minh Uyen from Vietnam; Nona Walpuski from Germany; and Caja Janitz and Ingrid Gjermundsen Hermansen about how their journey as Avcol international students has gone so far.

What were your first impressions of New Zealand when you arrived here?

Ingrid: I immediately saw that Auckland is a really multicultural place, and that made me feel very welcome.

Nguyen: People are super friendly. I found it strange that people chat to you on the bus and train. The weather, though, is quite variable!

Caja: Yes, I think my first memory is the rain coming off the plane!

Nona: I also found the people to be kind and welcoming. I love that in only 30 minutes, you can be around tall towers in the city centre, then you can be surrounded by beautiful nature.

How has it been settling in with your host families?

Nguyen: My host family is very kind and friendly. They only sometimes ask me to clean my messy room!

Nona: It felt really good from the start. I live with my host mum and her granddaughter, who’s one year younger than me. We fit in really well—it feels like I have a friendship with two people of very different ages. It's a nice atmosphere; we've never had any stresses.

Caja: I made my closest friend at Avondale, Chloe, on the first day here, and her family now hosts me. It's cool being host sisters as well as good friends.

What have been the highlights of the end-of-year international activity programme so far?

Caja: Going to the zoo on such a beautiful day. Since the activities programme started in November, it feels like the sun’s been out constantly and we get so much enjoyment out of each day.

Ingrid: I wake up looking forward to school, especially with all the activities we've been on in the last little while like going to Weta Workshop and rock climbing. I think the International Department team has been really supportive and approachable, which makes me feel at ease.

Have you picked up any New Zealand slang?

Caja: Definitely! Words like "chur!", "sweet as", "cool as" and "summer bach". I hear new slang every day but I don’t look it up. The Kiwi accent adds “R” sounds to the end of words.

Nona: I’ve noticed people add eh? at the end of sentences when they want your opinion—we don’t do that in Germany. And they say things like "Go hard!" to encourage you.

Have you tried any Kiwi foods?

Caja: My host sister gave me Marmite on the first day and said, “taste this.” She put a big dollop on bread—it was the worst thing I’ve ever tasted! It reminded me of a dish in Norway that’s basically fish and tomato in a can, which only locals love but foreigners hate.

Nguyen: I tried Marmite too—it’s like eating soy sauce. I dislike it a lot. But sausage rolls are great!

Ingrid: The fish and chips are amazing here! And butter chicken pies—though only from bakeries, not supermarkets.

Nona: I love the fish and chips here too! My host family eats spaghetti from a tin on toast, which is super weird but tastes fine.

What about traditional Kiwi past times?

Ingrid: Caja and I went to a Warriors game at Eden Park—it was so fun. Everyone was so hyped, each time a try was scored people leapt to their feet waving flags and shouting. We managed to get a photo with one of the players after the game.

Nona: I'm privileged to be with a Māori host family and they cooked me a hangi, which was amazing.

Have you been able to explore New Zealand beyond Auckland?

Nona: I went on the Taurewa Camp for international students and had so much fun. We were shocked 'cause at the beginning we had to give up our phones, which made us feel vulnerable. I arrived without any friends but had so many good experiences—we all became friends and classmates. One evening, we had a challenge where one person was blindfolded and had to direct their partner into the forest. At the end, it was pitch black so even the 'seeing' person struggled a bit!

Nguyen: My host family took me to Rotorua for the hot springs and also Hobbiton at Matamata.

Ingrid: I went on a tour around the South Island with other exchange students from Auckland. It was so beautiful.

What else are you looking forward to during your stay?

Nguyen: I want to learn more about the culture here. When I first saw a video of a haka, I was fascinated—it was so powerful, with people making their eyes big and poking their tongues out, saying 'ka mate, ka mate'. They were showing that New Zealand is their home country and they want to protect it.

Nona: This will be my first time having Christmas in summer and I'm looking forward to experience the different customs around that. My host family and I will go to the sea. I’m also excited to take Drama next year, since we don’t have that subject in Germany.