Last week was all about indigenous rights across Mexico. Coming from little Aotearoa, New Zealand, where we have one indigenous group, led me to understand the Aztecs and Mayans as the only indigenous groups in Mexico. But boy, was I wrong. Mexico has an estimated 68 different indigenous groups and 63 languages. There are also…Continue Reading Indigenous Rights Week
Sensory Overload I can starkly remember the moment I walked out of the airport. It was a sensory overload. The heat of Vietnam hit me like a concrete wall. I felt like a rotisserie chicken under the heat lamp, and sweat poured from my body like never before. *Honk* “Water, Madam” *Honk* “Sim card” *Honk* …Continue Reading Sensational Saigon
What a beautiful country! After a 16-hour flight from New Zealand to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, stepping foot out of the airport felt surreal. Feeling the warm wave of heat on my cheeks, observing the colorful scooters racing by, and the overwhelmingly rich smell of street food, I stare in awe. The first 48…Continue Reading Chúc mừng năm mới (Happy New Years)
This week I had the pleasure of witnessing the Chinese New Year celebrations. The food, the performers, the music, and the amount of people were surreal. I spent the night walking the streets of China Town watching, listening and taking everything in. He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tāngata, he tāngata, he…Continue Reading Year of the Rāpeti
It has been three weeks in Vietnam & I can wholeheartedly say that I wake up eager to explore every single day. I am working as an Intern at NFQ, a global tech company, and the humbleness, hospitality, and genuine kindness amongst all employees have made it a breeze to settle in. In the first…Continue Reading Vietnam, you are already un”Phở”gettable
Monday 26 December–Sunday 1 January Visiting a tea house NCKU organised a trip to a picturesque tea house in Anping for us. The owner showed us the traditional method of serving tea to guests. The ritual welcomes a guest to your home and allows each participant to demonstrate their urbanity or lack thereof, as in…Continue Reading Taiwan: Week three
Kia ora whānau, My apologies for the late post; this trip has been incredibly busy! My experience under the 360 programme in Taiwan has been and continues to be jam-packed full of culture, study, and new experiences. It is hard to believe that it is nearly over! As it has been a while since my…Continue Reading Taiwan update：20th January 2023
Monday 2 January–Sunday 8 January Seal cutting NCKU organised an expert to show us to cut a traditional seal. Seal cutting is an ancient art first practised in China over three thousand years ago. We learnt how emperors and public officials commissioned artisans to carve intricate characters onto bone, bronze, pottery and stone. Leaders would…Continue Reading Taiwan: Week four
Welcome back to my blog! So much time has passed now, and we’ve already reached the end of January! Time really does fly by so fast, huh? This post is dedicated to the Lunar New Year break that started last Friday and continued to Tuesday earlier this week. I didn’t realise this five-day break would…Continue Reading A Well Deserved Rest!
Monday 9 January–Sunday 15 January Boys’ picnic at Chimei Museum Park This week was a busy time in class, with many tests to complete. But the three guys on the trip, Charlie, Fin and I, managed to find time to get together with our language partners, Jerry, Craig and Sky, respectively, for a boys’ picnic….Continue Reading Taiwan: Week five