Differences between New Zealand and the US

So I've realized that I write about a lot of adventures on my blog but have yet to give you all a clear inssight to how New Zealand really is. I am quickly approaching the halfway point of my trip and find that now is the best time to share what I have learned.

So far, I haven't really felt much of a difference between the US and NZ. I mean true, they have accents and they laugh at mine, but it never really felt all that different, especially while on the North Island. Now that I'm at school, I'm beginning to see a few differences. First off, from appearance, the kiwis at my school are a whole different breed. Because I'm at a farming school, there are not many Maoris (native people of New Zealand) meaning that my school is lacking in diversity easier found in the North Island. They are also big on the mullets. And I mean seriously intense mullet. The worst I've seen has been a shaved head with dreads as a mullet. Then there are the stubbys. These are the really short shorts worn by rugby players and all boys at my school. Being a cross country runner, seeing that much thigh on a guy really doesn't freak me out much, but I can see how others would find it disturbing. Then theres the bare feet. Pretty normal in Santa Cruz, but they take it to a new level here. At least in Santa Cruz I can say its because a beach is nearby. Not so here. They will bust the bare feet out at every chance and I will admit I am falling victim to it, despite bringing most of my shoes from home.

On the type of people here, I'm finding it a bit rough to meet people my year. Kiwis are notorious for their friendlyness but I'm finding it difficult to bring that out of people I only see at class. Most of the kiwis I've met are freshmen because they are the most eager to meet new people and because they live on campus as well and eat in the dining halls. Kiwis are also extremely outdoorsy. I swear there hasn't been a single day that there weren't people outside of my dorm playing football (soccer), frisbee, or rugby. It's refreshing to find people hanging out outdoors instead of inside playing video games.

The schooling is pretty different here as well. They have 5 years of high school, enter college at 17 or 18 and only have 3 years of university. The classes are listed by year, and you pretty much have to have your major decided on arrival. If you are doing a field such as law or engineering, rather than having postgrad, they just go straight through school for 6 years. I think that would be useful in the US but also make it hard to do some self discovery along the way. Also, there is very little homework in classes. Grades are usually based off a mid semester test, a project/paper, and then a final (worth about half the grade). Its intimidating not to have a buffer of easy grades found in participation and homework.

I'm also finding a lot of similarity in the law system of New Zealand. It seems like a weird thing to notice but I'm taking two classes pertaining to the legal system and it just keeps popping up. Despite New Zealand being part of a monarchy (they fall under England) they definitely are more similar to the US. Seeing as we are both countries strongly influenced by England, we have similar set ups in our government. They have someone who makes the decisions similar to the president under the Queen and Parliament is pretty much equivilent to Congress. The just created a supreme court in New Zealand rather than England which is set up like our Legislative branch. They use Common Law like the US does and finds inspiration from the Magna Carta and other British documents we did as well. It's definitely making my legal studies class easier and at least I know what to expect if I ever get arrested :) just kidding.

One thing I'm also finding interesting is the relations between Pakeha (Europeans descent Kiwis) and the Maori. I'm taking a class called the Treaty of Waitangi between the two. Apparently there is a lot of resentment between the two races due to recent priority given to Maoris when it comes to scholarships in school or other such things. It reminds me a bit of how the US handles Native American people. They are pretty much guaranteed a free education for college but I would never resent them that unlike the Pakeha. I'm finding it to be pretty similar to how the US handles most Native people; and in my case, I continue to think of the Native Hawaiians. I guess because I come from that background, I'm more likely to side with the Native people rather than the incoming settlers. I look forward to learning more about the relationship between these people.

Theres a few more revelations I've had but I don't want to overwhelm you. I've found that New Zealand is not as green (environmentally wise) as I originally believed it to be. Most is part of a restoration project since the Europeans decimated everything upon their arrival. Theres a lot they are ahead on, and yet so much they are missing due to their isolation. It will be interesting to see how much more I will learn over the next 3 months.