Weekly Blog #2

     One of the first people I met upon arriving in New Zealand were my roommates, Annie and Monica. When I first moved into the flat I was assigned, no one was in the room. However it was incredibly decorated, with streamers hanging from the ceiling and balloons covering the walls. The streamers hung on the wall were crafted into "Happy 21st birthday Monica" and the balloons were hung to make a huge 21. Pink and white balloons covered most of the floor in the living room and kitchen.
     It was around five in the morning when I moved in, and I wasn't sure if my roommates were just sleeping or if they were not currently in the flat. It was about two weeks before classes were to begin, and they told us we were probably one of the first people to move into the flats. I didn't see anyone in the room for the next few days, but about 3 days later there were two girls and one boy sitting on the couch when I got back in the evening.
    The two girls introduced themselves to me as Annie and Monica. Annie had long black hair that cascaded past her hips, and kind, almond shaped eyes. She had a bright, welcoming smile, and a distinctive Kiwi accent. Monica was a bit shorter than Annie, had big brown eyes, and a short brown ponytail. Her accent was also very thick. The boy was introduced as Connor, Annie's longtime boyfriend.
     Annie and Monica explained to me that they had went to the same primary and secondary schools growning up, and that they have roomed together for about three years. Annie was studying business at the university, and Monica was going for music. They apologized for the mess, explaining that it was Monica's 21st birthday last week.
     Over the next few weeks, as I got to know Annie and Monica, they told me a lot of fun restaurants and bars to go to in the city, as well as places to go in New Zealand for day or weekend trips. They loved to bake and try new recipes, and they always made so much extra food that there was always enough for me and my friends. One day, they made about 30 cinnamon buns, some with chocolate, some with raspberry jam, some with bananas and Nutella. They told me to invite my friends over as they couldn't possibly eat them all on their own.
     They were both incredibly kind the first few weeks, and greatly helped me accumulate to the culture and ways of my new home. Without them, it would be hard to imagine where I would've been able to find such valuable information about the city.
      They enjoyed watching Harry Potter, Monica could recite almost every line. We watched the first five movies in about two weeks, and were planning to watch the final three. She played the bassoon, and would make her own reeds as we watched. She encouraged my friends and I to take quizzes online to discover which house we would be sorted in, she herself was a definite Hufflepuff.
      Annie's boyfriend was from Colorado, studying abroad like I was. However, he was here for about two years. I think he was considering moving here after his abroad time was concluded. He was tall and handsome, about 6 foot 3. Him and Annie were funny together, cooking meals for everyone or dancing around the living room. They liked to go out and drink at bars, but preferred to stay in and just talk to each other on the couch for hours on end.
      We laughed together about our different pronunciation of several words, and played board games on the floor. I feel very lucky to have such great, welcoming, and fun roommates, as some of the other students haven't been so fortunate. I am excited to spend the rest of the semester with them!