Weekly Blog #7

Auckland couldn't be any more different from the town I grew up in. I am from Coxsackie, NY, a tiny town on the Hudson River about two hours directly north of New York City. It has a population of about 8,000 people, mostly Caucasian families who have lived in the area for generations. 

I love the town I grew up in. You can see the Catskill Mountains from the twisted roads that wind through snowy forests in the wintertime. Fog drifts up off the Hudson River in the early spring mornings. There are countless waterfalls and swimming holes to jump in to cool off from the hot summer sun. It is incredibly rural, farms are tucked in every corner of the town. 

Auckland is a city. It full of skyscrapers, office buildings, various restaurants, bars, shopping centers, and anything else you could image. It is home to 1.5 million people, and growing. It is located on the water, and the port is always incredibly busy. It is an urban, metropolitan area always full of people at all hours.

Coxsackie is quiet. You can sit by the river and not hear a sound except the occasional barge horn. There is one "bar," otherwise the only noises that can be heard in the nighttime are the crickets chirping. Auckland is loud. There are always taxi drivers honking at each other, or trains flying by on the tracks. There are multiple restaurants open late at night, and many entertainment places for people to go to at all hours of the day.

Coxsackie has one school, located in the middle of the town. It is one property that has the elementary school, middle school, and high school all together. Class sizes are incredibly small, about 100 student graduate each year. Auckland has over three big universities. There are over 40,000 students at University of Auckland, as well as multiple high schools and primary schools. 

Everyone in Coxsackie knows everyone else. When something happens, word travels around the town in a heartbeat. This can be a bad thing, as gossip can spread quickly and many people tend to get easily caught up in it. It can also be a good thing, as I have seen the town bond together and help people that have experienced loss or other sufferings in record time. 

Auckland has a much bigger population, and the sense of familiarity is not there. Many people have moved to Auckland from various countries, so the same language is not always spoken. You can meet new people every night, and its likely you will never see them again.

In Coxsackie, there is about three main restaurants, each owned by families in the town. There wasn't a McDonald's until I was around fifteen. I have worked at one of the restaurants, Pegasus, since I was fifteen. It is run by a Greek woman named Maria, and her two sons, Dino and Thanasi. There is an Italian Pizza and Pasta place called Paul's, ran by Paul Salvino and family. There is one small breakfast diner called Chrissy's and Tim's, hopefully you can guess who runs that one!

Auckland has more restaurants than one could ever eat at. They have a lot of Asian restaurants, there are almost 50 sushi restaurants. Personally, I like to eat in the Viaduct Harbor right next to the water. They have the best seafood, especially fish. Fish and chips is a very popular dish here. 

Although I love my little hometown, Auckland has been a great change of pace. I like to experience living right in the city, with so many things right at my fingertips. However, I do find myself missing an upstate New York fall.