Le Quotidien

I have received requests to write about what goes on between excursions--i.e. daily life, the university, Christchurch, kiwis, etc. This weekend provided a good opportunity to do just that since I didn't go anywhere too exciting.

I had originally planned to go to the west coast to the Wildfoods Festival in Hokitika, but at the last minute, I decided I was too tired and didn't want to spend the money on what had been described to me as a "piss fest". So, instead, I spent Friday afternoon working in the Okeover community garden at the university, transplanting seedlings into pots. In exchange for our labor, we can take any fruits, herbs, vegetables, tubers, greens, nuts, or berries that are ready for harvesting. Built on the philosophies of organic farming and permaculture, this small pocket of land is hidden across the way from the engineering school and alongside the Okeover stream. It was started in 2002 by the environmental club at University of Canterbury (UC), and has grown over the years through the work of dedicated volunteers. Now, for the community's benefit, it yields dozens of edible and non-edible species, including perennials and annuals.

I met a handful of other students spending their sunny Friday in the garden and ran into Richard (the chap who sold me my bike) as well. His son, a three year-old cherry-cheeked and carrot haired boy followed his father around the winding, curved beds. As Richard pushed along the wheelbarrow, he followed his dad (just like he did when tinkering with bikes), looking very serious in his wide-rimmed hat, beet red rain boots, and over-sized gardening gloves that dwarfed his already bite-sized body. It was a peaceful environment that made the road, university, and florescent glow of the neighboring science labs seem miles away. After our work and an informal tour of the garden, I harvested some silver beet (a.k.a. swiss chard), beans, strawberries, yellow squash, and rosemary. Not bad for an hour's work.

That evening, Emily and I grabbed a drink at Sammy's Jazz Review, the sole jazz spot in town, where from 7:30 to 9:30 every night you can hear a set or two (no cover charge, no drink minimum). As we sampled from their red wine list, we listened to a young, talented vocalist, Sascha, and a guitarist play cool, easy standards. I was really impressed by her musicianship, improvisation, and bluesy style. Following her set, she sat down with us and we talked about jazz, singing, and the possibilities of lessons. I have her card; we'll be in touch. Soon, a sax, bass, and drummer filled out the rest of the band and did two sets of funk, with Sascha leading on most of the songs. After more wine and dancing, I walked home and sunk into that deep sleep that follows the longest weeks.

Today, after reading for classes at a cafe (much of what I do these days), I wandered around the Botanical Gardens exploring the various habitats. I made a point to spend some time in the rose garden, which has dozens of different varieties of roses, all different shades, smells, sizes, and shapes. I stopped and sampled each one, surprised each time by the differences in pungency and sweetness of each type--some perfumes were intoxicating, while others just pleasant, and no two were exactly the same. After getting lost among silver fern and cabbage trees, I found a warm, bright spot among other Sunday sun-bathers and finished a chapter of reading.

Tomorrow begins my third week of classes and it will probably be the most calm one yet. During the first two weeks, I was learning to navigate the campus, attending club meetings, a departmental party, meeting my research supervisor and professors, going to orientation concerts, preparing a class presentation, buying a car (1991 Subaru Legacy--she's a beaut!) checking out piles of books from the library, and writing my ethics clearance application for my research. Now I feel settled--I have syllabi, course readers, and assignments--and by the end of the week I'll have my office space among the other graduate students in the department.

While my research is pending ethics clearance, I am enjoying being in school again, in classes (theorizing gender, and sociology of health and technologies), and being a part of a university community. I've joined the Canterbury University Tramping Club, the community garden, RDU radio station, and the rec center. It's nice to have a typical college campus that feels more like a community, with an impressive student center housing a couple of bars, restaurants, and cafes. Nonetheless, I still miss New York, and feel the pangs of home-sickness when I can't escape from the library stacks and seek out refuge at the Hungarian pastry shop, Amir's falafel, Kim's, 212, the taqueria, or the Bayit. But those familiar places are slowly being replaced by new haunts with soon-to-be familiar faces.

While I've shared my outward bound adventures with you my, it's really the iterations of the mundane--biking to school, coffee at 101, working out at the rec center, weekly farmers markets, drying my laundry out in the sun, and doing my homework in local cafes--that carry me into the comfort of feeling at home in Kiwiland.



cheers,

d

p.s. click on highlighted text for links. The photos that accompany this post: Cheap as Chips orientation concert at UC (2), the Chinese Lantern festival in Christchurch for the Chinese new year, the Botanical Gardens