Pacific Island Dance

So, have you ever been walking behind some girl, admiring her tall brown leather boots and nicely matched skirt only to see her turn her head to look at something and realize SHE’S A MAN?! I was walking down to campus today and ended up walking behind a transvestite! I guess they really are no big deal here in the city, but I was really surprised!

One thing I was told before I even came to New Zealand was that Kiwis just leave their cars on the side of the road if something is wrong with them and that they never bother to fix them. The lady that told me that must have been crazy because I’ve never seen a broken down car on any road I’ve ever been on.

Today I took a study break to see my friend Hania in a Pasific Island Dance performance. It was SO cool to see people all dressed up, drumming, blowing conch shells, etc. The girls were all really beautiful, wearing belts and headdresses made out of real leaves, and the guys were made up to look fierce. This was really my first taste of the pacific island culture, which is huge here! Auckland is home to people from Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, and tons of other island nations. In the pictures, the blonde girl is my friend Hania (whose from Massachusetts).