Watching an opera for the first time

Last night was quite memorable for me and my friend because we watched an opera for the first time. One of the actors is a good friend of ours so he kindheartedly subsidised our tickets so we could watch the show. Actually, part of the thrill was not only going to the opera but also watching our friend perform. Although he's not among the lead actors, he's the lone Asian in the group--the rest are all Caucasians--so we're really proud of him. He's really a talented person. I've heard him sing before--first was when we had a videoke session in Wellington in the house of his host family there. Second was when we climbed Mt. Rangitoto. He wants to hide his singing prowess actually--because he's a very private person--so only a handful knew and I'm one of the privileged few whom he entrusted his wonderful "secret".

Now about the opera, it was really fastastic. The entire opera was in Czech but there were TV monitors showing the surtitles (translation). The story is about a girl named Jenufa who was so desperately in love with an irresponsible man named Steva, hence Jenufa's mother (the kostelnicka) highly disapproved of Jenufa's longing for Steva. Steva also did not love truly Jenufa. It was Steva's half-brother, Laca, who loved Jenufa with all his heart. But Jenufa had a very big problem. She was carrying Steva's child and Steva did not want to marry her. To save the family from disgrace, the kostelnicka hid Jenufa until she gave birth. And to conceal the entire thing, the kostelnicka killed Jenufa's baby by leaving him to freeze in the snow. When Jenufa awakened, she found her baby gone and that her mother locked her in the house. When the kostelnicka returned, she told Jenufa that her baby died so Jenufa was devastated. Laca returned and professed his undying love for Jenufa. Jenufa wanted a fresh start so he finally accepted Laca and the kostelnicka gave them her blessing. Their short moment of bliss was interrupted by the news that one of the villagers found Jenufa's lifeless baby in the snow. The villagers then accused Jenufa of killing her baby. To save Jenufa from the villagers' contempt, the kostelnicka confessed her sins. At first, Jenufa couldn't forgive her mother, but in the end, her love for her prevailed and she learned to forgive her. I don't know how accurate my account of the opera's plot was but this was how I understood it. : )

I never thought I would enjoy the whole experience for two reasons. One, it was not an ordinary play. It was an opera and I'm not used to it. Two, the opera was not in English, hence the language barrier (but thanks for surtitles, we managed to comprehend what the singers were saying). Nevertheless, everything turned out to be an enjoyable experience.

Windfall

Last Saturday, I got the surprise of my life when I opened my mailbox and saw a cheque in my name worth $320. It was from the Auckland Electricity Community Trust. Sort of a dividend from paying the electric bills. The brochure on the AECT that's enclosed in the envelope with the cheque says the dividend is our "annual return on the Trust's assets which are held in trust for the benefit of the people living within the old Auckland Electric Power Board area." I've been living in this place for only four months and been paying an average of $25 monthly for my electricity comsumption and I received $320 or more than three times what I have paid in the last four months. When I told my friends about it, they were kind of envious because they did not receive any dividends. This is because they live in a university-owned accommodation where electricity is included in their monthly rent, unlike me who's renting a private flat and paying a separate fee for electricity consumption on top of my monthly rent. Their dividends, I suppose, are being paid to the university. I am really amased by the system here. Giving dividends to consumers is not only rewarding them for the service that they have purchased but also giving back to them their money. Think about that! There's nothing like this in my home country. There, the consumers are often at the mercy of the producers and service providers. When the prices of raw materials increase, they just pass on the burden to the consumers. In Japan where I lived for two years, I've also not experienced receiving "rewards" like this. Little by little, I am beginning to understand how really it's like to live in a welfare state. I remember my Japanese supervisor. He would always marvel about NZ being a welfare state--from "cradle to grave".

Some thoughts

I had an enlightening talk yesterday with my supervisor as we went over my proposal for a research grant. I do need that grant to be able to conduct my field work next year and I hope I'd get it. I was thankful of the way she tried to interrogate me so I'd be able to answer the questions that have been bugging me for weeks now. She also apologised for not giving me enough time as she's very occupied these days. I hope the good relationship that I have with her will continue. A supervisor is more than a thesis advisor. She's also a mentor, confidante and at times, even a parent. This university isn't my first choice. It's really an Australian university where I want to go. I also got an admission there but because the scholarship being offered to me is only tuition fee remission, I declined going there. I chose to come here instead. I suppose this is where God really wants me to go. And I think I got a really good deal here. For one thing, I have a supportive supervisor and for a research student like me, it means a lot. I am also beginning now to appreciate the beauty of this place. No wonder, people who have been here no longer want to leave. As for me, it's too early to tell. I'm not even contemplating of living here for good. I've just started my journey. I still have a long way to go. I will cross the bridge when I get there.

A wonderful weekend

I had a really wonderful weekend. Yesterday, my friends and I were at Orakei Marae, an area here in Auckland owned by Maoris. We visited their place and received a short, but informative, orientation to their culture. Several elders of the Maori tribe in that area, including their families (even their children) were there to welcome us. About 50 guests came. There were 20 of us from the university. One of the most interesting (read: entertaining) parts of the visit was doing the "hongi", or the gentle pressing/rubbing of noses. Apart from being a traditional form of welcome in Maori culture, it also symbolises the mingling of the breath or spirit between two people and thus represents unity. The Maori group that welcomed us yesterday was made up of about 20 or so people. Each of us performed the "hongi" to each of them so imagine how many people they rubbed noses with yesterday!

The scenery was really fantastic. We had so much fun taking pictures and exchanging stories while strolling around the park. I also met a Japanese girl who incidentally originates from the same place as my host family in Japan. It was great to speak again in Japanese--even short phrases that I could remember from the past. On our return to the city, I shopped for some gifts for my host family which I will request my new Japanese friend to give them when she travels to Japan this coming Thursday for a visit.

Then, this afternoon, I attended a birthday party at Cornwall Park which is at the foot of One Tree Hill, a volcanic cone. It's a big park with lots of flowers (even cherry blossom trees which are flowering right now but I think nothing can compare with the cherry blossoms in Japan in the spring) and trees. There's also a sheep farm and a cow farm. Since yesterday, we've been enjoying a really pleasant weather so going to parks here is really wonderful and extremely enjoyable.

Transnational social spaces

Transnational migrants experience multiple life-worlds. First-generation migrants carry with them the culture of their old country--their homeland. Since most of their socialisation started in the old country, the force of the old culture is stronger with them that with their sons and daughters who were born in the new country--the so-called second generation and those that come after them. The second generation and beyond form multiple life-worlds. Inside their homes, they are exposed to the old culture of their immigrant parents. Outside, they experience the culture of their parent's adoptive country, which they normally would treat as home, as it is their birth country. They form social spaces that accommodates both the old and the new.

"Old and new mentalities and practices overlap in a single space, and through migrants' linkages, both worlds overlap in communities of origin, too." (Christine Harzig and Dick Hoerder, 2006, in "Transnational Identities and Practices in Canada, edited by Vic Satzewich and Lloyd Wong, UBC Press).

A meaningful quote

"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing. (It's) having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious ambiguity."

- Gilda Radner -

Enjoying spring

To unwind a bit and clear my head of a thesis-related problem that's been bugging me for days now, I spent some time this afternoon walking around Albert Park which is very close to the university. The flowers are now in bloom and we have been experiencing fantastic weather since last week. The abundance of parks is one thing that I appreciate here in New Zealand. In Japan, there are plenty of parks, too, and I remember that in the spring, the parks there are teeming with people enjoying the "hanami" or the spring picnics under the cherry blossom trees. Spring is very beautiful in Japan because of the cherry blossoms. The New Zealand spring has its own charm, nevertheless. I haven't been to other parks this spring except Albert Park but for sure, there are many other beautiful things to see.

Overcoming fear

Only a few people knew this, not even my family, but I used to have a fear of walking on bridges and overpasses. It was only recently that I was able to overcome it. It was not really the structures that terrified me but walking on them while there were cars moving below. I would feel somewhat dizzy and disoriented, and highly nervous at the same time, as I have the feeling that the cars would run over me any time. It really takes me a lot of guts to walk on these types of structures. I remember experiencing an anxiety attack once when I was about to use the overpass in one of the shopping complexes in my country. I have just finished my shopping in a department store and needed to cross the street using the overpass to be able to go to the shops in the other side of the complex. It took me quite a while to cross. I was shaking. I really felt terrified. I waited until there were many people crossing to feel safe.

It was more than a month ago when I started attending mass in another church. I happen to like the songs being played in this church and its more simple atmosphere compared to that in the city cathedral. The mass time of 9:30 in the morning also suits my schedule more than the late morning schedule of 11 in the cathedral. The mid-morning mass in this church also happens to be the children's mass and I really find it enjoyable to watch kids entering the church with the priest in the opening march, as well as offering their gifts during the offertory. I also have had the wonderful opportunity to witness a baptism and at least two ceremonies for first communicants.

During the first three masses that I attended, I would walk more than one kilometer from my flat to reach the church. I didn't know yet the bus routes to that location so instead of taking a chance of being brought to the wrong destination, I just walked. There were a couple of times when the weather was not really good and it was really uncomfortable to walk. Part of the route was passing a bridge of about 300 meters. The first time I passed this bridge, I nearly froze, because it was not only high, I could see cars moving speedily below. But I had a mass to catch so what I did was walked fast and not to mind the moving cars. On my second Sunday, I also passed that bridge but unlike before, I tried to pace slowly and the experience wasn't that bad. On my next mass, I tried to enjoy the view. Then, today, when I walked again, I realised the tension is all gone. I have finally managed to conquer my fear. And I did not walk far this time because I found out that all the buses passing at the bus stop near my flat would pass that road. The bus would stop right before the bridge so I still would have the opportunity of walking on it and enjoying the experience.

Come to think of it, it was a church that served as an instrument to help me to overcome that fear. His ways are indeed mysterious! I also realised that as long as we have the courage to change the negative things in our life, we will succeed. We just have to believe in ourselves that anything is possible--with His guidance and unconditional love.

An erudite's advice

Yesterday, I attended a conference about career opportunities and the keynote speaker, a Chinese professor from the City University of Hongkong, offered a highly enlightening and engaging talk on "Developing an outstanding academic career over the life course." A part of his talk which really struck me is when he discussed the traits that an academician or a researcher should possess--using the teachings of Confucius as a guide. And these are universal guidelines that I believe apply to all, regardless of what your field is: Explore and understand. If you think you already know the reason, think that it's not the end of it. Don't think it is good enough. Turn it into a passion. Enjoy what you do. Be a child again.

I hope I'd be able to posses these traits in time.

A tap on my shoulder

This morning, when I walked to our communal kitchen here in the building to cook, I met a woman who happens to be from my country. At first, I was not sure, so I talked to her in English to say "hi" and upon noticing her accent, I switched to my native tongue. Lo and behold, we are indeed countrymates. She is the new cleaner, replacing the young Chinese girl whom I often meet in the kitchen and who would always ask what I am cooking and if I have any classes that day. She also happens to come from the same province where I was born--her city next to my town.

We were able to chat for a while while she was busy mopping the floor and I was peeling potatoes. Farrah told me she arrived only last April. Her husband works as an auto cad engineer. Just like other new migrants here, she's having difficulty finding a job that is commensurate to her qualifications, so she accepted a cleaning job even if it is physically demanding. She was actually a teacher in Thailand. She plans to enroll in child education and apply as a teacher later.

I felt somewhat uncomfortable telling Farrah that I am a student. When she asked me if I am working, the more I felt uneasy to say that my tuition fees and living expenses are being paid for by my scholarship, but I added that the it is not much so I also need to work part-time to save for trips back home (which is true). After exchanging numbers, she bid me goodbye as she has finished cleaning the kitchen and needed to move to the lounge area.

People like me who are able to come here as a student--and with a scholarship to support us--are really lucky. And that's one thing that I've been telling myself whenever I miss home or whenever I am unsure if I made the right decision of leaving home to embark on a new challenge. My encounter with Farrah this morning is God's reminder to me that I should count my blessings, and I hope other scholars here would realise it, too.

Blessings

I had a nice chat with one of my closest friends this morning. It's been a while since we last talked so I thought of calling her. During my despedida lunch last May, she was not able to make it due to health reasons. It was only my other close friend who was able to come. I consider them both as two of my best buddies. Our friendship can be traced as far back as college. We are actually block mates and over the years, we were able to keep the friendship. We have managed to keep in touch amid the changing of jobs, addresses and various events in our respective lives. Once in a while, we would meet up for lunch to catch up, which is always a joy. In a few months, I'd be home for Christmas and one of the things I really look forward to is seeing them again. True friends are hard to find and I'm really grateful to have found these two.

A glorious week

Been days since I last made a post. I visited the doctor last Monday and she said there's nothing to worry about. She performed a physical examination and did not find anything unusual. Thank God! Indeed, I panicked that weekend. Very thankful of the result but jus the same, I plan of getting a second opinion just to make sure.

Wednesday was truly an enjoyable time. My friends and I went sightseeing. Went to an island with a volcano. We had lots of fun on this walking trip...just laughing, chatting, singing, and eating along the way. Sharing bits and pieces of ourselves. Posing for a picture. Cracking jokes. It was a long walk, almost two hours to reach the peak. But it was worth it. From the peak, one can see the entire city. The walk back to the harbor was so much fun as well. We never ran out of stories to tell one another even when we're on the ferry back to the city. We capped our day with a late lunch--as usual, Chinese food!