Fifth stop: New Zealand

Arriving in Christchurch, I am struck by how English it all looks. It's so strange to have traveled so far a distance yet be somewhere that feels oddly like home. It is so green, the buildings really quite similar - especially near the hostel I am staying at. However, as I walk around I realise that it also has a lot of American influence - not just the wide streets but the town centre, away from the cathedral, is like most in the States: quite ugly blocks with shops arranged by type. A row of furniture stores, a pride of outdoor outfitters...there are several 'adult' stores (which somehow don't even seem that seedy), but all in all the city seems more like a small town seeking bright lights. Maybe the economy has been hit hard here, but so many of the shops are closed down... It feels like an odd small town - where the restaurants are all closed or in the process of closing by 7pm and a 7 minute walk from the city centre takes you to either suburb-style bungalows with gardens of a concrete jungle of big outlet-type shops (think car retailers, ugly supermarkets etc.). Maybe it is the gardens that really do it, though. What city has space for 80% of the homes to have a garden? Yet that is how it seems here. Perhaps that's the real reason Christchurch is known as the Garden City, not because of it's supposedly abundant parks.

The atmosphere however, suits me well. Since I left Montreal my partying mode appears to have been switched off and most nights are spent reading, researching stuff to do the next day and eating. AmＩold, or have I just not felt the urge to drink? Or even just go out? I feel that I could drink anywhere - as in it is not a unique thing to do, unlike seeing x attraction or wander new streets - but must admit that I do sometimes long to walk into a bar and just get chatting to some locals and let the randomness start. Must overcome my terrible shyness, I suppose! Which seems surprisingly hard at times.



Off to Brighton Beach
How do all suburbs manage to have that same feel about them? Of a place asleep most of the day, just waiting for life to return. Somehow, although I've never really lived in one (Hemel + Nottingham were the closest I got, I guess Brossard too) they always make me think of those bored teenage years, when going to the supermarket was something to do and the whole world felt like it was on hold.

You can't ever really imagine anything terrible happening in a suburb (though it undoubtedly does) - just families living their lives out happily, waiting for that yearly 2 week holiday, a promotion, new TV, death. I'm not all that sure how city or country life is all that different, but it is to do with energy...


I went to stay in a nice place in New Brighton because I wanted to be near the beach and also somewhere relatively quiet so I could do some work on my letter of intent for university. It was SO nice to have my own room, and the beach was only a 10-15 minute walk away down suburban streets. There was even a library on the pier with stunning views of the sea - a great place to go and take advantage of free internet. While there I got to thinking about photos. Do you take photos for yourself, as memories, or for other people to see? With the advent of social networking sites, I am sure it is more the latter, especially when you yourself are in it. I wonder too if this has changed how people see things around them if they have a camera lens and viewers in mind. (With that, here are some photos I took :p)