Blog post #1

When we first arrived in Wellington, Jason gathered us all together for a short discussion before we went on our walking tour. He gave us some great advice that I have not forgotten even now. He told us that while we were in New Zealand, we should not focus on the similarities that New Zealand has with our home or places that we have already seen. Rather, we should be looking at the differences that are present in New Zealand. This made me think quite a bit about how I was currently viewing New Zealand. I have already been to the United Kingdom and Australia, so I am no stranger to long flights, or to being ahead of American time, or even to people driving on the left side of the road rather than the right. After our short discussion, I realized that I was not only looking at how New Zealand was similar to London and Australia, but that I was seeing Australia in New Zealand. For example, when I was reading about the Maoris, I actually confused them with the Aborigines from Australia and each time, I would have to remind myself that the Maoris and Aborigines are not the same, as they are two different peoples. Here in New Zealand, I could not help but think of Australia, as they are not that far apart and they are similar in many ways. However, after our short discussion, I started seeing New Zealand differently and I decided that I should look at how New Zealand is different from Australia. No matter how similar New Zealand may be to Australia, they are two completely different countries. The advice that Jason gave us has helped me out a great deal on this trip. Instead of thinking of my past experiences in Australia, I have instead been thinking about the amazing experiences I have already had here in Wellington and the ones that will follow.

One thing that I also remember from our reading discussions is when we were talking about stereotyping different cultures and when it is good or bad. Stereotyping people, ‘putting them in boxes’ is everywhere, and everyone does it, even if it is subconscious. Stereotyping cultures is especially easy when one does not understand the culture they are stereotyping. In fact, as mentioned during the discussion, there is truth to every stereotype, because although stereotypes are by no means true for everyone, there are the people that make the stereotypes true. Stereotyping is usually seen as negative, but on its own, although it is not necessarily a good thing, it is not necessarily harmful either, as it is simply human nature and it helps people make sense of the world and shape their realities. To me, stereotypes are positive when they are made positive and negative when they are made negative. For example, as a stereotype such as: “New Zealanders are all so friendly” is not insulting but complimentary. An example of negative stereotyping would be the Englishmen who arrived in New Zealand stereotyping the Maoris they knew nothing about, calling them “dirty”, “uncivilized” and “savages” and used that to justify killing them and taking over their land. History has many more similar examples, which is why stereotyping is usually seen as negative. However, what I learned from the discussion is simply that good or bad; stereotypes are whatever they are made to be.

On a different note, although it has currently only been three days since I arrived in Wellington, I have enjoyed it so far. I have continually marveled at the beauty of New Zealand’s capital city and have loved what I have seen and done so far on this trip and I cannot wait to see what the rest of New Zealand has to offer.