Good morning readers. All is well in beautiful Wellington. I'm still living in a hostel with prodigious numbers of American study-abroad students and German postgrad students. However, I should be able to move into my dorm this coming Sunday, which I'm looking forward to. I've had orientation and enrolled in my classes already, so now I have time to wander the city and participate in all the welcome activities that have been organized. Today there is going to be a Maori welcome ceremony, a powhiri, which should be very interesting.

The city is beautiful. I'll post photos once I'm settled. It is bordered by the sea and by hills (which I'll be climbing often to get to my classes). It is also very windy here. Although when I mentioned the wind level to a 4th year student, she intimated that I haven't seen Wellington wind yet. I'm also working on my sunburn: although the temperatures have been pleasantly cool, New Zealand has one of the highest uv indices anywhere.

Also I don't know where I got some of the numbers I was giving people, but Wellington is in fact a city about the size of Toledo in terms of population. The total population of New Zealand recently reached 4 million (which was a big deal, I understand). The city reminds me of Ann Arbor in its levels of funkiness and things to do. Right now, there's a big arts festival on, and I've already gone to a few shows.

Anyway, with that I shall leave you for the time being.