A teenager in New Zealand
Some days are wacky and teens just want to have fun. Every week, I have the opportunity to try an international meal prepared by other foreign students in the hostel. Of course, there are chores to do every day: cleaning, garbage disposal, laundry and cooking on the weekends, in addition to classes. This is my boarding school life at Marlborough Girls’ College in Blenheim, located on the South Island of New Zealand.
At 16, I am the only Filipino in my high school class (year 11); the other Asians are mostly from Japan, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, or Korea. Together with Kiwis (New Zealanders) and Europeans, we celebrate Waitangi Day, New Zealand’s national day where international students dress up in their native costume and perform a dance or song number. Everyone wanted to see me dance “with candles in my hands and on my head”, but I did not know how to dance the Pandanggo sa Ilaw. However, I tried to make milk pills, but I must have overcooked it because it turned brown and tasted different!
In our English literature class, I usually finish before everyone else and soon became a teacher’s assistant, helping my other Asian classmates and earning “stars”. One star equals one New Zealand dollar. After getting 10 stars, he would go to the cafeteria to exchange the stars for something he wanted: a muffin or ice cream. For English literature, we have to speak in front of the class one by one to build our self-confidence and communication skills. We also have to learn English as the British speak it.
The standards are high and the topics are covered in depth, with analysis, research and debate. No memorization. We freely express our opinions about everything we discuss, even in science. The art class is interesting and very demanding. We have to draw 100 times, using different materials and subjects, and our works are sent to a cultural office in Wellington for grading! Of the school facilities, I liked the gyms the most, because we can practice physical education sports such as rugby, cricket, football, catch or basketball.
There is a work day, when a student can volunteer, such as at a grocery store, restaurant, or boarding school, and receive pay that must be returned to the school.
Class change with each subject, like in a university. Under the New Zealand education system, Year 11 students begin to specialize in other areas of study such as Art, Commerce (eg Accounting), Technology or Languages depending on individual interest. Mathematics, English Literature and Science continue to be the key subjects.
Next year, in Year 12, I will be transferring to Rangi Ruru Girls’ School in Christchurch. Year 12 students in New Zealand can specialize in up to six subjects, and I will have subjects from Accounting, Economics, Mathematics (Statistics), Photography, English and Art. At my new school I will have to learn to play an instrument and be a member of a sports team.
Filipino students enjoy a good reputation here in New Zealand: they are perceived as well-mannered, adaptable, friendly and independent. One of my unforgettable moments in New Zealand is staying at home during our break. I spent four days in the mountains of the Marlborough Sounds with a Kiwi family.
The Marlborough Sounds area is made up of three main bodies of water: Queen Charlotte, Kenepuru and Pelorus Sounds. This collection of submerged river valleys is a natural wonder in New Zealand. Surrounded by the soft sounds of birds and marine life, the fragrant scent of the forests, and clean mountain air, the lodge had no electricity, but it was fun! I did a lot of kayaking and fed the lambs with milk.
Marlborough is also New Zealand’s largest wine and wine growing region, with 65 wineries, 290 vintners and 4,054 hectares of grape production. Sauvignon Blanc is the specialty of the region. Aside from grapes, they make wines from coffee beans, oranges, kiwis, or just about any fruit.
Blenheim, the main town in Marlborough where my school is located, is a friendly and safe community, especially for young visitors, to build their confidence in a new country and school. Like most of New Zealand, it is very clean and green. One day, I saw some mussels in a nearby stream, but my Kiwi friends ignored them because they were of lesser quality, not good enough to eat! New Zealanders love their choice of fresh seafood.
Living and studying away from home made me appreciate my life and I learned to live responsibly with the freedom I had. I am by nature frank and friendly, and this helped me a lot to make friends with the kiwis. There are cultural differences, and one has to adapt to Kiwis and be tolerant of differences.
I am really looking forward to completing my final year in New Zealand which is year 13 where I will sit for the university entrance exam and scholarship. My goal is to achieve a pass B or higher in the exams to be able to apply for a university degree program in New Zealand.
I dream of becoming an accountant and believe my education in New Zealand will provide the best foundation I need to be successful one day.
(based on the life of Candy Enríquez told to the author)