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| From May08 |
This is the last blog entry for our year in New Zealand written (sadly) from our dining room table in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. Our last month in Puhoi was a mixed bag in many ways. The weather was warm, cold, rainy, sunny, windy, quiet and muddy. We saw many glorious rainbows arching across the sky during those last few weeks. We looked forward to reconnecting with family and friends back in the states, but felt very weepy about leaving others behind. We were happy about returning to summer holidays in America, but our hearts ached when we thought about leaving our Kiwi life. Our feelings at departure reflected our feelings at arrival: we were happy, sad, excited and scared. In fact, you can see it in our faces in this picture. It was taken just moments before we got in the car to leave Puhoi.
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| From July08 |
Surprisingly, we are all having worse culture shock returning “home” than we did coming to New Zealand. All the stereotypes about American life smacked us in the face: we are often wasteful, competitive, aggressive, materialistic and arrogant. Clearly, not everyone is this way, but it is a little jarring at first. The more attractive elements of American life are often quieter: the mostly successful blending of so many cultures, religions, and languages in one country, the generosity of many Americans with their time and money, the breadth of educational resources and opportunities that enable us to have choices. One on one, Americans are often outgoing and optimistic, but this isn’t always obvious when driving in New Jersey.
We have been home for ten weeks or so and we have been jolted back into the chaos and demands of our lives here. Gerard has been exceedingly busy at work. Beth has been ferrying children from one appointment to another for doctors, dentists, orthodontists, placement exams, music lessons and tutoring as well as keeping the pantry stocked, paying bills and puttering around the house. The children have been working hard to keep up with the demands of school. Actually, they have been working really hard to keep up with the demands of school. That has generated yet other concerns for us.
In the end, we feel so fortunate to have been able to spend an incredibly positive and enriching experience in such a beautiful and easygoing country. We had an awesome landlady with an equally awesome dog and both of them loved us like our own family. Our Puhoi house was charming and comfortable. The children loved school and the friends they met there. We were blessed with gorgeous beaches and bushwalks teeming with birds and foliage just minutes from our home. We remember with special fondness our first walk in Wenderholm. We were up to our knees in mud, but the children had a blast climbing the huge pohutukawa trees, followed by a walk serenaded by all sorts of melodious birds, including the unique tui.
It all seems like ages ago, but our Kiwi life remains a part of us now. Hopefully, the stories recounted in this blog and the hundreds of pictures we took will keep our precious memories alive for years to come.
