Since I’ve been here I’ve picked up on a couple of similarities between Alaska and New Zealand.
1. Scenery (mostly the South Island) – I feel like living in AK has slightly dulled my ability to experience the “wow factor.” The areas I’ve driven through are beautiful, but I can say I feel like I’ve seen similar places before. Maybe I should live in a flat, boring place for awhile. 🙂
2. Native cultures – Both AK and NZ have an emphasis on preserving the older cultures. Maori influence (and presence) is easy to see, and I’ve heard conversations about Maori involvement in politics on the radio. Native cultures obviously play a huge role in AK. You can get an entire degree in Native Studies at UAF!
3. High prices – Geez is NZ expensive! I was told it was pricey before I left, but then a couple of friends who studied abroad here told me it was comparable to AK. It definitely is more expensive here! I guess shipping to the high north and the low south comes with a cost.
4. Far away – AK is in the extreme north and virtually all by itself. I’ve heard NZ referred to as something like “the little country everyone forgets about at the bottom of the world.” Because each place is so separate from everyone else, each prides itself, in a way.
5. Relationships with neighbors – In Alaska, we can joke about the Canadians and Russians. In NZ, the kiwis joke about the Aussies. “The Land of Oz” is just across the Ditch from NZ.
6. Relationships with dogs – In Alaska, mushing is a huge part of the culture. It seems like everyone is a musher or handler or knows someone with a dog team. In NZ, farming is a huge part of the culture. Farmers everywhere have herding dogs that are trained to help around the farm. (There are 4 dogs on my island! Fly, Pip, Black, and Jock!)
7. Cities and towns – Both AK and NZ have a few larger cities/towns such as Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. Otherwise there aren’t many cities. Towns range in size in both places. Some towns in my NZ atlas look like they should have petrol (at least), but when I drive through the “town,” there’s almost no sign of a community!
8. Weather patterns – AK gets hit by Arctic weather; NZ gets hit by Antarctic weather. (It snowed as far north as Auckland this past week, which I guess hasn’t happened in years.)
I’m sure there are other similarities that I’ll notice with time, but that’s what I have for now!
6 September
9. Thai food – Both AK and NZ are in love with Thai food! You can find Thai restaurants pretty much anywhere over here. That means I can pretend I’m at Pad Thai… just without the Fairbanks friends.
10. “The bush” – Until I moved to AK, I hadn’t heard the backcountry or wilderness referred to as “the bush.” What do I find in NZ? They call it the same thing here!