Adventures in Auckland
I travelled 12,290 km away from home
In 2024, I got selected to work on my second novel at the University of Auckland. The MA acceptance came as a surprise. If you’re a writer, you get so used to rejection, that an acceptance feels fake. It felt it too good to be true. I kept dreading something would go wrong. When the visa came through, I thought, how could this be? I guess the fear that something will go wrong is still there. It happens when you have dreamt of something for so long it finally comes true.
When I landed here, in the peak of winter, in July (Yes, It’s winter in NZ around that time, and it’s summer now), I had an irrational fear of losing my clothes to the laundry. Clothes are all I have as a reminder of home and my comfort in a new country. I had nightmares of clothes shrinking, bleeding, being swapped, stolen and what not. I remember sharing this fear with someone back home and they asked me if I had to wash the laundry by hand? I didn’t and yet I was paranoid about a simple task. All I had to do was load the machine with detergents and clothes and set the timer. The machine would do its job.
Luckily, a few weeks later, I gathered courage to do the laundry with another international student who convinced me doing laundry wasn’t scary. And told me that when the clothes come out warm from the dryer, it helps to hug them close. The warmth of freshly dried clothes was a temporary relief from the cold and a reminder that things will be okay. And it worked.
Here are some adventures I’ve had since July 2024 amidst fear, homesickness, the stress of being in your 30s surrounded by students in their 20s…
1) Writing
It has been nothing less than an adventure to write, and rewrite the beginning of my second novel at the program, having received feedback from the program director, Paula Morris, and my brilliant cohort. I have spent hours in the university library working on my novel. It feels great to be a student again. Libraries have always been a safe space for me. It has the right amount of quiet and noise (students doing group work) to keep me motivated to write. I alternate between writing in the library and in my room. Here’s a glimpse of my desk in my room-
I managed to polish one of my short stories and submit it to our program’s literary journal. I was ecstatic that Angelique Kasmara, the editor, had accepted it! She had insightful edits which made me polish it further. Here’s the published version ‘The Easter Egg.’ Would love to know what you think of it!
2) Reading
It’s been my dream to be able to access all the latest books as I’m an avid contemporary fiction reader. Thanks to the Auckland public library I managed to read many books! It always makes me happy to spot South Asian books whenever I visit.
I ended up reading many short story collections (over 80 short stories), and here are some recommendations of the best-
-The land of big numbers by Te-Ping Chen
-The dangers of smoking in bed by Mariana Enriquez
-Intimacies by Lucy Caldwell
-Drinking from graveyard wells by Yvette Lisa Ndlovu
-Walk the blue fields by Claire Keegan
-The babysitter at rest by Jen George
-Hunger by Lan Samantha Chang
-Bird Child and other stories by Patricia Grace (NZ writer)
For novels recommendations, read my previous newsletter here.
3) Walking
I have never before walked as much as I have walked here in Auckland. As a student, it’s the best way to get around nearby places. Here are some visuals from my walks-
Days
Nights
4) Cooking
Who would have thought grocery runs would be adventurous? Since I have to cook my meals, my small joys have been going to the grocery store and getting essentials. I make small changes to my meals to keep it interesting. Here’s a successful attempt at making rice. Rice is comfort food. Rice is home. Like laundry, it was another fear that I eventually overcame.
5) Events and sightseeing
-Halloween
It’s the first time I participated in Halloween! Thanks to my friend for the make up!
-Torpedo Bay Navy Museum
Who would have thought I would have found a piece of Bahrain (where I was born and raised) in New Zealand? This is a jar of sand collected from The Tree of Life in Bahrain, which is over 400 years old, and features in my upcoming novel ‘You envy the Coutinhos’ (late 2025).
-Diwali
I hadn’t realised how much I missed India until the Diwali celebrations here. It was during the DJ night when Bollywood songs started blaring from the speakers and the hook steps made their way to my limbs that I felt truly at home. Another highlight was watching NZ police dance to Tauba Tauba! Applying Henna satisfied the Catholic kid in me who always loved it and craved for it during Hindu and Muslim functions.
-Lunch at St Paul’s
St Paul’s Anglican church serves free lunch every Wednesday. I’ve found it to be a safe space where people join to chat and enjoy a meal together. Many international students like me turn up. A free meal is a blessing.
-Chinese hotpot
Experiencing Chinese hotpot was definitely one of the highlights of 2024. What a cool way of eating, as you don’t spend time cooking. You eat, and chat while the food gets cooked! Something I want to learn in 2025 is to eat with chopsticks because I was the only one eating with a fork and spoon.
-Fijian night
There are many Fiji Indians in Auckland. The university organises different cultural events so we get to know each other’s culture. This happened during Pacific languages week. I had so much fun learning about Fiji food, music, and art.
Here’s hoping 2025 gives me space to grow more, and learn more! Happy New Year!