Woke up this morning feeling a little better from the previous two days. It was still dark at 6:00AM and the rain and wind were pounding the glass pane of my dorm room window. Breakfast won't be in another two hours so I crawl back under the sheets. I was still sleepy. I couldn't say what the temperature was but it was freezing even under three layers of cover. That was when reality sunk in. It was the peak of winter in the southern hemisphere.I arrived in Auckland two days ago. The trip from home was three hours flying time to Singapore, three hours transit time at the airport, and about 12 hours flight time from Singapore to Auckland. Although I did get some shut eye on the plane, what I needed was a real bed to sleep on. My airport pick-up arranged by the residence hall I was to stay in arrived a few minutes after I got to the arrival area. The drive to the dorm was hassle free with very little traffic (the dorm was about 25 km from the airport - got there in about 30 minutes or so).
Was welcomed by the deputy residence hall manager and was given a short tour of the facilities. I finally got the key to my room afterward but before I could crash, had to unpack my stuff first. I was tired, sleepy, hungry, but quite excited at the prospect of exploring the surroundings of the city, my home for the next four months.
