Dreaming of Koru

This blog post deals with my memory of my first trip to Auckland in March 2023 and introduces my blog.

The city sounds of the night and the smell of curry are still roaming in my memory. I stood out on the balcony of the apartment, marveling at the Auckland skyline. I could see a line of cars heading northbound to cross the Auckland Harbour Bridge. The night climate was perfect and the skies were clear. The streets of Auckland (especially Queen Street) and its friendly people are still on my mind. I often think about Auckland and Aotearoa.

It’s been more than a year and I will never forget that experience. I took a trip to Aotearoa  in March of 2023 and that feeling of marvel for the country has sprouted into a worthwhile pursuit. This trip ignited my interest in all things Aotearoa. I would consider myself an Aotearoa enthusiast. As a child, I thought it was quite interesting that this country has more sheep than people. 

Living in the United States, we often have this view of Aotearoa as a progressive and advanced society with a high standard of living and breathtaking landscapes (think Lord of the Rings). A few years ago, I remember Jacindamania and the admiration many Americans had for the prime minister and Aotearoa. However, as Americans, this very positive view can distort our perception of Aotearoa and deprive us of the actual reality of the country. This view, coupled with the scant amount of information and exposure on Aotearoa in the US, creates an incomplete portrayal of the country. I’m a librarian and every time I visit a new library I look for books and other materials on my favorite topic, Aotearoa. I want to see what is out there. I see a sizable amount of books on the Pacific Islands, followed by a small section on Australia, and followed by an even smaller section on Aotearoa. Most of the books on Aotearoa are travel and history books, but very few on other aspects of the country. Sometimes, I find no books at all. I really have to go above and beyond to obtain quality and varied information on Aotearoa, using my information literacy skills. For the most part, I have found books and articles on Aotearoa, but I realize that this is something that the general public might not be able to find. I did find heaps upon heaps of Aotearoa books at the University of Auckland Library and it was amazing. 

In the past year, I have become increasingly acquainted with the current issues facing Aotearoa. The day before I left, I saw a large crowd of people through the window of my apartment marching through Queen Street in Auckland. I immediately went outside to see what was going on. I reached Albert Park where the crowd had gathered. It appeared that it was a teacher strike judging from their posters. When I got home, back in California, I learned that what I had experienced was a nation-wide teacher strike. All across the cities of Aotearoa, teachers had marched to protest dwindling salaries. This was indicative of the cost of living crisis that Aotearoa was experiencing. This got me thinking. How have the changes brought about by neoliberalism influenced the lives of average Kiwis? How do race relations influence the future path of the country? What is the role of history? How much has the country come to depend on its landscape? These are some of many questions that have dwelt in my mind in the past year.

It is my hope that this blog will bring to light many of the issues and stories of Aotearoa. I want to share my love of my favorite country with the readers, create awareness of challenges and issues faced by Kiwis and, most importantly, strengthen the cultural bonds between people.