My last day in Christchurch


Once again I find myself at the Chester Street Backbackers, and one again the there is a reason that I wished I had stayed in a hotel room instead.

Once again I find myself at the Chester Street Backpackers, and one again the there is a reason that I wished I had stayed in a hotel room instead. At about five oclock in the morning a group of people came into the hostel having just returned from a night or heavy drinking. Good for them, yes, but there were speaking at the volume that normal people who are very drunk speak at. Also there was a bus for the airport parked outside the hostel waiting for someone, they just didn't know who. So the drunk residents decided to be helpful and wake everyone and find out if anyone was needing a bus to the airport at 5:30 in the morning. And finally once the drunk folks disappeared, the phone began to ring, and ring, and ring, and ring some more. No one would answer it. I decided that I would have to answer it. But by the time I had mustered the energy to get out of bed, the phone stopped ringing. All of these would not have happened in a decent, or even a not so decent hotel, but budget travel I will be!!!
Once I did actually emerge from my bed, I realized that I really hadn't planned on anything for the day. After a heathy PB&J breakfast, I asked the german girl (my dorm room-mate) what her plans were, she didn't have any either so I suggested that I was going to go to art museum and I would love the company. Silva, was from Berlin, and was a Isabella Rossilini look-a-like. I quickly learned she was about the liberalist person I had met on my trip. But she was also one of the smartest, so we were able to have some great political discussions throughout the day.
We walked down to the new art museum in Christchurch which had just been finished recently. It was beautiful modern museum that did not in any way take away from the old england feel of the city. Maybe thats because it was new. Inside in the lobby of the museum were school groups acting out Maori songs and hakas. I am not sure if anyone knows what a haka is, maybe I described it earlier, but just in case. The haka is one of the most impressive war dances you will ever see. In fact no New Zealand rugby match starts until both sides have done their haka. Every tribe had a haka for multiple occasions and each haka told a story. So in the end their are many many haka. If you every see a rugby match in which the New Zealand All Blacks are playing you will see what has become one of the most famous hakas. However I found out from locals it is one of the most bland hakas as well. Apparently many of the universities in NZ have much more colorful and impressive hakas.
After the boys did their hakas, the girls took center stage and sang traditional Maori songs. They then followed up my showing their skill in what can best be described as two soft balls attached by a long string. These were a younger group of kids, probably about 10 to 14 years old. I could see that their were older kids that were planning on taking the stage after these kids.
Sylvia and I decided to go ahead and see the art and skip the next show. We went into a gallery of prints, lithographs, but no paintings. The gallery contained anything from etchings to stamps from wood carvings (sorry I can't remember the term for it). The room was primarily NZ artists, but by the end of the collections there were artists ranging from Picasso, and Warhol, to Rembrant. Sylivia wanted to go look at the modern sculpture and pottery and I wanted to go see classical european pantings, so we split up. Back in lobby the older group of students had taken the stage. They were much more impressive. The boys were really into their hakas, and the girls could really sing. I enjoyed watching this, that is until they did their grand finally which left the Maori culture in the dust and began singing a top forty song by the Black Eyed Peas, a slow meoldic rap song. I ruined the moment, so I decided to go check out the painting.
Sylvia joined back up with me and we checked out the classical paintings, classical sculpture (including some Rodin, my favorite), all the way through to the most modern or modern art. A lot of the modern art borderlined on just a mockery of art in general, but who am I to judge.


I talked Sylvia into coming to my new found chinese restaurant the disturbingly large portions. After a great political discussion over lunch, we split up and I went and found a internet cafe to update the site. Spent the next few hours just wandering around downtown Christchurch. I picked up a larger backpack which could carry everything I needed. Went to a book store and read a few magazines. I spent the early eveing just enjoying the city, and then headed back to hostel where I ate the left overs from my chinese lunch and pretty much called it a night.



Posted: Fri - August 22, 2003 at 09:33 PM        

©