After living outside of New Zealand for most of my life, I didn’t expect to experience such a cultural shock over the Summer when I went on holiday. Much to my surprise (and delight), the world beyond our country’s borders never ceases to amaze me.
My first and favourite stop on this trip was New York City. I’ll admit, flying alone for the first time in my life was utterly terrifying, but to finally be in the city that never sleeps will forever be one of my greatest memories. New York is magnificent; if you can get past the tightly packed streets and sometimes weird smells, you’ll find yourself immersed in a beautiful culturally diverse atmosphere.
Of course, like any other city, New York has its downsides. The homeless population is at large, and it is incredibly heartbreaking to see. Additionally, on New Year’s Eve, there was an attack on several police officers. While I would love to dive further into this, that’s not exactly what this piece is about… (I really don’t know how to move on from this without sounding like a coldhearted bitch).
Anyways? Being in New York was quite a different experience compared to any other city I’ve travelled to. I’ve seen people say it’s “the Paris of the USA”, but I actually thought it was a really nice place to be. That’s not me saying Paris sucks; I’ve never been there so I wouldn’t know. But NYC was great! I’d love to return there someday, and if the dream my mum had a few weeks back comes true, then I will.
Now, while that may not have explained much, I have lots to say about the time I spent in Saudi Arabia. As someone who has lived in the Middle East, I knew what to expect. And let me just say, I was not disappointed! When I bring up Saudi Arabia in conversation with people who don’t know the place well, I get asked many questions about the lifestyle over there, and it’s quite different from what you might think.
As you may know, Saudi Arabia is an Islamic country. This does not mean whatever the media may portray about this region of the world. As a visitor with parents who live there, I can say that this country has come a long way in terms of the stereotypical western culture. Of course, one must be respectful of Islam; this means wearing appropriate clothing and respecting the religion. Know that this is not a problem; it is the same for the way that other religions like Christianity should be respected, and if you have a problem with any of that, you basically suck. People should be judged on whether or not they are good people, not because of what they believe in (that is, unless you believe Thor: Love and Thunder is a good movie. If you do, sincerely get fucked).
Moving onto more lighthearted things, the highlight of my time there was definitely Riyadh Season! Oh, and the food was to die for. Arabian cuisine is so good and you are missing out if you haven’t tried it! But back to Riyadh Season… basically, every year since 2019, an annual entertainment and sports festival has been held in Riyadh over the Winter months. I was lucky enough to go, and it was so much fun! The place I went was a sort of celebration of the entire world, and I basically visited many countries while in a single city. My favourite part was the Japan section (mostly because of all the anime showcases they had), but the entire place was amazing. There was even a live orchestra playing movie themes! I realised how much of a nerd I was when I heard the Avengers theme while we were practically miles away…
Now, I’ve just realised that I probably haven’t done much to explain just how great it is to travel outside of New Zealand. And I’ve also realised that I sound like a bit of a snob because it’s not exactly affordable to travel outside of New Zealand. I’m going to continue to sound like that because I’m going to list other places I’ve been to give a sneak peak into more Tales from Overseas.
Italy: Florence is the G.O.A.T. and I would sell my kidney on the black market to go back. Rome and the Vatican City (which is its own country, I KNOW) are pretty cool because of all the architecture, but Miss Flo takes the win.
Thailand: Phuket is great for a nice beachy holiday. Expect to see many Aussies.
Australia: Brisbane doesn’t count as a holiday because I lived there, but it’s pretty chill. I mean, excluding all the things that could kill you… (it’s also great to live in Australia because concerts actually happen there).
Holland: Amsterdam was mean as, but I was 13 so I didn’t get the hype about people going there for weed. Still dope though, and I had the world’s best cookie hehe (it wasn’t an edible mum I swear).
Spain: Madrid was amazing. My dad accidentally left one of our bags in a bar, but the owner kept it safe for us! Ups to you dad, and to you random bar owner.
UAE: Again, I lived there, but it’s pretty cool. I mean, everyone knows Dubai is cool, but Abu Dhabi is pretty chill too. Dubai Sevens is a must go.
And there you have it folks, I can’t think of anything else to say. What I will reiterate is that travelling outside of New Zealand is really important for you. Experiencing such diverse cultures is truly eye opening. I genuinely believe that while our beautiful country is a great place to live (if you can get past how expensive it can be), exploring the world is the greatest gift I’ve ever received, and I can’t wait to travel more. So, do yourself a favour; when given the opportunity, as scary as it might be, take it. Don’t live with regrets.
