What to Do in Auckland - Videoke

Have you ever heard of the saying, "All study and no play makes Jack stressed?" Me neither. But it might as well be a saying for postgraduate studies. Anyway, one of the ways we de-stress here is to sing at a karaoke (or videoke) bar. They have a number of them here in the CBD. I frequent two. One is Rock Bar located somewhere near the bottom of Queen Street. And the other is Every Sing located along Commerce Street. Both are owned and operated by Koreans and so their major market is their own. But don't worry. They stock on a lot of Filipino songs.

I like Every Sing over Rock Bar because the former has a cheap weekend promo. Only NZ$30 for 3 hours for 4 people. I don't know of a similar promo at Rock Bar--their standard rate is around NZ$35 per 1 hour. Also, between the two, Every Sing has a wider selection of Filipino music.

The karaoke bars serve alcohol, but they are very expensive. The style is to drink at home. Then when you're tipsy, that's when you go to the karaoke bars. Don't forget to bring your passport or NZ 18+ card. You may be asked to present proof of age.

Happy Singing!

Student IT Essentials

Auckland Uni Sign-In Page

I don't know how Ateneo or UP is now, but back when I was in undergrad and law school (more than 10 years ago), we didn't have this kind of IT service and support. So I don't know if what I'll discuss in this post is something new NZAS scholars would already know about prior to postgraduate study here in New Zealand. But for those of you uninformed about university electronic services, here is a rundown.

1. Free Internet Access

There are literally hundreds of PCs around campus. The most number of computers are located at Kate Edger Information Commons. That building has 4 floors of PCs, catering to all kinds of students. There's one ideal for groups, and so is very noisy. While there's another   that caters to individuals, and is expected to be quiet. All of those computers have internet access. All you have to do is enter your university user ID and password.

2. Universal File Storage

Forgot your USB? Don't worry. You can save your file on any of the computers using your personal university file storage. Just save your file on the home drive (H: [echome]) and you can access it anywhere. Cool, huh?

3. Free Wifi Access

If you have your own laptop or smart phone, you can access the internet anywhere in the University. Again, you just have to type in your user ID and password.

Library Search

4. On-Line Library

The on-line library of the University is unbelievable. It feels like UoA subscribed to every possible electronic academic database available in the world. There's just so many to choose from to do your research. And if ever the database you want is unavailable, just talk to your subject librarian, and he/she will find away to get your article. With the number of databases in the on-line library, searching gets so confusing sometimes that I just end up using Google Scholar.

CECIL

5. CECIL

CECIL is the University's learning management system. It is your link to your courses. Your instructor will post any announcement here, and upload the course syllabus, required readings and other articles. CECIL is also the platform you use to upload your assignments. Grades are also posted here. So technically speaking, you can opt to not attend class and just access everything on CECIL.

Well, those are the basics in IT services and support for the University of Auckland. For more information, check out: www.auckland.ac.nz/it-essentials 

Where to Shop in Auckland - Discount Superstores

K-mart is in Westfield St. Lukes Mall.

New Zealand is an expensive place to live in. Rent is expensive. So is transportation and food. But, there are places of refuge. Auckland has a number of discount superstores you can go to to get cheap clothes and small appliances for your flat. First you have K-mart, yes, the US' former retail giant. They have one store here in Auckland at the Westfield St. Lukes mall. It's pretty much like a typical K-mart in the US. Lots of cheap stuff. If you don't care with brands and labels, this is a good place to go to.

The Warehouse at Downtown Shopping Centre.

Next there is New Zealand's answer to K-mart--The Warehouse. The stores I go to are located at Downtown Shopping Centre next to Britomart, and at Sylvia Park Mall. To paint you a picture of what you can get from The Warehouse, I got my pillows, duvet, trash bin, bookshelf and clothes dryer stand there.

Briscoes in Panmure.

Last on my short list is Briscoes. This place has no clothes. Just houseware and appliances. The store I frequent is located at Panmure. This is where you should go for small home appliances. Do NOT buy small appliances at The Warehouse because although they are cheaper, they are poorly made and may get busted early. For home appliances, you should definitely go to Briscoes. Mas mahal than The Warehouse, pero may mga sale at specials naman. I bought my electric blanket, clothes hangers, toaster and rice cooker here.

So if you find New Zealand expensive. Don't worry. Just visit K-mart, The Warehouse or Briscoes and your wallet won't feel the pinch that much.

Mobile Phone Companies in NZ

There are a number of mobile phone companies servicing New Zealand. Three come to mind. First you have Vodafone, which I think is the biggest, with a presence all over the world.

Then there is Telecom, which I think it is a local phone company.

And then there's 2 Degrees, another local phone company. This is my provider simply because I got a free pre-paid SIM card from the international office last February. Been using it ever since. I load NZ$20 (PhP700) every month. Then I subscribe to their unlitext combo. It's unlimited text, 50 minutes of calls, and 500MB of internet. Not bad. I think all three companies have similar promos. Personally, I didn't feel the need to transfer to Vodafone or Telecom the whole time I was here. 2 Degrees was fine. Pare-pareho lang sila.

Classes at the Postgraduate Level

Health and Human Rights with Dr. Carmel Williams

Okay, enough about surviving and touring New Zealand for now. This is a postgraduate blog after all. So, how is postgraduate study here in Auckland University?

Policy Research with Dr. Julie MacArthur.

In addition to my undergraduate degree in Management, I have an LLB from the University of the Philippines, which for most in the Philippines is equivalent to postgraduate studies. But my experience in Malcolm Hall is nowhere near academic study here in New Zealand. For starters, the classes here in Auckland Uni are small. On the average, class size is about 12 to 15 people. Back in UP, my evening block was composed of almost 30 law students. 

Education Policy with Dr. Ritesh Shah.

Second, recitation is not graded here. Not even attendance. So one can actually be absent for most of the semester, and on days he attends, can just sit in the corner and stay quiet, and still pass the course. In UP Law, if you are unable to recite the case asked of you, the professor can give you a zero. If you are absent for more than three meetings, you are automatically dropped from class.

And speaking of professors, they are very informal here. Although they are PhDs, they don't want to be called Dr. and they don't "lord" over their students. In fact, I call all of my professors by their first name. Back in the Philippines, you don't do that. Law students have to address their professors "Atty." or "sir."

Next, postgraduate study is focused on research and writing. I did a lot of reading in law school. Dozens after dozens of Supreme Court cases. But I only had to read and understand them. My coursework was broken down to recitation, a midterm examination and a final examination. Here in Auckland, not only did I have to read a lot of articles, I had to write my own papers. And unlike in law school, where I only needed to cite one or two cases as stare decisis, for postgraduate research I had to cite 20 to 30 peer-reviewed articles. In law school, when I did my research paper, I could quote an entire paragraph of a case and it would be okay. If I did that here in Auckland Uni, I'd be charged with plagiarism. Speaking of which, they are very strict when it comes to plagiarism here. Some professors require their students to submit their papers through anti-plagiarism software like Turnitin.

Finally, their exams here are on the same level as the bar examinations. Some courses, like development studies and political studies, don't have final examinations. But there are others, like environment studies, that still conduct final examinations at the end of the semester. And when they do, the exams are administered by the university, not the instructor, which means there is little room to negotiate, if at all. You are only given the date of your examination, not the venue. So you don't know where your test will be. The university only releases the room assignments at 5pm the night before the exams. Apparently, this is to curb cheating. On exam day you aren't allowed to bring anything to your table other than your school ID and a pen. And you can only leave the room 15 minutes after the start, and only up to before 15 minutes from the end of the exam. It's crazy the way they administer exams here. Daig pa ang bar exam.

Okay, to summarize my class experience here in Auckland Uni:

1. Class size is small. So expect to talk a lot.
2. Recitation is not graded. So there's no need to make sipsip during class. 
3. Attendance is not graded. But you'll miss out if you don't come to class. Nag-postgrad ka pa.
4. Professors prefer to be called by their first names. No "Dr." or "Sir/Ma'am."
5. Expect to read a lot of journal articles.
6. Expect to write a lot. If you don't have a background in academic research (like myself), do attend the library seminars during the first week of classes.
7. Professors prefer that you cite peer-reviewed articles over books. 
8. They take plagiarism very seriously here, so do not copy and paste.
9. If you have exams, be mindful of the university rules.

Good luck!

Where to Shop in Auckland - Supermarkets

Countdown Supermarket on Quay Street.

Like any place, Auckland has different kinds of supermarkets to cater to different kinds of people. Here are the three main ones, plus two asian grocery stores.

Pak 'n Save in Sylvia Park Mall.

First on our list is Pak 'n Save. It is similar to warehouse supermarkets like Puregold and Shopwise back home. Items are cheap, but the selection is limited. Also, most of Pak 'n Save stores are located outside the CBD. The nearest from university would be the one in Sylvia Park. Roundtrip train ride would cost you about NZ$8. So only go there if you have a long grocery list.

Countdown on Victoria Street, CBD.

Next we have Countdown. Its equivalent in the Philippines would probably be SM Hypermart or Robinsons' Supermarket. They have a good variety of products, but not as cheap as Pak 'n Save. The good thing about Countdown though is that they have weekly specials. So what I do is wait for the items to go on sale, and that's when I buy. Also, I got their "suki" card called the One Card, and sometimes they have cheaper prices. The OneCard is free, so you might as well get one.

There are two Countdowns in the CBD. The one at the center is on Victoria Street, nearby the Auckland Sky Tower. But it's not as big as the other one on Quay Street. That branch is larger and open 24 hours.

New World in Wellington.

New World is the most expensive of the three. They say it's because it has the most variety, but if the items you wish to buy are in Pak 'n Save or Countdown, why even bother to pay a higher premium for the same things? New World is like Rustan's Fresh. Avoid at all cost. Only buy when there is no Pak 'n Save or Countdown in sight.

Tai Ping is on Beach Road.

The three main supermarkets don't carry everything Filipinos need (or want)--yes, not even New World. These western stores don't have Mang Tomas or Skyflakes or banana ketchup. For these items, I recommend you to go to the Asian grocery stores. On one end of the CBD, there is Tai Ping. This is located on Beach Road. They have some Filipino items here.

Lim Chour is located on K Road.

On the other end of the CBD, there is Lim Chour Supermarket. This place, in my opinion, has more variety of goods than Tai Ping. And it's cheaper too. They have a lot of Filipino products here. But I don't frequent this much since it's far from my flat. Lim Chour is located on Karanghape Road (K Road), at the end of Queen Street. If you stay in Grafton or Symonds, this is just walking distance.

So there. If you want the value for money, go to Pak 'n Save. For convenience, buy at Countdown. Avoid New World (although my friends tell me that on some days they do have specials). For Filipino or other Asian items not found in Pak 'n Save or Countdown, try Tai Ping or Lim Chour.

Happy shopping!