Finding a sense of awe is rare in our modern times. What is awe? Synonymous with wonder and fascination, it is perhaps something most vividly experienced by children but gradually lost in the world of grownups.
For that, I am lucky to recall how it feels like again. Last year I made the leap to New Zealand on a working holiday and got to experience some unforgettable things. This is an attempt to reminisce a beautiful chapter of my life, one in praise of awe.
Wide Landscapes
Coming from one of the most densely populated countries, New Zealand is definitely a breath of fresh air for me. When I first arrived at Lake Tekapo in the South Island, I was blown away by the picturesque view even from the bus window. How amazing that I would be staying and working there for 3 months! Living in a small rural town where there is only a population of hundreds has always been a dream of mine.
On the first day of settling down, I was free to explore by myself. The downhill walk to the main area of the town was a sight to behold. The snow-capped mountains surrounding the land. The beautifully blue waters sparkling under the sunshine. The white clouds drifting across the wide sky. (New Zealand is also known as Aotearoa in Maori language, which translates to “long white cloud”)
Alas, I went up close to the Church of the Good Shepperd which most tourists come to Lake Tekapo for. Until then, I had only seen it on the cover of travel brochures. But there was no mistake that this time it stood right before me!
For a famous tourist attraction, this town was surprisingly quiet. Though I was alone, I did not feel lonely. It was more of a feeling of solitude which I enjoyed. A few days after my arrival at the accommodation, I was joined by a colleague who would work alongside me. He introduced himself as Chiharu from Japan. Chiharu used to work in Tokyo which is known for its hustle and bustle. However, he would much prefer living a slow life close to nature. We figured that was why we came to the same place.
Hiking
On our rest days, there was no better activity to do than hiking in the vicinity.
One of the famous hiking tracks to do is the Mt John Summit Circuit Track which loops around Mt John. From atop Mt John, one could get a panoramic view of the landscape. The lake was so pristine and clear that it formed a mirror-like reflection of the mountain range. It was breathtaking.
Since I was used to being in a high-density environment, it was unusual that there was barely any people or buildings around me at all. I enjoyed it though.
Another place for hiking is Cowan’s Hill. Known more by the residents than tourists, it is a hidden gem in Lake Tekapo. We reached this place where fluffy vegetation covered the land in all directions, with large pockets of water in-between. The vastness of the land seemed to know no limits. That majestic sight unleashed a feeling of expansiveness within me. I was in awe.
Chiharu was equally captivated. If there was anything I learned about him, it would be that his radiance is unfiltered when he is out in grand nature. Running towards the hill, he screamed “It is great to be alive!” with so much vigour.
In that moment, I truly felt how great it is to be alive.
Stargazing
One of the things I noticed in New Zealand is the overall lack of street lights. In Lake Tekapo, it gets really dark at night. Yet, the geographical position and absence of light pollution made it perfect for stargazing. Located in an International Dark Sky Reserve, I was at one of the best spots on Earth to look at the stars.
I was really excited about that since I could hardly see any stars from where I lived. Chiharu was even more excited than I was because it had been his dream to see a sky full of stars.
Stargazing Tour
We joined a stargazing tour to learn more about the stars.
It was the ultimate “hygge” experience. A small group of participants sat on benches around a semi-circle in the middle of a field. Covered with blankets, we sipped hot chocolate and listened to the tour guide. He pointed his laser at the dark canvas above as he explained about the stars and constellations. We craned our necks, hanging our mouths wide open in amazement. During intervals, we were treated to a view through the telescope and saw closeups of star clusters, the moon and even Saturn.
The guide taught us how to identify the Southern Cross, a diamond-shaped constellation of stars found on the New Zealand flag. It was used in the past by the Maori natives for navigational purposes. Now that we have the GPS system, finding our way around has become way different. Although it does bring a lot of convenience to our lives, it seems to have taken away something as well. Technological advancements might have killed our sense of awe.
With smartphones, we have instant access to the world’s most beautiful sights in our palms. With curved 4K LED TVs and surrounding audio systems, we can replicate any environments in high fidelity. But there is something lackluster about it, isn’t it? There is still nothing like sitting under the night sky in the open and watching the stars and planets move in real-time.
Stargazing brought me to a humbling realisation. Perhaps modern technology has given men a sense of mastery over nature. Being able to manipulate nature at his command, men feel powerful like a God. However, this power is illusory because men can never dominate nature.
To set things into perspective, one is like a speck of dust in the cosmos. The light that we see from the stars takes light years to reach us. (In a sense, we are looking back at time) The milky way, the galaxy that our solar system is part of, is just one of the billions of galaxies in the ever-expanding universe.
At the end of the tour, the guide took our individual photos using long exposure. Though it managed to capture the starry night sky, it could not capture the actual experience which is something best captured as a memory.
Lunar Eclipse
On 8th November, a lunar eclipse took place. For me to remember this date means that it was significant. Right before the eclipse at midnight, people gathered in the open space at the community hall to witness the event together. The air was filled with anticipation.
Finally, the changes started to visibly take place. The moon was slowly tainted with red. It was truly a peak experience. During a peak experience, time and mind activity seems to slow down or stop. Consciousness becomes one with what is being experienced.
At the moment when the moon was fully eclipsed, the stars were the brightest I had ever seen. The night sky was like a netting of twinkling diamonds. I remember Chiharu being awe-struck by the phenomenon. He asked if there was such a thing as fate that brought us to that particular time and place to witness the event.
In a world ruled by scientific rationality, the desire to know and explain everything is like a burning fire. Admittedly, I am gripped by this desire ever so often. (As one can see from the philosophical premise of my blog) But if you knew how the magic trick works, wouldn’t that ruin the magic of it?
Where there is awe, there is no room for the mind. Where there is mind activity, there is no room for awe either. Sometimes it may be better to just enjoy the moment as it is, while it lasts.
So to the question of fate, I honestly do not know. But I would not mind basking in the mystery of it together.
First Snow
Hailing from a tropical country, I grew up without any concept of seasons. I did not know what winter in New Zealand looked like, but I was looking forward to snow. Snow. It is the most magical thing for me. As a child, I always dreamed of experiencing snow. I imagined all sorts of scenarios. Falling snow, touching snow and eating snow…
Imagine my excitement when it snowed in Tekapo! The weather pattern was slightly erratic so the snow came on unexpected days. When it first happened, I went outside and ran around with my arms flailing about. I must have shed tears from pure happiness. Was it really happening? It felt surreal.
During lunchtime, I was still reeling with excitement. Sitting beside the window, I ate my lunch and stared outside at the snowing scene. The slow and gentle motion of the falling flakes had a hypnotic quality that put me into a spell. Was I dreaming? If I was in a dream, I did not want to wake up from it.
From the corner of my eyes, I caught a glimpse of my colleague crying. Unbeknownst to me, he had been watching me from across the table the whole time. I was surprised. Later on, he told me that seeing me in awe over the snow touched him. He realized that he took snow for granted as it was a normal thing every year for him. Yet, this girl before him was experiencing snow for the first time in her life.
Snowy Off Day
The best snowy day happened on our off day. That morning, I woke up to see a snow-covered ground outside my window. Thick layers of snow lined everywhere from the grass to the benches, transforming the place into a winter wonderland. I had never seen a landscape so bright and white. It was the perfect day to have some fun with snow!
Chiharu showed me the ropes of playing with snow. We buried mandarins in snow, threw snow balls and made snow angels and a snowman together. The snow was really fluffy to the touch. I learned that one is supposed to make a snowman by rolling a small ball of snow until it gradually turns into a big one. It can get really really big!
That day we became like children again. He told me that he felt like a little boy again as it had been a long time since he played with snow like that. It made me think that perhaps what we need is to learn to see the world from the perspective of a child again.
It may not be that what surrounds us is boring. We may be surrounded by the most interesting things but still feel nothing from it because it has become familiar to us. This is known as the familiarity effect. It is why children find exciting what adults do not. If you ever observe children, they seem to be enlivened in a totally different world of their own.
As dreams come true, wonderlands exist too. If we can learn to be a child again, life can be a wonderland where we always find ourselves in awe.
