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I'm home.
Well, kind of.
We are currently in Christchurch, and it is very strange. They say it is the most English town outside of England, and I can kind of see what they mean, despite the fact their vision of England may be slightly outdated!
Whether you decide to take a punt down the River Avon, or hop on the Tram, old fashioned Englishness seems to be everywhere. I have seen Town-Criers stood next to people playing chess in the street. I have strolled the local gardens, not dissimilar to the ones at home, and had a poke around the Cathedral, which in order to keep up this comparison, is not unlike the Priory.
But more than Englishness, this city seems to have stolen elements from all over the world - European style cafes plague the pavements, whilst the streets are laid out in a grid system, mirroring those of America. But all this is understandable when you consider the cities relative age. It was built after all the best bits as well as the mistakes of older cities had been made and realised, and so it was created with those in mind. The streets are wider, and buildings have the space they need without overcrowding. Perhaps if we started again, our Christchurch might be the same.
This does mean though, it's uniform nature takes away it's natural charcater, and makes the whole thing a little twee - people in costumes to add authenticity to this 'English' town does not make me feel more at home, but even further away - particularly when they speak to you in a bizarre Kiwi/English hybrid!
It is a lovely place though. I have wondered around the Arts district, and there is an awful lot of oppurtunities here for any aspiring performer! Perhaps then it would be an idea for me to take the leap and come here - my fortune is set to be made somewhere, why not Christchurch??
Either one wil do!
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