VISITING HOKOWHITU VILLAGE

On the way back home from the lagoon, we stopped for a while at Hokowhitu Village Centre. It was like a small mall where you could find not only shops but also a library, vet, bakery, florist, cafe, etc. In a way, it is like a community centre for the village. We just went into two shops: a Korean shop and a stationery shop. Surprisingly I managed to get souvenirs and postcards that were printed with "Palmerston North" on them from the stationery shop.

I really like the Korean shop. The place was very bright and cheerful, it looked more like a toy shop. Other than that, the owner of the place was very friendly and smiling all the time I was there even though I did not buy anything at all (but luckily my friend did). 

We had a small chat and before we went off, he presented me with a souvenir from the shop. How sweet! I feel guilty for not being reciprocal but I have made a mental note to give him something from Malaysia when I go to Palmerston North next time. If there is a next time, that is.