Here are a few observations I've made over the last year. Hopefully they help paint a picture of the day to day life in New Zealand.
En Zed
I quickly learned that in New Zealand (and apparently a lot of other places in the world), they pronounce the letter Z as "zed". This was a little disappointing since I had just named my blog, vlog, and hashtag NV to NZ on the basis of an awesome rhyme.
I once asked my Kiwi friend how they sing the alphabet and she said they say "zee" at the end. So they pretty much make up their own rules in "En Zed".
Sandflies
I want them dead. I first met these tiny monsters in Paihia while I was working on the yachts. They look like little fruit flies but they are really the devil. Their bite often draws blood and itches worse than any mosquito bite and literally lasts for a weeks at a time. I have woken up to myself scratching bites in my sleep. I have scars on my feet and ankles from these evil demon bugs. Everyone on the west coast has scars like mine but when I get home people will think I'm diseased. They hate vitamin B, so I started eating Vegemite (very high in vitamin B) on everything. I think the only good thing to come from Sandflies is my love of Vegemite.
Pies
I don't know why savory pies have not made their way to the states. Americans love gravy, meat, and pastry, so the combination of the 3 would be our holy grail! It took me a while to realize that all the pies people were referring to weren't the sweet, cooked-fruit, grossness that I'm used to at home. Pies are everywhere; gas stations, cafes, and restaurants offer tons of flavors. My favorite is the chicken and mushroom, but mince and cheese, butter chicken, and lamb are all good options. I'm gonna miss the occasional pie when I get home, but luckily I will have good American - Mexican food to comfort me. There is no Mexican food in NZ. I found one restaurant in Wellington and I paid 22 dollars for a soggy flavorless burrito. Nah.
Facebook over seas
When you travel the little world icon in Facebook changes based on where you are.
Glaciers
Kiwis and Brits don't say the word "glacier" the same as we do. They say gluh-ass-ee-uh, when we would say glay-shur.
Togs
There about a million ways to say swimsuit. I learned this by working at the hot pools and having customers from all over the world ask if they could rent a swimsuit. Kiwis say "togs", Australians say "swimming costume" or "cozzie" or "swimmers", then the Brits say "bathers".
The Cricket
When kiwis are talking about a sporting event they put "the" before the sport. For example: The pilots didn't fly on Sunday because they wanted to watch the cricket. (All example sentences are not based on actual events. Any similarities are purely coincidental.) This was never not funny to me. I would always make a point of saying "the rugby" or "the netball".
Retard and gay
I'm proud to say that the states seems to have turned a corner as far as politically correct terms. When I left home I hadn't heard anyone refer to a less than ideal situation as "gay" or "retarded" in years. Unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the case with European countries and the southern hemisphere. Everytime someone would casually say those words I would cringe inside.
Sneezing
This is another odd one. In the states everyone sneezes into their elbow. Those public announcement posters must work! But pretty much anyone from anywhere else in the world sneezes into their hand. I'm not normally a germaphobe but it really grosses me out.
Electric kettle
WHY AREN'T THESE POPULAR IN THE STATES?! I'm getting one as soon as I'm home. They are a revelation. That is all.
Water
The plumbing situation in NZ is interesting. There are generally 2 taps, so when washing your hands it's either Mordor or glacial (see what I did there?)
Bakeries
There is a bakery on every corner but they don't actually bake anything. They just get yummy pre-made sandwiches delivered to them. I will forever miss the cheap travel snacks.
Kiwi Sayings
reckon - Do you reckon he's really sick?
keen - Are you keen to go out tonight?
surely - Surely, there will be a lot of people at the bars.
parcels for Africa - There were parcels for Africa today. (a lot of parcels)
yarn - He's spinning a yarn. (He's talking a lot)
sharn - That was such a sharn. (Combo of shit and yarn)
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