I have been home sick the past 2 days which isn't any fun... but I found out that I am officially contracted until February with Westfield! and the best part is they are flexible around me traveling, its like the perfect situation! So we can still go around and see the country, just as long as I don't have a big project or anything.
I love all the people I work with, each one is so nice! Megan (In picture below) is like a mom figure, she is soo nice I almost feel bad! but that is just the way New Zealanders are. We met up for the Lower Hutt Duck Race (Phebe didn't win.. she got stuck up the river...) and then she had Colin and I over for an amazing lunch and desert, and then sent us home with carrot cake too! She also helped me win a air popcorn maker (yes Savannah and Alicia, I now have one. THANK GOD!) and even drove out to pick it up!
Everyone is generally curious about different American things, so I get some funny questions. like Jaime asked about Twinkies because she read about them in the babysitters club when she was little, another one was about how fat Americans really are. Half of the staff at work hadn't seen a air popper before, ya know for popcorn, so we are now buying one for the work kitchen and I am making them some with brewers yeast of course! Some of the pronunciation is different as well. such as advertisement, glacier, garage and aluminum. Its hard to describe but the 'a' is drawn out so its like gaaarage. or glaaacier, etc. If i write certain sayings like greeting everyone, or something else they tell me thats very American. :)
Everyone thinks is funny that I say anyways, not anyway. Also instead of saying "check out below," they say "check out the below." odd... Also: the paper size is different here, three ring binders are actually 2 ring binders, they don't use the letter z in words like organize, its organise. Self checkouts are a new revolution here.
On each Wednesday we have morning tea, which is always fun. We all sit around the table, have tea and different treats and just talk. It's a nice break from work, and something Americans would consider odd, I think...
Another interesting thing is the different in food ingredients. The US standard for food is SOO low (THANKS USDA/FDA) There is no high fructose corn syrup here, or aspertaime. Even the cheaper food here has less ingredients in it, just using the basics. Jaime was interested to hear that I always read the ingredients at stuff back home (and here) because there is such odd thing put in food. EX. coca cola here is like the Mexican kind with just sugar, not high fructose corn syrup. I wish the food standards at home were higher so even if you were poor you could still have healthy non fake food!
We now have a part time flat cat named Kitty... she comes and visits each day and we have no idea who she really belongs to, but we like her. Our door to the deck has a cat door so she just walks right in and then meows till we greet here. She is pretty cute, and curious about everything! Its fun because she is only a part time kitty!
Some other interesting things about New Zealand include:
- on domestic flights there isn't any security checks.
- Heaps is a common word, ex: I hope you feel Heaps better!
- Most guys here were shorts, shoes and tall black socks, its like a fashion trend.
- Clinque face wash $14 US = $45NZ!!
- A palate of 4 eyeshadow shades from YSL brand, was $114!!!!
Below: our lovely house!! The window above the red roof is our room.
- Phebe making her way sideways down the river.
- Megan and I with the big duck.
- Phebe after being rescued from the river... she got a little beat up!
- Our cat kitty, stopping by for a nap on our bed.
No comments:
Post a Comment