Different isn't bad. It's just...Different!

I've been in New Zealand long enough to notice some strange things. Outside of the things I've mentioned already (sun power drying, driving, etc), there is some things I've mentioned in passing conversation to some, but not to others. So, here they are:

Driving:

It is quite the adventure to be driving on the "opposite" side of the road (kiwi's get angry when you say the "wrong side"). It is practically impossible to get lost in Wellington. Their sign system is SO much better then the US. There are two main motorways: PCH1 and the Lower Hutt 2. One takes you up the west side of the island. The other takes you to the east. I try to explain our freeway system in California ("Well, we have the 5 south and north, the 405 south and north, the 22 east and west, the 57, the 91....oh and don't forget the toll road 241") and the conversation often ends up with a Kiwi gone cross-eyed.

They also have sidewalks on their motorways. Yes, SIDEWALKS. With people running, walking, biking, sitting during rush hour. Can you imagine bikers on the 405 at 5pm on a Tuesday evening? They would get ARRESTED!

Teeth:
First of all, I want to thank my mum and dad for the 5 years of braces and congrats to myself for suffering through headgear and rubber bands. My smile and teeth have never been more noticed then here in New Zealand. I get compliments all the time on their whiteness, gap-free, and the overall appearance. The compliments usually ends with "....well, you are American." I guess us Yanks, are known for being crazy about our teeth. Well, I don't think that's a bad thing, considering some of the mouths I've seen over here (Dane Cook- "I'm a buck tooth. I like to hang out pass the lips." "Well, I'm a yellow tooth. I look like corn. Don't brush me. Don't brush me!").

Service:

Since tipping isn't common here (YES! No fighting over how much to tip!), service kinda sucks. Sure, you get the occasional Wendy the Waitress with service with a smile but usually they just ask, bring your food, and leave. One thing the US could pick up is when you are seated at your table the host/hostess brings a HUGE pitcher of water. Its really nice not to have to wait around for water. They do, however, go skimpy on the ice (unless, of course, it's a $22.00 long island iced tea....more ice then Antarctica!).

Medical Care:

New Zealand has this great thing called "Accidental Coverage" and it covers every resident, visitor, or immigrant. Basically, if I slip and hurt myself at work the government pays for my doctors visits and bills, my replacement at work, and 100% of the time I miss at work. This happens with any accident: car, road, home, etc. Pretty neat!

Sports:

It is really neat to see a country unified over one sport: rugby (specifically, the All Blacks). In the US, I have been in more then one conversation on why I hate football/basketball, why baseball is amazing, or why California really needs a hockey team. This is a country that doesn't care what sport you are playing, as long as its a sport (they consider underwater hockey a sport *tries to hide giggles*). When Saturday night at 7:30pm rolls around (that's when the All Blacks play), everything stops. Everyone goes to the closest pub, house, or tellie to watch. The local television station also plays the game 3 more times during the week, just in case you might have been in a coma and missed it.

Television:

To say this simply: It SUCKS! It is so horrific. I'm so glad that I have my laptop to stay up to date with my shows (Heroes, Grey's, House, etc.) come September. For example: they have America's Got Talent....but it's the last season (whenever this is on my flatmates look at me and ask "What's your talent, Yank?" I usually reply with a "To annoy you"). They just wrapped up last season of Grey's and Desperate Housewives, they are just starting the first season of Ugly Betty and Brothers and Sisters, and they are just starting season 4 of 24. Also, my flatmates love Dog the Bounty Hunter and the first night we watched it they asked me to explain "white trash" and our bounty system.

Also, it is perfectly acceptable to say the "F-word" on prime time television. This, I have to admit, throws me off. I have been better about not dropping my jaw every time I hear it because it sent the boys in the house into a fit of 12-year-old like laughter just at the sight at my astonished face.

Other:

-I payed for a $2.20 Snickers bar out of a vending machine the other day. Ridiculous. I bring my own chocolate now. (By the way, their chocolate is amazing here. So YUMMY!)

- Everyone carries water bottles here. No paying $1 for a bottle of Aquafina every time you get thirsty. I purchased a bottle of water over a week ago and have been using that since.

-They recycle like CRAZY over here. In our house, we have three rubbish bins: recycle, compost, and other. They have recycle bins next to every public trash can. We could really learn alot from the kiwis.

- They have no idea what "High Fructose Corn Syrup" is here. Their food is all natural. I can actually understand what every ingredient is on the label without going into a fit of pronunciation frustration.

-Kiwis LOVE their ice cream. Don't they know it's winter? And rainy? And windy? Nope. They don't care. They will line up 10 people deep to get to the ice cream man. I have to admit, it's pretty darn good. However, not good enough for the CA girl to eat it (and go numb from temperature) on a daily bases.

- I should have payed attention more in sophomore math class. More specifically, the part about the metric system. I'm horrible at conversions. Celsius, kilos, kilometers, meters, liters....ARG! Makes me go cross-eyed!

-I have to get into the habit of writing the date DD/MM/YYYY. It's really annoying when you see something written as 06/08/2007 and you think "June 8th" and it is really the 6th of August. You should see my time sheets at work. Scribbles everywhere. Opps!

Lastly, I want to say "Congrats" to my grandparents and welcome to the 21st century. They just received their first computer and learned how to send email. The following picture was taken by my sister, while I was webcaming with my g'rents. It was quite entertaining.

I also want to send my love and congrats to my next door neighbors on 20th street: Emily and Gary Frye. Baby Quinn William was born Saturday, August 4th at 1:38pm. He weighed in at 7lbs and 3oz, and measures at 20.5 inches (He is adorable from the pictures I've seen). YAY! Congrats! Hey, whenever you want some sleep and he's crying at 3 in the morning just go knock on our door. I'm sure my dad will be happy to help. :)

Well, thats all for now. I get tomorrow morning off. YAY! Sleeping in!

Cheers!