Monday, May 10, 2010

Day 100!: What I learned in New Zealand


• IT'S DAMN COLD and HILLY, thus, it's the Kiwi triathletes that usually say HTFU!

• You don't meet any Kiwis in Queenstown, but you do get to know lots of English, Scottish, and Malaysian people who are on working holiday.

•Dunedin is just as beautiful as Queenstown and Wanaka, the Chamber of Commerce just does a bad job of marketing the town; and you have to pass through a lot of crap before you get to the beauty.

• Some new vocabulary: heat pump (electric heater), post shop (post office), log burner (woodstove), right-o (okay)

• The Kiwi version of the news show Nightline is much more crass than the U.S., we're talking an episode where they had 69 sex positions (including full on naked pictures) in 69 seconds.

• The country has absolutely freakin' beautiful views while driving or running.

• The Top Twins (google them).

• The radio was actually pitching a CD called "Music for Cougars" and it went something like this: "You are a cougar and you know what you like and you know how to get it. So listen to music that reflects you like Olivia Newton-John, Meredith Brooks (I think she is the one that sings the I'm a Bitch song). Makes a great gift for Mother's Day." The Kiwis love their humor.

• I got to see lots of sheep up close and personal and well, the entire back side of a sheep is covered in sh!t, makes you want to reconsider wearing wool. And there is an actual name for it, dags.

• My money went a lot further in New Zealand than it does in Australia.

• After 22+ years, it's good to know that Maggie and I still have a lot of common interests: extreme hikes, mt. biking, swimming, and eating tons of food.

1 comment:

Libby said...

oh my god. I'm in love. we've been wanting to move to new zealand!! looks so beautiful. I'm green with envy!!