More Minor Differences

So I've thought of a few more differences, and thought I'd share them with y'all again! If you missed the last entry, you can find it here. And yes I have started saying y'all, not because they say that at all here, but because one of my best friends is from texas and says it constantly and it's started to rub off on me!

Anyways, back to the topic at hand!

Cheese
Yeah I know I already mentioned this, but it's on my mind a lot, I can't help it! So cheese is still very expensive, and I've realized they don't have a lot of options. There's a white cheddar, colby, edam, and a few small bags of shredded mozzarella and parmesan. To get any other kind, you have to wander around until you find the specialty foods cold case, and then it's so expensive that I generally don't even go over there in an effort to avoid crying in the middle of the store.

Alcohol, It's expensive
And a good thing too. These kiwis would drink even more if it wasn't, and they already drink soooo much! It's downright impressive at times. Until, you know, it isn't.

Going Out
So if you go out in Dunedin, you cannot leave your flat, or your friend's flat, before 11:30 pm at the absolute earliest. And usually 12:30 am is best. No one is out yet if you do go earlier, and you get labelled a bit of a noob if you can't make it that late. It's a wee bit exhausting!

Curb vs. Kerb
That's how they spell curb here, with a K and an E. The first time I saw it written out I honestly thought it was some sort of cutesy misspelling. But they actually spell it like that.

Macs
University of Otago uses Macs in all of their classrooms, and a lot of profs even have ipads. Love it!

Fortnight
Kiwis actually still use that term. A surprising amount too. I don't quite remember what the exact amount of days is in said term, so I'm always a bit confused when someone uses it.

Short-shorts
Not worn by girls here too terribly often, but guys? They wear them all the time. Now the rugby players can pull them off, mostly because they are pure muscle, but the average Kiwi guy, not so much. At least in my opinion. Also, it's just weird going to the gym and working out next to a guy in shorter shorts than you.

Swearing
They all swear like sailors here. And it's not considered a big deal at all. And just like Michele's y'alls, it's starting to rub off on me. Sorry mom.

Hats
Specifically, baseball hats. They don't really wear them here. Especially the girls. So when I wore mine after working out the other day, I got a million weird looks. Plus, I was wearing sweatpants. So I just looked super American. Which isn't exactly considered the best look anywhere outside of the US.

Ethnic Food
It's amazing here. Why, I'm not entirely sure. But who am I to question when there's delicious food to be eaten?

Sandflies vs. Mosquitoes
Sandflies are mosquitoes older, much eviler brother. They suck. Literally and figuratively. They draw major blood. And you think they're not that bad for the first day, and then you wake up in the middle of the night itching your legs. For a week in a row. And you realize they are the most awful creature in existence.

Exams
The exam timetable lasts about 3 weeks here. And you have time off from when exams start, and classes end. Since I do nothing here for school, I will be traveling during this time.

... as
Sweet as, awkward as, kiwi as, cheap as, skanky as....the list goes on. You may want to ask, as what? But there is no answer to that question. So just go with it. Ok? Sweet as!

RWC
You might be wondering what those letters stand for, but don't tell any Kiwis that, because they will think you are a crazy person who's been living under a rock for the last hundred years. But I won't think that, because I understand your confusion. RWC stands for Rugby World Cup. And Rugby is huge here. The entire country is crazy about the All Blacks like the entire state of Wisconsin is crazy about the Packers. But times ten. I didn't even know it was possible to be that much of a fan of anything. So, yeah, the whole country is hoping the ABs don't choke again and win them that world cup again for the first time in a really long time. Because they have a history of choking in the finals or semi-finals. I'm a little afraid of what might happen if they don't win...

9/11
So you know how I hate to get all serious on y'all, but it's something that's been on my mind a lot lately. It was weird not being home to remember the tenth anniversary of that day, especially since I know it would have been everywhere in the US. I talked about it a little bit with my American flatmate, but I didn't hear about it all beyond that. Granted, I don't have a tv or anything, and am too cheap to buy a newspaper, so there probs was something going on in that media. But besides that, I really just didn't hear about it. I guess I'm just trying to say that it was an odd experience knowing something was on the mind of everyone back home, and it just wasn't here. I felt really disconnected from home for the first time.


But to end on a happier note, I have a kiwi joke for you! Well, it's not super kiwi, but I learned it in NZ, so good enough!

How many snowboard instructors does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

Nine. One to screw it in, and eight more to say "good turn! good turn!"

lol. Makes me laugh every time!

Love and miss y'all!!