Devil in the Details

We've just finished our first week of business at Treble Cone. It was a lot of fun and not particularly busy, so a good way to ease into a new job in a new place. We've had a mix of weather, to put it charitably, so with the NZ school vacations over the next two weeks we're in serious need of some snow. Having said that, I thought I'd turn my attention to some of the micro level things that make life here in New Zealand so different from home in the US.

First and most obvious is driving on the left side of the road, which is easy enough to get used to. It's the fact that the blinkers are on the right side of the steering wheel and the wipers are on the left that's tough. I can easily identify foreigners newly arrived in Wanaka when they turn a corner in their cars with the wipers on and the sun shining. One odd difference one wouldn't expect is that in order to turn on a light switch here you pull it down and then flip it back up to turn it off, which makes for good fun at the Southern Hemisphere's expense. Another is that the cold water taps are on the left and the hot on the right. Couple that last one with the fact that our hot water is incredibly hot and our cold water is oh-so-cold, and it can be quite a rude awakening, literally.

Then there is the Kiwi accent and use of language, which involves the flip-flopping of vowels, among other things. Their pronunciations "six" always bring a grin to my face. Kiwi's comfort with risque conversation topics in what Americans consider polite circumstances is pretty funny, and the language is always, err, colorful. I guess when an entire nation is comfortable, easy-going, self-assured and unpretentious, a little foul language is not a big deal. Add to that a typically healthy dose of fart humor, and it's pretty hilarious.

In all seriousness, the Kiwis are very quietly proud of their country, its natural wonders and its place in the world. There's really no jingoistic, in-your-face patriotism, as is found in the U.S. and Australia; just a calm, quiet appreciation for New Zealand's many blessings. That notwithstanding, my housemates and I very much are looking forward to hosting a loud, celebratory and unabashedly jingoistic July 4th BBQ in a couple of days. We've even acquired a whiffle ball to make it official. Happy Independence Day everyone!