Culture SHOCK! From I love how different things are here to—Things here are too different, take me bake to America where things are simple!

I was intending to do this post when I got really frustrated with something here, but so far that hasn't happened, so I am going to get this post out of the way now.

Culture SHOCK! From I love how different things are here to—Things

 here are too different, take me bake to America where things are simple!

There ar a few things here that are both really interesting and excing, but also just a teensy bit irritating, or a lot irritating.

Internet- the internet here at the flat is by the gigabyte, and we can go over the allotted amount. Fortunately this has not yet happened, through clever use of the universities internet when on campus!

Power- the power here is pre-pay. Meaning that we can run out in the middle of the night and everything will just shut down, its just a tad irritating.


Trash- The trash here is very much recycled, which is actually verry nice, we can mix plastic and paper, and they will separate them at the plant, we also have curbside recycling, an extravagance that I never have had before. Trash is also by the bag- only special bags are taken, though I have a feeling that this is not too unusual. Another nice thing is that some people in the municipal waste department are trying to do a shift towards a bagless dunedin, I have been signed, up and except for a few instances I have been fairly successful, I think part of the reason is that I have to walk everywhere, and a good bag is important if I am to get any reasonable distance. 

Post Offices in New Zealand- the post offices here are like shops and banks, the New Zealand bank runs through it, there are also magazines, books, and postcards at the post office- and they will mail them for a predetermined fee! It is rather convenient and I suppose it keeps them economical. What I don't appreciate is the international postcard price at $1.90 really? Americans can send letters here for half the price!

Grades in NZ- The system here is very differend, above 80% is an A-, and above 70 to a B-, this means getting a good grade would be easy, right? Wrong. They grade much harder here, it is rather frustrating how nit-picky they get on somethings, and when I say rather I mean alot. But that is behind me now.

Eggs remain out here- they aren't refrigerated- it is actually legit to do this in america but we don't but think of all the time it could save on thsoe raise to room temperature recipes.

They drink a flat white here- it famous coffee drink- I think it is just espresso and milk. 

Fast food places charge for ketchup! Which does not even taste right here because it is too sweet.

The paper is longer, which means everything else is different, they have 2 prong binders, which I kind of like it, however there are no normal folders just pockets with flaps that are inferior in quality.

College levels here-first second, third year- bachelors in 3 years thus making the freshmen, sophomore, junior, senior rhetoric useless. 

Dairy = convenience store

A large pizza here=personal pizza at home

uni=college

rubbish=garbage

they say surname instead of last name

dirve, and run and walk and pass on the lest side! which took a while to get down, but I think I have the hang of crossing the road now.

They are obsessed with ferns- which are everywhere- This is probably because they grow so easily here as well as the fact that they are very significant in Maori culture.