I like to keep a running list of things that stick out to me whenever I’m in a new place. When I was in New Zealand, it was no different.
Quick, start and in a hurry, here’s some of them from my NZ list for ya :
Lifestyle & People’s Character
- There’s a good work life balance here – where living life seems to come first and work second.
- It’s a very healthy society – people run, walk or jog to work. It was so normal, a lot of offices even have their own showers for employees.
- Kids have a healthy respect for the outdoors. So much so, they don’t wear shoes to go places sometimes. And ‘look sharp’* (T*: “Pay attention”), the adults do it too! It reminds me of what some would call the ‘good ole days’ back in the Caribbean.
- It’s a place where it’s ‘normal’ for people to say thank you and just be polite.
- They’re a very aware society. Aware of their impact on nature, aware of consumerism etc. etc.
A few of these things truly reminded me of the Caribbean – family values, a healthy respect for the outdoors and politeness specifically.
Transportation
- Government buses, ferries and trains all have a tap on tap off system. Kinda like a debit card, it allows you to go on any form of transport and your fare is cheaper too! I found that very nifty (I’m laughing at my own use of this word 😂), the fact that the systems were so connected.
- The buses don’t announce stops on their route. Definitely like the Caribbean, ya betta know whey ya going or else ya ‘saul’* (T*:”You better know where you’re going or else you are in trouble). In the beginning, I used to “nice up”* (T*: “Be nice to”) the bus drivers and asked them to notify me of my specific stop (until I eventually got the hang of it 😬).
- Buses don’t stop at each stop, even if a person is standing at the appropriate place. You have to stick out your hand from early to catch the bus driver’s attention which is EXACTLY like the Caribbean.
Special mention:
I noticed too, it was okay to say good morning to the drivers. Many people do it. It’s a customary thing in the Caribbean, but when it comes to larger cities overseas, I found not many people did it.You said thank you when you left the bus too – even if you had to shout. Mussi* (T*: “Must be”) the only time they raised their voices in NZ 😅 (that or when they doing a Hakka).
Times of the year
- September was when you began to see sight-seeing buses more frequently.
- October was when the backpackers began to come out (The weather started to warm up you see).
- When a big event was happening (sports or holiday), you could tell, as the buses replaced their bus numbers for messages that went according to the occasion. For instance:
- Go All Blacks! (Their rugby team)
- Merry Christmas!
- From mid December to mid January, the main cities (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch) basically shut down ’cause everyone disappears! They all leave to go to some coastline part of the country and spend time with their families or travel overseas for the holidays. It’s basically like an unofficial long term public holiday period which I think is great.
Mannerisms
- People don’t line up for buses. Similar to the Caribbean (but we also push), yet unlike Canada where there’s a long, trusting line.
- They refer to themselves as ‘Kiwis’ – not after the fruit, but after their native endangered bird.
- It’s standard for everyone to refer to their significant other as their ‘partner’ – not wife, husband, boyfriend or girlfriend.
- It’s a country full of enforced ‘rules’ but people are normal enough where they break some too – parking in obscure places or doing U turns when the coast is clear for example.
- Aucklanders cross the street as they like, whether the light says to or not. (Breaking all the rules, yay!)
Music & Radio
- Majority of the music played on the radio and in the club, is from the late 1990s and early 2000s. No joke (it’s like throw back Thursday every day). Makes you wonder if is cause dey so far, dey can’t get new songs (which I know isn’t true but is funny to say lol)
- In Auckland, they appreciate and play both dancehall & reggae. New Zealanders on a whole have a special place in their hearts for reggae as it played a big role in their history at one point.
Side rant: Some radio hosts in NZ also had theee most random shows. They would essentially ask arbitrary questions to the public and have them call in to share their stories. I remember one time I heard them ask “Where did your parents accidentally leave you as a child? Or, as a parent where have you accidentally left your child? Call in to share!” I does listen, but shake ma head EVERY TIME 😂.
Twist on the English Language
- “Sweet as/ sweet az” – Has a variety of different meanings – “Alright,” “Great,” “Thanks,” etc. etc.
- “As/ az” is the equivalent of ‘very’ – For example “That’s cool as – That’s very cool”
- “Mate” is a thing to say over here, referring to a friend, acquaintance or person. It’s like a different version of ‘bro’ for Americans (but they say bro over there too).
- “Good on you” means “good job” like “Good on ya mate!”
- They pronounce the number zero as the letter ‘o’. For example – 21, 583- o99 (That was a dead giveaway that proved I wasn’t from there!)
Other Random Things
- Vacuums, dishwashers and carpets are a thing there. They are SO not things in the Caribbean. Vac who?
- Numerous British people live in Auckland. They’ve lived there for many years and preferred the more laid back lifestyle I guess.
There are loads of others things I could get into but, then we’d be here all week.
In the mean time, I’ll let you marinate on these til next week. That’s when I’ll feature a few more of my observations on ‘Kiwi Culture’
“Sweeett assssssss”
Yours Truly,
Global Gyal
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