Central heating. T-shirts middle of winter and no condensation on the bloody windows in the morning.
No wind. The wind has blown about twice since we've been here. The smog tends to hang around a bit down in the city, true - but I'll take that any day over endless buffetting ...
The informal market in yoghurt trading. They have THE best selection of yoghurt in the world at our local supermarket, and one of the highlights of the week is the post-shopping bartering that occurs over the allocation of preferred yoghurts. Stakes are high.
The walnut bread at our local bakery.
Buying butter for $2.00 per 500g, and milk for somewhat less (rather than at whatever ridiculous prices Fonterra is presently gouging).
Lardons. How come we have to go to Moore Wilson in Wellington to get these?
Seriously fast broadband at home. Buffering? What's that?
Getting to work, which is 15 kms away, in around about the same time it takes me to drive from home to Massey. No traffic lights; all motorway.
Total absence of traffic wardens at the university. Free (and free-form) parking is de rigeur and, oddly, the university does not drop into a massive fiscal hole as a consequence. Massey could learn from this ...
No internal assessment. Not great from a teaching and learning point of view, granted, but fantastic from a workload point of view. On balance, though, probably not something Massey could learn from.
Being able to buy a 3 course meal at the university cafe for $6.00.
Pears. Best pears I've ever tasted in this country. The Portugese ones are particularly good (and, yes, I do understand that Portugal is not France ...).
No Barkers trackies or Springbok rugby jerseys. Anywhere.
The men's changing room at the gym. Handshakes and bonjours all round whenever someone comes in; same on the way out; lots of talking about whatever's going on in the world in between times. Hairdryers if you need them (sadly, I don't), and no one worries if you feel inclined to tart yourself up a bit before rejoining the world. Actually, that's mandatory. Fantastic.
Actual public broadcasting - with broadcasters who understand that they are not the story, and with the intellectual capacity to hold a thought while an interviewee finishes what he or she is saying. Mark Sainsbury, Kim Hill, Mary Wilson, John Campbell and co could learn from this. Advertising on tele - but only twice an hour ...
Things I am a little less keen on
Paying north of $2.50 for a litre of diesel.
Drivers' ignorance of the whereabouts of the indicators in their cars.
Drivers' ignorance of the existence and function of pedestrian crossings.
Drivers' ignorance of the risks associated with driving 5 cms from the rear of the Pepemobile.
Hard core right wing politics in the mainstream. Recent polls have the leader of the National Front giving Sarkozy (himself no bleeding heart liberal) a run for his money.
Long division. (I say this for Rosalie, whose memories will - I'm sure - forever be tinted by having to master this arcane skill. That said, she can now do it without a calculator (thanks to her mother's patient tutoring) - and I cannot.)
and she can also get 100 % in her 'recitation' of modern french poetry (Blaise Cendrars, no less...) 70% in her national evaluation in maths and the congratulations of the drama visiting teacher on her improvisation. admitedly it was more mime than vocal impro, but still, she is a champion!
ReplyDeleteHey, Rosalie here.
ReplyDeleteIt was not a mime! And stop making me sound like a hero!
Hey guys
ReplyDeletesounds cool.
Looks like you are a hero at drama Rosalie, whether you like it or not. I will never be that good!
Jessie (while lying by the fire without central heating)