lardyl

OK - so has anyone managed to overcome (totally or partially) an irrational (or otherwise) issue with some part of NZ life?

I have to admit that in the first week or so in the country I witnessed three crazy bits of driving - two as a pedestrian.....all showing no regard for other road users and/or pedestrians

However, now I am far more laid back on the roads although the inability of some drivers to select the correct road position still doesn't fail to annoy.

welshrgeordie

Is turning and THEN indicating to turn still a favourite over there in NZ....It used to drive me insane ,....even now in the uk when on the moment some one does that , I call them a kiwi driver lol My youngest will say mum why do u call them that ??? He will find out next year :-)

Stormer999

Yes indicators are the worse hazard ever invented on motor vehicles...

Bo-Jangles

Many thing and yes the driving is probably the biggest one of them. I remember having feelings of such foreboding and fears that I had come all this way just to end my days in a road traffic accident. I really didn't think we would survive for very long. Now it all just seems quite normal.

Although, it still takes some getting used to the a-holes doing crazy stuff; like the idiot that want to undertake and get one car in front of you via the hard shoulder. OMG!!

It's now a mere roll of the eyes; in a look there goes another one fashion, rather than that heart in the mouth feeling of 'holy heck, we're all gonna die'.

I have learned to live with my old clothes and no longer feel a need to buy a new outfit every time we go anywhere. I am happy wearing the same work clothes week in and week out and no longer need to dress to impress. Looking like a bag lady, or mutton dressed as mutton, is the local de riguer for the 40+ age band, so I feel totally confident that anything I do wear, no matter how old or out of date, will look pretty good by comparison,

Recently went to a proper posh sit-down dinner do and I couldn't care less that I didn't have a whole new outfit to wear. I cobbled together an old dress that's never been worn, a handbag that hasn't seen the light of day for several years and dusted off a pair of Marks and Sparks finest sling-backs.

I also now wear my work clothes (skirts and trousers) more than once before washing them! A previously alien concept to me in the UK. Such is the power of integration; this devil may care approach living and now looking like a dishevelled local. My mother would be horrified!!

mwhite1962

Am glad its just not me that noticed the brake/indicate manouver, think i should be getting worried as i expect it everytime now, just hope i am not doing it myself!!

Bo-Jangles

The indicate bit, just means 'Get outta my way ya loser, I'm coming across in front of you, ya have brakes so use em'.

bourbon-biscuit

Not using the off-side to off-side rule when turning in front of each other so it always feels like there's going to be a crash. Now I expect it, so it's ok. Ish.

Shopping. I've learned to live with the selection and quality and certain things have changed like I wouldn't buy mayo here- why bother when it takes 2 mins to make and is way nicer than the shite on sale here? I'm not bothered about biscuits here and I think of boysenberry tip top ice cream as quite a nice treat. On the other hand I think my culinary skills in general have improved heaps and we regularly eat fennel (cos I grow it) and stuff I didn't really bother with in the UK. And of course I've learned to live almost without vegetarian convenience food, which though was hard initially I now don't think about.

UKNZAUS

That clothes don't last longer than a season, because they're so crap that they are out of shape, full of plucks and holes before they get bobbly. Because of this I do tend to wear my clothes to death now and I can be seen wearing the same top more than once in the same week! Something I never did in the UK

The selection of frozen foods in the supermarket is dire, and they taste like crap too so I have learned to cook before I even moved out here as I had been warned.

Hot Christmas. As much as I love the white Christmas thing and not being able to see family throughout the day (sometimes a blessing!) gets to me a little, I do love the fact that I can get up and it is light, enjoy sitting on a cold floor with the kids opening presents instead of having to put 'the big light on' and the heating before wrapping up in dressing gown and slippers too.

Bad driving! Come March next year there are going to be sooooo many accidents because of the silly right hand turn rule change

Crap shoes. I have yet to buy a decent pair of shoes in NZ that last longer than a few nights out. It costs more to re-heel a shoe than to buy a pair in the clearance sales

Eating seasonal. My Mum thought I was joking when I couldn't get certain foods in winter because the price shot up so much I couldn't justify spending that sort of money.

Bugs. I freaked out when I saw my first Weta, it was dead and I still wouldn't go in the garage because it was looking at me! I just get Carl to put them outside as I quickly find something to 'be in the middle of' when it needs moving

Beach life Oh it's a hard life sitting on the beach with the kids playing with friends you just happen to bump into for the whole summer. The beaches back in the UK were for holidays only as the ones near us weren't worth a visit, and the nice beaches were hours away

I could go on but I've to get ready soon and go and collect my Christmas order from the English shop

whitesand

There's stuff that I'm putting up with now but couldn't live with for ever - why should I, when you don't have to? It's the usual stuff - expensive food, lack of choice, the bad driving doesn't bother me so much now as we rarely go beyond Auckland. The small town feel of the place, even though we live in Auckland, and the general lack of buzz which I don't think I will ever get used to. Oh, and I forgot - the terrible coudy weather which I hate. I love sunshine and blue skies and heat, heat, heat!

bourbon-biscuit

Yes, I love that sort of weather too- Hawkes Bay had it significantly more often the Waikato. Humidity can f***er off as far as I'm concerned.

whitesand

After that hot day we had in Auckland a few weeks ago, I got out all my summer clothes and shoes and started getting them ready for the 'summer', only to put them away again and I'm back to my winter things. Can't even decide what to do today - thin dress or warm cardi. Both I think!

lardyl

yep driving is most visible difference for me and although the Police are cracking down on lack of signalling (it says here) it's still a problem - I still can't abide the indicating the wrong way at islands.
could be because not so long ago there wasn't much traffic on the roads - that's what I was told anyway.

love30stm

Not being able to go to a good nightclub

Not seeing any clothes I realy Love

Not being able to see my favourite bands as they usually miss us out

Not being able to go to a theme park

I wont change into a boring person who cant be bothered to dress up anymore! i dress to impress myself but i do wear alot of the same clothes twice in a week though

Love the great selection of wine though and people that smile

love30stm

oh love the weather and the cicadas though

Charismatic

Or as I like to call the game when someone tries it with me "chicken" .