things you notice
Aug 17th 2014, 11:15 pm
#31
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Wellington
Posts: 107
Re: things you notice
Originally Posted by Purrball
Returning to New Zealand for the first time in over 20 years, things that immediately struck me:
• Cicadas - Love them
• Utes - Hate them
• Soft water - we still use water filters
• Unbelievably crappy TV advertising - My favourite was the advert for bovine mastitis- on at peak viewing time.
• Lots of cannabis smokers - Wouldn't know about that one.
• Sparrows inside public buildings - Agreed, which is fine until they [email protected] on you.
• Bare feet shoppers - We never do it (though I have driven barefoot - what a rebel!)
• How many Asian people in Auckland compared to the 1980s
• Chain link fences
• Unnervingly quiet town and city centres at night, especially when you're a pedestrian - Not in Courtenay Place!
• Lack of decent pubs with a (generalised) middle-class aversion to even visiting them - Couldn't agree more.
• Calling a goverment department and getting through to a person straight away, with no call waiting or 'choose option 2'. That person then followed up with an email within five minutes. - Unless its IRD in my experience...maybe they didn;t want to give me my rebate!
• How humid Auckland can be
• Corrugated iron roofs - Noisy
• Strange interior decorating choices
• Unsatisfying clothes shopping - We still get M&S, Debenhams stuff sent over.
• Public loos in parks and reserves with toilet paper in them - and invariably very clean
• Over-friendly supermarket checkout people* - I like someone packing my bags for me!
Also, on the trust issue, two incidents come to mind:
• Waiting at a bus stop in Wadestown, within minutes, being offered a lift by a complete stranger back into town.
• Office premises leaving their front doors open for anyone to walk upstairs and inside. Few door buzzers/intercoms.
*Originally coming New Zealand, it's easy to now see how many British people appear standoffish, when I think it's more about privacy and initial reserve, rather than rudeness per se.
• Cicadas - Love them
• Utes - Hate them
• Soft water - we still use water filters
• Unbelievably crappy TV advertising - My favourite was the advert for bovine mastitis- on at peak viewing time.
• Lots of cannabis smokers - Wouldn't know about that one.
• Sparrows inside public buildings - Agreed, which is fine until they [email protected] on you.
• Bare feet shoppers - We never do it (though I have driven barefoot - what a rebel!)
• How many Asian people in Auckland compared to the 1980s
• Chain link fences
• Unnervingly quiet town and city centres at night, especially when you're a pedestrian - Not in Courtenay Place!
• Lack of decent pubs with a (generalised) middle-class aversion to even visiting them - Couldn't agree more.
• Calling a goverment department and getting through to a person straight away, with no call waiting or 'choose option 2'. That person then followed up with an email within five minutes. - Unless its IRD in my experience...maybe they didn;t want to give me my rebate!
• How humid Auckland can be
• Corrugated iron roofs - Noisy
• Strange interior decorating choices
• Unsatisfying clothes shopping - We still get M&S, Debenhams stuff sent over.
• Public loos in parks and reserves with toilet paper in them - and invariably very clean
• Over-friendly supermarket checkout people* - I like someone packing my bags for me!
Also, on the trust issue, two incidents come to mind:
• Waiting at a bus stop in Wadestown, within minutes, being offered a lift by a complete stranger back into town.
• Office premises leaving their front doors open for anyone to walk upstairs and inside. Few door buzzers/intercoms.
*Originally coming New Zealand, it's easy to now see how many British people appear standoffish, when I think it's more about privacy and initial reserve, rather than rudeness per se.
Aug 19th 2014, 12:02 pm
#32
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: In a large village called Auckland
Posts: 5,234
Re: things you notice
You can refer to your GP on first name terms when you phone to make an appointment or turn up at the reception ....... it still seems a bit wrong.
Aug 19th 2014, 11:40 pm
#33
`
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 38,266
Re: things you notice
The Man in the Moon does not shine here.
Aug 20th 2014, 5:26 am
#34
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2013
Location: Central Surburbs, Auckland
Posts: 111
Re: things you notice
Some very bizarre decorating choices, sort of mixture of eighties/ colour blind/what they had left/what was cheap but looked shiny..
Infomercials
Massively staged houses for sale- tiny beds and no furniture
Excitement and wonder at the concept of UPVC windows...futuristic!
Top loading washing machines....why?
Bus drivers not sat behind sealed bullet proof security screens
Outrageously expensive taxis but cheaper fuel?
Wider selection of decent foods in supermarkets, things like healthy foods/ gluten free/etc
Crazy Chinese driving. Outside lane to suddenly turn left!
The never ending sales or "specials"
Infomercials
Massively staged houses for sale- tiny beds and no furniture
Excitement and wonder at the concept of UPVC windows...futuristic!
Top loading washing machines....why?
Bus drivers not sat behind sealed bullet proof security screens
Outrageously expensive taxis but cheaper fuel?
Wider selection of decent foods in supermarkets, things like healthy foods/ gluten free/etc
Crazy Chinese driving. Outside lane to suddenly turn left!
The never ending sales or "specials"
Aug 20th 2014, 7:52 am
#35
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 2009
Location: Kohimarama
Posts: 1,626
Re: things you notice
How small it is. Everyone seems related or knows each other
Aug 20th 2014, 8:01 am
#36
Bitter and twisted
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Upmarket
Posts: 17,503
Re: things you notice
Originally Posted by Bo-Jangles
You can refer to your GP on first name terms when you phone to make an appointment or turn up at the reception ....... it still seems a bit wrong.
Did that in England
Aug 20th 2014, 10:34 am
#37
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2013
Location: Christchurch
Posts: 570
Re: things you notice
Being able to get GP appointments on the day!
Being able to get dental appointments on the day I want at the time I want.
That I've now become aculturated and now say 'on special' instead of 'on offer'
Orion is upside down. I see him in the sky and turn my head to look.
People CANNOT tell when I am joking.
Being able to get dental appointments on the day I want at the time I want.
That I've now become aculturated and now say 'on special' instead of 'on offer'
Orion is upside down. I see him in the sky and turn my head to look.
People CANNOT tell when I am joking.
Aug 20th 2014, 9:26 pm
#38
MODERATOR
Joined: Oct 2011
Location: Wellington - I miss Castles, the NHS & English school system
Posts: 9,076
Re: things you notice
lots of roads only have pathways on one side of the road. and pathways just Stop for no apparent reason and you are left thinking where the hell do I go now.
Aug 20th 2014, 11:35 pm
#39
Life is what YOU make it.
Joined: Oct 2009
Location: Christchurch
Posts: 3,312
Re: things you notice
No daffodils flowering in the garden on St David's day 
Aug 21st 2014, 12:35 am
#40
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 79
Re: things you notice
Mums dropping their children off to school or kindy and wearing slippers and PJ pants, so funny when the child forgets something in the car and the mum races in to drop it off and gets caught!
Aug 21st 2014, 1:36 am
#41
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2011
Location: Wellington, NZ
Posts: 572
Re: things you notice
Originally Posted by Bo-Jangles
You can refer to your GP on first name terms when you phone to make an appointment or turn up at the reception ....... it still seems a bit wrong.
Aug 21st 2014, 1:38 am
#42
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 451
Re: things you notice
no "15% gratuity has been included for your convenience" on the restaurant bill.
Aug 21st 2014, 1:40 am
#43
`
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 38,266
Re: things you notice
Originally Posted by moonie2011
........ ' Hi I'm the doctor, Sean' err 'Hello Sean' I said
Aug 21st 2014, 8:15 am
#44
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: In a large village called Auckland
Posts: 5,234
Re: things you notice
It's so easy to get an appointment at the Docs, cos nobody can afford to go there unless they can claim it on ACC or they're nearly dead.
Shocker of the week for me was in trying to make an appointment for a 'routine' screening of the lady kind and being told I first needed to see the Doctor first to get permission; $46 kerching ta very much ma'am.
Two days later the test is done; another $33 kerching.
Shocker of the week for me was in trying to make an appointment for a 'routine' screening of the lady kind and being told I first needed to see the Doctor first to get permission; $46 kerching ta very much ma'am.
Two days later the test is done; another $33 kerching.
Aug 21st 2014, 8:22 am
#45
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2006
Location: Mission Bay, Auckland
Posts: 649
Re: things you notice
Originally Posted by Bo-Jangles
Shocker of the week for me was in trying to make an appointment for a 'routine' screening of the lady kind and being told I first needed to see the Doctor first to get permission; $46 kerching ta very much ma'am. Two days later the test is done; another $33 kerching.
