Hey everyone,
So, I don't really have that much to say but I felt I should share something for those checking up to see how I'm doing.
I still have no job. I am ashamed to admit, and my family will be telling me off for this, but I did get a text at 9am this morning from an agency saying they had a days work for me. However... being in holiday mode and also being out doing some serious dating every night meant that I didn't get up until close to lunchtime. Too late for the job. OK, I have learnt my lesson and starting Monday I am going to be sensible and get into a "routine". Boring, but necessary.
I had another 1st date tonight. It was with a Scottish guy and was a normal boring "British date". Also, my 2nd date with one of the Kiwi guys last night ended in... well, bad kissing. So I do not want to see him again. All hopes for a Kiwi boyfriend now rest with Adam who is 37, a video editor and... well, he's nice. And a gentleman. I just need to remember not to tell him I have a blog as clearly reading this would freak him out!
So, I thought I would share some facts with you about the differences over here. Firstly, everone gets married much younger than back home. Well, than in London anyway. I mean in London it sometimes seems everyone is single! And certainly it's not strange for me at 32 to be single. But here, much as in rural England I guess, people get married very young, so almost everyone on the dating site is divorrced or separated and of course some have children. I worry that at 32 and single I seem like a strange kind of girl! Adam is divorced but has no kids.
What else? Well, at restaurants, bars and cafes they always serve water. It's either put out in jogs and bottles somewhere, or they bring glasses over. Very sensible. I think it's actually in the law, for places that serve alcohol anyway. And often it's flavoured, with lemon or cucumber. It's nice. Also, you don't tend to get table service at all so you have to go to the counter in cafes to order food and to the counter to pay, in restaurants as well as cafes. No use waiting for the bill, you'd sit there all night!
There are quite a lot of Maori words in use, even for things like food, so sometimes it's hard for me to know what is what in restaurants. Kumara are sweet potatoes, I've got that much, but there are lots of different types of fish and I have no idea what any of them are as they have their Maori names. Although I tried some and I liked it! But that has been happening a lot the last few months.
The TV advertising is really funny, there's lots of "macho" advertising aimed at men. If you imagine how you imagine Aussie men to be, it's pretty close to that. Lots of ads centred around the BBQ with men drinking beer, stuff like that...
Everything tastes different! That has made me sad. The only thing that really tasted very god was the Ginger Chicken Udon recipe I made from Wagamama. Other than that, I bought Halloumi cheese but it was horrible and had no flavour; I bought pesto and it was kind of vinegary; the sausages here are precooked - pre-boiled, no less!! - and taste strange. Even the gravy and peas tasted different (I had sausages mash and peas at a pub the other day). I think the trick will be to eat things I don't back home and then no comparison can be made.
They drink and drive a lot here. You can easily have a couple of glasses of wine (large) and be legal (they assure me). Scary.
I can think of more but that probably enough for one day. Don't want to overload you :o) I am very sorry for you guys being so cold over there, but also a bit jealous I am missing all the snow. I heopled put the apartment Christmas tree up yesterday adn that was just so weird. In 20 degree heat. Just wrong. The weather is beautiful here, lovely and warm in the Wellington way - kind of coldish air; boiling, boiling hot sun.
Oh, and I went shopping today. I've bought 3 new pairs of shoes since I got here and some new clothes as well. It made me happy :o)
Oh yes, and also, I have no hayfever over here! Again, those that know mw well will recall how I blow my nose every 5 minutes especially in summer. Well, not over here. It's a miracle. Such a relief!!
Keep strong in the face of all that snow and freezingness my lovelies. And please post some more comments! I love getting comments!! This last is not aimed at my mum who has been fantastic in the comments department - thank you my darling, lovely madre, they are all read with much excitment and a big smile :o) xxxxx
We have just braved the snow and walked up to our local farm shop where they only have rare breed pigs and sheep and mostly Dexter beef, and - please understand we don't want to make you feel bad! - we have just bought their own pork and sage sausages, which look beautiful. We won't be cruel and tell you what they taste like though! We had to walk up to it as there is no way we are driving at the moment. We were running out of a few essentials such as milk, although I did shop on Monday with a siege in mind. We didn't expect it to be so bad just here. People were stuck on a train all night around Orpington and a lot of roads are closed. It's been -21C in Scotland though, and feet deep in Yorkshire. I'd say we have only had about 8-10" here. Much love, and enjoy the sunshine. We are getting a bit stir crazy here!
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