Back in Whangarei and Life Makes Sense Again

I'm back in Whangarei and life makes sense again.


After 3 years in New Zealand, I find that I have become somewhat of a "Kiwi-ized" American. Here's how I know. (If you need a bit of translation, see below.  He he!).

I wear jandals with socks in the winter, eat kumuara and hangi, and actually prefer to hang my laundry outside.  A pie is often on the menu for tea and I enjoy a good tiki tour through the wop-wops wearing my gumboots . Like most people, I don't actually buy milk at the dairy and could care less if my clothes don't match.  I wish I had a bach at the beach and togs that weren't falling apart. My cupboard is chocka block with essentials like wheat bags and hotties since I don't have a heater and my home isn't insulated.  I love good ole Aotearoa and wouldn't have it any other way!

Need a little help making sense of all that?

jandals = flip flops (and yes, many people do wear them with socks!)
kumura = NZ sweet potato, a staple in the Kiwi diet
hangi- an earthen oven (hole in the ground) where a traditional Maori meal is cooked, often including meat, kumura, stuffing and onion.  Yum!
tiki tour = aimless wandering, going for a stroll
wop-wops = out in the boonies or on the outskirts of town
gumboots = rain boots, mud shoes
dairy = corner convenience store that is often open when other stores are closed
bach = holiday house/ beach house
togs = swimsuit or swim clothing
cupboard = closet or wardrobe
chocka block = full to overflowing
hotties = hot water bottles
Aotearoa = "Land of the Long White Cloud", Maori name for New Zealand