Icka's Adventures in Kiwi-land

[ickaimp]

Before leaving, we went to lunch with 'Neechan at the Ookanami-yaki shop.
There was a ninja there, eating lunch. Not kidding. He even wore the same mask Kakashi does.

Don't think it's hit me that I'm in another country yet. It rarely hit when I was in Japan either. I look at the sky with the clouds in it and it just doesn't seem any different than if I were in Tucson or LA. *shrugs* People are people, no matter where you go. Same with towns and cities.


While waiting at LAX, 'God save the Queen' just randomly started to play from the over head speakers. o_O

The flight out was pretty cool. They played 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' for the first movie on the big screen (main thought for the first half of it: Why is Johnny Depp acting like Michael Jackson?) and I absolutely adored it. Would love to see it again.
The food was okay, more foot room than Singapore and I slept most of the trip. Or tried to.

Captain's Announcement During Landing: "And for those of you travelling beyond New Zealand-"
Gentleman in the seat in front of me: "There IS no where beyond New Zealand!!! Where are you going to go? Antarctica?!"

We get off the plane, and there was a Mountie.
Okay, not really. Stetson, red wool jacket, black pants, standing at attention. Really did look like a Mountie.

Met David's parents at the airport and had coffee with them. Nice couple. Then we all took the plane from Auckland to Christchurch (where we are now).

PA announced while we were waiting for the plane that 'someone had left a white cylindrical object at the security station' and would they please come to pick it up?
-it was a poster by the way. Bet that's not what you first thought either. ^_____^

A flight from New Zealand to Japan is about the same as it is from LA to New Zealand. 11 to 12 hours.

Vocabulary Words:

Flat White - Coffee with milk already in it. When pouring tea, milk is put in first, then the tea. With coffee, it's coffee first, then the milk.
Rubbish - Not trash! If you want to throw something away, look for the Rubbish bin.
Trolley - It's not a shopping cart or a luggage cart at the airport, it's a trolley.

Also, at one of the grocery stores (named, get this, 'Countdown'), they had what pretty much amounts to a giant dishwasher for trolleys. It was a room as tall as a person, with room for two rows of about 10 trolleys each. And it washed the trolleys. They so need to introduce these to places in the States.

Feel really self-conscious about talking. No, that's not stopping me. But it's like pushing the words to the back of my mouth and talking with a few pebbles in my mouth to aid in the mumbling. So my accent is currently all over the place. ~_~

Have discovered a sport I think I could be a fan of watching. Rugby. Prolly helps that as we come out of the Terminal, first thing we see is the All Blacks (the NZ ruby team) trouncing Wales.
Sorry, mel_redcap, think we'll be rooting for different teams tho.

Speaking of which Mel, it looks like there's a chance that we'll be in Oz for a week starting on my birthday. (22 Nov) Wanna get together sometime? I still have a hardcover Conan vs Kid for you.

Status on which way the toilet's flush down under: Unknown.
So far the toilets all seem to flush straight ahead and I can't tell which way the water goes other than backwards.
-Toilet shape is also taller and more narrow than the ones in the States, BTW. The water tank doesn't rest on the back of the seat either, but rests a foot or so above the seat, a narrow pipe leading down. (ever notice that when ever we go travelling, we end up describing the toilets? o_O)

Comments

[mel-redcap.livejournal.com]

Well dang. *pout* Oh well, I probably wouldn't have been able to get to Fraser Island either...

DO come visit. I'll take time off work an' show you stuff!