Heavy Thoughts

[ickaimp]

So I'm listening to the light classical TV station (music on TV but not music videos, still a little weird, but mostly in a good way) when I glance up and realise that the song that is playing is by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

After the usual mental cheer of 'Go Kiwis!', it strikes me, I miss watching Campbell Live.

Which is really kind of funny, because I really wasn't a big fan of the show. He's very much a bit on the pompous side.

But I miss him laying out a problem or something going on that needs some attention and saying "So. What can we, as New Zealanders, do about this?"

Yeah, it's part of the whole 'Kiwi Can-do' spirit (the joke I heard in Oz about the difference between Kiwi Can-do and Aussie Ingenuity is when you tell a Kiwi they can't do something, they say 'Oh yeah? WATCH me!' and go do it. If you tell an Aussie they can't do something, they say 'Oh yeah? Here's how you can do it' and give you a list of ways you can do it.), but it's an attitude I really miss. Trying to come up with solutions instead of merely bitching about it.

Example: LJ's being a retard. What can we, as LJ users, do about it?

It's been a almost ten months since I left New Zealand. And it's something that I have been seriously thinking about. Funnily enough, the thing I miss the most about NZ is the politics. And the food. And the overall mindset. But I don't know if I want to work towards moving back just because I like the sociological environment. Cause in retrospect, I was lonely a great deal of the time. Part of that was my own doing, and part of that was the fact that I missed the close network of friends I have in Tucson. (this is not to diss the friends we made in NZ. Really wish I could introduce everyone to each other)

And part of it was I got REALLY tired of constantly hearing variations on the line "I don't usually like Americans, BUT-" when ever I talked to new people. Yeah, I got a thick skin about it at the time, but it never stopped being annoying.
(Especially since I'm still getting 'welcome to america' comments here, because I picked up just enough of an accent to sound foreign to Americans but sounded too American to the Kiwis in NZ)

I think, before I focus on moving to New Zealand as a major goal in my life, I want to live in at least one other country first, to have a further basis for comparison, and so I'm not going 'It's great because it's not the States!'. The means or process in which to do that with, I am as yet uncertain.

Anyway, baby is hungry. What can I, as the nanny, do about it?
... well, that one is easy. *wanders off to fix bottle*

Comments

[bigdee.livejournal.com]

You are awesome.

[basal-surge.livejournal.com]

Kneejerk prejudices of the 'I don't like country-X-ians But You're OK' are annoying. I've even found myself doing it, to my great annoyance and chagrin.

Most of it's media driven groupthink, whether about national groups or political groups or racial groups or social groups.

Part of the problem, aside from the fact that barring a very few complete nutters (Say, the ACT party, NZ First, Brian Tamaki's lot), most of NZ, even the National Party types, can be classed as rabidly left wing social democrats when compared to either of the major US political parties. So your politics just seems _insanely_ broken to us - both sides seem very, very corrupt, and your electoral college system just seems so very, very broken.

People just need a cluestick rigged to hit them over the head whenever they apply generalisations in specific cases.

[wootduosmaster.livejournal.com]

Theres always a couch and a few bottles of booze here if you need them =D

[ickaimp.livejournal.com]

You are much love. ^___^ Thank you.

[psycho-devli.livejournal.com]

NZ rocks :)

But yes, there are a great amount of dumbasses here too.

[ickaimp.livejournal.com]

There are kinda dumbasses everywhere you go, it's not exclusive to one country or another. ^^;; Or at least that's the conclusion I have come to.

But yes, NZ rocks. ^_________^

[lil-1337.livejournal.com]

*clings to you* I think we should all move to NZ. It would solve both problems.

[ickaimp.livejournal.com]

Totally.

[shenya.livejournal.com]

*huggles*

My opinion on the topic of Americans these days is of the number of them I've met over the years (both online and in person) there were very few that I didn't like and that weren't great people to be around. But then I'm odd *grin*

[uaekiwi.livejournal.com]

Agreed, there's a goodly chunk of America that are well-educated, articulate, and generally a great bunch of people to interact with. Unfortunately, its the rednecks/idiots who tend to get all the media attention - hence the skewed perception we get from watching the news...

[nos911.livejournal.com]

Maaaaaaarvelous!

[ickaimp.livejournal.com]

I have been trying not to say that all day!!! ;p

[yume-no-kage.livejournal.com]

What with the 'I don't usually like Americans but...' thing, I used to get that all the time, but rather as 'I don't normally like Christians but...' in school since I always hung around the fringe groups. Odd, how times change since I've caught myself saying that a few times around acquaintances.

I woke up at the ungodly hour of 6am the other day and caught the BBC World News broadcast on the tv. It was so refreshingly real and straighforward, without the propaganda and slithering around that usually accompanies Serious News from American reporters. The British were cheerfully outlining how the US was calling for the UN to have an expanded role in Iraq, not to be of further humanitarian aid like they said, but as a chance to dump the whole mess on them and scoot out of it since they were tired of playing.

Hows about we all go and stage a hostile takeover of Oregon?

[uaekiwi.livejournal.com]

I know I keep telling people: "the world is a much more complex place than that, America in particular". But its a tough sell to overcome the stereotypes. Its easier to talk about a country if you're been there yourself though - there's nothing like experience gained first-hand to lend authority to an argument.

...I think, before I focus on moving to New Zealand as a major goal in my life, I want to live in at least one other country first, to have a further basis for comparison, and so I'm not going 'It's great because it's not the States!'. ..

I totally agree. And there are ways of doing it. You'd be surprised at the variety of jobs recruiters will go looking overseas for...

*Huggles*,
D.