Greetings from south of Down Under
by Warren Bull
New Zealand is noted as one of the
best places to live on earth. Kiwis have a knack for making things simple and
sensible. For example, the
smallest coin is worth ten cents.
Think of the time and effort saved in counting out change. For one and two dollars they have
coins. Much longer lasting than
paper bills. The higher value the coin has, the larger it is. Bills have a clear spot, which must
make counterfeiting much more difficult.
I especially appreciate airports.
When you land after too many hours in the air, in the terminal you see a sign
that says “Start Here.” It is in fact where you start. What a concept. Bins to dump fruit and vegetables that
are not allowed in the country are called amnesty bins. You can keep your
chocolate. I learned that too late.
Bus drivers are very helpful. One
driver got off the bus to point out our destination. In the time I spent in New
Zealand I saw one crabby driver. He was funny without meaning to be.
Election cycles are much shorter
than in the states. The speeches I’ve heard were much more civil. There is an election going on now, but
the only way I know that is from reading billboards.
I’ve seen groups standing and
chatting with members of all social classes together. You can’t tell a
professor from a groundskeeper by their behavior or the company they keep.
Ps: The carrots here are delicious.
Where is your favorite non-US place?
I love my grandmother's home in Weymouth, Nova Scotia where I spent the war years, that's WWII.
ReplyDeleteI haven't traveled much abroad, but I loved Iceland. My travels to Iceland now are mostly in detective fiction.
I haven't traveled much but I do like Canada. New Zealand sounds like a wonderful country to visit.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your stay in New Zealand far from the reach of the American political scene.
ReplyDeletefrom my childhood: my grandparents' cottage on Cape Cod
in my adult life: our visits to London
New Zeeland looks and sounds like a delightful place!
ReplyDeleteWhen I need to ship something to my home on Hatteras Island, I'm often told that my zip code doesn't exist. So--I'm thinking my favorite non US place is here!
ReplyDeleteNegril, Jamaica. Right on Seven Mile Beach.
ReplyDeleteSounds like New Zealand agrees with you!
ReplyDeleteNon-US? The islands of Greece.
So many wonderful places.
ReplyDeleteI've never been to New Zealand, but it sounds delightful. One of my daughters, who does a lot of traveling for both business and pleasure, says it's her favorite place in the world. Not only wonderful scenery, etc, but the nicest, most helpful people she's ever encountered.
ReplyDelete