I've noticed that New Zealand has a lot of theme days and small-scale holidays taken from the U.K. and Canada.  Last week was "Red Nose Day" by the Comic Relief foundation to raise money for children in need.  We all wore red clown noses at work to promote the event and my Kiwi flatmates watched the nation-wide three hour long program of famous New Zealand comedians with great eagerness and anticipation (The Flight of the Conchords even made a special video exclusively for the cause). 



Today in New Zealand we celebrate "Daffodil Day" which is a day to recognize and raise money for cancer support.  At work we could send daffodils to one another for a $2 donation, buy pins of tiny daffodils and get our picture taken in a daffodil costume (the latter was actually mandatory).  In addition, to raise money for the cause, the Remarkables launched the first ever "Run up the Road" which is a road race for ambitious runners to tackle the 13.5 km steep climb from the base to the top.  We had a whopping seven entries for this event but the organizers considered it a success anyways.  My job was to stand at the bottom and stop cars to warn them that there were runners on the road.  I was pretty excited to wear a fluorescent vest instead of a daffodil costume.



I'm not sure yet what holiday we will be celebrating next week, but I'll keep you posted.

It's fun to visit McDonalds in different places because they offer different items on the menu based on the local tastes and types of food available.  In Chile, McDonalds had cheese empanadas, in China there were sweet bean pies and strange tangy sauces on burgers and in South Korea we tried the green tea McFlurry.  New Zealand has its own range of fast food items in signature Kiwi style.  L&P, the national soft drink, is always on tap as a liquid or frozen refreshment and there are oddly-named McFlurries - bubblegum squash anyone?



The most recent McDonalds promotions have featured a lamb burger with all the trimmings Kiwis like including egg, beet root, and the deliciously addictive aoli sauce.  Sean was jonesing to try the lamb burger the other day so off to McDonalds we went.  Our cashier was a plucky young trainee hailing from Fiji.  A large button on his polo read, "Got Lamb?"  I asked him if he had tried the famed lamb burger and he said he had and added that it was 'really good.' 



Sean ordered the whole Kiwi shebang - a lamb burger meal complete with a frozen L&P.  After taking a few bites he pronounced it tasty and interesting but probably not something he would order again.  Maybe beet root on your burger is an acquired taste. 

Sean was working like crazy during our actual anniversary so we celebrated being married one year and one week this weekend with a little romantic getaway to Arrowtown, a tiny old mining village about twenty minutes outside of Queenstown.  It was really fun to spend two days off together and we lucked out with perfect weather.  A couple of days before we perused all of the area online Groupon deals and booked a lot of activities that we had wanted to do for awhile.  Here's a few pictures of what kept us busy:

Checking in at the little B&B run by an old Dutch couple

They only have four tiny cottages; we got a full breakfast and goodbye hugs in the morning

Afternoon wine and whiskey tasting - guess who tried the wine and who choose the whiskey

Cheese plate - more fun eating it than tasting the wine!

Fancy dinner - I had the smoked salmon

Sean tried the venison wellington

Private hot pools in the mountains with candles and champagne - the garage door opens to the night sky

Walking around Arrowtown

Tiny village green

Hiking around the old mining settlement

Small old houses

Coffee and chocolate cake in a cafe in Arrowtown

What should we do to celebrate one year and two weeks? It's going to be pretty hard to top this weekend.

Working at a ski lodge has only served to re-confirm that I am %100 an introvert.  This company has got to be one of the most social and event-oriented companies that I have ever worked for.  There is something going on which is ski-related almost every single night of the week: staff night skiing, staff tubing, mixers, theme parties . . . it's like the first few months of college but in the snow.

The biggest night of the week is called "Jug Night" and refers to the night after payday.  Every department plans a new and different Jug Night each week such as a dinner out, bowling, drinks, dessert etc.  I've asked some of the drivers who have been here forever and they said it's called Jug Night because the numerous bars in Queenstown used to serve up drink specials in large jugs to the masses of ski staff on payday.  Now, there are no more jugs to be found but the name stuck and the most common question that can be heard on Thursdays is, "So what are you doing for Jug Night?"

I'm helping out with this evening event and I'm not quite sure what an 'off the hook FMX demo' is yet

I've been to a few Jug Nights and a scattering of other mixers but usually I'm quite content to go home after work, have a cup of soup and read or watch a movie.  Sometimes I get hassled about not going out all the time but usually I get a free pass from the peer pressure because a) I'm married b) I'm over 30 and c) I have an increasing amount of gray hair.  Trying to keep up with the social Joneses is exhausting.

My first thought on our first anniversary was, "Has it really been a whole year already?"

Gosh, that sure went fast and what a fun and unexpected year it has been - I hope the next one is just as good.  It's funny how often people ask us if we are on our honeymoon here - it happens all the time.  Usually I just say that we are because it kind of feels that way; being on a working holiday visa in a city like Queenstown is like a year-long escape from many aspects of real life.  That being said, here's a few thoughts on marriage from a novice wife on a year-long honeymoon:

Marriage - the good stuff

1.  Having a built-in partner for everything from sharing a bus seat to sharing adventures
2.  Constant physical, emotional and mental support
3.  An added family who loves on you and who you get to be a part of
4.  Trying things/going places I wouldn't normally because of what Sean wants to do/is interested in
5.  Accountability on all things such as money, work, diet, exercise, goals etc.



Marriage - the tough stuff

1.  A loss of independence - not being able to do exactly what I want to do when I want to do it whether it is something so small as where to eat to where I want to live next
2.  Bearing the burden of not only your bad days and stress but your partner's struggles as well
3.  Sharing additional debt and financial responsibilities that I hadn't planned on
4.  It's really hard to find the right boundary of respecting the other person's individuality versus challenging them (nagging?) them to be the person you think they should be
5.  The necessity of constant communication can be a little tiring - I wish we could just read each other's minds and avoid some of the drama that comes with miscommunication/lack of communication

I can definitely see that marriage is a work in progress.  We are constantly re-defining balances of power, work, time together/apart and what we want for the future.  We don't agree on everything, we get annoyed with each other and not every day is a good day, but overall having a partner for life has made me a happier person.  Sean helps me loosen up a bit and not take myself or life so seriously and is endlessly patient with my wildly illogical mood swings and demands for attention.  Thanks for putting up with me Sean!

A new restaurant opened in town called "Cranky Frank's."  Everyone is really excited about it because it's supposed to be a true "American experience" with the food and atmosphere of a diner.  I always find it super interesting and entertaining to visit a place that lets you visit your home from a foreign perspective and checking out this diner was no exception.

I met the owners when they bought bus tickets from me at the bottom of the mountain. The local Kiwi family came up with the idea of opening an "American" diner while they were on vacation in the States and found themselves constantly at places like Denny's which were open late and served good food in large portions.  They felt that Queenstown was missing American culture and cuisine and decided to open a diner of their own.



When I talk to Kiwis about the diner, here is what they are especially excited about:

- The genuine working jukebox
- Endless coffee refills (practically non-existent here)
- American food like hotdogs/chili dogs/chili cheese fries
- The milkshakes
- The uniforms (especially the hats)
- The atmosphere and decoration
- The diner/1960s theme

What do the Kiwis want?

- Entertainment (they wish the waitstaff would sing or be on rollerskates just like on TV or in movies)
- Better service
- Real Americans as staff



What do the Americans think?

Sean gives it 7 out of 10 stars; it was ok, but I don't think we'll be going back anytime soon especially since we'll be able to get the real thing in a few months anyway.  Denny's Grand Slam and Moons over My Hammy here we come.

One of my favorite things about winter here is that it's acceptable to wear hats or 'beanies' all of the time.  All of the staff at the ski lodge where hats constantly not only because it's cold but also because it means you can show up to work with greasy, unshowered hair and nobody knows or cares.  Showering in winter is particularly torturous and painful here because of the lack of central heating.

Heat pump

This leads me to one of my least favorite things about winter in Queenstown - it's hard to get warm.  Contrary to popular opinion about New Zealand being exceptionally green and eco-friendly, they rank very low concerning energy efficiency.  Hardly any houses here have insulation and none have any kind of furnace or central heating.  We stay warm with the occasional gas fireplace, small "heat pump" and wimpy electric heater.  The Europeans and North Americans that arrive here are shocked at the housing conditions in wintertime.  Every day Sean and I have to open our windows in the bedroom and bathroom to dry out all of the moisture that built up during the night and morning.  Sleeping in a house here is basically like sleeping in a tent.  The shoddy and hasty construction is said to be due to the fact that most of these houses were never intended to be anything other than holiday cottages which Kiwis call "baches" or "cribs."  The Kiwis don't really complain about the cold or of the lack of heat/insulation rather they just tell you to buck up, make some tea and put on another sweater.


The other thing that is different about winter here when compared to Michigan is that they don't salt the roads to deal with the ice and snow.  Instead they constantly put down sand and gravel because the salt is bad for the environment.  This makes walking up and down steep hills here fairly treacherous.  Some days the roads are closed entirely because it's simply too dangerous to drive on them without salt or enough plows.  The snow is beautiful and fun to play in but am I anxious for spring?  Definitely. 

When we had just arrived in New Zealand the first time we tried to pay for anything we were told we could use "EFTPOS" and our response was, "Huh?"


"EFTPOS" stands for "Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale" and is by far the most popular way to pay for anything in this country.  EFTPOS is just what we call a debit card in the States.  The main difference with the system here is that it is country specific - you can only use the EFTPOS cards in New Zealand and they don't have any affiliation with Visa or Mastercard.  When I sell bus tickets at the bottom of the hill I use a small, portable EFTPOS machine.  Nobody ever says, "Do you take credit or debit?" they always say, "Do you take EFTPOS?" And I always do.

After putting in over 70 hours last week, Sean has a well-deserved 4 days off.  We had a day off together yesterday and spent most of it downtown going out for breakfast, doing some window shopping and finishing up with hot apple ciders at one of the local happy hours.






Today I had to work but Sean came up the mountain and after snowboarding for a few hours joined me on my lunch and ride break.  We spent the afternoon at the tubing park which was a blast.  There are five different lanes each with unique jumps and obstacles.  The bottom of the tubes are covered in a plastic sled-like material so the tubes just fly down the mountain.  The best thing is that you don't even have to hike back up the hill - there is a little tow rope that hauls you back up to the top while you sit on your tube.  While waiting for me to finish up work Sean hung out on the deck with a beer and watched the Kea birds which were out in full force.

I tried my first Pavlova dessert yesterday - it was tasty!  The Pavlova is the iconic Kiwi dessert; I would probably compare it to how Americans think of apple pie.

A Pavlova is just a meringue cake with a crispy outer shell and a light and fluffy inside.  It's supposed to be topped with cream and fruit such as kiwifruit or strawberries. 

My first Pavlova, sans cream

Australians and New Zealanders argue about who can actually claim the origin of the dish, but Wikipedia (and every single Kiwi that I ever talk to) says that New Zealand is the official source.  Sadly, my Pavlova was not served with cream and I didn't know any better to ask for some.  When I told my flatmates this they were outraged.  "A proper Pavlova is meant to be served with cream!" they cried.  I guess I'll just have to order another one at some point - I think I can handle that!

What it's supposed to look like, according to Google Images