3/17/2009

US vs NZ list

I was thinking the other day about things that I never  would  have done if I hadn't moved to a whole new life on the other side of the globe.  As I wrote them down, Hubby reminded me of more.

I'm sure it will lengthen as time goes by, but for now, here's the list of things I never thought I would do:
  • pull weeds
  • worry about balanced meals
  • buy brown eggs at the store
  • snuggle on the sofa (I didn't own one in KS)
  • be chased by waves
  • watch the Simpsons
  • dust
  • recycle
  • hang clothes out to dry
  • consider myself responsible for wild ducks
  • grow my own tomatoes
  • see dolphins swim alongside a boat
  • take a zillion pictures
  • grow flowers in an old work boot
  • do the 'titanic' pose on a ferry boat
  • do the 'titanic' pose on a charter boat after my wedding vows
  • hike through woods to see a waterfall
  • stand on the beach at midnight
  • wonder if flowers need moving for more sunlight
  • check homework
  • look 200 feet straight down while standing on a window 
  • compost
  • turn a plot of grass into a flower bed
  • watch BBC programs
  • search for John Deere tractors
  • buy furnishings from the internet
  • see sea anemones up close
  • read the back of a seed package
  • text proficiently
  • sit in a tennis-court size hot pool
  • chase trains
  • kick a soccer ball around
  • hear about--much less actually see--glowworms in a cave
  • ride a train for pleasure
  • learn some English history
  • buy Swan plants to attract caterpillars
  • drink instant coffee on a regular basis
  • have a pet cat
  • call the bush beside the pond 'George'
Looking back over this list, it seems I was saved from a life of boredom.

10 comments:

Joy0z said...

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Simple Answer said...

Oh no! Do they only have NesCafe in NZ? Is that why the instant coffee?

Mrs. Jelly Belly said...

Ha ha - I was going to make the same comment about the instant coffee! Everything else sounds SO GREAT, but the instant coffee? I just couldn't deal!

Saved from a life of boredom? Sure sounds like it. Your life sounds pretty close to perfect.

Southern Ange said...

Love the contrasts you make between NZ and the US. Keeping a blog with my Canadian friend (that often highlights the differences between Canada and NZ), it is fascinating to read your blog from the point of view from someone who has made the transition from the Northern hemisphere to Down Under! :-)

Thanks!

betty-NZ said...

For Simple Answer and Mrs. Jelly Belly: Suffice it to say that Nescafe is the best I can find and it does quite nicely (now that I am used to it).

Of course, you can see the embarrassing irony in the fact that I had complained that my casino took a step down to Nescafe just before I moved here. *sigh*

Vanessa Rogers said...

tennis court size hot tub? That sounds interesting :)

Christy said...

I was intrigued with the large hot pool too - would love to see photos of that. Although I haven't lived in another country, since my husband is Welsh I have gotten to spend months visiting Wales and I just love how being a different country opens your life up to so many different experience. You should make this list a monthly, quarterly or yearly activity - what a neat memento to look back on in the years to come.

Bitsa Lit said...

yay! i dont drink coffee!!!

NZ sounds pretty sweet, although I have read (and seen pics unfortunatly) of monstrous spiders. What are they like? The ones here are about the size of a toonie and thats HUGE!

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

I read through your list. What did you do in US? Did you live in an inner city apartment block.

Glad you love the Kiwi way of life.

I am doing some of the stuff you do, like composting and gardening, and weeding. 1/4 acres section.

Didn't you watch Simpsons? My son is hooked on it, so i also watch.

Anonymous said...

I lived in New Zealand for a year and NEVER thought I would hang my clothes out side - in the dead of winter. Good post!