8/04/2010

A few more random thoughts....

Ford Falcons look like older Ford Torinos.

Some of the companies that have just one product line in the US have a myriad of products here: Electrolux vacuums and  Bosch spark plugs, for example.

There is a scene in a tv ad advert where a lady says two words--and one of them is grammatically incorrect! So much for setting an example for the kids.

I still wear sterling silver jewelry every day that is over 12 years old and still looks great. We bought sterling wedding bands for the ceremony and they took a matter of months before they were worn through to the crappy brass (I assume) inside. What is up with that?

The school system still has no respect for parents/guardians. They regularly give out notices on Friday of trips or tests or something that costs money and expect us to miraculously cough up with whatever is necessary by Monday. How rude.

It's no secret that NZ is anti-American most of the time. You can read it in the news and blogs most every day. But, I don't see people flocking to NZ for freedom or asylum. And, I guess it's not worth the trouble to try to sneak into the country illegally for all the 'wonderful benefits' one can find here. Kinda makes you want to go, 'Hmmmm....'.

As I recall, I have yet to see any advertisement on the telly to get us to use bleach on our white clothes to get them clean.  And there are very few fabric softener adverts, either.

There is an influx of products that have demonic names and brands here, like the pizza company that I discussed in an earlier post and sports drinks. I wonder if they would survive in the US.

I guess it's a matter of the US breaking away from English ties that makes the figures of speech so different. I find it strangely interesting that people are 'in hospital' instead of 'in the hospital' or that' High' Street here is 'Main' Street in the US.

'Full stop' is the period at the end of a sentence and also an expression of total completeness.

In Stratford, and in most places, the only shops open on Sundays are take-out take-away shops. And bars, of course.

I still am not used to the NZ pronunciation of 'teen' numbers. Here 'thirteen' is pronounced 'third-een'. The others leave off the 't' sound, too, but are not as obvious.

I have given up on trying to figure out when flowers and shrubs should be in bloom. Hubby says they know that the shortest day has passed and that's why they start to grow and bloom. To me, it's still winter, so they should still be hibernating! Alas, I will simply enjoy the pretty blooms and not worry about whether they are on time or not.

7 comments:

Scrapping With Sherry said...

I take it you dont care for NZ, or you just miss home so badly you do not want to see the good.. I have never been there nor heard much about it to even know... I just know for myself a place is what I make of it.

I came to your blog to introduce myself. My name is Sherry and I have joined the Bloggerette Sorority. I missed the rush, as I have only been blogging for about 3weeks, but I am looking forward to joining in on the fun in the future. I would be honored if you visited my blog at http://scrappingwithsherry1.blogspot.com/ Hope to see you there!

Take Care and Be Careful!~ Sherry

betty-NZ said...

Sorry you thought this was a negative post, Sherry. It's just observations, that's it full stop.
No, I am not homesick and there is a lot that I love about NZ.

Jennifer AKA keewee said...

Being a transplant from NZ to USA I find some things here "strange" but I am one of those people who seems to take it all in stride, and I don't bother to analyze the differences, as it would drive me crazy.Is is funny though, I forget I still have a strong accent after living here almost 30 years, and when I call home and leave a voice message, then listen to it, I giggle at my accent, I think I speak the same as all the other folk here.
I must admit, when I visit NZ I am disappointed in some of the things I see happening, but that is the way it is, also happening here, and some of it is not good at all.

Juli said...

I'm not sure if "over-stayers" are still a problem in NZ? It's just not as easy to cross a border into NZ as it is say from Mexico into the U.S.

You are scaring me with the schools! There is no way we could come up with money for extras over a weekend. We need more notice than that.

Amy said...

I dont' find your post negative, I hear you on many of your points especially the one about coughing up money for school trips at the last minute...

Connie said...

I remember the 'to hospital' from the UK. They also would use 'ill' for injured. I used to think it very strange to hear the news... some guy would be 'taken to hospital, seriously ill, after an road accident'.... what? Was he ok after the crash, but fell out of his wrecked car, into a pool of e-coli?!?!

Ratbert said...

In Harrisburg, PA (the capital of one of the largest states in the USA) in the center of the city there are no shops open on Sundays either, the malls in the suburbs are open but none of the shops in the city.

In Germany there are no shops open in the whole of the country on Sundays, even supermarkets!! At least you can still get your groceries in Stratford on Sunday, running out of wine on a Sunday in Hamburg is not a happy time I can tell you!

Lucky the world is different wherever you go otherwise it would be an awfully boring place...