picmr
you mean Rotorua. that’s where the boiling mud lives.
G.Nome
anti fertility cult? WTF? The last care package of Listeners I got certainly listed some science programs. YK I know that you and I have gotten into it previously but I get deeply irritated when you try to make out that NZ is some alternate reality. It ceases to be even remotely amusing very quickly.
There are no science programmes on New Zealand television. 10 year old episodes of the British series Horizon are sometimes shown at 3 a.m. - that’s all. This country has been by-passed by the rest of the world as far as good television goes. Ocassionally I see a books in the library which have been based on great British documentaries which have never seen the light of day here. We never see any American public television programmes either. In this way, a lot of people have never heard of Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell or Camille Paglia or Robert Bly, and have never seen people sitting around discussing ethics. We don’t even see the Big Byte anymore. This is the truth.
There are very few “light” news programmes either. Entertainment this Week is not shown and MTV is no longer available. There are very few programmes on popular culture. I remember when the whole Manchester music scene in England came and went without a mention in the media here. In fact, the whole country could be a CIA experiment in isolation as far as I’m concerned.
Well if you are gonna whine because Entertainment This Week is no longer available, I guess some things become clearer…
I never found NZ to be socially isolated. Even living in deepest darkest South Canterbury. But then I never wanted to watch Entertainment This Week.
I’m still awaiting with fascination the explanation of the anti fertility cult. As you may remember I’ve got ancestors who were on those ships and they had huge families.
G. Nome, if you really want a no-holds-barred account of the New Zealander people, ask me, preferably when I’ve had a bit to drink about my ex-SO of sorts (from Invercargill, yikes!), a woman colourfully known amongst my friends as That Bitch.
Also, there’s a book which I read about NZ which says a lot of the same things you say–I’ll have to find its title. You didn’t write it, by any chance, did you?
Invercargill! That’s bad Duke, real bad. It’s a cold hellhole of a place. still they got what they deserved when they got Tim Shadbolt for mayor. But YK most of us are really nice…
What book?
Duke: I am eagerly awaiting the name of the book too but that is the only thing I’m ever likely to have in common with Primaflora (other than a fondness for sphagnum moss).
Unfortunately for me I am going to have to hijack my own thread if I want to come to the defence of Tim Shadbolt who is actually quite a cool mayor - a fun mayor. I am proud of him. I am also proud that the Rocky Horror Show came out of this country by way of Tim O’Brien (there should be a statue of Franken Furter somewhere) and that there is a transsexual member of parliament. And so on. I have a list. Sport isn’t in it.
Columbia - didn’t like it - especially when people started shooting at me
Yemen - Great scenery, very reserved people.
Turmenistan - Don’t really want to go back there - ever been phoned up by the front desk in hotel at 2am to see if i needed a prostitute?
Syria - great place. It really did have friendly people, great beer (!) and cool roman cities.
Well, the major reason for this is probably, that space is VERY limited in Japan. Even in houses there’s not much room, and a furnace would take up much needed space. I remember in my Japanese culture class watching a video on Japanese housing, and they said that the living room will often function as the eating area, as well as a sleeping area (In fact, most rooms have several functions). Also, most houses are wooden,packed tightly together, and being tectonically active, a broken gasline that sparks could set an entire block on fire (not that a kerosene space heater won’t but the Japanese make damn sure it’s fully out before leaving it unattended). I also think that using kerosene is much cheaper than using gas or oil to heat a house or apartment. IIRC, Japan has to import most of its natural resources, so large amounts heating oil for a large furnace would cost quite a bit of money.
A friend of mine who spent a year there said smoking was far too common. She doesnt smoke so she hated it, but there wasnt much she could do. She also said on trains she’d get touched by dirty old men. At one point she “tripped” and pushed this guy who was annoying her. And she also says the men there dont seem to wear any deodorant, so there was a lot of BO sometimes.
**Germany ** As my husband has family in Northern Germany, I’ve been over many a time and despite the fact that I can barely speak two sentances together in the language, I have found little language problems.
Every major and minor city I’ve gone through or stopped in over there I have found to be impeccably clean. Even the supposed slum areas.
If you want a job to be done right the first time and have that job last forever, you get a German to do it. If you want to be told how the job you are doing is wrong, wrong, wrong, have a German standing behind you. * " I vood never do it zhat vhay." *
I don’t like beer, and their food leaves alot to be desired.
**England ** There is something in the English that is ingrained in them that I don’t think we will ever see over here, English Pride. Listening to friends over there talk about other countries and how whatever that country is doing is nuts compared to how THEY do it, is something to behold.
Everyone I encountered was really nice and friendly. They take great pride in their flowers and gardens. And their national dish is curry 
I love dry British humor.
**Canada **My grandparents were Canadians until they emigrated over here. We still have canuck relatives over the bridge, eh. It’s always reminded me of America, just 25 years behind schedule. Since the advent of “That 70’s show” that’s what I think Canada is.
**Mexico ** You couldn’t meet a friendlier, nicer and more desperately poor people than Mexicans. Outside of the resort areas you will just cry at how poor everything is in such in incredibly beautiful spot on earth. Why can’t they get their act together?
**Ireland ** Like England, only friendlier and greener.
Urban Japanese folks don’t live in houses, but in big, ugly, concrete apartment buildings. It’s a pity they never borrowed the ondol heated floor concept fromm their Korean neighbors. I nearly choked on the kerosene fumes when I was in a traditional ryokan in Dazaifu. On the whole, I totally dug Japan, however.
Another opinion on Japan: I spent a few weeks travelling around, mostly in Kyushu, last May. I found the people to be remarkably friendly, approaching me and making conversation, and sharing their food and drink with me, all the time. This only works in smaller cities, in my experience, but having spent time in maybe 30 countries, I reckon Japan is by far the friendliest. And if you speak a little Japanese, they are very happy.
I agree about the technological issues though. It’s the first place I’ve been in recent years that I couldn’t use my mobile phone; that I couldn’t withdraw money from the nearest ATM; that it’s still really hard to make an international phone call from a public phone. If you’re well prepared this shouldn’t be a problem. Otherwise you’ll end up like me gratefully eating strangers’ lunches.
I spent two weeks in Australia last year and had a great time. I was with my husband, who’s from there, so we didn’t do too many touristy things…mostly hung out with friends and family, went to the beach, and drank beer. My overall impression was very positive (it better be…I’ll be living there soon), but as long as you’re looking for negatives, here are a few.
The only thing that really disappointed me was the fact that it was so much like the U.S. I guess I just expected something more exotic. Same brand names, same tv shows, etc. I did like the way stores are set up…baker, butcher shop, vegetable stand. I also loved Sydney. It’s an extremely beautiful city.
Everyone I met was very friendly and nice, even people who didn’t have to be because they know my husband. This probably wouldn’t have happened if I had been there on my own, but it seemed like there were a lot of people all fired up to argue about the U.S. and its policies. Problem was, most of them didn’t have any clue what they were talking about. I set 'em straight, though, and it was all in good fun anyway.
We had one bizarre encounter on a ferry in Sydney harbor.
We were sitting there, minding our own business, when this guy sat down next to us and asked us where we were from. I said the U.S. and my husband said he was from the Central Coast but lives in the U.S. now. The guy went off about Sydney and the people living there (how “stuck up” they are, etc.). He said he was from Darwin. He went into a serious rant - bulging veins, flying spittle, the whole ball of wax. We tried to get away from him and he followed us around the whole ferry trip. Weird.
As I said, though, I had a great time and I’m really looking forward to moving there.
Spain–I thought the people were very friendly in barcelona. My traveling companion said everyone was rude. People smoke too much.
France–Nice was the dirtiest place I have ever been. No one cleans up after their dogs–and they have really large dogs. You had to watch where you stepped constantly. Paris was cleaner. The lack of handicap accessibility was weird. We watched a guy in a wheelchair being carried through the metro system by a few of his friends and it made me appreciate how difficult life in the US would be for some people without the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Germany and England–I’m biased because I always stay with my relatives. But I always found everyone to be very friendly. Germans are thrilled to have someone to practive their english on.
Australia–(lived there for a year)people are friendly but I’ve never encountered racism like I did there. (against Asians–particularly the Japanese and against Aboriginals). I wasn’t impressed with their educational system either.
Canada–I want to move to Canada.
Been there 3 times, first, the positives:
-people are very friendly, and they LIKE Americans
-beer is cheap (a good Brazilian beer like ANTARCTICA) is around 25 cents/can
-a good percentage of the women (in Rio anyway) are drop-dead gorgeous
-meat (beef and pork) is very good, more flavor than in the USA
-restaurants and nightclubs are cheap
-bikinis are tiny!
The negatives:
-high crime rate-you have to be careful
-gas is expensive($1.25/liter)
-don’t drink tapwater
-STDs like AIDS are becoming very common
I have been to
italy(5 weeks) I was in Milan. Was loud, dirty, the people were rude. In Varese and Laveno (further to the north) the people were much nicer and much cleaner. I heard similar stories from other americans. They also claimed southern italy was nice as well. By my first hand knowledge and second hand rumors I think the asshole Italians are centered around Milan.
Switerland(2weeks) Absolutely fantstic! The people there are top rate wonderful people. Only the Dutch were as friendly (more on that later) I was in Basil and Buus. I had a fantastic time. It is an expensive country to visit. Unless you have family or friends living there (as I do).
Neatherlands Was there for a brief time. Had a blast. After I checked in I went wandering around the hotel for a walk, when i returned the couple that had been working the desk invited me out to dinner and a night on the town. I of course was a good boy and managed to stay out of trouble. of course in the words of Coldfire “Is almost impossible to get in trouble in Amsterdamn, unless you murder someone.” Of course I hear Nazi war memorabilia is a close second.
Russia I had a great time.St Petersburg was very nice, a bit dirty but was interesting.Spent 5 days there seeing the sites. Then I hoped a boat and took a week cruise to Moscow. Vlaam Island was very intesting and a very mystical, beautiful place. Uglich was Amazing and fun.
Moscow was crowded and I did not stay there long. The food was good and the women sigh.
there is my 2 cents.
True, i forgot to mention that in the cities people live in those ugly apartment buildings. My friend who went there for a year said her apartment was very very small (and she’s not a big person either). Said it was often claustrophobic at times. I think it only had a bathroom, kitchen, very small bedroom and a tiny livingroom. She was told it was only a few tatami mats big. A couple of friends who were exchange students however, lived in suburbs in houses (2 hr train ride to Obirin U.). The space heater idea is interesting, but I agree, they should borrow the ondol concept from korea (although, cultural issues and pride may prevent that…)
I spent two weeks in Italy and two weeks in Greece with a friend a couple of years ago. Italy was awesome surroundings-wise – so much cultural background and history. I liked Venice way more than I thought I would, and was absolutely overcome by Assisi. The Italians were polite, although not overly-friendly. The cab drivers were positively frightening. Italy is also very crowded, at least in the big cities where we spent much of our time.
I absolutely loved Greece – same sort of feeling of connection with history, but on a much slower pace. We spent a lot of our time in the Cycladic islands, where the people were wonderful and the food was unbelievable.
Has anyone ever been to Nigeria? If you enter Nigeria + flogging in a search engine what you get will give you a really bad headache.
Well, there is a theory that there exists in NZ a secret caste system in which the parents of the hierarchically challenged break their babies noses at birth to stem sexual attractiveness in an attempt to inhibit breeding. This also disguises the disfiguring effect sport can have on the faces of the young and so maintains a supply of sports enthusiasts. Unlike you, Primaflora, I don’t see every person with an imperfect nose as being part of my huge, extended family. They’re just New Zealanders.