Visitors to New Zealand always seem to be perplexed by the countries obsession with the All Blacks and rugby in general and it is a national obsession. I don’t get it either but I’m part of a very small percentage of the NZ population who just can’t be bothered with rugby.
I did meet a German last week who was beyond excited at the thought of seeing the haka at an All Blacks game though.
Other than Australians and the British, the rest of the world seems to believe that by calling ourselves Kiwis we are naming ourselves after fruit.
Gun ownership as a hobby isn’t actually that uncommon outside the US, you know. I know plenty of collectors in Canada, the UK, New Zealand, and of course here in Australia.
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had to explain to people (usually from the US) that a “Kiwi” is either a small flightless bird native to New Zealand, or a person from New Zealand, and that the fruit with the furry skin and green centre they’re thinking of is a “Kiwifruit”. It’s really not a hard concept to grasp and I do wish the Agricultural Marketing Board would do something about correcting the misapprehension.
Back on topic:
Shops closing early on Sundays. In most places (that I’ve been, anyway) shops might close a little earlier on Sundays, but in QLD they’re generally either closed completely or, in certain places, open from 10am-4pm, with a few exceptions for supermarkets and petrol stations and things like that, which are open longer hours.
Would that really be something that would confuse someone visiting the USA? I mean, it’s not like this is something that people experience walking around the streets of an American town. Is it really part of American culture? Something Americans commonly engage in on a personal level?
And in all seriousness, what educated person would be unaware of the fact that big military powers get into a lot of wars?
You seem to be really projecting a lot of your personal political opinions here. For instance:
Do ya REALLY think the United States is an unusually xenophobic culture? Really? More xenophobic than European cultures, where they’ve started electing fascists to the European parliament? Japan, where foreigners are in polite conversation referred to by insulting names? Come on, now. From what country do you think a visitor could possibly come who would be surprised and confused by xenophobia in America? Name five.
Come on.
My only experience with people being confused by Canada is that folks from western and northern Europe invariably are bewildered by two things:
The size of the country and how that affects the way we live, and
The extremes in climate, both summer (much hotter anhd more humid than most of western Europe) and winter (ferocious to anyone not used to it.)
The biggest things I find noticeable when I visit the US:
US flags everywhere.
Tipping.
Weird attitudes to alcohol - namely (a) high drinking age requirement;
(b) tendency to mix all sorts of different drinks up into weird cocktails and insisting “you gotta try this!”
Well until the “it-will-never-take-on-because-it-already-has-a-name” Zespri campaign came along the Agricultural Marketing Board did just fine.
What I can’t understand is how people are happy to use the term grapefruit and realise it is not the same thing as a grape, yet kiwifruit is somehow too hard!
I’ve only been to Florida, and saw about four varieties there - salted, sour cream and chive, chilli and barbecue sauce. Americans I know have commented on the variety of crisps here, but perhaps, as you say, that was actually about the different flavours rather than the number of flavours. We have the different textures too, and some are corn or wheat rather than potato. Of course, the main difference seems to be that our crisps nearly always come in 33g bags.
WTH are loaded baked potato flavour? Potato flavour seems a bit odd in a product usually made of potato, and baked potatoes can be loaded with all sorts of things.
Well around here (and I assume all of Canada and the US) the fruit is simply called “kiwi”. But I am aware that a kiwi is also a bird (and a New Zealander, though I don’t know how come they came to use this nickname to refer to themselves).
Actually I would wager the large majority of Americans don’t like maple syrup especially when you get out of the far northeast… They like the Mrs. Butterworth’s type. But when my house guests would try my Real Maple syrup, 90% of them had never had it before, and the same 90% thought it was way too strong and disgusting.It seems like something that you don’t like if you didn’t grow up with it as a kid.
Oh, man, if we counted non-potato chips, I’d probably be online all day thinking of flavors readily available. Dozens of permutations of vaguely Mexican flavors for corn tortilla chips alone; different levels of “nacho cheesiness,” different chile peppers, etc. Weirdest would probably the limited-edition Mountain Dew flavor Doritos-- sweet citrus-flavored salty corn chips. Bleah. (Or the Clamato clam-and-tomato flavor flour tortilla chips…)
Plain, sour cream & chive/onion, and barbecue are the traditional potato chip flavors in the US; if you go into small stores or convenience stores, you’re not likely to see too many more (except in the Pringles displays where it’s easier to stock a wider variety), unless it’s a regional favorite, like lime in a Hispanic neighborhood. Also, you’re not likely to see a great variety in snack-size/single-serving packages. I think I can understand the surprise, then, at the UK’s abundance of flavors if they’re all in those ready-to-snack packets.
You must have hung out with racists, then. We eat pizza, KFC and fish&chips with our hands all the time, always have.Me, my white wife, the people in KFC’s TV ads…
That’s N1 and no, we have had several numbered national roads (i.e. interstates) for decades, as well as local numbering systems. I can drag out a 70s vintage AA atlas and prove it.
A system we copied from the British…but radio doesn’t need a licence, only TV.
This is just bizarre. Our house was built in the 40s and had ankle-level outlets. But it depends where the house builder wants them - a lot of stuff on tables, you might want higher outlets.
The Kiwi is a flightless bird unique and indigenous to New Zealand. That is why we refer to ourselves as Kiwis.
And to say “well that’s what we call it” is frankly kinda offensive. If you don’t know any better, then fine, we will politely correct you. If you have had it explained and can’t be arsed to change then what?
is it ok for me to call an African American a nigger and respond with - well that’s what we call them around here when called on it?
The Kiwifruit was largely “invented” in New Zealand, it was a unique fruit that came from “Kiwi” land. Hence the name of the fruit. But really - is it all that hard to get the name right?
Hate to break it to you, but the kiwifruit is native to China, (it’s actually the official fruit of the PRC) and is called a kiwifruit because it quite resembles the Kiwi bird. It did get the name from exporters based in New Zealand.
I think that’s the point Bengangmo is making- the idea of calling it a “Kiwifruit” and not a “Chinese Gooseberry” was an innovation of NZ exporters, hence the popularity of the term- even though Kiwifruit are, indeed, originally from China. (And whoever was responsible for the “Zespri” renaming efforts should be summarily deported to the Chatham Islands and left there, IMHO).
And yes, it’s been politely explained that the small fruit is a KiwiFRUIT, not a “Kiwi” (that refers to the bird or someone/something from NZ, and only those things), and we would appreciate it if the effort could be made not to refer to the fruit as a “Kiwi”. Please update your notes accordingly.
Would you believe that this is the first time I’ve ever heard that calling the little fuzzy brown fruit with the green insides just a “kiwi” was offensive to New Zealanders? Seriously, I think 50% of it is that those of us in North America have no idea it’s a problem for anyone.
That said, now that I’ve been informed, I’ll try to change my habits.
The Canadian Oxford Dictionary lists the fruit as being called either a “kiwi” or a “kiwifruit,” so either word is correct here.
Why are you so worked up about it? What difference does it make to you?
Actually, it’s originally from China. The world’s largest producer is Italy. For a guy who accuses others of being too lazy to bother naming the fruit correctly, you don’t know much about it.
