Part 5 - I'm a 'Sleb

Imagine my surprise on Saturday morning to find myself looking at a picture of myself on page A11 of the Southland Times. Yes you've guessed it - the press that came in on Friday decided to use a picture of me and Kate serving a customer - with our names printed underneath. I look really grumpy on it and Kate looks stressed and busy...hmmm - think they could possibly have chosen a much better one, maybe of the barista hard at work seeing as it is a coffee shop. Alas the guys the OH (Other Half) works with text him, and his boss said it's nice to have a celeb in the area. So there you have it "I'm a 'sleb"...albeit a grumpy looking one! I wasn't grumpy at all so I'm not sure why I'm looking like that - maybe that's just my normal face.

Well as you know I have been searching for a winter coat and with Snow forecast for the upcoming week down south my situation was getting desperate. Lo and behold on Saturday we went into Farmers and it was there staring at me (OK the OH found it really) - a gorgeous winter coat with toggles and a hood and everything. So I am now the proud owner of a new winter coat which even boasts 'a touch of wool' in the lining. It's beautiful. Plus it was half price in the sale (no queens birthday sale this weekend, just a sale) so double trouble!

I also invested in some flat boots for my new job in the coffee shop - I have 5 days in work next week so I'm sure I'll appreciate them so much more than the (small) heeled boots I wore Friday. So I'm sorted...let it snow! On that topic, we are hoping to head up to Queenstown for their winter festival in July and the organisers were concerned that it wouldn't be much of a winter festival this year as it hadn't yet snowed so they're very grateful for the forecast. Get that Britain - this country can rely on the correct weather happening at the right time of year! I know, it's a novelty for me too.

Although this whole business of it being winter but not yet Christmas is seriously messing with my mind. I had a dream the other day that in NZ they moved Christmas to August...I awoke very very confused and had to ask the OH whether Christmas was at 'Christmas time' here or if it's in August. This confusion is not helped when there are adverts on the TV saying 'don't wait for Santa, get it now!' and the 'Christmas Magic Shop' being open (not sure what Christmas Magic they have in there, I'll let you know in due course - my senses might just explode with confusion if I enter a Christmas shop in June).

Needless to say Christmas IS still on December the 25th over here BUT some people do have mid-Winter Christmas parties in June / July so that they can celebrate Christmas when it's looking festive. Now this completely defeats the object of having a lovely sunny Christmas. Who started this? For native New Zealanders Christmas has always been sunny so 'Christmassy' weather to them would be very different to 'Christmassy' weather for us Brits. Surely they don't even think snow is Christmassy?? It's so confuuuuuuuuuuusing! I must admit, it is very odd seeing snowmen and snowflakes in windows and snowmen plush toys around without the obligatory Santa / reindeer next to it.

A few of you have asked me about the shops out here. These are as follows:

Food shopping
No we don't have Asda / Tesco / Sainsbury's. We do however have Countdown / New World / Supervalue / Pak 'n' Save which are by and large the same thing. The main difference is that it's much cheaper to buy your fresh veg from a green grocers and your meat from a butchers than it is to buy them from a supermarket. It's the opposite in the UK.

Also, for those of you not on FaceBook you won't have seen the 'Swede Shed' pictures. Basically on the side of the roads there are little tiny sheds filled with a certain veg (in this case it was swedes) and there's an honesty box where you put your money and you take the veg you want. It's lovely. In the summertime you find all sorts (avocados, fruit, etc) but I have only seen potatoes and swedes so far at this time of year. It wouldn't work in the UK because the veg (and the shed!) would most likely be stolen...by the minority I hasten to add, but it spoils it for everyone else. These swedes were only $1 (about 50p) so you drop your cash in the box and away you go. These are set up buy whoever grows the veg. It's a great idea and makes me feel in some tiny minute way that I am contributing to local farming and not all the imported stuff.

On the subject of food they have these chocolates over here by Cadbury called 'jaffas'. They're like orange smarties but they're bigger and ball shaped, they are amazing. I remember loving them when we cam here last February and my love was reignited the other day. They are gorgeous. I'm not sure why they don't do them in the UK - I'll bring some back with me next year and get you all hooked ;-)

On the flip side I bought a Nestle 4 finger KitKat the other day and have eaten half of it. Yes - HALF! There is a reason for this lack of KitKatKitKat however has a fair bit of chocolate on it. I even bit the 2 ends off and sucked my coffee up through it but alas no joy, it's just not the same. Also, I think KitKats are smaller out here you know - don't get me wrong, I am glad - but if someone could let me know the weight of a 4 finger KitKat in the UK it would abate my curiosity. Enough about the KitKat.

Clothes shopping
None that I recognise from home in this category either. We have some big companies like Farmer's / Postie / Number One Shoes / The Warehouse (where everyone gets a bargain so the song on the advert says) and this is only my limited knowledge so far based on adverts on the TV and what I've seen in Invercargill - I'm sure you'd have a completely different account from someone who lives in Auckland! Some shops have real random combinations of things for sale - take The Warehouse as an example. Now they sell everything from chocolates, sweets, pop, etc to perfumes, workwear, clothes & shoes to mops, cleaning fluids and garden furniture! It's a bit of a catch all really.

Fast food shopsHere is where the similarities to the UK / US come out in force. We have Subway (with some extra options though like 'seafood supreme') and we have a 24 hour McDonald's, we have KFC too and all the usual suspects.

Coffee shops
We have Starbucks but there are much much better local coffee shops that you should frequent instead ;-)

Any more questions on shops or anything else then fire away!

We had some fabulous news yesterday - our shipping items have left the UK - yey!! So they are expected to dock in New Zealand at the end of July. How exciting to have my own things back :o) I didn't think I'd be so excited but I really am. More clothes and shoes - yey, yey and more yey!!!

We went out last night to a fund raiser night for St John at the local RSA (like a workingmen's club). It was a fab night. We went with Tim and Bernie (our neighbour's daughter and son-in-law) who are so lovely! We had a fab night but if you've seen the pics you will have noticed it was a very drunk evening - therefore I have an ill man on my hands today. He's currently asleep in bed and it's 5pm Sunday afternoon. We got home at about 1:30am and we slept through 'til 12:30pm this afternoon! I am feeling fine (that's what happens when you're only in your twenties) as I think I slept it off. So today has mainly consisted of being in my PJ's all day and wondering what I can eat next (the KitKat remains in the fridge).

On that note, I'm off to scour the pantry to see what I can find. Have a great Sunday all!