Daily Observations

As a general statement, there are not a lot of things in everyday life that are shockingly different between New Plymouth, NZ and Midwestern USA. But over time I have made a mental note of little things here and there, and thought I would share some with you.

I am not certain whether it is a nationwide practice or just a local one, but the mail-people deliver the mail on bicycles. On the one hand, the fitness benefits of the job must be excellent. On the other hand though, given some of the hills around town that I have biked up before having a car, I really do not envy them.

I took my car for an oil change a couple of weeks ago (previously a friend had changed it for me so this was the first time it was done at a shop). I was not entirely thrilled when I saw the cost of the job ($140 NZ), as it was significantly higher than what I was used to paying when I lived in KC. However, I was a bit more accepting of what I paid when I picked the car up and discovered that the price includes a vacuum, wash, wax, top up of anything the car needed (except gas, darn), and a bag of candy J I have been told that some US places offer a similar deal, but it was not something I had experienced, so I enjoyed the car being cleaned without yours truly having to do the work.

Eggs are rarely sold by the dozen here. I have found cartons of 6 eggs, 10 eggs, 18 eggs, or trays of 30 eggs. While it may seem like a lot of eggs for one person to buy, I have found that it is usually cheapest to buy the big trays. Lucky me they really do not last too long since I like to bake J On a side-note, some of the grocery stores I visited in Japan allowed you to buy as few as just 1 egg at a time.

It is common for homes to have washing machines, but not dryers. Winters are not cold enough that you are unable to hang clothes outside, assuming of course you can find a day when it is not raining. Clothes drying racks are a must-have during the wintertime for any home. Dishwashers are also not as common as in the US. Newer places have them, but many residences, especially apartments, do not offer this amenity. On the note of apartments, very few have refrigerators included so most people own one and it moves with them same as all their other furniture (including the washing machine of course).

People still go to the butcher here. I have one that I frequent because the meat is much higher quality for the same, or even occasionally a lesser, price as what the supermarkets have. It is true that it adds a stop along the way when I’m shopping, but I have decided it is well worth the extra time.

Hope you are having a good week and staying warm if you are still in the midst of winter. Weather has been warm and sunny and beautiful here, Taranaki is paradise in the summertime J