First Impressions

Language

We knew we might have some confusion due to accents, but we were surprised by how quickly it came up. After learning, (two minutes before our plane to Whanganui started boarding) that the carry-on restrictions were different on this tiny plane, we rushed to check our extra bags. The woman who directed us told us to tell the baggage people that we had “light” bags. We debated on the walk to the baggage check, but fortunately figured out that she had actually said “late” bags. We felt a bit foolish, but also amused that, as far we can figure out, those words are actually homonyms with a Kiwi accent. J

We have noticed that the biggest difficulty we have is with names. Other words, with very few exceptions, are easy to figure out. But when we’re told a street name, a person’s name, or something else with no context, it’s very hard to figure out how that word would be spelled, and therefore to understand it. I remember having the same problem when I first moved to France, and sometimes I even had to have someone write the word down before I figured out what it was. I would feel a bit silly doing that here, though, since we are supposed to speak the same language.

Settling In

Our overwhelming thought after our first two days of getting all the business stuff taken care of is that help is wonderful. When we moved to Canada, we muddled through getting driver’s licenses, health cards, tax numbers, phones, opening a bank account, learning our way around, etc. Here J’s business manager had all the forms ready for us, took us to each office, made copies for us, drove us around town, etc. What a different experience! We have already done more in two days than we did in two weeks in Canada. Yay for help! In addition, each and every person who we’ve met in each office has been kind, patient, and happy to welcome us to Whanganui. It’s such a nice feeling!

Driving

J is now officially a grown-up, because he has a work car and a work cell phone, both of which belong to him for as long as he works here.

At the risk of negating the “grown-up” label, I must write about our first experience in said car. We get in (after both going to the wrong side of the car and having to switch), and I buckle up, wondering if J is up to the challenge of driving on the left side of the road. I decide to have faith, and look up to see J groping around on left-hand side of the seat for the seat belt, which is, of course, on the right-hand side, as is appropriate for having the driver’s seat on the right. I let him look for a bit before reminding him of where it was, and we had a good laugh about how prepared (or not) we were for this new driving experience.

Good new, however, J did not crash the company car on the drive to our motel, nor on any of our subsequent excursions. Yay! He did, however, turn on the wipers each and every time he tried to signal, to my endless amusement. It is particularly funny because I have not made the switch either, so when he clicks the rod, I assume it is the blinker as well, and we both jump when the wipers swish across the windshield. It’s going to take some getting used to. The other thing J says is hardest is looking over his left shoulder to back up. He says it is so different that it’s hard for him to process exactly what he is seeing behind him.

Unfortunately, I am not an employee, and can therefore not drive this car. I will have to wait until we get our own car to experience all of this. I am dying to try! The silver lining, however, is that I get plenty of time to make fun of J for his driving struggles before he gets to return the favour. So it all evens out.

A note on Internet

Apparently, Internet usage is much more restricted here than in the USA. We have to pay for the time we use, which we find odd, because we know that the motel actually pays for the MB used. Anyway, I am typing all my posts and emails off-line in Word, and then copying them once I connect to the Internet. Not a bit deal, but it’s definitely different.