DM in NZ

I have finally started shopping again.  But I promise, I haven't bought anything (then I'd have to worry about how I would bring it back...the suitcase was overfilled when I came!).  I brought my whole summer wardrobe here with me, and all the clothes in the stores are super summery, so I haven't quite felt the need to splurge.  But it's always fun to look!  The malls are decorated in their Christmas splendor, music and all, which seems strange to me to walk in from the 75 degree warmth, into the Christmas-clad mall.  It just doesn't feel right.

As I was browsing through the stores, I got a kick out of a sweatshirt I came across:

Yes, that says Des Moines, as in IOWA!  I was shocked when I saw it and had to take a picture.  It reminds me of all the California beach inspired tees at Hollister, Abercrombie, and American Eagle.  And here I am, halfway around the world, and their fashion doesn't bear the names of famous or huge United States cities like NYC or LA or of exotic California beaches, but of good ol' Des Moines, Iowa.  Who knew?!

bye-bye biscuits!

Don't get me wrong, I love biscuits.  Especially the ones smothered in gravy at the greasy spoon for brunch.  Or the flaky cheddar-garlic ones at Red Lobster.  Or the warm ones with butter in a packet from KFC.  

   

Everyone knows that I love biscuits.But here in NZ, biscuit=cookie.  And it's not even fair to say that.  A NZ cookie is hard, solid, and crumbly.  I'm no cookie conniessuer, but I did move here with one.  Bret knows cookies, inside and out.  And we have been quite unsuccessful finding the right ones.  They don't even come close to the Nestle's Toll House chocolate chip cookies that we're all familiar with in the United States.  The closest we've had to an American cookie, was a few from Subway; their recipe must be internationally consistent.  Bret has tried a different cookie type, brand, and flavor, nearly everytime we go to the store, and he's unwilling to settle.  It doesn't help that his mom's secret chocolate chip cookie recipe is the best in the world, and that she's taking it to the grave.  So I attempted to break free from the bad biscuits, by creating some chocolate chip cookies of my own.  A labor of love, I don't think they'll go uneaten...

 

This is a NZ CookieTime cookie, one of the more expensive cookies.  They're okay, but large, dense, and borderline crunchy.  But if Bret's in a fix, these suffice.

These are my homemade, just like home (or close enough), chocolate chip cookies.  I'm no baker, but these are by far the best ones I've eaten here.  I am seriously considering starting up my own biscuit business here in NZ.  My claim to fame will be soft, ooey-gooey, melt in your mouth COOKIES.  Maybe I should just stick to giving them to all our friends here for Christmas...

sure signs of spring

 

  

Cup and Show Week

 

There have been signs and billboards, television commercials and advertisements all over about Cup and Show Week.  It is an annual New Zealand celebration of horse racing, agriculture, fashion, and entertainment.  From what I can tell, most of the events take place in ChCh, but there are also many music festivals around NZ throughout this time.  The main horse race seems similar to the Kentucky Derby, with women wearing dresses and fancy hats.  There are also fashion shows and a rodeo.  It kind of reminds me of River City Roundup and the activities that they used to hold at Aksarben, about the livestock and animals.  Because of Cup and Show Week, Friday is a public holiday in Canterbury, the state in which we live, so no work!  So if we can check out any of the festivities, we certainly will, and I'll be sure to post more soon!

how kiwis eat kiwi

Kiwis are abundant here in their home country, and they're super cheap too.  You can buy an 8 or 10 pack of green or gold kiwis for 3 NZD, which is significantly cheaper than in the United States.  There's even a cool tool that is packaged in each carton for your kiwi-eating enjoyment.  See below:

 

The kiwi and its special spoon/knife

Simply use the knife to cut off the top of the kiwi...

And then use the spoon to scoop out the fruit!

    

It really makes eating a kiwi so easy and less messy than peeling and slicing (I always feel like I am wasting half the fruit).  I have often grabbed a kiwi for a quick snack, and they're beginning to grow on me.  Did you know that you can (and we've seen it done) eat a kiwi just like you would a peach?  Skin and all!

toilet paper just for me!!!

This may sound exceptionally dorky, especially because it has made me excited, but there is such a thing as dolphin toilet paper!  It seems that a majority of the TP here is patterned, and whether Bret intended to or not, he picked up 'Marine Life' toilet paper, with dolphins swimming all over it.  The picture barely encapsulates how excited I am...look closely (you might have to click the photo to see best)!!!  ☺

being tourists

Today was a busy day exploring the city.  It was our first weekend in a long time that we didn't have any real plans or know of anything specific going on.  Bret did some research on Friday of a few activities going on in ChCh and we set out to spend the day near the city centre.  After a long and lazy morning eating French toast and catching up on internet things, we caught a bus towards cathedral square in the early afternoon.

It was somewhat refreshing being back in the city centre after spending time out in the suburbs for as long as we had.  The square was bustling once again with weekend vendors and food stalls.  And for the first time since we've been here, we noticed the cathedral was open to the public.  So we ducked in and took in the surrounding scenery in the small Christian cathedral.  A band (middle school maybe?) was assembling for a performance, however, upon beginning, they sounded like they were each trying to play their instrument as loudly as possible, interrupting the peacefulness of the quiet church, which was enough to get us to leave.  The weather was sunny, but faded between absolute warmth and cold wind.  We walked through the downtown area, taking in the sights and exploring alley ways and areas that we hadn't previously seen.

Despite our failed attempt at Oktoberfest here in ChCh, we were willing to give them another chance.  Bret had read about a beer festival featuring 20 NZ beers, so we checked it out.  The place was packed with people gathering across the sunny porch, and in warm booths on both floors of the restaurant.  The best part...no admission fee!  We were able to taste different sizes of beer at our own leisure and the hot french fries with sauce and aioli (which we've fallen in love with!) were a delicious accompaniment.  It was so refreshing to relax after what felt like weeks of working!

To complete our visit of downtown, we dined at a Lonely Planet recommendation, Dux de Lux.  We shared a lite dinner on the warm patio of New Zealand green-lipped mussels and a smoked salmon Caesar salad.  The restaurant prides itself on being vegequarian (vegetarian and seafood only).  We basked in the sunshine, watching little birds flit about chirping for crumbs, checked the clock and realized the bus would be a the stop several blocks away in ten minutes (it only arrives once an hour).  We finished up quick, caught the bus right on time and headed home for the evening for movie night!  It was a lovely and inspiring day, exploring the city of our new home!

 

The mussels and Bret's muscles!