1. It's an environmental friendly country. It's common to come across reminders to use energy saving methods, i.e duvets, hot water bottles or simply layer up instead of using heaters, most homes have clothes lines instead of dryers here which is not a common sight in the USA, reminders to take only quick showers, websites dedicated to ride sharings/ carpoolings as well as having active Greenpeace campaigns which is currently kept busy with the recent oil spill off the coast of Tauranga. `
2. It's common here that people grow their own veggies and rear their own chickens for eggs.
3. Most cafes close at 6pm on weekdays and 4pm on weekends which leave only bars open throughout the night. Quiz nights are popular in bars creating interactive atmosphere and winners are awarded with free food and alcoholic beverages as prizes.
4. There are significantly more butcher shops as well as fresh fruit & veggie shops here as compared to in the USA.
5. Kiwis are particular over the origin of their food. At supermarkets, you'd get to know if the eggs are free range eggs or from chickens reared in cages, which most Kiwis are against. The same goes with meat. On the other hand, for finished goods, manufacturers also like to specify that their goods are made of environment friendly materials or processes.
6. A.S felt like a VIP in busses as several times, there were just in total 3 passengers in a 40 minutes bus ride.
7. Used clothing, accessories and motor vehicles gain high demand here. You can get a used 15 year old Hatchback for as low as $1300 but unless you're lucky, be prepared to spend hundreds of dollars on repairs.
8. Unemployment rate in NZ is currently at 6.5% as compared to 3.1% in Malaysia. The fact that every year, young Working Holiday Makers from all around the world are making their way here to fill jobs certainly doesn't help to alleviate the situation. It's common that locals here take the opportunity to seek help for their home, farm, orchards, hostels in exchange for accommodation and food instead.
9. If you're a citizen and unemployed, you get $140/wk as benefits.
10. It's common to have youths, especially, going up to you and say "Do you have $2 spare change?" A.S has been approached 4 times in her 2 months here.
