http://immoderatecollective.tumblr.com/
http://www.ManInaShed.com
Link with 1 note
James Cameron is a badass. →
why do i love james cameron so much? besides the fact that his movies are entertaining? well stuff like this is why.
James Cameron heads to space to look for unobtainium.
Post with 1 note
the spring playlist
it’s been spring for a few weeks now, but i was busy marinating on these tunes and needed to make sure they were good enough to make the cut, so i took a little time. but they are ready to go!
spring is a great time in denver. you’ve made it thru the cold, bitter winter, you’re breathlessly waiting for the sunshine and the warm air (unless you’re a snowboard junky and you want snow year-round, in which case you should probably move to alaska or canadia or something. and no, i didn’t spell canadia wrong), and the colors start making their way back into life. people start going outside into the parks and mountains again, the patios start opening up at the downtown bars, the Rockies baseball games are now in full swing (hah! get it?! ugh.)… it’s impossible to stay inside in denver once it warms up.
which is why the Spring playlist is so vital. you need songs that get your blood pumping and make you want to dance! and dance we shall, i hope you are ready.
1. Delta Spirit -> ”Tellin the Mind”
these guys are becoming a go-to for me these days. i actually went to high school with ‘em and jammed gee-tars with kelly a couple of times way back in the day. now all they do is write great songs. this one included.
2. Beautiful Small Machines -> “Paper Planes”
i always throw 1 cover on the mix, and this was the winner this time around. i’ll be honest: it’s a damn shame that this song is “paper planes.” seriously, i love this song, i hate MIA’s song - only because i’ve heard it a quadzillion +1 times - but this seriously sounds like a completely new song. i dont know anything about this band, but they did a good job of reinventing the song.
3. Reptar -> “Stuck in my id”
another thing i do with these things is put my favorite in the 3 spot. must be my baseball childhood. anyway, this band may end up being my favorite band in 2012 if they keep releasing songs like this. seriously, i can’t stop listening. it’s getting annoying.
4. Walk the Moon -> “Tightrope”
from Cincinatti, Ohio, these guys have done pretty well for themselves the last few months, including a strong showing at SXSW. wait for the drummer pounding the toms near the end of the song. love it.
5. Thin White Duke/Katy Perry -> “Part of Me”
yes, you read that right. i just included a katy perry song in my playlist. but i couldn’t help it. it’s a remix from big producer & DJ Jacques Lu Conte (Thin White Duke), and if you watch ESPN at all, this is the song that Reebok is using for their new ad campaign. that bass line just works.
6. Gramatik -> “Talkbox Intended”
let there be funk. seriously i dare you not to dance. this jam had me bouncing within 5 seconds. i’m breakin all sorts of rules for myself here. 1st i post a katy perry song, and then i move straight to a “dubstep” song. i really am not a huge fan of dubstep, but i am not so prejudicial as to think that genre lines are drawn so easily. this song qualifies as “dubstep” on a technicality. it’s really just funk with a talkbox. but hot damn! does it sound good! GET FUNKY FRESH!
7. Mark Foster, A-Trak, Kimbra -> “Warrior”
alright so this song sounds like it was rejected from Foster the People, but i can’t resist it. i love kimbra that much, and this beat just thumps! check out the video:
Lucha Libre!!!
8. The Temper Trap -> ”I Need Your Love”
they’re back!
that’s right, i just followed a lucha libre music video with a karate kid music video. i. am. awesome.
9. Xylos -> Summerlong
great new band from New York. great relaxed vibe.
10. Alabama Shakes -> ”Hold On”
i’m not really going to write much about these guys, mainly because they run the risk of being victim of the hype machine. i just like this song.
11. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros -> “That’s What’s up”
yes, they have returned as well! and not much has changed, in a good way. just classic tunes, solid songwriting, and fun melodies. makes you wanna drink some whiskey and dance with the pretty face next to you at the show!
12. Jai Paul -> “Jasmine”
the “sexy” track on the playlist. Jai Paul seems to piss off his fans because he writes awesome songs like this, and then he disappears for a year.
13. MitiS -> “Brings Renewal”
“Lovestep.” that’s what they’re calling this. haha. ridiculous. but i do like this song.
14. Sigur Ros -> “Ekki Mukk”
yes. they are back. had to end the list with this song. i know it’s MUCH slower than the others, but i just can’t help it. apparently they will be releasing a new album later this spring, which i wasn’t aware of, but i am very excited for!
so that’s it! enjoy the songs, support the artists, go to their shows (i’ve got tickets to many of these artists when they come thru denver, let me know if you are going too), and enjoy your spring. i guess this only leaves 2 things left to do: post an obligatory pic of john cusack and a link to the zip file:
Miq’s Spring 2012 Jams! <- click for the zip file
very seriously considering going this route with my bike rather than a new paint job…
Video with 1 note
so i haven’t been posting any additional thoughts on new zealand lately, and that’s largely due to a) i’ve been swamped with catch-up work at my job and b) i’ve been hustling to get this video finished.
if you want to know what new zealand looks like, i really do think this video does a good job of capturing how quickly the scenery changes, and how gorgeous it really is out there.
new zealand made me feel like a kid again. and that’s a feeling i’m always trying to get back to again.
Video reblogged from A Journey Home: Trips in the Wilderness with 1 note
almost got a little emotional watching this. thanks for the share.
Source: ajourneyhome
Post with 4 notes
New Zealand pt. 2
“Flash”
That was another piece of slang that I was educated on by my friends Micah and Meg (they’re Americans who have been living there for a couple months now). It’s used weirdly, but I like it. Example: “Yeah, it’s not the flashest car ever, but it gets me where I need to go.” Nope, not “flashiest.” “Flashest.”
Interestingly enough however, I would never use that as a term to describe the people of New Zealand overall. They’re a very humble bunch. I didn’t see a lot of extravagance or “showiness” anywhere in New Zealand, really. No fast, expensive cars, not a lot of obnoxiously snappy dressers (okay I saw a little of that in Auckland, but it wasn’t over the top like you might see in an American city), not many huge outlandish mansions or giant gated communities (though I’m sure they do exist), I couldn’t really find it. It was all really sort of refreshing. There doesn’t seem to be a sense of hierarchy or “I’m better than you” class system that exist in other places I’ve been. There are some interesting differences however, between the Maori people, and those who come from European descent. I won’t delve too far into that relationship however, mainly because I don’t know enough to speak authoritatively, but it doesn’t appear to be too dissimilar to that of the White settlers of the US and the Native Americans. From the outside looking in, it looks to be a tale that isn’t exactly happy.
But what IS happy is the sense of humor of New Zealanders. it is a very subtle one, but it is hilarious. It’s a little difficult to pick up on at first, but once detected, it’s impossible to avoid or appreciate. It’s a very witty, dry, and sarcastic tone, but all very playful at the same time. The furthest Americans have been exposed to Kiwi humor is the cult comedy show “Flight of the Conchords,” and I’ll be honest, Jemaine and Bret from that show perfectly encapsulate the subtle genius of New Zealand wit. I actually asked locals what they thought of the “Conchords,” and it seemed like they really liked the show. In fact on my flight home with Air New Zealand (which is a FANTASTIC airline by the way – World class service), I even heard one of the Conchords’ songs while boarding the plane.
Kiwis like to drink too! They are a big fan of beer, they have a lot of their own local micro brews, and local brands which they are loyal to, Speight’s being the most popular and I will say that it is actually quite good! As I mentioned before they are also very good with white wines like Sauv Blanc and Chardonnays, as well as a couple very good Pinot Gris’ that I was able to sample. Their vineyards are beautiful in the Northern part of the South Island. I was lucky enough to visit the Woollaston Estate Vineyard outside of Nelson (as well as another local one) and from what I saw, it would be hard to imagine a more picturesque vineyard in New Zealand. It was stunning. Here, see for yourself…
As you can see, Kiwis understand their land, and they know how to work it. But it doesn’t just end with the vineyards or farmlands. One thing that was so amazing to me was the sense of ownership and pride over their land & country that New Zealanders possessed. I mean this in a very different way than that of the American style of possession over their land. In America we tend to view everything in terms of property. Who owns the paperwork? Whose land is that? This is my car, I can do whatever I want with it. In New Zealand it seemed a little different. Sure, people own houses and farmland just like anywhere else, but the interesting and way more blatantly obvious place to see it was in their national parks and just in nature in general. Everywhere we went, I noticed that there was this attitude of stewardship that is much harder to find in national parks in the US. I use Yosemite National Park in California, only because I know it very well. It is one of the most visually stunning and picturesque places in the world, in my opinion. Visitors have almost unlimited access to the park, they can go just about anywhere and do just about anything (in recent years, visitation has become much more restricted due to high traffic), with tons of paths to tramp thru, plenty of camping & accommodation options on the valley floor, and very easy accessibility. This is awesome for getting up there and experiencing, but looking a little into the history of the valley and the park, and you’ll see that there have been some tragedies along the way and a very slow maturation of this attitude of preservation and stewardship over the decades in America, and unfortunately I still don’t quite think we’re there yet. Walking up the trail to get to the top of Half-Dome, it’s not uncommon to see an apple core, or a granola bar wrapper on the side of the trail. Or if you’re on the valley floor camping at night, in the tent-cabins section, you will often hear young kids playing music loudly after dark and drinking and having a great time, but not really respecting nature. Now look, I’m no stranger around a bottle, and I love to play my guitar around a campfire, but there’s a difference between being outside and respecting where you are, and partying outside. Yosemite is not a place you should be partying.
When I was in New Zealand, not once did I see a piece of trash on a trail, or an unruly campground. In fact on the picture in my last post where we went out on the dock in the lake, we didn’t want to bring beer bottles out on the lake out of respect, so we left it at the base of the dock so we could pick it back up and put it back in our car for later disposal after we were done watching the sunset. By the time we returned another guest camper had already picked it up and disposed of it. Not only that, the campsite was full, but extraordinarily clean and quiet. Nobody blaring music or even talking at an unreasonable volume. In fact, our neighbors were actually from Colorado too! They had cooked a delicious-smelling meal out the back of their camper van and were softly playing Avett Brothers albums while they stared at the stars and talked about old times. They weren’t from New Zealand, but they just seemed to get it. It’s like it just rubs off on you after a couple of days in country. You just start to get it.
Some already do in America, but I hope someday that we all will “just get it.” Not every park or beautiful landscape needs to be marketed and profiteered til there’s no soul left in it. Not every scene needs to be the “flashest” thing around.
Link with 2 notes
Thin Air Radio - Winter 2012 MixTape →
(click the title for the download link)
alright, so i know i’m supposed to be right in the middle of all my New Zealand thoughts and soul-searching self-discoveries, but i’ve been meaning to put out a new music mix for over a month now and today i had a friend in need, so i promised her i would put this out there to cheer her up, so here we go. as always, this is a mix of New-ish music that i’ve been listening to lately, that i’ve been excited about, or that has really just poked my soul in just the right way at the right time.
1. Seven Nation Army - Ben L’Oncle Soul
Our 1st cover on the playlist, this cover of the White Stripes is a groovy little jam that will have you tapping your foot in about 8.7 seconds. and if not that quickly, wait for the keys at :26. you won’t be able to help it. Ben is a french sensation, he’s got a soulful groove, and while his voice sorta sounds at times like Adam from Maroon 5 (who makes me want to pour hydrochloric acid into my ears)
also, i couldn’t embed the video for that song, so here’s a clip of ben live. he’s good.
2. Youth - Daughter
This song breaks my heart. this song is a feeling i wrestle with often. here’s an acoustic version (not the version on my d/l)
3. The District Sleeps Alone Tonight - Birdy
another cover song. this one hurts too, but it’s sooo good. originally this song is by the postal service. i hate the postal service. check that. i loathe the postal service. in my mind, this song was meant for birdy. not the postal service. she just made this song hers.
4. Day Dreams - Midi Matilda
i love this song. it’s really fun, and that piano part is infectious. i was going to link the music video here, but it sucks.
5. Kelly - When the Saints Go Machine
brilliant band name. it’s actually starting to annoy me how much i like this song. and this music video is sweet. watch it. it’s what life would look like if you were looking at it thru an Instagram app.
6. Devil’s Work - Miike Snow
the boys of Miike Snow need no introduction. this song will be huge.
7. No Real Reason - White Denim
this song eerily reminds me of two classic songs. the first is the beatles’ “something,” and the second is led zeppelin’s “the rain song.” listen to those and then listen to this. tell me you don’t hear it. the jam at the end just fades into obscurity. and greatness.
8. Middle Brother - Middle Brother
this came out quite awhile ago in 2011, but it’s a great album and this song is the standout. this is the side project of the lead singers of Dawes, Dear Tick and Delta Spirit, and i cannot believe it didn’t get more attention.
9. Funny Looking Angels - Smith and Burrows
probably my favorite simple & subtle use of a mandolin in a pop song in awhile. really complements the percussion.
10. Deep in the Woods - Tennis
this new outfit is actually local here in Denver, and they show a lot of promise. the song is good, but i don’t want to talk about it because the music video just scared the shit out of me. somebody please tell me what it means.
11. Bestia - Hello Seahorse
these guys are a new mexican indie band with a really cool, dark sound. i haven’t tried to figure out what the lyrics mean in english yet (i have no excuse, i even speak a little spanish. i’m just lazy), but it doesn’t matter. good music transcends language.
12. Good Intent - Kimbra
by now everyone has heard the Gotye single featuring Kimbra (which i brilliantly featured on my last mixtape on this blog MONTHS earlier, thank you very much. no, seriously keep patting me on the back, i do this for free), so the cat has been out of the bag for awhile now. but kimbra is better than just a 1 track vocal feature. she’s the hottest thing to come out of New Zealand (which i’m especially keen on lately) since… neil flynn? geez, they need more musicians out there. but seriously, there’s no reason why this girl couldn’t be the next big thing in the US, she’s already huge in australia, and the UK is starting pick up on her. give a listen, she’s good.
13. six weeks - Of Monsters and Men
these guys aren’t that unknown, and this song isn’t that new, but i can’t stop listening to it. record labels went crazy over this icelandic group late last year after their EP got some radio play in some US indie stations, causing a bidding war that ultimately landed them with warner bros. and a full length album. it’s really good. they follow a similar formula to the old arcade fire sound, with instruments that put them closer to mumford & sons. create a sound like that, and you know you’re going to have listeners. enjoy.
14. Circuital - My Morning Jacket
i know it came out halfway thru last year, but i feel no song as strongly as i feel this song right now. your quintessential song about trying to find your way through this life and figure out where you belong. it’ll be no surprise that i’ll be using this song for something i’m putting together on my new zealand trip.
alright guys & gals, i hope you enjoy the list, please let me know your thoughts, and of course, if you like the music, please support the artist by buying a song or two, or buying a concert ticket! i’ll probably see ya at the show!
oh yeah, and i dont know why, but just because mixtapes always remind me of “High Fidelity,” i think every mixtape post is going to end with a picture of john cusack. so here ya go.
link to the mix: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?wdl18ansczyxp3f
Photo reblogged from micahandmeghan with 1 note
Arrival and West Coast (pt 1)
Like the salmon of Capastrana to the hungry hungry fisherman of the Alaskan coast, Brandon Miquelon finally arrived, on time and in style. He came by air on Saturday the 28th from the Phillipines after a two-week business trip to Manila and a quick stop over in Sydney, Australia.
It’s been since September 4th of 2011 that Meghan and I have been around somebody who actually know us, so I’ve had to ditch my fake Swedish accent and stop suspiciously referring to my profession as “spy.” I haven’t yet been audacious enough to create a pseudonym and false life for myself while traveling, but even if I could, it wouldn’t fly now. After living with Brandon for two years in Denver, I suppose he knows us as a couple better than most everyone, and it’s a refreshing feeling.
We picked him up from the airport in the morning, and after a quick drive along the coast we headed home to a big American style breakfast packed with eggs, bacon, cheese, and recollections of life in the 303. We talked about the Downing house, caught up on our respective lives, then headed our on a short hike to the center of NZ—-a 20 min jaunt near the town center that has sweeping views of the ocean, Nelson city, and the Mai tai valley south of town.
We had our week with Miq pretty much planned out before arriving, but our work schedule was mixed up so we had to adjust plans to fit work and play. We decided to road trip on Sunday down the west coast to glacier (pronounced glass-ier here…) country about 6 hours southwest of Nelson. The drive itself is beautiful, passing through huge forests to a stunning, picturesque coastline that Lonely Planet calls “one of the worlds’s top ten road trips.” Along the way, we stopped at Punakaiki to see the “pancake rocks” and blowholes that are world famous ( in New Zealand). It’s an amazing sight on a blustery day like the one we had—-waves crashing against pressed sandstone stacked like pancakes on a mini peninsula jutting out of rainforest. The whole area is comprised of little arches and caves as well, and when the water crashes just right, misty water is sent shooting out of holes in the rock like the blowhole of a blue whale. We spent a while shooting photos and trying to time the spurting of blowholes so that it looked like we had Superman’s cold breath, but to little avail. Even so, Punakaiki was amazing and fantastic(al). Best of all, we finished it off with local ice cream when we returned—-commercialism has its upside.
We continued on down the wet west coast to Franz Josef glacier where we stayed in a backpackers for the night. The town was reminiscent of a mountain town in Colorado—-some cool shops, restaurants, and everyone there for a little adventure. We arrived that evening at around 8pm, checked in, made some really average pasta, and had a beer. We had gotten word that glow worms could be seen in a dark forest walk near by, so we mustered up the courage after a long day and went out into the woods. Glow worms live in only a few parts of the world, ones and they are spectacular to see. The dark forest glows like a white lite brite—-the sky and the trees a mirror image.
The next day we woke up early to get on the short bus ride (no pun intended) to Franz Josef glacier. We went through a guiding company, Franz Josef Glacier guides, who have been tying on crampons for over 80 years in the region. We arrived at the hike to the glacier after only about 10 minutes on the bus, my feet already get excited for ice and crampons, imagining Hillary himself had traversed this ice in preparations for his everest expedition. I was Hillary, Meghan my Tenzing, Miquelon my other Sherpa.
We stepped out onto the path with our far-reaching cosmopolitan group and hiked through the temperate rainforest to the start of the path. Franz and Fox glaciers are unique because of their proximity to the sea and to rainforest. It is fascinating to walk through thick green woods and come out to a open view of a glacier-consumed valley. As we walked, our guide explained to us that the glacier changed constantly, even day-by-day, and had grown or receded multiple times in the previous decades, though certainly smaller than its state in the early 20th century. We walked through the rocky valley for about 20 minutes before crossing the yellow rope onto the glacier and strapping on the crampons. The chubby Irishman in our group proceeded to break his crampons in the first 5 minutes of walking, before even walking on the ice, which made me think of a few good ginger jokes immediately.
Superman would’ve been happy to call Franz Josef his fortress of solitude. It is dominated by ice spikes, cavernous holes, and soft, dripping water that fall into the blue abyss and end up in the freezing river below. The hike on the glacier described its formation, its changes, the science of glaciers, and played into just good old fashioned childlike curiosity.
After about 4-5 hours, we headed back and drove back up the west coast to lake mahinapua, near hokitika. We camped there for the evening, all three of us in a two man tent, me keeping cozy in the middle with knees in my back from both directions. To be continued….
Source: micahandmeghan
Post with 3 notes
“SweetAs the soul allows” New Zealand, chapter 1
“SweetAs the soul allows”
“Sweet as.” “Sweetas.” Sweet as… what? It was the 1st bit of slang I picked up on during my trip to the untouched land of New Zealand. I had no idea what the guy had just said to me, but I recognized the inflection and usage to be something akin to “Cool” in the US. I just nodded my head and smiled as I got on the plane, headed for the South Island. I didn’t know just what lay ahead of me, but I had an odd feeling that at the end of my trek, I’d be contemplating the deeper meaning of that colloquialism in my life.
New Zealand is still somewhat of a riddle to me. As I break down and analyze my experiences and compare it to life in the States, I am still stricken by the hidden complexities that lie just underneath the surface of everyday life in New Zealand. This is going to be a long brain-blur of my trip, deconstructed. So rather than bore you with a book, here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to break down and organize all my thoughts into a series of chapters and themes over the next 2 weeks or so, with videos, pictures, and of course, over-analyzed ruminations (this wouldn’t be a true “Miq” post if it didn’t have those!).
So what’s the 1st chapter? The Difference.
“The Kiwis” (to those who don’t know, because honestly I wasn’t totally sure before visiting, “the Kiwis” just refers to New Zealand citizens. It’s not a tribe. The native tribes of New Zealand are a group called “Maori.” I believe they are of Polynesian decent.) are all a seemingly welcoming and laid-back group of people, for the most part. To an American who isn’t paying attention, you might be quick to just lump them in with the Brits, or perhaps even the Aussies, but that would be a mistake. In fact, I actually felt that New Zealand had more similarities to the United States, but on a 60 year delay (that is in no way a knock or a criticism.) Let me explain.
The 1st thing you probably notice about New Zealand (besides the fun accent and that they drive on the left side of the road…something that made me want to either jump in the driver’s seat and act like James Bond or climb into the passenger seat and panic at the left-heavy directional chaos occurring before my disbelieving eyes) is the sweeping wide open spaces. I am still shocked at the number of experiences I recall right now where I was staring at a picture-perfect beach with golden sand, transparent turquoise waters, fresh air, and not a soul in sight. The same thing with the dense jungles and forests all over, many with superbly groomed trails to tramp through, but without the obnoxious foot traffic to compete with. Or serene, translucent lakes, completely devoid of loud boats or obnoxious, messy campers. Look at this picture:
that’s not a postcard. That’s a picture of me and my friend Meg, snapped by her husband Micah with my iPhone. No fancy equipment, no photoshop magic, and no, I didn’t have to rent out the lake to clear it of humans to get the perfect shot. That dock we’re sitting on, I swear I think it is the only one on the whole lake, and that lake was HUGE. It was eery how quiet it was.
That doesn’t happen in the US. Anywhere. I think it is because of one of the 1st big differences between Americans and Kiwis: Not everything is for sale in New Zealand.
I want to be clear how I present this: I am not criticizing one view over the other. There are clear pros and cons to both sides, but the subjective difference is very obvious and present. When I mentioned before that New Zealand looks like a 60-year delay of America, this is precisely why. The US has some of the most beautiful geography in the world in my opinion, and it is a large country with dramatic scenery changes. Unfortunately however, the US has 2 disadvantages that New Zealand doesn’t. The US has WAY more citizens, and hasn’t always planned accordingly. NZ’s Department of Conservation has their national parks and protected forests and beaches locked down. They knew how beautiful their country was and they knew that they needed to protect it far before it ever became a treasure to travelers and trampers alike. That type of foresight is incredible to me, and has prepped their landscape to be beautifully preserved for ages. They also haven’t had the type of rapid population expansion and immigration traffic that the US experienced almost from inception.
But that also leads into other debates and differences, and hints at what lays in store for New Zealand’s future. They have some very big decisions to make soon, mainly with the Government’s role in society. New Zealand has a high minimum wage, and socialized/subsidized health care. They don’t have high-growth sectors and industries currently that the US had 60 years ago (which were spurred on by a World War that they had won). They depend somewhat substantially on Tourism, but they are not easily accessible to most of the world (due to distance). They do have a good agriculture sector, with a blossoming Wine culture developing (they do Sauvignon Blanc VERY well here. I’ll list a few later), and they have a lot of dairy farms as well. But one of the biggest things they are going to have to make up their mind on very soon is a dilemma that is not too dissimilar to a large debate in the US right now: Do we drill for oil on our own soil? This seemed to be a controversial topic, and rightfully so, as one of the most striking and defining things about this country was how seemingly “undefiled” everything was by humans, or even animals for that matter.
Actually one of the easiest ways for me to describe to you the difference between American and Kiwi mentality when it comes to Preservation vs. Ambition lay right in their Food Service Industry. Food Servers and Bartenders make somewhere in the neighborhood of $20/hour. If you’re a server in the US, you’re probably looking for next available flights to Auckland, but not so fast. Tips are not common, nor are they really even encouraged/solicited (though they are always welcome, I’m sure). The result is actually just what you might expect at times: somewhat subpar service. I often saw wait staff just milling about, not really moving with a purpose, and not really motivated to go above and beyond. I don’t mean to be overly critical, but I’m simply pointing out a noticeable fact, and one of the true virtues of a Capitalistic society like the US. When a larger portion of your paycheck is reliant on the kindness of one who benefits from your service, you are going to care more about your job, and your attention to detail, your level of service, and quality of goods are going to be better. I realize I am generalizing here and this isn’t the case all the time, but I consider this principle to be transcendental. And yet, while I’m quick to point out the virtues of Capitalist ambition, an interesting quandary presents itself. The same lack of drive and ambition that I sometimes experienced was actually laced with a very pleasant pace of teamwork and calm. I often saw other coworkers helping each other out, simply because there was more of a team, everyone going in the same direction. One restaurant I ate at frequently, the owner would sit down and share a pint with me, remembering my name and asking me about my experiences. Who does that in America?! It was awesome! The very things I found myself criticizing were also the very things that I found myself growing to love.
…and that’s only scratching the surface of trying to figure out the people and culture in New Zealand. More to come. Next I’ll be diving further into a mentality of preservation, as well as the subtle humor of New Zealanders (think “Flight of the Conchords. Yeah, it’s just like that!)
Page 1 of 3
