kiwi brand

One of the best things about this country, other than the fact that people walk everywhere barefoot......I went into the Pak N Sav in Papamoa today and a little girl and her dad were in front of me, she in shoes and he barefoot......is this spirit the place has.

It's this really little big country. They have a strong sense of national pride, but it's so much less obvious than my own country's obnoxious patriotism.

They embrace their freedom without bragging. Listening to some Kiwis talk about their country, I heard one say the only other place with this kind of freedom lifestyle was Australia.

I smiled to myself. I thought about all the bumper stickers and yard signs in the U.S. about how freedom wasn't free and god, guns and guts and founding fathers bullshit.

If it's so great, why do we need to keep reassuring each other?

Kiwis talk about everything as though they aren't sure. They may know exactly what they're talking about, but they'll say it in a way that at first sounded to me like they needed reassurance.

No one seems to ever be in a rush. I went shopping on christmas eve. I was warned that it's crazy that day and I should avoid stores. What I found were reasonably full stores with strolling shoppers wishing each other happy holidays. There were parking spaces, there were short lines, there were jovial security guards at the door.

I would love to someday consider that crazy. Like the weather. I hear people making a fuss about the heat on a perfect sunny day not yet 90 with only enough humidity to be comfortable. They don't put furnaces in their houses! I know what it's like to feel it's warm and beautiful on a 50 degree day in march and to not need a jacket.

But, I'd like to acclimate to paradise temperatures.

I love driving through rolling hills or next to the sea and see a sign about some sort of strange bird crossing.

People have horses here like dogs. They put ropes around their necks and tie them in the front yard. They also let them roam wild like their sheep and cows.

Everything goes feral here.

I am going feral myself.

As soon as I get that car (hopefully monday if the subaru checks out) I'll let the kiwi feral take over.

About cars......for some reason, there is an abundance of inexpensive used cars in good condition. I've never seen so many station wagons!!! The kiwis also love vans. Converted into apartments.

Love is in the air. It always is of course, but I'm linked in right now.

If you were near me, I'd be beaming it straight at you. At you. Love.