what I miss...

The big news this week is that our stuff arrives on Friday (just a few more hours!) My dreams lately have been filled with visions of my can opener, cheese grater, our bed and couch - all tops on my list of things I can't wait to be reunited with.

Of course, at about six weeks in NZ, I'm starting to miss more than just my own possessions. The longings for all things Canadian have started. Here, in no particular order, are just a few of things I miss from home:

1. Tim Hortons - more specifically, I would like a double double. It ain't great coffee, but it's cheap and, for part of the year at least, includes an element of gambling (roll up the rim, I mean). Coffee here is pricey and more often than not, you'll be offered instant coffee at gatherings. Horrid, horrid stuff. Flat whites are growing on me though. For the record, Abner is missing Timmy's for the donuts. They're not quite the same here.


2. Central heating and insulation - Kiwi's don't know how to heat a house worth a damn. Seriously. Many, if not most, Kiwi houses have little to no insulation and furnaces are rare. If you are under the impression that this is no big deal assuming that NZ is a sub-tropical region, you are sorely mistaken. Dunedin is freakin' cold. It's still summer and to date, the coldest temperature we've recorded in our house is 14.5 C...indoors...in summer. Please send many, many pairs of long underwear.


3. Sensible transit - I never thought I'd say this, but Translink rocks. For a town a fraction of the size of Metro Vancouver, Dunedin has six fare zones to Vancouver's three. You have to tell the driver how far you're going so he can charge you the correct amount, and unlike Vancouver, you can't hop off or switch routes with the same ticket. I used to like being able to buy a ticket, hop on the train or bus or both, do my errands and get home all on one ticket if I was speedy. Here, you pay each time you board, so I'm forever making sure Abner has gone pee before we get on the bus so that we won't have to hop off and pay all over again.

Of course, we all miss our friends and family too! Give us a couple of days and the guest room will be all set up and ready to go for anyone who wants to visit. Come on down!