Bula!

3/18/2012 – Sugatoka, Fiji

I'm on a 2 hour bus drive from the airport in Fiji to our hotel. There isn't much going on today except travel, so here are some interesting tidbits that didn't fit in logically in my earlier posts:

Being in New Zealand – just being there – is like living in the 90's. It's the nuances. Like how I've heard more Celene Dion and Fiona Apple here than I ever have before. Or how the candy they sell includes Nerds and Mars bars – in the old wrappers.

In Wellington, no one could tell me where the Flight of the Conchords are from. In Queenston, I was informed that they are from Auckland. In Auckland, I was informed that they are from Wellington. I do know one thing for sure though. Every time I asked, "Do you know where the Flight of the Conchords are from?" the person answered with confidence, "New Zealand!" The next time someone asks me where Barack Obama is from, I am going to say, "the United States!"

In New Zealand, the low-income jobs are held almost exclusively by Asian women.

Tattoos from shoulder to wrist are the norm, and there is no attempt to hide them.

The airport security goes so quickly because of how lax it is compared to ours. Each time I go through I try to see how much more I can wear and how much less I can send through the X-Ray Machine. The most I've gotten through with is a watch, a jacket, a scarf, shoes, sunglasses, and a wallet.

They sell special airplane water here – which is exactly like regular water but it has apple cider vinegar in it and apple juice concentrate, for a strange but not wholly unpleasant taste. It is supposed to make your flying experience more comfortable. I bought a bottle, but I didn't recognize any difference from how I normally feel on flights.

New Zealand uses the dollar sign for their currency… because of the exchange rate, I see everything as a bargain, at 10% off the listed price.