Working on Saturday makes the weekend so short! It was still a good one anyway – I got lots done in the afternoon yesterday and tonight a German couple, who are colleagues in the orchard, visited for dinner. It was H’s birthday and we cooked a nice barbecue with fresh baked bread, rabbit, veggies, cheese and salad. We even got to light the brazier once it got dark and we sat around talking and having a few drinks.
C. stopped by as well and we all discussed the differences between NZ and Germany. We talked about the bureaucracy in Germany – things like how much more difficult it is to get your drivers license or your firearms license. In New Zealand they can start learning to drive at 15 and anyone with a full license can teach them. You can get your firearms license at 16 and it takes about 3 months to get, which of course Kiwis think is absolutely ages! It’s funny, I guess wherever you are people don’t like waiting even if it’s actually really fast.
We also discussed the difference between Kiwis and Germans in general and what I had learned about the New Zealand way of life. New Zealanders spend their time focused on friends, family and enjoying life. The people here are friendly, helpful and laid back, and I think there is a lot less focus on material things and income than there is back home. It’s refreshing to find that not every country is full of people who are focused on who has the biggest house and the shiniest car.