Sweet as, dahling!

Sweet as: a common New Zealand expression that means anything from better than good to ok to cool or even awesome, and sometimes just yes.

I’ve been in Auckland over a week now but things continue to feel topsy-turvy.  I suppose the biggest reason is that it’s full-on summer in mid-January.  Many of the locals are still away on holiday since the school year doesn’t begin until February. It’s also partly things like driving on the left side of the road with right-hand steering.  And there is still loads of Christmas deco adorning the city.  Then it’s compounded by little things like the electrical switches (flick them down to turn on); the water taps (twist them counterclockwise to open); the way revolving doors spin clockwise. 

I guess this pretty much explains it: 

Who says our traditional map of the world is the right way to view it? 

 

 

(Those of you who know what a fan of cartography I am will not be surprised to learn that I couldn’t resist adding this one to my collection.) 

At the same time, there’s much that’s pretty perfect here right now, especially the fact that it’s full-on summer.

The long days; crisp, clear light; easy livin’ vibe; and luscious weather (heavenly in the a.m., warming up ideally in the afternoon, then cooling off to refreshing temps in eve) remind me of Zurich at its best.  Vibrant bougainvillea and fragrant honeysuckle are in bloom everywhere and there are even palm trees.  Tables out on sidewalks, cabriolets on the roads, boats on the water, festivals on the weekends, picnics on the beaches, lounging on park lawns – my plan to assiduously avoid winter this year has paid off in spades. 

And to make this even more palatable, I was thrilled to learn that New Zealand has kickass coffee!  The double shot is standard: every cup begins with twice as much espresso and then you go from there.  Took me a while to figure out what’s what (short black, flat white, long black, blue milk, trim, piccolo, robusto) but I can now order like a Kiwi.

The art of coffee-making is very competitive, with cafés and baristas vying for the vote of best in town by their demanding, discerning customers – and the winner is…me!  Sweet as!