Life in New Zealand as I see it through Kiwi English

Abstract

Most of the countries I visited are in the Northern hemisphere. Therefore, I was very interested in going south of the equator to New Zealand. Why not Australia, some might ask. One of the reasons why I chose NZ was that I knew less about that country than about Australia. Most Japanese know less about NZ than they do about Australia. Secondly, the English we learn at school in Japan is mostly American English. I remember the first time I went to England, I couldn't understand what my taxi driver was saying. This kind of English experience was what I expected before I left for NZ. The time difference between Japan and NZ is only three hours, so we don't suffer much from jet lag. I flew to Christchurch, which I found very much like Britain as is often said. I learned that NZ is called "Aotearoa" in Maori language, which means "the land of long white clouds." Actually I saw long white clouds high up against the clear blue sky. It was a windy day. English and Maori are the two official languages there, but it was not until 1987 that Maori became the other official language. Actually, English is the everyday language with some Maori words incorporated and used as English. It was interesting to know that "Maori" means "usual" or "ordinary, " whereas New Zealanders whose ancestors came from Europe are called "Pakeha, " which means "strangers"(from the sea). NZ is the first country in the world where women won the right to vote. This, I think, symbolizes that people are well taken care of. I saw a bus with a sign that said "This bus kneels on request." The step lowers itself to make it easier for a wheelchaired person to get on. Traffic signals are also made for people with some visual impairment. The part around the button on the signal pole vibrates to tell him or her when it's safe to go. In a car park (a parking lot in American English), I saw "Reserved Parking" marked on the ground. This area is reserved for those who use a wheelchair.