This and that!

Firstly, Dankie Alta en Sarel vir julle 'comment' op die blog - baie waardeer! It's nice to know that folks do actually read all this!
I have an idea what Manchester is - judging by what was on offer at the sales under the category of 'Manchester' we have come to the conclusion that what we would have referred to as 'soft furnishings' falls under 'Manchester' - but what I don't understand is why Manchester and not Dundee or Johannesburg or Timbuktu for that matter. I suppose what really matters is that the people with the bucks to spend on such things know what it is and spend their money on it. Once our container eventually arrives here, we should have our fair share of Manchester in any event and if we should be needing more in that line, will no doubt have to wait for the next sale, since even the sale prices are somewhat daylight robbery in my humble opinion. I mean honestly folks, who wants to spend over R150.00 on a scatter cushion with a hideous, loud and shiny design in impractical white with gold 'touches' - no thanks, not even with its SALE tag. Clearly, somebody does, since there are scatter cushions for Africa (or in this case New Zealand) each louder and more impractical than the last, but on the other hand, the heap WAS on sale and marked down considerably, and even still the pile remained defiantly large and I didn't notice customers clamouring to be the first to make a purchase of this aformentioned Manchester.
Grandparents here appear to have common names in that there seem to be no exceptions to Pop and Nana - everyone's grampa and gramma are called Pop and Nana - the other day a friend of ours was referring to having probably inherited her interest and ability in music from her 'Pop' and we had to think on our feet a bit to realise that she was talking about her granddad - something in the way she constructed the sentence, made it a bit ambiguous as to whether she was referring to a style of music or maybe even a 'soda' like you would have in the States - mostly the kiwis don't use 'Americanisms' but here and there they surprise you and we try not to appear too dumb on those occasions.
As in the UK, people 'text' you from their 'mobile' - sms' and cel phones make people have to think about what you are trying to say.
There is a huge to-do at the moment with the plan for Auckland to become classed a 'super city' - the only one in New Zealand in spite of it not being the capital. The problem at the moment as far as we can ascertain, is that the Maori people feel that with the upgrade to super city status, somehow or another, things have been so arranged (by conspiracy they are utterly convinced) that they have less representation in the running of the city than ever before and that simply will not do. All sorts of meetings and pow wows have been held with John Key the Prime Minister to try to hammer out some sort of arrangement that will keep the Maori grievances to the bare minimum, but every day on the news there are further developments on that front and the Maori leaders with all their dreadlocks, tattoos and grass skirts remain fiercely unhappy and hard done by citing discrimination at every turn and just making everyone irritated and in the mood for an asprin and a glass of good red wine. The crime here just doesn't feature to any kind of large degree, but whenever there is something horrible to report on the news in the way of crime, lo and behold, who's involved? Some Maori youth with a bad attitude, no education and a drinking problem. That's not to say that all Maoris are bad - far from it, but it is noteworthy that judging by the news, 90% plus of all the crime in the country is committed by one of their own. I make no judgement, just an observation.
It was somewhat of a surprise to us to hear on the news on Tuesday morning after the long weekend when every self respecting kiwi has been out and about on the roads and visiting the seaside, that the death toll over the Easter weekend here is thankfully down from the same period last year. Last years' death toll was 9, this year 6. I wonder what they would think of the death toll that South Africa has to try to deal with every holiday season? And this in spite of the fact that we have found out that New Zealand has the highest number of traffic accidents per capita per year in the WORLD - I kid you not - apparently that is genuinely the case. Although, seeing the way lots of folks drive, coupled with the fact that kids of 15 are out and about legally on the roads driving, it's not really such a surprise.
The word for a holiday cottage is 'batch' - so you will take up the special TV offer on a battery operated carpet sweeper because you can buy one and get one free 'for the batch'!
Gravel used in road construction, either dirt road or the tar variety is called 'metal' - so if the directions mention a 'metal road' just know it's not shiny or made of steel.
Our house is built like all the others on a 'section' - what we would refer to as an erf or stand, is called the section. People even say the 'section' is pretty, meaning the garden got flowers.
If you are a 'ma plotter' - or live on an agricultural holding not a farm mind you, you live on a 'lifestyle block' - we're getting there!
Dis al!