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Kiwi Diary – How to Speak Kiwi

September 12, 2018 By Deborah Munro 4 Comments

Lyttleton Harbour
Lyttleton Harbour, New Zealand

September 5, 2018

“It used to have a different name.”

“Excuse me?” I set down my knitting so I can focus. The Kiwi accent is hard enough for me to understand under normal circumstances, but this craft group, amazingly, meets in a noisy pub in Christchurch. I take a sip of my beer.

“Lyttleton, where you went tiki touring. It used to have a different name in the eighties.” A tiki tour, I recall, is when someone shows you around. I think back to my day in Lyttleton Harbour, a picturesque village overlooking the sea, complete with sweeping beaches. There’s a thriving port there that was used by the first European settlers that came to New Zealand and is now often called the Gateway to Antarctica, a place where many famous explorers began their journey.

“What was it called?” I wonder if it went back to its native Maori name.

“Lyttleton.” I stare at her blankly. She looks back at me as if I’m slow.

I feel a tap on my shoulder and look over at another woman in the group. Her gaze is one of tender pity.

“She means it used to have a bad reputation.” Oh! I realize I’ve been taken down by another colloquialism that my poor, North American self has never heard before. I laugh and everyone laughs along, kindly remembering I have an American English disability.

“Thanks for the explanation.” I smile at my rescuer.

“It’s okay,” she says and I’m startled again, feeling like I’ve apologized for something before I remember that phrase means “No worries” here.

Speaking Kiwi

Most days, I don’t feel like a foreigner here. I go to work and it’s B.A.U. (Kiwi for business as usual). People are friendly, and they don’t make a point to comment on my accent, which they find as difficult to understand as I do theirs. The cars are Toyotas, Subarus, and Land Rovers, and the grocery stores carry mostly the same varieties of foods I’d find in the US, so it’s jarring when differences emerge.

This is why we should travel

It is impossible to maintain preconceived notions about people, places, and cultures when we experience them ourselves. I had the opportunity to go to Saudi Arabia last December, feeling oddly cloistered in my abaya and headscarf, where I evaluated an all women’s biomedical engineering program at a university. I assumed many things about those young women before I arrived, only to have every belief shattered.

First of all, they were outspoken, confident, and opinionated. Second, when I asked if they were excited about being able to drive, they said no. Right now, they all have personal drivers. They can relax and read on the drive, and when they arrive, they don’t have to park and walk to the building in the blazing summer heat. “Why would we want to drive?” they asked me without malice. I had never thought of it that way, and it honestly made me want a personal driver!

A chance for personal growth

From my new adventure in New Zealand, I’m growing as a person. I have to question all of my assumptions about what people mean when they say or do something, and I have to observe behavior and ask what or why they’re doing that rather than believe that I know. I am blessed to have this opportunity, and I hope to share what I learn with all of you.

So, here’s to Lyttleton no longer having a different name! I take another sip of my stout and go back to knitting as the music blares in the crowded pub.

Read more about my time and work in New Zealand on my blog, Deborah Munro, Author — Category, Kiwi Diary.

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Filed Under: Deborah Munro, Kiwi Diary Tagged With: #KiwiDiary, blog topics, dialect, idioms, Lyttleton Harbour, New Zealand

Deborah Munro

Science is pure joy for me. I love understanding how things work and teaching others what I've learned. Thus, I am a bioengineering professor, scientist, and author. I've recently expatriated from the beautiful Pacific NW and have founded a new life for myself in New Zealand.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mark Schultz says

    September 12, 2018 at 2:25 pm

    Thank you, Deborah, for being our eyes, ears, and slow-moving target for all the differences in the Englishes. I really enjoyed this post!

    Reply
    • Deborah Munro says

      September 12, 2018 at 2:53 pm

      Thank you, Mark! I’m happy to be your expat on the ground :).

      Reply
  2. Sam Westhoek says

    September 13, 2018 at 12:09 pm

    Deborah,

    You simply ~must~ contact Liz , a fellow writer and consummate hostess in Otago. She’s a transplant, too, but from Britain. In all likelihood you two would get along very well.

    TJ Weeks
    aka Sam Westhoek

    Reply
    • Deborah Munro says

      October 15, 2018 at 9:46 pm

      I will! Thanks, Sam. I’ll contact you on the side to get more information :).

      Reply

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Deborah Munro is the author of APEX, a contemporary world sci-fi thriller set in rural Oregon.

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Found in Motueka at @toadhallmotueka. This is your Found in Motueka at @toadhallmotueka. This is your LIFE. Do what you love and do it often. If you don't like something CHANGE it. If you don't like your job, quit. If you are looking for the LOVE of your life--stop-- They will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love. Stop over analyzing; life is simple. All emotions are beautiful. When you eat, appreciate every last bite. Open your mind, arms, and HEART to new things and people. We are united in our differences. Travel often; getting lost will help you find yourself. #toadhall #quote
Double rainbow over Sumner tonight 🥰 Double rainbow over Sumner tonight 🥰
These delectable treats are from Sweet Soul here i These delectable treats are from Sweet Soul here in Christchurch, NZ. They were all filled with flavored mousse, and the apple had cinammon spiced apple pie filling for the core. Just amazing! @sweetsoulpatisserie
Road trip is over, a quick zip up to Auckland and Road trip is over, a quick zip up to Auckland and back. We got the woodworking tools picked up and fit in some sightseeing, too. Enjoy the photos!
The Three Sisters, north island New Zealand near N The Three Sisters, north island New Zealand near New Plymouth. 
Road trip!
I basically never take the time to cook from a rec I basically never take the time to cook from a recipe anymore, so I'm quite proud of my lamb shepherd's pie with southwestern avocado and corn salad.
The view from my house. I'm so blessed. 🧡💛❤
Cricket game in New Zealand. Loving the ability to Cricket game in New Zealand. Loving the ability to be in a crowd! 😍
Gorgeous day for kiteboarding. I drive by regularl Gorgeous day for kiteboarding. I drive by regularly, finally stopped to take a video. The water, at its deepest, is about a foot.
Happy Valentine's Day! Chocolate raspberry ganach Happy Valentine's Day! 
Chocolate raspberry ganache pie with Oreo crust.
Instagram post 17844503747527875 Instagram post 17844503747527875
If you want to know more about my twisted sense of If you want to know more about my twisted sense of humor, this made me laugh and laugh and laugh 🤣. 💯
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