... where you can find out how and why Kiwis do the things we do!
A glass of wine, a crisp cider, or a cool beer go down pretty well on a hot day. But what would make a few drinks even better? Chips and dip of course – the Kiwi classic!
Chips
Now when we say chips, we mean those cold potato snacks you get in a foil bag. That’s what we call them in New Zealand. Don’t confuse them with chips, though – the hot potato snacks that are fried in oil and often served with tomato sauce. Yeah, we’re pretty simple, eh! It’s like the North and South Island – descriptive names are not our forte.
Dip
Dip – this is the important part. Mix a can of reduced cream with a packet of dried onion soup. And that’s it – you’re done! You can use another soup mix – mushroom or seafood are just as good. Dip aficionados say the only good dip is a cold dip. So once you’ve mixed it, put it in the fridge for a while before serving. Tip: Onto-it dip makers always keep their can of reduced cream in the fridge so it’s ready anytime.
Chips and dip
How do you eat chips and dip? Take a chip, dip your chip in the dip, pop it into your mouth, and crunch! Alternate
this procedure between sips of your cold beverage, and you’ll be happy. If you want to make it healthier, use carrot sticks, broccoli or celery instead of chips.
So you’ve just found the perfect companion to a few coldies on a hot day. Plus it’s a handy snack to take to a party or if you’re popping round to a friend’s place. Enjoy!
Vocabulary
There’s some tricky vocabulary in this blog post:
- crisp (cider)
- go down well
- foil
- forte
- aficionado
- onto-it (adjective)
- pop
- coldies
- pop round
We’ve hit December, which means the countdown is on until summer and the holidays arrive. Christmas music is playing in shops, people are going to end-of-year work functions, and kids are finishing school for the summer break. So, what can you expect to happen in New Zealand over this time? Let’s find out.
What’s the summer weather like in New Zealand?
Yeah, you’re probably wondering where summer is. It’s on its way. It has a habit of not turning up until January – and it’s even been known to send a little snow beforehand. Expect any kind of weather around the end of December/start of January. But often, our real summer kicks in in January. Temperatures vary around the country, but they average in the 20s, sometimes early 30s – degrees Celsius, that is.
What holidays does New Zealand have over summer?
School holidays start around mid-December and continue until the end of January/start of February. New Zealand has four public holidays over Christmas and New Year:
- Christmas Day – most shops shut, some dairies and petrol stations will open
- Boxing Day – many shops will reopen, but not all
- New Year’s Day – some shops will open, some not
- Day after New Year’s Day – most shops will open
Many New Zealanders take a break from work over this time – usually a couple of weeks. So, expect bigger places like Auckland to be quieter and beachy places like Whangamata to be buzzing!
What do Kiwis do over the summer holidays?
We head outdoors! Well, many of us do – swimming, fishing, diving, kayaking, water-skiing, walking … and more. Camping’s a popular activity – New Zealand has some amazing spots to pitch a tent or set up a caravan. A lot of the country celebrates Christmas, either on 25th December or around that time. Generally, it involves being with family and eating. New Year’s Eve is 31 December – often celebrated with a few drinks and welcoming the new year at midnight.
How can I join in?
Heading to your nearest beach is a good start. Or grab some camping gear and hit a campground. Check out some Kiwi musicians at one of the many music festivals or gigs around the country. The main thing is to relax and soak in the sunshine (hopefully). Just remember to drive safely, slap on some sunscreen, and swim between the flags!
Laid-back. It’s a great adjective. Relaxed and easy-going is the Oxford dictionary definition. Perhaps Oxford could include this scene to support their definition:
Raeleen - walking down a small-town New Zealand street in her trackies (trackpants), young son padding barefoot by her side. She’s zipping into the dairy to grab a bottle of milk because her mate Kylie’s just texted to say she’ll be round for a cuppa in 5.
Yep, we’re a pretty casual bunch. Laid-back, relaxed, easy-going, casual – this is the Kiwi way of life!
Language and chat
Our language choice shows our relaxed nature. Expressions like, ‘how’s it going?, ‘no worries’, and ‘what are you up to?’, are used daily. For practicality, we sometimes shorten language, e.g. ‘what’s happening?’ becomes ‘what’s the haps?’. And, love it or hate it - we swear. A lot.
Along with the casual language is the casual chat. Many Kiwis think nothing of chatting to someone they don’t know. If a shop owner asks, ‘how are you?’, they mean it. And they’re expecting an answer! Walk down any suburban street and it’s possible to strike up a conversation with a fellow walker or someone out in their garden, usually starting with the weather.
Clothing
It’s fair to say the average Kiwi wouldn’t feature on any fashion catwalk. Our standard getup for winter = hoodie, jeans, sneakers; summer = shorts, singlet, jandals. And that’s for females and males. We go for practicality. Walk to work? – wear sneakers, yes even with your good work clothes. Need comfy pants? - wear trackies. Too hot for shoes? – go barefoot.
Outdoor activities and farming are big in New Zealand, so sturdy, practical outdoor clothing is everywhere. It transitions into more urban environments too. Don’t be surprised to see hunting clothing worn at the supermarket – it might be a hunter grabbing some milk on the way home, or someone who just wants to be comfortable.
A practical attitude
You might’ve noticed a recurring theme here – practicality! Our practical approach to life gives us our relaxed, casual attitude. If we can find a more straightforward way to do something, we’ll do it. It mightn’t be the prettiest or the classiest, but if it makes life easier, we’re in.
That attitude also includes being easy-going, chatty, friendly and down to earth. New Zealand is not as class-structured as other countries, and so more egalitarian than most. That’s why those conversations you’ll get into are real.
Join us!
So, feel free to join us! Relax, lay back, get casual. Try your chatting skills and throw in some of your newly-learned language. Put yourself in the Oxford dictionary scene. In fact, hey, isn’t that you chatting to the dairy owner and making Raeleen wait to buy her milk?
Good on ya!