And other things are different. Driving on the left is the big one. Along with that, entrances tend to be on the left of exits. Walking on the sidewalk is (usually) on the left.

English is the primary language, but Auckland is multi-lingual also. We hear Chinese, Polynesian languages, occasionally European influences, and definitely Maori. A few TV channels are devoted to the Maori culture and language, and I notice similarities to Hawaiian sounds.

The Christmas/New Year’s holidays are used as an opportunity to give store owners and employees a break. Sometimes we’ve had to look a bit to find a place to eat – and restaurants are routinely closed on Mondays, maybe Tuesdays also. Or, they will close between 2:00 and 5:00. I think it’s partly an indication of less emphasis on capitalism and partly the impact of Covid. NZ shut down to other countries much longer than the US and it has taken a toll on the people here.

Meanwhile (Karina), you *can* get a Big Mac Jr here.

Here’s a puzzler for us. Each outlet in our “apartment” has an on/off switch. It’s also labeled with a unique tag – every light, every outlet, even the oven, fridge, toaster, you name it. Other than for fire safety, we haven’t figured out the need for it and it has to be an additional expense and require some serious tracking.

Meanwhile, it keeps raining. Sometimes just a drizzle but it’s enough to keep the courts wet. The past two days they’ve had to move all matches indoors and it’s looking like that could happen again for the women’s quarterfinals today. Unfortunately, Venus lost last night. I was hoping to see her play today.

Leaving you with a Maori sentiment I like: