Things Kiwis Say

Alright, we are in desperate need of a lighthearted post after that last one. This is one I've wanted to write since the beginning for no reason other than it's kind of fun. Plus, I know at least one person will get a kick out of it. That's right I'm talking about you, monk.

Quite a lot of Kiwi English (vocab) comes from the brits, but without further a due I present to you kiwi words and phrases:

1. Sweet as - This can mean anything, but usually they use it as a simple "okay" or they use it interchangeably with "awesome". It is basically an unfinished simile. For example, "Wow, that mountain is sweet as!"
2. Yeah-nah - Pretty much the equivalent of agreeing with someone, but at the same time you don't. It is like saying "kind of".
3. Lollies - any candy is considered a lolly. It is not just short for lollipop.
4. The dairy - A convenience/corner store.
5. Ice block - Popsicle
6. Togs - Bathing suit
7. Chilly bin - a cooler
8. Boot - The trunk of a car
9. Pudding - Another way of referring to dessert. If you are thinking of American pudding they would just say mousse.
10. Car park - Parking lot
11. Biscuit - Not the small baked bread you are thinking of. Here in New Zealand, a biscuit is a cookie.
12. Chips - French fries. Potato chips are referred to as "crisps". And they would call something like Doritos, a corn chip.
13. Jandal - Flip flops
14. Vest - tank top
15. Kiwifruit - The actual fruit. If you say "I ate a kiwi" they might think you are talking about the bird.
16. Tramp - a hike 
17. Morning/afternoon tea - This could mean coffee or tea, usually with a snack.
18. Jelly - Not the stuff you put on a PB&J. In New Zealand, jelly is jello. Jam is what we consider jelly.
19. What do you reckon? - What do you think/prefer/suppose
20. Rubbish - We all know what the rubbish is, but you won't catch a kiwi saying trash or garbage. Typically, they will tell you to chuck it in the bin or the rubbish
21. Tea towel - Probably self-explanatory, but where I come from a tea towel is just a towel, or a dish towel.
22. Dodgy - Something a kiwi might consider sketchy or unreliable.
23. Heaps - Equivalent to saying "a lot". For example, "There were heaps of lollies on sale at the supermarket"
24. Eh - Pronounced "a", it is not typically used in the form of a question. Most of the time, it is used expecting a response. Like, "That sandwich is good, eh" To me it is just like a filler word...

But yeah, those are all the words I can think of at the moment, but now that you have some kiwi vocab under your belts, you are officially ready to visit New Zealand. Oh, and by the way, they do say "mate" a lot.

If you are yearning for some other useless but interesting facts, check out: http://www.buzzfeed.com/jemimaskelley/things-you-did-not-know-about-new-zealand#.xdy7vGLJyX 

Why haven't I been posting?

Originally my intentions for this blog was to keep everyone updated with what I am doing here in New Zealand. And I’ll admit it, I have not been doing a good job.

I've been slacking, guys. I've been slacking.

The reality of the situation is… I’m a little miserable. Everything has not been what I pictured would happen here. In large part, my misery is due to this stupid physiology class. From the beginning I have been stressing out about it, because I feel like they are speaking an entire different language. My adviser warned me about taking a major science class abroad, but as you can tell, I didn't listen. You see, kids, this is medical physiology… I am not a medical student. Everyone in this class has taken prerequisite courses that prepared them for this class, but I feel like I have been dropped in the ocean with nothing but my will to survive. And it is tough. I have never ever been this challenged and distraught and unconfident in my abilities.

Some days I am alright and others I just have a complete and utter meltdown about it. My mind even goes to a place that thinks coming here was a mistake, but I have to force myself to remember all the things I have accomplished so far and tell myself that I will come back an even stronger person than I was before I left.

I didn't want to write a post like this, because I didn't want anyone at home to worry about me. But honestly, I don’t do anything anymore worth blogging about. I basically sit in my room all day trying to work on something related to school, and when I’m not doing that, I’m watching videos or a TV show because that is how I am able to relax.

Normally, I’m the type of person to keep my issues to myself until I can work it out on my own, but I haven’t really been able to do that this time. I don’t like to show emotions, especially at my lowest of lows, but sometimes you have to accept the fact that you aren't okay and let others in on that secret. So that’s what I've done. I’m lucky that I have so much support from back home and I am unbelievably appreciative of that. And if we are sticking with this whole ocean analogy, then you could say the support and encouragement is like a snorkel. Just enough to keep me above the waves.

I’m pretty much certain that I will fail this class and I never thought that I would ever fail a class. I wish I was over exaggerating, but I don’t feel like I am. For some people that might not even be a big deal, but for me that means retaking the class back at URI, taking a summer class just to make sure I can still graduate in time, with more money going down the drain.

It’s crazy for me to even think that I have gotten so messed up mentally by this one thing, because I never get stressed out. Ask any of my friends from school and they would tell you that I am normally really relaxed and easy-going. I don’t even recognize the person I have become. I can only hope that I can somehow, someway manage to pass this class, then every little thing will be alright.

Okay, that’s enough sadness for one post. If you read this all the way through, sorry this is not an exciting or uplifting, but sometimes things get real. I guess life decided it was time for me to suffer for a bit and learn some life lessons ever so conveniently while I’m just about the furthest away from home I can be.

No worries, guys, I’m just gonna keep on swimming.

P.s. If you have any questions or words of encouragement for me, facebook messages work wonders.

Alright, peace out homies