kiwi funfacts

for those who've never been, here are some interesting / unique facts about New Zealand:

• kiwis get their name not from kiwi fruit, but from a rare nocturnal flightless bird that exists only here


• the most popular kiwi expression is "sweet as!" (e.g. "i won the lottery" "sweet as!") it only took me a week to stop waiting for the rest of the sentence ... sweet as what?!


• meat raffles! they are astonishingly commonplace (after sporting events, at work functions, etc.) weird!


• deer are raised as cattle here for their meat, aka venison (a paddock of deer is a very strange sight for a Canadian)


• bed linens are called Manchester (e.g. "50% off all Manchester, this week only")


• El Camino-style vehicles (car-trucks) are still popular and are referred to as "utes"


• corrugated aluminum siding is somehow considered a stylish option for accenting one's home


• the most popular sport for women is net ball, which is basketball without dribbling or backboards ... and when someone tries to shoot you aren't even allowed allowed to try to block them (read: boring!)


• speaking of women, they outnumber men 2:1 (this sounds like it would work in men's favour, but, no offence ladies, there are very few lookers)


• continuing with women (i'm not obsessing, i swear) New Zealand was one of the first nations in the world to allow them to vote, way back in 1893!