Easily amused
Right, well, not to crack wise on the New Zealanders, but they do have a couple of things that I've come across that initially made me snicker. I think they'd make you laugh a bit, too, so I'm going to share those things with you here and see what you think. It's all in good fun, as you know I love this new home I've made for myself Down Under in Wellington! But there's nothing like "taking the piss" every now and then.
I'm sure the Kiwis would think some of our own company names and phrases odd. For example, they find it humorous that I refer to cookies as such, as over here only little kids call cookies 'cookies'. Adults call them 'biscuits', which to me means something buttery and doughy as opposed to something sweet, crisp and peanut butter or chocolate chip flavored. Notice how I'm also not spelling words in this post with u's, either, like 'flavour' or 'humour'. That is a habit I'm still learning to pick up, but given the nature of this post I think I'll stick with my Americanized vocab for the now!
Check this one out:
Ahem. "Throaties"?! Sounds a bit... dirty, doesn't it? Excuse me, did I just stroll down the "XXX" aisle of the supermarket, or am I the only one who sees the comedy in this?
I can just imagine a conversation in the average Kiwi household now:
Mrs. Kiwi: "Darling, I'm feeling a bit of a cough coming on. Can you pop round to the dairy and get me some Throaties?"
Mr. Kiwi: "Oh I'll give ya a throaty all right..."
Mrs. Kiwi: "Pardon?"
Mr. Kiwi: "Nothing, dear. I'm on to it."
Maybe I'm still stuck in an eighth-grade mentality, but I couldn't help but smirk the first time I saw these on the shelf.
The only other one I've got a picture of right now is this one:
Um, you guys do know what a sanitarium is, right? Might not want to choose that as the name of your company, then, if'n you're selling milk and whatnot. I mean, don't get me wrong: we need sanitariums to get people better. It's just that, well, naming food after a place where people are sick and need lots of rest and medical care to get better... You see what I'm sayin'? Not very appetizing.
Soylent Green, anyone? I think you get my point!
I am, of course, just teasing. I am certain that there are several American company names/food items that would raise the eyebrows of more than a few Kiwis (not to mention some of our overly-indulgent portion sizes). So I'll end this post on a good note, although all I'm really doing here is praising McDonald's rather than the Kiwis. But they get props indirectly, at least.
This
is the New Zealand version of our very own Big Mac. Imaginatively called the "Kiwiburger" it is not quite what we know as the Big Mac, but rather is a big cheeseburger with a fried egg and a slice of beetroot on it. For those whose gag reflexes are still intact - I'm with you. I love this burger! It reminds me of a 'Cheese Western', a terribly unhealthy burger from my hometown of Lynchburg that features a greasy cheeseburger topped with sweet relish and a fried egg. It is a direct frontal assault on all of your coronary arteries, and damn does it taste good.
Well this sandwich might be tasty, but my point is how cool I think it is that Mickey D's has created a Kiwi version of the "Big Mac Song" for the New Zealanders, and I'm not sure if you can make out the words in the picture but it goes on about all things unique to the country. I choose not to take the cynical view and see it as a clever grab at Kiwi loyalty by stirring their national pride over an ultimately American creation.
Rather, I see it as a great blending of two very cool cultures and I'm all about staying true to the locals, as for instance they use all New Zealand ingredients in this burger.
I've limited myself to just one of these, as I think that probably ought to be at least a monthly quota if not a quarterly one, these burgers are so loaded. But the Kiwiburger is very tasty and at least it doesn't have a smirk-inducing name like the above two products mentioned in this post!
I'm sure the Kiwis would think some of our own company names and phrases odd. For example, they find it humorous that I refer to cookies as such, as over here only little kids call cookies 'cookies'. Adults call them 'biscuits', which to me means something buttery and doughy as opposed to something sweet, crisp and peanut butter or chocolate chip flavored. Notice how I'm also not spelling words in this post with u's, either, like 'flavour' or 'humour'. That is a habit I'm still learning to pick up, but given the nature of this post I think I'll stick with my Americanized vocab for the now!
Check this one out:
Ahem. "Throaties"?! Sounds a bit... dirty, doesn't it? Excuse me, did I just stroll down the "XXX" aisle of the supermarket, or am I the only one who sees the comedy in this?
I can just imagine a conversation in the average Kiwi household now:
Mrs. Kiwi: "Darling, I'm feeling a bit of a cough coming on. Can you pop round to the dairy and get me some Throaties?"
Mr. Kiwi: "Oh I'll give ya a throaty all right..."
Mrs. Kiwi: "Pardon?"
Mr. Kiwi: "Nothing, dear. I'm on to it."
Maybe I'm still stuck in an eighth-grade mentality, but I couldn't help but smirk the first time I saw these on the shelf.
The only other one I've got a picture of right now is this one:
Um, you guys do know what a sanitarium is, right? Might not want to choose that as the name of your company, then, if'n you're selling milk and whatnot. I mean, don't get me wrong: we need sanitariums to get people better. It's just that, well, naming food after a place where people are sick and need lots of rest and medical care to get better... You see what I'm sayin'? Not very appetizing.
Soylent Green, anyone? I think you get my point!
I am, of course, just teasing. I am certain that there are several American company names/food items that would raise the eyebrows of more than a few Kiwis (not to mention some of our overly-indulgent portion sizes). So I'll end this post on a good note, although all I'm really doing here is praising McDonald's rather than the Kiwis. But they get props indirectly, at least.
This
is the New Zealand version of our very own Big Mac. Imaginatively called the "Kiwiburger" it is not quite what we know as the Big Mac, but rather is a big cheeseburger with a fried egg and a slice of beetroot on it. For those whose gag reflexes are still intact - I'm with you. I love this burger! It reminds me of a 'Cheese Western', a terribly unhealthy burger from my hometown of Lynchburg that features a greasy cheeseburger topped with sweet relish and a fried egg. It is a direct frontal assault on all of your coronary arteries, and damn does it taste good.
Well this sandwich might be tasty, but my point is how cool I think it is that Mickey D's has created a Kiwi version of the "Big Mac Song" for the New Zealanders, and I'm not sure if you can make out the words in the picture but it goes on about all things unique to the country. I choose not to take the cynical view and see it as a clever grab at Kiwi loyalty by stirring their national pride over an ultimately American creation.
Rather, I see it as a great blending of two very cool cultures and I'm all about staying true to the locals, as for instance they use all New Zealand ingredients in this burger.
I've limited myself to just one of these, as I think that probably ought to be at least a monthly quota if not a quarterly one, these burgers are so loaded. But the Kiwiburger is very tasty and at least it doesn't have a smirk-inducing name like the above two products mentioned in this post!
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