HAPPY EASTER TO ALL
MARCH 23, 2008
I got lucky today! I had signed up to do a match race on an America’s Cup boat in spite of my misgivings that it would be very watered down for the tourists. The main reason I wanted to do it was to see how the boat sails and to have the experience of being on a boat that large (about 75ft.) that was a race boat. Fortunately for me the race was cancelled due to lack of wind, our money was refunded and we were all invited to go out in the harbor on the boat anyways to see what the boat was all about. Very cool. The wind picked up just a tad and we were able to raise the sails, tack a few times, and raise the “jenniker” as they call it. (Basically a kite) I’m happy, now I have money to go sailing in the Bay of Islands.

New Zealand has some strange laws for such a forward thinking country -
After sailing I thought I’d go have a beer and cool off. I walked into a restaurant and sat at the bar, and when I asked for a beer was told that I would have to buy a full meal to have a drink. They also do that on Good Friday, a national holiday. They also charge 15% extra on Good Friday, but not on Easter Sunday. But they do charge 15% extra on Easter Monday, not a holiday for all, but for many. Logical eh?

THE PEOPLE
A.J the Bartender
When I asked for a lemonade instead of beer I was given a glass of soda similar to Sprite, but not as sweet. They don’t know the concept of lemonade as we do. But a thirst quenching comparable would be a bitter lemon lime. (Squeeze a wedge of lemon and one of lime in a glass, add dash of bitters, limonela (sort of like a lemon simple syrup) and top with their lemonade.) Not bad.
A.J. is from South Africa, moved here 11 years ago (he’s about 20-24 I’d guess) and is undertaking citizenship.

Birmingham, England Bloke
Here on a one year visa working as an electrician. He didn’t have a job when he arrived but knew that his skill would be valued here. He explained the fundamentals of cricket , a game I’d never seen before but which was currently on the tele.

Is this the new immigrant pattern in the world? And as the world becomes more global and the population becomes more mobile will countries become the new “suburbs”? Will people migrate to those countries they feel more comfortable in, much the same way that people pick a suburb? Will we, in the U.S., start losing the brightest, most talented and economically stable of our people to other countries as our social problems increase and our economy becomes more strained under the stress?

I hope not, but it would appear that NZ is poaching to world’s youth.