Its not easy being Green

New Zealand is a firm believer in being a “Green” country and everytime I hear it on the news I keep thinking about Sesame Street, Kermit the Frog singing his song, “its not easy being green”. Just in case you are too young to remember or have absolutly no clue, take a listen Kermit the Frog sings

Why do I immediatly think of that song, could it be that this country isnt sooo green? Yah thats it…. Could it also be the fact that there is a hole in the ozone layer above New Zealand… Or maybe its the air polution in the winter that is soo dense you cant drive at night in christchurch and the surrounding areas? Yah that it. The air quality in the surrounding areas in Christchurch is heavily monitored daily. Its so bad that I wont go out for a walk after 4 because the air is so bad I dont want to breathe it in. According to ECAN the air quality in the winter can cause serious health risks. They also state, “This polution is mainly caused by burning wood and coal for heating the home”. They also state that it will need to be considerably reduced by 2013. Now arent we just so lucky that we can continue to inhale this pollution for a few more years!! Something to definatly cheer about.

Now I have to say its not all from the burning of wood and coal, by the way it is the only way some people can stay warm in the winter. They do have “Heat Pumps” they are like these boxes that hang on the wall and blow hot air, so that causes your electric bill to be more expensive, technically its a no win situation. Wood is expensive too, especially if you want to burn the good stuff, ie bluegum and macrocarpa(sp?) pretty sad that i now know what wood to buy(definatly been here to long).

As I was saying the polution isnt just because of the burning of wood, Spanky close your eyes. I have seen first hand dirty diapers being put in the woodburner.O M G !!!! My mouth hung open and I couldnt believe it, she did it like it was just nothing at all. I thought.. ummm…interesting way to get rid of a dirty diaper, at least she’s not filling up a landfill, but the airpolution that sucker must be causing is probably 10 times worse than wood, methane gas?? who knows, other people toss in the plastic bags from the supermarket, wrappers from the meat, and yes people will burn furniture to stay warm if they run out of wood!! hey its cold enough here I would too.

I just really have a hard time believing in the “Green Country” thing that is drumed into us every day I really think its a marketing ploy to get tourists to come to the country, think about it…. Come to New Zealand and see our Nuclear Plant..dont think that sounds apealing. On the plus side there are no Nuclear Plants in New Zealand.

Thats really all I have nothing tooo exciting, I havent written since April had writers block to put it nicely, actually I just had nothing to say about New Zealand. As for all the hate mail I get, BITE ME!! Yes I am an American and damn proud of it, your problem is that you cant handle the truth about your country. As my mother always said, “if you dont like whats put in front of you than go to bed without dinner, or in this case dont read it!!”

P rocks this country

Great Winter time has arrived in New Zealand which means in my family of 5 lots of colds. We are sooo suseptical to colds here since we have never been around the germs in this country. Seriously!! So what do I do when we have colds? I use pseudafed, but I cant use it because you cant buy it in this country. You cant even go to the pharmacy and hand over your drivers licsence, sign for it; nothing they wont give it to you. They tell you they dont carry the drug, but they DO! They dont want you to know because the pharmacies are afraid they are going to be robbed. You can be standing there with green snot hanging out of your nose, fever, coughing, chills, full blown head cold and they wont sell it to you because they are afraid you are going to make P out of it.

P yah right, I am going to make P methamphetamine. Give me a break, they try to sell you this other crap, sorry excuse for phseduafed that doesnt work even if you take the whole box your nose is going to still be running and you will still feel like crap.

What has put New Zealand on the map is this:

New Zealand now has the highest recorded per capita use of methamphetamine (“P”) in the world. There has never been another drug that has such a rapid progression to addiction as crystal methamphetamine, now sweeping the globe at pandemic levels. Who would have thought? Do you think maybe its because the people that live in New Zealand are so miserable they need a drug to get high to forget about there sorry ass lives? Yes I know that is rude and god only knows how much hate mail I am going to get, but I dont care, go for it!! Its true, its documented this is a fact!!

I also love this tidbit of information about P in New Zealand.

34% of all meth labs dismantled in New Zealand had children living with them. Studies have shown that of the children removed from P labs, between 35 to 70% will test positive for P and as many as 90% will test positive for toxic levels of chemicals.

Before I left the states, the drug was behind the counter at the pharmacy you had to ask for it, show them your drivers licesence and sign for it, you were then entered into a computer system to track your purchase. Now dont you think New Zealand being such a small country could set this up? Heck my husband could develop a system for the government in his sleep.

Give me a good book anyday

I love reading, no I mean I REALLY love to read. Its a major problem that I have avoided for 4 years now. Reasons being I dont do anything else except READ! Seriously once I start reading I dont stop until that book is finished then I need to feed this illness with another book and so on. The only way to stop the cycle is to NOT read. When I walked into the book store last week what did I see one of my favorite authors had written a new book, granted it probably came out in the states 6 months ago, one of the great perks of living down here. Handle with Care by Judy Picoult. Loved the book, except the end sucked big time!! I used to read the end of books because I couldnt wait to find out the end, I stopped doing that, wished I had with this book.

My girlfriend Donna back in the states and I would talk for hours upon hours about reading and what to read and what had I read. We had similiar tastes in books and I really enjoyed that part in our friendship. I AM NOT saying people dont read in New Zealand, because we actually have a really great library in our town. My oldest son is an avid reader and has been since he was a young boy. I dont read that romance crap like Daniel Steel, please thats not writing, it sooo doesnt interest me. I have a few different types of books i enjoy, give me a memoir any day and I will read it over and over. I love the stories about people that have overcome the struggles in their life and managed to pull through, makes me feel good, gives me hope that some day I will return to the states.

Then there are the Jody Picoult type books, My sisters bones, Glass Castle, Memermaids Chair, Lovely Bones(this is incredible), the Bee one I have so many books that I brought with me and they sit in storage because there is no room in my house for books. But I will read them many times.

Then there are the movies they make from books and I have to read the book to compare. What can I say I am a sucker for a beautiful man glittering in the sunlight, thats hot..LOL So my current obsession is The Twighlight series. I saw the movie because my niece said to, but I didnt care for it. I would have to read the book. Well I read the first book in a day and a half. Didnt shower or cook or clean or anything just read. Major Problem for everyone in the house, but I dont care, so selfish. Then I MUST have the second book. On Monday we went to town and the book store had 25%off all books, YIPPPPEEEE I get the second book, same thing happens except I stay up all night to finnish it, next morning ugg I feel awful BUT i finished the book. The first book awsome screw the movie, 2nd book a bit slow in the middle, torture actaully, the last few chapters were awsome. I had herd the second book wasnt great, looking forward to the other two. I herd from my son she gets pregnant with a vampire child…hummm.. I must get the other two.

My son of coarse functions like a normal child and finishes the book in one day too, really pisses me off. I hate having a speed reader in the house. I used to quize him to prove he didnt read the book, but he does.

Now I am going through withdrawal. I need the 3rd and 4th book, so does my son!! The waiting list at the library is a month, I cant wait a month NO WAY. I am banking on them arriving for my birthday from my son at the end of the month. In the interm I have two choices, 1: pick up the book I had started to read; Eat Pray Love(was having a hard time getting into it) or 2: Beg my husband to go into storage and dig through all the boxes labeled books!! Not sure what I am going to do.

Reading what a wonderful thing to do and want to do, problem for me is I cant stop once I start and thats why I dont read its better for everyone in the house…..

Reminising of times gone by….Passover

I know, I know its been awhile since i have blogged, but I have been struggling with what to write about. Its getting more and more difficult for me living here.

Probably the holidays, I miss spending Passover on Long Island with my family. I have the fondest memories of Passover on the Island. My grandparents being there, with my grandfather sitting in a big wicker chair at the head of the table. My grandmother making her “vegetarian chopped chicken liver”, No duh it wasnt!! I couldnt stand it, ewww, gross and to think I was the one to continue to make it after she passed away. I cant stand the smell! My grandfather would make his famous Horseradish, yes it was very famous it was presented in a jar with a label carrying its name for the year. We would watch my father eat the horseradish and wait patiently to see what was going to happen. Would he turn red in the face, sweat bead up on his brow, would he grab the glass of water asap. It was a good childhood memory. My grandfather was VERY proud of his horseradish, when he passed on my husband would make the horseradish, he wore a face mask!! Trust me you DO NOT want the horseradish smells to go in any opening on your face, the pain is incredible. That stuff is hotter than hell!! Your eyes will burn and tear and YOU WILL go blind for a few minutes!!

We would read from the hagadah and everyone would have a turn reading a paragraph or two, the hardest part was paying attention, we all seem to get side tracked at the dinner table with us all together. Sometimes we would have a table of 25(thats BIG for our family) and we would all have conversations going on, trying to whisper so we wouldnt get caught talking during the reading. My Aunt didnt like it unless we were all laughing!! My mom, brother, wife, my husband, myself, my dad and my children would be jammed at one end of the table with my grandparents and we would argue over who sat next to granpa. Sorry getting distracted talking on msn with my girlfriend in Israel and blogging, they dont mix!! Ok so we would all be reading and if you werent paying attention and it was your turn to read and you werent on the correct page all hell would break loose. Toni’s not paying attention!! Everyone became like a bunch of kindergardens tattling on you.

The food was great chicken soup with matzo balls, always floaters!!, Brisket, Chicken, potato, kuggle, veggies, kafiltafish(sp?) with horseradish, almost forgot passover rolls, so much food and then dessert!! Chocolate mouse, passover cookies, fruit…. To MUCH!! And Passover would sometimes fall on my birthday and it would be an icecream cake!!

The BEST part about Passover was finding the aficomen(cant spell it, its matzo) my uncle would hid it and when the time came at the end of the meal everyone got to look for it, well as long as you werent married. The competition to find this was extreme. Pushing, yelling, running, it was like shopping the day after Thanksgiving!! When you found it everyone got angry at you as you proudly held your treasure in your hand, gloating, smiling, smerking, laughing at everyone else, bragging how YOU found it. Yes you are right I am still upset about not finding it for many years and my cousin always finding it! BUT in the end it didnt matter grandpa would pull out A DOLLAR COIN for everyone that looked!! He was the best, you got the braggin rights, but everyone got a coin. I still have all of mine and I have saved all the kids as well. When grandpa died my Uncle took over and he handed out the Scagawea(sp?) coin. Which is equally awsome!!

To me family traditions mean everything. Being here in New Zealand bites it big time, because I know just what they are doing and eating and laughing and here I am in New Zealand with just my husband and kids, no grandmother, aunt, uncle, cousins, etc.. Just the 5 of us. I try to keep it a similiar meal and event, but there is NO brisket, or the fish, cant make homemade horseradish. Its a project to get matzo.

You are probably bored with my Passover memories, but it helped me to get it off my chest and remember some fond memories from my childhood, nothing is better than remembering sitting next to my grandfather (I only had one) with his arm around my shoulders rubbing my neck with his thumb. We didnt talk we just sat next to each other I could feel all his love, nothing can compare to those memories.

As for Easter in New Zealand they all go away on vacation, I just dont get it. Everyone would go to church in New York, here they go away. Get this my “Christian friend is celebrating Passover at her Church” I looked at her puzzled and said “why would you”, she replied, “its in the bible we do it every two years would you like to come with us?” and I said, “Are there any Jews there?” She said “No”. I said, “Dont think so” She said, “maybe you would like to come to the next one in two years.” I looked at her and turned away thinking If I am here in New Zealand in Two Years you can fucking kill me!! Its my blog and I can say what I want dont read it if you dont like it!!

Tipping in New Zealand

To tip or not to tip THAT is the question?

You dont tip in New Zealand when you pay the bill for your meal. Why should I? The waitress never comes back after she brings you a meal to find out how it is? Cooked as per your request. Honestly they dont care!! In the US they care, well they dont really care they just want the tip; a very nice tip.

I shall give you an example on how poor service is in this country. My husband and I went out to dinner together, this is a big deal when you have 3 kids. We decided on a restaurant in Christchurch that served American Food. Big Ass Rib-eye’s!!! I miss big, thick, juicy steaks…..ummmmmm.. My husband orders both of us American cut Rib-eyes King Cut, so these boys are going to be BIG!!! The food arrives and we are salavating just looking at it, with dreams in our heads over the steaks we ate almost 2 years ago. I pick up my fork and STEAK knife and cut into this baby and what the heck I need a chainsaw to get through the steak. This sucker is tough I mean the plate is moving while I am trying to use the knife to cut a piece of this meat to eat. I take a bite and chew and chew and chew, I think you get the idea. I try and look happy, so I dont upset my husband. He is enjoying his steak and making those ummmmm….sounds!!! I try to eat it but I cant its so nasty!! Hubby takes my plate and attempts to saw into this puppy, but it aint happening…..

Now the real challenge, if you thought eating that steak was a challenge try getting a waitress!!! We try the look thing when we see her, nothing. We do the gentle hand wave, nothing. Then there’s the “oh miss”, nothing. God damn it I am starving and I got a cow thats like a raw hide bone for a dog. The dh gets up and brings the waitress over. This part I am not lying he says, and I quote him, “My wife’s steak is NOT FIT FOR HUMAN Consumption!! It is so tough you cant even cut it was a chain saw. She can not EAT THIS!!” The waitress “I do appologize sir, I will get you the manager.” She leaves the leather steak on the table!! The manager comes over and says, ” I do appologize sir let me take that steak and get her another one”. My husband says to him, “She does not want another steak, you taste it and tell me if you can eat it, take it away”. He returns(the manager) And does appologize and makes some b.s. excuse and says I will comp her a dessert. Thats it? Hello I didnt eat it remove the steak from the damn bill cause we arent paying for it. Thats not gonna happen. In New Zealand they dont remove the food charges that are returned even if they are unedible you can get a drink or a dessert, but you are paying the $$ for the steak.

I leave that restaurant starving, date with the husband is ruined and anyone that asks me about that restaurant I tell them dont eat there unless you are a dog and you like to chew on leather.

The other day I was in Christchurch to meet my good friend from Utah and have lunch. The receipt actually said tip. I said dont tip them, you dont have to in New Zealand, she says she feels funny not tipping. I would if I thought they deserved it, but they dont care. Yes I had a really nice Ceaser Salad for lunch, but they never returned to see how the food was and I had to ask for our coffees.

I wanted to mention that I received an Award!! I did I sware to it. Here is a photo of it

Kreativ Blogger Award!!

I got this award from Carolyn Good for my beautiful cane work plus she gives a very entertaining read about the experiences of living in a foreign country.

I am supposed to pass this award on.. Its a hard choice…… there are 2 people that deserve this award…

The first one is my brother. He has been writing a blog forever, he tells it as he sees it(must run in the family), he isnt getting it because he is my brother, he writes about alot of crap I dont care about, but then there are some that do interest me, he is well informed and is entertaing. I give the first award to PardonMyFrench.

The second one is to Irish Mishly for Polymeri Online she is always bringing new polymer clay artists to the community and is very informative(scented polymer clay I dont think soooo). Plus she is a wonderful friend(a little biased) But its one of the polymer clay blog bibles!!

So off you go my award be free………

If you havent checked out my store do it!! www.toninz.etsy.com

www.ToniNZ.Etsy.Com

This was one of my New Year’s goals and I have done it!! Yes I am the proud owner of a little shop on Etsy. My beautiful banner was created by my girlfriend in Israel, Iris. She is absolutly amazing and talented and I will be forever greatful.

I know you are wondering whats Etsy? Its like an Ebay except its for Handmade items only. You can own your own shop and sell what you want as long as its handmade(I think).

What am I selling, millefiori polymer clay canes and my jewelry. What is polymer clay you ask? I will have to give a lesson now. Polymer clay is a man made clay that comes in a wide range of colors. You can bake it in your home oven. No its not like playdoh, it can last forever!! It doesnt taste good either!! Ok, so I ate playdoh admit it so did you!!! You can buy the clay in craft stores and its easy to do, just need a table a roller, a blade some clay and imagination. I have tons of that or I wouldnt have believed life would be sooo wonderful in New Zealand. Now to explain Millefiori; I am going to give you the loooong explanation just so I can look brilliant(LOL).

Millefiori, which means “thousand flowers” in Italian, is the process of merging rods of glass into specific patterns, such as floral petals, heating the rods and then stretching them out to form what is called the cane. The cane can be slices and combined to simulate intricate floral and similar patterns and then used to decorate beads or other glass objects.

Millefiori Flower Cane

Purple flower Millefiori Cane

Millefiori canework can be replicated using Polymer clay. The canes are logs of clay which are created by laying differently colored and differently shaped clay pieces together (usually lengthwise) to form a pattern or a picture (the image runs all the way through the clay, but shows only at each end). Slices can be cut off the end to be placed elsewhere, yielding many little copies of the same image. The cane can also be carefully compressed from the outside to reduce (lengthening) the image/cane. This will give you a longer cane with a smaller image. The resulting cane can be sliced to form beads or used as a decorative layer for other objects.

Now do you follow me? Of coarse for all my readers that do use polymer clay that was just a waste of there reading, but for everyone else, like my brother, mother and kiwis this is useful information as I am so tired of saying “No they arent stickers!!” “No they arent painted on”. Hopefully this will sink in.

I am Soo Excited to be doing this. I have had a total of 28 sales since I opened the shop in this month. I am trying to get the word out too. So spread the word!! Scream it at the top of your lungs, “Toni has a shop!!” ok back down to earth. Link me onto your site! I hope to make a real go at this, as it is something I am very passionate about and love doing. As my lovely mother says, “How many people get to do what they love for a living?” Well I am going to try!!

You will also be able to buy my unique Jewelry, so if you need a gift for someone or for yourself come to me!! If you see something on my flickr site and its not on Etsy send me an email and I will work it out with you. Its my blog and I can do what I want! I ship all over the world!!

Unique piece of Jewelry by Toni

Millefiori Heart Necklace by Toni

Seriously now take a look at Etsy and my new shop and give me a shout if there is anything I can do. You can be the proud owner of a unique piece of art done by Toni in New Zealand!!

Howdy Partner

Confusion mass confusion in New Zealand for me. When I came to this country and I started meeting people they would say there partner is home or out or whatever. All that goes through my mind is “partner….hummm is this person gay or lesbian?”

I have NOTHING against gay or lesbians AT ALL, so DO NOT send me hate comments about them. Some of my closest friends and relatives are.

Ok, can we get back to the topic. I never said anything I did not want to embarrass them by asking the question. But really what would you think?

When someone in the states refers to someone as “There Partner” it usually means 9 out 10 times that the person they are talking about is gay or lesbian. Here you are soooo WRONG!!! A woman that I was friendly with looked really butch and I assumed her partner was a woman, honest to god I did and her stories didnt match up one bit!!! I asked the question, biting my lip, I said, “This may sound pretty stupid but when you say partner are you refering to a man or woman because in the states you would only say this if you were gay or lesbian here I have no idea”. She laughed and said it was her HUSBAND. Husband!! you got to be kidding me, why do you refer to your husband as your partner? He is your husband, better half, other half, your old man, etc.. get the drift?? But partner for husband, dont think soo..

This continues to confuse me, ok so I must be thick!! But Partner in New Zealand also means boyfriend or girlfriend. You have NO idea if the person is married or not or is the father of the children or anything!!

Still after a year and half when someone mentions there partner I immediatly think they are gay or lesbian sorry about that kiwi’s but thats how this american thinks!!

The Porcelain Throne

You are probably wondering come on Toni you are going to blog about toilets, you bet!!  Let me tell you there is a lot to be said about the toilets in New Zealand.  Who would have thought you could have a choice when you use the toilet or loo, but you do!!  Just make sure you choose the right button or you leave a present for the next person.

As you can see from the photo below, the button on the left is a half flush button and the one on the right is a full flush. 

Make sure you choose the right button!!

The premise behind these buttons is water conservation, so they think.   I have asked a bunch of people and kids, yep I asked they were actually more embarrassed about answering the question for fear it would be the wrong answer.  There really isn’t a wrong answer to the question.  The responses where quit interesting. 

I will start with my family, since we are Americans and the buttons are a whole new experience.  My husband and oldest son are full flush guys, they want to be sure there deposits are gone. Middle son, doesn’t care he just pushes which ever one is the closest to him (his answer just makes you shake your head, he is 11).  My daughter who is 9, blew me away with her answer, she pushes BOTH buttons at the same time!!!  Now that is playing it safe if you ask me.  I did not expect to get that answer at all.  I will admit I will push the 1/2 flush if I pee and if it doesn’t flush I than push the full flush, so water conservation is not working in MY house!!

The New Zealanders that I asked responded with a full flush mostly or both buttons at the same time.  I don’t want to be the one to inform New Zealand Water Conservation that the 1/2 flush is hardly used and actually more water is used each time a person goes to the bathroom.

Another common phenomenon here is the phantom Grogan.  It exists, I saw it with my own two eyes blinded for days but I did see one.  My experience with the Grogan was when we went away on vacation to Kapiti Coast.  I went into the bathroom and there at the bottom of the toilet was a turd, mortified I got my husband and we both questioned the children as to who did not flush the toilet?  Not one of our children fessed up to the dirty deed.  I went to the bathroom and did a FULL flush it would not go down the hole, I flushed again and nothing.  Went and got my husband he of coarse tried to flush it down but it wouldn’t go away.  The Grogan became part of the family vacation, never leaving no matter how many times it was flushed quite content being at the bottom of the bowl.

By day 3 I was hoping the turd would start to disintegrate, but it didn’t.  Day 4 it left a shadow of its former size to show us how big it once was.  Day 5 came and I was so done with seeing it that I started complaining to my husband, GET RID OF THAT TURD!!  On Day 6 a miracle occurred the Grogan had vanished, it was gone just as fast as it had appeared at the bottom of the bowl.  I didn’t ask any questions, I didn’t want to know how it left.  I was just glad the Grogan was gone.

If you are coming to New Zealand be careful the Grogan might get yah!!

Toni

Buskers Festival Christchurch

An awsome afternoon spent in Christchurch this week attending the Buskers Festival http://www.worldbuskersfestival.com/.  When I first herd about it I had no clue what a “Busker” was.  Just in case you are reading this and have no clue , I am gonna tell you.    A Busker is person that does street perferomances for money.  The  Buskers festival has amazing circus, street and comedic acts, jugglers, contortionists, unicycles, clowns, musicians, aerialists, etc..  I think you catch my drift.  It was hilarious.

The first act we saw was Sam Wills.  I almost peed in my pants he was awsome the best of the day, my opinion.  You forget certain things when you attend these shows NOT to go up front, especially before the act starts and they are just warming up and everyone in the audience is a target!  The grass was wet and I being the caring/loving mother brought over to my children newspapers to sit on, not thinking about walking up front.  Big mistake~out of Sam Wills mouth is “are there any Americans in the crowd”  and I being Toni screams YAH!!!  Dumb ass!!  He looks at me and  it began.  Oh I almost forgot to mention I was wearing pink crocs, a pink tiedye skirt, a white shirt, a pink sweatshirt and of coarse a fuhia heart necklace.  Off Sam Wills went, “so let me guess whats your favorite color?” “Where are you from?” “Will you be cheering like an American, arms raised in the air screaming?” and the good one, “Hair big enough?”  I was speechless, no combacks because I just wasnt prepared.  This guy was soooo funny!!!  Loved it!!

New Zealand~Sam Wills

NZ~Sam Wills~this was hilarious!

NZ Sam Wills~Ouch thats gotta hurt!!

 

Next up was “The Space Cowboy” he was from Australia.  A bit scary looking and did some sword swallowing, he’s in the Guiness Book of Worlds Records holder for the most swords swallowed, 27!!  Had nipples pierced, Angel wing tattoos on his back and had some funky implants done on his chest. 

Space Cowboy ~Australian~ had a hard time watching this!

Space Cowboy~Australian~bending over with sword in throat...ewwww

Time for lunch after that.  And what do we see living statues.

Moving Angel Statues

After that my daughter and I went and saw Cirque No Problem.  An Israely couple doing comedy and aerial acts. 

Cirque No Problem~Israel~could they balance!!

Cirque No Problem~Israel~doing some balancing and juggling

The boys went and saw a Gargoyle, wish I could have seen him too.  They loved him!!

After that we saw “Clown Loto” from Japan.  Wow this guy was great, he did alot of honking because he didnt speak.  The kids loved him and couldnt stop laughing!!

Clown Loto~Japan~climging up the chairs and balancing!!

Clown Loto~Japan~the chair act was awsome!!

Believe it or not we got there at 11am and left at 4:30, I was wipped out and hungry and tired of sitting on my butt!  That was all we got to see,  there were only about 45 more acts to go.  Everyone wants to go back on Sunday to see some more.  It was a great time in New Zealand for sure!! Laughter is the best medicine, I just wish I had brought diapers I havent laughted this hard in ages.     Toni

Left Foot, Right Foot, Feet Feet Feet

One major gross out in New Zealand for me is seeing everyone’s feet!!!

Feet of New Zealand

I am not just talking about feet in your house or around your yard.  I am talking about going into the mall and seeing children, teenagers and adults walking around with NO SHOES ON!!  EWWW  Its so disgusting.  Think about it from my point of view these feet are walking all over the mall stepping in god knows what and go into the toilets/bathrooms/loo what diseases are they picking up on there feet.  Better yet is seeing feet in restaurants and the shops in town. 

In New York were we lived the signs posted on stores were:

NO SHOES

NO SHIRT

NO SERVICE!!

Telling a kiwi this fact, they will have the most baffled look on there face, not understanding how gross it is to not have shoes on or a shirt.  Its just pure common courtesy and hygienic to say the least.  Do you have any idea what you are stepping on?  How about that ice cream that little kid just dropped off his cone? or That woman’s baby that just puked on the ground, let me tell you know one is cleaning that up, so you bet you re sweet ass you are going to step in that!!  Then there is going to the bathroom that little kid that’s just learning to use the potty misses, do you really think that kid is going to use the toilet paper to clean it up, NOT!!  Heck you are lucky if that kid washes its hands.

What was also surprising to me was the lack of shoed children at school!!  I first thought maybe the families just cant afford to put shoes on there kids, but that isnt the case.  Kids at school DONT WEAR SHOES!!!  Seriously, I watched..LOL  They even take there shoes off before going into the class room, you are thinking well socks are ok, I agree, but they dont all wear socks!!!  These kids are playing on the playground and having gym on the playing field were the neighborhood dogs are pooping, kids are drinking(broken glass),  food eaten and dont forget sneezing.  GERMS!!!  No I am not a germ freak, its just the way I was raised you wear shoes, why do I want to see YOUR FEET!! I DONT!!

Of coarse it didnt dawn on me 3 months after we arrived what was growing on my middle sons foot, it was huge!!!! It looked like a cauliflower growing out of his wittle toe!!  It was nasty, like some alien host feeding off his toe.  I didnt know what to do.  I went to the Pharmacy or Chemist (New Zealand lingo) and they told me, “Oh its just a verruca very common for children to pick up on there feet.” GREAT!!  My first experience with feet disease.  These “Verruca’s” are extremely hard to get rid of and they multiply like rabbits, for a while it seemed like everyone I knew had them.

When I myself was having problems with my feet because of running I mentioned this fact to the doctor about no shoes on people and his comment to me was, “Well you know the old saying When in Rome do as the Romans do”.  Sorry doc that isnt happening with me, I am keeping my dogs in there shoes!!

Toni