Ok, so, that title might make it sound like I'm peeved off at the world and I need to bring it down for the people of New Zealand. I thought that since us from NZ are regularly told by the world we're a relaxed bunch there are a few things that can bring us discomfort. … Continue reading Things that bother Kiwis both home and abroad
Merry Christmas everybody (or Happy Holidays if Jesus gets on your nerves). This year I’ll be staying in Austin for Christmas day so it will be my first Christmas away from family and friends in New Zealand. I haven’t found the pre-Christmas experience in Austin to be too different from my past in New Zealand, … Continue reading Christmas for the Kiwi Cowboy
As the US election rolls ever closer and the Presidential Debates have kicked immodestly into gear, there are some things I've discovered about myself and what I hypothesize as traits that your average Kiwi is also known to possess. I don't represent the disposition of every New Zealand citizen (and recent immigrants from different cultures might not … Continue reading Kiwi conflict of interest
I realize it's been a while since I updated the blog and that's thankfully due to having lots to do. I’ve somehow become an interviewer of people around Austin and will have lots to show in the coming week or so. I conducted 5 interviews in just over a week (one was a written interview … Continue reading Literally asking questions
As you know that while I was born in Dallas I have no recollection of it and have no memory of what a Texan summer is truly like. My Dad has told me a few stories of coping with the change (basically go from your A/C'ed house to your A/C'ed car to the A/C'ed shop), … Continue reading Hot in the city
There's a great YouTube channel that shows a replay of rugby games for a limited time, so it was appreciated to be watching the All Blacks vs Wales matches at 10:30am rather than 2:30am (I initially had a rather late night/early morning trying to watch the game live). I haven't had any great bouts of … Continue reading The Nu Zilnd accent
Oh man, every blog post has a cheesy title right? Oh man, that was groan worthy as well! All cities and countries love food, but Austinites really like their food. There's a food truck, Tex Mex venue, burger joint, BBQ restaurant on every corner. That's right a BBQ restaurant. NZ you go to a venue where … Continue reading Food for thought: Austin burritos for breakfast, and don’t forget the BBQ.
1. The title is a Willie Nelson song and Willie is an Austin regular who they even built a statue of. 2. I bought a car (and now aware that NZ pronounces it 'ka' and Americans 'caurrr') It appears that that when I left Auckland it had become a city infamously known for its traffic … Continue reading On the road again
Jack of All Trades, master of none. The fountain of knowledge known as Wikipedia says this: "Jack of all trades, master of none" is a figure of speech used in reference to a person that is competent with many skills, but spends so much time learning each new skill that he/she cannot become an expert … Continue reading Jack of All Trades
Hey y'all. This is a phrase I'm told I'll be saying soon enough, and I'm told this from those who haven't been in Austin that long themselves. But I'll start by introducing myself: My name is Joel David Greatbatch, born in Dallas Texas on the corner of Wilton and Superior, May 1st 1981. This was … Continue reading Gettin’ started
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