Dishin’ with the Diva

Culture Shock - Driving on the Other Side

For those who do not know, in New Zealand, they drive on the left side of the road.

When driving, or even as a passenger in a motor vehicle, this usually only trips me up when I’m not quite awake or distracted by something else. As a pedestrian, on the other hand, I have to constantly remind myself to look right, then left when crossing the street. I had never realized just how ingrained checking for traffic is in my head, until I suddenly wasn’t doing it correctly.

After one or two calls that were closer than I would like - not actually close, but still disconcerting - I’ve simply gotten into the habit of only crossing with the Walk light (which yes, I should do anyway) or with several others who clearly look like they know what they’re doing. But mostly, I stick to the Walk light, because even people who look like they know what they’re doing can be terribly wrong.

I still manage to look in the wrong direction while checking for cars once I’ve started crossing the street. I may remember at the corner, but once I’m crossing, my whole “right, then left” mantra goes out the window.

So, if you are traveling in a country where the locals drive on the other side of the road than you’re used to, remember that it affects you as a pedestrian, too, not just when you’re driving.

The Diva’s Trippin’

Sorry about the long absence; your friendly neighborhood Trip Diva is actually tripping. I’ve been in New Zealand since the beginning of April. I spent about a week in Auckland, then headed north to the Bay of Islands, and I’m currently on a Stray hop-on, hop-off backpacker bus heading down south to the capitol city of Wellington, where I’m hoping to find a job and stay for at least several weeks.

One thing that’s been quite a change for me is not to have a specific plan. I try to not be too much of a slave to the schedule when traveling, since that’s just a path to unhappiness, but I do have at least a rough itinerary in my head. Not this time. I knew I would fly into Auckland and spend a couple of days there, but I didn’t know what I was going to do next. I don’t know what I’ll do once I decide to leave Wellington, either. But that will hopefully be a little ways off yet.

Once I’m semi-settled in a spot, there will be updates and my take on Auckland. But for now, internet access is sporadic at best, and the time to sit at the computer and post is quite limited - and the last thing I want to do most of the time is sit at the computer when I can be sampling the best New Zealand has to offer.

Quick Tip - Temporary Utility Suspension

It’s probably not worth it for the average two or three week vacation, but if you’re going away for a longer length of time (a month or more), you may want to check with your utility providers to see if they have a vacation suspension available for their services. There’s no sense spending money on something back home that you won’t be using, right?

You may not want to do this with your power company, but you may want to consider it for your phone, cable, or internet service. Not to mention your paper delivery, if you have it, or your garbage collection. It may not seem like much of a savings, but I think whatever you don’t spend on something you aren’t using is money you can use for travel expenses.

Adventures in Packing – Hefty Travel Bags

The trial-size toiletry aisle is a dangerous place for me to be.

Generally, I keep a toiletry bag packed at all times; it’s just easier for me, since I don’t have to worry about grabbing my toothbrush, contact lens solution, or shampoo before walking out the door. It’s all in my bag. With the new TSA guidelines, I’ve grudgingly just gone ahead and checked my bag, since I’d rather not bust up the items in my toiletry bag.

But I leave for New Zealand in less than a week. And after my last trip to New Zealand – when I got to Auckland but my bag kept going to Melbourne – I’m not risking three days without contact lens solution again. So while shopping for assorted other necessities, I added quart-sized freezer bags to my list.

I almost never use freezer bags at home. I usually try to keep some on hand just in case, but I ran out a while back and hadn’t need them since. I hated the idea of buying a whole box before leaving, since it’ll be a while before I’m home again to use them. But I decided what the heck, I need what I need.

While browsing through the trial-sized toiletries, I ran across a bin with packs of Hefty One-Zip Travel Bags. Yes, it’s a gimmick, and I could have just as easily bought a box of plain-old quart-sized freezer bags for a more cost-effective price. But this is a nice, simple pack of 7 bags for about a buck. So into my cart they went, along with a few other items to stash in my carry-on – just in case my bag and I end up on different itineraries again. And I didn’t end up with a stack of plastic bags that will take ages for me to use.

(BTW, it took five days for my bag to get to me; I just gave in after three days and bought more contact solution and another contact lens case. Which bugged me to no end, since I had at least four more at home and would have been much happier spending that money on almost anything else.)

Culture Shock - Dressing for Dinner

Several years ago, I took a (small) group tour through Devon and Cornwall in England with Back-Roads Touring Company. It was my first group tour, only four days, and part of a much longer trip through the British Isles. I was living out of a backpack, so I had tried to pack relatively light (as much as I ever do, at any rate).

Ours was a small group - a mother/daughter pair from Australia, a mother/son pair from China, an American professor, and myself. We did our sightseeing thing for most of the day, then arrived at our home base for the duration of the tour. We had some time to unpack and get settled, then we were to all meet in the hotel’s dining room for dinner together. So I got myself settled, made a couple of phone calls home, and made my way to dinner.

And everyone else had changed clothes from the day. Except me. They were all dressed up, not evening wear, but smart semi-casual. And I was still in my Teva sandals, shorts and travel shirt. (The only shoes I had were my Tevas and my hiking boots, so at least I was wearing my “nice” shoes.)

No one said a word about my attire, but I still felt like I stuck out as a slob. The next day, I made sure to change into the nicest top I brought with me and the one skirt I had before going to dinner. And when we had some free time in town, I went shopping for a dress.

So, the moral of the story? Even when on vacation, it may be the norm to dress up a bit for dinner. If you’ll be dining just amongst yourselves, whatever you and your travel companions usually do should be fine, assuming you aren’t planning to go to a formal restaurant. But if you’re dining with a group you don’t know, you may want to dress it up, just a bit.