And I Can Work a Costume Into This How?

I shaved my first handle-bar mustache- on Scotty of course. "Mo-vember"is big here too. First fried our good hair clippers (stupid voltage change!), so I had to finish up his hair and mustache with a battery-powered razor. Never did I think I would actually help Scotty put a mustache on his face let alone be the one to suggest it, but NZ is the land of backwards. I planted a vegetable garden on the same weekend as Halloween. Cars drive on the opposite side of the road and people walk on the opposite side of the sidewalk. As a result, I've had many awkward "dance passes" with strangers on the street (where you try to step aside to go around a person only to have them step the same way and then you're stuck swaying back and forth together in a two-step while sheepishly and continually saying "oh sorry!"). The door knobs turn the opposite way, and the locks lock in a similar fashion. I have proudly placed my key in the lock, unlocked my door and left my place for the afternoon only to return, put my key back in the lock, lock my door, turn the knob expecting the door to swing open only to crumple my body into fold of the door. There is no "dinner" or "supper" here, it's called "tea", so when someone says, "we'll go after tea" they don't mean in the afternoon, they mean they'll see you at night. Words that are considered vulgar at home are said freely here (and sometimes even used as a compliment) but if you say "I'm bagged" you'll make a kiwi sailor blush.  I haven't noticed the toilets flush the opposite way, but that's probably because they flush so violently. If you enjoy salty snacks, and therefore, tell people you are a savoury person (as opposed to sweet), you'll get a big slab of cake put in front of you because "savoury" just means dessert. Kiwi's are known for being incredibly nice and laid back, yet they will mow a pedestrian down in the street. You're not even safe in a crosswalk. I am terrified of crossing the street here. 

So long story short, I'm ok with the mustache, as long as there is a nice layer of whiskers on the rest of the face. A Mustache needs friends. 

As many of you have heard me whine, Halloween does not exist outside of North America. I woke up on October 31st to find no one feeling or acting any different than they did on October 30th. I put little Maya's hair into two high little buns and painted a mouse nose on her before Kindy (kiwi for preschool). I wanted to dress her up as a fairy princess but she said she wasn't allowed to wear a costume to school (o'horror). Being that she's only 4, she obliged and let me do her up as a mouse. 

After tutorial (which I do my duties as "house tutor" for a minimum of an hour after dinner), a few of the boys decided to go out trick or treating, but had zero imagination when it came to costumes. A group of 6 boys put baseball caps and shorts on...? Another group of boys got some paint but didn't know what to be. Really? How about shred up some paints and paint yourself green and go as the incredible hulk? They reacted so greatly to my idea which made me feel clever. The yellow guy is supposed to be bart simpson.

Spider man ripped the crotch out of his "suit" trying to do a jump. I told him to paint his stark white thighs blue to match his tights. Huge reaction. I'm a genious in this country!

As darkness fell, I snuck away to do a self-timer photo shoot alone in my flat. I put on my black leggings, one of Scotty's shirts, and the little cat mask I made. Let's face it, Halloween is NEVER going to pass without me making something and taking photos of myself wearing said something. 

Things were going great. I was dancing around in the dark to Beyonce's "Run the World (Girls)" and showing the camera some love... aaaaaannnnddddd then Scotty flung the door open to hear me panting and see my silhouette jumping up and down in the dark, and then FLASH! 

caught red-handed. i get all giggly and shy whenever i get caught doing self-timer photo shoots, but then I got over it.

Brian felt bad that my favourite holiday was so overlooked among the kiwi's that he tood Scotty and I out on a late night Dunedin Halloween tour. First stop, McD's. There were more Halloween decorations there than I've seen the entire month of October. Even though the count from sesame street isn't exactly a leading Halloween character, I appreciated the effort.

Doing what they do best

 Second stop was Hogwarts. Ok, just a school that looks like it's for wizards... or is it?

Harry Potter would love it here.

Then we went to the cemetery that holds William Larnach's mausoleum (a very wealthy man who lived in a huge manor on top of the Otago Peninsula in the 1800's). We visited Larnach's castle this past weekend. While we were having coffee in the dining room at the castle, we spoke with a lady whose Scotish aunt had worked in the kitchen at the castle (long after Lanarch committed suicide) and told her of the strange things that would happen there (footsteps heard in empty rooms, chandeliers found swaying on their own etc.).

Creepier than the mausoleum was the random couple making out ("getting pash" as kiwis would say) behind it 

The final stop was St. Clair (the surf beach I had a meltdown at when trying to surf a short board for the first time). Brian and Scotty tossed a Rugby ball while I waited to see a great white ride in through the darkness on a wave (there were a couple people killed by great whites back in the 60's on that beach and there's still a shark bell on the walkway- you're supposed to ring the bell if you spot a shark). 

I never saw a shark, but just because I didn't see him doesn't mean he wasn't there. Scotty yelled "TRICK OR TREAT!" at the 7 people we actually spotted on the street. The best was a 60+ year old woman riding a razor scooter down the street. Hahahahaha.... I love New Zealand.

All in all, it was a pretty decent Halloween thanks to our Kiwi-Canadian friend. I came knowing it wouldn't be what I was used to. I had been warned that Kiwi's don't do Halloween, but I get to have my first Guy Fawkes day on Saturday. I was hoping there would be masks (like in "V for Vendetta"), but it's strictly a fireworks day. I can't help it that I try to work dressing up into everything. I might just have to save that for the end of the month. Oamaru (about an hour and a half away from here and the home of a "steampunk" head quarters) is hosting a Victorian Days Fete and there are prizes for best victorian costume. 

Dreams do come true.