Return to the Western World

I'm slowly adjusting to being out of Asia, part of the world where I've spent the past 2 years living and travelling. It's only been 3 days but I'm getting there slowly. The climate for one is taking some getting used to, but thats nothing a coat and some warm clothes won't fix.

Being surrounded by native English speakers has taken a little getting used to, as everywhere I go I can understand conversations that are happening all around me as well as being able to read and understand all the signboards and shop names. I had become so used to not understanding a lot of what I hear (or read) when I was travelling through Asia that I now find myself evesdropping on other people's conversations! Its certainly nice being back in a land where I can make myself understood easily.

Life out here in New Zealand though is certainly more expensive than Asia and that's going to take a lot of getting used to. Not being able to eat for £2 a meal and have my money stretch like it did will be a hard one, but thankfully the British Pound still goes a fair way out here. Time to be a little more stringent with my money perhaps.

Crossing roads is like a dream come true out here. After the manic experiences of China and Vietnam of fearing for your life everytime you even think about crossing the road, or in Malaysia where there are random holes and open drains everywhere, or even Cambodia and Laos where the pavement and road are merged into one, when drivers obey traffic lights and having cars stop to let me cross here in New Zealand makes me want to weep for joy.