Our First Visitors

It's a rather odd existence to be not quite locals, not quite tourists. People note our funny accents and expect us to just be traveling through town. Though we technically speak the same language it sometimes takes quite an effort to understand Kiwi lingo. Some phrases and terms are just different enough to create confusion. It takes more mental effort than it seems like it should sometimes.

But we're catching on. I find myself sounding more old-fashioned than usual, using phrases like, "It's behind the wee cupboard" and "Am I meant to open it this way?" Setting up life in a new country--even one that is in many ways very similar to our own--can be exhausting. Our challenges here are paltry in comparison, but experiences like these give us a hint of how difficult the plight of the immigrant must be.

We had our first overseas visitors this week. It was all pure coincidence, really. The parents of a friend of mine happen to be touring this area. It's been several years since I've seen them, and it was so nice to have them over for dinner. They have been traveling for a month now and I figured they would welcome a break from restaurants for an evening. Plus, it was a way to repay them ever so slightly for all of the fabulous dinners they'd prepared for me during my college years. Of course, I can't take much of the cooking credit, as I just made a salad and some dessert. My gourmet husband made the delicious grub.

I'm very lucky to have a husband who loves to cook, but I do wish to expand my own culinary skills and recipe repertoire. If anyone out there wishes to share their favorite flavourful, healthy recipes with me, I'd happily accept!