Language Barrier

After recovering from the iron butt Boeing ride I have been on a mission of discovery, but for some reason I keep thinking I am in Norway, and my traveling compadre keeps thinking we are in Canada, but I am almost certain we are in New Zealand.

Aukland Sky Tower

To further confuse the matter of our exact location Our rental car, all the controls are in Japanese. When you start the engine, it gives us I think a greeting in Japanese, but it might be a warning could be a blessing, or a cursing.  I am getting better with the language though as today the valet left the parking brake on and the car was quite adamant with its vocal instruction to disengage it, and eventually I did.

??????

The big issue beside the cars language barrier   is that the turn signal switch is where the wiper switch should be and the wiper switch is where the turn signal switch should be, and since I am a courteous driver and like to let the other motorist know where I am going with a signal light I keep turning on the wipers when I should be turning on the signal. It’s a dilemma a bit like riding your motor bike and trying to slow down with the cruise control switch, but instead lowering the volume on the stereo.

There is also the issue with the steering wheel being in the passenger seat and the whole driving on the right, but that seems to go okay as long as you just follow along with the crowd and remember to give way in the round about.

When You Floor This Rental You Better Hold On

Another big language barrier is the locals are completely able to pronounce place names like “Whaqaparaoa”, “Pukekohe” and even” Taranaki”. It makes me feel like the first time I went to Oregon and couldn’t say Willamette but It all makes me  glad that I know the way to Seeward….

On The Beach New Zealand