"Can I have some vinegar for my salad?", was Regulas first New Zealand restaurant staff interaction. She got baby spinach and goat cheese salad for dinner.
We are currently in Christchurch at the start of our 3 week, south island exploration tour. After about 30 hours on the plane we landed in Christchurch this afternoon. To prevent us from going straight for a traffic accident we stay at the Sudima hotel for the first night. The hotel is located in walking distance from the airport.
Spending the first few hours in a country halfway around the world, I try to keep an open mind about everything and get a grasp for the local customs. The first thing I noticed, was that while the weather is overcast and temperatures are at 15 C, there were many people (males especially) walking around in shorts and t-shirts, it must be either Californians who are on holiday as well, or else the New Zealanders are a quite robust brand of people who do not bother with a little cold, it is summer after all.
Back at the restaurant, I had all these fantasies about the servers response to Regulas vinegar question. Maybe vinegar on salad was something alien in New Zealand, on par with someone in Switzerland asking for some honey to mix into his fondue. The waiter at our table was a pro though, he didn't flinch. He even asked if Regula prefered white or malt vinegar. The only thing that gave him away a little, was that he brought the vinegar in a sort of flat square bowl which was not really suitable for pouring the vinegar over the salad.
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1 comment:
Your site has definitely given me inspiration to one day make haste out of Auckland and take my family of 6 around the South Island.
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