As I have met more Welsh people and more of Laura's American friends, I have realized that New Zealand is privileged in ways I have always took for granted. As you Kiwi's will know, we get a mixture of British and American media in NZ - Greys Anatomy vs. Top Hear, Miley Cyrus vs. Lily Allen, Paris Hilton vs. Peaches Geldof. Which makes sense - we're a small country and we would have a very boring television schedule if it just included news, weather, kids programmes, shortland street, go girls, and outrageous fortune. Anyway, the cool thing I've found is, this means we can act as translators between the British and the Americans!
We know what both a diaper and a nappy is, what trash and rubbish are, how to rent and hire things, and we can choose candy lollies or even sweets. There are others I've found as well - I should really make a list! I quite often find myself "translating" for Laura or another American, or for my Welsh/English friends from Laura - and yet I can't recall many times when I have had to have a word explained to me. This extends to celebrities, TV programmes, and even history. I met an American who didn't know who Bob Geldof was, and a guy from England who has never heard of Scrubs. We also take a lot of traditions from both countries - Guy Fawkes from Britain and Halloween from America. As we have our own culture as well, NZ truly does have the best of all worlds!
Oh - and I did go to Pembroke Docks, where there were several lectures on materials in the oil and gas industry. It was very interesting - combining my materials knowledge with my process engineering knowledge (the other half of my undergraduate degree). It was good to see first hand why my father worked in the industry for many years - I know I've made the right choice for me choosing polymers, but boy, chemical engineering and design is exciting! The people that ran the day are Materials Network Wales (MNW), of which my supervisor, Dr. J.C. Arnold, is the chairman. The next event they are running is one on polymers, and it is in Swansea, so I am hoping to attend that as well.
We know what both a diaper and a nappy is, what trash and rubbish are, how to rent and hire things, and we can choose candy lollies or even sweets. There are others I've found as well - I should really make a list! I quite often find myself "translating" for Laura or another American, or for my Welsh/English friends from Laura - and yet I can't recall many times when I have had to have a word explained to me. This extends to celebrities, TV programmes, and even history. I met an American who didn't know who Bob Geldof was, and a guy from England who has never heard of Scrubs. We also take a lot of traditions from both countries - Guy Fawkes from Britain and Halloween from America. As we have our own culture as well, NZ truly does have the best of all worlds!
Oh - and I did go to Pembroke Docks, where there were several lectures on materials in the oil and gas industry. It was very interesting - combining my materials knowledge with my process engineering knowledge (the other half of my undergraduate degree). It was good to see first hand why my father worked in the industry for many years - I know I've made the right choice for me choosing polymers, but boy, chemical engineering and design is exciting! The people that ran the day are Materials Network Wales (MNW), of which my supervisor, Dr. J.C. Arnold, is the chairman. The next event they are running is one on polymers, and it is in Swansea, so I am hoping to attend that as well.
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