[Milliemoo]

This guy makes some interesting points:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10511142

Superficially people are friendly, but that's Kiwi politeness, it's about making the right impression rather than a genuine interest. It took me a while to understand that. Creating friendships is hard

and this made me laugh:

The dating scene is different here. In England, you can know quite quickly whether a woman is interested in you by the way she looks at you. Most English women can smile with their eyes, but not Kiwis. It took me a while to get used to, because on one hand Kiwis are open and friendly, but that doesn't mean they have any interest in you. Kiwis operate on a code I don't understand. You can be sitting there thinking, oh well, nice to meet you, but then she's jumping you.
Kiwi men don't seem to look for any particular cues, they just tend to dive in and if they get told to $**% off, they do. There's not much subtlety

They're should be some interesting reading on the "Your Views" page:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10511122

Milliemoo

[Bruckner]

This is totally off the subject by a friend went on a date with a guy who whispered in her ear, "I want to rock your love world!" Don't know if he was Kiwi or not.

Emily

[Moorf]

This is totally off the subject by a friend went on a date with a guy who whispered in her ear, "I want to rock your love world!" Don't know if he was Kiwi or not.

Emily

Ewwww, where's the bucket? :laugh

[JandM]

Mmm, I wonder how his social life will be affected - he's given his name and photo to that!

[Familyofmonkeys]

Ewwww, where's the bucket? :laugh

Exactly what I was just thinking :D

[Rusty]

Kiwis can find it hard to laugh at themselves. With English people I'll lay into people when I first meet them to see if they can handle it, whereas you have to get to know Kiwis well before you do that.

That was my favourite comment.
If I met someone and they 'laid into me taking the &**s' I don't think I would be polite either! Probably call him a name and walk off - don't expect he has many friends.

Although I expect much of the article to be taken out of contact, such is my trust of any media.

[dharder]

Kiwis can find it hard to laugh at themselves. With English people I'll lay into people when I first meet them to see if they can handle it, whereas you have to get to know Kiwis well before you do that


That was my favourite comment.
If I met someone and they 'laid into me taking the &**s' I don't think I would be polite either! Probably call him a name and walk off - don't expect he has many friends.


I actually found that comment (by the guy quoted in the paper) to be quite true. And I'm not even sure you can ever take the pi*^ to the same extent as you can with a British person, although I of course don't know all kiwis, and not all of the ones I do know extremely well (some, though :))

But it is definitely an observation I have made as well. I also make that observation as someone who has emigrated before, to the UK, so it is not just a case of being 'the foreigner who shouldn't take the p*&^ to the same extent as a native is allowed to', of which there is always an element, of course.

I think there is just a different kind of humour here, and making fun of yourself isn't as a big a part of it as it is for some British humour. It is not just a Kiwi thing, though, others aren't very good at that, either.

Daniela

[Rusty]

I assumed he was talking about 1st meeting someone. If he 'lays into' anybody at 1st contact to get a reaction, I can't imagine it being taken well in any country.
I know it's an English/British quirk to friends, but I don't really see it here (still UK). -maybe when you know someone better, but not at 1st.

[dharder]

I know it's an English/British quirk to friends, but I don't really see it here (still UK). -maybe when you know someone better, but not at 1st.

Yes, that's true. I guess there is always a difference as well whether it is personal, or personal regarding 'the British' as a whole when making fun of someone/something. I was thinking more of the ability to not take oneself as a member of a group (for example, 'the British', 'a Londoner', a 'Football Fan'etc) too seriously, and still being able to make fun of that group even though you are a member, if that makes any sense.

The latter is the kind of humour I don't see here very much, the Kiwi ability to make fun of things Kiwi. But again, that is not a particular NZ trait.

Daniela

[CJ22]

I think it's the 'small country' syndrome at work. I've found the Scots to be similiarly sensitive (yes yes I know it's a generalisation). The only small country I know that genuinely takes the pee out of itself is the Irish.

[James 1077]

The laying into people is definitely true from my experience. In the UK a Kiwi friend of mine was shocked at the way my mates and I would sit around a bar table and insult each other - he couldn't believe that we were friends!

Even at work here in NZ the "Brit contingent" will often take the %^#* out of each other at the water cooler which the Kiwis just don't get!