Cultural differences We are still struck by all the little cultural differences we're learning. Take, for instance, the drink MILO. I don't know if people in the US even drink it. Definitely not in Germany. In Tahiti, however - AND New Zealand - it is a favorite drink for people who don't want to drink coffee or tea. They way it is prepared, however, is quite different. Tahiti: take a bowl, put 2 heaping tablespoons of Milo powder (a bit like chocolate), 2 heaping tablespoons of sugar, 2-3 heaping tablespoons of milk powder (enough to make the equivalent of one bowl of milk) and then add hot water and mix it all. New Zealand: take a cup, put 1 teaspoon of Milo, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of fresh milk and fill up with water. When we ask our New Zealand friends if it doesn't taste too watery, they say, "No, we just don't want to use too much milk, because it is expensive." Now to us, milk in New Zealand is quite cheap at NZ$1.25/litre! In Tahiti, we never even bought fresh milk because it was over NZ$3/litre. And the milk powder wasn't much cheaper. Now what can we learn from the simple example how people make Milo ? In Tahiti, food is VERY IMPORTANT!!! There's got to be loads of it and it's got to be rich. In New Zealand, food isn't that big of a deal and most New Zealanders are quite frugal - not just when it comes to food. It is so fascinating!!! We are also still having to get used to the fact that when New Zealanders come to your house for a meal, they hardly ever stay more than a couple of hours. In Tahiti, people wouldn't leave for HOURS. I guess Kiwis don't want to impose, which is fine sometimes (like today, when I am tired), but sometimes we just miss the hanging out for hours, the laughter and fun over food. One more advantage of guests leaving soon: I get to write on the blog :) Actually, friends that used to live in Singapore told us, if you have guests over there, they rarely stay longer than 20 minutes and they spend most of that time on their cell phone. Good thing God didn't send us there! What a culture shock that would have been:)!