New Zealanders as Sea Turtles (and a Mad Men moment)

At this point in the blog, I'm going to start using headers for posts that start to cover distinctly different topics, because there's a lot going on and it's hard to keep it all organized.  And so, our first header of the day is...

Working in New Zealand

I've already described some of the work I am doing in New Zealand, but describing what work is like here is a completely different topic.  I am happy to say that I am enjoying every minute of working in this country, and I have come up with the metaphor to describe the differences between the U.S. and New Zealand work cultures:  the 2003 documentary Finding Nemo.  Let me explain.

Remember Crush and all of the other "rockin'" sea turtles traveling the EAC (which ironically is not too far from New Zealand)?  That's what working in New Zealand feels like, and I must say it is a refreshing change of pace.  (Video is a refresher, trip down memory lane, and an explanation for those who have committed a crime by not seeing this classic film).

Like Crush and the rest of the sea turtles, the New Zealand work culture can be best described as laid back.  Early on in the job, the expectation was made very clear to us that work is to be done only at work.  This has taken a bit of getting used to, since I'm used to a working culture where quick responses to e-mail and constant attention to one's phone have become unspoken job expectations in many ways.  In general, the supervisory style here is laid back, in the sense that there seems to be a desire to be collaborative with employees rather than a top-down supervisory style.  But don't let the laid back, "duuuude" attitude fool you:  those that work here are extremely passionate about their work, and are always willing to put in the hard effort and energy necessary to see it through.

Our preparation for the first day of work here in NZ made us feel like they had rolled out the red carpet for us:  everything we could have ever thought of or needed was waiting for us in either our office or rooms, with requests for additional support quickly met.  When we told our supervisor how easy it was to transition, she explained that her goal was to do everything she could to meet all of our needs before work began, so we could focus on the task we were brought here for rather than worry about each and every thing that wasn't taken care of yet.

The way vacation (or holiday, if you will) works is that all employees at the University get 5 or 6 weeks of vacation!  And the expectation throughout the University is that said employee (let's call him Kolligian) will not respond to e-mails or phone calls of any kind unless it is considered an absolute emergency.  Any questions that someone would need to ask Kolligian would instead be asked to people that Kolligian designated ahead of time.  Needless to say, Kolligian will finally get to take that three-week vacation to Australia he's always wanted.

Yes Bruce, you heard that right.

Another interesting cultural/work difference is that it is common practice for office groups to get together near the end of the work week on Friday for a couple of drinks in the office (yes, physically in the office).  At first, I felt like I walked into an episode of Mad Men (except women were treated equally and not everyone wore great suits).  My supervisor (who is originally from the United Kingdom) told us that it took awhile for her to get used to this tradition, as this would never happen to her in the UK.  I don't think such a thing would ever happen on a college campus in the U.S. either, since our Mad Men days are pretty far behind us.

But here's hoping we never lose their ability to look awesome at work every day.

Nevertheless, I reminded myself that different cultures have grown and evolved based on their collective development of group norms, history, and traditions over time.  A New Zealander would look at us and wonder how we live without rugby, and so we must also be conscious that what seems "crazy" to us is just another day at the office in New Zealand.

 

As far as I've experienced, such gatherings have always been responsible in nature and have led to great post-work conversation among all those in the office.  Now, am I going to take this revolutionary idea back to the states and try to institute Margarita Fridays?  Probably not, since that idea wouldn't be compatible with the culture of the U.S. (even though Ted had no problems with this on How I Met Your Mother).  But for the time I am in New Zealand, I will adopt the "When in Rome" philosophy with both responsibility and common sense (as well as my scintillating conversational skills) and engage in some after-work dialogue with my new colleagues and continue to soak up all that I can while in NZ.

And for the time being...enough about work.  Now it's time for a recap on....

Adventures in New Zealand

The Lady Gaga concert proved to be quite the spectacle, as it's been two years since her last performance in NZ.  As my friend Dan Murphy aptly stated, she's not good at being subtle.  If you need proof, just take a look at the THREE-STORY MOVING CASTLE she had built on stage.

Not joking.

The weekend was taken to LEGENDARY status by going to a rugby match with the New Zealand All Blacks going against Ireland.  The energy in the stadium was unlike anything else I'd seen at a sporting event.  Granted, this energy was misdirected at time when two people near me got arrested for throwing bottles and taking a swing at someone, but that's beside the point.  Also, another tradition at the games is for everyone to throw all of their empty bottles (of which there are many) into the air as a sort of wave from one corner of the stadium all the way to the other.  And that's when I finally figured out why on Earth they sold beer in plastic bottles (because on any other day, that's just wrong...).

Getting to see the Haka performed live was a great experience (I've included a video of the end of it below).

The Haka is done before each international match and is essentially an ancestral "war cry" of the Maori people in New Zealand.  Ever since the team did the Haka in the late 1800s, the tradition has become synonymous with New Zealand rugby.  Just before the match, I picked up a cape/flag of the All Blacks for $15 NZ (pretty pumped about the deal), and I wore it in support of the team.  I am currently debating whether the flag will go up in my office or my apartment (feedback is always welcome).

The other option is to wear it to work.

And that's all until next time.  Although I suspect my next post will come sooner than a week from now.