Tag: #kiwi

lanterns
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Mid-autumn Festival

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I deliberately plan my work with delightful moments sometimes, for example, having a site visit followed by a lantern-making workshop during lunchtime. Another day, I headed to the lantern riddle event after the lunch break, extending my ME time at work. 

My desk is now full of lanterns by the window. Even the hospital tuck shop is having a good mid-autumn festival promotion for ice creams, popsicles and drinks. The mid-autumn festival celebration has become a huge thing this year. 

My friend often reminds me to refocus on positive thoughts even though I have found pain in my ear, tightness in my back muscle or constipation. We always want to get rid of the dreadful, awful feeling, but wait! Hang in there. I did try, and it was not easy. 

Friends’ support and a pleasant work environment give me a cheerleading effect. 

“Acknowledge the unpleasant feelings with gentleness and kindness. Feel them with curiosity instead of strong negative thoughts,” my friend reminded me. Of course, seeking treatment or relaxation to soothe those feelings if possible.

I did find deep breathing for hours could soothe my ear pain one day. Yeah! It takes such a long time to wind it down. I thought my body wanted to tell me I shouldn’t ignore the headache, so it passed on to my ear. Anti-inflammatory ear drops could help. 

I was convinced to break my prejudice to enjoy a kiwi fruit a day for constipation. Other options can be laxative medicine or probiotic tablets. Exercises and massage are also helpful. But hot pad, kiwi, vegetables, stretching and walking/running are the best solution for me. I opt for natural options if possible. 

Compared with corporations and small businesses, I’ve found hospitals put more effort into supporting staff in stress management, especially in the rehabilitation hospital where I’m working now. After all, most patients are frail and old. Without an open heart and a positive mindset, patient conditions can affect one. 

Typically, people who are either less educated or in middle age work as patient care assistants in Hong Kong. They can be very gossipy workers, but many tend to just focus on enjoying a good meal rather than focusing on the pain that patients are suffering. Wards can be a high-risk environment, but no one knows what will happen the next year. So, just live in the present moment.

More celebrations to come before the mid-autumn festival on 29 September – volunteer programme for patients, team lunch, etc. After all, restrictions are kept for too long for life enjoyment.   

English articles

The real price of dinner

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A 10% service charge is usually added to my bill when eating in a restaurant in Hong Kong. We expect to pay more for tipping. Fast food outlets and Hong Kong-style cafes are exceptions. In general, it is not too difficult to figure out the real price of my meal. My friends and I can sit down, eat our meals, and talk freely.

Dining in New Zealand and Japan is simple because I don’t have to figure out taxes, service fees, or tipping. What I see on the menu is what I will pay for. I like this practice as travelling on a tight budget may add stress when spending too much on meals. I prefer focusing on travel experiences such as enjoying the wonderful scenery, checking out an awkward rock formation, or visiting lovely penguins. 

Surprisingly, my friend told me that Kiwi restaurants may add a surcharge to the bill during public holidays, such as Christmas Day or Easter Sunday. This is 10% to 15% more to cover the higher manpower costs and operational costs of running a restaurant on a public holiday. A surcharge at the weekend is not common, but restaurants can do so.

Luckily, I didn’t come across this when visiting New Zealand. I was at the Agricultural Show and enjoyed good snacks outdoors. Prices were reasonable, and the tastes were fantastic.

Having to calculate the service charge and tip myself made me nervous about dining out in Canada and the USA. I felt embarrassed if I paid too little, and then I felt ripped off when I paid too much. I once ordered a coffee in a vineyard. When the waitress looked at me, I realized I had overpaid for the drink. I should calculate the service charge based on the pre-tax price. Well, I just smiled at her and wished her a good day.

English articles

The happiest garden in the world

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My friend’s New Zealand trip just began. She followed my advice to explore the small French Akaroa town south of Christchurch. 

The Giant’s House is one of the key attractions in this picturesque town by the harbour. I missed visiting this special garden last year, and I can only blame the rain for that decision. After all, the joyous garden should be a place for taking pictures. Going there in the rain is no fun. 

My friend shared this Giant’s House with me, which was built by artist and horticulturalist Josie Martin. The house was built in 1880 by a bank manager who came from England. When Josie bought the place over 25 years ago, the house needed serious repair and had no garden. 

Josie has always enjoyed gardening and is passionate about art and sculpture. She has a dream of sharing her art with the community in a playful and magical environment.  Her house in Akaroa therefore has become a blank canvas for her creative work.

She turned fragments of lovely old china buried in the ground into mosaics for the floor of the conservatory and steps. The idea worked well. With the help of local craftsmen, her installations evolved and grew. 

The artist called Giant’s House “the happiest garden in the world”, which is full of elaborate, vibrant-coloured sculptures. 

As the artist still lives in the Giant’s House and manages her garden, it feels more alive. 

Why is it called “The Giant’s House?” It was named by a little girl, looking up at it from the valley below, believing it must be the home of a giant.

English articles

Space and Houses

experiencetoday

The population of New Zealand was around 5 million in 2022, but this vast country recorded 3.4 million residents only in 1990. Its size is 240 times that of Hong Kong, where its population has already reached 7.8 million.

This island country covering 268,021 km, is slightly bigger than Great Britain. With the abundance of land resources, farms are everywhere. The bungalows are so commonly seen on the South Island, rather than duplexes and houses with multiple stories. The island simply has a lot of space where people can enjoy single-story home living. One can easily access the living room, backyard garden or garage without the hassle of going up and down. Town houses, cottages or cabins may be more susceptible to potential earthquakes compared with taller buildings.

As far as I remember, there are far more duplexes and multi-story buildings in the UK and Canada, even in rural areas. The bedrooms are usually located upstairs, and the dining room, living room and kitchen are located on the ground floor. On one of the weekends, I stayed in a two-story apartment in Akaroa, a holiday French town south of Christchurch. It is quite spacious with 1,000 sq. ft. The room arrangement is the opposite. My friend and I constantly have to walk up and down to have a cup of tea or relax on a sofa upstairs. The second floor has an open plan with a good recycle box system. That’s not a bad idea for the two balconies to be connected to the living space. The views are great. I can sit down and enjoy the garden view from the balcony, or access another balcony which is close to the street and the harbour.

The walk around the harbour or lakes is always wonderful. The water is absolutely clear. The mountain view is top of the class. The sun is so bright, wearing sunglasses is essential. People can have their private corners of the lake, enjoying the sunshine or swimming.

When I walk around the parks in the city centre of Christchurch, I find the benches are placed so far apart. Does it imply how Kiwis love to have their own space? I can see how eager Kiwis like to socialise in cafes, bars and parks. They are polite in some ways, but they remain quite cool on the streets. Almost everyone says “thank you” to the bus drivers when they get off the bus. An old lady said hello to me while waiting at the same bus stop.

In the city, people stay cool seeing people walking past them or waiting at the Bus Exchange. Customer service is absent in the airport and can be varied to a great degree in different towns. Be patient when you come to a cafe. Quite a few cafes put up signs telling customers that they are short of staff, especially in remote areas.

It is a new lesson learned about the concept of space. Maybe it can help add some head space or gather your thoughts in a less busy life.

English articles

Alfresco Dining

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In the morning and at night, the temperature is below 10°C in New Zealand, while it is hot like summer at 26°C in the afternoon. The wind direction affects how we feel about the actual temperature. The forecast said 17°C, but I was wrapped head to toe in winter clothes on this summer day.


The sun is always so bright that sunglasses have become essential. If you dip your feet in the water on the beach, it is not so bad, but the further you go towards the sea, the colder it gets, and the waves get bigger.

In late spring, the temperature is usually perfect for sitting outdoors for a coffee and a meal. Find a beautiful lake, a farm overlooking snowy mountains, a beach, a pier, or a park to lie down and stretch those aching muscles. Bring some chairs to your favourite garden, sit down with a friend and have a bite of good sandwiches, apples, and cheese in the open air.


I enjoy the luxury of being so close to nature on my travels. It is a simple pleasure of not doing much in a day when you are with someone you enjoy spending time.

Check out amazing photos of the Kiwi food here, and enjoy more wonderful pictures in my photobook corner.

cows, new zealand
English articles

Agricultural Show

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The agriculture show resumed to Christchurch, New Zealand after having a break for two years. This show has put a lot of emphasis on sustainability with its online advertising. Nevertheless, plastic cups and plates are still in use, the organiser claimed that they sourced local and climate-friendly partners, used recycled and decomposted materials as much as possible, and of course, donated useful items to the community after the show.

I’m glad to learn that the show organiser tells the audience what they are committed to do to protect the environment. 

churro

I absolutely love saying hello to various breeds of sheep, cattle, and horses at the show. The food stalls were of great variety and good quality. The selection was excellent throughout the day. There were many fun competitions, such as gumboot throwing, wood chopping, and educational stalls on recycling aimed at families and serious workers.
I hope there will be more shuttle buses and signage in the future.

New Zealanders seem to be proud of the qualify of animals. Will that affect people’s diet choices? Will Kiwis be hesitated to become a vegetarian or vegan because of their agricultural heritage?

Check out more amazing photos of the Agricultural Show here, and enjoy other wonderful pictures in my photobook corner.

English articles

New Zealand gardens

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The Botanic Garden in Christchurch is nothing like the gardens in Asia. The vast space, the debris on the ground, vivid colours of flowers, and giant cabbage trees are some of its distant features. It’s like a wild soul being open to imperfections. Peaceful. Calm. Nothing is in harmony, but a diversity of plants is mixed but not matched. Flowers of different colours are arranged so close to each other that they are trying so hard to stand out among their “competitors”.  Plants are sculptured and well-arranged with a perfect balance of leaves, petals, and trees in Asian gardens. New Zealand gardens are not manicured in this way at all.

My friend told me he found the beauty of dead roses. This belief is definitely shared by many kiwis. New Zealand gardens are not meant to look perfect and can be full of dead leaves or withering flowers.

Now I understand why my friend structured his garden not in a “perfect way” like the Japanese garden. It is wild, untamed, disorganised. A bit of sadness with a touch of beauty.

People appreciate the life cycles of plants, just like people grow old and still love each other. The angle of sunlight is also taken into consideration in the design and the irregular placement of plants enables the gardens to be admired from different perspectives.

Check out amazing photos of the Botanic Gardens here, and enjoy more wonderful pictures in my photobook corner.

farm in new zealand
English articles

Look out for rich farmers

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My friend kept giving me useful tips on how to look out for rich farmers in New Zealand. Pay attention to the cars they drive, how many acres of land they own, and very small details. No wonder there is a reality show in Australia where girls compete to win a farmer’s heart. 

I’ve found that farmers in New Zealand are respected as much as other professions. There are a large number of farmers in this country. With the diverse landscape, farming seems to be the jewel of New Zealand. Sheep farming, cattle farming and dairy farming are all  major contributors to the country’s GDP. These farms can be run with specialised technology, so that their yields can be increased without compromising quality.

Kiwis are proud of their local products and like to support local businesses. Australia is their competitor but the two countries remain on friendly terms.

Hong Kong has imported quite a few avocados from Australia. Kiwi avocados are rarely seen, but some top quality free-range organic eggs from New Zealand can be purchased in supermarkets. Recently, we can enjoy frozen Hoki fish from this country. I hope we will have the luck to taste its dairy products in the future.

Chocolate milk, chocolates, and yogurts are not to-be-missed food items when travelling in New Zealand. This chocolate milk has a yummy, rich taste. There are so many brands of yogurt for tasting.