British words and phrases are more common here than American. Here's a few for you...

rubbish = garbage
cv (curriculum vitae) = resume
mobile = cell phone
flat = apartment
flatmates = roommates
to hire = to rent (hire a car, hire a taxi)

I'm drawing a complete blank on others... A Maori word I've learned is Pakeha - it refers to non-Maori people. I'll add to these as my memory allows.

Tomorrow is Waitangi Day, celebrating the Treaty of Waitangi. The Treaty was signed in 1840 and is the official document that made New Zealand part of the British Commonwealth and forced the Maori to live under British law. Check out http://www.waitangi.com/ for the whole in-depth history. The Treaty is under a lot of dispute lately regarding Maori land claims and rights. Sound familiar? Same problems, just a different face.

The weather will dictate our Waitangi Day celebrations...