I used to torture my roommates by forcing them to tell me one thing they had learned that day, just to make us all to find something. Lately, this blog has been doing the same for me (although that wisdom is frequently hidden under layers of sarcasm). Today, I'm drawing blanks. This is directly related to the large quantities of data entry I just completed. hmmmm... wheels turning... smoke coming out ears...

There are at least 5 Starbucks along Queen Street (the main drag in the city centre). Some are quite small, but there's 5 minimum. About 1 every block and a half. And there's more on the surrounding streets. And in the suburbs. The only NZ equivalent I can find is Muffin Break but they specialize more in muffins (surprisingly) and quiches and frittatas (egg based pastries are popular with these people, preferably if they've been sitting under a heat lamp for an hour or more)and are only open from early morning until mid-afternoon. And don't have comfy chairs.

I am lucky enough at work to sit facing the harbour and have a really nice view of city centre and the water. I've learned a relaxation technique - visualize throwing office equipment out the window into the water and then watching the bubbles as the junk sinks. That's right - I just had to use the binding machine again.

Mobile phones (= cell phones) are more common here than home as there is a "pay as you go" system which most people use and txt msg (= text messaging) which is common worldwide, excluding PEI and, I'm assuming, Armenia. I will get one before I depart the city (as the numbers are the same for all over the country - mobiles have separate area codes and there are just basic costs for calling them from a landline, regardless of their physical location).

Overall I haven't found people to have obnoxious ringtones, although there is one woman in the office who has "shave & a haircut, 2 bits" playing full tilt whenever she gets a call. Her phone is another thing that I see having a final resting place at the bottom of the harbour. It's a jumper, I can tell.