In this act, Woodward and Bernstein will be played by kiwi

I'd heard of cultural shock.  I knew when I went to a foreign country I should have felt out of my element.  Uncle Tim kept warning me about it; whenever we go out and interact with the kerfuffle he's always asking if I'm okay and how I thought it went.  Since every thing's been fine, I really thought I wasn't susceptible to the shock.  Maybe I was evolved, or maybe New Zealand was just not that different.

That line of thinking pretty much hit a wall the second I walked into the Oneroa newsroom.  

It started out okay.  I got there early, and even then the entire staff was running thirty minutes late.  When I told the editor of all my newsroom experience, she was impressed.  I was feeling good until she went on a rant about the council's decision to ask for 60 million on appropriations.

I had no idea what council she was talking about.  Then I realized I wasn't sure what the governing body on Waiheke was.  And then it hit me I didn't know what the governing body of New Zealand was.  All I knew was that it was Parliamentary and right wing.  But is their right wing the same as ours? 

Whatever.  I'm still not sure.  I'll be wiki-ing later.  Anyway I felt out of my league.  The thing you have to understand about the island is that everyone--kids, elderly, town crazies, n'er do wells--everyone is politically aware. Hell, these people make their own compost.  There are over two hundred activist groups on the island.  Keep in mind there are only 8,000 inhabitants.  The Green party is dominant.  It's like if you were to take one of America's more liberal colleges and give them a whole island to themselves.  

(and even then its not the same.  I don't see them making compost)

Anyway.  It was shocking.  All of it.  Hopefully I'll get into the groove soon.