Culture Shock No. 1

Ok, I found the first thing that I HATE about New Zealand. Today, I decided to do laundry. Now, before you judge me and think that I'm a spoiled American, I've lived in Italy. I know what it's like to not have a dryer. I know what it's like to have not so soft clothes because the washer simply doesn't get all the soap out. But, honestly, if I were to live here permanently, I would definitely import my American washer and dryer.

So on to the experience....

I was pumped about doing laundry. I took my clothes to the washer put them in and let the washer fill with water. I added my detergent and left it to its magic. 45 minutes later, the first rinse cycle has just begun! Oh, it gets better! Look where the water drains. Into that little tub on the right. WHY?


What could take so long? I don't really know because when all was said and done my clothes were still sopping wet and there were still soap granules on my clothes. All that time and the soap hadn't even dissolved.

Now that my clothes are all wet, dripping wet. I have to dry them. I take my clothes that can be hung out to the line.


And maybe, I've just been raised in the wrong era but I'm so used to my clothes having shape that I didn't know what to do with my shirts and sweaters. Pinning them on the line would give them a weird shape, right? Well, i laid them out on my bed and quickly went to the store to buy contraptions to facilitate my future laundry endeavours.


Those contraptions are as seen here.


I opted for an indoor option because what am I going to do in winter?

If I can endure this I can endure anything, and I need a gold medal, maybe a Congressional Medal of Honor.