Knee-jerk patriotism Noo Zulland-style

In honour of the nausea-inducing events of the last fortnight in Sydney (yay for race riots!). I thought I had better keep up with the one-eyed Joneses and post up my own little patriotic rant. So here goes - be warned - it's pretty 'out there'.

Was in Highpoint shopping mall on the weekend (fondly referred to by locals as 'knifepoint' for not entirely unobvious reasons), attempting to buy a BBQ and outdoor table and not kill anyone as a result of my soaring 'fuck-i-REALLY-don't-want-to-be-in-a-shopping-mall-2-weeks-before-xmas' stress levels.


Was just getting ready to ankle tap the next person who tried to push past me when Tezza, Barbara the new Swaustrian flatmate and I spotted a beacon of sanity in the distance. The New Zealand Natural icecream franchise!

Along with randomly watching my first ever televised All Blacks game when I was in Vietnam my patriotic weakness in Australia is being an, ahem, 'regular' customer of this store - only to be found in nasty shopping malls. This is definitely patriotism - not cos' I am a guts.

So, was looking forward to getting my usual Noo Zulland icecream drink fix (the profoundly named 'Chillo') when something caught my eye.

Wait for it....

A bottle of L & P!!!

:-D

[dances little patriotic jig]

Tezza and the Swaustrian can confirm that I was somewhat overcome at seeing, for the first time since I moved here 2 years ago [goddamm, it's been 2 years!] this little Coca-Cola Amatil-owned slice of New Zealand iconography.

For those not from New Zealand with no idea what the hell I am talking about - just go here and watch the funniest goddamn nostaligia-inspired television advertisements ever made. Do it - do it now.

And yes, even though L & P was never my favourite drink I bought a bottle - and am now waiting for the perfect summer's day when I can leave it out in the sun on the deck, open the lid, let it go almost but not quite completely flat and imbibe to my little patriotic heart's content. Just need to add some sand/chlorine and sunburn to the equation and I would be right at home.

Merry Chrismukah [with props to the OC and La Nadine] y'all.