NEW ZEALAND: HOME OF ROLY POLY HOBBITS

Like you, this blogger was accustomed to thinking of New Zealand, on those very few occasions when I actually even contemplated the place, as filled with Hobbits, Gandalf, Orcs, and Maoris benignly putting up with all that Kelto-Norse crap. Surely, I thought, tales of sheep abuse are slightly exaggerated, why, New Zealand produced a frightfully long epic about fairies. Fairies! Landsakes, fairies!
They're running around all spiritual over there.

It turns out they aren't running.

Waddling, at a slow pace.

The Orcs will win.


"New Zealand has one of the highest obesity rates in the developed world, with nearly 30% of people overweight."

[Source: BBC: South African chef 'too fat' to live in New Zealand.]


That datum comes from an article about a gentleman who has lived in Christchurch, New Zealand, for six years. Now his residence permit will not be renewed because New Zealand wishes immigrants to be thinner and healthier than their own people. It's an uphill struggle, given the 30% figure cited, and also quite possibly their only chance of having a country one hundred years hence. Seeing as all those pudgy Hobbits, Gandalf, and the Orcs, are clearly far more interested in stuffing their faces than anything else.

Shan't say anything about the Maoris.
They're probably baffled.


"It is important that all migrants have an acceptable standard of health to minimise costs and demands on New Zealand's health services"

[Source: NZ Government spokeswhale.]


Judging by the Wikipedia entry about New Zealand cuisine, the food cannot be all that exciting. Good, but rather monotone and bland.
Still. Evenso.

Life there must be really boring.

Nothing on teevee?



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