BLOGGER TEMPLATES - TWITTER BACKGROUNDS

Where I've Wandered


View Where I've Wandered in a larger map

Monday, August 3, 2009

Parental Advisory: Coarse Language

Whakapapa, pronounced “Fuk-a-papa”, is the name of the ski resort where I have been working for about a month and a half, and my ability (and over eager willingness) to say Whakapapa (Fuk-a-papa) in everyday conversation without getting into a fist fight or slapped remains amusing. Using it as a verb (ex. “I was thoroughly Whakapapad“, “I’m Whakapapaing“, and occasionally “Lets Whakapapa”) as well as shouting it at random times, especially when misusing hand tools, continues to be a personal daily pleasure; while innocent bystanders can do nothing more but crack a smile and shake their heads. Working as a certified ski technician (thank you Salomon Ski’s rep. for leaving the answer booklet on my table during the certification test) who has never skied a day in his life, a fact of any TRUE snowboarder, I must constantly and deliberately direct conversation away from skis. If faced with a specific question about skis, my paternal genetic code (thanks Lar) forces me to instinctually provide sound, informed, and accurate advice directly from my backside, or is it a bulls behind, maybe both. When I snap out of my blacked-out rant of misinformation to customers, I am afforded the opportunity of a good chat. New Zealand truly is a melting pot. I’ll be it Whakapapa is a tourist attraction…(WOW, if read aloud and with correct pronunciation, the last statement sounds like something I heard about in Tijuana!)(To mom, grandma, and most importantly to myself: I deeply apologize for this post!)…but people from all over the globe head up to the beast (Mt. Ruapehu, the mountain that Whakapapa is on) and most of them are locals, in the sense that their permanent home is here in New Zealand. I can now say “Good morning” as well as “Have a nice day” in over a dozen languages, and often have it flipped back on me, “Your American, what are you doing overseas!”
Weekends and holidays are our busy times. Reason #76 to become an ex-pat: Everyone vacations and has more time off from work than we do, how attractive! Every other week is some kind of holiday that people have time off. Screaming infants and lines out the doors mark the seemingly endless days. While during the slow times hitting the slopes on ski breaks might make an impact on the ‘ol income as my wallet shrinks, but I’m definitely becoming a better snowboarder. Gosh, my parents never told me life decisions would be so tough!

2 comments:

Larry and Wendy Schlosser said...

This reminds me of when you were a little boy, 5 or so, and tried out your first "naughty word" in front of me. I told you you could not say that to other people but that if you felt the need to say those kinds of words you should go to your room and shut the door and you could say all the words that you wanted to say. You looked at me in disbelief and total relief that I did not add, "and while you are in there you are grounded to your room for the afternoon". You ran to your room and I could hear the words tumbling out of you "poopoo head, stupid..." the basic 5 year old naughty lingo. Maybe five minutes later you wandered out. I asked if you were done and you nodded and asked if you could go play. I reminded you that the words you had just used were not to be heard by anyone except yourself and that you could go to your room anytime you needed to get them out. You nodded again and took off into the backyard. We really never had a profanity or "naughty word" problem with you after that.
Since reading your blog I am wondering if I should remind you that you can always return to your room and "get those words out of you" instead of indulging in the freedom of misusing a proper noun at will?
I have an idea...practice your spanish instead of the name of the resort!

Luv to read the updates and luv ya lots
Mom

Anonymous said...

Zac, while I've never been to Whakapapa, I can still say it's quite an enjoyable activity. (Gross! Old adults aren't supposed to talk about that stuff!)I'm glad to see you are your father's son and are proficient at total BS. If you are as good at getting people to believe you as he is, you're doing well! Just remember that when you leave the resort, if you yell it's name out in public, you may be arrested.

Love,
Aunt Susan
P.S. Ignore your father's comments about me. He's just jealous. Remind me to tell you sometime about his bio. test back in 7th grade...