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!
