The really nifty part of dinner, though, was the fact that conversation ended up spreading to the next table -- the only group left in the restaurant by the time we were finished. (It was an office out for their Christmas dinner. They'd been enjoying after-dinner beers since I arrived.) Anyway, they'd been trying to remember a song title or something, so shouted over to ask the guy I'd been talking with -- and then he told them I was from California and in Christchurch for one day, and all of a sudden the next table was asking me questions and giving me travel advice. Real friendly. Seeing as I hadn't actually met any New Zealanders who weren't in the tourism industry, it was just great hanging out for a bit and joking about 80s music. ("Name a Devo song that's not 'Whip It.'")
Before I left, the Kiwi fellow invited me out to coffee after, but I declined -- I think the wife was a little upset he'd been speaking more with me rather than their Japanese guest. So I let them leave ahead of me and made my way out of the restaurant alone. On the way out, two people from the office party stood up and shook my hand and wished me well (which I thought was SO sweet) and told me to be sure I told everyone I met some "average Kiwis" -- and I figure that if that's the average, they've really got some nice people out here.
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