Few thoughts about kiwis

Rauno: I actually knew that Kiwis (read: New Zealanders) were a different kind of people, but I guess I had forgotten about it. It quickly came back to me at customs when the officer there first wished us happy birthday. "Oh right... everyone here is super nice!" I wonder if it's because they're so isolated and a relatively small country - if you cross someone, everyone you'll ever meet will know about it by tomorrow? Anyway, the fact is that people smile at you on the street, cheerfully say "good morning," and yesterday at the store, I heard the cashier asking a customer about their plans for the day. For an Estonian, this is either a) totally inappropriate or b) a breath of fresh air. We're leaning towards the latter.

Triin: A perfect example of Kiwi warmth is our first Airbnb host, who had stocked up on baby food for Pauline and set up a travel cot, toys, high chair, and all necessary equipment before we arrived. They're a young family with 2 kids (2-year-old girl and 3-year-old boy), so they clearly understood what a 10-month-old baby might need for a comfortable stay. Since they live in the same house, just one floor above us, we plan to have drinks with them some evening. Yesterday we sat together in the backyard on the grass while their daughter carefully tried to feed Pauline (unfortunately still unripe) strawberries. I think some of the pinker ones made it in.