“Girls Who Giggle, Farmers Who Swear”

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28658, 7 August 1958, Page 10

“Girls Who Giggle, Farmers Who Swear”

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, August 6. New Zealand girls giggle too much, according to seven American schoolboys who arrived in Auckland today at the end of a month’s tour of the Dominion. The boys, six aged 13 and one aged 15, are pupils of a private school in Atlanta, Georgia. They are here on a combined holiday and geography trip # with their school football coach, Mr J Shields, and Mrs Shields, formerly of Blenheim. Here are some of their succinct comments on New Zealand:— Girls: ‘ They giggle and stare as if we are something out of a zoo. They look terrible in those uniforms. Even at parties they wear no make-up and they seem years younger than girls at home.” Schools: “The desks are uncomfortable. We didn’t like the idea of prefects children shouldn’t be given power over other children. One thing we really liked was the metalwork and woodwork teaching. We could do with that at home.” Food: “We are looking forward to American food again. New Zealand food all tastes the same —like stewed cardboard, it’s expensive, too.’’ Cars: “We liked your antique cars. In Opunake, we saw a 1927 Airflow Chrysler. None of the children seem to drive cars to school here. Even some of the teachers walk.” Government: “Is New Zealand a democracy? The State seems to run everything important. There isn’t enough scope for the individual men. Perhaps that’s why some things are so badly organised.” Mr Nash: “The Prime Minister was a good guy. He bought us soft drinks and showed us over his office. He tried to tell us he had been to Atlanta, but he was mixing it up with Atlantic City. We didn’t think much of Parliament—the members were all reading papers and telling each other jokes.” Speech: “We would like to be

able to speak like New Zealanders. It sounds good.” Language: “The way one of the farmers talked to his dogs when they wouldn’t come to heel was a real eye-opener.” “We all want to come back—preferably in the summer. It’s a wonderful country for camping and hunting, and the people are very friendly. There are one or two girls we’ll be writing to when we get back home—in spite of the uniforms,” the boys concluded.