School, and other particularities.

09.10.-15.10.
This week has been the first “normal week” for the children. It represented a double confrontation for them: the foreign language and the different school system in itself. The language barrier affected them less than I thought. They didn't complain much about this; it seemed to be compensated by the friendliness of the people. What they were shocked by was the perception that the level, I mean the proceedings in the subjects they were dealing with, was so much lower than in their schools in Germany. Of course, the only subject where the could really judge this is mathematics.
We are still adapting to our limited dwelling space, or flat size. Yes, in fact it is more a flat than a house, despite it actually looks like the latter. In the evening I usually retreat in our bedroom while the rest of the family herds together in the living room with the open plan kitchen, the kids mostly in front of the huge flat-screen TV.
The weather is continuing all right. Changing frequently between sunshine and cloudy skies. In fact, I remember not a single day without sunshine since we arrived. Rain during daytime is not very common; it would rain mainly during the night. Always at least a light breeze, mostly cool, sometimes warm. Maximum temperatures are as you would expect them in Germany at the corresponding season time. That is around 15-18 °C at the moment. During the night, however, temperature does not fall below 8-10°C (in Germany: around 0-5 °C). Nevertheless the nights feel colder than there. That is because of the very basic insulation of the houses here: Simple wall constructions, single panes (Fensterscheiben). The heating is generally by electrical power. When we moved in we noticed that the beds are supplied with electric blankets, now we know why. One of the big differences of NZ vs. D is therefore that people are much better adapted to different temperatures, almost like any other mammals: unlike in Europe, from a photo you can hardly tell the ambient temperature. It's more depending on general considerations, e.g. general awareness of the season, that they slightly adapt their garments. If it gets cold, they tend to keep their short trousers as long as possible. Particularly men tend to clothe themselves rather casually.