A few observations.
Many cafes are closed on Sundays.
Most restaurants/cafes/bars haven’t discovered faucets that combine hot and cold water to make medium water. So the options are, left: scald, or right: bacteria.
Tap-water is free at restaurants, and comes in a big glass bottle.
If you pull out a map, a Kiwi will help you.
If you need any help, a Kiwi will help you.
Kiwis are very, very nice.
“How you going?” and “Good on you” are common expressions.
The guidebook says tip 5-10%. When we tried to tip 10% on a meal, our waiter grimaced. “Ooh, you sure? That’s [$3 US].” They don’t expect it.
At one of our first meals I asked if we could pay. The waitress nodded, walked away, walked past us, walked away, walked past us again, and, well, even though I made eyebrows at her, nothing productive seemed to be happening. The reason? You pay at the counter.
As Antje pointed out, the word Kiwi is what Germans call a “Teekesselchen”. It has three distinct meanings. You can eat a Kiwi, protect a Kiwi, and ask a Kiwi for directions–and no one will know that the first is a human, the second a fruit, and the third a bird!
From Esther:
kiwis are very excellent regarding directions. the problem is, these birds fly so fast, you can’t follow.