Okay, let's talk about JAFA's (Just Another F***ing Aucklander). You know the type - self-obsessed and seemingly allergic to social interaction. As an Auckland native, I never really understood the stereotype until I ventured down to Christchurch for uni.
My first day down south had me shook. I couldn’t believe that people were actually trying to strike up conversations with me on the streets. In Auckland, everyone's on their phones with airpods in their ears, rushing past you while pretending you don’t exist. The biggest shocker came at Countdown when someone accidentally bumped into me and apologised. Aucklanders could never!
The moment I tried to pronounce English street names like Gloucester and Ilam, it was like neon lights flashing 'JAFA alert'!
My Christchurch uni friends had a field day teasing me about it. I mean, who knew mispronouncing street names would make me stick out like a sore thumb?
On a weekend trip to Wellington, a bus driver roasted me for my pronunciation of Quay Street. Talk about embarrassing! How was I supposed to know that it’s pronounced key street?
But you know what, going back to the City of Sails got me thinking. How do those Southlanders spot us Aucklanders? Are we that transparent? Is it our excessive use of words like "slay" and "queen" that give us away?
So, we ventured to the charming town of Bluff for our Small Town Big Nights gig, and we decided to do some spy work. Night show host Cal and I asked the lovely Southlanders how they could spot an Aucklander in the wild. Here's what we found out...
First up, the fashion!
Apparently, ripped skinny jeans, doc martens, puffer jackets, and excessive jewellery are the dead giveaways. And here we thought we were rocking it!
Then there's the accent.
Those eagle-eared locals noticed that while they rolled their Rs, we didn't. They even admitted we sounded pretty cool, but we suspect they might have been teasing us a little...
The dead giveaway is our walk!
According to the Bluff locals, we strut like we're fresh off the runway, all fast-paced and in a hurry. Meanwhile, they're chill and go with the flow down in Southland. Who knew our walking style could give us away?
If you want the full scoop, make sure to check out the hilarious video above! Our Southlander friends spilled the tea on spotting us city slickers and trust me, it's a riot!
