I didn't have any expectations about what Houston was going to be like, other than that when I told people I was going there next they seemed a bit "ho hum" about the place. On the whole it was a bit of a non event because I'd chosen accommodation in the wrong location and there was no transport from the city to the NASA Space Center which was the main thing I wanted to see. Houston is the 4th largest city in the states (4 million peeps).

However I have learnt some more things:

1. Nachos purchased from a hotdog vendor will not involve any meat, beans or tomato but instead involves a bowl of taco chips covered in bright yellow goop described as cheese.

2. Squirrels will eat right out of your hand (and are about as popular here as possums back home).

3. "Stuffed" is never used here to refer to being tired. If you tell someone you're chatting to at the bus stop that they look a bit stuffed you are likely to cause offense and provoke the response that actually no they haven't eaten anything since lunch.

4. The expression "in New Zealand we have 6 sheep to every one person" is likely to be misinterpreted by the taxi driver as meaning each man, woman and child in New Zealand owns 6 sheep.

5. 50% of people you chat to in Texas think New Zealand is in Europe. If you try and clarify that it's actually next to Australia, likely as not you'll get the response "oh right but same general area".