When homesick Jessica Petersen set up a Facebook page dedicated to Rotorua, she had no idea it would become so popular. The former Rotorua woman, 21, now living in Nelson where she is studying adventure tourism, set up a Facebook page called You know you're in Rotorua when ... , invitingpeople to share their memories of Rotorua by completing the sentence. Both current and former residents have provided a constant stream of comments about everything from the way Rotorua people talk to how locals venture out in their pyjamas. Ms Petersen told The Daily Post yesterday that the idea came about while talking with mates and she set it up just two weeks ago. She was surprised how popular it had become. "I was at a friend's house in Gisborne and heard how they had a similar site for Gisborne, so I thought I should give it a try and it just skyrocketed," she said. There are now more than 700 members and people post comments daily. "It's just a bit of fun really. There are some really funny posts," Ms Petersen said. She said the site wasn't about putting Rotorua or its residents down. "There are a lot of people who don't live in Rotorua anymore but they can go to this site and have a bit of a laugh and remember things about their home town." Comments range from the lighthearted to the nostalgic. One contributor talking about his time in Rotorua states; "U buzz out at Joe's Diner's workers - how they neva wrote down what any1 wantd but got da whole order perfct." Some have commented on the clothes worn in Rotorua. "You go to Pak'n Save in your jarmies, dressing gown and slippers and no-one notices." There are a lot of comments about how Rotorua has its own language: "Every word you write on [this site] has a spell check underline because we speak our own language ... 'ow don't be a sad fulla bay'." Ms Petersen said she enjoyed reading the comments and was proud it was proving popular. "They make me laugh and make me miss home even more." Despite missing Rotorua, she had no immediate plans to return. "I still have another six months to go on my course, but I might come home for a holiday soon."
