Rick in the USA.

5. Big Macs.

http://mcdonalds.co.nz/our-food/menu/#/favourites

Anywho...

1. Renting a car is most convenient, but that's a relatively long trip and you may have jetlag; since it's your first overseas trip, I would tend to suggest against that...so, I don't really know.

2. If you are used to cards, keep using them.

3. I know at least a few advanced electronics do not work even with items specially made to switch over voltage. Also...
http://wikitravel.org/en/Electrical_systems

Unfortunately, there are many different plugs in the world. The three most widespread standards are the following:

The "American" (Type A) plug, with two vertical pins
The "European" (Type C) plug, with two round pins
The "British" (Type G) plug, with three rectangular pins

If your device has one of these plugs and you can adapt it to the others, you have 90% of the world covered. (The main exceptions are South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and parts of China, which use a Type I plug with two slanted pins.) Adapters between Type A and Type C and from C toG are tiny and cheap; converting Type A into G or Type G into anything else, on the other hand, needs a bulkier model.

You'll have to research and see if type I can be converted to type A.

4. Is rampant self-entitlement a cultural difference? If so, be prepared for it!

5. If you haven't tried cajun and like spicy, do it. Also, if you are going to be that close to the coast, there should be some decent fish, but I would stay away from it further inland because it will not be as good as what you are used to, except at the really expensive places. Besides varying freshness, not really sure what would be different at this point, globalization and all that.