Friends

Had friends here this past weekend and it was so amazingly comfortable being able to joke through slight inflections (which it appears Kiwi's don't get all the time since they don't know me or my accent), and was so much fun to show them around the town. It was sad dropping them off at the airport this morning as I really miss having people around to eat dinner with and then sit chatting all night until sleep takes over. And going out and just seeing parts of the town for the sake of exploration. I do really miss having people who "get me" in more quantities than just Drew (as wonderful as he is) as I really thought that sarcasm would transfer through accents, but it doesn't.

So I do hope that others decide to make Christchurch a destination spot through the next 9 months. The floor is very comfortable I hear.

They didn't lie - it does get easier

I had struggled off an on for our first few weeks in Christchurch, I wanted something familiar in a way that led me to frustration and tears on a few occasions. But as 'they' always say, it does get easier. Now as I travel the city I have landmarks that make sense to me, I know a few different grocery stores where you can get deals on certain items, and I am finally meeting people.

I wouldn't call it homesickness though, as it really didn't have anything to do with wanting to be back "home". But I guess I really took for granted how nice it is to know what Indian restaurant is good for butter chicken, which used book store has the best selection, and which produce store is guaranteed to have golden delicious apples (which I have yet to find here). But it is just a matter of time until I get those things sussed out.

Spent six days in a row working myself into the ground last week. Enjoyed it, and hated it all at once. But it was a good reminder of how much my mood improves when I am cycling about 20km a day and working myself into a sweat running around serving tea, making tea and sorting out lunches. But I certainly am glad that the week is over and I don't think I will be jumping on taking a job like that again unless the pocketbook really gets hurting again.

Today I officially start work at the holistic cooking school and will be taking my first course with the woman I will be apprenticing for. If the details work out I really feel like NZ is finally giving me some direction.

Ode to Wind

Alternately titled: I Only Put Up With You Because You Let Me Breathe.

While I really do love cycling and all the things that come about with being active in outside, I'd appreciate a certain level of understanding from good ol' Ma Nature. Sure it's fun to be 'challenged' each day in unpredictable ways, and there have been elements of punishment gluttony to my riding (Adam, I'm looking at you), but I think a balance must be struck.

In this case, I'd like to talk to this fine Environmental Matriarch about the way in which winds behave in these parts. In Vancouver when the wind blew it may have blown with force but rarely did it blow outside of a familiar pattern. Onshore during the day, offshore at night. This may not always have been the case but there was certainly a strong positive correlation between day or night and wind direction.

Not so in Kiwi land. Actually today's ride home was on the perplexing side of things. For example, when one rides with a strong wind blowing from their right-hand side, it would be expected that, should the rider make a 90 degree turn to the right that they will be heading into the wind. Today I experienced the strange phenomenon of making that turn and finding the wind blowing from my left, then from dead ahead, gusting from the right and moving back to a head-on orientation.

I'd like my hills and my predictable wind back, please. Mum, can you fit that in a care package if I help with postage?

8pm on a Saturday eve

What have I done with this gorgeous Autumnal weekend day you ask?

Why, I spent it in the school library researching and writing a paper on vineyard establishment and the factors involved in site selection.

Some of you may think it a little odd, but it was a great day spent while Karen was off at work. Now to sift through more research, perhaps have a sip of wine, and fall asleep to a movie with Karen, likely before midnight.

Woa momma, hold me back.

a drew update

Life in the big city has fallen well into routine now that I'm thick in the books and being hit by them. My week starts out at 6:00am Monday when I barely register that the alarm has gone off. By 7:00am at the latest I'm out the door with a backpack full of books, change of clothes, lunch and school supplies to make the 25km bike ride to school. This gives me an hour to get there, change in the nearest washroom stall, and make my way to 8:30am lecture - Chemistry. Let me tell you, after a very invigorating ride to school, I am jam packed with learning energy. I'd say I have a high bonding potential, but that might not come out quite right. Though it shocks me to report, energy levels in lecture hall at that time are not what one might describe as rambunctious.

Around 5:00-5:30pm I make my way out of Chem lab, jump into the stall again to don the spandex, and it's 25km home again. These rides keep me sane, giving me time to let things go and focus on the inside. I'd call it meditative, but New Zealand drivers make Canadian driving look like laser precision. If anything I come home feeling a bit shell-shocked, and have to suppress the urge to leap into the nearest bush at the sound of a passing car. Apparently there is a graduated licensing program here for new drivers. Age doesn't seem to play a part in a round of "what's this wheelie rolling thing in my way?"

That's most of my routine, really. The rest involves eating, studying, sleeping, and time to spend with Karen. Today it was pointed out in lecture that we have had no time allocated for our harvest and winemaking portions - this comes out of our free time. I love being immersed in wine. I love my lecturer in Disease & Pest Management - never have I met someone so absolutely fired up about all things infectious to plants.

This past weekend was In Praise of Riesling, a 10:00am-10:00pm fiesta of all things Rieslings. So much good Riesling, so little time. Too bad I had a cold. But that didn't stop me from having a good time! Oh no! I was even told afterwards by someone very well established in the industry that my remarks in open discussion were very provocative. Once it's worked out if this is positive or negative, I'll let you know.

Mail Post

I am stunned by how fast items have gotten to NZ. I ordered my text books for the Holistic Nutrition Course on March 2nd, and an order from a Canadian company the same day and both arrived today in the post.

Colour me amazed seeing as both said that they would take about 4 - 6 weeks and they arrived in one.

I am now surrounded by nutrition text books and looking forward to trying to figure out where to begin and how I can make this all work.

After waking up a little annoyed that it was Monday I am not ecstatic! I can not wait to delve into things!

A Karen Update

Things have been falling into place here now and its feeling great. I never realized how much of my mood was dependent on me being busy although it really shouldn't have been a surprise for me. So here is a bit of an update on how things are progressing:

1. I have a job at a retirement home. I started today and really enjoyed myself. I am exhausted from having been on my feet for 8 hours, as well as having been awake at 3am, 2.5 hours before I needed to be due to the nervous and excited energy. I will be doing bathing, food preparation, food delivery, linens and bed making, and possibly wound dressing etc. There is so much to learn and its totally different from what I have ever done before which is really exciting.

2. The opportunity that seemed to have fallen through the cracks (the nutrition cook school) has resurfaced and should turn out to be a great job. I will be working there 13.5 hours a week and in that time also be learning how to teach the classes, going to classes myself and should be starting a series of classes in Christchurch city (the school is about 45 minutes outside of Chch) where I will be teaching 10 week nutrition programs. I am *so* excited. This excitement is what led me to bite the bullet for the next point...

3. I had been hmming and hawing about doing a Natural Nutrition course that is offered via correspondence through CSNN for quite sometime, and decided that due to how elated I got over learning nutrition that it was about time I tried to do so formally. So coming to me in the post is the course materials, should arrive in 4-6 weeks and then I need to be dedicated to studies. I am very thrilled about learning and being graded again. I like that structure and I thrive in it, if only I could be a professional student.

4. Next week I will be doing work at the Internation Flower Show coming to Chch for the first time. Will be doing cashiering and some cooking. Really looking foward to working with 200+ people in order to possibly create a friend circle for myself here. Plus it will be fun to work outside and get to see some (supposedly) really amazing flower and garden displays.

5. I joined a meditation group just a block or so away from the house that our flatmate and I will be attending weekly. I am hoping as well to get started on yoga and qigong soon enough. Have found the classes just need to find the time and desire to go. Spent so much time on resumes didn't feel motivated to do much else lately.

Difficulties of being a Foreigner

When you pick up your entire life and move around the world its easy to dream about how easy it will be, but the reality is that even though people speak the same language and have a similar culture there are so many unanticipated difficulties that come up.

Having a working holiday VISA means that I technically can only work for three months with one employer. If I want to work longer the employer needs to sponsor me for a temporary work permit. This means that if there is a NZ applicant who is close to the same skills as me, they will obviously get the job first. I expected this, but what I didn't expect was the lack of response to putting CVs out into the world. I am used to a culture that says "thanks for your resume, unfortunately you didn't make the short list". Especially for professional jobs. But at the same time I am finding myself really wondering if it isn't my energy around the resumes that is causing them to not be responded to. When I think about where I would like to see my life going, I do not see myself in an administration role. The idea of jumping into another job where I am behind a desk all day does not appeal to me, so perhaps I am causing the resumes to not be responded to.

Navigating finding people and meeting people becomes so much more difficult when you don't have any idea where to start. I had never had to start over in a new city (besides when I was 5 and moved to the lower mainland) and so have never really had to create a new zone of people for myself. But even when I have had to start meeting new people there has been this wonderful thing called the internet just sitting there waiting for me. Problem arises with New Zealand as it doesn't seem to be a large part of their world here, and certainly there isn't any Criagslist Platonic Ads equivilent here so unless you are looking to date someone there really isn't an online resource for just meeting people with similar interests. So the only options are with courses and classes which cost money that I just can't afford to put out until I have a job bringing in income.

Culture shock is of course less here than it would be many other places but there are just little things that begin to rub you the wrong way. People bump into you and don't say sorry, pretty much all of them, at least in Canada some people apologise. People are very blunt and open here, which I am very much not used to. I am not used to a culture that openly talks about other peoples problems pronouncing who has cancer, or who's child killed themselves due to schoolyard bullies like it is as common as what you eat for dinner. I suppose that I put value in privacy and respect for situations that shouldn't be spread around like gossip.

But weirdest of all is that most every faucet is a double faucet rather than one. I am not sure how people manage to not burn themselves in the simple act of washing ones hands. Its weird these little things that you only seen in the movies that come up and make you realize that you are far away from what you would normally expect home to be like.

But with all the faults I am loving the act of learning a new city. Finding interesting cultural nuances and learning how to navigate them has me infinitely interested in observing. I just at times wish parts of it were easier, but if this trip is testing anything it is my ability to be patient. Patience and the answers will come.

House Tour and Job Update

As per Andreas request a while ago I have taken some basic photos of our place and posted them on our photo albums. Hoping to get more photos up of the city shortly. The link to the album is the usual (also found in the right hand corner of the site if you were so inclined).

And on the job front there are some positive changes and some that I am not too sure about. The job I was getting really excited about still has some complications around payment and timing. So I have been thinking about how I could make that position work for me without completely taking up all of my time so that I can still have time to do paid work while not working 24 hours a day. So hopefully my proposal of a day a week goes well. It would be a great thing as it essentially will be an apprenticeship at a whole foods cooking school. So I would learn a ton!

But in the meantime I have accepted a position at a home as a caregiver. I start next Friday the 6th. It doesn't pay the best but it will get me some health experience here in NZ and hopefully teach me a ton of skills that I can transfer to other health jobs. I want to try to do something as far away from administration as possible so that I can test out what type of job would be best for me in the future. I am really looking forward to starting this.

I also have a job interview in order to work an international flower and gardening show which would be fun since now that I have a yard I can go to these type of shows and actually take ideas home!

So things are looking up on the job front, just in a bit of limbo still but should be so busy I can't think soon enough, which I adore, so here's hoping.

apology to commenters

We've discovered today that comments to the photo album weren't initiating notice email to us. We swears we haven't been ignoring you! Hopefully all is sorted now.