Queenstown...the home of the Queen??

It has been made apparent that I have not updated my blog in four months. My bad. But it is for very good reason. I am no longer bumming around Christchurch with a semi-permanent job with no security and all the time in the world. I have a full-time job in Queenstown (the premiere resort town of New Zealand) and with skipping the chase, I have been offered a sponsorship to extend my visa and stay another year. What is it that I'm doing??? Well I have been doing accounts payable for three companies, Northern Southland Transport (freighting), NZSki Ltd (mountain resorts), and Ultimate Hikes (Guided Walk through New Zealand). All owned by Trojan Holdings, which also has a handful of other smaller companies under its wing. I was doing the letter group S-Z for all three companies. Since being offered the position to stay we have restructured our department and I am now doing letter group A-S for just NZSki Ltd with a seasonal helper until the end of October. Hahahaha, I was the seasonal helper. Just to point out the politics of business...I was hired by NZSki in May as a seasonal employee, but I was doing work for all three companies (the guy who trained me, Bjorn, went on 7 week holiday...I took his job while he was away.) NZSki contracted my time out to Trojan Holdings. As NZSki staff I got all the benefits, season pass to four mountains and discounts all across town. At the end of October I'm signing a new contract so that I can retain my staff pass in the mean time. Trojan Holdings will take me on as permanent staff, but I will only be working with NZSki accounts and they will contract my time out to NZSki. Crazy.

Enough about my job, let me tell you about my life. I'm living with two American guys, Chris (Arkansas) and Corey (Ohio), and I share a room with a Brazilian girl, Gabby. Gabby's sister, Patricia, lives in the other unit of the duplex house with her boyfriend Andrew. I spend most of my free time with these guys. I went to Dunedin for a tri-nations rugby game between New Zealand and South Africa with Gabby, Patchi, and Andrew in July, NZ lost but it was a great trip to take. We watch a movie at least twice a week in one side or the other of the duplex. Gabby just had her birthday last weekend and a wicked party was held at her friends house. So many Brazilians, and a Brazilian band was playing, two kegs of local brew, best house party of my life. We're thinking of making an excuse to have another. Although my birthday is months away I'll mention now that it's on a National Holiday in New Zealand, Waitangi Day, and there is going to be a three day Music Festival near Lake Ohao. Patchi, Andrew, Gabby and I are definitely considering going.

I have all the necessary gear to snowboard on the weekends, I go to yoga twice a week, and when it gets a bit warmer I'll be biking to the Aquatic center for a few laps hopefully once a week. I lead a very pedestrian life style, 10 minute walk to work, two blocks of a wicked steep hill, full leg work out and cardio everyday just to make it home. I hitch to the mountains if I'm not going with a work mate. I don't have the freedom to go where ever when ever, but it certainly makes life very simple. The stories of shit cars breaking down, running out of gas, not passing inspection, etc are endless and I'm happy I don't have to deal.

In taking the job for another year I have promised my parents to come home for Christmas. I will be home from the 13th until the 28th, making it back to New Zealand to start the New Year.

Oh, and to show that different regions and seasons change everything. Germans are not the majority here. The largest nationality group in Queenstown is Brazilian. There you have it. I will also mention Queenstown only has 8,000 permanent residents (me being one!) and 38,000 travelers at any given time. It is a true resort town. And soon all the winter bums will be migrating to the Northern Hemisphere chasing the snow. Queenstown's demographics will change a bit to water sport fanatics and hikers.

I hope you enjoyed the long awaited update. Amy and Christine inspired me, so take a look at their pages too. Thanks for reading. Love and kisses.

Film & Literature

How do I occupy my time outside of my "busy" schedule. I see films and read books. I thought I would fill you in on where my eyes have been.

In this order I've seen:

-Priceless (French)
-Conversations with my Gardener (French)
-Gloomy Sunday (Hungarian) - longest running film in the world - this theater here has been playing it in a 8 seater theater for the last 13 years
-Goodbye Bafana (Belgium film about Mandela in South Africa - filmed in Cape Town)
-Vantage Point (had potential, but in the end I thought it was terrible)
-Step Up 2: The Streets (Laura is a dancer, it's a dancing movie)
-Definitely, Maybe
-Love in the Time of Cholera
-Lars & the Real Girl
-Hunters & Gatherers (French)
-Made of Honour
-How About You (Irish)
-Across the Universe

And it seems, although not intended, that all the books I've read have been about traveling. I do like autobiographies so that has something to do with it.

In this order I've read:

My Life in France - Julia Child
Eat, Pray, Love- Elizabeth Gilbert
I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell - Tucker Max (not recommended for adults over 30)
Mountains Beyond Mountains - biography of Dr. Paul Farmer
The End of the Alphabet - C S Richardson

So I guess I've been doing what I love over here. I love going to the theater to see movies. And I have been growing to the idea of curling up with a book.

German Invasion

It can’t be explained by me or the many Germans I have come across, but they are truly invading New Zealand. A few probable suggestions have been made, but they don’t really explain the influx of young German travelers. What I want to know is how and why there are so many more Germans, than any other European country. Europeans are here traveling, I’ve met people from Switzerland, England, Ireland, Romania, and Denmark; and I’m sure the rest of Europe is traveling somewhere on these small islands. But where ever I go I will meet Germans. It’s a joke now at Chester St Backpackers, where I’m living at the moment, between Paul (the Irish Guy) and Addie (the Floridian), we’ve been living in German St. Backpackers all along. There are only 17 beds in this quaint hostel, and on any given night nearly half of the house is occupied by Germans. I experienced the same while I was on the North Island in Wellington and Napier. So I’ve been questioning these traveling Germans. “What’s the word in Germany about New Zealand? Are there cultural similarities, underground or mainstream, that draw so many of you here?” The thing is that EVERY young German travels. Apparently if you haven't traveled the world for more than 6 months by the time your 25 something wrong happened. And at the moment New Zealand is a trendy spot to be. Doris and Steff are our in house Germans, they both work at Chester Street. And then I meet a new German every night. So by now I've received a couple of invitation to visit Germany, and of course learned a little bit more about German geography. And it is still true, west Germans hate east Germans and vice versa.

English, American, and Kiwi

Here I’m just going to point out some of words in the English Language that just don’t match up. I’ve made a couple of lists. The first being of words that are used here in New Zealand and probably no where else, it consists mostly of slang. The second list is of words we all know, but would probably go unrecognized if spoken by a kiwi. Ending with a list of consumer commercials with voice-overs that I can barely to listen to.

Sweet as – used as an exclamatory phrase, it’s like saying sweet as pie, sugar or splenda, and dropping the noun. I’ve also heard the replacement of other adjectives and the continual dropping of the noun; like dry as, bitter as, hot as. Apparently if a traveling Kiwi says this among the crude set of young men America is known for, it is often mistaken for sweet ass, and they ask, “Where?”

Gutted - a huge disappointment, mostly used while watching sporting events, especially rugby. It’s just that gut feeling of heart ache or the physical pain of being punched in the gut. Outside the realm of sports it could be used to describe the feeling of being dumped, missing the bus or having your car stolen.

Good on you - usually its more like “Good on ya” and can include “Mate” at the end in most cases. It’s like a “Right on”, “Good for you”.

Pashing – short for passionate kissing (making out), it’s what the young people are doing these days. I got my first vocabulary lesion of this word when we went to Classical Sparks in the Park, and classical music concert in Hagley Park. A family event that Tim said any one between the ages 13 – 16 uses to congregate together, escape from their parents in a non-suspecting environment, and pash for the first time.

Heaps – just a silly word that EVERYONE uses daily. There were heaps of fresh vegetables at the super market, I make heaps at work, There were heaps of people last night. Sometimes I can’t handle the heaps of heaps.

Full on – another phrase for “Right on”

Orange light – we would consider this yellow, telling you to slow down at an intersection, referring to a traffic light. And apparently in Australia it’s described as an amber light, weird.

Partner- significant other; husband, wife, serious boyfriend or girlfriend. The first time I heard this I was asked if I thought the person was gay, because in the states we subconsciously equate this with a gay/lesbian couple. But I’ve also been duped in a news segment about a business going under, and this man kept mentioning his partner, which I thought he meant business partner, but he was talking about his wife/girlfriend that would also lose money in the deal.

Togs – bathing suit. For St. Patrick’s Day in Wellington, the only piece of green apparel I had to wear to celebrate was a kelly green one piece J. Crew swimsuit. I wore jeans and an orange/paprika sweater over my bathing suit to be as Irish as possible. After I got a compliment from a local I pointed out that I was wearing my bathing suit, the rest of the night she couldn’t believe I was wearing my togs out, so bold.


So I wish you could hear how they say these words, but all I can do is create a short list and you’ll have to make a guess.

Subaru
Adidas
Aluminum
Laboratory
Garnier Fructis
Cervical
Mazda

And finally the consumer product commercials that were clearly filmed and produced in the states and a kiwi accent as been dubbed over to localize them. It’s so bad. I can't watch them, the lips aren't synchronized, and it just urks me.

Colgate
Bio-Oil
Head and Shoulders
Johnson & Johnson products

Lavender Farms & Wellington

I want to tell you what I'm doing right now. Christine's parents arrived from Colorado on Monday, but last Saturday I left Christchurch to see the North Island. I was picked up at the Ferry in Wellington by a very nice couple, the Parkers. They live an hour and twenty minutes north of Wellington. I stayed with them for three days, helping out around the house. I picked apples from their backyard, peeled and cored them with a very handy little machine with a hand crank, stewed them, we added some berries and sugar, and in the morning in looked like a very nice apple sauce which I helped bag. They have 12 cows, 18 sheep, 1 ram, a vegetable garden, and assorted fruit trees. I spent the afternoons reading their cooking magazines, cook books, New Zealand art books, New Zealand fashion magazines. I knit some. I walked some. Sunday afternoon I went to a Francis Hodgkins exhibit, she's a very famous New Zealand artist, and Sunday evening Mrs. Parker went to the ballet with her two sisters, and I joined them for the ride to town and spent my night walking around. It rained my entire journey North, on the bus and on the ferry. But on my walk about it began to rain, and I ducked into a cafe with live Jazz music. I ordered a Chocolate Chip cookie, and then topped my evening off with a fruit salad and a wonderful berry coulis on top. I spent Monday at the Parker's, running errands with John, and reading some more on the couch. Tuesday morning was my big day. Mrs. Parker arranged for me to wwoof at her friend's Lavender farm. The old lady from the Orchard never got back to me, so last minute plans had to be made. I've now spent three days at Lavender Creek Farm. So far I've worked 3-4 hours a day, and spent the rest of the day running errands with the owner or reading/knitting/watching TV. The lavender had been harvested before I arrived, but tomorrow we are distilling Lemon Verbena, into oil, and on Sunday we will distill the Lavender. Along with lavender they also have 500 grape vines for wine. Susi, the owner, said that in Europe they have poisoned most of the birds so they can let the grapes grow without a predator. But here they have to cover the vines with a white mesh to keep the birds from eating the whole crop. I evening duties include taking a walk through the vines to insure that there are no holes, or gaps in the netting. Not a bad way to end the day. Susi and her husband, Vaughn, also own a Health food store in Wellington. So like I said about the errands, Tuesday we went to a licorice factory north of here to buy some licorice wholesale, and Wednesday we drove to Wellington to drop it off at the shop and do a few more things around town. I think I'll spend 4-5 more days here, maybe make a trip to Napier, and then back down to Wellington to see more of the city. I have 13 more days on the North Island before I go back to Christchurch for a Jack Johnson concert. I think Laura George, a new girl working with her from Florida, and Christine and her family are all interested in the concert so we'll see if they got tickets when I return. That's all the news I have now. Thanks for Reading. I love and miss you.

10 for 10

It's been a while, but don't think I've forgotten you. I think of things to say and never sit down and tell you. Although I still haven't told you how it is working with children I wanted to mention the best deal in New Zealand. The preface: because the US dollar has been so much stronger compared to the NZ dollar in the past things are priced quite differently here. Most thing are typically twice as much here or even more. Something that looks worth $15 will be priced $30. Due to this I've experienced sticker shock on the stupidest consumable goods. For example, I was in a home store and a metal pedal top trash can was $150. It wasn't big, maybe 2 feet tall, it didn't have some eco-friendly, ergonomical design that made it look special, it was a metal trash can. Please don't ever spend $150 on a generic trash can. Bringing me to my point. As I have mentioned before I have four clear television channels so maybe this matters to me for other reasons. But the best deal offered in New Zealand is located at Blockbusters movie rental. 10 movies for $10. No new releases, but its given me a chance to catch up on some classics. I've seen most of them before, but some are new to me. And the trick is can someone even watch 10 movies in 7 days. You've got to be quick. But that is my favorite deal in New Zealand. So I'm going to end this post and immediately start a new one. I've been gone for so long I want to separate my thoughts and plans. Thanks for reading. I love and miss you.

I'm living in the 60's

A few things about life here are a bit dated, I could say convience is not their middle name. We line dry our clothes, hand wash all the dishes, bake our own bread (but that's just for fun), we don't have cable television (4 clear channels) and when we bought wood at the hardware store, a guy hand sawed our measurements for us. What year am I living in? But life is slower here, so I don't mind the extra effort. I don't have class assignments or tests to be concerned with in the evenings, I haven't worked more than 24 hours in one week, I know less than a dozen people, and only three people know my phone number. All I can say is I'm adjusting. I miss having things to do, and people to see. We have had a bunch of people over for tea (dinner) in the last few weeks, but they're all couples (consequence of living with newly weds, they rarely know single people.) I joined a bible study and they got started this week, I'm looking forward to it. Let's see, a few people wanted to know what I did for the holidays and what my immediate future plans are. My birthday is on a national holiday here, Waitangi Day, so most of the city had the day off, aka the city closed down. I baked my favorite oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (LNK's mom's recipe) in the kitchen of the hostel Laura George works in. I went to an office picnic celebration with Tim and Christine for the George, and then Laura treated me to dessert that evening (Ultimate Chocolate). Very casual birthday. For Valentine's Day, not a national holiday, I should have worked to keep my mind off Singles Awareness Day, but I wasn't assigned anything, so I watched Christine embark on a very thoughtful and romantic day for Tim. (Hand painted notes to be opened ever half hour while he was working, and a packed picnic in a wicker box for when he got off of work.) I baked heart shaped sugar cookies. When loneliness began to creep up on me, I just went to Laura's hostel to watch television with stangers. Laura and I went out for dinner and found Mexican food and margaritas, what a glorious night. Just being in that second floor restaurant loaded with mexican paraphernalia and photos on the walls, tequila bottles behind the bar, and boxes of mexican beer everywhere made it feel like home. Loneliness subsided. For the next two weeks I will continue working for Select Education, a relief agency for preschools. And in March I'm off to Wellington. Christine's parents are coming from Colorado, so my bedroom is going to be occupied, giving me the opportunity to see the southern tip of the north island. I'm visiting with John Sackett's friend, John Parker for a few days, and then I found an orchard in the same small town as the Parkers and I'm trying to get job their for a couple weeks. I haven't given you my thoughts about working with four year olds, that will be next time. I've also been thinking about other social observations I can give you from New Zealand. All of this next time. Thanks for reading. I love and miss you.