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.