Ok, so I did mention before how bad I am at updating this thing, maybe now everyone will believe me!
Cant believe its been so long since I last wrote on here, I have no excuses so I wont even try. Anyway, what's been happening since I last wrote;
- Winter is here although I'm not entirely sure that daytime temps that dont fall below 10 degrees actually counts as winter. Saying that, its often below that in my house in the mornings so I guess that covers it. I dont know if I've mentioned it before but seriously NZ, why are your houses sooo cold? My house isnt even old so should have at least some insulation but, when you have single glazing and heating that isnt more than an oversized hand drier even a 'warmer than your used to' winter can seem really cold. I often have to wear more clothes inside than I do out which surely cant be right!!
- I'm on the move again. Not quite so far this time but I"m off to live in Auckland. Small town NZ has beaten me and I'm craving civilisation. I have a new job starting next month and now just have to find somewhere to live...which is the tricky part. But, as my new mantra goes, Im sure it'll all be ok.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Still alive!
Well its December, the month of freezing temperatures, snow and ice, dark nights and 3 layers of clothes....but not for me!!
Its HOT HOT HOT here already. Although it is officially summer now its only just begun and its already hitting 25c most days, even the days when its not sunny.
Now Im far from complaining about the heat and the sun but it does make the whole Christmas thing a wee bit strange. Seeing people buying xmas trees and putting up lights while its sunny just isn't right somehow. But at least it doesnt seem like such a huge commercial money making scam over here. Yes there are xmas decs in the shops and there is the occasional xmas song being played while you buy your wrapping paper but its definitely not so in your face as Im used to in the UK.
Counting down the weeks now till my mum comes over to visit. The time seems to be flying by so she'll be here before I know it.
Its HOT HOT HOT here already. Although it is officially summer now its only just begun and its already hitting 25c most days, even the days when its not sunny.
Now Im far from complaining about the heat and the sun but it does make the whole Christmas thing a wee bit strange. Seeing people buying xmas trees and putting up lights while its sunny just isn't right somehow. But at least it doesnt seem like such a huge commercial money making scam over here. Yes there are xmas decs in the shops and there is the occasional xmas song being played while you buy your wrapping paper but its definitely not so in your face as Im used to in the UK.
Counting down the weeks now till my mum comes over to visit. The time seems to be flying by so she'll be here before I know it.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Still here...
I know, I know, I'm rubbish at updating this thing...but I'm here now so all's good!
So, I've been here about 2 months now but feels like so much longer. Work is good, settling in well and almost getting used to the differences in the maternity system, huge as they are. The house is now pretty much fully furnished, including a spare bed so if anyone wants to visit you'll have somewhere to sleep!
Gave in and bought a new car. My completely irrational hatred of my old Honda leg me to go buy a stereo for it, thinking that that would make it better. Well one trip to the car dealer later and not only do I have a new stereo but I'm getting it fitted in a new car! Well, not new, but new to me and its much better so I'm a much happier driver now.
Sadly the rubbish weather has continued, mostly rain and windy..even had hailstones today. BUT, the forecast for the next few days is sun sun sun so we'll see!
Now I'm planning my road trip for my November holiday. Got a week off and instead of sitting around moping on my own I've decided to get out and see some of the island, visiting friends along the way. Need to head North to Auckland and then South to Napier and onto Masterton so should be a good trip...lets hope the weather holds out for it!
So, I've been here about 2 months now but feels like so much longer. Work is good, settling in well and almost getting used to the differences in the maternity system, huge as they are. The house is now pretty much fully furnished, including a spare bed so if anyone wants to visit you'll have somewhere to sleep!
Gave in and bought a new car. My completely irrational hatred of my old Honda leg me to go buy a stereo for it, thinking that that would make it better. Well one trip to the car dealer later and not only do I have a new stereo but I'm getting it fitted in a new car! Well, not new, but new to me and its much better so I'm a much happier driver now.
Sadly the rubbish weather has continued, mostly rain and windy..even had hailstones today. BUT, the forecast for the next few days is sun sun sun so we'll see!
Now I'm planning my road trip for my November holiday. Got a week off and instead of sitting around moping on my own I've decided to get out and see some of the island, visiting friends along the way. Need to head North to Auckland and then South to Napier and onto Masterton so should be a good trip...lets hope the weather holds out for it!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Rubbishness....
Today has been a bit rubbish, some of you may have read this elsewhere so if you have, well, tough!
Got up with loads of plans to find it pouring with rain and blowing a gale..again, so that stuffed up pretty much all my plans.
So switched on my laptop to find my internet not working..again. Was buggered last weekend but was apparently fixed but it seems not. Sat on hold for 45mins to report the fault but wont get fixed till Friday. Luckily it started working again this afternoon so we'll see how long it holds out this time.
Returned my DVD player that I bought last week but didnt have the right connections for my TV for one that I can connect by HTMI. Got home connected it all up and it doesn't bloody work. Connected it another way and it does work so don't know if its my HTMI cable or the DVD player itself that doesn't work. But, doesn't really matter as the DVD remote doesn't work either so its going back tomorrow.
By this point I was a wee bit stressed so decided I needed to get out the house before I started to break things. Checked the internet and found a Zumba class on tonight just a few minutes away. Got ready and headed out to find the venue totally deserted. Hung about for 10 minutes, no one showed up so I turned round and headed home again.
Why cant things just work. I dont want them to do more than what they're made for, just the basics will do really, its really not asking for much...
Got up with loads of plans to find it pouring with rain and blowing a gale..again, so that stuffed up pretty much all my plans.
So switched on my laptop to find my internet not working..again. Was buggered last weekend but was apparently fixed but it seems not. Sat on hold for 45mins to report the fault but wont get fixed till Friday. Luckily it started working again this afternoon so we'll see how long it holds out this time.
Returned my DVD player that I bought last week but didnt have the right connections for my TV for one that I can connect by HTMI. Got home connected it all up and it doesn't bloody work. Connected it another way and it does work so don't know if its my HTMI cable or the DVD player itself that doesn't work. But, doesn't really matter as the DVD remote doesn't work either so its going back tomorrow.
By this point I was a wee bit stressed so decided I needed to get out the house before I started to break things. Checked the internet and found a Zumba class on tonight just a few minutes away. Got ready and headed out to find the venue totally deserted. Hung about for 10 minutes, no one showed up so I turned round and headed home again.
Why cant things just work. I dont want them to do more than what they're made for, just the basics will do really, its really not asking for much...
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Settling in..
Ok, so I blame my inability to remember to update this blog on my repeated problems to get a reliable Internet connection, nothing to do with my forgetting...no siree!!
Anyway its been nearly 4 weeks and life here is beginning to become normal. Started work although still on my 3 weeks orientation until the end of this week but getting up and going to work 5 days a week kinda forces you into reality.
The house is pretty much set, well I still have 2 empty bedroom but right now there's no one queueing up to use them so it isn't too much of a problem. Got Sky (NZ TV is dire, although NZ Sky isn't that much better) and hopefully now have reliable internet.
Havent done much more in the way of touristy sight seeing type things, mostly because of the torrential rain (just NZ's way of making me feel at home!) Everyone keeps telling me this is the wettest winter they've known for a long time, not much consolation when your wading to the car in the morning. But its now officially spring so it should start to get better from here, been hearing all the horror stories from other expats at work about how often they had sunstroke in their first few years so looking forward to that!
Ha vent been being too sociable as yet but been out for coffee a few times and out to the pub quiz with a few other expats. Hopefully from next week when I'm onto my 3 day week (3 long days just in case you think I'm a total slacker!)and with the weather hopefully picking up a bit I should be able to get out and about a bit more.
Off to do my 2 day cultural awareness course from tomorrow. The Maori culture is very evident around here so it'll be good to get a bit more of an understanding around it. Rotorua has about a 45% Maori population so its something I really need to know about so I'm hoping it'll be useful.
Off to consider dinner....
Anyway its been nearly 4 weeks and life here is beginning to become normal. Started work although still on my 3 weeks orientation until the end of this week but getting up and going to work 5 days a week kinda forces you into reality.
The house is pretty much set, well I still have 2 empty bedroom but right now there's no one queueing up to use them so it isn't too much of a problem. Got Sky (NZ TV is dire, although NZ Sky isn't that much better) and hopefully now have reliable internet.
Havent done much more in the way of touristy sight seeing type things, mostly because of the torrential rain (just NZ's way of making me feel at home!) Everyone keeps telling me this is the wettest winter they've known for a long time, not much consolation when your wading to the car in the morning. But its now officially spring so it should start to get better from here, been hearing all the horror stories from other expats at work about how often they had sunstroke in their first few years so looking forward to that!
Ha vent been being too sociable as yet but been out for coffee a few times and out to the pub quiz with a few other expats. Hopefully from next week when I'm onto my 3 day week (3 long days just in case you think I'm a total slacker!)and with the weather hopefully picking up a bit I should be able to get out and about a bit more.
Off to do my 2 day cultural awareness course from tomorrow. The Maori culture is very evident around here so it'll be good to get a bit more of an understanding around it. Rotorua has about a 45% Maori population so its something I really need to know about so I'm hoping it'll be useful.
Off to consider dinner....
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Eeek!!
Start work today!! Well, not really work, have to go in for my computer training which is only 1-5 (and possibly not even that if rumours are right) On sorientation for 3 weeks so I predicet a lot of mandatory (in general useless) training in my future.
Just hope I remember how all this midwifery lark goes after not working for 6 months..
Just hope I remember how all this midwifery lark goes after not working for 6 months..
Thursday, August 26, 2010
One week done...
Well I've been here an week and what a week its been!
So I have a house, nice modern one in a wee complex so nice and safe for little old me on my lonesome! It has 3 bedrooms so bring on the visitors, although I only have one bed so a little but of notice would be good unless your bringing a bed with you! Get my keys tomorrow and 'the bed' plus my new sofas and TV get delivered (hopefully!) Had a trauma trying to get ID faxed to the phone company to get my phone and broadband sorted out. Tried to fax it from 3 different places and each time the end result was too blurry to be of any use, in the end I gave in and bought a $60 scanned/printer and did it myself, what I should have done in the first place probably! Because of that I probably wont have my phone or broadband connected till next week sometime, luckily I have my motel room all paid up till Wednesday so the free broadband here will be fully exercised till then!
I also have a car. Had a struggle to find something in my price range as I wanted to buy one outright and $3000 doesnt get you much car in NZ! But after being shown some right old rust buckets the lovely Ed at Cars and More (yes this is an ad for them as he really is lovely!) had a fairly decent '97 Honda Civic for just $2990 so its now sitting here outside my window! This of course allowed me to take my hired Micra back a day early, never been so glad to see the back of a car in my life...stinky, dirty, teeny wee box on wheels that it was!
Going to spend the next 3 days moving stuff into my house and getting ready to start work on Monday. Still dont know when I've to be there or what I'm actually doing but hey..Im sure I'll find out soon enough!!
So I have a house, nice modern one in a wee complex so nice and safe for little old me on my lonesome! It has 3 bedrooms so bring on the visitors, although I only have one bed so a little but of notice would be good unless your bringing a bed with you! Get my keys tomorrow and 'the bed' plus my new sofas and TV get delivered (hopefully!) Had a trauma trying to get ID faxed to the phone company to get my phone and broadband sorted out. Tried to fax it from 3 different places and each time the end result was too blurry to be of any use, in the end I gave in and bought a $60 scanned/printer and did it myself, what I should have done in the first place probably! Because of that I probably wont have my phone or broadband connected till next week sometime, luckily I have my motel room all paid up till Wednesday so the free broadband here will be fully exercised till then!
I also have a car. Had a struggle to find something in my price range as I wanted to buy one outright and $3000 doesnt get you much car in NZ! But after being shown some right old rust buckets the lovely Ed at Cars and More (yes this is an ad for them as he really is lovely!) had a fairly decent '97 Honda Civic for just $2990 so its now sitting here outside my window! This of course allowed me to take my hired Micra back a day early, never been so glad to see the back of a car in my life...stinky, dirty, teeny wee box on wheels that it was!
Going to spend the next 3 days moving stuff into my house and getting ready to start work on Monday. Still dont know when I've to be there or what I'm actually doing but hey..Im sure I'll find out soon enough!!
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