Canuck to Kiwi...My Adventures in NZ!

Ah, Christmas vacation! Something that, to my benefit, New Zealanders take very seriously. The cafe is closed for 2 weeks, which is not uncommon here. Aside from grocery stores, or the stores in the mall, lots of smaller businesses close for an extended period over Christmas. I've even taken it a step further and taken an extra week off so we can go on a road trip to Queenstown. David also has 3 weeks off from his job. I think it's important to have a nice long holiday to relax every now and again. Now that I have a job, I remember what it's like to do absolutely nothing and love it. When you're unemployed, there's constant pressure to find a job, so you can never totally relax..you always feel like you should be doing something productive or working on your job search. I forgot how great it is to wake up late, lounge around, take naps, and just do whatever you feel like doing. To kick off our Christmas holidays, David and I went to Totaranui, a popular camping...

I have to say, I just can't seem to wrap my head around the concept of summer and Christmas coinciding. If I didn't have some early reminders that Christmas was coming in the form of events like the Santa Parade (which, as you can see from the picture is a summer parade with Santa Claus!) or the Christmas music in the mall, I wouldn't really have even remembered that Christmas was coming at all! Even with these reminders, I forget again as soon as I step outside into summer weather. David has gone to great lengths to get me in the Christmas spirit and make it feel like Christmas. We have a real Christmas tree in our living room, decorated with ornaments and lights, and I have a collection of Christmas cards displayed around the house. I had a moment of panic when I got my first Christmas card in the mail, because not only had I not sent any out, I hadn't even bought the cards. I was eventually inspired to get some cards, but...

I've been having a lot of awkward and embarrassing moments at work...I guess it just comes with having a new job and learning all the little things, but it's a relatively foreign feeling for me, having had the same job for several years. I'm sure it's a little bit of nerves and a little bit of wanting to get it right and do a good job, but dear lord, I hope it's overwith quick! I consider myself to be someone with a good dose of common sense, and I'm usually able to think on my feet and deal with most situations that may arise. Lately though, I feel like all my common sense has suddenly flown out the window, and some of the situations I find myself in make me want to press pause so that I can laugh at myself, and then possibly rewind and re-do. During these moments, it's like something comes over me, and the resulting feeling of "OMG, did that really just happen?!" makes part of me want to explain myself to my co-workers and the other part just f...

I know the suspense must be killing you, so for those of you who haven't already found out through the magic of facebook, I have some good news.....I GOT THE JOB!! When I got the call and heard someone say "I'm calling to offer you a job" I almost didn't believe what I was hearing. Having waited the better part of a week after having my trial, and then waiting all day for the call, I convinced myself that they must have picked someone else. Facing rejection after rejection, and constantly being beaten by more experienced applicants, had me thisclose to giving up on my hopes of working in a cafe. It's extremely hard to remain unaffected when even your best doesn't seem to be good enough, and even harder to take your own advice to stay positive and not give up. I assumed that getting a job in a cafe would be easy as, (as the kiwi's would say) but it was anything but. Nearly three months in, I've finally got my cafe job, and I'm really looking f...

I'm not generally someone who checks the weather, unless I'm planning a big outing like a hike or a weekend of camping, but since I've been in New Zealand, I find myself checking it constantly. The fact that I either walk or bike to get around is a big reason for this. Another reason is that the weather changes so quickly here. This brings me to the topic of hanging clothes out to dry: a fairly new concept for me, having always had a dryer, although I do recall having a clothes line at home as a kid. From an environmental standpoint, and also to be gentler on your clothes, I'm a big fan of drying clothes outside on the line. I think the fact that it's banned in certain areas, like Whistler, because it's unsightly, is ridiculous. For most New Zealanders, it's simply part of your everyday routine. Now, whenever it rains, my first thought is "Do I have clothes out on the line?!" Sometimes, the answer is yes, and if I'm lucky enough to be home, I...

Well, I'm happy to say that I passed the first test (the interview) at the Cafe I applied at, and made it to the second round, which is what's called a trial day. This is quite a regular thing in New Zealand; when you are one of the final candidates for a job, they ask you to come in for a few hours to see how you fit in. It's kind of like a try-before-you-buy system for employers. As one of the prospective employees doing a trial shift, I have to say it was a little bit nerve-wracking to know that I was being watched and judged. During the interview I was asked whether or not I would be comfortable making a cake, which caught me off guard, but the job I applied for is split between front of house and the kitchen, so I guess I shouldn't have been so surprised. I was a bit worried that they would put my cake making skills to the test today, but thankfully they didn't. I have become a much better cook and baker since I've been here, (what better tim...

So, I've found a few jobs over here, and with the exception of one, I'm not loving them. I thought I would tell you all about my glamourous part-time NZ jobs... Might just make you feel a whole lot better about yours!  ;) I'll try not to bitch, but I'm also not going to sugar-coat anything... So, the job I'm enjoying is for HYPE, (Help For Young People at Events) which is basically what the name implies. Whenever there's an event that is likely to attract young people, HYPE sends out teams of street ambassadors to make sure everyone is safe, ie: not too drunk, isn't causing trouble, has a ride home, etc. We also give out condoms & lollies, LOL! I've only worked one shift that was at the masked parade, but I thought it was a really worthwhile thing to be doing, and it was fun. HYPE also runs activities at events like skatepark tours and festivals, which I'm scheduled to work in the coming months, paired up with David, who also works for HYPE. ...