Location Update

Now that I have an apartment, it is necessary to correct the maps I previously shared regarding my living location and work.

Here's the scoop from google maps:

My apartment is an easy 20 minute walk to work.  I could make it in a lot less time, but as I said earlier, that whole arriving at work sweaty thing is not a good way to start the work day.

My brother found another good angle to view this location so here's an alternate view:

Look at all that water!

Tax is IN the price

America should try putting the tax of things into the price so the price the consumer sees on the shelf is THE price they pay.
I suppose that would be too complex, what with city sales tax, probably county tax, state tax, and fed tax, properly labeling the price of something would be too difficult...

Here in New Zealand, it's really great to buy something and know the price on the shelf is the price at the checkout, tax already included.

A person can really get spoiled by knowing the price they are presented is the final price.  It would never fly in the US, it's too simple and too transparent.   sigh.

Snail Mailed

Mental note to self:  have snail mailed July & August to mom & dad.

Reflections on a Month in NZ

I've been here for an entire month now.  Hard to believe in some ways.  10, 20 years ago, I would have never imagined myself this far from home.  Random thoughts on my first month:

- the accents (vocal) here are so beautiful.
- the people are so nice and kind; very patient and helpful.
- the air and sky are clear; there are stars at night.
- does everyone who lives close to water feel so at peace?
- you will get used to food brands in another country, after all it's still food.
- watered down regular Mt Dew will pass for diet (it's the taste and caffeine hit I'm after but I'd never try watering down regular Pepsi).
- a duvet inner & cover is really nice, but mom's homemade quilts are still the best.
- a week or so of walking to/from work, is good for you.
- adults can survive without cars.  (lots of cars here, just that I don't have one ... yet)
- a head cold in New Zealand feels just like a head cold in Chicago.
- I imagine I will get homesick at some point, but perhaps not - the internet makes the world much smaller.
- meat pies are yummy.  Had a steak and mushroom meat pie today, will definitely eat more pies.
- there is less chocolate here but it is still good.
- have not attempted to figure out what shoe or clothes size I am.
- Americans have massive space, variety, and opportunity - it's shame so many waste/don't appreciate it.
- Kumara (sweet potato) is awesome.  It's not just for Thanksgiving.
- McDonald's and Burger King are here.  I still don't eat there.  I might try the lamb burger at McDonald's.
- starting over somewhere else is not so scary when you have friends.
- MagicJack is a great low cost way to phone home when traveling abroad.

So really, nothing major to report.  I am loving this adventure.

Northern Pine?

Do you think this pine tree yearns to go north?  Perhaps join it's brethren in northern Wisconsin?
Look how those needles point north...  

Never so happy to get a Tax #

I got paid!!  I got paid!!  I'm so happy, I got paid!!

(Charles, the above is sung to the tune from the monkeys fondly known as "i'm naked, i'm naked....")

My IRD # came yesterday and my employer processed it promptly, producing a pay deposit for the first 1.5 weeks of my employment.   And joy of joys, next week is payday again!

I am looking forward to buying a vacuum cleaner and cleaning supplies.  Not that my new apartment is dirty but I want to clean it and "make it mine".

Today....

Today.... it rained.  Yes... again.   It's ok though because...

One can not complain when walking home from work in the middle of winter and enjoying the smell of freshly mowed grass!    Yes, truly... .grass mowing in winter.   Can you imagine that happening in the US Midwest?

2 weeks of work

I've been working for just over 2 weeks now.  All is well, I still don't regret coming here even tho I do walk to and from work (well, the last 3 days and the next 2 days at least).  I'm guessing it's about 1 mile because it takes me about 30 minutes walking slowly so as not to break a sweat (who wants to be all sweaty when they get to work... not me!).

What has happened in the 2 weeks?

    1) more rain
    2) I opened a bank account
    3) more rain
    4) I got an apartment
        a) I got a bed
        b) I got a TV
    5) more rain
    6) I got my first electric bill.
    7) more rain
    8) I've done laundry!
    9) you guessed it, more rain

Yes, it's official, I have a bank account, I got my first bill, and I paid my first bill online.

What else is there in life?

Oh yes - taxes....  I am still waiting for my IRD #.  It's like a social security # I guess because it identifies me to the government so they can take taxes from my paycheck.  I'm not sure what else it is for, but of course taxes.  So I don't have a paycheck yet because I have chosen to wait for the IRD # so the proper amount of taxes is taken out rather than a large chunk which everyone says I would get back ....eventually.  Again, not tempting fate, I will wait for the number. Customer service said I should get it this week.

The apartment is nice.  A great deal for the location.  Not far from the beach where I was living before and a bit closer to work.  And, across from a liquor store!...  What more could I want?   (no, haven't had any beer yet, had one on the flight over, but not here yet).

Here's a view of the kitchen, but this is the advertised view so imagine it with no furnishings:

Didn't come with a microwave, dang!
Here's the master bathroom - yes, if you can tell, 2 sinks... and they are both square (neat).

here's the advertised pic of the master bedroom.  On the right, it looks like a wall, but it's a sliding panel to separate the bedroom from the living room (or lounge as they say here).  I do have a floor to ceiling window (much like is shown).  My balcony doesn't have that same view tho.

Nor do I have that bed.  Nice looking, isn't it.

For now, a kind and generous co-worker has loaned me a single bed and a TV until I purchase my own.  I am looking forward to seeing what local TV programs they have here.


GUESS WHAT!!!   I was looking online for highlights of pre-season football (American Football, not soccer) and I found out that I can get the NFL Game Pass FREE, yes, FREE.  I thought it was too good to be true so I emailed the site's customer service and they said truly I can get it free because I am not in the U.S.  I don't know how many other countries get it free, but you can bet I am eager to check it out to watch the big boys play.

First Sunday (July 29)

Sunday, I went walking again - after all, it's not like I had laundry to do - I only came with 1.5 suitcases and a moose.

The day was pretty nice so I checked out what I call the little mount.  That is Moturiki Island mentioned in my previous post.  I went out over the beach, crossed to the island and hiked up.  It has a paved path as you can see here at the top.  It was quite windy so I did not get close to the edge.  I am not a small person, but I didn't need to tempt fate.

It may not look real high, but it was.  Here is a shot from the island, looking back along the beach where I was staying:

But still, Moturiki Island is small compared to the big mount.

Moturiki Island

Mount Maunganui

I walked up the beach to The Mount again.  I picked up a couple shells that will someday make their way through snail mail to mom.


There is a camping site at the base of the mount (Dave, do you think Rev will review it in his next article?).  It's a nice place to pull in an RV or a camper, or even rent a small cabin.  I met the maintenance man and he explained these small cabins are all on wheels for ease of movement.  I looked inside, they are quite new and very well kept.  No heat tho, so likely not a place for an "always cold" person like me to stay in the winter even in the fine weather we are having.

Saturday Walk (July 28)

As my friends in the midwest (US) were drying up, I strolled along admiring the very wet view.

This little beauty in the distance is called Moturiki Island.

 

You can walk across the beach and walk up the island on paths:

I went up the island on Sunday which was quite a gusty and rainy day.  It would have been better to go up on Saturday, but, well, hindsight is 20/20 isn't it.

I did not go up Moturiki Saturday because I was more interested in what was coming up the beach, namely, this big guy:

Yes, the people in the distance are playing beach volleyball ... in winter!  If you look closely, they are in shorts and are barefoot.  Imagine doing that in Wisconsin in winter!  (I bet you could get some Packer fans to do that.)

The "big guy" is called "the mount", officially, Mount Maunganui.  It has walking tracks around and up it.  I have not yet ventured around or up, but I will.

Rounding the tip of the peninsula, one leaves the Pacific side and enters the bay side, specifically, Pilot Bay.
Things are more calm (serenity; tranquillity; peace) on the bay:

Do you think these seagulls understand it is winter by the looks of this?

I didn't think so.

However if I uploaded a picture of myself, you would have seen me in purple coat & black hat, looking like a tourist - with a nod to my mom, keeping my head warm.

I lollygagged around the rest of Saturday afternoon.  Rain showers came & went.  Near the end of my walk I was again on the Pacific side.  This next shot is not the clearest but I thought a fantastic way to end my walk and my first Saturday in New Zealand.

If you look closely, you can see a rainbow over the ocean and also a cargo ship.  How very appropriate since I now work at a company that manages cargo and is located on the waterfront.  The rainbow & cargo ship was a wonderfully good sign.

First Saturday (July 28)

My first Saturday (July 28), I stepped out of the house I am staying at and crossed the street.

I looked left:

I looked right:

That's the beautiful, powerful, South Pacific ocean!

and I looked down:

Beach flowers in winter.  Yes, winter!  Not bad for a WINTER day, eh?

There is where I am in the South Pacific:

a bit closer:

It's all in easy walking distance.  I miss my car, but am getting along fine without it.
The green "thumbnail" is called "the mount".  It has hiking trails around it that I will someday traverse and it has more steep trails going up... which I will also someday traverse when my cardio improves.  But I don't think I will take Moosie, his legs are too short (but don't tell him that).

Pretty Money

Tomorrow it will officially be 2 weeks in New Zealand.  It's been rainy (for my jealous midwestern drought friends) but it's been great.

Things I miss, other than my friends:  Diet Pepsi, Diet Mt Dew, Crest toothpaste, and to a lesser degree Crystal Light.

I see a lot of Coke products (regular Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite) but much less Pepsi/Mt Dew and I have found no Diet Pepsi or Diet Mt Dew - I guess you could call this "forced diet soda rehab". :-)
Oh well, obviously I am still alive without my diet soda fix.  Yes Charles, I tried the Diet Coke, still can't handle it.

But you're not here to hear me whine...

New Zealand money is very pretty.  Maybe the US saves money on ink when it prints money (probably not).
Take a look at this pretty money.

front:

and back:

The coins in the picture are 20 cents (silver one on the left) and $1 on the right.  Yup, they don't seem to have any problem with a $1 coin here.  In fact, they have a $2 coin!  I've seen 50 cents, 20 cents, and 10 cents.

There is no penny.  Life seems to churn along quite nicely without a penny.  Do you think the US will ever dump the penny?  I have some US pennies in my pocket, the NZ bank chuckled when I asked what to do with the pennies.  I guess my pennies will come back to the US on my next return.

Things seem more expensive here, but I am getting used to it (I have to eat!).