Yowza! It's been 6 weeks since my last post, and the time has passed in an entirely novel way. We arrived in New Zealand on June 11th. After being here only a few days and countless times since then, Kevin and I have regularly made this shared observation: it feels like we've been here so much longer than we have. It seemed to take a long time for us to be able to say we've been here a whole month. We looked forward to observing that as a significant milestone, anticipating the novelty of saying we've been in New Zealand for a whole month. Then when it came, it didn't feel accurate; it felt like we'd been here twice as long as that, because we'd been through so many changes. And it seems to be taking more than twice a long to pass the two-month milestone, but it is finally in sight: this coming Tuesday.
Just in the past month, after a period of acclimatization (observing Kevin's driving), I've learned to drive on the left side of Wellington roads. I know how to move through a roundabout and other strange indications on the ground. I've driven around the Miramar Peninsula, Kilbirnie, Newtown, and downtown Wellington. I used to be a very good driver in Canada, and excellent at parking (even Kevin agrees). Here, I know I'm a 'bad' driver, but I have a good excuse, and I'm getting better all the time.
I've also made friends! Kevin and I have befriended and socialized with a dozen people whom we didn't know before June 11th, none of them Canadians. That's half a dozen girlfriends for me! Most, but not all of them have a connection with Weta. In other words, they are either Weta Boys as our Weta Relocation Coordinator dubbed them, or Weta Wives as they/we are officially known as per the Weta Wives Facebook group. Only one of my new friends has no connection to Weta, she's someone I met through Trade Aid.
Our social circle is a far flung bunch in terms of nationality, though. Haylee and Mike are Aussies. Anne is a Pommy; her husband Gavin is a Possy (Pommy and Aussie, so called by his friends because he's an Aussie who's lived in England for 8 years). Carola is German. Celine is French. Hillary, Jessica, Ryan and Matt are American. Only Marita, Diz and Tim are Kiwis. We took the bull by the horns and threw a party last night. It was really great. Everyone came, and they clearly enjoyed meeting one another. Only Mike Beauchamp didn't come, the guy from Windsor that we keep trying to meet up with but never do (we still have not met him to this day, although we have several mutual friends). Isn't that ironic? Anyway, we are really glad that we went for it, although Kevin and I are both a little hungover today. No matter. The point is, it's happening already. Kevin and I both thought it would take much, much longer to make friends here. And they are good people: cool, interesting, funny and nice. You'd like them.
There's a phenomenon at work here, having to do with our experience of newness, adaptation and time, whereby we are adapting to our new lifestyle and fitting in to this new situation much faster than we thought possible. I won't pontificate about it too much, I barely understand it and I definitely don't want to spoil it!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
What's Right and Wrong with the Stuff that we Brought
Friends and family members who stopped by the compound when Kevin and I were packing our luggage to travel to New Zealand may recall visions of Mary's living room strewn with our clothes, shoes, coats, and Kevin's textbooks at various stages of the packing process. At some point between April 22nd (our original proposed travel date) and June 10th (our actual travel date), the airlines collectively and severely cut-back on the amount of luggage that travelers can bring on international flights. So, even though our bags were packed early on, we found ourselves scrambling to unpack sixty pounds worth of clothes and personal effects the night before we left. Considering that it was important for Kevin to pack quite a few very heavy programming textbooks, we weren't left with a very big packing allowance for everything else.
Now that we have been here two-and-a-half weeks, I can tell you that we feel the the lack of very few items that we had to leave behind.
A bathrobe is a handy thing for preserving one's modesty in a home with a curtainless window along the bedroom-bathroom corridor. But, we don't have robes, so we've had to improvise. When it comes to passing in front of said window, I favour the crouching tiger move; Kevin, the hidden dragon. Exercising these moves is much cheaper and more thrilling than purchasing new robes.
The other thing that I initially felt the lack of was my running shoes, because I was inspired to start running again by this place, where the populace is fit, and many people walk, jog and cycle right in front of our house. My runners were old and deflated, though, and I was right not to lug them all the way here, because it gave me an excuse to go out and buy a much-needed new pair!
I'm sad that some of my favourite music didn't get ripped onto the mac mini before we left. I have no Tragically Hip, no Cinematic Orchestra, no Paul Weller. I have most of my collection here, just not those favourites.
Conversely, there are very few things that we lugged with us in vain. I really didn't need to bring my ankle-length, black, high-heel winter boots, because they aren't in style here at all. Most of the fashionable people wear comfort flats or very low heel boots. Some young women wear Ugg-style boots or 80's-inspired moon boots, some with little pointy heals to teeter on. There is really only one kind of high-heel shoe for women that is in fashion here, and it has nothing in common with the heeled boots I brought!
I also probably didn't need to bring as much make-up as I did. I have quite a collection of lipsticks and eye shadows, and although I discarded a bunch of colours in anticipation of the move, now that I'm here, I wish I'd left behind more of my lipsticks to make room for more clothes, because I hardly have any clothes now. I have exactly one ensemble that I can jog in, for instance, which is not handy.
Things that I am very glad I brought with me are, #1, the new 'Luke Skywalker boots' that I bought at the tail-end of our Canadian winter, because they are both in season and in fashion here, and allow me to walk the streets virtually undetected as a tourist. I am also glad that I brought my black knit beret, because it gets drizzly here when there's a wind from the south (pole, that is), which is pretty often. The thing is, umbrellas aren't used by the natives, nobody favours them. Maybe that's because the high winds just turn them inside-out and then you feel like a fool holding one. We were told flat-out by our Weta Relocation Coordinator that woolen hats are the preferred apparel for protecting one's head from rain, and umbrellas are only used by tourists. So I needn't have packed our two umbrellas, but oh, well. Umbrellas are always a tough call, aren't they?
Now that we have been here two-and-a-half weeks, I can tell you that we feel the the lack of very few items that we had to leave behind.
A bathrobe is a handy thing for preserving one's modesty in a home with a curtainless window along the bedroom-bathroom corridor. But, we don't have robes, so we've had to improvise. When it comes to passing in front of said window, I favour the crouching tiger move; Kevin, the hidden dragon. Exercising these moves is much cheaper and more thrilling than purchasing new robes.
The other thing that I initially felt the lack of was my running shoes, because I was inspired to start running again by this place, where the populace is fit, and many people walk, jog and cycle right in front of our house. My runners were old and deflated, though, and I was right not to lug them all the way here, because it gave me an excuse to go out and buy a much-needed new pair!
I'm sad that some of my favourite music didn't get ripped onto the mac mini before we left. I have no Tragically Hip, no Cinematic Orchestra, no Paul Weller. I have most of my collection here, just not those favourites.
Conversely, there are very few things that we lugged with us in vain. I really didn't need to bring my ankle-length, black, high-heel winter boots, because they aren't in style here at all. Most of the fashionable people wear comfort flats or very low heel boots. Some young women wear Ugg-style boots or 80's-inspired moon boots, some with little pointy heals to teeter on. There is really only one kind of high-heel shoe for women that is in fashion here, and it has nothing in common with the heeled boots I brought!
I also probably didn't need to bring as much make-up as I did. I have quite a collection of lipsticks and eye shadows, and although I discarded a bunch of colours in anticipation of the move, now that I'm here, I wish I'd left behind more of my lipsticks to make room for more clothes, because I hardly have any clothes now. I have exactly one ensemble that I can jog in, for instance, which is not handy.
Things that I am very glad I brought with me are, #1, the new 'Luke Skywalker boots' that I bought at the tail-end of our Canadian winter, because they are both in season and in fashion here, and allow me to walk the streets virtually undetected as a tourist. I am also glad that I brought my black knit beret, because it gets drizzly here when there's a wind from the south (pole, that is), which is pretty often. The thing is, umbrellas aren't used by the natives, nobody favours them. Maybe that's because the high winds just turn them inside-out and then you feel like a fool holding one. We were told flat-out by our Weta Relocation Coordinator that woolen hats are the preferred apparel for protecting one's head from rain, and umbrellas are only used by tourists. So I needn't have packed our two umbrellas, but oh, well. Umbrellas are always a tough call, aren't they?
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Small Done Right
Did I mention that Wellington is comfortably small? When we were downtown, lodging at the bayside hotel Weta provided for us, it took only a few days of walking around to realize that the city centre, though large enough to have a few different districts with their own look and feel, is really quite a manageable size. It's hard to get lost downtown, and it takes only fifteen minutes to wend your way along the coast to the reach the nearest suburbs. Considering that parts of downtown Wellington look and feel every bit as cosmopolitan as downtown Toronto, a city easily fifty times larger, Wellington has a lot to offer! And it exudes less of what I think of as the competitive energy of populous cities like Toronto and New York (don't get me wrong: I love Toronto and New York, but you know what I'm talking about). It has a quaintness that cities like Boston and New Orleans share. It's clean, comfortable, and well-appointed like Ottawa, yet subtly foreign and exotic. We really love this combination!
In terms of area, Windsor's downtown is of course much, much smaller than Wellington's, but the entire city of Windsor is probably more sprawling than Wellington, which has houses tightly packed together on its suburban slopes.
Marilyn, our Relocation Manager from Weta, in comparing Wellington to Auckland, described Auckland as being sprawling and tacky, smaller but similar to Sydney, Australia. "Auckland is a smaller version of Sydney, which is a smaller version of L.A. Wellington is a smaller version of Brisbane, which is comparable in North America to San Franscisco; it has a heart," she told us. She is a deeply proud Wellingtonian, and so she should be.
The outlying suburbs of Wellington are also handily compact. We live on the Miramar Peninsula, which -- judging from the map -- seems to make-up roughly one-fifth of the entire greater Wellington area. I found out just how tiny and narrow the peninsual is after walking around 'my' neighbourhood a few times. Starting out on the east coast (Worser Bay) and cutting across the peninsula on foot to the west coast (Evans Bay) over the hilly middle part of the peninsula via zigzaging pedestrian 'streets,' I found myself overlooking the tiny Wellington International Airport on the other side after only twenty minutes of walking! I really love this about Wellington; it offers itself up to you. It doesn't demand that you schlep your ass over long distances to get somewhere different.
In terms of area, Windsor's downtown is of course much, much smaller than Wellington's, but the entire city of Windsor is probably more sprawling than Wellington, which has houses tightly packed together on its suburban slopes.
Marilyn, our Relocation Manager from Weta, in comparing Wellington to Auckland, described Auckland as being sprawling and tacky, smaller but similar to Sydney, Australia. "Auckland is a smaller version of Sydney, which is a smaller version of L.A. Wellington is a smaller version of Brisbane, which is comparable in North America to San Franscisco; it has a heart," she told us. She is a deeply proud Wellingtonian, and so she should be.
The outlying suburbs of Wellington are also handily compact. We live on the Miramar Peninsula, which -- judging from the map -- seems to make-up roughly one-fifth of the entire greater Wellington area. I found out just how tiny and narrow the peninsual is after walking around 'my' neighbourhood a few times. Starting out on the east coast (Worser Bay) and cutting across the peninsula on foot to the west coast (Evans Bay) over the hilly middle part of the peninsula via zigzaging pedestrian 'streets,' I found myself overlooking the tiny Wellington International Airport on the other side after only twenty minutes of walking! I really love this about Wellington; it offers itself up to you. It doesn't demand that you schlep your ass over long distances to get somewhere different.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Observation: Coffee
Wellintonians like strong coffee! Don't know if the rest of NZ shares that, but you cannot get coffee that isn't made from espresso grind. Our hotel room has both an espresso machine and a French coffee press (Bodum), and that seems to reflect the cultural taste for strong coffee. Some of the homeware stores sell American-style coffee makers, but espresso machines and presses far outnumber them. And yes, espresso machines are expensive here, too!
WETA serves only espresso to its employees and guests. When Kevin and I sat down with the Relocation Manager, we were offered short or tall coffees - espresso served in espresso cups. And Kevin tells me that in his office, in the so-called "Record Press" building (WETA is comprised of several different buildings), there is a row of espresso machines available for employees to make their own individual coffees, with no other types of coffee-maker in sight.
I can't do espresso everyday. I used to drink it occasionally back home, but it makes my veins crawl here. So, I'm no longer a coffee drinker, which is probably just as well. Kevin, on the other hand, is drinking his three-cups-a-day in stride, and loving it!
WETA serves only espresso to its employees and guests. When Kevin and I sat down with the Relocation Manager, we were offered short or tall coffees - espresso served in espresso cups. And Kevin tells me that in his office, in the so-called "Record Press" building (WETA is comprised of several different buildings), there is a row of espresso machines available for employees to make their own individual coffees, with no other types of coffee-maker in sight.
I can't do espresso everyday. I used to drink it occasionally back home, but it makes my veins crawl here. So, I'm no longer a coffee drinker, which is probably just as well. Kevin, on the other hand, is drinking his three-cups-a-day in stride, and loving it!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Thursday and Friday
We will have been in NZ for one week tomorrow, so it really hasn't been that long, but it feels longer. So many changes! Almost everything has changed for us: our geographical location, culture, socio-economic status, and social circle.
We touched down in Wellington Thursday afternoon and were driven to our hotel by a young employee from WETA named Matty. Too keyed-up to go to sleep right away, we walked around downtown Wellington and discovered Cuba Street, snapped some photos, posted them on Facebook, and then crashed. Kevin crashed at like 3:30 in the afternoon! I think I went to bed at 7:00.
[I haven't had any jet-lag. Hooray for me! Kevin is a different story.]
On Friday Matty picked-us up in our rental car, along with another WETA newbie from Australia named Michael who is also staying at this hotel. Matty drove us all to a bank to get our bank accounts set-up. Then we were taken to WETA to meet with Alicia, who was our first contact with WETA's HR department even before we arrived. She told Kevin how to invoice for his hours so he could get paid, laid out our options for obtaining a car, explained things to do with taxation and medical coverage in case of an injury and a few other important things.
After Alicia was done with us, Matty led us out to the parking lot and basically put Kevin in front of the wheel of our rental car with no preamble and told him to drive the three of us back to our hotel! Keep in mind that cars drive on the left here, traffic flows quickly, and round-abouts are typically used instead of intersections! Imagine it. Kevin had to drive us back to our hotel, along a very twisty coastal route, during peak traffic, with Matty giving him directions and saying things like "keep left," "look right," "watch your speed," "watch out for cars backing out."
I was sitting in the back seat on the left side, behind Matty, and I was holding my breath and clutching the arm rest the entire time, overwhelmed and fearful as a completely unfamiliar landscape whizzed before and all around us. Kevin deserves all the credit in the world for not crashing us, and not freaking out! When we arrived back at the hotel, Matty told Kevin to drive right back to WETA, so that he would know how to drive there himself on Monday. That car ride was just as scary! But nothing can compare to the sheer terror of what came next: Kevin driving me back to the hotel without Matty in the car to help give him directions! Our lives were literally in Kevin's hands, and we both knew it. Oh my god, I have never experienced that much terror from an actual ("real") danger in my life! But Kevin managed to get us back to the hotel in one piece. To say that he was my hero that day is no exxaggeration; that's certainly how I felt when we pulled into the hotel parking garage undamaged. I practically cried with relief from the tension. We were both overwhelmed with relief, and wrung-out, and exhilerated all at the same time! It was a complete head trip, as well as being an actual ride. Even just recalling it raises my blood pressure!
I'll stop here for now. There's plenty more where that came from, but Kevin should be home soon, so I'll pick this up later!
We touched down in Wellington Thursday afternoon and were driven to our hotel by a young employee from WETA named Matty. Too keyed-up to go to sleep right away, we walked around downtown Wellington and discovered Cuba Street, snapped some photos, posted them on Facebook, and then crashed. Kevin crashed at like 3:30 in the afternoon! I think I went to bed at 7:00.
[I haven't had any jet-lag. Hooray for me! Kevin is a different story.]
On Friday Matty picked-us up in our rental car, along with another WETA newbie from Australia named Michael who is also staying at this hotel. Matty drove us all to a bank to get our bank accounts set-up. Then we were taken to WETA to meet with Alicia, who was our first contact with WETA's HR department even before we arrived. She told Kevin how to invoice for his hours so he could get paid, laid out our options for obtaining a car, explained things to do with taxation and medical coverage in case of an injury and a few other important things.
After Alicia was done with us, Matty led us out to the parking lot and basically put Kevin in front of the wheel of our rental car with no preamble and told him to drive the three of us back to our hotel! Keep in mind that cars drive on the left here, traffic flows quickly, and round-abouts are typically used instead of intersections! Imagine it. Kevin had to drive us back to our hotel, along a very twisty coastal route, during peak traffic, with Matty giving him directions and saying things like "keep left," "look right," "watch your speed," "watch out for cars backing out."
I was sitting in the back seat on the left side, behind Matty, and I was holding my breath and clutching the arm rest the entire time, overwhelmed and fearful as a completely unfamiliar landscape whizzed before and all around us. Kevin deserves all the credit in the world for not crashing us, and not freaking out! When we arrived back at the hotel, Matty told Kevin to drive right back to WETA, so that he would know how to drive there himself on Monday. That car ride was just as scary! But nothing can compare to the sheer terror of what came next: Kevin driving me back to the hotel without Matty in the car to help give him directions! Our lives were literally in Kevin's hands, and we both knew it. Oh my god, I have never experienced that much terror from an actual ("real") danger in my life! But Kevin managed to get us back to the hotel in one piece. To say that he was my hero that day is no exxaggeration; that's certainly how I felt when we pulled into the hotel parking garage undamaged. I practically cried with relief from the tension. We were both overwhelmed with relief, and wrung-out, and exhilerated all at the same time! It was a complete head trip, as well as being an actual ride. Even just recalling it raises my blood pressure!
I'll stop here for now. There's plenty more where that came from, but Kevin should be home soon, so I'll pick this up later!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)