kiwi-a-go-go

Something ticked off my bucket list....

2011-02-18T19:50:00.009+13:00

In the summer of 1987, I went to the Oregon State Fair with my girlfriends Emily and Jen. It was a few months after getting my driver's license and I was the only newly licensed 16 year old that was allowed to drive up the I-5 corridor to Salem just 40 minutes away. The Oregon State Fair is your typical State Fair complete with farm animals, homemade jam and canned goods, amateur arts and crafts, cotton candy, elephant ears and rides that make you barf. While it seems like the State Fair mostly draws country bands these days, back then there were lots of cool acts like John Denver, REO Speedwagon and Pat Benetar. For some odd reason, in the summer of 1987, a little band with New Zealand and Australian origins called Crowded House was performing for free. It was during the time that you could not turn on the radio without hearing this:

I had heard the song and liked it and thought, great! Let's check them out! So, Jen, Emily and I ended up in the 3rd row of the amphitheater. Neil Finn (a New Zealander by birth), Nick Seymour and Paul Hester (Aussies by birth) came out on stage in these ornate costumes:

And it was 95 degrees out. So, after a few witty exchanges with each other in their New Zealand and Australian accents and deciding they were over dressed for the weather, they stripped down to their boxer shorts and started to play their set. And I became a die hard Crowded House and Neil Finn fan from that moment on.

Now, it wasn't the boxer shorts that won me over so quickly but surely it showed how goofy and fun the band was. They loved to joke with each other on stage and had the whole crowd laughing. This is one of the special things about Crowded House and Neil as any fan will tell you. This proved to be true for every one of their tours I have seen over the years. One notable conversation on stage had them talking about playing tennis with their penises (Temple of Low Men Tour, Starry Night Club in Portland, Oregon, 1989).

And then there is his voice. THAT VOICE!!! Neil's voice is like an arrow straight to my heart. I love his voice. Just have a listen:

And though his lyrics are often quirky, I think they are brilliant, poignant, whimsical....poetic. Sigh.... Can you tell that I am in love?

I have seen Crowded House at the (now non-existent) Fox Theater in Portland and the Warfield in San Francisco in 1992 (Woodface tour), the Roseland Theater in Portland in 1994 (Together Alone tour though without Paul who had left the tour by then). Most recently I saw them at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland in 2007 (Time on Earth Tour), sadly minus Paul Hester who committed suicide in 2005 but with the bright addition of Matt Sherrod on drums. I have also seen Neil on his solo gigs (Try Whistling This and One All) at the Roseland in Portland in 1998 and 2002 and The Finn Brothers (Everyone is Here ) at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland in 2004. Crowded House released their album Intriguer last year, not too long after our arrival in New Zealand, which meant that I had to lament missing them at the Edgefield in Portland last August.

If I were to make a "bucket list", one of the top things I would have on that list is living abroad- Tick! Another thing that would be on the list is to see Crowded House or Neil Finn in concert in New Zealand.

And that is exactly what I am going to do this Sunday! Tick!

Better late than never....

2011-02-13T09:47:00.013+13:00

The one year anniversary of our move to New Zealand was about 5 months ago but we have a few good excuses for not having written a post to mark the occasion. Let’s see, there was that 7.1 magnitude earthquake on September 4th which halted life as we know it in Christchurch and a month long visit from Grammy and Papa Two. Then there was a move to a new house and...well, things settled down after that minus the 4000+ aftershocks that we have had, including some recent 4.9-5.1 magnitude shakes. M finished her first year of school, celebrated her 6th birthday and my mom came for a month long visit. W just celebrated his 3rd birthday and now my sister is here for a quick visit.

So, how do you sum up a year of living in a new country, one that is half way around the world and sitting in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? I shall give it a try....

New Zealand is a beautiful country and Christchurch is perfectly situated for exploring the South Island. We love the close proximity to so many different landscapes and activities. We can drive 5 1/2 hours and be in Golden Bay or drive an hour or so and we are in beautiful Akaroa. We have loved driving south to see the penguins in Oamaru or the Albatross on the Otago Peninsula and west to see the Kea in Arthur’s Pass. Mt Cook and the Mackenzie country is a recent favorite trip. We have had many wonderful adventures and have seen a good portion of the South Island. The beauty here is unparalleled.

We like the people here. We have made new friends, both Kiwis and ex-pats and we enjoy our time with them. We have learned about rugby and cricket. We enjoy the taste of Manuka Honey and New Zealand wines. I love working in the midwifery friendly health care system and we love and are thankful for having universal health care at a time when so many of our friends are struggling with this back in the States. We love the kid-friendly nature of New Zealand including the 20 hours of subsidized preschool that W is now eligible for. We love that our kids are both starting to speak with a kiwi accent. We love that we cook more and eat out less and that we have most of our evenings and weekends together at home. We love that the news anchors can wear hideous fashion (Rachel Smalley from TV3 anyone?) and utter the word “dickhead” on the news without blinking an eye even at 6:30 in the evening.

The culture here is not unlike the culture we were accustomed to in Portland. There are a lot of outdoorsy people and there is generally a laid back sensibility to the people here. The community has a lively arts scene and there is a push to be “green.”

We don’t miss American Politics...not one bit. Sarah Palin in 2012 gives us the heebie jeebies. We are tired of the right wing being the party of “no” and of corporations wielding so much power. We are sad to see that our country of origin seems to be on the decline in so many ways. We find that many of our friends are struggling back in the US- with job security, health care, debt, worries about the future that will exist for our children.

All in all, it is nice to be living outside the US. New Zealand is a wonderful country and a nice place to live.

But it is not perfect.

We certainly didn’t expect it to be and we knew about many of its quirks before we came by virtue of our research. The housing, in general, is crap- many houses are uninsulated with single paned windows and no central heating. Damp, cold houses are the norm unless you can afford a new house. The housing market in Christchurch is loaded with overpriced houses- I can’t believe what they are asking for some really, really shitty houses (not that it doesn’t happen in the US too but I digress....) The wages are not so great and given that the cost of living is higher here (petrol, power, food, goods), this is a struggle especially now that we are a one income family. Financially, it would help if the American dollar was a little stronger but with the NZ dollar sitting comfortably around an all-time high against the US dollar, we just have to chalk it up to bad timing and bad luck.

We have most of the comforts of home here in New Zealand though I do miss central heating and a proper washer and dryer and the ease of finding goods and services when you want or need them. We can mostly eat the way we are used to here (minus eating organic which is just too expensive on my salary) and we enjoy our trips to the farmer’s markets and the abundance of fresh fish and free range eggs. But I do miss Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, Oregon microbrews, New Seasons and Trader Joe’s, authentic Mexican food, reasonably priced organic food and New York style pizza.

But ultimately, for me, it is missing family and friends that gets to me the most. While none of the stuff I have mentioned is a deal breaker for living here indefinitely, the distance from family and friends is likely that deal breaker. The death of my father early into our stay didn’t help matters. My mom is getting older and I want her to be able to enjoy her grandchildren more often than once a year. Mike’s folks are also being deprived of their grandkids. I miss my sister and brother. I miss seeing my wonderful friends (sisters!) and their kids. Having such deep roots in Oregon and lifelong friendships makes it hard to truly settle in here in New Zealand.

A co-worker who is from the UK and I talked for a long time about how much we both miss family and friends. She said that she felt like she had had her "me" time in the past and that they had moved to NZ to give their kids a better life than they could give them in the UK. So even though she misses her family and friends enough to want to move back, she feels that being here is about giving her kids all that they deserve even if it means sacrificing her strong ties to the UK.

This does give me pause. I do worry about the path the US is taking and wonder if it is a good place to raise our children. There are clearly things here in NZ that are far better than the States- the universal health care, the schooling (at least in the primary years), funding for social services and the safety net that keeps a society healthy. Yet, I also believe that it is family and friends who sustain us and that they are what really matters in life. And therefore, the absence of family and friends is probably too great a sacrifice for me and ultimately, for our family.

There are no decisions to be made yet and for now, we continue to enjoy our time here. We will just have to see what the future holds for us.

Now for Mike's perspective in part deux.... coming soon....

We are lame....

2011-02-04T21:48:00.003+13:00

Yes, it is true. We have been pretty bad about keeping up with our blog lately. There was that little earthquake we had back in September, a visit from Mike's folks, a move to a new rental, finishing up Miss M's first year of school and soon after that, consecutive visits from my mom and from my sister. Phew. We have been busy. In the meantime, our "one year anniversary" post seems to have never happened. And here we are, almost at our year and a half anniversary.

However, I am working on this elusive post and we will also plan on posting some pictures and stories from our travels with my mom, sister and our friends (who arrive in 2 weeks).

A belated happy new year to you and yours....

The Meeting of the Bloggers

2010-10-24T11:13:00.004+13:00

It is a very small world.

Before we moved to New Zealand, we did heaps of research including reading internet forums where ex-pats discussed the finer details of moving to New Zealand. We also read a handful of blogs, mostly by UK ex-pats to get an even more personal perpective on settling here. This fast became one of my favorite blogs for many reasons- Lindsay is a fantastic writer (and she makes me laugh!) and it was also one of the few American ex-pat blogs that I could find. And she is really good at keeping up with her blog (unlike me!).

Flash forward to April this year. I was teaching a class and I met an American woman who looked kinda familiar to me. Turns out it was Lindsay. I told her "I read your blog!" and I rattled off some details of some of her more recent posts. And she said "That's creepy.....".

Anyway, we have since met Gareth and Mr Quinn and have gotten to spend some time together over the last few months. Here are some pictures of a recent outing:

P.S. One of these days we will get around to writing our 1 year anniversary post. We have just moved house and are settling in so for now, this will have to do.

Aftershock count....

2010-09-25T21:05:00.003+12:00

....is one thousand sixty. In fact, we just had a 3.8, 4.1 and 4.0 in a span of 15 minutes. Ah for f%$#'s sake. ENOUGH!!!!!!!

You can read an interesting article about our fair city's plight here and here (click on Earthquake Analysis by John Holdaway) who highlights these interesting bits and pieces:

The longest period without a quake was 12 hours and 24 minutes on Tuesday evening (Sept 21st).
Cantabrians have been shaken every 29 minutes and 10 seconds, on average, since the September 4 quake.
Since the initial 7.1 quake over two weeks ago, we have never gone more than 80 hours without an aftershock of magnitude 4.3 or above. So it can still be predicted with a reasonable degree of confidence that we should continue to get at least one large (magnitude 4.3+) aftershock every 2-3 days for the next 1-2 weeks. It’s not unlikely that one or two of those large aftershocks may be of magnitude 5.0-5.5. Magnitude 6+ quakes are much less likely to occur, and are becoming progressively less likely as time goes on.
It appears that there is a discrepancy in the amount of energy released since the main Canterbury quake in comparison to other recent quakes of similar magnitude around the world (ie. Haiti, Baja), which suggests the possibility that several strong aftershocks may still be yet to come.

Why do I read this stuff?

Oy!

Christchurch Earthquake - New faultline formed - aerial flyover

2010-09-08T21:30:00.000+12:00

Aftershocks and more aftershocks and

2010-09-08T20:38:00.003+12:00

..... very frazzled nerves.

We are really and truly done with these rumbles and jumbles. There have been 270 aftershocks so far. Most have been between magnitude 3 and 4.9 with a few over 5.0. I feel as though I have just gotten off a long boat ride on the ocean but I feel that way 24 hours a day. Everything seems to be moving or shaking and I am beginning to wonder if I will ever remember the feeling of solid ground under my feet. To give you an idea of just how many frequent and strong shakes we have had, click here.

I was at work when a 5.1 magnitude aftershock hit at 7:49 am. This aftershock was very shallow and quite close to the city which made it feel a lot stronger. I was on the fifth floor of the hospital and ran for the doorframe while other staff hunkered under the desks. It didn't last long but it was a big enough jolt to cut power for a few seconds and to startle all of the mothers (and a few babies) on the floor. Breakfast was about to be served with no way to get the trays up from the ground floor since the elevators (lifts) were knocked out during the aftershock. So a posse of staff lugged the trays up the stairs and we delivered the new mothers their morning meal. Everyone was in a daze after this. Some staff were on the verge of tears and others were in tears. One co-worker headed home to be with her family- it was just too much for her to bear. I called Mike and heard the kids playing in the background, completely unphased by the last shock. These kids really are resilient and this made me feel a bit better about being away for the day.

Christchurch has never been seen as a big risk for a large earthquake. There is the Alpine Fault which runs along the spine of the South Island and is quite active. There are also the Porters Pass fault and the Hope fault which are a good distance from Christchurch. However, get this:
"The fault that ruptured the surface of Canterbury paddocks and produced the magnitude 7.1 earthquake has been quiet for at least 16,000 years. Underground, it split alluvial terraces deposited about 16,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age. "

Are you effing kidding me? How unlucky are we to have been part of an event that hasn't happened for 16,000 years?!

Now before the Wellingtonians and other North Island folks get all uppity about how they escaped a big earthquake, it might be worth taking note of this:
"In 1929 there occurred, in west Canterbury, a magnitude 7 earthquake which turned out to be the first of a series of seven major, magnitude greater than 7, earthquakes over the next 13 years. The series included the second and third largest earthquakes in European times.... It is improbable that this occurrence of such large earthquakes in rapid succession was coincidental. There is no reason to think that such a series could not happen again."

Meanwhile, I sit here and just felt another jolt....and another....and another. Heart is a racing but I am hoping I can get some sleep tonight.

Quaking in our boots....

2010-09-06T15:21:00.008+12:00

As most of you know, we experienced a big earthquake (7.1) here in Christchurch on Saturday morning at 4:35 am. Mike and I were fast asleep when we both were jolted from bed by rumbling and violent shaking. Off flew Mike to Mr W's room where he could barely stand up and where he found W's crib floating around the room with W inside and him asking "what's happening?". Meanwhile, I had raced to Miss M's room where she was fast asleep. I lifted her out of bed and went to the doorframe in her room and she woke up a few seconds later and asked "what is going on? Why are we sitting here?" I let out an uncontrollable "yelp" as panic coursed through my veins. I could hear things crashing in the kitchen and figured there would be dishes and glasses all over the floor. The shaking subsided and Mike came running out into the hallway with W and said "Get out of the house and into the car NOW!!!!". Off we went to the car, the kids with half glazed over looks on their faces and two parents high on adrenaline. I moved the car away from the house and thought about the aftershocks to come. Meanwhile, Mike went in the house to grab water, blankets, a flashlight, our cell phones, coats and hats (and a few "stuffies" for the kids). He shut off the gas to our fireplace and surveyed the house which seemed to be intact. Our good friend across the street came over to check on us but quickly returned to his own freaked out family.

Aftershocks started to rumble through and the car shook. We turned on the radio and heard various people calling in to report their experience of the quake. In classic Kiwi, understated fashion, callers would say "well, that was a wee shake!" or "that was quite a way to wake up this morning!" That gave me a good laugh at a time when I was just trying to hold my emotions together. A few neighbors were roaming the streets, checking in on people and making sure everyone was okay. After an hour or so and the announcement that it was indeed a big earthquake (7.4 was the first estimate), we decided to head inside and try and get some sleep. We piled into our double bed and everyone fell asleep except me. A few more rumbles shook our house and bed. A friend called at around 7:15am to check in on us and then we were all up. The whole neighborhood seemed to be out on the streets, walking in a daze, surveying the damage and just trying to come to grips with the big event of the morning.

It seems that many people in our neighborhood lost chimneys and fences.

One street over from us, there was evidence of liquefaction and many houses with damage.

We heard bubbling liquid sounds coming from our backyard which was a bit unnerving.

But all in all, we were fine. We even had a bit of a picnic with our neighbors. We built a fire and had a cuppa while we felt aftershocks roll through.

We haven't slept much the last two nights. The aftershocks keep coming quite frequently, ranging from 3.5-5.0 on the Richter scale. We are easily over the 100 mark with aftershocks (but who is counting!). We can hear them approaching, much like the sound of being at the bowling alley and releasing the ball down the lane. When the shock hits the house, it is like the bowling ball hitting the pins. Freaky.

Meanwhile, Mike's folks have arrived from the States (how is that for timing!), the schools are shut down until at least Wednesday and the central business district of the city is in shambles. Quite the way to mark our year anniversary of living in New Zealand. We will write more about that later, once the dust settles a bit.

P.S. For another perspective on the quake, check out our friend's blog. We are glad they are okay too.

P.P.S. Just felt another jolt while I was finishing up this post.

Winter, Shminter

2010-08-01T15:39:00.005+12:00

It's been a wee while since I've posted. Chalk it up to a case of the winter doldrums. Miss M is plugging away at school as is Master W. Work is good. Mike is busy at work on some prints of New Zealand birds, his first prints in a long time. Here is a preview of his fine work:

We haven't done any fun trips of late. Mike's folks arrive in about 5 weeks so we are saving up our adventurous side for their imminent visit. For now, we will share a few more photos with you.

Nude Rugby

2010-06-23T07:09:00.007+12:00

"Tackles were hard, but no player soft, as both sides went balls out to claim a victory."

Only in New Zealand.

All I can say is "ouch"! But I would have loved to have been there on the sidelines gazing at the dangly bits and pieces and laughing my ass off. Enjoy!

Tunnel Track

2010-06-19T20:00:00.004+12:00

A 20 degree day (68 degrees for those of you who are Celsius impaired) on the eve of the Solstice allowed us a hike on the Tunnel Track at Godley Head. Miss M brought along Larry the Lobster and her torch for her treacherous, muddy journey down through the tunnel.

New Zealand germs

2010-06-15T12:14:00.004+12:00

Okay, New Zealand. I have a bit of a bone to pick with you.

What gives with the germs? The snotty, mucus-inducing ones? The coughing, wheezy ones? The stomach cramping and puking ones? The achy, feverish ones?

Out, out with you!!!!

Evidently, this is a common ex-pat phenomenon, these unrelenting new kiwi germs that seem to take up shop in the bodies of new immigrants.

But really, I have to say, we have had our share of these germs over the last 3 months. And we are done with them, thank you. Time for them to move along....

Geek moment

2010-06-07T22:11:00.001+12:00

Did you know that this guy

played an elf (named "Figwit") in Lord of the Rings?

Geek moment over. You may now return to your regularly scheduled programming.

Laundry revisited

2010-05-28T16:15:00.002+12:00

Laundry drying on the line. How beautiful it is! The vibrant colors! How it blows gently in the wind! How eco-friendly to be using the sun instead of a tumble dryer which eats up energy and creates waste! And the divine smell of the sun permeating from your clothes! It is all so romantic isn't it?

A few weeks after our arrival in New Zealand, I mentioned that I was still ambivalent about the lack of a tumble dryer but that I was endeavoring to be positive and give it a go.

Yeah, well, the ambivalence is gone now. I really, really miss my tumble dryer and think that line-drying laundry kinda...well,er, um........ TOTALLY SUCKS.

Consider the weather we are having right now.

Drying laundry for a family of 4 (with two of those people being small children who have multiple changes of clothes) inside on a drying rack is a challenge. And consider the fact that houses in NZ tend to be on the colder side with no central heating which means it can take a couple of days to dry and we get heaps of condensation on our single paned windows. And the laundry smells a bit musty and it tends to be wrinkly and has a "crunchy" texture to it which I am not fond of.

We do have a dryer in our rental but a) it is quite ancient and not terribly good at its job and b) electricity is astronomically expensive here so I am loathe to use it much. However, the last few miserable, rainy, stormy, cold days have driven me to use the dryer a bit despite its limitations and despite our looming electric bill. The towels felt so soft and fluffy which only made me long for my old energy wasting, unaesthetic and purely American laundry facilities even more.

So much for being eco-friendly and PC. I want my tumble dryer!!!!!

Giddy...

2010-05-16T14:10:00.001+12:00

for the new Crowded House album and the prospect of seeing them live here in New Zealand.

Crowded House - Saturday Sun from Crowded House on Vimeo.

Maori culture in everyday life

2010-04-30T13:36:00.000+12:00

Every other week, Miss M's school has an open assembly where they sing and present awards to students for good behaviour, learning and sport accomplishments and other noteworthy deeds. The assembly is always started off with singing the New Zealand national anthem. It is first sung in Maori and then in English (and by a few, in NZ sign language). These are the 3 official languages of New Zealand (Aotearoa). Here is the first verse to the anthem:

Māori Version

E Ihowā Atua,
O ngā iwi mātou rā
Āta whakarangona;
Me aroha noa
Kia hua ko te pai;
Kia tau tō atawhai;
Manaakitia mai
Aotearoa

English Version

God of Nations at Thy feet,
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our free land.
Guard Pacific's triple star
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand.

This isn't the best video so skip it if you like. You can see one of the teachers and some of the children doing the sign language version of the anthem which is cool:

Miss M got a "Principal's Award" today for "excellent story writing" and so she was presented with a special sparkly pencil:

Miss M doesn't watch a whole lot of TV but some days after school we will let her turn it on to watch cartoons. Lately, though, I find her clicking through the channels to find the Maori channel (yep! There is one!) and she will sit and watch kids programs or a cultural program in Maori and she is just utterly fascinated.

She continues to learn some Maori at school and I hear her singing songs in Maori at home. How cool is that?

Sea lions, Albatross and Oystercatchers, oh my! Otago Peninsula Part Tres

2010-04-26T20:39:00.000+12:00

And a few more of the greatest hits of our weekend:

This is a Hooker's Sea Lion at Sandfly Bay. We kept our distance though I think Mr. W was ready to run up and hug him:

And the piece de resistance, the Royal Albatross. This guy (or gal) flew about 20 feet over our heads. There were also numerous Spotted Shags (cormorants) and some Royal Spoonbills on this cliff- a birder's delight!
The Royal Albatross Center was well-done and I spent a lot of time reading the interpretive signs to Miss M, who after hearing about these magnificent birds, decided to donate one of her gold coins to the center.

Castles, Toy trains and Epic Views, oh my! Otago Peninsula Trip Part Deux

2010-04-26T20:24:00.000+12:00

Our little cabin was on a working farm so we awoke to roosters cock-a-doodle-dooing and sheep baaing each morning. There was also a mini train that the kids got to ride on (and Mike had to push):

We visited a castle, Larnach Castle to be exact:

We frolicked in the gardens and had incredible views of the peninsula:

Oamaru, Moeraki and Dunedin, oh my! Otago Peninsula Trip Part 1

2010-04-26T19:54:00.000+12:00

We had a fabulous trip down the east coast to Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula a few weekends ago. I would have to say it ranks as one of our best trips so far. First stop: Oamaru and Moeraki where we saw the Moeraki boulders (above). These boulders are perfectly round and mostly smooth and really are a freak show. Some were cracked open and had mini-tide pools in them. They are beautiful really and, as the link above describes, are quite special to the Maori people.

Oamaru is home to some yellow-eyed penguins:

We saw about 10 or so float in on the waves and waddle up the beach and disappear into the "bush". Fascinating little critters and to think, this is one of the only places in the world where you can see these penguins, unless you happen to visit some of the sub-antarctic islands. They are endangered due to the destruction of their habitat by humans.

Then on to Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula. We stayed at a lovely little cabin that overlooked the harbor.

It is starting to happen....

2010-03-26T21:13:00.000+13:00

A New Zealand accent.

Miss M has been at school full-time for about 2 months now and in the last few days, Mike and I have noticed her saying certain words with a kiwi twang. "No" is the most noticeable and is pronounced "nu-oh". An inflection at the end of a sentence, as if a question mark has been placed there instead of a period (or a"full-stop" as they call them here), is typical of the kiwi speech cadence and we notice her doing that as well.

Soon we will hear her saying "yes" as "yiss" and "ten " as "tin". Then we will really be convinced she is turning into a kiwi. But for now, here is a glimpse of what is to come with her budding kiwi accent:

How to Speak New Zulander
(for bist effict, rid these out aloud)

Peck - to fill a suitcase
pissed aside - chemical which kills insects
pug - large pink animal with a curly tail
min- male of the species
mess kara - eye makeup
mcKennock - person who fixes cars
Mere - Mayor
leather - foam produced from soap
lift - departed
kittle crusps - potato chips
guess - vapour
fush - marine creature
fear hear - blonde
ear - mix of nitrogen and oxygen
duffy cult - not easy
amejen - visualise
chuck - very young poultry
bug hut - popular recording
bun button - been bitten by insect
sucks peck - half a dozen beers
Ear New Zulland - an extinct airline
one doze - well known computer program
brudge - structure spanning a stream
sex - one less then seven or "sivven"
tin - one more then nine
cuds - children
cuttin - baby cat
sivven sucks sivven - large Boeing aircraft
sivven four sivven - larger Boeing aircraft
earplane - large flying marchine
beggage chucken - place to leave your suitcase at the earport

And a wee video:

Late Summer hike at Godley Head

2010-03-19T15:04:00.001+13:00

South Pacific Sky

2010-03-03T19:54:00.000+13:00

Shopping, crying over spilt hot chocolate and the kindness of Kiwis.....

2010-02-28T14:09:00.000+13:00

Miss M and I headed out to the store to gather a few things for dinner as we are entertaining an American ex-pat this evening (Hi D!). As is often the case, I had to go on a bit of a wild goose chase to track down one of the ingredients for our salmon entree. You would think that with all of the Asian cuisine here that it would be easy to find some rice vinegar at the store. But alas, no. In the States, you would have your choice of 4 or more varieties of rice vinegar but here in New Zealand, you are lucky to get one option. There is just not the volume of people here to have a wide selection of goods like we do in the States. Of course, this is a good thing on many, many levels but I do get frustrated with the search I have to go on at times. We have a running list of essential items (real peanut butter without added oil or sugar, maple syrup, limes, jalapenos, corn meal, black and pinto beans, etc) and we know exactly what stores carry them and what stores don't (which is most!).

So, anyway, we stopped at another store to look for rice vinegar and voila! Success! Shopping done.....now time for a Starbucks fix (see previous post) at the mall. Crowded House was playing overhead (only in NZ!) while Miss M ordered a kid's hot chocolate with whipped cream and well, you know exactly what I ordered. Miss M and I had just said cheers when she knocked her full cup of hot chocolate down the front of her dress, down her leg, onto her shoes and everywhere else. Many tears and loud crying (shrieking) ensued. Many of the people around us assumed she was burned but it was sheer humiliation in those cries and tears. As I cleaned her up, a woman offered me her wet wipes, another came over and gave me a lolly to give to her, the baristas made a new hot chocolate for her without any prompting (and at no charge!) and a group of Japanese girls were ogling over her cuteness and trying to make her smile.

This incident is a reminder to me just how kid and family friendly this place is. When my kids lose it in public, I never get those nasty, disapproving stares that I used to get in the States. Instead I find people here to be all smiles when it comes to children. And it is very refreshing to experience that....

Notes on Coffee in New Zealand

2010-02-21T15:16:00.000+13:00

Being a bit of a coffee snob, I am naturally quite picky about any coffee that passes my lips. I prefer it to be fair trade, organic and STRONG (so I am a dark roast kinda girl.) In Portland, I was a die-hard Stumptown fan. I start to drool just thinking about smelling the grinding of Stumptown beans and a latte or fresh cuppa made from their magnificent beans.

But I do have to admit....I am a sucker for a Starbucks iced-grande-3 pump chocolate-mocha-with whip.
Now, that said, I do like iced mochas from other places. New Seasons (our local grocery store in Portland) made a mean iced mocha with Dagoba chocolate sauce and Stumptown coffee and I felt good supporting the locals. But I still (guiltily) enjoyed my Starbucks iced mochas on occasion.

So, being in New Zealand, I have learned about Flat Whites (which frankly, are the same as lattes but the kiwis swear there is a difference) and Mochaccinos. And there are a good number of decent organic and fair trade coffee roasters around like Hummingbird Coffee. I have set out to support the locals here, as I did in Oregon, and I have mostly succeeded. We have a number of nice coffee shops just around the corner from our house (Silverbacks and Zeroes are two of my faves) But.....well...now here is where I complain.

Kiwis don't know how to make an iced coffee drink.

An "iced coffee" gets you ice cream blended with instant coffee and ice. Blech! An "iced mocha" gets you ice cream blended with instant coffee and powdered chocolate and ice. Double blech! I mean, let's call it what it is people. It is a milkshake. Having made the mistake of ordering an "iced coffee" here, I have asked for a flat white on ice only to have it reluctantly made and handed to me with quite the puzzled look. When I have ordered my coffee this way, it tastes alright but I find myself yearning for a Starbucks.

Fortunately (?) there are 3 Starbucks in Christchurch where I can indulge in my drink of choice. I only go on occasion and I feel a pang of guilt every time I partake of one. But oh, dear lord, it is a real iced mocha and it lets me forget for a while that the kiwis don't quite have it right with this iced coffee thing.

Almost 6 months in......

2010-02-16T13:59:00.000+13:00

And here is what we think about our life in New Zealand.

Mike: "I like the big fish!"

Miss M: "I like going to school and going on trips!"

Master W: "I like 'cool (school)! And the sheep!"

And for me? Well, I do continue to like it here a lot. Exploring the natural beauty of the South Island, the increased amount of time we spend together as a family compared to our life in Portland, biking to work, the slower pace of life, the new discoveries that we seem to make each passing day, Miss M getting to start school, the kid and family friendly attitude of the kiwis, working in a universal health care system, edibles like afghan cookies, antibiotic-free beef and lamb and the taste of sauvignon blanc and lest I forget, the sheep herd that lives in "our" backyard (which has gotten notably thinner in recent weeks.....but we won't go there....)

But, given the passing of my dad and my quick trip back to Oregon, the reality of how far away we are from our friends and family has really hit home in recent months. We just had a wonderful, fun-filled visit from my mom and saying goodbye to her was torture. In talking with other immigrants, this is always the issue that sends people back "home" after a few months or a few years, though many of these same immigrants report that their overall quality of life is better in New Zealand. I must remind myself daily that the 6 month anniversary is a notoriously hard one for most immigrants and that "home sickness" tends to strike at this time. I can definitely say that this is holding true for me.

When we came here in August, 2009, we said we would be here for at least 2 years, in the hopes of gaining our Indefinite Return Resident Visas, and at that time we will evaluate whether we will stay semi-permanently in NZ or return to Oregon for the next part of our lives. That goal still stands but from where I stand now.....well, we will just have to wait and see what transpires. For now, we will continue to explore this beautiful place and enjoy our time together.

Summer in the city

2010-02-06T15:27:00.001+13:00

Christchurch has come to life in the last 2 months with all kinds of shows, activities, festivals and celebrations. In December, the Christchurch City Council mails out a booklet to all households which outlines the myriad of activities going on in and around the city. So off to the city center we went today where we enjoyed some food cart sausages, arts and crafts markets and some street performers.

Today is also Waitangi Day, a celebration of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi which you can read about here. We happened upon a performance of music and storytelling by a Maori group. They also performed a haka which we can share with you. While W naps, Miss M and Mike are at the neighborhood park enjoying a game of cricket and net ball. We hope you are having a good day too.

More photos

2010-02-05T21:14:00.000+13:00

Endeavoring for a return to normal

2010-02-05T20:45:00.001+13:00

....although frankly, I am not sure what that is anymore. Let's have a little recap of the past 12 months or so, shall we?

Decided to move to New Zealand and began immigration process. Also started looking for jobs. Put house on market (note: it must be mentioned that this was our first house that we fixed up, where we married in the backyard, and where we birthed both of our babies in the dining room). Job interview. Offer on house. Offered job in New Zealand. Packed and moved out of house (bye bye sweet house) and into temporary living quarters. Immigration process completed with an offer of permanent residency. Packed up boxes to send to New Zealand. Quit job of 9 years. Goodbyes to dear friends and family. Fly to New Zealand. Buy car. Travel with loaded car and two weary young children down to the South Island. Start new job in new healthcare system. Find place to live. Move into rental house. Working. Exploring our new home, settling in. Dad has a stroke. Fly back to Oregon after only 3 months in NZ and 10 weeks in my job. Dad dies. Say goodbye again to family and friends. Fly back to NZ. Miss M starts school. Christmas away from family and friends. Mom visits for 3 weeks. Miss M and Mr W both start school.

And breathe.....

Live nude seals

2010-01-28T20:33:00.000+13:00

On our visit to Farewell Spit, we hiked to Wharariki Beach where we encountered a group of seals who put on quite a show. Enjoy!

Our first visitor...

2010-01-28T19:58:00.000+13:00

As most of you know, my mom is here for a visit. We are having a grand time. We have spent time in Kaikoura, Puponga and Farewell Spit, Nelson, and Christchurch. Tomorrow we are off to Hanmer Springs for the weekend. Not much time for writing but we can at least share a few pictures.

Arthur's Pass

2010-01-03T20:26:00.000+13:00

A wonderful day up in the alpine splendour of the Southern Alps helped us ring in the new year of 2010. One of the highlights was our encounters with the world's only alpine parrot. That's right, an alpine parrot. The kea is a big bird and, as they are ubiquitously called in these parts, very cheeky. They will come up to you sipping a latte at a cafe and literally steal the fork off your plate just for a few avian giggles. Beware!! Also, don't leave your windows open too far when you go on your day hike. Upholstery is very susceptible to parrot beaks. The lupine was stunningly in bloom and the Waimakarari River was braided with a fresh melting of snow and a recent nor'wester storm. Nature truly rules in these parts. Also, the waterfall was a wonderful reward for a brief day hike which Miss M. managed with only an incidental bribe of ice cream. Oh, and did we mention that the day started off at 33 degrees Celsius and ended at 15 degrees. All this in the span of about six hours. Never a dull moment....

A Kiwi Christmas....

2009-12-31T20:52:00.000+13:00

Forgive us for being poor bloggers. Per our previous posts, we have had a few curve balls thrown at us- a parent dying and a quick trip back to Oregon for Cara and single parenthood for 3 weeks for me. Cara arrived back on the 11th and went right back to work and we mostly have settled back into "normal" life in Aotearoa.

We managed to scrape by a Christmas spirit of sorts. We bought a live Christmas pine tree from the Anglicans. It really more resembled a Christmas bush or a Charlie Brown tree than the trees we are accustomed to in the land of douglas and noble firs. Our friend R gave us a box of Christmas ornaments which gave the tree some much needed x-mas cred. All in all it had its own special charm.

We played our Crosby, Sinatra and John Denver and the Muppets x-mas music but somehow the snowy, firelight images didn't mesh with 75 degrees and baaing sheep. The kids were thrilled to have some x-mas cheer in the house and enjoyed opening their presents. After all, presents in the Southern Hemisphere are still presents and Santa visited us first, which was cool.

The next day (Boxing Day, a new holiday for us yanks) was spent at the beach in Sumner, building sand castles and watching Will fall into the surf.

It has been a strange, lonely but memorable Christmas for our family. Enjoy the pics...

In memoriam.....

2009-12-03T18:52:00.000+13:00

My father passed away on November 27, 2009 surrounded by his three children. It was a privilege to be by his side and to be present as he passed from this life. I am grateful that I was able to make the trip from New Zealand back to Oregon to be with my family though sad to have to leave Mike and the kids behind.

A dear friend sent me this and I feel compelled to share it here:

When sorrow comes, let us accept it simply, as a part of life. Let the heart be open to pain; let it be stretched by it. All the evidence says that this is the better way. An open heart never grows bitter. Or if it does, it cannot remain so. In the desolate hour, there is an outcry; a clenching of the hands upon emptiness; a burning pain of bereavement; a weary ache of loss. But anguish, like ecstasy, is not forever. There comes a gentleness, a returning quietness, a restoring stillness. This too is a door to life. Here, also, is a deepening of meaning – and it can lead to dedication; a going forward to the triumph of the soul, the conquering of the wilderness. And in the process will come a deepening inward knowledge that, in the final reckoning, all is well.
-A. Powell Davies

Thank you for all of your healing thoughts during this difficult time for our family.

Expect the Unexpected Part II

2009-11-20T12:52:00.000+13:00

As most of you know, my dad suffered a stroke a few days ago. I have been checking in with family every day, chatting via facebook and trying to stay sane being so far away. It is looking like a quick trip home is in order, leaving sometime in the next few weeks. I did not think I would be headed to Oregon so soon after our arrival and under such crappy circumstances. Will keep you posted.

Mike's Big Day Out

2009-11-19T20:31:00.000+13:00

For those who don't already know; I fish. I fly fish to be exact. And also for those of you who don't know, New Zealand has some of the best fly fishing available on the planet. With a population of just over 4 million and a perfect climate for clear, cool trout waters, the country has a gluttony of fishing riches. Trout were introduced from Tasmania in the 1800's and they have flourished. There are no real predators for the fish to worry about and the waters are very clean. So this past weekend, thanks to my very indulging and understanding wife (who also fly fishes), I was able to get a full day out on one of the local Canterbury rivers and was into fish all morning and afternoon. Usually fishing is done by sight, meaning you spot a fish and then fish to that particular critter. This river was turbulent so it demanded lots of blind fishing which is the norm back in the states. Any likely looking water was met with a strike. Did I mention that the fish here are huge? As in nothing under 20" long. They don't even measure fish here in length but rather by the kilogram. I was into consistently 2 kilogram fish. That's big by my standards. As I was by myself, I was of course unable to get photos of any of these beautiful rainbows, but the scenery was not so bad either......

Guest of honor

2009-11-15T14:45:00.000+13:00

We had our first guest over for brunch last weekend. R is one of the only people we knew in New Zealand before coming over here. She is the step mother of an old and dear kiwi friend of mine from my middle school years in Corvallis. We stayed with her on our honeymoon back in 2004 and have kept in touch the last few years. We even got to see her in Portland a few years ago since her sister lives there.

We had a splendid meal of veggie frittata, homemade blueberry muffins, strawberries and some bubbly for the occasion. And lots and lots of good conversation. We are so happy to have her here in Christchurch.

Bike commuter

2009-11-14T16:31:00.000+13:00

I am woman, hear me roar....down the streets to work on my new bike. It was a public holiday on Friday so the roads were abandoned at 7am which made for an easy ride to work. Monday will be the true test when life around Christchurch is back to normal. On the way home I was riding into a brutal head wind so it took a little longer than the morning ride. And in the winter time, all bets are off. We shall see how that one goes though I suspect it will be no worse than a mid-winter commute in Portland.

One thing I noticed is how wonderful the "no turn on a red light" rule is for bikers. It sucks as a driver because you end up sitting at the light with no traffic coming and thinking that you just want to go! But this rule is a life saver, literally, for bikers. There are a few "bike boxes" along my route as well which make bikers more visible to motorists when stopped at an intersection. I never got the purpose back in Portland but now I understand. My one confusion is the many roundabouts here in Christchurch. They are straightforward as a motorist but as a biker? Not so sure what to do. I have seen bikers just "be" a car and go on through the roundabout but with all of the different directions that cars are taking, I don't feel comfortable going through the roundabout this way. Instead, I take the pedestrian crossing which makes me feel a little safer and will continue doing so for the time being.

It will be great to start my days off with some exercise. Now I need to get my butt back into the pool a few days a week and I am 2/3 there to being able to do a triathlon! (HA! No thanks....I am not a runner). I haven't really been in shape since starting a family so I am looking forward to a new physique in the months to come.

Four Seasons in One Day...

2009-11-03T20:33:00.001+13:00

is a song by Crowded House and though the song is mostly about the challenges of love, it aptly describes the weather here in New Zealand. New Zealand has a maritime climate which means that the weather can (and does) change rapidly. Yesterday, we awoke to sunny, clear skies. At noon, it was gloomy, overcast and a bit cooler. Later in the day it rained and then it was clear again an hour later. And then we were pelted by gale force winds for most of the evening and early morning hours. It is nuts! Without a large continent to moderate things, New Zealand is subject to the whims of weather patterns that bellow up from the Antarctic without much to stand in its way.

Here in New Zealand, the weather can be described as "fine" (sunny, clear skies), "dull" (gloomy/overcast), "settled" (a period of several days when weather is "fine" or dry), or "unsettled" (as above but rain likely to occur). We also have northwesterlies (norwesters), northeasterlies, southerlies, and the like to describe the weather patterns. Norwesters are notoriously warm and dry as they arrive off the Australian continent and southerlies are notoriously cold as they are weather systems coming off Antarctica.

And now for a little geography.....the South Island of New Zealand lies on the 45th Parallel of the Southern Hemisphere. This is the same parallel that runs through Salem, Oregon which is noted by a boring traffic sign along Interstate 5 which you may or may not have noticed in your travels up and down the Willamette Valley. Christchurch is at 43 degrees latitude which you would not have noticed in your travels up and down the Willamette Valley. New Zealand is also the most isolated country of its size on the planet. So we are really out there. Thanks for tuning in.

And a few more pictures....

2009-10-25T20:49:00.001+13:00

In the Port Hills at the Sign of the Kiwi...

Ice cream....
Our beauty.....

Sunset in our backyard....

Miss M and Mr W do the "boom boom"

2009-10-25T20:38:00.000+13:00

In search of the land of Rohan...

2009-10-25T20:18:00.000+13:00

Well, we didn't take our planned trip down the east coast of the South Island to the Otago Peninsula since it turned out to be a holiday weekend. This meant that most accommodations were booked. Instead we went to Hanmer Springs and over Lewis Pass:
The following day, we headed up toward Arthur's Pass National Park and stopped at Kura Tawhiti Conservation Area for a spectacular picnic:

We fully expected to see Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli as they tracked the Orcs with Merry and Pippin as their captives but then again, we are supreme dorks.

7 Weeks in...

2009-10-18T20:30:00.000+13:00

And 7 things we like about living in New Zealand:

Being so close to so many beautiful places and with far less people enjoying them. We are 10 minutes from the beach, an hour and a half from the mountains, 10 minutes from a variety of scenic hikes and we have miles of bike trails at our disposal. In a few days, we are taking a trip down the east coast of the South Island to the Otago Peninsula where we plan to see yellow-eyed penguins and the only mainland Albatross colony in the world. How AWESOME is that? And to think that we have only touched the tip of the iceberg. Stay tuned for many more adventures and discoveries to come.
Slower pace of life. People aren't as rushed here. People seem happier here. The customer service pretty much anywhere you go is superb and friendly. People are just plain friendly here. And we like it.
Having one parent work and the other stay home. This has been one of the biggest changes for our family and we are SO much happier with this arrangement. At least for the moment. Mike will be itching to get back into the studio soon and in time, I suspect he will miss his teaching but for now, we find it much more sane to have one of us at home and the other one bringing home the bacon. And we love, love, love BOTH being home in the evenings and having dinner as a family every night. Except for Mike's scrabble night. He still needs to feed his addiction....
Living in the city but feeling like we are in the country. Our house backs up onto a pasture. And we have a view of the Southern Alps. And the Port Hills.
Living more modestly. We are still working on our food expenses (which was a huge part of our budget in the states too) but for now, we have no TV, only the basics for furniture, one car (that we use A LOT less) and we live in a modest house. This is a nice change for us. Not that we lived extravagantly in Oregon but our life here is pared down. The way our life was structured in the US did not lend itself to living simply but here, it does.
Working as a Nurse in a health care system that provides universal health care. Professionally, this is the place for me to be....no question. The system is not without its problems but I feel like I am able to provide much better care here than I did in the US. I find that there is a much more collegial work atmosphere. I find that there is much more adherence to the idea of "best practice" in health care rather than only lip service paid to this concept. Health care in the US is predominantly driven by fear of litigation and by the influences of big Pharma and health insurance interests. It is implemented in the confines of a short-term perspective (and profit oriented model) and places little value in the importance of preventative care. Since starting my job, my co-workers have asked me numerous times what I think about the NZ health care system compared with the US system and I can without a doubt say that NZ does things much, much better than the US. They are so surprised to hear me say this, given the American propensity for hubris ("we are the best!" "we are number one!"). Granted, I am working in a small area of the health care beast (maternity care) but from where I stand, the health care system here kicks ass. I will have to devote a few more blog entries to this subject but for now, this will have to be enough to pique your interest.
Being residents in a country that provides universal health care. Since the moment we stepped into the country, our family has had full health care coverage. Mike and I both feel a sense of relief that our coverage is not tied to my employment in any way and that there is an expectation that all citizens (and residents) of NZ have health care.

So the consensus is that we kinda like it here a whole hell of a lot. We realize that we are in that "honeymoon" phase of the emigration process but really, we have settled in quite nicely here.

Birds of New Zealand Part 1.

2009-10-18T20:03:00.000+13:00

Welcome to this week's ornithological installment of Kiwi-a-go-go. With a bird as our moniker (and a fruit for fairness sake), I thought it only fair to include a little natural history with our posts. Meet our neighborhood Silvereye. This is a very social little bugger with quite the twinkle in its eye. It introduced itself to the shores of New Zealand from Australia in the 1800's and has prospered within our fine land. It seems to be comfortable eating a variety of bugs, seeds, nectar and fruits so it has an interesting reputation as both a menace and a boon to the farmers of the countryside. These pictures were taken out of our kitchen window. There will be a quiz in our next installment of "Birds of New Zealand" so be sure to familiarize yourself with our cheeky little neighbor. Ta Ta!

A Day at Orana Wildlife Park

2009-10-06T08:20:00.000+13:00

Having a couple of kids changes your life in many ways. You don't sleep well, you fight with your spouse more and drink more alcohol to cope. Another way things change is you move to New Zealand, become members of the local wildlife park and get to pet and feed real live giraffes!! That more than makes up for the downsides. Enjoy.

Moved

2009-10-05T21:19:00.000+13:00

Just a quick post to let everyone know we are moved into our house. Our boxes are unpacked and as I suspected (see post from August 6th), I did wonder why I packed certain things and cursed myself for not packing other things. The toys are a big hit and I am so thankful that we brought them as they have made a world of difference for Miss M. She has been shutting herself in her room to play with all of her toys for most of the day with the occasional departure to demand a snack. Mr W finally has his own room and toys which means less torture from his older sister. We had to do a big shopping run to outfit our kitchen and to find a few other essential items but all in all, the house is coming together and we are making ourselves a nice little home.

The Port Hills-Late Winter Hikes

2009-09-24T09:45:00.000+12:00

We've been a bit behind on our posts, but here's some more New Zealand loveliness. These hills are about 7 minutes from our new house and there's miles of hiking trails to choose from...

Home sweet home

2009-09-19T20:31:00.000+12:00

We have a place to live!

A vintage 1950's-early 60's grandma house! Our new abode is fully furnished (appliances, furniture, even dishes!) which will be a tremendous help to us since we have come to NZ with very, very little. We are the first to rent this humble abode. It was previously owned by an elderly couple who took immaculate care of the place and though it is "dated", we like to think of it as "retro". There is a nice conservatory in the back and a plot for a veggie garden. The garage will hopefully serve Mike's studio needs. Miss M's future school is just 2 blocks away and I will have an easy, flat bike ride to work.

We move in at the end of the month.

This about sums it up....

2009-09-16T19:45:00.001+12:00

Siblings on a boat

2009-09-14T20:46:00.000+12:00

Baking gone wild

2009-09-14T20:33:00.000+12:00

This was my first attempt at baking in the southern hemisphere, the very easy chocolate chip cookie, but alas, something went terribly wrong. They taste alright but man, gonna have to tweak the recipe a bit.

First day of work and a query

2009-09-14T20:09:00.000+12:00

First day of work today. My head is still spinning with the names of all of my new colleagues and the new information that I am required to stuff into my brain (which has suffered since having children...mommy brain anyone?). Learning about "registrars" (residents), "lead maternity carers" (midwives who provide prenatal and postpartum care to women and families), and the ins and outs of a Baby Friendly Hospital. Have I mentioned that this is the perfect job for me? I know there will be challenges, as there are with any job, but this is really, truly a great opportunity for me.

My new colleagues held a mid-morning "tea" for me which was lovely. I met many of the midwives and found that about half of them were from the UK. Somehow, we started talking politics (maybe I brought it up! Go figure!) and this led to a discussion about the current debate in the US around universal health care. One of my colleagues just bluntly asked "Why would anyone be against universal health care?" While I wanted to unleash my wrath on the no-good Republicans (I just typed "Repuke-likans" on accident! Maybe this term will catch on!), I restrained myself and then thanked my lucky stars that I get to experience working in a health care system that provides universal health care. Hip hip hooray!

My brush with fame...

2009-09-13T21:16:00.001+12:00

Well, not really. But I swear, the skipper on the cruise in Akaroa looked like Neil Finn. As many of you know, I am a huge Crowded House/Neil Finn fan and I could have sworn that he was Neil's long lost other brother. Alas, I googled and found no such brother. Ah well. He invited Miss M and I up into the cabin for the end of the cruise and we had a grand time.

And here is a little video of the Hector's dolphins, the world's smallest species of dolphin only found in New Zealand.

Dolphins and Penguins and Seals, oh my!

2009-09-13T21:06:00.001+12:00

A few pictures from our trip to Akaroa.

Hanging out in the backyard on a sunny day

2009-09-09T13:41:00.000+12:00

A Day Up In the Hills of Christchurch 2

2009-09-08T20:53:00.001+12:00

Just because they are so damn cute......

A Day Up In the Hills of Christchurch

2009-09-08T20:42:00.000+12:00

So today was a good day as you will see from our pictures. It's late winter, very early spring here in Christchurch so we were pleasantly surprised to have a warm, windless 18 degrees Celsius day. A perfect day to take the gondola up to the hills just southeast of town about 8 kilometers. It's a quick ten minute drive up the gondola and the views let you truly soak in your surroundings. The outdoor living will be easy....
We also saw a nice house today out in Bryndwyr. Smaller, cheapish and very sweet and cozy. We put in our application and now we wait to see if the landlord takes a shine to us. She is a nurse so we have that going for us...which is nice (movie reference anyone?). To cap it off we also did some window shopping for some bikes and found the store where we will be purchasing ours. John Bull Avanti Plus is the place to go in Christchurch in our estimation! Super friendly and the always appealing good deal. Enjoy the pics and once again stay tuned. As an added clue to the internal movie reference remember this line: "A big hitter the lama.."

New Zealand's housing crisis

2009-09-06T19:39:00.001+12:00

Not the kind revolving around sub-prime mortgages. Or failed banks or greedy people trying to have more house than they can afford.

To put it quite frankly, the housing here kinda sucks. If you visit any ex-pat forum/blog on the web, this is one of those topics that is always talked about by those coming from the UK, Canada and the US. As mentioned in a previous post, there is no central heating in most homes. Wood burners are common (though recently banned here in Christchurch) and while many are being replaced with a heat pump, the pump is normally only found in the lounge of the home. The rest of the house is heated room by room with either portable heaters or electric heaters of some kind. Most homes also have no insulation and single glazed windows. And remember that Christchurch is roughly the same latitude of Salem, Oregon but just in the Southern hemisphere. Which means similar weather to Salem. Which means cold and rain in the winter. Which means a frickin cold house.

So, all in all, housing standards, up until recent times, have been fairly abysmal. New construction has to meet more stringent standards but let's face it folks, we are not in the price range for renting a newer home.

Thus far, our search for a rental ain't lookin so pretty. Yesterday, we viewed one home that was at the top of our price range. It was in a "nice" neighborhood and had a nice yard that backed up onto a public primary school (since Miss M will start kindy in December) which was sweet. But the house itself? Oy vey. What a dungeon. It was run down and dreary inside. Mike and I both thought it would be the perfect house to buy and fix up but for a rental? No thanks.

We tootled around the city and found some other neighborhoods that we liked, especially Merivale, which is very close to the central business district. We did view the outside of a few townhouses and houses there and in some other key neighborhoods but overall, we were underwhelmed and left feeling a little depressed. Mind you, we know we are going to be renting and so we must lower our expectations but there are a whole lot of dives out there and it is no fun to have to wade through them.

Last night, Mike and I perused "TradeMe", NZ's version of Craigslist mixed with a little "Ebay", and got even more depressed. So we started looking at the burbs that are considered "really far away" and we started to feel a little better. So, this morning, off we went to explore the suburbs along the coast. New Brighton, Sumner, Red Cliffs, Lyttleton- now you are talking! We had a little more luck in finding some possible places (including one right on the beach) but these areas would mean a commute by car (and not by bike which is my preference) and with gas at $1.65/liter, that is probably not such a good idea for our tight budget.

So, we will keep searching, probably a little closer to the city center but farther out than we originally planned (and still bikable). Late this afternoon, we found one that looks pretty good. We drove by it tonight and will take a look at the inside tomorrow. Again, wish us luck and some good sense to find the right place.

Getting to know you....

2009-09-04T19:15:00.001+12:00

Our first official day in Christchurch and it was very cold but beautifully sunny. On our recent road trip from Auckland to Christchurch, whenever we talked to anyone long enough for them to find out that we were actually moving to NZ to live and work, we would tell them we would be settling in Christchurch. The most common response was then "Oh! That's nice! It is cold down there! Why do you want to go there?" And add to this cold climate a severe lack of central heating and insulation in most homes in NZ, and, well then, yes, we are indeed finding that it is cold. This isn't too much of a shock to our system hailing from the Pacific Northwest where we get those wet, cold, bone chilling days throughout the winter and coming from Portland where we lived in a drafty, old, uninsulated house. But, along with all of the other changes, I imagine it will take some getting used to.

I hung my first load of laundry out to dry today with quite a bit of skepticism. You see, another NZ quirky thing is that they don't generally use dryers. I have been dreading doing laundry sans a dryer but you know what? It was actually okay. Early in the day, I hung the clothes out on the line and on a drying rack which I placed on the patio and by late afternoon, most pieces were dry. Mike even commented on how he liked the whole ritual of taking the laundry off the line and bringing it inside. This bodes well for me as he will be the house husband for the foreseeable future. I have to say, though, that I remain skeptical about this "no dryer" thing, especially when it will be raining here and bitter cold in the dead of winter. My skepticism is also fueled by the massive amounts of laundry that we do in our household. Oh, and the fact that laundry is just about the worst chore on the planet for me. So more on this later as we adjust to life here in NZ.

Today we spent a long day walking around the central business district of Christchurch, not far from our new "home". We also walked a route to the hospital where I will be working come September 14:

The new hospital sits in Hagley park, an iconic place in Christchurch. The daffodils are in full bloom, the punters on the River Avon were out with their passengers and many people were out for a stroll, enjoying the sunshine. Not a bad location to my estimation. Evidently, I share an office that looks out over the park.

Not far from the park, we strolled through a small farmer's market and bought some lovely bread and veggies ("veg" to the locals here). A nice relaxing day of getting to know our new home in New Zealand.

2009-09-03T23:41:00.000+12:00

And some more.....

2009-09-03T23:36:00.000+12:00

So we are here safely in Christchurch and had an amazingly beautiful drive down from Nelson. Here's a few pics to keep you company.....

Miss M says.....

2009-09-03T10:37:00.000+12:00

Today we are at the coffee shop. I miss my friends. I miss my best friend Grace. We are driving to Christchurch today. I miss Rowan too. I miss Isha and Ian. Bye bye.

La-la land

2009-09-01T11:07:00.000+12:00

While we are in the midst of the biggest move of our lives, we are also currently on a vacation of sorts. And being on vacation is a bit like being in la-la land isn’t it? The money just passes though your fingers like sand through a sieve and you forget that you have to work, do laundry, or take the trash out. This vacation definitely has a slightly different bent though. There is much more information to absorb since we will be living here for the next few years. I have been studying the people and my interactions with them, I linger in the grocery store a little longer to figure out what kinds of foods are available and I compare prices with the States. I notice how people and things are much less flashy here and much more practical.

Overall, I feel like we will fit in well here. People are polite, friendly, laid back and they seem happier than your average American. They are not hurried or impatient. The scenery is gorgeous. It is just much quieter and peaceful here and it is wonderful to know that sheep far out number people, especially on the South Island.

There are definitely quirky things from my American perspective. For example, can you tell me why, if you are making a left turn you are required by law to yield to a driver who is turning right across your line of traffic? The peculiar law requires that you must give way to all traffic crossing or coming from your right. So weird. Mike and I had completely forgotten about this odd traffic rule until today when I managed to royally piss some guy off when I did not yield to him as both he and I were turning. My inner Spock finds no logic in this.

And a few other notable differences:

eggs that have yolks the color of the sun. And they are not kept in the refrigerated section of the grocery store but are on a shelf near the cereal boxes. And they don’t even have to be “free range” or organic to look and taste far better than American store bought eggs. Heaven!
Dairy products that taste fabulous. The yogurt here beats anything I have had in the States.
No high fructose corn syrup or corn syrup in anything so far. This is a miracle of God.
Commercial produce that tastes like organic produce in the States. I have found a little organic produce and other organic products at stores but the commercial, produced -in-NZ produce is really tasty. There is a tremendous pride in NZ grown produce and NZ products.
This is a very, very kid-friendly nation. There are play structures and baskets of toys in the most unusual places, including the dealership where we bought our car. People seem to love children here, rather than the usual “hmph” and glares that we receive regularly in the States. Having kids will be a huge asset for meeting people as we settle in Christchurch.
Your average Joe knowing more about American politics than most Americans. Sad really, but so refreshing to have an intelligent discussion with folks who are interested in life beyond their own microcosm.
The availability of fresh seafood. Being an island nation, there is an abundance of it. We had a lovely fish dinner tonight of freshly caught Hoki.
Local wines a plenty. I sit here sipping a fabulous Sauvignon Blanc that was uber cheap.
Bacon here rocks! It is more a cross between canadian bacon and American bacon. More meaty, less fat and oh so good.
Walking down the street or down the grocery aisle is a bit confusing. Do we walk on the left side just like we drive on the left side or what? We are still figuring this one out.

Much, much more to come.....

Taupo to Welly

2009-09-01T10:57:00.000+12:00

Our continuing journey down the North island took us along Lake Taupo, the largest lake in New Zealand, and to the Tongariro National Trout Centre where Mike drooooooled about the big, fat fish in the river just waiting to be hooked. Then we drove through Tongariro National Park where we had glimpses of Mt Ruapehu (Mordor and Mount Doom for all of you Lord of the Rings fans) and a clear view of Mt Tongariro and its conical sibling Ngauruhoe. When Mike and I were traveling in NZ in 2004, we waited outside the national park for two days, hoping for the weather to clear enough to do the Tongariro Crossing (add a link here) to no avail. So it was lovely to get to see the mountains at least. The crossing, which is a long, one day hike, is still on our list of things to do but not possible this time of year. A few more hours of driving and we arrived in Porirua, a lovely suburb of Wellington, where we met J, C and L who graciously welcomed our loud and chaotic family into their home.

Sunday was spent in Wellington with our hosts, visiting Cuba street and a hip cafe called “Fidel’s”, riding the famous cable car, playing at the park, stalking the tui (add link here) and visiting the Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand. This has to be one of the best museums I have ever visited and it was FREE! We could have easily spent another couple of days there and if we lived in Welly, we would be regulars there. During our time in the museum, “Windy Welly” lived up to its name as a large storm front moved in and brought with it torrential rain and very strong winds which prompted Mr W to look outside and say “car wash!”. The winds howled all night long and we sweated a bit about our impending ferry crossing (they do cancel the ferry on occasion) but drove on to the ferry at about 10am for our trip over to the South Island.

Some pictures

2009-08-30T08:48:00.000+12:00

Here's a few visuals from our recent trip down the North Island. We are in Wellington at the moment and will be taking the ferry across to the South Island tomorrow. We'll have more to post shortly.....

Out of Auckland

2009-08-28T14:30:00.000+12:00

After some dreary, tedious days of business in Auckland we have shoved all of our belongings into our NEW CAR! Yes that's right it's a luxorious 2002 Honda Stream purchased in 24 hours and doing a plum job thus far. We motored our way south on the Highway 1 (or the one highway if you like) and have made our way to the lovely town of Taupo and have taken a day to see some thermal wonders and feed the swans and otherwise relax. Everyone is well and in better spirits since we have left the big city behind. Photos hopefully to come. Stay tuned.

Arrived!

2009-08-25T14:36:00.000+12:00

Just a quick post to say that we have made it to Auckland, more or less in one piece. The flight from San Fran was a relative breeze. Even getting through security in the States was relatively painless. Air New Zealand proved to be a fantastic airline with excellent, friendly help from the gate at SFO to the terminal in Auckland. It was a trip to bypass the looooong line for visitors at immigration and enter the "NZ passport holders- NZ residents" line instead. We are really, truly official NZ residents now. Cool, eh?

Dare I say it but really the trip was relatively snafu-free. The exceptions were Mr W's 2+hour meltdown on the plane (but met with many smiles and friendly "it's okay! This happens!" from the flight crew) and the logistics of hauling our massive amount of luggage, especially when we picked it up in Auckland. We really needed to grow a few more arms for this part of our adventure.

Once we reached NZ customs, we also had a bit of problem with our fly fishing gear as they have recently banned any felt-soled fishing boots and we obviously weren't aware (so any fly fisherpeople visiting NZ, take note!). We had three pairs of boots/shoes which had to either be fumigated and mailed to us at our expense (and not used while here in NZ) or we had to just toss the suckers in the garbage. So bye bye boots. Mikey was not happy. Being the honest folk we are also meant that we had to search through various bags to find a pair of hiking boots that have not been on a hike in 3 years but nevertheless have to be inspected. This diligence on the part of the agriculture ministry is to insure that no foreign organisms threaten the native flora and fauna here in NZ .

After a few more tantrums and crying fits for a lack of sleep (both kids and parents!), we arrived at our hotel which graciously let us into our room at about 7 am NZ time. Off to nap and decompress.....more later!

Expect the Unexpected..

2009-08-22T17:25:00.000+12:00

We are less than two days away from liftoff and we just need to get out of here. Our computer decided to fill up with data two days ago and we have been scrambling to get a new hard drive and then configure all the resulting crap nuggets that go along with such a dramatic tech move. Today Miss M. decided to tap into the mother lode of all tantrums. It wasn't that bad actually, after two and a half hours of spitting, screaming and hurling insults at any living creature she was finally able to pull it together and insult the meal we prepared for her. I love her with all my heart. So tomorrow we are off to San Francisco to walk the Golden Gate Bridge and hopefully we'll make it to the other side. And Sunday we fly out at 9pm, just in time for a nice twelve hour nap and voila, touchdown in Auckland. We'll talk to you all once we arrive.

We are really doing this, aren't we?!

2009-08-14T12:41:00.000+12:00

Panic, excitement, joy, sadness, with a hint of sheer terror....that about sums up our emotions at the moment. The kids are sensing the big change ahead and not sleeping well and being clingy. Mike and I pretty much hate each other at the moment. Oh the joys of preparing for a move abroad.

Meanwhile, boxes delivered yesterday to a warehouse in Portland, bound for a ship that will arrive in New Zealand in about 6 weeks time. Lovely bon voyage party last weekend. More goodbyes in the last few days. Now on to packing the bags that we will take on the plane, the plane that is taking us to New Zealand. Okay, breathe......

We are off to Corvallis tomorrow for my 20th reunion and time with family, then on Tuesday we will be road tripping down to California to see my sister and spend our last few days in the States.

17 days and counting

2009-08-07T15:51:00.000+12:00

Headless chicken mode continues, as you all might have suspected. Per our previous post, we have decided to ship some stuff to the Land of the Long White Cloud. As we pack boxes with toys, books, clothes, art supplies and other random items, I find myself wondering what it will be like to open those boxes filled with the remnants of our life in Portland. Will we be happy with the stuff we have sent on a boat across the Pacific Ocean? Or will it be more of a "what the hell were we thinking" kind of moment? George Carlin's routine on "Stuff" comes to mind. One thing I know we will be happy to see is our new bike trailer. Our plan all along has been to become a family of bikers. Funny to think that it takes moving to the other side of the world (from one of the most bike friendly cities) for us to "get our bike on".

Miss M is a bit panicked about her beloved books, wooden kitchen and doll house disappearing into a cardboard box. Mr W doesn't seem to notice or care and proceeds to poop his pants.

There are still many things to wrap up here- canceling utilities, address changes, selling our car, transferring money, opening a kiwi bank account, setting up accommodations, burning CDs on to our I-pod. And there is the packing, some more packing...and ....did I mention that we need to pack?

Otherwise, we are savouring (note the use of the NZ spelling! Gotta start practising!) time spent with friends and family as much as we can. I wish I had more time for more hugs and well wishes with those who I haven't seen in a while but we will soon be on that plane and headed to our new life in New Zealand.

Headless Chicken Mode

2009-07-22T16:38:00.000+12:00

Egads! We are moving out of the country in 5 weeks. You would think that by now we would be fully aware of this fact but it seems to have escaped us until now.

I have finally said good-bye to my job of the last 9 years which is a HUGE weight off of my shoulders ( having been ready to leave for about the last 5 years or so). Mike's folks are visiting from Georgia and entertained us in Bend for a few days. We have a steady stream of dinners and outings planned over the next few weeks. And our "to do" list keeps getting longer and longer. This has been partly complicated by the fact that we have chosen to ship a small amount of stuff so that we are a little lighter on the other end when we step off the plane. And not to mention, the two little people in our lives who demand every ounce of our attention while we try to tick off items on this ever-growing list.

So, wish us luck in the coming weeks as we wrap up our life here in Oregon.

Holding Pattern

2009-07-10T16:53:00.000+12:00

Not much happening with our move at the moment. I have 36 hours of work left (who's counting?) and Mike continues to work. We are trying to see friends and family and be as social as we can be in these next few weeks. A few vacations are coming up. We debate about shipping a few boxes or just lugging everything on to the plane (the later is the current winner in this on-going debate). But overall, it does not seem real that we will be stepping on a plane headed to our new life in New Zealand in just 45 days. I suspect that panic mode will hit sometime soon. I have already shed a few tears with dear friends just thinking about our departure.

In the meantime, I present you with another video. May I point out that there is no censorship of expletives in New Zealand? It will be refreshing to not hear that damn "bleep!" on the TV everytime someone utters a curse word.

Just call us....

2009-06-26T03:39:00.001+12:00

PERMANENT RESIDENTS OF NEW ZEALAND!

Once again, miracles abound. Our case officer has already decided our application and has granted us permanent residency.

We are thrilled.

On the subject of case officers and togs

2009-06-25T15:17:00.000+12:00

Got word that our application arrived at Immigration New Zealand (INZ) yesterday and that as of today, we have a case officer who is assessing our application. This has to be nothing short of a miracle being the large bureaucracy that INZ is known to be. We were also told that "a decision (on our application for permanent residency)will be made in the next few days". Bring on the blueys!!!!

And for your viewing enjoyment, a little kiwi sense of humor....

Cheers!

Fush and Chups

2009-06-23T05:24:00.000+12:00

The New Zealand accent explained

So the adventure begins

2009-06-22T15:45:00.001+12:00

At least it looks that way. Our immigration packet for our Invitation to Apply has been mailed to New Zealand Immigration in London and once there it should be moved to the front of the line pretty quickly as Cara, the nurse and grand poobah of this outfit, has a job offer from the Canterbury District Health Board. From all of our research (quite extensive, thank you) we should have our permanent resident stickers in about a month or two. So with today being Sunday, June 21 that gets us to the middle of July or August. And since we have already bought our plane tickets for an August 23 departure, we sure hope it works out this way or we have really screwed the pooch! It has been a very long time coming but sometime very soon all of our giddiness, nervousness, apprehension and everything else that comes with moving a family of four across the globe should be condensed down into four tiny blue stickers within the folds of our passports. How did this happen? Why did we decide to uproot ourselves and two young children and move to the middle of the South Pacific? When we figure it out, we'll be sure to let you know. Until then.....stay tuned.