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

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

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......

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

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

Endeavoring for a return to normal

....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.....