Baba´s Kiwi Newsletter - 4 (english)

Baba´s Kiwi Newsletter – 4

Welcome to the Capital! :)

It´s almost scary how time flies... it´s just my 5th week in Wellington – New Zealand´s Capital. Even if Wellington is a lot smaller than Auckland (about 450 000 vs. 2 000 000) – it has more Charme to me. And not only because it´s meant to be the Culure- and Art Capital as well ;) While Auckland is quite wide with all the suburbs it seems in Wellington everything is  „just around the corner“. Even for an orientational idiot like me it is really easy to find things – I even showed other tourists the way :)

I´m still doing great. In comparisson to the last months, this one was more of emotional happenings. Patience as well as confidence were challenged. I went through the first little up´s and down´s – everything which actually comes with travelling ;)

As I´m not travelling at the moment I structured the Newsletter a little different this time... Have fun!!!

Day 84 – 126 / WELLINGTON

ARRIVED

I checked in at the „Downtown Backpackers“ as the YHA only hosts to a max. of 10 days. This hostel was a former hotel (Waterloo) and is located opposite the Bluebridge ferry terminal. It´s not far away from the city center but still quiet. There is free pool everyday from 4-6pm, SKY TV (movies all day is definitely what you need on a bad day in Wellington :) WOOHOO!) and a Bar and Café within the hostel. The guest kitchen is big and it´s very clean in general. The showers have space to turn around, a good water pressure and even the matrasses are comfy. Beside that I have a bed with a fantastic view with signal from the cbd free city wifi – even if limited. The people here are nice and I really like the place :) I attached a picture with my window circled :)

GET STARTED / APPLICATIONS

With the weekend ahead of me I started to explore the City, worked on my CV and checked on Jobs aso. to be ready for the week to start. It turned out that most shops and café´s in the center just post their job announcements in their windows and not only on trademe.co.nz or seek.co.nz. So I searched for jobs in town when the weather was nice and sat behind my laptop when it was bad ;) Beside the hostel there is a McDonalds with free WIFI (actually you have that in almost the whole city... just depends on the weather if it is working or not, and how fast). So I had a lot of coffee´s there ;)

After I spread my CV like a flyer over the whole City I had to wait... PATIENCE – not necessarily my strongest skill – but it´s always what you make out of it :)

INSPIRATION / WHAT´S ON?

So I checked out what´s on in Wellington – which is supposed to be a very creative City. And what shall I say: There is HEAPS! Only Cuba Street which is the main Shopping street has a lot to offer. Beside a lot of musicians you find Vintage markets, wonderful second hand shops an other interresting artworks :) In the iSite (Tourist information center) you get offered everything from inspiration tours to all kinds of workshops. Or lets take the City Center itself... all seems to be art! The Channel covers, rubbish bins, windows or the foam on the coffees – the Kiwis love to reflect their land and their roots in everything possible. I attached some pictures that you can see what I mean ;)

Already on the 2nd weekend I accidently ran into „HANDMADE“. This is a initiative of the government and a community of self-employed people (all sorts of businesses) and they offer 2 days workshops in different areas e.g. cheese- or jewellery making, knitting, bookbinding or photography. In addition there are lectures in the evening to different topics. In the beginning I couldn´t even decide what to do but as some workshops were already sold out or you had to bring your own material it got reduced really quickly. I finally signed in for the workshop „Knitting a Frangipani flower“ and the lecture „The New Zealand way of fashion – Pacific Style“.

Only 5 people took part in the knitting course. 4 elderly ladies from Wellington (PROFESSIONALS!) and me (last knitting: probably in primary school :)). Even if it was mentioned that it is suitable for beginners as well I didn´t even manage to get one leaf done... BUT I know how it works again and as we got the material: after just 2 weeks I finally finished my flower :) (proof is attached hehe).

Unfortunately the lecture got declined as I was the only one who signed up for that one – BUT I was allowed to visit another one and as there was another lecture about photography at the same time I listened to that one. Very interresting!

It continued the Tuesday after at „The Learning Connection“. They are a bit outside of Wellington and you can do creative workshops there as well – or even your studies ;) – which thanks god I have done already! There are even free workshops – so why wait? They introduced the school itself and after we got paper and pastells we went through some basic techniques with our tutor. I want more... so I singed up for a tattoo design course :)

Beside that I met Tanita. Another german girl who likes to draw and paint. Sie bought some Acrylcolours but can´t take them on the plane: LUCKY ME :)... I´m ready for whatever :)

APPLICATIONS AGAIN

After about 2 weeks in Wellington I met Angela. Actuall from Hamilton/NZL she lived and worked in London for the last 12 years. She actually came to Wellington to settle down here but she doesn´t like the city at all and is missing England. It´s kind of funny... you always want what you don´t have, do you?

Angela works in Human Resources and beside that provides people help with their CV – lucky me again!!! After 2 weeks no one coming back to me in regards to jobs (which is not really a long time actually but their is my unpatience again ;)) she offered me help with my CV. I knew that CV´s are different over here and as well downloaded a lot of stuff – but to be supported by a professional is still something different! After we finished I partly had to question myself if this CV was really mine and if I really did all that already. Fact is: This all seems so far away that I sometimes do not believe what´s written their. So strange...

While I was teached to: stick out from the crowed, keep it short and simple and definitely not STANDARD... my CV is now fully packed with all information, the layout is boring like hell and actually it looks like everyone else´s – BUT you only give them your CV here. How should they know what you are capable of and what not?

Now I felt really prepared and had more faith into the whole thing. I just sent it through some agencies again and replaced it everywhere else – there is actually nothing to loose ;)

I thing it´s really interresting – I personally would not be willing to read through such a CV... FULL 2 pages (as I´m not the youngest anymore ;))! But what should I say: I got an invitation for an interview right the next day :D

INTERVIEWS

Although I have only 2 years of experience (beside my studies) as a waitress and making coffee I got invited to 2 Barrista Job Interviews:

A cuban Café named „Mucho Mucho“ invited me to make some coffee´s... which is quite a long time ago since I last did that (8 years!). So I checked out youtube to learn everything I could about New Zealand coffee and luckily I was allowed to practise a bit in the Café within the hostel :)

Unfortunately that didn´t help... I still have to smile about the whole situation :)

After I arrived there she explained me for what kind of person they are looking for and I immediately thought OHOH!!! The only cuban Café in whole of New Zealand is searching for someone 100% familiar with different kinds of coffee, calcination aso. and substitutes the boss during the busiest time of the day. Beside that you should be able to do a Flat White (which is a kind of nzl milk coffee) with an artwork in the foam in about 25 seconds... AHHHHHH

Well... I tried it anyway :) We both had to laugh but it was clear that I wasn´t the right person for this job. But at least I discoverd my new favourite Coffee place :) So after 10 minutes I was outside again.

I was glad for the chance they gave me – but as my CV sounds that professional now...

Making coffee is something different here. In Germany it is, beside the taste of course, mostly about the fluffy foam while here it is about almost no foam but with silverferns, monkeys, hearts or other artworks in it instead. And here we go... I found another thing I would like to learn DESPERATELY – only to make you guys some great NZL coffee, of course :)

Next „Talk“ happend quickly after the last one.  At „Seet Fanny-Anne´s“ I started to work for 2 hours (was payed as well ;)). Unfortunately she was as well searching for someone to replace her in the morning when everyone was grapping a coffee. Nothing for me – again! She almost took the risk to employ me anyway as we went along quite good from the start. But actually I didn´t want to start with something I´m not confident with.

Just at the same time I had an Interview with the „Temp Center“ which is one of the Agency´s that gives you work in hospitality. Michael had already an idea for me. They were searching for someone in a Café/Cantine within a bank for 6 weeks as a holiday substitute. After one training day I got the job J WOOHOO! Great people and as well the work is quite good. We are on the second level of the Reserve Bank of NZL and our customers are only from the building (which gives me time to meet people and get used to the job). It is always something going on but if I´m not doing coffee´s or taking the cash for food I check if everything is topped up or help doing the dishes back in the kitchen. We are three people and I work Mo-Fr from 8am – 2pm with 30 minutes break which is paid :D

I think I was quite lucky! I´m busy for the next few weeks, get free food and coffee and I have the afternoons and weekends for myself – PERFECT :)

And as it is always 2 other jobs came up just after I said yes to the temporary one – permanent jobs. One was in Retail for Canterburry of New Zealand – but only 15 hours a week (Mon, Fri and Sat) – and the other one: With „Sweet Fanny-Anne´s“!!! Just after they found a Barrista another job in as a kitchen hand came up. The owner offered the job to me but as I already started at the other place, and I´m not that kind of person, I had to decline.

But by chance Maren (who I met up north and we stayed in contact the whole time) finally arrived in Wellington. She was desperately looking for a Job and so I got her this one... I should work fort he Temp Agency ;)

I´m actually quite happy with my temp jobs I have to say – I can try out different things. After already one week I e.g. worked for an afternoon at Te Papa (Wellingtons museum) Café and on the weekend I worked at a Rugby game (Hurricanes/Wellington team vs. Chiefs/Waikato team) at the Westpac stadium VIP Lounge J So I meet a lot of new people and make a lot of experiences. Went really good and the view was fantastic!!!

There are not a lot of Design Jobs unfortuantely. I´ve only saw 6 job postings in whole NZL and even those once were not in the Apparel business. I talked to some Kiwi´s about that and they told me that a lot of designers have their own business and a shop. Employed positions are limited and more common in Australia – or in Europe.

FOOD

After I spent 4 month here now I can as well give my opinion to the food. In general it is expensive in the supermarkets. Especially vegetables, fruits and all the fresh things cost more then in germany. Some is the same or sometimes it´s cheaper.

Luckily they have a Fruit and Vegetable market :) Every Sunday from 8:30am till 1pm – and here it is a lot cheaper! Beside that there are a lot of opportunities to have e.g. Crépes, coffee or even german!!! Sausages. So Sunday morning is my grocery shopping day – with breakfast at the sea :) And what I really like is when the boat with the fresh fish comes in. I already was brave enough to buy my first Skatefish (and if I got it right it is some kind of Ray – NO, no Stingray or Steve Irwin murderer!). What an adventure! I have never cooked fish before and I´m quite proud how good it turned out! Pic attached :)

And the Brezen drought came to an end, too: I found a german Bakery! I even applied for a job there but was unfortunately to late. It is half an hour uphill in one of the suburbs of Wellington and I like to combine it with a run. There they have Brezen with and without cheese, Fitness bread, Jogging bread and great Baguettes. WONDERFUL! Last Sunday I even found out that they are on the market.

Other than that a lot of people eat fast food. If it is McDonalds, Subway, KFC, Domino´s or Burgerfuel (NZL Burgerplace)... all is there. And everyone has spezial offers which makes the food a lot cheaper then cooking fresh by yourself. And as Backpackers generally never have money ist hat quite popular.

And then there are Muffins, Scones, Cookies, Slices, Fudges and and and till you pop! I´m quite happy that I prefer just a piece of ordinary chocolate :)

But in Wellington are a lot of really good restaurants and places you can eat as well. And as well a lot of good Coffee places. With 500 Café´s is something for everyone. I have to say that I had only 1-2 bad coffee´s in NZL – so I do not at all agree with the main opinion that you can´t have a good coffee in New Zealand :) But it seems that developed a lot, too... and now that I do my own ;) hehe

WEATHER

I always thought that the blessed Kiwi´s overact with the weather in „Windy Welly“. Unfortunately not! Even if I can´t complain as the winter was not that hard so far and as well the bad weather was only for a few days... but it´s true: If it is bad weather here than it is REALLY BAD! Rain and wind from all directions, rough sea and dark clouds... you just want to stay in bed underneath the blanket and not leave the house J But the wind can be fun as well... and we from Wiggensbach LOVE wind ;) So far I had a lot of great days here. And then it is lovely! But you should definitely spend these days at the waterfront or out of the city as the sun is quite fast hiding behind the skyscrapers and hills.

Butt he Kiwi´s are still crazy! They even jump into the water in winter... whole school classes! That´s how you get hardened :) While I am sitting at the waterfront in Jeans, long Jacket, sometimes even with gloves, they run around in shorts. As well when I´m running I feel weird. Longsleeve, fleece jacket and windbreaker... shorts over a tight... and they run in tank and shorts – like in summer! NUTS!

ROOM HUNTING

This turns out a bit tricky... and it doesn´t help that I like the hostel ;) But as I concentrated a lot on my job I can deal with it now.

I already checked out one room in the city center which didn´t even have a window.

Besides that I am on the waiting list for a longterm room in the hostel... they are up on the 6th floor, pretty simple but very secure and you are on your own... and for one week I have one! It is great to spread out! It reminds me a bit of a prison as there is only a small window with a „Wall view“, a sink and a bed. At least I have a little TV and of course you can make something out of it ;)

But like always the next opportunity came up just a few days after – from one of my customers at work. She invited me to look at a room at her house which would be free from monday onwards. It´s in Brookly, one of the suburbs but only about 15 minutes with the bus. I agreed to have a look at it – would be SO great to live here for real! So fingers crossed.

THIS AND THAT

Well, what else... I had my first haircut :) Just beside the hostel they had an offer for $25. For the interns to practise but under supervision from the boss. So I took the risk and after the supervisor corrected some parts it was fine ;)

Tuesdays is cheap cinema day at the Embassy theatre and I was there already 2x – GREAT CINEMA!!! It is an old theatre or opera and there happened as well the premiere of „Lord of the rings“. There are even signs on the seats with the names of the performers engraved... really cool!

Unfortunately I didn´t manage to go out a lot so far but if I like to go to the live gig´s in the bars. I loved that already in Australia, in 2006! You can just do your bar crawling (or pubbing :)) and you have live music the whole night. Sometimes it is even free or at least quite cheap. That´s something we should have in Germany a lot more!

I already watched a few Rugby games (on TV) – but mainly when the All Blacks play because the league games can be quite boring. Slowly I´m getting the rules. As I worked in the stadium at the weekend I have good chances to work at an All Blacks game as well :)

I followed the European Championship as well, of course... even if I didn´t make it our of bed ;) But 6:45am is really early for me!!! And as the tragedy happened I had to work.

Oh yes: At the moment we are celebrating „Mid winter Xmas“ :) so funny! As it is summer here at Christmas time they simply celebrate another little 2nd Christmas in winter. Then you can get gingerbread aso. in the supermarket and Angela and her collegues even went out and played „Secret Santa“.

Unfortunately there are as well bad News to tell. After I booked a year ticket with Air New Zealand (one rebooking locally inclusive) I went to the office in Wellington on my 2nd day. As I tried to rebook my flight from October to February it turned out that I was booked on a limited low fare (only a few seats per plane) and that there is no free seat for me in January, February and March. After March my ticket expires as the flight back has to happen within one year. It seems that my travel agent in Germany didn´t know about that, too – so he is currently searching for a solution in Germany. Only possibility so far is to fly home in December which is not an option form e... so I have to wait and see :(

But this is as well a situation I´m dealing a lot more relaxed with than home: there is always something coming up and there is always a solution... and who knows what it is good for!

On the 3rd of July at 10pm I experienced my 2nd Earthquake – in Wellington. Actually both islands could feel it. Afterwards I found out that it was the strongest Earthquake in Wellington the last 120 years. The center was luckily 170km away from us on the ocean and 230km deep but it was rated a 7,0 and was heavy enough. We all were in bed already and my first thought was Angela (below me on the lower bunk) is scratching herself or turning around...

But after the bed started to shake REALLY strong and my name got called by another room mate it was clear! I didn´t even think and just jumped out of my upper bunk with my pyjamas on and the mobile in hand. Within seconds we all were under the doorframe. It took at least 1 hour till everbody went back to bed and the heartrate was back to normal. Beside that we all had a bad sleep that night – waking up at every noise aware of aftershocks... you never know.

Anyway this was something totally different then my 1st one in Christchurch. While my first one felt like a train driving through the room this was more like beeing on a ship with a lot motion of sea – very strange feeling! It might has to do something with the 2nd level of an old building as well... lucky once more that nothing happened and hopefully not again while I´m on the 6th floor!!!

Thank god we had no Tsunami warnings as it was too close to the coast.

Well, that´s it again. Let´s see what I can tell you next time – now that I´m busy, too ;)

I hope my german is not too bad to read but it gets harder with every Newsletter – especially the grammar. In the beginning I found it strange as everyone tells you that they start dreaming and thinking in english at least after one month. I didn´t dream for the first 3 month at all and now I couldn´t tell in what language. I guess it has something to do with switching languages at work a lot during the past few years. But if I try to write or speak german I definitely need more time ;)

How are you actually? Thanks a lot for all your nice responses I get! I´m so happy to hear from you as well... what´s going on aso. ;)

Unfortunately I´m not up to date with the News in Europe at all so if someone likes to summarize for me what´s happening overseas – always welcome :) Even if I heard that I don´t miss a lot – political wise.

At least I got some news via facebook that the summer has finally arrived in Germany! I hope it lasts :) I wish you all a wonderful and relaxing time! Treat yourselves and take care! Cu soon!

Kia ora - Barbara