NZ Anniversary

            So… the first year in New Zealand.  January 10^th was the anniversary of our arrival to Wellington.  Most ex-pats seem to be interested in this sort of thing, so I took a few minutes to write down some standout thoughts.

 

What went well?

 

It is always good to start on the good stuff.  We found an amazing house (rented) with everything we wanted.  It has enough space for us, a bit of grass and a large garage (by Kiwi standards).  It is not a luxury palace, but it’s a good home.  Gabe walks to school only 3 blocks away and has many friends in the neighbourhood.  The train station is just a couple blocks away and I’ve taken the train to work every day I’ve been here.  We have discovered many fabulous places all within an hour drive of our home from parks, to zoos, and beaches.  On my walks I have seen dolphins, penguins, seals, rays, hundreds of birds I can’t name, plus starfish and the most stunning sunrises.

My job is fun with lots of great folks.  Telecom is not vastly different from other telephone companies.  It has its strong points and maddening shortfalls.  But in the end it is a great deal about technical skulduggery and copious documentation.  Toss in some bits of project politics and mix it with real politics and you get Telecom. However… unlike most telephone companies I have worked with, Telecom employees deliver more value to the customers.  In spite of contradictory strategy, politics, and really odd company decisions, the employees make the difference.  The services work for New Zealanders.  I really can’t say how much I admire that.

 

What did not go well?

 

2008 was hard financial year.  We lost tens of thousands of dollars resulting from the move.  The exchange rate slipped from .75 to .50 in just a few months.  The cost of everything was a good 50% more than we expected across the board—and we thought we had guessed high.  The cost of living here is much, much higher than Kansas, but perhaps not quite as high as California.  The utility bill was a real shock coming in at near $500 some months in the winter.  One car never sold and we had to give it back to the dealer (ouch!)  The bank isn’t going to be happy with us either.  We’ll do the best we can, but there is no overcoming the exchange rate.  We are simply very grateful our US credit rating is not a factor in New Zealand.  Even so, we’ve resolved to use no more credit. 

While very willing, Amy has found it difficult to find work.  As always it is more who you know rather than what you know.  Of course, being completely new to a country we didn’t know anyone.  We can’t be sure, but we do feel like there is a slight anti-immigrant bias—especially in small businesses.  We have also encountered overt gender bias—but again, only in small businesses.

 

What is my favourite thing?

 

Everything and every place is fresh and clean.  When we walk around our neighbourhood we often stop and just breathe in some flowery fragrance on the breeze.  It is hard to pick just one thing.  I love looking at the ocean, but in a year, I haven’t actually gotten in it!  But I loved seeing the dolphins, seals and penguins.

 

What is my least favourite thing?

 

Gotta be the exchange rate and the high cost of travel home.  It is a constant worry whether I’ll get to see my kids—and even when I do it may only be a short visit once a year.

 

What do I miss most?

 

I miss my North Hemisphere seasons… I loved the fall in Kansas and Halloween.  I love snow at Christmas and whole streets of Christmas lights.  Halloween is barely mentioned here and Christmas is high summer.  I have to admit that summer + Christmas = Brilliant!  It is the best way to celebrate with family with summer break and the holidays all at once.  But I still missed the snow and Christmas lights.

 

What do I not miss?

 

I do not miss American news, scandal and endless tragedy.  I do not miss the stories about mass random murders, insanely corrupt politicians, and unfathomable corporate greed.  We still see these stories occasionally here, but each time we can say that’s not happening here.

 

What was the biggest change?

 

Change comes in two flavours—comfortable and uncomfortable.  There are many things that changed dramatically for me, but they were good and I welcomed them.  I have loved walking to work and generally enjoying the outdoors more.  I have really enjoyed altering my eating habits to smaller and healthier.  I have enjoyed being out of my culture to see clearly what is and isn’t American thinking.  The hardest change has been to get used to always being a foreigner.  My accent gives me away instantly.  While everyone has still been very friendly, it is hard to always be registered as a stranger.  I can tell sometimes folks are mildly irritated when I just don’t approach things the Kiwi way or even have trouble following my accent—something I never thought would be an issue!

 

Other Favourites!

 

Restaurant: Green Parrot

Park: Kaitoke

Beach: Island Bay

Kiwi phrase: “Sweet As” and “It’s gone all pear shaped.”

Kiwi food: Gold Kiwi Fruit

Best view: I think the best view is from the top of Kelson.

Grocery Store: Pak n’ Save

Pizza: Hell’s

Take-Away Chinese: our local one in Trafalgar Square!

Take-Away Fish: the other local shop in Trafalgar Square!

Best seafood: Lueven