Updating...I have been looking for jobs to apply for. Actually applied for two over the weekend and am in contact with someone at University of Auckland who has been very nice and might be helpful in getting me there (NZ) sooner than I might otherwise.

Other than that, trying to figure out a way to get to Manila cheaply before mid-January. Was hoping to go for New Years, but the cost is too much and the income is too little to make it that soon. Sad.

Still fostering the little dog. She had to have surgery to remove a bunch of mammary tumors. Now she is a few nipples lighter and is stuck wearing a lampshade for 10 days so she isn't able to tear out the stables holding her belly together. I am amazed at how well she is handling it all. This is one sweet little dog.

Thanksgiving was uneventful but nice. My niece was here for the weekend and so we went to the Met and also saw the new Harry Potter. Spent a lot of time just chilling at home too. Had not spent time with her in quite awhile so that was nice.

My newest joy is playing online Scrabble. I'm not great but I find myself winning more than losing, and even when I am losing I really enjoy it. Yes, I just let people know how much of a nerd I am a little bit at a time.

Enough...

Hi All,

I do not have any new news to report, but I do not want to disappoint my 919 fans (what??? that's what the counter says, right?).

I received an email from U. of Auckland about a job that I was considering applying for. The person I wrote sounded encouraging about applying, so I will do that this weekend. Anyone want to write a cover letter for me?

That is the closest thing to progress on my end. Well, that's not entirely true, I have been getting my financial affairs in order so it will be easier to jump on the plane when the time comes.

I am also fostering a dog for a rescue organization. What does that have to do with my move to NZ? Well, how can I connect it? Oh, here's a couple ways: I am not able to adopt this incredibly cute sweet dog because I think it would be unfair to put her through the hell of transporting to and living through quarantine in NZ, so I will have to get a dog after I move. And the other way it's related is that having this sweet little girl around makes it clear that I want to have a yard and a dog once I am settled in NZ.

Also, Celeste is almost ready to send in her application, just a few more steps and she'll be in the same waiting game as I am.

Hope all is well with my hundreds of faithful readers.

The Application is in, the $925 fee has been paid, now I wait and wait and wait. I was told via email that I will hopefully be assigned to a case officer within "the next four months" after which time, if everything is deemed to be in order it will be another 1-3 months.

Of course the one thing that would speed the process up immensely would be a job offer. Lately I have not even found positions available that I am qualified/interested in to apply for. Must keep on that though, now that my application is officially being processed maybe the universities will take my application a little more seriously (hopehopehope).

Otherwise, still being a temp for the Rockefeller Foundation. It is really great, the work is not the most intellectually stimulating, but it does keep me busy and some of it is interesting. The people I work with are great, the organization is great. I am pet-sitting two crazy terriers for one of my co-workers for 11 days.

And off I go...

Here we go again

More silly NZIS Drama. Because i'm a flake i had not been paying very close attention to when the four month limit for turning in my application for permanent residency was coming to an end. The main issue that was delaying my sending it in was cash. The application fee is 520 pounds, that is more than a hair over $900 U.S. Shockingly for those who know me, I don't have that money handy. So, I was waiting for the last possible moment to send in the app in the hopes that someone might just give me a thousand dollars to cover it.

I started to realize that time must be running out, but I had received an email on September 23rd saying I had a month left so was kinda basing my schedule around that. Then I was going through my application to be certain all was well and saw that on my original ITA letter the date was June 13th and in the letter it said four months from that date. I saw that letter on Saturday the 15th of October.

A little bit of panic set in. Having to completely redo the entire application process was not appealing (my medical info would have to be redone as it is only valid for a certain period of time, plus another few hundred dollars). I wrote NZIS on Sunday night explaining my situation (minus the cash issue, i figure they don't really want a poor person moving in and wouldn't understand that i really am getting my money under control).

So, luckily when I woke up at 4:30 (or so) on Monday morning I had an email saying that my application was officially due that day and so long as it was in the mail before the end of Monday and arrived in their offices by the end of the week all would be good. Phew!

But still issues of course, I had to send it Fed-Ex express service which cost about $65, OUCH. And still, no money in the bank to cover the application fee. I figured though that I would get paid on Thursday and that would get me enough money in the bank to cover the application fee. So, of course they tried running the debit card on Thursday before I could get the check into the bank. Luckily they just sent me an email saying I should talk to my bank about the charge not going through and let them know when it was ready to go :-P So, Monday I will call and hopefully everything will be cleared up.

Then the waiting begins. And that isn't even likely to be it, I will still likely have to have an interview if I am not able to get a job offer before they finish processing my application. Craziness. I just want to get to the end of this tunnel and see some light.

In other news, I heard back from the owner of Kitsault (www.kitsault.com) and I will have to be in touch with him to see if I can be involved in that project (at least while i'm stuck waiting to hear from NZ).

Enough for now? Yes, me thinks. Write me!!!

So much to share! Firstly, have you seen the iPod Nano? I know that iPods don't have much to do with my move to NZ, but I love them and plane rides are much more enjoyable with an MP3 player don't you think? I own the U2 black version, very nice methinks. I think the Nano is a beautiful little creature.

This past week I was in Berlin. I applied for a position as a Residence Life Officer at the European College of Liberal Arts-Berlin (www.ecla.de) as sort of a lark. They asked for a phone interview and then flew me out for an on-campus interview as well. I think the position would be a challenge, but hopefully I am up for it. I know Germany is not quite New Zealand, but ever since I studied abroad in Berlin oh so many years ago I have dreamt of returning. Celeste is supportive of the idea and thinks that she might be able to find work in Berlin also.

I flew to Berlin on Aer Lingus through Dublin. I thought that I might stay in Dublin for the weekend on my way back to the U.S. but I caught a bit of a cold and decided to days sick spending money I don't have in Dublin wasn't the best of ideas. I came directly home instead and have been sleeping a lot. Hopefully I will feel all better for work tomorrow.

On the NZ front, I am quite close to sending in my application, I need certified copies of a few things. Hopefully I can find a Notary Public through my temp job that I can use for free. Then I need to figure out how to pay the application fee which is around $800 I believe. I do not really have that kind of cash hanging out. Ooops. If all works out I may be able to send it in within two weeks or so.

The biggest news for NZ is that Celeste's status finally changed to ITA (invitation to apply). Of course, since she is about 10,000 times more organized and motivated than I am, she will probably have her application turned in before I do. It is exciting to think that one way or the other we should be together within three or four months.

Oh, my temp job is pretty cool so I will mention it as well. I am doing pretty boring office type work, but it is for the Rockefeller Foundation. Great organization and really beautiful offices.

I feel that is enough of an update for now. Thanks for reading.

Hey, I'm back in the U.S. of A. Though it was sad leaving Let, it is good to be back to clean things up. I returned to my FBI report, happy to see that I have no arrest record with them! Now I need to get some copies of documents certified and then scrap together the application fee and all can be sent off.

here i am in Manila. the work toward new zealand is limited to conversations between myself and my love about when we can make it happen! impatience is the theme.

Manila has been nice, too hot for my northern blood, but enjoyable nonetheless.

just thought i should type something...

Tasty

Brief update. I am leaving tomorrow to Makati City in Manila for three weeks. Off to see my partner in the quest to move to New Zealand. Three weeks of rest, relaxation and life planning :-D (plus reacquainting ourselves).

It is very exciting. The travel itself is not quite so exciting. I must be getting old, but flights have gotten to be much less interesting to me. I just want to be where I am going. Back in the old days I loved flying for its own sake.

Once I return from the Philippines I figure it will only take another week or so to get everything ready to send in. Then the real waiting game begins. Ack!

Today was my last day at my current job. What this allows me, at least theoretically, is more flexibility in my life with which to work harder on getting to New Zealand. We will have to see how that aspect of it works out in the end. Nonetheless, it is a great stress gone from my life. It still has not all left, but hopefully, before the end of this weekend in Vermont, the stress will have melted away.

I feel very close to complete with all of the application materials.

So, Vermont for the weekend. Then on Wednesday I fly to San Fran then on to Tokyo and finally to Manila. I will stay for three weeks. By that time Celeste should be so sick of me that she will never ever move to Enzed to be with me.

Not so in to writing right now...so i'll stop.

Visit the Philippines

Today I applied for three jobs in NZ with three different universities. I really would like to be in Wellington or Dunedin and those two jobs seemed most likely, but I also applied to a position in Auckland. I am sure Auckland wouldn't be so bad either.

The jobs are all good fits for what I want to do, though they are mostly a big step down from the responsibility I have in my current position. I am willing to take that though, it would be nice to have more contact with students and be working in a larger institution.

Finally made some more progress on application materials. Portland State was totally simple, just faxed me a letter. I also had Barbara write me one from IPSL. Also received a fax of my immunizations so I was able to get that info completed.

The other step was to get the money order finally for sending my fingerprints to the FBI. They are in the envelope and will be on the way tomorrow!!!

I am moving forward. And next week I plan to go to the Philippines for a couple of weeks. :-P

Today I called to try and get proof of employment from my job at New York University to send with my application. They contract an outside agency to provide proof of employment. I call to ask what I need to do and they tell me that I am not allowed to get it myself. Whoever wants it must call and request it themselves. I am not able to verify my own employment? What on earth is the logic behind that? Am I going to find out that I wasn't really employed there? Seems very very odd to me.

Not only is it odd, I worry that it might cause issue in that it seems pretty inconvenient for NZIS to have to call this employment verification agency to prove that I had this job. Blech!

In my last entry I mentioned the email I had received from someone I had written a thank you note to at a NZ Uni. Well, I have not heard back from the woman at Otago that I wrote hoping she would look at my resumé. No big rush at this point is there?

Life has been throwing me enough curves lately that I am willing to take NZ slow for a bit. Though I have to be careful not to let too much time pass before sending in the completed application as the medical forms expire after a certain amount of time.

It is fun having chest x-rays to look at though. I was trying to find where I broke my collar bone as a high schooler but can't seem to place it.

The Rest of My Life

Nothing new other than thoughts to share really. Had I mentioned that at the NAFSA conference I had spoken to a few people from New Zealand universities? When I got back in the office I wrote them all to thank them for speaking with me (that's called networking). It did not look particularly successful. One person wrote back a short little, yeah you too sort of response. That was about it.

Then, this week I received a very pleasant email from one of the women I had spent quite a bit of time speaking with. She apologized for taking so long to respond. She also said that she would be more than happy to help me if she could (or something like that). Well, being desperate as I am, I will probably try to take advantage of the offer.

Mostly I am hoping that she might take a look at my resumé and give me advice. Let me know if it is appropriate for New Zealand and if she has any advice on how to make myself more attractive for universities in NZ.

Let and I have been talking quite a bit about when and how we will get there. Who will be first. What will the other do...those sorts of things. We are both pretty willing to settle wherever jobs are to be had. We also both are resigned to job searching wherever the first person gets a job.

It is exciting and scary and i'm so impatient to get there. Yet, I still have so many things to take care of here.

I think that is it for now.

The Best of the Best

A productive week and a very productive day.

On wednesday this week I was able to get my medical forms for New Zealand Immigration mostly filled. Then today I went to get my x-rays. The x-ray offices were really nice. If you've had to go to medical offices in New York some of them are not very pleasant you will know. Quest Diagnostics has some of the ugliest offices I've ever been to. Though to be fair, their office in Forest Hills was pretty nice. The nurse that took my blood in that Quest was really good too. I have the veins of mystery, nurses/doctors can never hit them the first time when trying to draw blood. So, I am always turning pale as they dig in my arm with the needle trying to find a vein to drain. I have never been a fan of needles, why such a curse?

At any rate, I get the x-rays taken and they tell me I am done. I say, well, I have a form that I need filled out by the radiologist. Oh, I don't believe the radiologist is in. Hmmm, when I called I said that I had a form that needed filling out by the radiologist and was told that would be no problem. Well, let me find out where/or when the radiologist is expected. Me sez, "OK."

Luckily the Radiologist was found and my forms are complete. I still need to get a signature from my main physician but my medical forms are just about good to go.

The other thing i did today was get my fingerprints taken so that i can request my background check from the FBI. That was a pain becuz I had been told that I would be able to go to any NYPD precinct and have it done. One phone call told me they would also have the forms I needed. So, this morning I go to my local precinct office and am told that not only do they not have the forms, but the NYPD does not do FBI fingerprinting. Oh? Really? Well, who does? Nobody seems to know.

Back to the apartment goes I. Look up the main number for the NYPD and call up to ask what I can do. Luckily, after being transferred a few times, I am told that I can indeed get my fingerprinting done by the NYPD, I just have to go to an office in downtown Manhattan.

Being lazy and afraid of humidity as I am, I choose to drive back in to Manhattan (I had already driven in for the X-rays). Now it is a bit late (it was around 7:30 am when I drove in earlier) and the traffic is nightmarish. I thought I would miss rush hour traffic at it was after 11, I had forgotten that all day is rush hour in NYC. It took me awhile to even get near the office. When I got close I realized that the streets in the entire area are reserved for officials parking only. Not only that, I'm not really used to lower Manhattan and there area a lot of little streets that go nowhere and it is a bit confusing.

After far too much time I finally find a parking meter, not horribly far away from the police station. I drop a couple of quarters, my last, into the meter to realize that one only gets 10 minutes per quarter and decide that i will just have to risk it. Luckily the finger printing was relatively painless once I got into the office. Of course, it being what it was it still took about 40 minutes. They do the fingerprinting electronically now so no ink stains to show for my effort. The machinery is pretty cool though.

My luck held out and as I walked back to the car I saw no ticket in the window. PHEW!

Then, back home came I to eat thai food, ice cream and then take a nap. Ahhhhhh.

Go Bananas

Hey, so today I went to the dr. and finished most of the medical requirements for immigration. I still have to get some proof of immunizations and my chest x-ray. Chest x-ray i will have done this friday. The immunization proof is going to be a bit more difficult. I have never had a regular pediatrician or doctor before, so it isn't as though I can just call up good old dr. meineke and get my immunization records. What I am going to try to do is see if my old school district (Portland Public Schools) has proof that I can use. That would make life a bit easier.

On Friday i also hope to get my fingerprinting done so that i can send in for my FBI background check. Then I will be able to send in my application! Excitement.

Oh, I've been not so updating. that has a lot to do with the fact that nothing much has been happening in terms of moving forward in the move process. still do not have fingerprints, but i think i've nailed down where and how to get it done. maybe i can do that monday or tuesday? next wednesday i will begin the medical process by meeting with my doc and showing her the docs. then i'll have an idea how long that process will take in its entirety. i've also got to contact my past employers to get proof of employment, i'm hoping that will not be too complicated.

those are steps i need to take. luckily now a few of them are actually scheduled to take place. i keep moving oh so slightly closer to my planned future.

Finally I really looked at the application package that NZIS sent me. I am very impressed! The application is pre-filled with all of the information they were provided during the EOI process. All I have to do is correct any information that is incorrect, add any info that might have changed since the EOI and provide documentation to prove what I list in the application (employment, education, citizenship...). I'm sure that immigration in the United States would never provide pre-filled applications!!!

That's all for now.

Here it is, my Friday and I want to quick update before the beginning of the long US of A weekend. Though I think a very limited number of my vast audience is located in this country, I figure those elsewhere might want to play along too. The game goes a little like this, you need to have a lot of explosives (fireworks) a lot of flammables (lighters/matches/alcohol/charcoal fluid/charcoal) and a lot of children running around. Mix this with a lot of drinking of the alcoholic beverages to impair judgement, a lot of eating of meat to slow the impaired people's response times even further, and let the fun begin. The game is won by the person with the most remaining appendages at the end of the weekend with bonus points for each of your younger relatives that still have all of their digits.

New Zealand news is sparse. I have just been staring admiringly at my pile of application materials and will start working on them as of tomorrow I believe. Four day weeks are great, next week is a three day week, that's even better. I should be able to make much progress.

Celeste installed a lovely message board under the counter on the right hand side of the page to make it very simple to leave me notes about anything. Please take advantage of that simple way to say hi (or to comment on anything on your mind).

ny2nz

Got home today to an excited roommate, he was excited to show me that I received my official application materials in the mail from New Zealand. Now I have no excuse to continue procrastinating with getting fingerprints and the like. Not to say I won't continue procrastinating though.

The materials look nicely done, there's even a CD of some sort. I haven't really explored yet. Hopefully I can use the CD on my PowerBook. Inching along I am.

Oh, I have a question for anyone that might see this that is in the know. It is becoming a distinct possibility that I will try to ship my car to New Zealand. Does anyone have any insight into the processes and costs involved?

I have survived another Monday and the first with my new M-Th 8-6 schedule. Three day weekends until the end of August, that's not so bad, eh?

Oh No to No Ozone! I've been reading about the lack of ozone over dear New Zealand. For me this is a wee bit scary. I mean, I have friends who were already warning me about it, but seeing it in print was a little more intimidating. This is a very white kid here. I burn when they show the sun on tv. I should wear sunscreen for the walk to the car. Now I will go somewhere that the sun is even stronger, less atmosphere between me and that molten ball of gas? Eeeek! Still not enough to deter me! I will battle the sun, I will wear long sleeved shirts and hats and pants and shoes no matter the weather or activity.

That's my rant. It's Sunday, I've had a good weekend in spite of insomnia. Celeste is going to help me get my website into shape, be looking out for the grand re-opening. Enjoy your week all!

Blog Directory Where I hope to soon be listed!

Nothing new to share in NZ news, but I will talk about my so called life. My niece has been staying with me (hence the hairplay pix). I have two roommates. One of whom, Tedi, is the original lease holder who we sublet from. I had told Tedi that my niece would be visiting for a week, for reasons somewhat beyond my control she will be here about two weeks. I received a voicemail yesterday from Tedi informing me that "she" had to be out of the apartment by Thursday morning. So, he was giving me hours of notice that my niece had to leave. Since she didn't really have anywhere else to go, and she is getting on a bus tomorrow (Friday) morning, I just ignored his message (yes, bad jon).

Then at work today Tedi calls me and says, Didn't u get my message? I said, Yes. He continues, I told you she needed to be out this morning. I said, Well, she has nowhere else to stay. He lets me know that, "You said she would be here one week, it's been too long." I said, well, things changed and you bring guests in whenever you want for however you want without asking us at all. He explained that that's because it's his apartment. I said, well, i signed a lease and i pay rent too. and it went on like that with me telling him that it's wrong that he thinks that he can tell me who and when i can have people if he doesn't live by the same rules (in a very loud voice). he tells me that if i don't like it i can leave and i tell him okay, this is 30 days notice.

Oooooh, drama. My co-workers couldn't even believe it was serious, they thought it was some overly dramatic joke I was part of or something. I was so pissed!!! So, yeah, I lost my cool a little bit. I just am a little overly protective of my niece I guess. Now I need to find a cheap place to live :-P

I will try to get back on topic soon!