back in the booth. brought samson with me today. he is finally starting to lose his baby teeth, can't wait for those little razor sharp things to be gone!!! would love to keep more of my blood on the inside. he's been rambunctious as usual but has finally mellowed out and is lying down at my feet. He just got a haircut yesterday so is a pretty boy. His face is almost all...well, if not white, at least a rather light colour whereas when we got him it was pretty much black. wacky ;-)
life has not been too exciting lately (hence no updates). A few things have been going on though...Celeste has been quite busy with work and quite tired and icky feeling at home. Me, being 100% lazy have been a bit of an ass about this, but am trying to be better and to take care of my partner like a good boy. Still can't help being a brat sometimes. She beat me up last night cuz I wanted her to get me ice cream and wouldn't give her a blanket until she did (she never did, she just beat me until I gave up). So, of course I ended up getting me ice cream and her too :-P
Also, I have been having a few dreams about a girl I worked with 20+ years ago so had to do the internet stalker thing and find her information and contacted her. Her name is Margot. I've always thought she was great, we dated briefly (a couple of times if i remember correctly). So, I have a lot of questions I would like to ask her, but I am afraid I would seem a little crazy if I did.
Funny though, she shared current pix of herself and in some I could swear she was exactly the same as 20 years ago and in others it's obvious the woman she's become. Life is weird...
Just about another month and Celeste can get her PR, that will be very nice indeed!!! Then we will be able to travel outside of the country (if ever the opportunity presents itself).
Winter has been interesting so far. We've had a couple of mornings of frost on the cars and grass. Some torrential rains but also still getting a fair amount of sunshine.
How about all of you? anything to share?
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Sunday, June 03, 2007
hey, i'm playing dj right now. right now i'm broadcasting 'architecture in helsinki' i love them. and since i can't be bothered to make real playlists for my show we're going in alphabetical order. so far we're just in the 'a's but will be moving into the 'b's relatively soon i think. i don't believe today's two hours get us past 'c'.
so, yeah, sunday morning in wellington. we had a little rain last night but really it's not been too bad around here considering we are rapidly approaching winter.
i'm drinking Milo which has become my radio show ritual. yumyum.
still loving the new house. we finally slept our first night in our bed in the bedroom last night. that was more comfortable than the living room (lounge)in my opinion. haven't yet used the fireplace cuz we are waiting for the chimney sweep to ok the usage.
ouch, just looked at weather report and the high today is 12 celsius and low tonight is 4...bbrrrr! a quick shot of winter!
anyway...back to the show
so, yeah, sunday morning in wellington. we had a little rain last night but really it's not been too bad around here considering we are rapidly approaching winter.
i'm drinking Milo which has become my radio show ritual. yumyum.
still loving the new house. we finally slept our first night in our bed in the bedroom last night. that was more comfortable than the living room (lounge)in my opinion. haven't yet used the fireplace cuz we are waiting for the chimney sweep to ok the usage.
ouch, just looked at weather report and the high today is 12 celsius and low tonight is 4...bbrrrr! a quick shot of winter!
anyway...back to the show
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Hey, we've moved. House is big. Central heating is a wonderful thing. I hope it is efficient. We are quite happy there so far but are barely using half the space! one room has sat completely empty while two others are pretty much just storage for the moment. We really love our kitchen and new fridge.
Samson loves running around the house and the back yard. Of course he has already found the weaknesses in the fencing and is no longer confined to the property if he does not want to be.
We have had to do much shopping for the place. We got some great bargains from our friends Ange and Daniel who are moving back to Australia. We bought a bunch of stuff from them for only $65, and that's NZ dollars to even less US. That includes a nice set of dishes, iron and ironing board, toaster, welcome mat and many other items.
We also bought a nice new set of silverware. It was on big discount so we've really been doing well, spending a lot but only on needs and usually with significant discounts. We are still waiting for our lounge set to arrive (sofa and loveseat). Hopefully get it before June is over.
The transfer of phone and power/gas went smoothly, but apparently our broadband will take another week to catch up to us. Yet another example of why the internet is having some troubles really penetrating the market in NZ, sometimes they do not make things simple. Not such a big deal for me, but a little frustrating not to be able to just call and have service transferred within a day or so.
Oh, instead of moving house, here it is called shifting house. I like that.
Samson loves running around the house and the back yard. Of course he has already found the weaknesses in the fencing and is no longer confined to the property if he does not want to be.
We have had to do much shopping for the place. We got some great bargains from our friends Ange and Daniel who are moving back to Australia. We bought a bunch of stuff from them for only $65, and that's NZ dollars to even less US. That includes a nice set of dishes, iron and ironing board, toaster, welcome mat and many other items.
We also bought a nice new set of silverware. It was on big discount so we've really been doing well, spending a lot but only on needs and usually with significant discounts. We are still waiting for our lounge set to arrive (sofa and loveseat). Hopefully get it before June is over.
The transfer of phone and power/gas went smoothly, but apparently our broadband will take another week to catch up to us. Yet another example of why the internet is having some troubles really penetrating the market in NZ, sometimes they do not make things simple. Not such a big deal for me, but a little frustrating not to be able to just call and have service transferred within a day or so.
Oh, instead of moving house, here it is called shifting house. I like that.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Here is a picture of my beloved Samson who has been badly neglected lately. I was out of town for a couple of days for work and now that Celeste is working he is spending many many too many hours alone each days. I intend to take him for a nice long walk when I get home today. He deserves some good exercise! He is a lot bigger now than he was in this photo, he just keeps getting bigger and bigger.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
366 Days, but who's counting?
I'm in the booth DJing at lovely MUNTfm (streaming from www.muntfm.co.nz) right now. Playing all kiwi music cuz this is NZ Music MUNTh :-) I do not know most of the music, i just piled it on my ipod and told it to shuffle. Playing a song by Odessa right now which I think is pretty good actually.
To celebrate our one year/six month anniversaries in NZ yesterday was pretty fun. Nothing was really planned as celebration, but it turns out it was my perfect kind of day. We even fit a little argument in, that's always fun.
The day started with us just hanging out for a bit, then we went to see a house that we had already checked out from the outside. It is in Karori, I had been wanting to move closer to work (and to flatter land), but this place is in our price range and once we saw the inside we were both pretty well sold on it. Sold being figurative as we will still just be renting. It is quite good sized which we wanted. There is tons of built in storage, that was very important for me. Allows us to keep the place looking sparse while also having places for all of our crap...nice. It also makes it much easier to puppy proof and later, child proof. Seems to have a lot of power outlets as well, I hate having to run cords all over the place because there is only one outlet in a room. Three sources of heat, gas duct heating, a few electric baseboards and a fireplace. One full bathroom and a half. A good sized backyard for the dog. So, tons of good things. Drawbacks are rather few and mild, still in hilly Karori too far from work; a bit dated and a little rough paintwise; tacky light fixtures; will take a lot of work to make yard really nice; no fridge or washer/dryer so we'll have to purchase those. Honestly though, those are pretty minor. After looking at a place in Khandallah later we decided that we were going to get the place in Karori. I do like Karori, this will be my third place in Karori in my time here. Hopefully this will be it for a few years.
While in Khandallah we had a very nice lunch at a cafe called Taste. After that we went home and had our little argument about choosing a place to live and decided on the Karori place.
The big event for the day was seeing Herbie Hancock in concert last night. I never thought I would see him live, though I've followed his career a little since Rockit was a big hit in the 80s. It was an awesome show. Really really good, just so much talent in the four people on the stage. An awesome combo of styles.
That was about it for the day, not bad not bad.
I'm in the booth DJing at lovely MUNTfm (streaming from www.muntfm.co.nz) right now. Playing all kiwi music cuz this is NZ Music MUNTh :-) I do not know most of the music, i just piled it on my ipod and told it to shuffle. Playing a song by Odessa right now which I think is pretty good actually.
To celebrate our one year/six month anniversaries in NZ yesterday was pretty fun. Nothing was really planned as celebration, but it turns out it was my perfect kind of day. We even fit a little argument in, that's always fun.
The day started with us just hanging out for a bit, then we went to see a house that we had already checked out from the outside. It is in Karori, I had been wanting to move closer to work (and to flatter land), but this place is in our price range and once we saw the inside we were both pretty well sold on it. Sold being figurative as we will still just be renting. It is quite good sized which we wanted. There is tons of built in storage, that was very important for me. Allows us to keep the place looking sparse while also having places for all of our crap...nice. It also makes it much easier to puppy proof and later, child proof. Seems to have a lot of power outlets as well, I hate having to run cords all over the place because there is only one outlet in a room. Three sources of heat, gas duct heating, a few electric baseboards and a fireplace. One full bathroom and a half. A good sized backyard for the dog. So, tons of good things. Drawbacks are rather few and mild, still in hilly Karori too far from work; a bit dated and a little rough paintwise; tacky light fixtures; will take a lot of work to make yard really nice; no fridge or washer/dryer so we'll have to purchase those. Honestly though, those are pretty minor. After looking at a place in Khandallah later we decided that we were going to get the place in Karori. I do like Karori, this will be my third place in Karori in my time here. Hopefully this will be it for a few years.
While in Khandallah we had a very nice lunch at a cafe called Taste. After that we went home and had our little argument about choosing a place to live and decided on the Karori place.
The big event for the day was seeing Herbie Hancock in concert last night. I never thought I would see him live, though I've followed his career a little since Rockit was a big hit in the 80s. It was an awesome show. Really really good, just so much talent in the four people on the stage. An awesome combo of styles.
That was about it for the day, not bad not bad.
Saturday, May 05, 2007
One year in NZ, Wellington, Karori. Today is the day.
So, what has this year been like? Mostly just comfortable. Things have gone quite well. I got a great job, found a great apartment and have settled in quite well. Six months ago when Celeste arrived a new chapter began. From two years of long distance relationship to living together in one day. Quite a change.
It was also frustrating for us that she had received a Work-to-Residency visa not permanent residency so her staying in NZ was predicated on her finding a job. We soon learned that would be complicated by the time that she arrived in country. Turns out I had arrived at a very good time whereas she seemed to arrive at the worst time. November is too close to the x-mas holidays and everyone pretty much puts hiring on hold until sometime in January. So, nothing much happened on the job front. Then just as she was getting more interviews and things the Easter holiday arrived and things stopped again! So, it ended up with her not having a job offer before her visa was set to expire. We then spend some hectic times figuring out what new visa to apply for. This was complicated by the fact that the situation for WTR visa holders was in flex because it was not just Celeste having difficulty finding a job in the time allotted. After we finally tossed the application in the immigration drop box she was at last offered a great job. Of course when we contacted immigration to update them we found that they had lost her application (and passport that was with it). Very last minute it all came together and Celeste started her job Monday and in three months she should have her Permanent Residency taken care of! PHEW!!! It's been a hard time for her but it all works out.
Compared to that everything else has been pretty easy. The hardest adjustments are for her because she's having a difficult time dealing with what a lazy bastard I am. Now that she is working I am really trying to get better though!
And then on March 21 we brought home a little puppy who was born on January 22. He was named Samson by Celeste after a Regina Spektor song we both like a lot. He is a very cute little Australian Terrier/Maltese cross. He has grown from about 1.5kg to 3.3kg in the 6 weeks we have had him. Celeste is very committed to teaching him tricks. He will now sit/lie down/shake/jump up/roll over for treats. He is still learning to "stay" and "drop it." Unfortunately he does not like being left alone and our neighbours have complained to the authorities about his barking when we are away during the day. We are now looking for a house where he can bark his little brains out. Hopefully we will also be able to train him not to be quite so upset while we are away. Unfortunately I think that will be some work.
Hmmm...those are the things that jump out at me to write about for now. All in all, I am very happy about my first year as a NZ resident. I am working out and taking long walks regularly. Really trying to get healthier. Celeste and I want to have a child within the next year or so and I would like to be an active healthy parent!
If anyone manages to fine their way back here, please feel free to let me know!
So, what has this year been like? Mostly just comfortable. Things have gone quite well. I got a great job, found a great apartment and have settled in quite well. Six months ago when Celeste arrived a new chapter began. From two years of long distance relationship to living together in one day. Quite a change.
It was also frustrating for us that she had received a Work-to-Residency visa not permanent residency so her staying in NZ was predicated on her finding a job. We soon learned that would be complicated by the time that she arrived in country. Turns out I had arrived at a very good time whereas she seemed to arrive at the worst time. November is too close to the x-mas holidays and everyone pretty much puts hiring on hold until sometime in January. So, nothing much happened on the job front. Then just as she was getting more interviews and things the Easter holiday arrived and things stopped again! So, it ended up with her not having a job offer before her visa was set to expire. We then spend some hectic times figuring out what new visa to apply for. This was complicated by the fact that the situation for WTR visa holders was in flex because it was not just Celeste having difficulty finding a job in the time allotted. After we finally tossed the application in the immigration drop box she was at last offered a great job. Of course when we contacted immigration to update them we found that they had lost her application (and passport that was with it). Very last minute it all came together and Celeste started her job Monday and in three months she should have her Permanent Residency taken care of! PHEW!!! It's been a hard time for her but it all works out.
Compared to that everything else has been pretty easy. The hardest adjustments are for her because she's having a difficult time dealing with what a lazy bastard I am. Now that she is working I am really trying to get better though!
And then on March 21 we brought home a little puppy who was born on January 22. He was named Samson by Celeste after a Regina Spektor song we both like a lot. He is a very cute little Australian Terrier/Maltese cross. He has grown from about 1.5kg to 3.3kg in the 6 weeks we have had him. Celeste is very committed to teaching him tricks. He will now sit/lie down/shake/jump up/roll over for treats. He is still learning to "stay" and "drop it." Unfortunately he does not like being left alone and our neighbours have complained to the authorities about his barking when we are away during the day. We are now looking for a house where he can bark his little brains out. Hopefully we will also be able to train him not to be quite so upset while we are away. Unfortunately I think that will be some work.
Hmmm...those are the things that jump out at me to write about for now. All in all, I am very happy about my first year as a NZ resident. I am working out and taking long walks regularly. Really trying to get healthier. Celeste and I want to have a child within the next year or so and I would like to be an active healthy parent!
If anyone manages to fine their way back here, please feel free to let me know!
Friday, May 04, 2007
One year ago I flew out of NYC on my way to NZ. Leaving New York was always a mixed bag for me. One year later I still feel the same way. There are a lot of things I really liked about being there. Maybe the thing I liked most was just that, Being THERE! 6.5 years in the Big Apple. Being the hermit that I am, I never took advantage of it like I could/should have, but still...the energy of that city is different than anything I have experienced and I enjoyed many aspects of that. I liked the diversity most of all. Really every type of person you could ever expect to see you would see in NY on a daily basis. Walking down the street hearing the kaleidoscope of accents and languages was so great.
I never got over the intensity of feeling when I would see the skyline of Manhattan when driving in Queens. All of the different neighbourhoods with such distinct personalities. The unmatched variety of food. All of the little and not so little dogs.
Of course, beyond that were my friends I left behind. Not that I had so many, but I had a few that it is hard to be away from. Carrie was my best friend for 6 years and very difficult to walk away from that support and love. Paul was a great buddy and was almost enough to motivate me into being a healthier person. I think New Zealand itself has taken over for him, I'm really trying to stop being a couch potato. Nina, my friend that I would never see, but we always meant to spend more time together. Also, all of my other friends all over the states, it just feels that much less likely we'll see each other now that I am on the bottom of the world.
Honestly though, this was a move I still feel I had to make. Not just because I needed to be with Letlet (though that is more than reason enough), but because I needed to get away from it all. I have always wanted to really live somewhere else in the world and though in some ways Wellington New Zealand feels a lot like home (home being Portland and the pacific northwest), it is also a very different experience. I have not yet made close friends after a year here, but I do feel connected to people. I think I can belong here, that I can happily spend my life here.
I never got over the intensity of feeling when I would see the skyline of Manhattan when driving in Queens. All of the different neighbourhoods with such distinct personalities. The unmatched variety of food. All of the little and not so little dogs.
Of course, beyond that were my friends I left behind. Not that I had so many, but I had a few that it is hard to be away from. Carrie was my best friend for 6 years and very difficult to walk away from that support and love. Paul was a great buddy and was almost enough to motivate me into being a healthier person. I think New Zealand itself has taken over for him, I'm really trying to stop being a couch potato. Nina, my friend that I would never see, but we always meant to spend more time together. Also, all of my other friends all over the states, it just feels that much less likely we'll see each other now that I am on the bottom of the world.
Honestly though, this was a move I still feel I had to make. Not just because I needed to be with Letlet (though that is more than reason enough), but because I needed to get away from it all. I have always wanted to really live somewhere else in the world and though in some ways Wellington New Zealand feels a lot like home (home being Portland and the pacific northwest), it is also a very different experience. I have not yet made close friends after a year here, but I do feel connected to people. I think I can belong here, that I can happily spend my life here.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
I am returning to semi-regular posting. Will I still have any viewers?
The past six months have been quite full, so of course I did not blog any of it. Now that things seem to be mellowing I will return to the world of blogging. It is so much more fun to write when you have nothing to say.
The short version of the past half year is this, letlet arrives, looks and looks and looks for work, began work this very Monday with assorted wackiness in between. There is a new addition to our happy home name of Samson, I will put in pictures soon. I am still working in same place, we are all still living in same place but the home situation is likely to change before too much longer.
This is enough to get me started back. I will expand on all of these areas and more in the near future.
The past six months have been quite full, so of course I did not blog any of it. Now that things seem to be mellowing I will return to the world of blogging. It is so much more fun to write when you have nothing to say.
The short version of the past half year is this, letlet arrives, looks and looks and looks for work, began work this very Monday with assorted wackiness in between. There is a new addition to our happy home name of Samson, I will put in pictures soon. I am still working in same place, we are all still living in same place but the home situation is likely to change before too much longer.
This is enough to get me started back. I will expand on all of these areas and more in the near future.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
we're almost a week into the letlet and jon show. so far things are very very good. celeste has seen more of wellington in her first week than i did in my first month. we've been doing a lot of running around and she has been going to a lot of job interviews. the weather hasn't been great, but she's surviving, just wearing a lot of layers.
we've been shopping a bit for the apartment. getting the place more personalised by rearranging also.
today is a beautiful sunny day so we'll go to the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary and check out the wildlife (mostly consisting of birds). then tonight we're going to go see the Allah Made Me Funny show.
that's the story for now...
we've been shopping a bit for the apartment. getting the place more personalised by rearranging also.
today is a beautiful sunny day so we'll go to the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary and check out the wildlife (mostly consisting of birds). then tonight we're going to go see the Allah Made Me Funny show.
that's the story for now...
Sunday, November 05, 2006
The day has arrived! In about 8 hours letlet will arrive in Wellington and one and a half years of planning will come to fruition. It is very exciting. I am taking the week off of work and renting a car so that we can have the freedom to do whatever appeals. The weather isn't quite what I hoped, but I suppose she better get used to some grey and rainy weather.
I was also on a jury a couple of weeks ago. We found a man not guilty of assault with a machete. That was an interesting introduction to the New Zealand justice system. Just a few days after that, I was driving up the motorway and this guy was really tailgating me closely. Finally he was able to get past me and then all of a sudden this truck seemed to be tailgating me too. I thought, what the hell is going on!!! Then lights started flashing and I realised that the truck was driven by a cop. So, long story short, the original tailgater and I were pulled over. I was a little confused as to why I was pulled over. Turns out that the cop wanted me to demonstrate how close the guy had been tailgating me. Another interesting introduction to NZ legal.
Otherwise it's just been work and laziness mixed in with trying to get the apartment presentable for letlet's arrival. Hard to imagine how completely different life will be starting today. I welcome the change. Though it is easy for me to become a hermit, I do not think it is the best lifestyle for me. At least now we can hermit together.
I hope everyone is doing well!
I was also on a jury a couple of weeks ago. We found a man not guilty of assault with a machete. That was an interesting introduction to the New Zealand justice system. Just a few days after that, I was driving up the motorway and this guy was really tailgating me closely. Finally he was able to get past me and then all of a sudden this truck seemed to be tailgating me too. I thought, what the hell is going on!!! Then lights started flashing and I realised that the truck was driven by a cop. So, long story short, the original tailgater and I were pulled over. I was a little confused as to why I was pulled over. Turns out that the cop wanted me to demonstrate how close the guy had been tailgating me. Another interesting introduction to NZ legal.
Otherwise it's just been work and laziness mixed in with trying to get the apartment presentable for letlet's arrival. Hard to imagine how completely different life will be starting today. I welcome the change. Though it is easy for me to become a hermit, I do not think it is the best lifestyle for me. At least now we can hermit together.
I hope everyone is doing well!
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Just received the new Wellington region telephone books today. I am in the phonebook! Makes me feel like I really do live here. Also noticed there are only three people with my last name in the phonebook, even more interesting is that two of those three people work at Massey University.
That's about all I have for now...
That's about all I have for now...
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Here I am! Didja miss me?
Okay, here's the news! In less than a month, if all goes as planned (and doesn't it always?), Let will be here to live out the remainder of her days in hellish cohabitation with me! I'm lazy, i'm a slob, i'm irritable and smelly. I don't like to leave the apartment for any reason and I snore! She is SOOOOOOO excited to be on her way to this!
I, on the other hand, am getting a great deal out of this. Not only am I going to be cohabiting with an incredibly hot, smart, motivated, successful woman, she also wants to cook for me! It's almost like i'm stuck in some crazy dreamworld.
The scary part for the future of New Zealand and the World is that she also wants to have a baby with me! What will come of this tri-cultural abomination? Born in kiwiland of an ami and a flip? I don't think it bodes well for the future of civilisation.
Other than that, working and enjoying it, scooting and enjoying it, watching movies and enjoying it. Waiting for the 6th season of the Sopranos to make its way to me somehow so I can enjoy it. I've been watching a lot of Colbert Nation and The Daily Show over the last few days to catch up on the fake news situation back in the states. I've also been listening to and watching Flight of the Conchords to see how two guys from Wellington are preparing to take over the USofA.
Today is probably the nicest day we've had in a few weeks. This just means that it's not raining, the temperature might be in the double digits, the wind isn't blowing my recycling bin down the walkway and the sun is making brief appearances from behind the clouds. It's progress! Spring will be here in no time. Proof of that is from my little mutant potted apple tree i have on our patio. It is growing many a leaf now, it makes me happy. Kinda wish it were inside though!
Wow, what a pile of...typing this is.
Thank you for your support.
jdr
Okay, here's the news! In less than a month, if all goes as planned (and doesn't it always?), Let will be here to live out the remainder of her days in hellish cohabitation with me! I'm lazy, i'm a slob, i'm irritable and smelly. I don't like to leave the apartment for any reason and I snore! She is SOOOOOOO excited to be on her way to this!
I, on the other hand, am getting a great deal out of this. Not only am I going to be cohabiting with an incredibly hot, smart, motivated, successful woman, she also wants to cook for me! It's almost like i'm stuck in some crazy dreamworld.
The scary part for the future of New Zealand and the World is that she also wants to have a baby with me! What will come of this tri-cultural abomination? Born in kiwiland of an ami and a flip? I don't think it bodes well for the future of civilisation.
Other than that, working and enjoying it, scooting and enjoying it, watching movies and enjoying it. Waiting for the 6th season of the Sopranos to make its way to me somehow so I can enjoy it. I've been watching a lot of Colbert Nation and The Daily Show over the last few days to catch up on the fake news situation back in the states. I've also been listening to and watching Flight of the Conchords to see how two guys from Wellington are preparing to take over the USofA.
Today is probably the nicest day we've had in a few weeks. This just means that it's not raining, the temperature might be in the double digits, the wind isn't blowing my recycling bin down the walkway and the sun is making brief appearances from behind the clouds. It's progress! Spring will be here in no time. Proof of that is from my little mutant potted apple tree i have on our patio. It is growing many a leaf now, it makes me happy. Kinda wish it were inside though!
Wow, what a pile of...typing this is.
Thank you for your support.
jdr
Saturday, September 16, 2006
My favourite NZ Bookmarks
feed://wellurban.blogspot.com/atom.xml
http://zoomin.co.nz/wellington/
http://www.wellingtonspca.org.nz/
http://home.nzcity.co.nz/tvnow/tvguide.asp
http://www.trademe.co.nz/category_index.htm
http://wellingtonista.com/
http://www.stuff.co.nz/
http://www.pricespy.co.nz/
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,0a15a33,00.html
http://www.turners.co.nz/Branches/National/tabid/285/Default.aspx
http://www.solarhouseday.com/index01.shtml
http://www.move2nz.com/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fmember%2fmymove2nz.aspx
http://firstin.co.nz/splash/index.php
http://www.ferrit.co.nz/home.asp
http://apple.co.nz/
feed://wellurban.blogspot.com/atom.xml
http://zoomin.co.nz/wellington/
http://www.wellingtonspca.org.nz/
http://home.nzcity.co.nz/tvnow/tvguide.asp
http://www.trademe.co.nz/category_index.htm
http://wellingtonista.com/
http://www.stuff.co.nz/
http://www.pricespy.co.nz/
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,0a15a33,00.html
http://www.turners.co.nz/Branches/National/tabid/285/Default.aspx
http://www.solarhouseday.com/index01.shtml
http://www.move2nz.com/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fmember%2fmymove2nz.aspx
http://firstin.co.nz/splash/index.php
http://www.ferrit.co.nz/home.asp
http://apple.co.nz/
Friday, September 15, 2006
Saturday, September 09, 2006
has it been another month already? 4 months in NZ 2 months on job and all is well.
the biggest recent news is that letlet has heard from her visa officer and was offered a work-to-residency visa. she now needs to send in passport, a few docs and fees. then it will be processed and her visa will be sent back to her. she has booked a ticket for Nov. 4th which would get her here exactly 6 months after my arrival. quite exciting! i have to see if i can get that week off from work!
the other news is that i bought a little 50cc scooter. it's cute. of course not much power but it gets me around. well, it got me around. the other night it was dark and rainy night and i got all the way home no problem. then there is a steep driveway to my apt. and i kinda gunned it up the driveway and me and scooter kinda fell over :-P the scooter got the worst of it and is now in the shop being repaired. i banged up my knee a bit and tweaked my back somewhat.
i was stupid, it was really just a dumb thing to do. that's what i get for playing with new toys :-P
otherwise, still enjoying work. i've been going out to schools to tell students how to go about enrolling in university and things.
still nothing going on socially. i'm sure that will change once letlet is here.
oh, i have fallen in love with chocolate caramel slices here though. definitely my favourite sugar item right now.
also have plenty of family drama but i don't really feel like broadcasting all that.
cheers all,
jdr
the biggest recent news is that letlet has heard from her visa officer and was offered a work-to-residency visa. she now needs to send in passport, a few docs and fees. then it will be processed and her visa will be sent back to her. she has booked a ticket for Nov. 4th which would get her here exactly 6 months after my arrival. quite exciting! i have to see if i can get that week off from work!
the other news is that i bought a little 50cc scooter. it's cute. of course not much power but it gets me around. well, it got me around. the other night it was dark and rainy night and i got all the way home no problem. then there is a steep driveway to my apt. and i kinda gunned it up the driveway and me and scooter kinda fell over :-P the scooter got the worst of it and is now in the shop being repaired. i banged up my knee a bit and tweaked my back somewhat.
i was stupid, it was really just a dumb thing to do. that's what i get for playing with new toys :-P
otherwise, still enjoying work. i've been going out to schools to tell students how to go about enrolling in university and things.
still nothing going on socially. i'm sure that will change once letlet is here.
oh, i have fallen in love with chocolate caramel slices here though. definitely my favourite sugar item right now.
also have plenty of family drama but i don't really feel like broadcasting all that.
cheers all,
jdr
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Today marks 3 months in Wellington and one month on my new job. I feel it is all coming together quite nicely. I've received two paychecks now and feel almost like I'm in good financial shape again. Have been up to Palmerston a few times during the month. Have attended three different high school functions (career events) so far. Starting to have conversations with schools about my individual visits. I'm getting to the point now where I can actually answer some student questions. Still though, Massey has a lot of diverse offerings, it's difficult to get my head around all of the things I need to know. The comforting part is that many of the SLA's that have been at Massey for years still list "product knowledge" as their weakness, so I feel I'm doing okay only a month in.
We have our new administrative assistant in our office. She's a youngster, only 27. She has been involved in setting up a couple of offices before though, so I think she will be very good to have because we are essentially starting our office from scratch. All three of us are new and two of us are new to the country. Even my co-worker that is a Kiwi had spent the past six years away from NZ before coming back the end of last year and he's new to university admin. I think it's great. We all enjoy what we're doing and get along quite well.
After living in the apartment for a month I finally bought drying racks for laundry. Now I just have to catch up on my laundry that I had been avoiding washing for lack of a place to dry it. I did some today and will wash some more tomorrow. I must admit, I miss having a tumble dryer. Just had groceries delivered today so I am set for food for awhile. I think i'll make nachos for dinner tonight, i even bought ground beef. i don't have any beans, i've not been able to find black beans here yet, not that i've searched extensively though. the few places i've checked haven't had them.
Oh, I don't think I ever mentioned that I joined a by mail DVD rental service. It's about nz$10 more than it would be in the States, but it still seems reasonable. I'm trying to get through the Sopranos. So far i've completed season 2. Also watched what is one of the most popular NZ movies ever called "Goodbye Pork Pie," it is a funny road movie from 1981.
Today is an overcast, cool day here with a bit of wind. Supposed to rain tonight.
I've been having a lot of dreams lately about Gisela. I think I miss having a dog. I'm not going to rush to have another though, not until i'm really comfortable with my schedule and know that I will have enough time to take care of it. Would be nice to have a dog though...especially in these months of waiting for Celeste to get here.
Speaking of Celeste, she is in India right now for work. Why don't they send her down here :-P. Well, hopefully it won't be too long. The latest target is by the end of October. We can celebrate Halloween together ;-)
If you are working on coming to NZ, I wish you much luck! I have not yet had a moment when I did not want to be here. It is everything I hoped it would be. That's not to say that there aren't problems with this country, but I think overall it is just where I want to be. Hopefully at some point I can start working toward helping with some of the social ills that are hurting the young people here.
Take care all,
Jon
We have our new administrative assistant in our office. She's a youngster, only 27. She has been involved in setting up a couple of offices before though, so I think she will be very good to have because we are essentially starting our office from scratch. All three of us are new and two of us are new to the country. Even my co-worker that is a Kiwi had spent the past six years away from NZ before coming back the end of last year and he's new to university admin. I think it's great. We all enjoy what we're doing and get along quite well.
After living in the apartment for a month I finally bought drying racks for laundry. Now I just have to catch up on my laundry that I had been avoiding washing for lack of a place to dry it. I did some today and will wash some more tomorrow. I must admit, I miss having a tumble dryer. Just had groceries delivered today so I am set for food for awhile. I think i'll make nachos for dinner tonight, i even bought ground beef. i don't have any beans, i've not been able to find black beans here yet, not that i've searched extensively though. the few places i've checked haven't had them.
Oh, I don't think I ever mentioned that I joined a by mail DVD rental service. It's about nz$10 more than it would be in the States, but it still seems reasonable. I'm trying to get through the Sopranos. So far i've completed season 2. Also watched what is one of the most popular NZ movies ever called "Goodbye Pork Pie," it is a funny road movie from 1981.
Today is an overcast, cool day here with a bit of wind. Supposed to rain tonight.
I've been having a lot of dreams lately about Gisela. I think I miss having a dog. I'm not going to rush to have another though, not until i'm really comfortable with my schedule and know that I will have enough time to take care of it. Would be nice to have a dog though...especially in these months of waiting for Celeste to get here.
Speaking of Celeste, she is in India right now for work. Why don't they send her down here :-P. Well, hopefully it won't be too long. The latest target is by the end of October. We can celebrate Halloween together ;-)
If you are working on coming to NZ, I wish you much luck! I have not yet had a moment when I did not want to be here. It is everything I hoped it would be. That's not to say that there aren't problems with this country, but I think overall it is just where I want to be. Hopefully at some point I can start working toward helping with some of the social ills that are hurting the young people here.
Take care all,
Jon
Monday, July 24, 2006
Work Work Work. That's about all i've been doing so far. Just been trying to learn as much as possible and become prepared to visit schools. Spent three days in Palmerston North for a seminar last week. Having meetings with different people across the university every day. Busy busy.
Other than that, not much new and exciting. I did join the university gym today.
Honestly, not much else to say at this point. I did get my first paycheck, that was a joy!
Other than that, not much new and exciting. I did join the university gym today.
Honestly, not much else to say at this point. I did get my first paycheck, that was a joy!
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Massey University
Just about to complete my first week of work at Massey. Spent the first day in Palmerston North meeting people and exploring that campus. The past three days have been meeting people and exploring the Wellington campus. It has been hectic and exciting and overwhelming. My co-worker Guy and I were hired at the same time and will be the Student Liaison Advisers on Wellington campus and recruiting in the Wellington region.
We will have a lot of autonomy but also a lot of responsibility. I'm excited for both. Guy is a really nice...guy. We get along well and I think we'll be able to work well together. Tomorrow (Friday) will be our first day in the office just the two of us. I think we will try to do some organising of the tons of paper we have in our offices and also break down who will have which schools for recruitment.
Over the weekend I think I'll try to do a lot of reading regarding the different programs that Massey has to offer students. If you look hard enough on the website of Massey you can find me (including a picture!).
My love and wishes for a speedy recovery go out to my dear Letlet. She's come down with the flu and is not a happy camper. All the more so becuz she's not getting the attention she deserves from me. Poor girl.
Just about to complete my first week of work at Massey. Spent the first day in Palmerston North meeting people and exploring that campus. The past three days have been meeting people and exploring the Wellington campus. It has been hectic and exciting and overwhelming. My co-worker Guy and I were hired at the same time and will be the Student Liaison Advisers on Wellington campus and recruiting in the Wellington region.
We will have a lot of autonomy but also a lot of responsibility. I'm excited for both. Guy is a really nice...guy. We get along well and I think we'll be able to work well together. Tomorrow (Friday) will be our first day in the office just the two of us. I think we will try to do some organising of the tons of paper we have in our offices and also break down who will have which schools for recruitment.
Over the weekend I think I'll try to do a lot of reading regarding the different programs that Massey has to offer students. If you look hard enough on the website of Massey you can find me (including a picture!).
My love and wishes for a speedy recovery go out to my dear Letlet. She's come down with the flu and is not a happy camper. All the more so becuz she's not getting the attention she deserves from me. Poor girl.
Saturday, June 24, 2006
saturday. i've been practically bed-ridden for two days now. all of a sudden my back decided to go into spasms yesterday and has been a disaster since. yuck.
my job doesn't begin until july 3rd, so i have another week to recover, hopefully that will not be a prob. wish i was starting sooner, i'm excited to get going. not to mention that i'm completely broke so it would be good to have income.
just went through a crazy week or so of trying to buy a cute car. i bought a blender off of www.trademe.co.nz (nz auction site). turns out the people selling the blender are selling everything they own and moving back to the US. they had a very cute Daihatsu Sirion car from 2003 with only 15.5k km on it. they were selling it for only nz$10k which is 2-3k less than i could find a comparable one for. but, as i mentioned in previous paragraph i'm broke. and i have no credit in nz. so, i applied for a loan and they were only willing to cover 80% of cost and i don't have the other 2k. so, someone came along who was willing to pay the full amount and i missed out on the cute car i wanted. probably better anyway. i'd rather be paying for things in cash as much as possible and not building up debt. just fell for the car in a big way :-P
otherwise i'm trying not to spend the money i don't have and figuring out how to pay rent until i get my first paycheck. it's interesting.
that's about it for now...
jon
my job doesn't begin until july 3rd, so i have another week to recover, hopefully that will not be a prob. wish i was starting sooner, i'm excited to get going. not to mention that i'm completely broke so it would be good to have income.
just went through a crazy week or so of trying to buy a cute car. i bought a blender off of www.trademe.co.nz (nz auction site). turns out the people selling the blender are selling everything they own and moving back to the US. they had a very cute Daihatsu Sirion car from 2003 with only 15.5k km on it. they were selling it for only nz$10k which is 2-3k less than i could find a comparable one for. but, as i mentioned in previous paragraph i'm broke. and i have no credit in nz. so, i applied for a loan and they were only willing to cover 80% of cost and i don't have the other 2k. so, someone came along who was willing to pay the full amount and i missed out on the cute car i wanted. probably better anyway. i'd rather be paying for things in cash as much as possible and not building up debt. just fell for the car in a big way :-P
otherwise i'm trying not to spend the money i don't have and figuring out how to pay rent until i get my first paycheck. it's interesting.
that's about it for now...
jon
Sunday, June 18, 2006
AIM IM with saulxavier.
8:20 AM
J:hey! how's it going?
S:good how are you?
J:good!
J:so, you're gonna come visit in a year?
i have an apt. with a spare room and everything
S:we're staying in toronto for another year and going to save up to travel for up to a year
J:oh wow, plans have changed, sounds good though!
S:starting next may
J:sweetness
that's supercool
funny, there was just an article in the NYTimes about people doing just that!
well, not "just that"
but taking breaks between jobs for travel anyway
S:yeah we didnt get any interesting jobs, so rather than leaving, we're going to save for a year
J:shmart
S:so we might come to New Zealand!
J:that would be nifty
S:did you get a job?
J:i did indeed!
S:I read the blog
J:start the 26th
good
it's a brilliant blog, dontcha think?
you never leave comments you bastard
i beg and plead and only celeste ever does
S:no...it's too brilliant for me to leave comments
Jha!
just say "gee, you smell pretty"
that's as brilliant as my blog
S:are you liking it there?
J:yes
i enjoy sitting in my room on my computer 24/7 here, just as much as i did in nyc the air is better here and you hear more birds
and when i do venture out, people have cute accents
plus, the little money i've held in my hands is prettier than US money
and since i've been here there have been earthquakes, a tornado, a snowstorm that has trapped a gajillion people on the south island and a blackout in Auckland
S:everybody's money is prettier
the blackout in Auckland is the biggest deal though, cuz it will make other countries think we're third world but really, other countries don't notice us enough to care
i should really write this stuff in my blog, it's BRILLIANT
in fact, i might just cut and paste this chat into my blog
S:you should!
8:30 AM
J:OK
sweet, you will make a guest appearance in the brilliant ny2nz blog
S:People excellent!
I mean excellent
J:oh, if you wanna see my new apt. you will find it here http://web.mac.com/jonno/iWeb/JonLet/Welcome.html
how did excellent become "people excellent"???
S:and people are crazy for that World Cup here. Nobody cares about soccer in the US, everybody does in Toronto
J:so, yeah, i just need to get a paycheck before my meagre checking account dries up
S:I was starting to write about soccer
J:yes, world cup gets news here, but not as much as rugby and netball
S:people have flags from their home countries and drive around honking when their team wins
J:awesome
i'm sure that's happening a little in nyc too
people like their flags and horns in nyc
S:US and Italy are playing right now
J:well, lucky US gets past this round whether they win or lose i think
S:There are about 500k Italians in Toronto
J:becuz some team beat the czechs? something like that
S:Italy will probably beat the US
J:yes, they're euro
all euros should beat the US
8:35 AM
J:so, are you already planning your route around the world?
the Tui (a nz native bird) has the coolest bird call ever!
S:We haven't started yet. Learing about round the world tickets
J:yes
S:The apartment looks nice, The view is great!
J:not bad. unfortunately only get morning sun
would rather just get afternoon sun
S:Is Let there yet?
J:hell no, probably not until september
though sometimes she sounds like she'll just fly over tomorrow
S:are her papers all worked out?
J:everything is in now, she's just waiting to hear
S:I'll keep my fingers crossed for you
J:danke
they sound cooler in person but... http://www.kiwi-wildlife.co.nz/Sounds/tui.mp3
8:20 AM
J:hey! how's it going?
S:good how are you?
J:good!
J:so, you're gonna come visit in a year?
i have an apt. with a spare room and everything
S:we're staying in toronto for another year and going to save up to travel for up to a year
J:oh wow, plans have changed, sounds good though!
S:starting next may
J:sweetness
that's supercool
funny, there was just an article in the NYTimes about people doing just that!
well, not "just that"
but taking breaks between jobs for travel anyway
S:yeah we didnt get any interesting jobs, so rather than leaving, we're going to save for a year
J:shmart
S:so we might come to New Zealand!
J:that would be nifty
S:did you get a job?
J:i did indeed!
S:I read the blog
J:start the 26th
good
it's a brilliant blog, dontcha think?
you never leave comments you bastard
i beg and plead and only celeste ever does
S:no...it's too brilliant for me to leave comments
Jha!
just say "gee, you smell pretty"
that's as brilliant as my blog
S:are you liking it there?
J:yes
i enjoy sitting in my room on my computer 24/7 here, just as much as i did in nyc the air is better here and you hear more birds
and when i do venture out, people have cute accents
plus, the little money i've held in my hands is prettier than US money
and since i've been here there have been earthquakes, a tornado, a snowstorm that has trapped a gajillion people on the south island and a blackout in Auckland
S:everybody's money is prettier
the blackout in Auckland is the biggest deal though, cuz it will make other countries think we're third world but really, other countries don't notice us enough to care
i should really write this stuff in my blog, it's BRILLIANT
in fact, i might just cut and paste this chat into my blog
S:you should!
8:30 AM
J:OK
sweet, you will make a guest appearance in the brilliant ny2nz blog
S:People excellent!
I mean excellent
J:oh, if you wanna see my new apt. you will find it here http://web.mac.com/jonno/iWeb/JonLet/Welcome.html
how did excellent become "people excellent"???
S:and people are crazy for that World Cup here. Nobody cares about soccer in the US, everybody does in Toronto
J:so, yeah, i just need to get a paycheck before my meagre checking account dries up
S:I was starting to write about soccer
J:yes, world cup gets news here, but not as much as rugby and netball
S:people have flags from their home countries and drive around honking when their team wins
J:awesome
i'm sure that's happening a little in nyc too
people like their flags and horns in nyc
S:US and Italy are playing right now
J:well, lucky US gets past this round whether they win or lose i think
S:There are about 500k Italians in Toronto
J:becuz some team beat the czechs? something like that
S:Italy will probably beat the US
J:yes, they're euro
all euros should beat the US
8:35 AM
J:so, are you already planning your route around the world?
the Tui (a nz native bird) has the coolest bird call ever!
S:We haven't started yet. Learing about round the world tickets
J:yes
S:The apartment looks nice, The view is great!
J:not bad. unfortunately only get morning sun
would rather just get afternoon sun
S:Is Let there yet?
J:hell no, probably not until september
though sometimes she sounds like she'll just fly over tomorrow
S:are her papers all worked out?
J:everything is in now, she's just waiting to hear
S:I'll keep my fingers crossed for you
J:danke
they sound cooler in person but... http://www.kiwi-wildlife.co.nz/Sounds/tui.mp3
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