Life is taking shape

May 19, 2015 | The Great Journey, Thoughts

So what’s he doing, now that he’s ‘there’? 🙂

One sweet as thing about the au pair life is that you practically pay for nothing.
You eat wth the family, you share their internet connection, you sleep under their roof, you are invited to every family do like sporting events, visits and many more. Additionally, you receive a small allowance and come to enjoy living that way, especially from the background of a self-supporting working life…
But this weekend I funded my own way of entertainment. And it was definitely worth it! 😀
I met up with an au pair from anther suburb of Wellington and we had a fine day in Wellington.

And what do you do on a sunday in Wellington?

  • You go for a walk. Wellington is beautiful and has many sights to offer. And whilst walking, you can think about hiding from the ever-present cold gusts.
  • You visit Te Papa. This museum has it all and the advantage of being completely free. You can just wander and gather information about New Zealand at will, you can leech off the free WiFi or (that’s what we did) you can just sit down in a corner spot, look down on Wellington and talk. And the conversation between two au pairs ‘in office’ is most interesting. 🙂
  • You buy something on impulse. At the market with fresh fruit and vegetables you can trust and follow the intel of an experienced apple picker for the most exquisit apple.
  • You visit the Embassy. Have I ever rhapsodized this movie theatre? Never? Then this is the time: It is old, it is cosy, it has character, a humongous screen in the main auditorium, it is the only theatre in New Zealand featuring Dolby Atmos (ceiling speakers for the perfect surround sound) and holds the utmost brutal sound I have EVER encountered. By saying brutal, I mean that I am deeply impressed each and every time. My Mivoc Sidekicks at home used to shake the room at home so I was almost worried, but this relentless pressure in any frequency just has to have unbelievable tech supporting it. We went to see a pure and well-made action movie and you are just dazed as the movie proceeds to a quieter moment. Awesome!
  • You go out eating. There’s a restaurant or takeaway at every corner and of every cuisine, it makes coosing hard. Inside the Capital Market the choice falls easier. There even is table service in the centre area as food stalls of all colours gather around. You purchase your meal, sit down at a table, eat and you’re happy. I chose Indian. It was yummy. 🙂
  • You can go for another walk. Especially at nightfall you are well off walking through the botanic gardens or up Mount Victoria. But it was rather chilly out and we went for the last big point.
  • You can have some coffee. It is an integral part of the culture, there’s lots of cafĂ©s, inside a huge offer of hot beverages and always a laid back atmosphere. Just what you need on a sunday night… 🙂

Besides that the everyday life solidifies with each day. The fact that English is the language we speak doesn’t get any second thought… I hope to live up to the family’s expectation, teaching them some German in a consistent way.

 

 

While going down Highway 1 towards the city centre, you have a great view over Wellington Harbour.

Today was rather stressful. I had to save the laundry from the rain and put it up in the living room. It hasn’t dried yet, but at least all the pegs (which fell to the ground while collecting the laundry) are on the line now, sorted by colour. 😀
The chicken nuggets came out nice and the crumbing process has been improved. I got the kids to taekwondo on time and taught the German word ‘Schabernack’ (meaning mischief) to the youngest.
The family’s vacuum cleaner is GENIUS, by the way! 🙂 You just strap that thing to your back and only have to take care of the cable. I transform into Vacuuminator for that time. 8/
Once a week I bake and that is tomorrow. I’ll see, what sugar bombs I will let loose this time. 🙂

 

 

Chocolate Chip Cookies, just before visiting the oven. They were addictive… 🙂

All as planned

Mar 13, 2015 | Photos, The Great Journey, Trips, Updates

In 33 days, I will open a door. A door that belongs to my home of the next months.

My plan to spend the 12 mandatory weeks in the apple orchard, in order to extend my visa, works out. Only I will go back to Hawke’s Bay after one week with my host family to use April’s last two weeks for work. Cause theoretically you have to work only one day per week, to make it count for the extension.

After all bureaucratic and also physically exhausting efforts I can settle in my (in the beginning planned as the only station) host family.

When I really think about it (Attention, try this for yourself. Sorry to all parents.), I am giving myself an outstanding package of New Zealand


Firstly, one (out of max. 3) months a tourist, no work, just ‘being’ here. In that time, I looked for a host family. The advantage of having the applicant sitting in front of you is that huge, you can actually go for the perfect family. Also, that they most likely will accept. Skype is nothing compared to a talk facing each other over a table


Then I applied for the working holiday visa. Disadvantage: For stays longer than a year you need a health certificate. They cost, but that’s just the way things work. For an extended stay I am more than happy to go through that.

Holding the working visa, you can dive into the life as work-and-traveler. You can spend long days picking apples in screaming heat and think about life, the meaning of education and a qualified job. You learn what saving money means. You learn that work clothes begin to smell quicker. Also, you learn that life is not all fun and games.

So, when you are either sick of it or you completed you 12 weeks for the extension, you can ignite the second stage. You go out to your host family and..well, I will report when time has come.

The calculation in months is easy. My case shows as follows:

1 month on the tourist visa

12 months on the working holiday visa

3 months in extension of the WHV

When I arrive in my family, I will have spent 5 months in New Zealand already. Effectively, 11 months remain. The last of them I would like to spend traveling the South Island, so that I have 9-10 months with the family.

 The other disadvantage is the rebooking of my flight ticket. On arrival as a tourist you must show a ticket homebound. It is no problem to extend a flight ticket (doesn’t cost the world). But flight tickets are only extendable over the span of one year. For my stay lasts longer than a year, I had to let the booked flight go and will have to look for a new one. Maybe this could’ve gone smoother, so make sure to speak early enough with your travel agent


Anyhow, even this circumstance is fully worth the additional time I have here at the end of the world.

Amongst others because of this:

Most Au Pairs arrive at their host family directly and leave them directly for home. 1 year as an Au Pair, some traveling on the side, the end. In the beginning that was my plan, too. But it has changed dramatically.

When arriving at my family, I will be familiar with the Kiwi way of life. Then I have already seen streets, supermarkets, gas stations and mannerisms, food and the slang. Within my stay, being an Au Pair is on the one hand the biggest part, on the other hand not the only one.

And after traveling the South Island, I can have a little ‘reunion’ with the family before I return home. I travel, work, be an Au Pair, travel again and then I go home. After 16 months worth New Zealand


On a road trip it went up as it often does and this time again, I was not disappointed. New Zealand is SO beautiful!

Remember: For trips with your camera, sunset hours are the best. 😉

In the end of my road trip, I found this place. A world record, only 100km from my current stay! 😀 (The name describes a hill and actually is a full sentence.)

Hakuna Matata

Mar 2, 2015 | The Great Journey, Thoughts

I want to thank Susi, who suggested this article. 😊

Here and there I have mentioned that I like the ways of the people here. After spending 3 months here (seems like 3 weeks however) I would like to put it into more binding words. Those relate to the New Zealanders rather than to travelers.
If you were looking for that mass of friendly people that await you upon arrival and welcome you straight to their hearts, you must realize, soberingly, that they are still human over here.

There is the quiet businessman striving past you in his wafting suit, there is the strict mother who impatiently tries to teach ‘Pardon?’ to her daughter, there are shady people that you wouldn’t like to cross.
There is the Work-o-holic who makes for a not to be underrated danger on top of his tractor, there is the scruffy and whacky looking lady who zips through the supermarket beyond any speed limit, there are also people who don’t respond to your hearty greeting.
BUT there IS a substantial shift in the ways of these people. A shift which lets the Kiwis outstand.

It is the relaxed and always positive attitude towards life and the utterly small barrier to engage in a conversation.

The latter often happened. Whether you only ask for the way and get a lift to your hostel as an effect and gain lovely friends by the way, or you get talked to in a random place, have a nice talk and never see each other again.
You learn in utmost comfort that anybody likes to communicate and that there ought to be no unnecessary boundaries.
Besides, the most knowledge, the most tips and the best bargains are given away by trivial asking.
The interest in the other seems to be greater. You care for one another, you always ask how one is.

When asked something, it is put in the most discrete and friendly way, always estimating the best. To my sorrow this waters down the clear and direct commanding tone and misconceptions arise. But it’s nothing that isn’t solved easily after asking a second time
 😊

The most shining feature are all the phrases, or maybe all those saying used redundantly.
Everything is ‘sweet as’ (yup, one S), ‘good as gold’, ‘cool’ or plain ‘sweet’ with a thumbs up, you become anybody’s ‘mate’ or ‘bro’. Trifles or the ‘sorry’ when passing someone is being answered with a smile. You can shout out a friendly salute to the leaf-blowing-specialist over there and it come back as hearty.

Not one traveler can miss the most recognizable saying regarding the Kiwi Way of Life. It is often used after a ‘Thank you!’ and in any situation, that makes the other person look caring. It plays a crucial role in the daily life. It is: ‘No worries!’ (for the rest of your days)

 

Gear and Gadgets 2 or Good Investment, Bad Investment

Feb 6, 2015 | The Great Journey, Thoughts

I am on the way for 2 months now (how time flies, blabla
) and have been able to put the things I took with me to use.
Over time some things appeared more or less useful and those insights I would share with you. And with everybody who googled ‘Packing List Au Pair New Zealand’ or ‘Backpacker Packing List’ to end up here.

Bose Soundlink Mini:
My most beloved companion. I got it as replacement to my Mivoc Sidekick (which in the last moment I removed from the bag) as a Christmas gift for myself in order to satisfy my hunger for HiFi.
And the small and heavy technical miracle serves an insanely good job. He goes down to 60Hz (depending on the environment it’s ear candy) clean and I do like that.
I love it.

Leatherman Skeletool:
Peeling onions or opening reluctant wrappings is an adventurous undertaking using the knives of hostels. But a sharp blade provides aid, IF you carry it with you. 😊 All the other utilities on it will surely be put to use in time.

Bluetooth Computer Mouse:
Not used it once. The touchpad on my * is fully sufficient.

*Lenovo Thinkpad:
Awesome thing. Full HD and an SSD. Is really quiet, the battery lasts a few movies and it does anything you tell it obediently.

Socks:
Well, it’s summer. But you could save some space and better invest in some comfortable jandals
 Until now I have only worn like 18% of my socks. 😉

External hard drive/ digital storage:
You are just more confident when the movie collection of your travel mates is in front of you and you can just copy at will. And alongside some smaller USB keys for backup and two 32GB SD cards there are no worries about storage shortage in sight.

LEDLenser head lamp:
Like this you can climb Mount Victoria safely at night (while looking like a professional).

Mini towel:
It provides a sense of sureness in the everyday life and does a good job at protecting the highly praised speaker while traveling.

Diary:
When you can’t look up on WhatsApp what you have done the last days, this book rises in significance.

8L-ZipLoc-Bags:
Either at preparing devilled eggs or when compressing you clothes for packing, these always deliver a strong performance. Irreplaceable!

Clothing in general:
Being dressed is mandatory in New Zealand as well, but I like my shorts with big pockets best. Because boys aren’t allowed purses
 My beanie, scarf and gloves might prove themselves worthy in another season. Most importantly: The count of underpants sets the time between laundry days.

Two credit cards:
Two sources of money. One for worry-less paying, one for worry-less withdrawals. Life is much more fun this way. 😀

Tablet:
Useless. At least for now. Not turned it on once.

Smartphone:
I know, back in the day I was some kind of freak with those. But it is impressive, how long a battery lasts in flight mode. 😊 And I don’t miss it a bit. You don’t carry an alternate world inside your pocket and thus, you can always easily and unlimitedly pay attention to your surroundings.

First Aid Set:
Grandma and mom can be relieved, I didn’t have to use it yet.

In-Ear-Headphones:
On the plane, they provide a much better sound quality than the cheap ones they offer you. Even as earplugs in louder situations you can put them to good use. But I ain’t such a wimp not to be able to sleep next to a crazy wild party next door. 😛

Edding:
Awesome. Either when making your mark on the hostel’s fridge or to label your food, it is a rather useful object. Goes to the category “vital trinkets”.

Multisocket:
Cellphone, Laptop and speaker charging at the same time! You still need one adapter still, but the others are all German plugs.

I won’t lose any words about my bags here.

Life at the Hostel

Jan 21, 2015 | The Great Journey, Thoughts

Since arriving in New Zealand, I slept nowhere else than in hostels.

That way I learned much about this habitat, that I would like to share with you.

 

Things that are the same in every hostel:

  • There are the so-called ‘longtermers’, people who live more than 1-2 months in a hostel already. They have seen everything yet and adapt perfectly/ in their own ways to the life there. You can spot them by their colorful meals that often hold many courses.
  • Every hostel has backpackers who work for accommodation. Thus, it can happen that your roommate cleans the shower after you or reminds you to dry your dishes. From them you hear countless stories how defaced some rooms are and how somebody misuses the handwashing liquid as shower gel.
  • It appears to be 90% Germans and French you seem to meet.
  • The kitchen will teach you soon to forget the hygiene standards from home. If there’s no scraps on it, it’s clean. Sharp knives don’t exist.
  • Every hostel has a TV room, couches all over the place and a big dinner table near the kitchen.
  • Every hostel is plastered with guideline notes in every corner, which all must have their very own story

  • Your travel guides are sleeping in the beds around you at night.

 

Things that are different in every hostel:

  • At some hostels, you just lie down and sleep like a baby, whilst in other ones you get an uncomfortable itch remembering the bed bugs that you have flicked off the sheets.
  • Big room with shower curtain, bathtub with shower curtain and the window curtain doesn’t even cover the whole clear glass window, shower cubicle, giant shower with glass doors that don’t close; taking a shower always is a little adventure.
  • Some hostels are more ‘talky’, at one place I didn’t have a single conversation in 1,5 days. (Wasn’t as bad as it sounds. 😀 )
  • At some hostels they provide you with free coffee and tea, at others there’s cappuccino on top, some even give rice and pasta, and at some places there’s none of that.
  • The source of all being: The internet. Here you get temporary unlimited data for 12$ a week, there it is 4$ for 24 hours and 10 GB, there it is 6 GB once but as long as you like, currently I got 800MB for free with an UNbelievably unstable connection
 (Most cities have at least one free hotspot in town, though.)

There is not much to tell about my current stay. I returned to Wellington to open my bank account, which worked out very well. Soon I will go to Hastings, because there are many orchard jobs and that’s exactly what I am looking for


Besides, that area is said the same about as the area around the Kaiserstuhl in Germany: They have the ‘best’ wheather. 😊

But more on that later.