Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere! - Part 2

Dear Friends, Family and Unknown Groupies,

In case you are one of those who wonders how Santa Clause manages to get all the way around the world in one night, we figure it really helps to have multiple time zones and an international date line. While most of our friends and family are gearing up for Christmas Eve, we were already in the post-gift-unwrapping clean-up stage.



We have had a very pleasant and relaxing first "Kiwi-Christmas". After weeks of bright sunshine and long, comfortable summer evenings, today was different. For most of the morning, we had fog, rain and a cool breeze, finally clearing in the evening - but remaining cooler than usual. It is almost enough to make you think we are spending the big day in the Pacific Northwest! Just the right kinda day for laying around the house enjoying all our new gifts. Connor had a very merry "Bob-the-Builder-Christmas" and Eric and I received a few of the books and DVDs we had on our Amazon.com wish lists, so thanks to our family who thought to go online and shop a month in advance of the holiday! (The belated stuff we are still waiting to receive will be a bonus, and much appreciated as well.)



Health-wise, we are all doing well. Eric has mostly recovered from his anniversary gift to me (a vasectomy); and, I am enjoying my 1 1/2 weeks off of work - which does not even cut into my regular 4 weeks of annual leave which I will probably use later next year. This week was also the start of Connor's longest holiday from school, (Eric and I are praying that we survive the next six weeks).


On the job front, mine is still going quite well and I am enjoying it immensely. Unfortunately, Eric has not had any luck and is still looking for employment. While my income is sufficient for us to live, it is not enough to buy the only home we have found in Connor's school zone that we really, really like. (See: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Property/Residential-Property/Houses-for-sale/auction-128543192.htm?key=309558) So, we ask that you continue praying that Eric finds just the right job and that "dream home v.2" becomes available shortly thereafter.

I am quite proud of Eric these days. Despite the setbacks on the job search front, he has remained optimistic and really picked up the task of being a homemaker/dad and run with it! Before his recent surgery, he was in the habit of walking Connor to and from school every day, helping with homework, fixing Connor's lunchbox, doing the grocery shopping, housework, laundry, yard work, making dinner, . . ., the whole nine yards! He still works hard, though his recovery has slowed him a bit as you can imagine, and he and Connor have really built a nice bond out of this new routine. Seeing them together in this way has really made going back to work a lot easier on me than I had anticipated.

Well, I must get back to the post-holiday cleanup and wish all of you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Boxing Day and New Year! We love and miss you and wish you well in the coming new year!

Love, Linda, Eric & Connor

Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere!

Merry Christmas Friends, Family and Kiwi-Wannabes,

After spending my entire life in the Northern Hemisphere, I confess that it is taking a bit of work to get used to the reversal of the seasons - especially when the holidays fall on the same days of the year!

First it was Halloween in the Spring, instead of Fall; and, now, I am gearing up for celebrating Christmas during the height of summer! Not that I ever had any "White Christmases" growing up in Florida; but, when you see pictures of Santa in shorts carrying a surf board and Kiwi birds wearing sleigh bells you just can't keep any illusions about how far away from the North Pole we live.


The days are now longer - usually not getting dark till 9pm. The weather is warmer and sunnier and the thinner ozone layer definitely makes you feel like you are being microwaved when standing out in direct sunlight, though it is certainly not oppressively hot/humid and you still might want to wear long sleeves in the evenings. The DIY-handymen and gardeners are out in force, we can keep the windows open nearly all day - though it is doing a number on my sinuses, the smell of BBQs fill the evening, we have more bird crap on our car that you can imagine, and the whole country is gearing up to go on vacation!


In a way, it really is great that the Christmas/Boxing Day/New Years Holidays fall right when everyone is ready to be outdoors, because they get plenty of time off work for the holidays without having to use up personal leave time to go on vacation. I, for instance, get all but one day off between the 22nd of Dec and the 3rd of Jan - and that is without having to use any of my leave time! Connor gets his biggest break of the year from school, starting the 20th of December and not having to go back until February!


Last weekend the entire Gross-Family-Unit went Christmas tree shopping. Though I had seen trees in the windows of homes, I had not seen any outdoor lots full of live trees so I was starting to get concerned that we were going to be stuck getting a fake tree. Then I discovered that they keep the live trees indoors so the heat doesn't dry them out too quickly. We found a lovely 7' live tree (only $45 NZD) that wasn't too fat to fit through our sliding glass door from the back deck. I decided to put the tree in the dining room, because there was more space there than in the living room, and it would be out of the way of Connor's activities - for the most part.


For the past three Christmases, while we were living in Arkansas, we were in the habit of not decorating or getting a tree because we spent those holidays with family in Florida. That was fun and we do miss having family with us this year; but, it is also great to not have to drive anywhere this year and to be able to pull out all our old decorations and reminisce about them. This was also the first year ever that Connor was able to help with the job of decorating the tree, and he even contributed the paper angel that we put on top - since we still haven't found a new light-up angel that we like. We had lots of fun last Sunday getting the tree set up, and pulling out the giant Santa that my Grandpa won back in the mid-1960s. (Yes, after decades of a subtle family tug-of-war over the Santa, Connor finally won possession of the prized family heirloom - without even asking!)


Tomorrow, the Royal New Zealand Police College (RNZPC), where I frequently work when not at Police National Headquarters (PNHQ), will be having a Kid's Christmas Party. I promised Connor we would take him and he has been excited about it all week. A live Santa will be there and they are supposed to have rides in Police cars, a bouncy castle, food, games and other stuff. It is also a pretty drive over the mountains to the Tasman Sea - which is viewed from the College campus in Porirua(about 40 minutes from Wellington).

In other news, Connor had an eventful week before last. After having a rather poor day of behavior at school a week ago Monday, he decided he would get some more positive attention by swallowing a 10 cent piece (looks like an American penny). I immediately called the hospital, which evidently gets a LOT of these kinds of calls. Since the coin seemed to have gone down okay, not causing any trouble with his breathing and swallowing, they simply recommended we keep an eye out for the coin to pass through his system. (I think this was also the first time Connor became cognizant of the fact that what he eats and what he poops are related.) Anyway, we looked all week but never saw the coin, so we took him to the hospital for x-rays a week later. Other than having to wait his turn, that actually went quite well. Connor even got to see an American doctor from California who looked like he belonged in one of those TV medical dramas. Anyway, the x-rays showed no coin, and he hasn't shown any sign of pain or difficulty, so we are all pretty confident that the coin was passed and we just missed it somehow. We were also thrilled to discover that the two full x-rays and the doctor consultation cost us absolutely nothing! (Oh, how I love socialized health care! Did I tell you our RXs only cost us $3? Yeah, I did, but I still can't get over that!)

Back to the behavior issues that lead to Connor swallowing the coin - Eric met with the school Principal, teacher and education specialist, who all had some constructive advice and recommendations. We were very impressed to see the amount of time, money and individual attention they are willing to give Connor to help him learn how to relate to other children and deal with his emotions in a less physical manner. They even are assigning a special teacher aid to go out with Connor during his unstructured play time (when most of the problems occur) and help guide him into healthy, playful interactions with the other children and defuse conflict before it gets out of hand.

Also in other news, Eric is still looking for a job, but he did apply for a position with NZ Police in the same building where I work. The job involves analyzing intelligence gathered on suspected terrorists and terrorist groups and liaising with multiple agencies and internal personnel with counter-terrorist assistance. It sounds fascinating and it would allow us to work near each other, commute and have lunch together, without being right in the middle of each other's work group. Please keep him in your prayers that this opportunity, or something even better, works out for him.

Well, that about covers our news at the moment. We are looking forward to the holidays and hope that they find you all healthy, happy and enjoying the love of those around you!

Love from Down Under,

Linda

"Only You Can Stop Forest Fires", Connor!

What a beautiful Saturday! Just had to post a couple of pics of our very own "Smokey the Bear", out in our front yard with the hose.





Happy Thanksgiving to our American friends and family! We love and miss you all and hope this holiday is a pleasant one for you.

Love, Linda, Eric and Connor

Model Train Expo

Hi Guys,

I just wanted to post a couple of pics from the Model Train Expo 2007, held at the TSB Arena on Queens Wharf this weekend.


Today (Sat) is a very sunny and warm day with a pleasant breeze, colorful wildflowers blooming and people out doing typical Saturday afternoon chores (at least typical for people who aren't lazy like us). This morning we took the commuter train into the Wellington CBD (Central Business District), walked over to Queens Wharf, had an early lunch at an outdoor cafe, visited the Expo, walked back to the train station for our ride back to Petone/Maungaraki, and picked up ice cream cones on our way back up the hill to home. Now we are just vegging out and enjoying having all the windows open, watching the sailboats on the harbour and listening to the birds singing their odd songs, (in between Connor's normal shrieks and chatter).


For family and friends back in the U.S., I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday this week. Since it isn't a holiday here, I expect to be working as usual that day, and see no reason to spend a day cooking a big meal just for the three of us. We will probably go out to eat again next weekend and maybe do a bit more exploring around the region. But, we will be thinking of all of you - thanking God for blessing us with such wonderful loved ones - and wishing you all health, wealth and happiness.

Happy Holidays,
Linda, Eric & Connor

Connor, The Yard Man

I guess you can take the boy out of Arkansas, but you can't take the Arkansas out of the boy. Here are a few shots I just took of Connor doing "yard work" in his John Deere hat and t-shirt.


After using his toy lawn mower, Connor planted a flower and then decided it needed to hear a love song in order to grow. He likes to sing with one hand in the air and one hand over his heart, for some reason.


He thoroughly watered the plants and ripped off the leaves he deemed imperfect from the rose bush at the end of our deck. (If our landlord is reading this, don't worry, I put a stop to that fairly quickly.)


Eric hasn't been bagging our yard clippings - hence the carpet of daisies that spring up across the yard a few days after each mow. Every week there are more, so we expect at some point the yard will be ALL daisies - except where Connor conscientiously picks them for my bouquets.

Cheers, Linda

Linda's First Week At Work

Greetings All,

Well my first week at NZ Police National Headquarters, Operational Services Group, went really well. There is an overwhelming amount of work to do. So much so that my boss is probably going to look for additional resources, but none of the tasks appear to be beyond my ability at this point.

The focus of the work is actually really interesting - concerning how police employ the various tactical options at their disposal in order to resolve a situation. I will be responsible for the on-going development and maintenance of the database which records all uses of force by Police, then drawing that data out, analyzing it, and making it useful for a number of stakeholders.

On my first day, after a bit of time in HR, I was given a whirlwind tour of the high rise building where I work, then taken to the Wellington Watch House to see how subjects in custody are brought in and processed. Then the Inspector assigned to show me around drove me all over the region to show me some other Police facility locations of various sizes, the Royal NZ Police College, and the Police Dog training facility. At some point I will get to go on a ride along with Police, and will also get to observe tactical training at the college first hand.

I am blessed to still have the woman I am supposed to replace working with me until the Christmas holidays. She is frantically finishing up her projects, but squeezing in some time to show me the ropes. I feel good about my new boss as well. John is an older man, but still quite energetic and passionate about his work. He is supportive and sensitive to the fact that our group is frequently given so many divergent tasks that it is hard for anyone to actually finish something. He wants to give me plenty of time to get up to speed, and he is zealously protecting me from demands on my time that are not directly relevant to my job focus.

The only complaint I have so far is the workplace layout is not really conducive to intense concentration. I am on the third floor of a high rise surrounded in windows, but to fit a number of people onto the floor and ensure that everyone has natural light, they have an open-plan layout with half-wall dividers. You can sit at your computer and look across the wall to the next person sitting at their computer. Noise and distractions can be hard on an analyst, so when I asked if I could schedule a workday at home each week (Tuesdays), just so I can read all the materials I need to read, my supervisor was very supportive. In addition, I have scheduled another day a week (Wednesdays) to go out to the Royal NZ Police College in Porirua and work with the analyst out there who is most familiar with what I will be doing. I will also be getting a laptop, so that I can go wherever I need to go to concentrate on my work.

In addition to this kind of workplace flexibility, I was thrilled to see the number of holidays given. As many of you know, one of the big selling points to us when we decided to move to NZ was that they have a mandatory 4 full weeks of paid vacation for every full-time employee, regardless of job. But in addition to 4 weeks of annual leave, there are something like 11-12 national holidays as well. When I arrived at Police, I discovered that government employees also get a few extra holidays (Stat or Statutory Holidays, as well as individual Commissioners give their employees holidays). For example, without having to take ANY of my annual leave time off, I will only have to work 1 day between December 21 and January 3rd, thanks to all the National/Commissioners/Stat Holidays given to me as a Police employee!

So, for 37 hours and 50 minutes per week (don't ask me why it isn't 40 hrs per week, I am not complaining), I will be extremely busy at work; but, I will get the schedule flexibility and more time off than I have ever had with any job before.

Since Eric hasn't started a job yet, he has been fantastic about walking Connor to and from school on those days that I take the car into town; or, driving me to work and Connor to school on the other days. He has done the grocery shopping, housework, cooking, laundry, Connor's homework and fixing his lunchbox, etc. It has been a joy to come home at the end of a long day and know that I don't have a ton of little household tasks to perform. He has been such a great "House Husband" it almost makes me not want him to find a full-time job, though I know we need the income.

Thanks again to those of you who have prayed on my behalf for just such a career fit. Please keep up the prayers on Eric's behalf. If he can find a fit that is equally as nice as mine, we will be in fantastic shape!

Take care and, for friends and family in the U.S., know that we love and miss you all and can't wait for you to come over for a visit!

Cheers, Linda

A Picnic and Tramp (Not What You Think)

For my last Saturday as a "Stay at Home Mom" we decided to have a picnic and hike, (or "tramp" as they say here in Kiwi-land), in Belmont Regional Park. This huge reserve lies between our Hutt Valley Hills suburb of Maungaraki and the Tasman Sea coastal suburb of Porirua. The park's hundreds of acres contain dozens of trails for "tramping", biking and horseback riding, as well as sites for picnics and tent camping, and it is all nearly at our doorstep - just a block up the hill from our home.



The trail we took on Saturday was really beautiful and felt like a totally different world from the one just over the ridge facing the harbour. This trail wound deep into a canopied rain forest. Though it was a nice trail and a fairly easy walk going in, we knew that every step we took would mean another step UP HILL coming back and the clouds were promising rain later in the day, so we didn't go too far into the reserve this time around.



Connor had a ball learning about nature and orienteering, and we really felt invigorated and refreshed when we were done. So far, knock on wood, I am not even all that sore. I am sure this convenient wilderness area is going to become a regular haunt for the Gross family as summer approaches.

Cheers, Linda

Halloween in Spring?

You would think that, after growing up in Florida, I would have no trouble with celebrating Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years holidays with warm and sunny weather outside; but, you would be wrong.

A lifetime of American advertising, years spent in Oregon, Arkansas and even North Florida, have convinced me that Halloween should include pumpkins, and trees covered in red and orange leaves. If Christmas and New Years are not "white", they should at least be cold and crisp, with an overcast wintery sky.

But, here I am in the Southern Hemisphere at the height of SPRING! Needless to say, I am not feeling particularly "Halloweeny" today, on the 31st of October. While most plants in New Zealand remain green year-round, you can still see a distinct increase in the number of flower blossoms at this time of year. The skies are blue and the sun is warm, though a storm can come in and change things on a moments notice. The flowers our landlord planted are blooming, though there has always been some flower in bloom here ever since we moved into the house in the middle of Winter.
But if my sinuses are any indication, there has been a marked increase in blossoms these past two weeks.



From what I understand, Halloween hasn't really caught on much in the New Zealand - not like in the U.S. anyway. So, instead of taking Connor trick-or-treating around the neighborhood, he will be attending a "Halloween Disco" at school tonight. They will have costume competitions, games, goodies, and music, and he will get to spend the event with his school friends.

For those of you keeping track, we have tried to chose a difference costume for Connor every year:

2003 (16 months old): A BumbleBee

2004 (2 yrs old): Bob The Builder

2005 (3 yrs old): A Firefighter

2006 (4 yrs old): A Waiter, with dress shirt, black slacks, black tie, and even a classy black apron and notepad loaned to us by our favorite Searcy restaurant - Doc's Grill.

And this year, 2007 (5 yrs old): A Pirate!




We couldn't even find a pumpkin at the grocery store yesterday! Though I did notice some Christmas decorations at the mall for the first time last week and saw an ad for a fake Christmas tree, $50 NZD. I hope that we can find and afford a REAL tree for Christmas this year; but, either way, I am definitely going to have to dig out all our Christmas decorations this year if I am ever going to convince myself that it is Christmas in the middle of SUMMER in the South Pacific!

Have a safe and fun Halloween!
Love, Linda

Gift Giving Options

Kia Ora!

First of all, I wish to thank all of you who baked and shipped us NINE POUNDS of homemade cookies recently! When they first arrived I thought we would have to share them with the whole neighborhood there were so many; but, shamefully, I must confess that the three of us have already managed to eat almost all of them ourselves.(blush, blush) They were DELICIOUS! It was very kind and generous of you to send us such a thoughtful gift, but please don't make a habit of it - or we will burst!

Seriously, we do not expect people to send us gifts - especially not now that we are living on the other side of the world and the cost of shipping is so high.

But, for those of you who insist on sending us something for birthdays or the holidays, you may wish to note that each member of our family has their own "Wish List" on Amazon.com. The only items that Amazon will actually ship to NZ at this time are books and dvds; but, luckily, we all REALLY LIKE books and dvds. Especially since we got rid of all our old VHS tapes before our move, we now need to restock our "classics" collection with dvd versions; and, Connor is learning to read and needs more books at his skill level for his library.

For those of you who just can not imagine Connor going through a gift-giving occasion without toys, you may wish to visit www.playdays.co.nz. The owner of this toy shop, Debbie, happens to live next door to us. If you wish to buy something from her shop, (online, via e-mail or by phone), I am sure she would have no trouble delivering it to our home free of charge. Even if you don't see what you want to get on the store's website, send Debbie an e-mail and she can see if it is something she can get. The prices of toys in NZ are somewhat higher than they are in the states; but, keep in mind that the prices quoted are in NZ dollars. (There is a link to a currency converter along with the other links listed on our blog.) If you use a credit or debit card the currency conversion will be done automatically, and usually at no extra charge.

Finally, if you just want to send us money - always a welcome gift - please drop us a note and we will arrange for it to be deposited into our U.S. bank account. It takes too long for U.S. funds to clear our N.Z. bank, so it is easier that way.

Thanks again to all of you who are so thoughtful and generous. While it is certainly a thrill to see a package at the door, your prayers and periodic e-mails and phone calls are really all the gifts we hope to receive.

Best Wishes, Linda

Job Confirmed

Kia Ora!

I just wanted to follow-up to a previous post to say that my job offer has been confirmed. I start work at NZ Police National Headquarters' Office of the Commissioner, as a Research Analyst, on the 5th of November, 2007. (Very ominous to be starting so close to Parliament on Guy Fawkes day.) Still no word on Eric's job options yet, but will keep you posted.

Take care, Love, Linda

Kapiti Coast Outing

Kia Ora to our friends, family and any fans of our blog that we have yet to meet! I hope this finds you all well and happy.

We just got back from an afternoon of train travel along the Kapiti Coast and the Tasman Sea. We had lunch in a little cafe in Plimmerton, where we took a walk along the shore, before riding the Tranzmetro (Wellington Metro Commuter Train) to the end of the line in Paraparaumu. We then rode back to Wellington, then re-boarded the Hutt Valley train home. Connor enjoyed the ride, but was clearly pretty tired by the time we got home.
Cheers to you all, Linda

Linda Found Work!

Hello friends, family, and total strangers with nothing better to do than read the exploits of an unknown American family living in New Zealand.

I got a job! At least, I am "recommended for appointment" to the position of Research Analyst with NZ Police National Headquarters' Operational Services Group, in the Office of the Commissioner. They will publish this recommended appointment in their internal newsletter this week and, assuming no one appeals the appointment and wins, I will be starting work the week of November 5th!

The job will involve doing both quantitative and qualitative research and writing reports for use in policy-making decisions. The research topics will be varied, but will definitely include the analysis of police "use of force" incidents and making recommendations for changes to relevant policies, training and equipment.

I will have the independence and flexibility to structure my own day, and the constantly changing priorities and wide range of issues should keep me interested for quite some time. I am looking forward to sinking my teeth into the challenge.

We are still waiting to hear back on several jobs for Eric, but nothing has firmed up for him just yet. Your continuing prayers in that regard are appreciated.

In other news, Connor has been on school holiday this week and last; but, he starts back with the Fourth Quarter next Monday, the 8th of October. Unfortunately, much of these past two weeks we have had some unpleasant weather - rain, cold, strong winds, etc. This made for some cabin fever; but, you would be amazed at how much fun you can get out of a large cardboard box. We did have a few days here and there that were quite warm and sunny, so were weren't stuck inside the entire time. Still, we are really looking forward to the coming months - our first New Zealand Spring/Summer!

Last weekend we took the train down to the Wellington CBD (Central Business District) and walked along the Queens Wharf area, had lunch, and watched the big passenger ferry set out for the South Island, before we took the train back. I am including a couple of pictures of our outing; and, since so many people have nagged me about not ever posting a picture of myself, I am finally including one that Connor took of me. (He is 5 yrs old, so pardon the fact he cut a bit off the top of my head.)



Connor also went to a movie at a real theater for the first time ever! We took him to see "Surfs Up", about penguins surfing, because it was the only thing out at the moment that was "Rated G". Connor did quite well, sitting still and not talking for about an hour and a half. Even though I am not certain he grasped the entire story, he seemed to really enjoy the experience.

This coming Saturday Connor will be going to a friend's sixth birthday party. Samuel is a friend in his class who lives across the street from us. The two seem to have a real "love-hate" relationship, and frequently find themselves making poor decisions when in each other's company. But, we are trying to encourage Connor to remain friends with Samuel and recognize when their judgement starts to slip and correct their behavior.

Well, I think that covers the latest news. Our next goal, before I start work, is to get our NZ driver's licenses. We have to take a written test, but no practical driving test thank goodness. We are getting much more comfortable driving on the wrong side of the road, though I still say a couple of their right-of-way rules are counter-intuitive. Anyway, we bought the rule books and will be studying them and taking our tests later this month. Wish us luck!

Best wishes, Linda

A Day in Eastbourne

Greetings All,
We were blessed with some early Spring weather this weekend, and took advantage of the opportunity to drive over to Eastbourne - a lovely seaside community on the opposite side of Wellington Harbour from the city itself. (You can think of the harbour as being shaped like a big bag, with Wellington CBD on the right side of the opening, Eastbourne on the left side of the opening, and the Hutt Valley - where we live - at the bottom.) It isn't a long drive to Eastbourne, maybe 30-35 minutes from our house; but, the road is narrow, has a lot of twists and is very close to the water in places. We had a pleasant lunch in a small cafe, then walked over to the community playground and beach. The water is still too cold for swimming, but it was picturesque and reminded us a lot of the Puget Sound area. Connor really liked the giant slide and a spinning tire ride called the "Roctopus" at the playground. As you get near the end of the road on that side of the harbour, you can actually see the snow-capped peaks on the South Island in the distance. Anyway, here are some pictures of our day in Eastbourne.
Love, Linda, Eric and Connor

OUR STUFF IS HERE!

We were thrilled to hear that our container of worldly possessions arrived in port one week earlier than anticipated (10 weeks after being packed). It was delivered on Thursday (9th of August, 2007) and we had our customs/MAF inspection on Friday and now we are finishing up with a bit of arranging and unpacking. We are leaving most of our boxes (books, keepsakes, etc.) packed up in the garage, until we have a home of our own; but, everything else fits in pretty well in the house we are renting.

Connor is thrilled to have his toys back and I had no idea how much I loved our couches until I had gone two months sitting on the floor or a hard plastic folding chair.

In other news, Connor is still loving his new school and doing well at learning to read. He has had some behavioral issues at school, which we are working on; but, all in all, I think he has adjusted well.

A week ago I had a pleasant lunch with my friend, Garth den Heyer. Garth works for NZ Police National Headquarters and we know each other from our years with the International Association of Law Enforcement Planners. We had not seen each other in person since the week of September 11th, 2001, when we were both trapped at an IALEP Conference in Kansas City, MO.; but, we have been in touch via e-mail ever since Eric and I started considering a move to N.Z. Garth has been tremendously helpful and encouraging to us as we planned our move and has served as my only NZ reference for job applications. ("Thanks Garth!")

Eric received a phone call from the NZ Defence Command and Staff College the same day as my lunch with Garth. Eric had applied for a teaching job there several months before our move; but, the college went with someone who was already living in N.Z. at the time. Since our arrival in N.Z., Eric and I have both applied for Analyst positions with the Defence Forces Headquarters(located next door to the college). The HR Representative for the college saw our Analyst applications and recognized the names from when Eric applied before - since he had been one of their top three candidates. The HR representative doesn't have a teaching vacancy at the moment, but he wanted to form a relationship with Eric in case something came up, now that we are living within a 15 minute commute of the Command College. Everyone's prayers in that regard would be much appreciated. Teaching at the Command College would be a dream come true for Eric, and certainly one of the easier commutes. I would also love to find employment in the same area, so that Eric and I could commute together and we can avoid having to purchase a second car.

The weather in Wellington is wonderfully diverse. Today is windy, wet, and a good "nap day"; but, the day they unloaded our container it was a beautiful warm, sunny day. You just never know what you are going to get and we love that!

As happy as we are to be here, we love and miss so many of you and hope that you are doing well.

Love, Linda

The Resilience of Children

Kia Ora!



Here is Connor enjoying one of several playgrounds in our Maungaraki suburb. After some play, we walked to the neighborhood cafe for a nice lunch. I think our five year old is adjusting to his new home quite well.



Cheers!

Love, Linda, Eric and Connor

A Few Surprises

Greetings friends, family, and those just interested in hearing about the adventures of an American family making a new home in New Zealand.

We have mentioned this before, and those who know us definitely know it to be true -- we are planners. It took us nearly a full year to obtain Permanent New Zealand Residency before the move, and we put that time to good use. We researched Kiwi life from top to bottom. We knew it would take living here a while to REALLY know what it is like to be New Zealanders; but, we wanted to be as prepared as possible. All in all, I am thankful to say that we have had very few surprises.

But just because we are planners, don't go thinking we are afraid of the unexpected. On the contrary, we are thrilled when we discover something new that we had not uncovered in our research. And one of our greatest passions is to immerse ourselves in a new culture and get to know those details that books, discussion forums, and websites just can't tell you about a place.

So, I thought I would start a list of the things that really did come as a surprise to us when we arrived in New Zealand - which was a month ago this Thursday.

(1) We knew that learning to drive on the left side of the road would require a lot of adjustment, but we had no idea how it would affect the front passenger of the car. It is quite disturbing to sit down in the seat that USED TO HAVE the steering wheel, brakes, gears, etc., and suddenly realize you are in that seat, but have absolutely no control over the car - AND the rear view mirror is facing the wrong way! It has taken a lot of will power to stop myself from reaching up and turning that rear view mirror my direction, away from the driver.

(2) Another driving surprise is the number of "Give Way" signs (often just painted on the road, without a sign to grab your attention). The "Give Way" sign in the U.S. is called a "Yield", but here it is used in place of stop signs and even stop lights almost everywhere. If you have a "Give Way" sign, or the white triangle symbol painted on the road, then you better stop and make sure anyone coming from the right - including people turning from the left hand lane or turn lane - are given the right of way. For Americans, who are used to turning right from the right hand lane, and not giving way to those turning from the left lane into the right lane, this may sound counter-intuitive; but, you better get used to it quick. Kiwi drivers just assume you are going to follow the rules to the letter, and will not attempt to get eye contact or verify that you are going to stop before they plow right on ahead.

(3) I am going to put "roundabouts" or "turnabouts" under the surprise category, not because we weren't expecting them, but because no one can fully prepare for how really awful they are until you are here. Almost any place where we would use a stop sign or traffic signal in the U.S., New Zealand uses a turnabout. I just can't even explain it, you are just going to have to drive into one and hope for the best. Good luck.

(4) Apricots. Don't ask me why, but New Zealand puts apricots in everything - cereal, yogurt, body wash, shampoo, relish . . . you name it, it probably has apricots. Running a close second
are pine nuts.

(5) No cost water, sewer, and recycling pick-up! (Though we have been told that there are proposals floating around that may eventually put a price on water, we are currently not having to pay a cent.)

(6) BASIC "Sky" TV programming (satellite dishes are used here instead of cable), includes 2 Disney channels. If you have preschool-age children, this is great because one whole channel is dedicated to "Playhouse Disney" 24/7 - the Disney programming that is suitable for preschoolers and even includes some shows we used to have to switch to PBS to find. This leaves the stuff for older kids on a separate channel 24/7.

(7) European-manufactured dishwashers frequently have a filter in the inside bottom that periodically needs to be removed and cleaned.

(8) My favorite surprise thus far has to be the cost of prescription drugs. We knew that Rxs were subsidized for Permanent Residents and citizens; but, we had no idea that we would be able to get THREE MONTHS WORTH of THREE PRESCRIPTIONS (normally costing approx. $600. USD), for only $3. NZD. YES, I said THREE DOLLARS! And that was really just the cost of having the RX written by the doctor. When we go back for refills, they should be FREE! (Don't forget, the ambulance is also FREE and healthcare services are nearly free - with only small fees for doctor visits and procedures.)

(9) Grocery stores really do have just about everything you would expect to find in a U.S. grocery store - just with different packaging, names, and sometimes classified differently. Be willing to take your time to explore the grocery stores in your area, and I am sure you can find just about anything you would need or want. (Though I am still looking for boxes of macaroni/shells and cheese.)

(10) Back to driving, we just discovered today that they strictly enforce the time allotted to parking in certain public places. If you see a small rectangular blue and white sign with a "P", and spaces outlined in WHITE paint, that means you can park there; but, look out for a number under the "P" - may be "60", or "90", or some other number - but whatever that number is tells you the number of minutes you are allowed to park there. If you exceed that time, you may get a ticket or worse - a boot - put on your car. Luckily, we didn't get one today, but we reached the car just as the lady who checks these things was about to give us a boot. (Which is also what they call the trunk of a car here, so I am not entirely sure it means what I think it means.)

(11) We just recently discovered something that contradicts what we have read in a number of places, what seems to be a popular misconception and what we wrote in our first post. To correct what we initially believed, Wellington Harbour is NOT, repeat NOT, a water-filled caldera from an extinct volcano. According to a number of Kiwi geologists and online government authorities, Wellington Harbour is, in fact, a broad depressed area formed by the intersection of the Hutt River Valley with the Wellington Fault; at various times, depending on seismic activity and sea level changes, it has been a lake, or open to the sea. Despite the fact that it looks almost exaclty like a volcanic caldera, topographical maps show that the harbour floor is actually not that deep, unlike real "crater lakes ."

(12) Kiwibank is a great little bank that started business about five years ago and has some of the lowest fees and best interest rates you will find in the country. They also have a branch at virtually every Post Shop in the country, ATMs (called EFTPOS here), online banking/bill pay, and other services, making it very convenient. What you will NOT find, however, is a big Kiwibank edifice. I am sure they have a headquarters somewhere, but we have yet to see it. We created our account via FedEx about 3 weeks before our move, and activated it at the nearest branch - with the assistance of a tremendously helpful young woman named Maree (who has just migrated to London, so she will be greatly missed). In addition to not having dedicated bank buildings, Kiwibank does not have accounts in the U.S. or relationships with many U.S. banks. What this means to Americans coming to New Zealand and wishing to open a Kiwibank account, is that you may have trouble arranging a wire transfer from your U.S. bank to your new Kiwibank account.

If you wish to use Kiwibank, something we recommend, your best bet seems to be doing the following, NO LATER THAN 45 WORKING days PRIOR to your move

• Go to the Kiwibank website and download the forms to open a new personal account, and fill them out.


• Make a copy of your passport photo and visa pages, and find one of your recent bank statements from a current U.S. account.


• Write a check to yourself, drawn on your U.S. bank account, in U.S. dollars, for the full amount of money you wish to transfer to your New Zealand account.

Mail all of the above to the Kiwibank address provided on your new account application form, via FedEx/Return Receipt. You will receive an e-mail confirmation within 5-10 days that your bank account is set up and only requires activation at any Kiwibank branch upon arrival in NZ. BUT, your personal check will require at least 30 working days to clear and become available to you to spend. (This is the reason we recommend you start this process a minimum of 45 days prior to your move.)

(13) Personal checks are almost a thing of the past in New Zealand. Most everyone uses cash, EFTPOS (ATM cards), credit cards, or online bill pay for everything. We ordered one small set of checks, but have so far not found any reason to use them.

(14) We also recommend Kiwibank for auto and contents insurance. Contents insurance covers the items you bring into your home or rental, and also covers any damage your contents may cause to a rental - such as your toaster starting a fire and burning the landlord's house to the ground. (This has not, knock on wood, happened to us, but it is worth mentioning.) In NZ the renter is liable for any destruction or damage caused to the landlord's property via "negligence;" some landlords / property managers will ask for you to have contents insurance before they will rent to you. The NZ government also offers "accident compensation" as a social service for physical injuries and outlaws personal injury lawsuits between private parties, so the only thing you need in terms of auto insurance is just what is necessary to repair your vehicle in case of an accident.

(15) When you test-drive a car in NZ, you will be asked to show your valid U.S. driver's license and sign a registry. The auto dealer is likely to give you plenty of time to try out the vehicle - wanna go to lunch? run a few errands? - no problem. But, if you should, for instance, drive the car you are test driving in front of someone else and trash the entire passenger side, then don't be surprised if they ask you to pay the deductible ("excess" in NZ) on the dealer's insurance (usually $1,000). Otherwise, they will be quite understanding - especially if you give everyone concerned free reign to say "dumb Americans" all day and buy a car from the same dealer straight away. (Yes, this did happen the first full day after we arrived; no worries - everyone is fine, and we shall never speak of it again.)

(16) The train and bus drivers DO NOT take EFTPOS (ATM) or credit cards, they only take cash or tickets.

(17) Wellington suffers from a shortage of transit drivers; so, don't be surprised if weekend routes are less frequent or not at all. (The train to Western Hutt and Melling Stations does not operate at all on weekends; same goes for some bus routes.)

(18) Napkins are worn inside your underwear, nappies are diapers, and neither are something you wish to discuss at dinner; so, if you require something with which to wipe your mouth in a restaurant, ask for a "serviette".

(19) "Restaurants" are places where you are seated by a host/hostess, given a menu, have a waiter/waitress take your order, eat and pay when you are finished. "Cafes", "taverns", and "pubs" are places where you can walk in and order coffee, tea, "fizzies" (soft drinks), snacks, desserts, or full dinners at the bar/counter, pay for them then, and have them brought to your table. Also, though we knew it before, it never hurts to repeat that tips are not expected in New Zealand, unless you have an unusually large party or have exceptionally great service.) There are MANY more cafes than restaurants in Wellington, and though they are frequently quite small, you can usually find any kind of cuisine - all of it fresh - and can eat just about any time of the day. (Restaurants are often only open for set hours at lunchtime and dinnertime.)

(20) Ground beef or hamburger is called, appropriately enough, "minced beef".

(21) Unless you are renting/buying a brand new home, don't expect to find central heating, and air conditioning is not necessary. You WILL, however, need some form of heating in the winter months, though don't worry about snow unless you are moving to a mountain top in the Southern Alps or the top of a volcano in the North Island. The most efficient form of portable heat seems to be oil circulating portable heaters/radiators (you do not have to replace the oil, just plug it in and the oil heats up and flows through several coils that radiate the heat). But if you have very young children, you may want to go one step removed in efficiency and purchase a ceramic space heater - it is not as efficient, but you can at least tough it without worrying about your child crashing into an oil heater and getting burned.

(22) Every electrical outlet in New Zealand has a switch next to it to turn it on or off. So, if you are wondering why your motel's microwave or coffee pot isn't working, check and make sure the switch is turned "on".

(23) Kia Ora is pronounced "key-or-ah," all run together as one word. It is a Maori word meaning "hi" or "welcome," and a common Kiwi greeting.

(24) The "All Blacks" are the nation's premier rugby team. We knew this before we came, but we were not fully prepared for the god-like position they hold in the minds of nearly all Kiwi. They far exceed the fame of your typical Hollywood star in New Zealand, and their faces are plastered over all sorts of endorsed products and services. Of course, we did arrive the week the All Blacks wiped the floor with Canada on their way to France and the World Cup in 67 days, 15 hours, 57 minutes, and 35 . 34 . 33. . . seconds and counting (as of this writing).

(25) The food is fantastic! For such a small nation, the population is very diverse. The natives travel extensively outside of the country, and a full quarter of the population are skilled or semi-skilled migrants from all over, bringing with them a wide range of cuisines. There is one "Take Away" shop a couple of blocks from our house that sells: traditional British fare (all fried, of course), burgers, hot dogs (deep fried, go figure), fries (aka chips), fish, chicken, Chinese, Indian, Malaysian, and they throw in delicious homemade doughnuts with most meals - just for the fun of it! Eric and I have each gone in there once to bring home food for the fam, and were so overwhelmed with the menu that we ended up bringing enough home for about 10 people - all for about $20NZD.

Well, I am sure there are other surprises that will come to me later, and I am sure Eric has a few to add as well. But, I am going ahead and posting this one because it is already long enough.

I hope this finds you all healthy, happy, and enjoying life.

Best Wishes,
Linda

First Things First

Greetings friends, family and people who just want to know what it is like for an American family to migrate to New Zealand!

Well, in case you didn't already know, it is beautiful here! We didn't take some long drive to a scenic overlook to capture the shot shown here -- it was taken from one of our living room (aka "lounge" in NZ) windows! The view is of Wellington harbour, from our rented home in the suburb of Maungaraki in the hills above Lower Hutt. Wellington harbour is actually just like Crater Lake, Oregon -- a giant caldera, the remnant of a once majestic volcano that erupted violently, collapsed into its own empty magma reservoir and then filled with water. In this case, the caldera opened to the sea -- Cook Strait -- on the southern side. Wellington and the surrounding communities are built down in the crater, while we are up on the rim. Just FYI mom, the volcano here -- unlike Crater Lake -- is much older and extinct.

After two weeks in a cramped hotel (having a 4-year old share your space could make the hangar deck of the U.S.S. Nimitz feel cramped) we are finally settled in our rented 4 bdrm/2 bath home and we love it! (Though our container full of stuff still will not be here for another month.) As you have seen, we have a fantastic view of Wellington Harbour, and the Lower Hutt City lights at night, and the back deck faces a tree and fern covered hillside with tuis and other birds which make the most unusual and beautiful sounds. We almost never want to shut the curtains! We are near the end of a dead-end street, so the traffic is light, and there is a hiking (aka "tramping" in NZ) trail where the street runs out. We signed a 10 month lease, which will end between the first and second terms of the 2008 school year. We hope that by then we will be able to move into a home of our own - though we are currently leaning towards staying in the same community of Maungaraki.

We visited Connor's new school - Maungaraki School - and are very impressed. It is such a safe, quiet, playful and colourful place, and the children and teachers all seem to be very happy to be there. Maungaraki School is really a combined Primary and Intermediate school (aka Elementary and Middle in the US) of around 250 students between Year 0 (Kindergarten) and Year 8, nestled in a natural amphitheatre of the mountains overlooking the Harbour. So Connor can attend the same school right up until he is ready for College (aka High School). In NZ they have four school terms per year, and the current one will end this week, followed by a two week break. Connor will start school full-time with everyone else at the beginning of Term 3, in mid-July.

The school is only a few blocks from our home and right next door to a little shopping centre with a quaint cafe, our doctor's office, pharmacy, a "take away" with a huge menu from Chinese to American classics, a small grocery market, a post office, and a few other necessities. We have to drive down a winding, but thankfully wide and not too steep (Eric notes "not too steep" if you consider, say, Monteagle Grade in Tennessee to be "not too steep") drive to Lower Hutt for everything else we might need. "Down the hill" there are several huge supermarkets, plenty of retail specialty stores and a large indoor mall much like anything you would find in the US. We can't get over all the fresh fruits, veggies, breads and deli meats available at the grocery stores. Speaking of food, we have not had a bad meal yet! To save money, we ate light breakfasts and dinners in our hotel room; but, for lunch we usually went to one of the many cafes in the area. We have had everything from healthy salads and paninis to pizza, hamburgers, traditional English fare, Indian, Thai, and Malaysian cuisine as well. Everything has tasted fresh and had really wonderfully different flavours. Well, everything except Eric's first experience with "Bangers and Mash," (sausage and mashed potatoes) which were, appropriately, bland as only English cuisine can be.

In many ways, Maungaraki reminds us of where we used to live in Troutdale, OR; but, with the added benefit of a fantastic harbour view and cafes within a short drive. The commute to the Wellington CBD is about the same as our old commute to Portland from Troutdale - 20-30 minutes, depending on traffic; but, we can easily take the train from a station at the bottom of the mountain, or a couple of buses starting with one at the end of our street. So far, we have actually only gone to Wellington's downtown for one day - to visit the Te Papa Museum of New Zealand. Te Papa is a fairly new, huge, world-renown museum covering the history of New Zealand on a geologic time scale. It has lots of things to see and touch, and Connor had a ball running from exhibit to exhibit. We were only able to see about half the museum so far, but since it is free we are sure to go back many more times in the future.

When we first arrived in New Zealand, we didn't really take any time to act like tourists - or look for jobs. (Our trip to Te Papa was our first and last "touristy" excursion, and that was 10 days after we arrived.) We immediately began ticking off the items on our "getting settled" list, figuring we would be in a better position to find work once we had transportation, an address, phone and computer up and running with internet and email access. So, first thing, we bought a car - a used Honda CR-V that feels newer than the one we sold two weeks earlier and has only 41,000 km on the odometer. It is dark blue and has a sunroof, and of course the driver is on the wrong side; but, otherwise it feels much the same as our old car. We figured that a familiar vehicle would ease the stress of learning to drive on the wrong side of the road. We also activated our bank accounts and started searching for a place to live.

Rentals go so quickly here we were starting to get worried. We spent several days driving past places and put applications in on three other smaller, older homes before we saw this one. Luckily, the property manager immediately liked us (it helped that we were both driving CR-Vs and that he had been a police officer for 25 years, sharing my career in law enforcement), so he signed us up without showing the house to anyone else. Shortly after we were approved, we found out we could have had any of the other three homes as well, so I guess we were worried for nothing. The home came with a stove/range and dishwasher (unlike the other three houses); but, we had to go on a spending spree for our own refrigerator, washer/dryer, microwave, toaster oven, computer, TV, DVD player, telephone, beds, bedding, and other goodies. There were also all the normal little things to do when moving - phone/broadband service, electricity/gas, delivery of large items, Sky-TV and rubbish disposal. On the unexpected bright side, water, sewer and recycling here are all free, though there is talk of instituting a water/sewer fee in the future.

We have moved to NZ at the start of their winter - when the weather is at its worst. Well, if this is the worst, bring it on! When we got off the plane (the trip here is a whole other post), the sun was shining, the sky blue and the temp felt like the mid-60s F. At worst, we have had a couple of periods of rain and temps down in the upper 30's F; but, even those periods don't last all day. On a couple of days there has been a dusting of snow on the high mountains across the harbour and up the Hutt Valley. We have laughed to ourselves about the natives who are all walking around shivering and apologizing to us for the cold, because we have loved the weather. So far, three weeks in country, we can say that Oregon winters were worse. Another thing here that reminds us of Troutdale -- the wind can really come ripping in, especially up here on the ridge. The other night we had gale force winds howling and rumbling and shaking the trees for about 18 hours (still not as bad as the 24/7 howling we used to get in Troutdale some winter weeks).

We have both joked to each other that all our lives we have heard people say "If you don't like the weather, just wait 5 minutes and it will change." We have always dismissed that as the usual local perverse pride hyperbole -- until we came here. It really can change every five to ten to twenty minutes! You can be standing under a rain cloud getting misted (like the Pacific Northwest) but see the large patches of sun and azure sky dotting the crater rim around the harbour. Wait a few minutes and the sun will be shining on you, and you will be peeling off your sweater or coat. You can look out the window and see only a few friendly little puffs of cumulus, come back a half hour later and find the sky ominously gray from horizon to horizon. The clean Pacific breezes and frequent changes of weather keep the air here fresh, and I have had no allergy problems at all since arriving. I am just thrilled to be able to take deep, fresh breaths again - like when we lived in Oregon.

Well, there is lots more to ramble on about, but this is more than enough for now. Suffice it to say, everything we learned in our research and preparations before the move has either been proven true or is even better than expected. There have been no negative surprises here, only positive ones - like discovering that a three month supply of three of Eric's perscriptions (normally costing us around $600 in the US) would only cost us $3 NZD. YES, I said THREE DOLLARS! Every Kiwi we have met has been overwhelmingly welcoming and helpful to us. Our only stressful moments have had more to do with finishing up loose ends in Arkansas from so far away, and learning to drive on the wrong side of the road here - but we are even starting to get used to the later.

In the meantime, know that we love and miss you all; but, we are doing very well and are looking forward to long lives as Kiwi. We also hope that some of you may make the long journey to visit us one day. It would be well worth the flight!

Eric and Linda, 27 June, 2007

PS: We now have a contract on our house in Arkansas, so things are continuing to fall nicely into place.