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.