One year in.......
Well it will be on Monday.....but I’ll be at work then so figured I would write this one now.
I recently read someone’s post, at the same stage who commented on a peaceful life. That would be lovely. Probably our choice of city knocked that one on the head.
We came with the objective of us both finding full time employment. Last week we achieved this objective when my OH started work too. Work for me has been different as I returned to full-time employment after working part-time in the UK. I do enjoy it, but find that I am sometimes working longer hours than I would like. How much is due to my UK learned method of work and how much due to the fact that I have the project from hell I don’t know. Work life has been successful and I have been asked to consider applying for a promoted post. There is a difference in attitude to work here which I like and find it easier to work with than in the UK.
For OH the architecture profession was in the doldrums upon arrival but in the last few weeks has picked up. Having said that compared to the UK there were more applications for possible positions and more success.
The children are adapting to a more outdoor lifestyle and have enjoyed more outdoor activities and had more opportunities than they would have done in the UK. They have decided at the moment that they are happy with no outside activities. We are happy with their decision at this time. They are also becoming accustomed to a longer day as they take part in the out of school care that is available so have time to play with their friends. They can now stand on their surf boards, have spent much time in the sea. Both are happy with their new lives here.
We were lucky enough to fall in love with the first rental we saw and are still here. It is a bit battered and bruised. Mostly it is warm from log burner and heat pump. It gets the sun. I learned a lot from reading this forum at the start. Make sure that you get the winter sun, make sure that you check for mould, ensure that you air the property well. We have a fantastic view...dawn over the South Pacific is special.
Shopping is more costly and there is not the same level of choice as you would expect in the UK. However we have found that the fruit and veg is far superior. Ready prepared food is sweeter and saltier. We can also get what we need for anything else. Well apart from Wella Hair Toners...but ebay sorted that out!!
There is a more supportive culture here with regard to fitness and I have joined a gym and am getting fitter. Something I had not done in the UK.
I have to admit to missing having really close friends as yet, though some are getting there. I miss my next door neighbour where I just used to pop in for a cuppa, and the people who just used to call in. I also miss knowing the Mums at school, but I think that is due to my working full time and my OH being a stay at home Dad until recently. The same friendships have not yet built up. However I am making friends and I am sure that this will improve. We have friends who are expats and friends who are Kiwis.
Homesickness has reared its head twice. The first was as I started to realise that it would not be cold for Christmas. The other was on the night of the 5’s. This was Monday 6th Sept, two days after the 7.1 earthquake. I yearned for a bed and a house that was still.
The last week though has been the hardest. Cantabrians in general are feeling worn down by the 6.3 a fortnight ago, and as many here will know we have been impacted in February and in June quite badly too. Curiously though, we have had no desire to go “home” since that night of the 5s. In fact, this is feeling more and more like home. Life is tough at the moment. We are hanging on in there...hoping that this week we will get good vehicular access back to the house (ascending 500 feet on a km walk to the house, after some long days at work, for the last fortnight might have been good for the bum and thighs but not for the exhaustion level).
It has dampened the outright optimism we were feeling about our new life. Things are at a new “normal”. We could move to the west side of town but we also love the village like feel of the suburb in which we live. A lot will probably depend upon what the future holds seismically for us.
Mother Nature has added herself and her tantrums to the mix, but overall we are happy, although dealing with a strange grief reaction at the moment, for the city and lifestyle we had pre quake. I cannot begin to imagine how it feels for those who have been in this city for life.
Has it been a success? Yes, we feel “at home” here.
Reply With Quote
