5 weeks in...

[kiwihusker]

Hi All, sorry I forgot to post a one month post so will do my 5 week post.
We have moved into our rental home in the North Shore and it seems to be working for us. Had no idea how much storage we had in California in our little 1925 bungalow. We are now in the process of getting some tall boy drawers and shelving so we can put all our clothes and things away etc.

Some observations:
I am shocked at the number of smokers in this country. Wowza. I was living in San Francisco area for the past 13 years and there just weren’t that many people who smoked. And none of my friends or co-workers smoked.
My husband is shocked at the cost of beer in the supermarket. It is ridiculously taxed here.
I am surprised at how many divorces there are as well.
I have found a place to get my hair highlighted for WAY cheaper than I paid in the states, so I was thrilled about that. Saving money there.
Shoes are outrageously priced and anything less expensive is quite ugly from what I have briefly seen. I decided to order a pair in the US and ship them to a friend. My husband has to go back for a business trip so I’ll have him pick them up for me.
Have had some good and bad experiences since we have landed. Opened an account with one bank to only close it a week later. Their customer service was horrible. We are quite happy with our new bank so no complaints there.
Both boys developed staph infections since our arrival, my oldest has it the worst. So we have visited the doctor’s office many times already. More than we have in 2 years.
Had an interview with the CEO of the company for a really cool job but it was hands down the worst interview of my life. He was offensive and rude. He spent the first 45 minutes asking questions, which was on par…no worries there. And then decided to go for the unorthodox and ask my opinion on American Foreign policy and went down a very inappropriate path. It was absolutely ridiculous and needless to say I didn’t accept the job offer. There is a time and place for questions like that, but not in an interview.
Kids start school next week, and we are all thrilled to get them started.

I didn’t have many teary emotions before I left, but I am feeling like I am in a bit of a funk right now. I am missing my friends, my old job, comforts of my own home etc. I know there are ups and downs along the way and I’ll get through it, but just thought I would share.
All in all it is going well and I hope things will continue to go well.
cheers

[kiwieagle]

Good post Kiwihusker!

Your poor boys, what a bummer way to start. I hope they get better soon so they can get right to school.

Unfortunately, Amazon has assimilated Endless.com into their fashion borg so no more automatic free shipping for shoes but you can still filter for global shipping and some things supposedly get free shipping. I haven't tried it yet. Also, theiconic.com.au has free shipping to NZ.

[JandM]

Sorry to hear about the blues - this too will pass. ((()))

Don't worry about your boys. It's quite normal when you get somewhere new, that you pick up all the bugs that the locals have already developed an immunity to. I sometimes work with youth music theatre groups, involving people from all over the country, and we always have merry hell while everyone catches everyone else's pet germs - you just have to hope the rehearsal period is long enough that those with the high profile roles will have got over their infections in time for the opening.

Sorry to hear about the ill-mannered CEO, who showed such ignorance. It's awful when you get talking to someone who can't get away from holding YOU responsible for the governmental policy of your nation, as if you had any influence! And worst is when, like for you, there's a social constraint on telling them where to go.

[Twunky]

I've had some terrible interviewers asking completely inappropriate questions during interviews. I think it's probably more common than you know. I remember about 5 years ago interviewing for a Team Leader position and was asked "How would you feel doing a woman's job?" (I'm a man). My jaw nearly hit the floor.
I would never have found this level of inappropriate behaviour in the UK but it's probably fairly commonplace in a lot of Kiwi businesses.
5 weeks in and early days yet - focus on the positives and the negatives should disappate over time.

[kiwihusker]

Thanks for all the kind words and () from J&M. And Twunky, that question you received was quite inappropriate you are right, given I am a woman. lol. Very sad but like you said I guess it happens. The good thing is that the sun is out today and it always makes a better day. I am focusing on the good things and that is one of them. I am under the weather today with allergies or a cold which doesn't help. But life overall is very good, the boys are happy, the house is good and the sun is shining. Gotta love that. Thanks all.

[LVKris]

Kiwihusker- I read your blog post about your interview. I couldn't believe it. Good lesson for all of us to learn before we get over there. Sorry to hear about the boys. Hopefully they will be better before school starts. I am working on my shoe collection as we speak. I have never had this many shoes before. Hope the blues pass fast... Will you be doing anything for Halloween? I know its not huge over there but maybe there is something that will fell a little bit like home. BTW Giants won tonight. And the A's play in an hour. Not sure if you follow baseball but there is a little bit from home. Let's go Oakland.

[girlwithanewf]

Ah, the shoe story...

A similar story with books unfortunately but thank goodness for the library (and the Book Depository) I feel so guilty every time I buy a book online as there are some wonderful book shops in New Zealand and a thriving literary scene but books are soooo expensive.

Hope all is working out well and that you are settling in now.

[Dell]

Good post Kiwihusker! Sorry that you're feeling blue and hope that as summer comes, you'll be really happy that you made the move.
Hang in there.....have a big glass of wine with dinner.

[kiwihusker]

Hey LVKris, we will be doing something for Halloween, especially as it is my oldest son's birthday. We have the house decorated with cobwebs, and spiders, ghosts, skeleton and headstones, so we are having fun with it even if others don't get into it too much. I hear there is some trick or treating on the Shore so we'll see how that goes. And yes I am excited about both the Giants and the A's! Great to see the Bay Area doing well.

Kiwihusker- I read your blog post about your interview. I couldn't believe it. Good lesson for all of us to learn before we get over there. Sorry to hear about the boys. Hopefully they will be better before school starts. I am working on my shoe collection as we speak. I have never had this many shoes before. Hope the blues pass fast... Will you be doing anything for Halloween? I know its not huge over there but maybe there is something that will fell a little bit like home. BTW Giants won tonight. And the A's play in an hour. Not sure if you follow baseball but there is a little bit from home. Let's go Oakland.

And overall today was great day! The weather was FANTASTIC! And we are heading out to a friend's house for a little BBQ now. Thanks all and I will keep you posted on how things progress. Cheers.

[akp713b]

I always buy my shoes in the States, even after living here for 6 years. It's not just the prices that get me but the lack of selection. I used to wonder if that was part of the reason Kiwis go barefoot so much, especially kids who would go through shoes more often. But as I see more shoeless people on the Shore than in less wealthy areas I no longer think it's about the expense at all, just cultural.

I don't think smoking rates in NZ are higher than the US, the cost is certainly much higher. Halloween will be interesting as it is only just catching on in NZ. I would certainly say there are fewer trick or treaters here than in the US but the number seems to grow each year. I also live on the Shore and I would say it is probably more popular here than other areas of the country. The fact that the weather is getting warmer and the sun doesn't set till 8PM though makes it feel different from Halloween in the US. I would also say the costumes are a bit more basic since it hasn't become as commercialised as in the States. I think that in many ways that's a good thing though.