So, the sitch is, we’re in New Zealand. We being both of us. Which is ideal because that means that Lyvette is alive and her leg is healing. I mean, yes she’s got this weird limp thing going on, but hey she’s hobbling. Just don’t expect her to run for the bus. And she has half a calf on her injured leg. But back to the beginning…
17th March and I arrived in Auckland.
I had $50 to last me a week. My diet consisted of carrots. Then I started working at the hospital doing a temp admin job for the feedback department. The ladies I worked with gave me a fine introduction to New Zealand. They well and truly looked after me and moved me into my house in Takapuna armed with a new duvet, pillows, bedding, PJ’s and even bed socks because they thought it would be nice to buy them for me and they knew I had nothing. I nearly wept. Then my boss drove me (in work time) to take my new stuff to my new house. This temp job lasted 5 weeks and then I had to move to a different hospital. Eurgh.
My next day job was with the same agency and I can honestly say I did not like it one bit. I missed my ladies. But a job is a job and I managed 10 weeks there. During my second week in Auckland I started working at a restaurant on the harbour, doing evenings and weekends. I love it. But this means my time here has been mainly spent working, working and working hence the lack of exciting stories. There isn’t really much to report, except from I can now afford to eat things other than carrots.
My social life consists of speaking to customers at the restaurant and drinking wine in my pj’s with Lyvette (they do a great selection of Rose in NZ. Totes impressed) on the rare occasion we’re at home together.
Occasionally I might get a lift home with the police (at first I thought they were muggers). Or even a bus driver (I accidentally fell asleep on the last bus home and he very kindly drove me home. In his car).
I am now running out of people to escort me home.
At first I really liked the bus drivers here, but then some of them turned into psycho’s. Like the driver who trapped a woman’s head in the door because she tried to enter from the side rather than the front door. And the driver who wheel skidded to a holt, stood up and started shrieking at some poor guy for eating a burger.
“YOU’RE STINKING MY FUCKING BUS OUT! STOP EATING OR I’LL THROW YOU OFF. FFS”
And then I decided I had mixed views about the bus drivers. And I definitely wasn’t going to enter through the wrong door or eat a burger….
And that’s literally all that’s happened. Escorted home by the police and then a bus driver. Oh, and I spilled beer all over a VIP at work. That wasn’t ideal. But, I mean, the managers shouldn’t really have left me to look after a VIP group, should they… Oh, and a homeless guy try to kiss me. He dived in while I was casually eating a chicken thigh. I avoided it with style and told him to get on his merry way. I had nothing against his homeless status, it was his odour de alcohol and lack of regard to my consent about the kissing situation that put me off. I also visited Waiheke Island (for the 3rd time) with my farm friend from Aus and we got very lost and then had to hitch hike our way home. When I say home I actually mean the pub. We hitch hiked to the pub. My first hitch hiking experience was to the pub. Not bad I’d say.
And then Lyvette arrived. I met her in the city, where I sat at the bus stop waiting, with a homeless woman, wearing two pairs of sunglasses (it was dark) sat on one knee and an Indian guy in a suit, chatting on about working at a bank on the other. Talk about personal space. Lyvette got off the bus and wondered who my new friends were…
But then she made her own friends. Auckland is full of friends and characters. Like the lady who shouted her when she was about to sit down at the bus stop “NO, DON’T SIT THERE!!!” Naturally Lyvette pooed her pants. What was wrong with sitting there? Was this bus stop riddled? The shouting lady then jumped on a bus and left. So we never found out why Lyvette wasn’t allowed to sit down at the bus stop.
And that’s about it. I actually really like Auckland, it’s such a small city it’s quite laid back. The people are generally really friendly and kiwis are now my second favourite people after Indians in India (as opposed to Indians outside of India – not that I’m Indianist). Lyvette has moved in with me for a bit and we’re both working. I’m leaving soon to go to Fiji and then to Queenstown where I’m hoping to find work and try out some winter sports. Lyvette is settling here to get her funds up and sort her limp out. She’ll be running for the bus in no time…
