Surprise, Surprise

       New Zealand, by far, has completely been living up to my high expectations.   There have been some things, however, that I was never expecting (and, no, I am not talking about a baby).   Here are the top three things that have surprised me about living in New Zealand.

1.  Security -  I had always heard that New Zealand was such a safe country and that the police don't carry guns.  I still think that is mostly true.  What I was not expecting was that my belongings are not as secure as I had once thought.  I imagined this was a place where the doors are kept unlock and that was the way of life.  Well, that idea was somewhat shattered on our first day here.  As we pulled up to the house, I saw the sign in the culdesac parking for the beach that said "lock it or lose it".  Didn't think too much of it until we were walking into the house and they said something about turning the house alarm code off.  I thought this was a little weird, and my brain was saying "who steals stuff in this paradise".   The next day, when the landlord stopped by, I asked her about the alarm.  Her reply was "oh yes, this place has been burglured, many times... just don't leave computers or valuables out.  Usually people just break in in the day and if stuff is visible.  We haven't had a problem since the alarm was installed..... Oh, you know, it happens. We have been burgled at our place too - there are usually just after computers and Ipods."  She made it sound so commonplace.  I. was. shocked.  Not expecting that.   In the meantime, we have heard from many people that our house has just seemed to have been targeted, likely having to do with some not so good tenants in the past.  Let's hope the streak is over.

2. Pedestrian Peril -   Basically, pedestrians have NO right of way.  Brett and I have been very confused when it comes to driving and pedestrians.   No one expects you to stop or even slow down if you are crossing a street.  Even if you are standing at the corner with a baby stroller.  People do not stop for the elderly, crippled, or children.  They just zoom on by.  Our good midwestern manners tell us this is just plain wrong.  I gave up a while ago trying to stop or slow down to allow people to cross  - I am too afraid I may get rear-ended.  Brett still has too much guilt over it and tries to get people to cross, to which they give him a confused look. Or he yells at me when I cruise by the kids trying to cross the street - which just is prolonging my guilt about doing it.  Darn it, I'm just trying to assimilate into the New Zealand culture.  But, it is hard to watch the school crossing patrols wait forever until the road is clear to put the signs.  This is one part of New Zealand we would like to change.  And, soon, because I also seem to have a hard time remembering not to walk out in front of cars, assuming they will stop for me.

3. The Ocean "Noise" -  After people find out we live on the beach front, the most common questions we get from the locals are "are you used to the noise yet" or "is it just too noisy?".  People would tell us "oh, it will take you at least a week to get used to the noise".    Really? Are they are talking about the sound of the waves crashing?  Yes they were. Wasn't expecting that.  One of the most relaxing, wonderful sounds I could ever imagine.  I am still flabbergasted at the amount of people that call it "noise".  I tell them that people buy this kinda of "noise" to sleep to at night.  One person replied to that "boy, you really do come from the middle of the country". So, no, I have no trouble with the rhythmic ocean roar, and Brett had been comparing it to "lulling campfire"..... until he bolted out of bed in the middle of the night, three weeks after coming here...and saying "what's that noise, has the ocean always been that loud?"

The ocean lapping at the back yard - the highest I have seen the tide come in so far.  And, when the tide is out, it can be quite a walk out to the water. 

More Kapa Haka - see the post below

Just a few more photos of the Kapa Haka.   Can you guess which facial expression Liam has been practicing - I will try and see if I can get a picture of him doing it and post that soon.  

Kapa Haka Maori Festival

A very big national event took place last week in Gisborne.   Te Matatini Te O Ra was the celebration and world championships of Kapa Haka.  Kapa Haka is a traditional dance/art form of the Maori, the native people of New Zealand. "kapa" means to stand in a row, "haka" means to dance.    Teams compete in a 30 minute performance.  The teams are made up of 24-40 members and are required to perform six disciplines, whakaeke (a choreographed entry),  moteatea (traditional chant), poi (raupo ball swung on an end of a flax cord), walat-a-ringa (action song), haka (dance),  and whaka watea (exit).  The above you tube video was not from the Te Matatini, the national kapa haka festival we saw, but I thought it might give you a little better understanding.

So,  Te Matatini (the many faces) was a four day festival, taking place out at a local outdoor amphitheater on vineyard estate.  I was very excited to go and see what this was all about as we had heard it would be drawing over 40,000 people over the four days.  Seeing we live in town of 35,000, it was a very big deal.   We decided to wait for the last day, when the finalists would be competing, the best of the best.  Also, they were going to attempt the world's largest haka and the Guinness Book of World Record people were there to document it.  Sounded like a pretty cool day.  Well, guess what, it was pouring rain from the time we woke up.  Miserable looking out.  Finally, around 10:30 am we just decided to go for it, that we would never get another chance to see anything like this.  Threw the raincoats on and packed up the beach umbrella.  We were taken on a shuttle (a trailer behind a van) thru a row of the vineyard, paid about 70 dollars, trudged around a muddy hill, and huddled down on a hillside with the masses, most tucked under tarps.  We watched the end of one performance and one whole 30 minute performance.  I loved it!! I thought is was very unique, beautiful, and powerful.  I think the kids enjoyed it as well but they didn't last so long in the rain and cold.  It was still worth it, and I am still a little bummed we didn't get to see more or do the world's largest haka.  But so glad we went.  Unfortunately we have no pictures of the day as photos were not allowed.   I have been trying to find footage, but this is the best I could do from You Tube.  Liam does do a pretty good kapa haka face, and next time you see him, ask him to do for you.  We still all giggle each time he does.

EARTHQUAKE

Well, I was working on a new post about the Kapa Haka competition we went to on Sunday, but I guess that is going to have to wait.   The big news, of course, is the earthquake in Christchurch, and I have had many enquiries about how we are doing.  Just want you all to know that we are fine and safe.  In fact, many of you probably heard the news before I did.   Brett told me when I picked him up from work yesterday.  We do not have any TV channels or radio in the house so I had no clue what was going on.  We live far away from where it happened.  In fact, I had been at home planning a trip to the South Island in April which included one night in Christchurch.  Anyways, I did start reading the stories on the Internet last night and it sounds pretty horrible.  People here seem pretty shaken by it as well.  I was doing ok until I read something in the New Zealand herald that said "the quake would have some impact on the boundary between the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates. The fault runs up the South Island's West Coast, across, the Cook Strait, under Wellington and up the east coast of the North Island".  Not sure if you looked at the map of where we live, but we are right on the east coast of the North Island.  The article was basically saying that it ups the chances for an earthquake along this fault.  Really, though, we are not worried and still feel quite safe.  I figure my chances of being in a bad earthquake are the same as being in a bad tornado. And, nothing you can do to change either of those thing.
       I will say that, just as Minnesota is prone to tornandos and snowstorms, this area is no stranger to earthquakes.  Gisborne had a 6.3 earthquake a few years ago.  And, they had a 3.? and a 4.?  on the first week we were here.  Of course, we found out about these a few days later.  Still can't believe we didn't feel them when everyone else seemed to.  Everyone has been telling us not to worry about the earthquakes, and I have been telling the same thing to Liam, try to convince him that people almost never die in most earthquakes and that the earth doesn't really crack open (which is what he thinks happen in all earthquakes).  One of his only doubts/worries about moving to New Zealand came after learning (from his little uncle Sammy) that there were earthquakes here.  Maybe it is better we don't have TV right now.  And I am praying he doesn't learn too much at school today.  The majority of my prayers, however, are going out to the people in Christchurch - what a sad day!!

did he really say that?

down by the port of Gisborne, on a saturday morning walk with dad

Homesickness has settled in a little deeper for my boy.  I am surprised that he misses home as much as he says he does.  Still not sure I really believe it.  His fits of homesickness seem to coincide with something else, like getting in trouble or complaining about homework.  When I ask him what the problem is he claims that he just misses home.  Yesterday he said he was ready to go back to Minnesota "tomorrow" and the other day he said next time we go somewhere, "it will only be for 8 days or 8 weeks".  I am trying not to feel guilty about plucking him out of the life he knew, and Brett thinks I am making too much out of it - maybe I am, maybe I'm not.    I know Liam loves living on the beach and he likes his new school and is making friends  (which I still have to write more about).  Every time I ask him what he misses the most about home he says "Rico", which is just too weird, because Rico has been gone since August.  Sometimes he says "Minnesota", or his cousins, or his kindergarten class, but he is never really specific.  When I asked him if he was getting excited to see the rest of New Zealand, he answered with a big NO and told me he didn't even want to get on another plane (which is, of course, better than riding anywhere in the car).  Where did this boy with the lack of adventure come from?  Again, I am sure I am making this seem worse than it really is, but that brings me to the part of the story that has been weighing heavily on me.  As Liam was missing home and crying the other day, he mumbled something I wasn't sure I had heard right.... "this wasn't my dream".  Did I really hear that come out of my 6 year old?  I asked him to repeat it and he said "this was your dream, not mine"  Yee-ouch!!!   Still haven't figured out how I should have or could possibly respond to that.   And, I was totally crushed that this move could have such an affect on a kindergarten kid.

That moment has passed now though and today he told me he was starting to feel like a New Zealand boy, and loves going barefoot everywhere, and wants to learn to surf and buy a surfboard.   As for Phoebe, she seems completely unaffected about the move, with the exception of a few times she has realized a certain toy or piece of clothing didn't come with us.  Overall, I still believe in my theory of this being a good time in our lives to make such a big move -  now, if I can just figure out how to make it a good time for car trips, sightseeing, and hiking.

Kiwi speak

Still love the New Zealand accent, but I have to admit that sometimes I am only understanding 4/5 of what they are saying.   Sometimes I stop them and ask, like today when someone was talking about "chin wagging" (talking a lot with your friends), but a lot of times I am just nodding my head.   I still can't imitate the accent too well, but I am getting a little better.   We are all picking up words here and there.  I haven't quite been able to sign in at preschool as "mum" yet, even though all the others are - but I have heard myself say it a few times.  I have also heard a few words come out of Phoebe that have a very subtle Kiwi accent to them.  Oh, I so do hope that develops more.
The biggest language challenge I am having is with all the Maori words.  The Maori are the native people of New Zealand and it is the other official language. Where we live there is a very large Maori community and the schools stress learning the culture and language.  And I think I may need a lesson or two as well.  My first week here, when I was looking for preschools for Phoebe, I had many people tell me to go to the "Brittany" Road Kindergarten.  I looked forever for this place, on maps, in the phone book.  Finally I just gave up and stopped at a Kindergarten by Brett's clinic, the Rutene Road one.  Guess what, later, after I decided that was the only one I needed to look at, I found out I was at the right one all along.  So, tonight I am sitting with a book working on my pronunciation, and I am also learning a little vocab, which can help in learning the knowledge of some places.  Such as Wainui,  "Wai" means water, and "nui" means big, great.  Living at Wainui, this makes perfect sense.  Now, there is a national park not too far from us named Te Urewera.  I have just learned that Te = The, wera = burnt, and ure = penis.  Not sure how I feel about going the "The Burnt Penis" national park, but I hear it is pretty beautiful.   My next challenge is to figure out what Taumatawhakatangihangakoauotamateaturipukakpikimaunghoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu   means.  Apparently that is the name of some hill, and, believe or not, the longest name for a place in the world.  Looks like Phoebe typed it.

Here are some of our other favorite english Kiwi words:

jandals = flip flops, sandals
chillybin = cooler
spew = vomit
judder bars = speed bumps
nappy = diaper
two ticks =  short measurement of time (Brett and I were trying to figure that one out when the Bank lady said it to us the other day)
tramp = bush walk, hike, trek, very common thing here is to go "tramping"
dairy = small corner store, every neighborhood has one
bach = holiday home, beach house, pronounced "batch"
across the ditch = referring to Australia, across the Tasman Sea
knickers = underwear (I repeatedly told Phoebe's teacher that yes, she did have her "necklace" on, when she was actually trying to tell me that Phoebe never put her "knickers" back on after swimming one day)

oh, and I know there are more to come and some I have already forgotten.... I'll update this list again some day.

Laters    (see you later)

Adjusting

Things are still good.  My driving skills are getting better everyday.  The toughest part for me is the spacial judgement of the left side of the car.  Really, pulling over to the side of the curb proved to be too much for me and the car.  After one too many rough curb hits I have succeeded in tearing the hub cap off.  Need to get that fixed because our car went from looking o.k. to looking pretty hoodville now.  And, if you didn't read Brett's earlier blog, I have been do a LOT of driving everyone else around.  The 1 car thing is just not working out as well as we had hoped - I see a scooter in Brett's eminent future.  I figure it is win win - Brett can have his motorcycle type object and I will be putting less pedestrians and curbs in danger.

I am really not complaining.  We have given up a lot of things and most of them I don't miss so much.  I am doing fine without the clothes dryer (surprise, surprise) and the cell phones are a pleasure to have gone.  We also are not missing the TV too much.  We made our first trip to the video store, but still haven't made any moves toward getting the hook up for the channels yet.  We are especially bummed that our Netflix doesn't work over here and will not let us stream movies and shows, neither will Hulu (so much for that plan).   Our wi-fi works fine, but we think there might be a monthly cap on the usage, and I am terrified about how fast it might run out.  When it does, we go to dial up speed.  I'm guessing the TV will get hooked up if that happens.

Things I am missing (besides my family and friends) include my garbage disposal and window screens.  The garbage system works a little different here.  You pay for garbage pick up by the kilogram - you place a sticker (that is bought a the dairy or grocery store) for each 5 Kg.  So, people are pretty good about recycling and composting.  I am all for this and was eager to learn more about composting.  Until I was stirring it the other day and almost pitchforked a mouse/?rat and some other creature practically tipped it over one night.  And, we don't have a garbage disposal, so I really do need to compost.  Boy, do I miss the garbage disposal.  As for the window screens, we have none.  Usually not a problem, but this past week has been really, really hot.  And, keeping the windows open at night means a lot of mossies (new zealand speak for mosquitos) and other bugs.  So frustrating when there is an ocean breeze on the other side of the glass.  

As for the kids, they are doing fine.  Liam may be having a little tougher time and has had his good and bad days as far as homesickness.  Today he was especially missing Rico, our black lab, that has been living with Brett's brother and sister in law since August.  Our beach is full of people walking unleashed dogs, and Rico would have been in heaven.  I have to admit, I have missed him too.  But we know he is happy.  The kids have been superstars when it comes to showers and suntan lotion.  Our house has no bathtubs.   Just before we moved, however, both of them started enjoying showers more.  To the point where my four year old almost preferred them.  I thought this was sort of weird for a 4 and 5 year old.  But, now I am thankful and neither of them even misses the bathtub.  Whew!  I also used to struggle to put suntan lotion on them, even when we were in Fiji.  Now, they take it stride.   Good thing, because the Kiwis take their sun very seriously, and with good reason - they have the highest rate of skin cancer in the world.

There are a few more things that I will address later, but for the most part, life isn't too different.  Just a lot warmer.   I'm sure we will be cold in the winter, and you will hear more about that later too, but at least there will not be snow.

Did I mention we are living on the beach?

So, we are living at Wainui Beach.  Wainui is a small beach community with about 1,500 people, a dairy (corner store), an elementary school, and some amazing surfing.  We are located about 4 miles north of Gisborne on the North Island of New Zealand.  Gisborne is the city where Brett works and Phoebe goes to Kindergarten (preschool).  Gisborne has a population of about 35,000 people, which sounds small, but is actually a pretty good size city in New Zealand.  New Zealand only has a population of 4.3 million people, 1/3 of whom live in Auckland.   And, 76% of the entire population lives on the North Island.  Gisborne is the eastern most city and one of it's claims to fame is that is the first to see the sunrise on Earth each day.  It is also known to be one of the more isolated cities on the North Island - with a very long, winding, slow road as our only option out of here.   It is an 8 hour drive to Auckland and 3 hours to any town bigger than us, with hardly anything else in between.  So, even though we are said to have one of the best climates and we have this spectacular beach, we hardly have any tourists and there are only a couple hotels in Wainui and neither are located directly on the beach.  We have found we can get most anything we need in town (although more expensive than we are used to) and, so far, have not felt too isolated.  I mean, it's hard to want to leave the house, much less the city, when you live on the beach.  I really do look forward to seeing the rest of New Zealand, and when the time comes, I hear the best way out is just to fly.  Did I mention that our airport runway intersects the railroad tracks? Also another Gisborne claim to fame.  (for even more info about Gisborne, see my link to the right)

Otherwise we are getting used to beach life and the endless trail of sand in the house.  We are at the end of summer here and still enjoying some really nice weather.  Most of the time there is a pretty cool ocean breeze and the ocean is actually pretty cool as well. Most of the surfers have wet suits on and it is a bit more chilly than I would prefer, but it is still very swimmable.  A couple of days here have been downright hot and those days the water and surf were fantastic.  You can walk out for quite aways with out it getting very deep and the bottom is alllll sand - no rocks or coral.  The waves are fun, fun, fun.  The locals do tell me there are sharks, but they don't bother anyone.  They also said occasionally you will see dolphins, whales, and sea lions - so far I have seen none.  I did see a fisherman catch a giant stingray the other day, that was pretty cool.  The walk down the beach is my new favorite pastime.   Hopefully I get surfing soon too.  I am still having too much fun boogie boarding and body surfing.

My Work(Brett's first post)

Well I finished my first week of work.  It really wasn't a full week.  Monday was a holiday.  Tuesday was orientation and Wednesday was a half day.  Thursday and Friday I saw patients although it was a light schedule.  The reason I am posting is cause I am excited to share the news of what I wear to work.  I have posted pictures of my first 3 days of work-my outfits.  I am sure you can guess the order.  I have to admit I just threw on the nice clothes the other night for the photo-it wasn't my actual first day when that picture was taken.

If anyone is wondering medicine is not much different here than the States.  Same sorts of medical conditions.  The patients are nice and thankful for the care they get.  The drugs have some different names but are more or less the same.  The cheap drugs here are the cheap drugs in the States.  The computer system is not as advanced as Fairview's.  The biggest difference so far is that I don't have to document nearly as much as in the States.  Dr. Bundt, my mentor from Fairview would love it, cause you just document what you did and what is necessary-not all the legal and insurance compensation BS!!  This is what medicine is about-seeing and talking with people and not worrying about documentation.  They have a national (accident)insurance policy-ACC-in New Zealand that doesn't allow you to take legal action against Doctors like in the US, therefore much less 'cover your ass' stuff.  I am not saying this is perfect.  There is lots of ACC paperwork.  They also have a 'national health care' system but people still pay to see the Docs.

I posted a couple morning sunrises for you all.  How beautiful!!  Beach life so far is pretty good.  I wake up to this and come eat lunch back at home everyday(1.5 hour lunch break).  Obviously dinner is at home most nights too.  Kelly has been cooking up meals and driving us around with our 1 vehicle.  Her day is something like this-make lunches(Phoebe and Liam-no hot school lunch), bring me to work, than back home, bring Liam to school and then back into Gisborne to take Phoebe to school.  Pick Phoebe up at noon and me, back to our house for lunch.  Bring me back to work.  Pick Liam up at school.  Pick me up at work!!!!!!  She has some breaks in there but not much-life as a stay at home mom isn't all fun and sun.  I plan on buying a scooter to ride to work in my SHORTS and SHIRT!!!

What a life so far in New Zealand.  The rainbow picture is from our plane trip into Gisborne.  I have to admit we must be one of the luckier families in the world.  This whole thing is working out so nice-so few problems.  I imagine at some point we might struggle but we got each other and our families on Skype when we need them.