Spring!

To officially welcome spring I went down to Cornwall Park here in Auckland to look at the cherry blossoms!

Cherry Blossoms!

 The park was relatively huge, so after taking pictures of the cherry blossoms, and debating whether I’ll jump into the car and cruise around, I remembered I have limbs that need to be used once in a while so I decided to stroll. Lo and behold i found these

Sheeps!

Yes sheeeep! Ever since I arrived here I have’nt seen one! I gues its inevitable as this country has more sheep than humans. I have a theory that when kiwi’s die, they are actually reborn as sheep.

Then I noticed that the park was actually packed with humans too. And most of them are in pairs. You know, with their partners. Heck even the sheeps have partners, its soo depressing.

Racial Discrimination

I have been fortunate enough (so far) not to experience it first hand. I’m an asian currently living in Auckland and havent been discriminated for any reason to my face (just yet), and it’s probably because this city is so multicultural already. Anyway so I have a Filipino acquaintance who recently went to Sidney for business. On his last night there, he and his pinoy officemate went to a bar to have some drinks till late that night. To make the story short, they waited for a bus (ah, in a bus stop) but unsure whether it will pass the hotel that they are staying. Eventually a bus came  so they decided to ask first. My friend humbly asked the driver if they could be dropped near their hotel. The driver appears to be busy talking to his mate (apparently busses in Sidney have ticket providers or whatever). My friend, thinking that they might not have heard him, asked again, this time louder, but they deliberately ignored him. When they got back to Auckland they found out that apparently it’s one of the most common display of discrimination there.

Okay I’m not generalizing that Aussies are a bunch of assholes. I know that discrimination happens everywhere not just in Australia. Actually I don’t even want to discuss about it. It’s exhausting. Just wanted to share it so that when you go to Australia, be sure to know where you’re going. And what bus to take. Or probably rent a car! Because hey, you can’t change other people and their ideals. You can only change yourself.

It will get better in time…

It’s been exactly 86 days since I’ve arrized in Auckland. Felt like so many things have already happened. In that short period of time I’ve learned loads about myself. It’s true what they say, you can never really see your true self unless you go and travel alone. No other companion but you. No one to help carry your luggage. No one to be with when you’re trying to find your connecting flight’s gate in a massive airport.

I’m not sure whether these revelations are new though. At some point probably, even before I got on this journey I’ve pretty much seen all sides of myself. I guess it just reinforced it and sort of magnified it a thousand times. Like I like to be alone with myself reading a book in a corner, sulking, minding my own business, but I need another person that I know present with me in a room, or a place, or cafe, wherever. What I’m trying to say is I like to be surrounded all of the time with friends or family, but I like them to leave me alone with my own thoughts. It’s like watching a TV show that you really like, and you know you’re not going to change the channel, but you keep the remote to your side, just in case you get tired. Arrgh I’m not good at this.

Another reinforcement is that Im soo full of contradictions. My job, as an auditor, requires me to interact with other people, the problem is, I’m not a people person. I mean I love people that I know, its strangers that you have to talk to get your work done that I despise. In my three years of auditng, I’ve pretty much seen all kinds of people. Polite, rude, nice, helpful,cheery,pessimistic,egotistic,indifferent,condescending, and just plain assholes. Some might say, if I hate it so much, then why don’t I quit my job? Good question actually. I guess I’m just one of those unlucky people who are not granted the privelege to really like what they do. But hey my job pays. Not obscenely much but not too bad. I mean it was my ticket to get out of the third world country where I come from.

This might make your eyes roll but there’s really no place like home. I hate to admit it but I miss my country. I don’t mean to sound so unnationalistic. I’m just being realistic, there really is not much oppurtunity to succeed in a place thats going down the drain. But I’m not gonna try to go there. Its too tiring to talk about. So going back, my point is the grass may be greener on the other side, but also try to consider if the greener grass is tastier than the patch of weeds that you’re used to.

Don’t get me wrong. I consider it a blessing that I was able to travel here in NZ and work. And earn good money. And meet beautiful, friendly people. But since I’m here alone, and everythings is still new to me, its hard to cope. If you look at it this experience is just a test to measure how resilient and strong I am. But do you have to be strong the whole time? Can’t you just let yourself go once in a while? Of course, question is how long?

Welcome To Auckland!

After 13 hours and one connecting flight from Hongkong (HK airport is massive) I finally touched down to Auckland! Hurray! Scary. Things even got scarier when my luggage was delayed. Apparently it was still in Hongkong Airport. After 30 minutes of lost luggage filing and another half an hour checking and frisking I’m finally on my way out of the airport. I rode the airbus to Beach road, Parnell to get the key to my apartment. My first bus ride. Yey! Got the keys. Rode a taxi which charged exorbitantly. Finally I managed to take myself into Lighter Quay. Where I will stay for the next 14 days. Alone. The place is gorgeous and behind it is the Viaduct Harbour which is equally breathtaking. What to do after 13 hours of bum torture and compressed recycled air? Sleep!

KIWI!

Okay. Short version. I was offered a job in Auckland, New Zealand. I gladly accepted. It was the perfect opportunity to leave the third world, even for a while. Which means leaving my family for a while, my comfort zone for a while, everything that I knew for a while… and knowing that got me freakin’ scared! This is going to be my first time out of the country and I’m going a-l-o-n-e. Okay big deal. I’m not really THAT scared. I’m terrified!

So, to cope, I will start this blog to document everything that will happen to me in my quest to go to kiwi land.

First step: Get a working VISA and watch out for earthquakes.

I was lucky. My employer (one of the big 4 auditing firms) is an accredited employer of the NZ department of labour (Immigration). A certificate evidencing their accreditation, plus my contract, and evidences of my qualifications, I presented with the NZ immigration. As the personnel was rummaging through my papers, the building started to shake mildly. And then it shook some more. The building danced for like forever. Unsure of whether its an actual earthquake or I’m on the verge of passing out because I haven’t eaten yet, I casually (with so much effort not to scream) asked the guy if he was shaking too. Apparently it was an actual earthquake. The rest of the VISA applicants waiting for their number to be called is starting to make worried noises. High pitched. Then this guy examining my documents started yelling “don’t panic!” like its gonna help. He ordered me to just sit and continue what I was doing. For a moment I thought he was crazy. But then I complied. I was supposed to accomplish a form and all I can think of is “where’s the exit? I’m on the ninth floor! don’t use the elevator! wait till my mom hears about this! where’s my damn cellphone?” I was staring blankly on the piece of paper, my grip on the ball pen so tight my hand hurts and then as immediately as the earthquake started, it decided to go away. Just like that it’s gone. Relief was overflowing, I just wanted to dash out of the building as soon as my feet start to realize they are there.

Fast forward after that fateful day, after seven working days I now have my working VISA! Hurray.

That was supposedly the first step. I left out the eeky details of my medical before the VISA application. Too embarrassing. I don’t even want to describe how the doctor examined my… okay nevermind.

Now my flight is booked at January 10.

But before that, I have to go to POEA here in the Philippines. Now that will be a different drama. I’m going tomorrow and I have every intention of documenting it, with earthquakes or not.

The quake I learned later was an intensity 4. Who knew.