Tongariro National Park

On Monday (Labour Day), it was brilliantly sunny in Whanganui, and the forecast for Tongariro was rainy in the morning, but 0% chance of rain after 1:00pm, so we decided to head out after lunch. It is 120 km (74mi) away, and Google Maps said it would take about an hour and a half. Well, it turns out that if you're willing to drive 100kph (62mph) on narrow, curvy roads that might make a U-turn or slant dangerously towards a cliff at any moment, it would probably take you an hour and a half. We are not, so it took us well over two hours to get there.

Fortunately, I didn't mind how long it took at all, because we were driving through such beautiful countryside! You will probably be sick of my pictures of beautiful green hills before too long, but I'm going to keep posting them anyway, because I can't get enough of them. Also, on this particular trip, the clouds and the sky were stunning, so you get to see a bit of them as well.

This particular picture reminds me of something, but I can't quite recall what it is. I just love the single tree on the ridge, especially with the gorgeous roundness of this particular tree.

That's it for countryside pictures for now, but don't worry - there will be more!

After over two hours on our roller-coaster of a drive, we came to the mountain!! Lovely, isn't it? Well, as it turns out, this particular mountain was Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings. I don't find it very Mount Doom-y with the snow all over it, but it's still cool. We are going to go back in the summer, so we'll see what it's like then.

We got out to go for a hike before it started raining again (0% chance or not, it sure seemed ready to pour). The trail started out like this...

... but very quickly became this. It was amazing how quickly the vegetation changed, especially having been so used to bright green!

And then we came out of the wooded area to see this! Beautiful, hey? I love how it is all "earth tones" and yet there are so many different colours!

This is me at the end of the trail surveying the area. Notice that I had to hold on to my hat - it was nothing if not windy up there!

This is a very cool carving at the visitor's centre, which we found right after totally giving up that we would ever find it. The eyes of the people are made out of Paua (abalone). A lot of artwork here has that in it, and it has lovely blues and greens in it, and it very iridescent. Unfortunately, all you can see in these ones is the glare, but they really were pretty.

Next, we got back in the car and headed out to another hike that we wanted to do, at which point the weather forgot about it's 0% chance of rain promise, and decided to pummel us with rain and wind. After waiting a bit for it to let up, during which time it intensified, we decided to head home.

On the way out, I noticed that even though it was raining were we were, the sun was shining on the mountain, light it up through the clouds. As always, the picture does not do justice to how cool it was!

As promised, more pictures of the beautiful scenery on the way home! And actually, we picked up two hitchhikers in Tongariro, so we had company all the way back to Whanganui. It was an American man and a German woman, both of whom were on Work-Holiday Visas, which are just for a year, but you can travel around NZ and work as you want. They were hitchhiking to Wellington to catch the ferry down to Picton and then explore the South Island. They were very nice, and it was fun to meet them.

We got out and took some pictures at a few particularly beautiful places, and this was my favourite, so I got a picture of J here.

A quick update: After writing my rant on Tuesday, I spent a lot of the day, as well as some of Wednesday, emailing and calling people trying to get things moving. I convinced the lady at the NZQA to accept the paperwork I'd already given her, so I am expecting to get my results in the mail very soon, and the Criminal Record Check people said that right now it's only taking about two weeks for Checks to get done, so that's not too bad at all. I still feel that things should have been handled better from the beginning, but I also think that it all worked out okay, and I am thankful for that.

I Hate Waiting

J and I did make it up to Tongariro National Park yesterday, and I will post pictures next time. Right now, however, beautiful pictures need to make way for a major rant.

My ability to start relieving for kindergartens and early learning centres is dependent upon my Criminal Record Check coming back from the Ministry of Justice. It is supposed to take 20 business days, so I faxed it in right away, way back in September. After 23 business days, I emailed them to see if there was a problem. It took them a while to write back, but they finally did this morning, with bad news. Apparently, their fax machine was "acting up" in September, and they never received my application at all. They suggested that I send it in now, so they can get started. So here I thought I was in the final days of that wait, and it turns out that I haven't even started. 20 business days is a long time.

In addition, my ability to get a permanent job as a teacher (and to get paid well as a reliever) depends on my evaluation from the NZ Qualifications Authority (NZQA). I received an email from them this morning, containing unpleasant news. Their evaluation is supposed to take no more than 35 business days (let's recall, that's already 7 whole weeks), but it has been 45 days already since I submitted it. They have provided all kinds of shady excuses for this, but I was inclined to be forgiving, because the lady who has been corresponding with my has been very nice and polite, and I know it's not her fault that the business overall is slow. On Friday, when I checked online, my application status had finally moved on to the second-to-last step, so I was optimistic. Then, the email this morning said that my letter of completion for my Master's Degree was not sufficient, and that they would need to get official confirmation directly from KSU. I find this extremely unfair, because I actually foresaw this problem and fixed it. Since I didn't have my actual diploma yet when I sent in my application, I emailed NZQA and asked them what I should do, and I was assured in no uncertain terms that a letter of completion from the Graduate Office would be sufficient. I went and got a very official-looking one, and got it notarized and everything. I thought I was going above and beyond, and now it's not enough. Even more upsetting, who knows how long it will take them to actually contact KSU and get the information back?

The icing on the cake is that when I went and checked the progress of my application, it has actually moved TWO STEPS BACKWARDS!

I am reaching the end of what I can do without a teaching license or a Criminal Record Check, and I have long ago passed the end of my tolerance for waiting on them. It makes me feel hopeless and useless, as well as powerless, since I can't even do anything to fix it. I just have to wait, and I am terrible at waiting.

On the bright side, I can make myself a cup of tea, escape into a good book, and try to pretend that paperwork doesn't exist.

Palmerston North Visit

Yesterday, J and I went to Palmerston North for the day. Monday is Labour Day here, which makes this a three day weekend. Our plan was to go to Palmerston North Saturday, stay at home and relax (and Skype with family) on Sunday, and then go hiking in Tongariro National Park on Monday. However, the forecast now is to rain most of tomorrow, so we'll have to wait and see about the hiking.

We had a very good time in Palmerston North. It is about an hour away from Whanganui, and has almost twice the population (82,000, as compared to 42,000). J has been there for work a few times, but hasn't really explored. Also, it is where the Becker-Harris family lived when they were in NZ several years ago, which makes it special to me.

We also wanted to go there to buy cotton yarn, so that J could crochet us washcloths and dish towels. Wool is very common here, with the abundance of sheep, but none of the stores in Whanganui carry cotton yarn, and only one store in Palmerston North has it. Fortunately, it is very nice yarn, and we got some lovely colours.

After yarn shopping, we had a delicious lunch at La Patio Café, and then walked around the outdoor market that was set up in the middle of town. I'm not sure if it's there every weekend, or just because it's Labour Weekend, but it was nice. We were looking for wide-brimmed hats, to protect us from the sun. NZ is right under the hole in the ozone layer, and skin cancer is a very big problem here, so we are determined to be sun smart. I bought a beautiful purple and green hat with a HUGE brim, in which I look a bit like an old lady in a garden, but I love it, and it will keep me protected. J is still looking for a good hat for him - most of the places seemed to only have women's hats, which is silly.

Here are some pictures of downtown Palmerston North, in The Square, as it's called.

Yellow roses are my favourite flower, so I was excited to see so many beautiful ones.

I'm not sure what this is, but I liked it. It reminds me of a paperclip - maybe on that got confused.

When we got tired of walking around, we found a café and sat down for a rest. J ordered a coffee, and was given this beautiful creation!

Next, we headed to Victoria Esplanade Gardens to have a look around. It is a very beautiful place, with an aviary, a rose garden, a little train you can ride, and all kinds of things. We didn't stay very long, because we were still tired, but here are some pictures of things we saw.

This is a red golden pheasant, which was my favourite bird at the aviary. We weren't able to go inside because it was under construction, so we will have to go back.

I adore this kind of tree. I don't know why, but they always make me think of fairies and enchanted places.

There were a bunch of these circles of flowers, so beautifully made.

Here is me in my new hat! Isn't it fun? And notice how much shade it gives! The sun doesn't stand a chance against me and my hat!

Driving

I spent every morning this week in a different Early Learning Centre, and had a great time in each of them. Unfortunately, 4 out of 5 days, I drove to said ELC. I really want to be biking, and feel quite guilty getting into my car, but it keeps happening. Part of the reason (which I think is justifiable), is that the sky has been on the verge of dumping rain on Whanganui all week, and has done so at least once per day. I deeply dislike getting caught in rain on my bike, especially when it's not very warm. It's been about 18C (64F) all week, which is fine until it's starts raining.

The other, (somewhat less justifiable), reason is that I feel so cool driving on the left side of the road! Turning right across traffic, flipping on my blinker (they call it an indicator here) with my right hand, parallel parking on the left side of the road (from the right side of the car), all make me feel powerful and suave. It amazes me how fast I have gotten used to it, but I am glad that it's still enough of a novelty that I enjoy it so much.

That being said, as soon as I get a forecast that give me a reasonable degree of certainty that I will not get rained on, I will be biking more. The locals have assured me that it doesn't usually rain this much in spring (although the wind is normal), and that soon it will clear up and be a beautiful summer.

On the topic of driving, I feel that I should mention roundabouts. They have them everywhere here! There are some stoplights downtown, but the rest of the town is entirely roundabouts. J and I have heard from various people that Kiwis consider roundabouts to be a very safe, effective solution to regulating intersections. What I like about them is that you usually don't have to wait for very long, and if no one is there, you just have to slow down. This is much nicer than a stoplight, where you often have to wait for no one. On the other hand, I find the rules of giving way (yielding) at roundabouts rather confusing, and often wonder how their aren't more miscommunications and accidents. I don't know how it works in the States, but here, you always have to give way to cars to your right (remember that we're going around the circle clockwise). That seems fine, but it even means that if I'm already at the intersection when car reaches it on my right, I still have to give way to it, which feels odd. Also, signalling is a bit tricky in roundabouts, since all ways are left when you're leaving it. But I am getting used to it, and I enjoy driving all the way across town without having to stop at a traffic light.

Another thing that is hard to get used to is merging lanes. There are a lot of roads that have two lanes right after an intersection, and then switch to one, with one lane clearly ending and the other continuing. In the States, whoever is in the continuing lane has the right of way, while the person in the lane that is ending has to find a gap to merge into. Here, on the other hand, whichever car is ahead has the right of way, regardless of what lane it is in. I don't think that that is specifically written into the driving laws (or at least I can't find it), but I have yet to see any examples of it not being followed. It freaked J and I out the first couple times, because we thought we were waiting for a gap, and the car in the other lane slowed way down for us. But now that we know the convention, it works just fine.

The one thing that I am still struggling to use appropriately is the rear view mirror. I can use the side mirrors fine (and in such a small car, they are almost sufficient), but I CANNOT look to my left for the inside rearview mirror. And when I manage to do it (always after checking the right side mirror by accident), it's almost like I can't incorporate that information as what's behind me, because it's not in the right place. It's a strange thing to be hung up on, but that's how it goes.

In conclusion, I am really enjoying the challenge and excitement (and inexplicable ego boost) of driving, and appreciating that I can get to ELCs on rainy days, but I will also be glad when I can get back to biking.

Whanganui Reputation

When I tell people that I've moved here from the States (or they ask where I'm from because of my accent), they always seem surprised that I would come to Whanganui. They all seem to think that no one would voluntarily move to Whanganui, rather than Auckland or Wellington. However, when I tell them that I really like it here so far, they are proud to say that it is a nice little town, with plenty of things to do, and that they enjoy living here.

As I have had more of these conversations, I have realized that the locals are a bit embarrassed and frustrated by what they feel is an undeserved negative reputation. Apparently, Whanganui gets made fun of a bit by other Kiwis, because there is a bit of a gang problem, and because the river is muddy. I have heard mixed opinions on whether or not the gangs are dangerous, but the consensus seems to be that they keep to themselves and don't bother the rest of us. As for the river, you may have noticed in some of my pictures that it is quite brown - this is because of all the silt that gets into it. I don't actually mind it, and still think it's pretty, but apparently not everyone agrees. One thing that all of this means is that one of the big platforms in elections is turning around the image of the city, and getting people to move here and bring in business and money.

As far as I can figure out, Whanganui is a fantastic place. The people are friendly and helpful, and they seem to have great relationships with each other. Not only do some shopkeepers already remember my name, they great a lot of their customers by name and seem happy to see them and help them with whatever they need. There are lots of small businesses that seem to be doing well, as well as plenty of chains and big stores. The weather is most nice, there are pretty beaches, and you only have to drive an hour or two to get to bigger cities like Palmerston North, or to the mountains in Tongariro National Park.

Moreover, everyone I've talked to who moved here as an adult says that they much prefer it over where they came from (regardless of where that is). They all, like me, were happy to find so many nice people, and to have both a small-town feel and plenty of variety.

In conclusion, people should wake up and appreciate Whanganui for all it's wonderful qualities.

On an unrelated note:
I am not going to be able to keep posting every day. I am getting busier, and I am optimistic that I will get my NZ Background Check back next week, and then I'll be even busier. In addition, now that we are a bit more settled, I am spending my days doing things that are important and fun for me, but not really blog-worthy. I would rather not write when I don't have anything to say than try to invent things to say and end up being boring and rambling. But I promise to write at least every other day for the time being, and see how that goes. So don't stop checking in if there's not something new every day. Okay?

Flowers and Plants (Pictures)

Another busy day today - visiting Early Learning Centres, wading through paperwork that I'd let pile up while I was sick, and colouring a beautiful picture for the Trade Aid Adult Colouring Competition. Yay for fun grown-up things!

Anyway, another productive day, so that's good. And after getting a well-deserved long night's sleep, J is healthy once again.

Since we arrived in Whanganui, I have stopped to take pictures of pretty flowers or plants that I've noticed. I thought I would share the pictures with you, as they are quite lovely.

This flower is about as long as my hand, and grows on a tree. The tree was covered with them, and they all grow straight up, which makes it look almost like the tree is on fire. I couldn't get high enough to get a picture from the top, so I don't know what the inside looks like.

I realize that these are normal-ish looking flowers, but they are special, because they seem to be the NZ version of dandelions. They grow everywhere, including all over our lawn, which I love. They are so tiny and delicate, and they make a house seem quaint.

 This is a grapefruit tree, growing on the playground of one of the Early Learning Centres. They also have a lemon tree, and the children climb up both of them and knock or shake down fruit, then run and get it. So exciting!

Ferns are very popular in NZ - the All Blacks are "the silver ferns," and there are ferns on a great many NZ tourist items and informational postings. I think that they are beautiful.

This plant is wonderful and confusing. I thought at first that it was two plants growing next to each other, but no! It actually grows as if it's half lamb's quarter and half firework. So cool!

Update on J

I am sure you have all noticed that I don't write that much about J, and perhaps are wondering why, or lamenting the absence. There are a couple reasons for this:

1) J's job involves a lot of very important government business, and is therefore very confidential. I realize that that is a silly way to say it, but it's true. He and his colleagues take that responsibility and confidentiality very seriously, and the last thing that they want is for anything (and they mean anything) about how they do things to be posted on a blog where anyone can read it. So J's job is largely not an available topic. I will say (with J's permission), that it is a good job, and he thinks that it will be a good fit for him.

2) J is a much more private person than I am (as are most people, probably). I don't mind posting whatever happens or even whatever pops into my mind. But J prefers to have knowledge of his personal opinions and activities restricted to the specific people he chooses to tell, and that is not possible on a blog, since anyone can accidentally stumble upon it. I respect this about J, and therefore try to only broadcast my silly thoughts and actions, not his.

So as you can imagine, with work and personal life largely ruled out, J does tend to be rather absent from the blog-world. But he is here, plugging away and enjoying NZ right along with me. You'll just have to imagine it, I guess. :)

Nice Sunday

Today didn't feel like a busy day, but it's late at night already, and this is the first time I have sat down at my computer to write.

J magically woke up feeling good today, after being feverish and sick all day yesterday. I don't know what happened, but we are so glad that it went away so quickly!

I got to sleep in, and then get up and Skype with Dad, which was lovely. Have I mentioned that I really appreciate Skype?

Then I cleaned up the house a bit, because my friend Kirsten was coming over to try on clothes. J's coworker's partner went through her closet to get rid of extra clothes, and J's coworker noticed that we're about the same size, so he passed them on to me. Kirsten and I are about the same size as well, so we tackled the 4 big bags of clothes together. It reminded me of the clothes drives at Manhattan Mennonite Church, which I used to look forward to every year. Only this time, all the clothes were all gorgeous, in great condition, and just my size! All those things, plus FREE, is like clothes shopping in heaven. :) So we had a lot of fun trying everything on, and both ended up with some great clothes.

Next, we took the huge German Shepard Kirsten is dog-sitting for a nice, long walk around Wembley Park. It was the first time I got to use the secret door in our fence in the back, and it was very exciting. Also, the park is beautiful, the weather is finally warm and sunny, and it's nice to have a dog on a walk.

After that, J and I cooked supper together. I have decided to learn to cook, and J surprised me last week by going out and buying the basic materials that I needed to start. He is cooking a meal one night to teach me how to do it, and then I am doing it the next night myself. We are starting with VERY simple things - frying fish/chicken and seasoning canned vegetables - but I am quite proud of myself. After years of living by myself and eating healthy only by buying healthy cereal and lots of fruits and vegetables to compensate for my utter lack of cooking ability, I am happy to start simple. And you know what? Canned green beans and fish fried in olive oil is utterly respectable food, and I like eating it. :) J is actually a very good cook, so I have faith that I will not stay with totally basic foods forever. And regardless, I like cooking with J, so it's all good.

We finished up the night by watching a movie. We rented Eagle Eye, which was pretty good, although I don't think I really needed that much suspense in my life. But it was fun.

All in all, it was a very good day, and now we're very tired and need to get a good night's sleep. J is off to work in the morning, and I am finally not sick, and can get back to visiting Early Learning Centres. Yay!

Kiwi English

While I'm on the topic of learning new languages, I thought I'd add a bit to my list of new Kiwi vocabulary I've been learning. I realize that it doesn't quite count as learning a new language, but some days it feel like it should.

Here is a list of new Kiwi words, followed by the American English equivalent, and then the sentence that brought them to my attention, if helpful.

~ Nappy (Diaper)

~ Tea (Brunch/Snack) -  Teacher: "We usually clean up before morning tea, so the children can all come together to eat."

~ Rellies (Relatives)

~ Spade (Shovel) -  I realize that we also use the word spade, but here the children didn't know what the world shovel meant, and were relieved to figure out that I meant spade.

~ Togs (Swimsuit)

~ Boot (Trunk of Car) -  Car Salesman: "It's got a lot of space in the boot for the size of the car." This is a wonderful quote, because it was followed by the most confused look I have ever seen on J's face.

~ Cellotape (Scotch Tape) -  Child: "You have long fingernails so you can always find the end of the cellotape. My are short, so my mom has to help me with cellotape."

~ Fine (Nice Weather) -  "It's been quite rainy this week, but tomorrow is supposed to be fine."

~ Choice (Very Good) - "That store is quite expensive, but the clothes there are choice."

~ Dairy (Convenience Store) -  "You can just ask at the dairy what kind of rubbish sticker you need."

~ Footpath (Sidewalk)

~ Give Way (Yield) -  It says this on Yield signs, which I think is hilarious. I can't help but imagine the car crumbling into nothing when it's instructed to Give Way.

~ Lemonade (Clear Pop) -  7Up, Sprite, etc. I don't know what they call what we call lemonade, now that I think of it.

~ Ute (Pickup Truck) -  "No problem, we can bring it over. We have a ute." (Pronounced 'Yoot')

Again, many of these words/phrases are the same as what I've heard in England, which makes sense, because NZ was a British colony. But the accent is very different, and there are some unique words. Togs, for example, is just in NZ, I think.

For the most part, I am not having much trouble understanding the Kiwi accent anymore. However, there are certain people whose particular speech patterns are difficult for me. One of the delivery guys who brought our furniture must have thought I was deaf, because I had to ask him to repeat everything he said at least twice. It's very odd, because once I understand them, then I can't nail down how they even sound different from people I do understand, but there must be something. I have heard the people from out in the country have much more intense accents (which seems to be true all over the world), so maybe that's part of it. I have also heard that people on the South Island have very strong accents, but most of the South Island is very rural, so maybe that's mostly the same thing.

I haven't found myself talking like a Kiwi yet, although I still sometimes find myself incorporating their words or phrases into my thinking. I am eager to keep learning more, and integrating into the culture and language.

Tēnā koutou!

I have finally started studying Māori, and I am so excited! The title of this post is how you say hello to three or more people, and I am quite proud that I know that. :)

I found a program online called Tōku Reo, which means "My Language." It includes videos that teach you vocab, grammar, and culture, as well as online activities and tests. I am also using a book called Teach Yourself Māori that my friend Richard Harris gave me before I left. (Thanks!!) It works really well to be able to hear it and get pronunciation online, but then to have the book to look up things that I'm confused about.

I think that Māori will be challenging to learn, for a variety of reasons. Here are the main three so far.

1) The sentence formation is very different than English and French. Both of those languages have a subject, verb, object order. But Māori has a verb, subject, object order, which is very different. In addition, verbs are not conjugated in Māori the way they are in English and French. There are words that show tenses, but the verb stays the time regardless of the subject or tense. All of these things are learnable, but for the moment, it makes me feel like I'm just stringing related words together, rather than putting them together into a meaningful sentence. I'll just have to learn a new way to understand sentences.

2) Unlike French or English, Māori pronunciation includes long vowels and short vowels, with the sound being exactly the same, and only the duration differing. I didn't think that this was a big deal when I first read it, but now it seems quite hard. Because I have never had to pay attention to sound lengths in language, I barely hear the difference between long and short vowels in Māori, and that is a problem in meanings of words. For example, 'keke' (two short 'e's) means 'cake,' but 'kēkē' (two long 'e's) means 'armpit.' I would like to have a healthy differentiation between these words, but when they say them both on TV, they sound the same to me. I will just have to practice, I guess.

3) There are lots of vowels in Māori words, and I sometimes find it hard to hear or pronounce them all. In fact, there are no consonant combinations in at all - each consonant is followed by one or more vowels, and all words end in a vowel. It makes the language very beautiful, in my opinion, but it also makes it hard to figure out where all those vowels go.

I am off to meet Kirsten for tea, but when I get back, I am going to tackle the next video and see what I can learn. :)

Flood Pictures

I feel better today! Yay! Not 100%, but better enough to go and visit Jan, and then to head down to the river and check out what the flood area looked like the next afternoon. Here are some pictures:

This, believe it or not, was a road before the flood. You can see it, right in the middle, and then curving away to the left, but it's seen better days. You can also see quite a lot of driftwood, which looks small in the picture, but those pieces in the lower right corner are about as tall as I am.

I thought this was quite amazing - if you cover up the left side of the picture, it looks like hard, parched desert, but then there's the beautiful green NZ grass (and the water). All the silt from the water has settled and covered the grass, and don't be fooled by how dry it looks - I almost lost my shoes to the thick, gooey mud!

Just for comparison's sake, this is a picture I took two weeks ago of that same area, just a bit further down the path. (Yes, there was a path there, although you can't see it at all in the post-flood picture, because it's covered in mud.)

This is the high water line. Some places it was just over the river bank, some places (like here), it was just short of the street, and then some places I couldn't see one, because the water kept going out of the park.

There were fire trucks all up and down Taupo Quay, using their pumps and hoses to get the water back into the river.

This is part of the park, still under about 3 ft of water. It is separated from the river by a bit of higher ground (you can see it in the back of the picture), so now the water is stuck. They are working to pump it out.

This, obviously, is the go-cart track!

And this is the mini-golf course (with the go-cart track behind the trees). Again, the ridge between these areas and the river is now holding the water in, so they have to pump it out. These businesses will have a lot of cleaning to do.

This is the view from one of the bridges, showing how high the water still is. I hope that it doesn't rain for a while now, and it can get back to normal.