Turns out, here in NZ, they take speeding very seriously. They have implemented a zero tolerance policy, where anything over 4kph (2.5mph) over the speed limit is a ticketable offense. Let me just reiterate that: if the speed limit is 30mph and you are going 33mph, you can get a ticket! Yikes! Although I knew this, it didn't seem to me like they would really follow through with something like that, especially since it seems that people speed about as much here as they do in the States.
To make matters worse, the speed limit is always 50kph (31mph) in town. Always, no matter what kind of road it is, unless there is construction, in which case it is 30kph (18.5mph). As any American or Canadian will understand, that is not very fast. Especially on the Anzac Parade, which runs down the side of the river, has wide lanes, and feels very much like a highway. I am trying valiantly not to speed, but it feel so unnatural to drive so slowly on that road. In the states the speed limit on that road would be 72.5kph (45mph) at least, if not higher.
Despite my struggles, I have been doing a decent job of not speeding in Whanganui, and have not gotten pulled over. On the highway, the speed limit is 100kph (62mph), which is still slower than I'm used to, but since the highways are rather curvy and usually only one lane, I don't have a problem not speeding there. J has been reminding me every time he rides with me that I need to be more careful in town, and so I have been trying.
Then yesterday, I got a letter in the mail, which I always find exciting, even though it was official-looking. I opened it up and found a ticket for $30.00! It was from a little town called Bulls, which I drove through on the way to and from Palmerston North when I went to pick up my laptop. Turns out, they have a traffic camera. I can accept that, but here is what surprised me: the speed limit was 50kph (31mph), and I was recorded going 55kph (34mph). That doesn't sound like a criminal act to me! Of course, J got to have a charming "I told you so" moment, I paid the ticket, and I am sure it will go a long way towards making me more careful in the future. So it is really okay. But still.
What I do find funny is that when I first started driving (in Kansas), I was terrible about speeding! Really terrible! I was in the habit of speeding almost all the time, and I once got pulled over going 128kph (80mph) in a place where the speed limit was 72.5kph (45mph). However, even with that mistake and all my other escapades, I never got a ticket! Not once! And now that I've learned that speeding is not worth the danger, and that I very seldom go more than a couple kph/mph over the speed limit, I get a $30.00 ticket! Ironic.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Night Shifts
Hello everyone. Sorry I haven't written in so long. I don't feel like it was an overly busy week, but I was plugging along, minding my own business, and suddenly it was Saturday night. I don't know how it happens.
You may have noticed that J and I have not been having very many Kiwi adventures in the way of traveling lately. If you were wondering why, wonder no longer: J is working evening and night shifts! Sometimes he is gone from 12:30pm to 10:30pm (evening shift), and sometimes he is gone from 7:30pm to 6:00am (night shift). As you can imagine, what with having to fit in sleep at some point, that makes it hard to go anywhere. He has mostly been having weekends off, but it's not really worth heading out of town when he has to sleep most of the day.
The absolute most frustrating thing about these shifts, however, is when they change. Learning to be nocturnal is hard enough, but when you have to do it in two days, then switch back three days later, and then switch again at the end of the week, it is exhausting. I have noticed that J isn't sleeping as well as he usually does, and even on the occasion that he gets enough sleep, he still seems tired. Fortunately, he is being impressively positive about it, and the times that we are both awake and at home are nice. J's work is very good about paying their employees extra when they work at night, and so at least we know that we will get a monetary benefit for him dealing with these hours. J finds that more comforting that I do, but since he's the one who has to become an owl, his opinion is the one that matters.
As for me, I can still get plenty of sleep, but I find it hard to be at home "relaxing" while trying to be totally silent so that J can sleep. I know that many of you will find this shocking, but I am not naturally a very quiet person. When I am at home alone, I sing Disney songs at the top of my lungs, drop things, have long conversations with Holly, and make noise in all kinds of glorious ways. So it is hard for me to be quiet all day long. I'm sure that if/when J works night shifts once I have started working, then that will be a lot less of an issue, but it is a bit of a pity for now.
J has one more week of night shifts, and then his schedule is undecided. We are crossing our fingers for day shifts, but we'll see what happens.
You may have noticed that J and I have not been having very many Kiwi adventures in the way of traveling lately. If you were wondering why, wonder no longer: J is working evening and night shifts! Sometimes he is gone from 12:30pm to 10:30pm (evening shift), and sometimes he is gone from 7:30pm to 6:00am (night shift). As you can imagine, what with having to fit in sleep at some point, that makes it hard to go anywhere. He has mostly been having weekends off, but it's not really worth heading out of town when he has to sleep most of the day.
The absolute most frustrating thing about these shifts, however, is when they change. Learning to be nocturnal is hard enough, but when you have to do it in two days, then switch back three days later, and then switch again at the end of the week, it is exhausting. I have noticed that J isn't sleeping as well as he usually does, and even on the occasion that he gets enough sleep, he still seems tired. Fortunately, he is being impressively positive about it, and the times that we are both awake and at home are nice. J's work is very good about paying their employees extra when they work at night, and so at least we know that we will get a monetary benefit for him dealing with these hours. J finds that more comforting that I do, but since he's the one who has to become an owl, his opinion is the one that matters.
As for me, I can still get plenty of sleep, but I find it hard to be at home "relaxing" while trying to be totally silent so that J can sleep. I know that many of you will find this shocking, but I am not naturally a very quiet person. When I am at home alone, I sing Disney songs at the top of my lungs, drop things, have long conversations with Holly, and make noise in all kinds of glorious ways. So it is hard for me to be quiet all day long. I'm sure that if/when J works night shifts once I have started working, then that will be a lot less of an issue, but it is a bit of a pity for now.
J has one more week of night shifts, and then his schedule is undecided. We are crossing our fingers for day shifts, but we'll see what happens.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Our First Earthquake!!
Yesterday, while Kirsten and I were minding our own business, drinking tea in the lounge, we heard a loud noise coming from somewhere behind the house, and Holly came charging in from outside, whining and panting. Before either of us had a chance to get up and see what it was, the whole house started bucking and rolling! An earthquake! It was not how I had imagined an earthquake at all - I think that I would have expected more shaking or even vibrating, but it was a lot like being on a small boat in very choppy water. In fact, after it had gone on for several minutes (a long time, apparently, for an earthquake), I felt seasick! Which is funny, because I have spent a decent amount of time on the ocean in small boats, and never get seasick.
The house jumped around, seeming to get yanked in all directions by turn, my car in the driveway rolled back and forth, a couple things fell off the shelves, the light fixtures swung around... and Kirsten and I divided our attention between watching with interest and trying to comfort Holly, who was not at all pleased with the situation. After it calmed down, we had several minutes of not being quite sure if the ground was still moving, or we were just shaken. My car kept moving for a few minutes, so something was still going on, and then finally everything settled. At that point, Kirsten remembered that when this happens, you're supposed to get under a door frame or a table or go outside, away from buildings. She is apparently not very phased by earthquakes, and so it didn't occur to her. And that suited me fine, since I was just astonished and excited. Next time, however, I will be more careful.
J was at work, about 1/2 an hour closer to the earthquake, when it happened. He was in a very solid, steel building, which seems to have handled it better than our little house, but it was still an adventure. He was alone in his office, so he hid under his desk at first, and then the employees came and took him outside. Apparently, all the sheep in the stock yards totally freaked out, but they calmed down relatively quickly.
So, there you have it. Our first earthquake. As it turns out, it was a 6.2 on the Richter Scale, which means it was "Severe." Palmerston North got the worst of it, and Wellington got some damage as well, but so far there are no reports of major injuries, so that's good.
Here is a link to the Geonet page on this earthquake. Geonet is very cool - you can see all the earthquakes that have happened in NZ in the last few weeks, and they are posted almost instantly when they happen. In addition, people can click "Felt It" and put in their experience of the earthquake in their location, which is neat.
The house jumped around, seeming to get yanked in all directions by turn, my car in the driveway rolled back and forth, a couple things fell off the shelves, the light fixtures swung around... and Kirsten and I divided our attention between watching with interest and trying to comfort Holly, who was not at all pleased with the situation. After it calmed down, we had several minutes of not being quite sure if the ground was still moving, or we were just shaken. My car kept moving for a few minutes, so something was still going on, and then finally everything settled. At that point, Kirsten remembered that when this happens, you're supposed to get under a door frame or a table or go outside, away from buildings. She is apparently not very phased by earthquakes, and so it didn't occur to her. And that suited me fine, since I was just astonished and excited. Next time, however, I will be more careful.
J was at work, about 1/2 an hour closer to the earthquake, when it happened. He was in a very solid, steel building, which seems to have handled it better than our little house, but it was still an adventure. He was alone in his office, so he hid under his desk at first, and then the employees came and took him outside. Apparently, all the sheep in the stock yards totally freaked out, but they calmed down relatively quickly.
So, there you have it. Our first earthquake. As it turns out, it was a 6.2 on the Richter Scale, which means it was "Severe." Palmerston North got the worst of it, and Wellington got some damage as well, but so far there are no reports of major injuries, so that's good.
Here is a link to the Geonet page on this earthquake. Geonet is very cool - you can see all the earthquakes that have happened in NZ in the last few weeks, and they are posted almost instantly when they happen. In addition, people can click "Felt It" and put in their experience of the earthquake in their location, which is neat.
Here is a link to an article in the NZ Herald about the earthquake and its effects. It describes the damage and events better than I could.
I'm glad that everyone is okay, and that our first experience of an earthquake was exciting, but not scary.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Outdoor Weekend
I have not been complaining about it nearly as much on my blog as I have in real life, but it has been WINDY here! Cold, cutting, brutal, unbelievably fast wind, every day for over a week. It is not very fun, and everyone here says that it is atypical for January, because usually the wind has died down by this point in the summer. But not this year. In addition to making it difficult to do anything outside, the cold wind makes even our nice, sunny days feel rather chilly and un-summerish, which I do not appreciate.
On the wonderfully bright side, however, the wind went away yesterday! Yahoo! In celebration, I spent almost the entire day sitting outside, drinking tea, petting Holly, and reading. Although it was brilliantly sunny, it was not overly warm, which made it perfect for me to keep my skin covered and safe from the sun, while getting to soak up its lovely rays.
On the wonderfully bright side, however, the wind went away yesterday! Yahoo! In celebration, I spent almost the entire day sitting outside, drinking tea, petting Holly, and reading. Although it was brilliantly sunny, it was not overly warm, which made it perfect for me to keep my skin covered and safe from the sun, while getting to soak up its lovely rays.
I am reading (on my ipad) Foundation (by Asimov), which J just finished reading, and is quite good. I just finished The Once and Future King (by White), which was also great. Also, notice that our deck is freshly painted a lovely new colour. Our landlady has been working hard, and it looks great!
That was pretty much my entire Saturday, with occasional breaks for eating and a bit of yard work.
Sunday (today), there was a bit of wind, but not too much, so we decided to head to the beach, which we have been meaning to do for a while. I have been several times with Kirsten, but J has been working (often night shifts), and hasn't made it yet. Some of these pictures are from my earlier explorations with Kirsten and Holly, and some are from today with J and Holly.
We went to South Beach, which is only about 6 or 7 minutes away from our house. People seem to not like it as much as Kai-Iwi Beach, but we like it a lot.
This is a little freshwater stream that empties into the sea. The water is so clear!
Holly is always so excited to explore!
After a few minutes of running, Holly takes a break and walks with us, so that she doesn't over-exert herself and hurt her heart.
We discovered - thanks to Holly trying to eat them - that there are little bluebottle jellyfish scattered about the beach!
As it turns out, it was rather horrendously windy on the beach. I shudder to think what it would have been like on one of the really windy days last week! We decided to walk away from the water to try to escape the wind, and found ourselves in this pretty area.
We did not succeed in escaping from the wind, especially when we climbed to the top of mounds! But it was quite fun!
On the way home, we noticed that there were lots of people downtown. We remembered (a bit belatedly) that it is "Heritage Weekend" for this area of NZ. Tomorrow (Monday) is Wellington Day, so it's a three-day weekend (not for J, unfortunately). All the different areas of NZ have their own Anniversary holiday to celebrate when the region was founded or when colonists first arrived there. Anyway, there were various outdoor events going on to celebrate, and we went to check them out. Unfortunately, we got there too late for most of them, but we did have a lovely time walking by the river and around downtown, and listening to quite a nice live band.
People of all ages were dancing, which was fun.
Despite having been in this area several times, neither of us had noticed this neat sculpture. Check out our reflections!
All-in-all, it was a great weekend to be outside. I so very much appreciated the respite (however brief) from the wind, and I'm so glad that J and I finally made it to the beach together. Good stuff.
Friday, January 17, 2014
TV Accent
Obviously, people here can tell as soon as I open my mouth that I do not speak like a Kiwi. Adults quickly ask me where I'm from, and children often give me curious looks, or ask why I talk so funny. As you may recall, one child was thrilled to figure out that I am from the same place as Alex the Lion (from the movie Madagascar). After that conversation, I was curious to see what other ways children might make the connection between movies or shows they may have seen and my different accent.
I have been thinking about it even more in the past week or so, following a conversation I had with Mom. She was remembering how I'd said that I had a hard time understanding Kiwis when we first moved here, and she wondered if they (especially the children) ever had a hard time understanding me. As I thought back, trying to answer her question, I realized that I have not had one person seem to have trouble understanding my accent! Mom and I reasoned that Kiwis are probably a lot more familiar with American accents than vice versa, due the the inundation of American media here. A Kansan could easily go her whole life without hearing a Kiwi accent more than once or twice, but a Kiwi would be hard pressed to lack experience with American accents. Just to make sure, I asked Jonathon about it, and he confirmed that our accent is not difficult to understand at all, and that it's likely because he's used to hearing it in the media. Interesting, don't you think?
With this on my mind, I headed to an early learning centre to visit, and was, as always, warmly greeted by the teachers. One teacher said, "I'm glad you came back. The children have been asking about "the girl who talks like the TV" so they'll be happy to see you." How cool is that that they put that together as a way to understand me?! Kids are so smart.
At Noah's Ark, one of the teachers told me that several of the children really like different accents, and that she won't be surprised if they start picking up mine after I work there for a while. We'll have to see what happens!
I have been thinking about it even more in the past week or so, following a conversation I had with Mom. She was remembering how I'd said that I had a hard time understanding Kiwis when we first moved here, and she wondered if they (especially the children) ever had a hard time understanding me. As I thought back, trying to answer her question, I realized that I have not had one person seem to have trouble understanding my accent! Mom and I reasoned that Kiwis are probably a lot more familiar with American accents than vice versa, due the the inundation of American media here. A Kansan could easily go her whole life without hearing a Kiwi accent more than once or twice, but a Kiwi would be hard pressed to lack experience with American accents. Just to make sure, I asked Jonathon about it, and he confirmed that our accent is not difficult to understand at all, and that it's likely because he's used to hearing it in the media. Interesting, don't you think?
With this on my mind, I headed to an early learning centre to visit, and was, as always, warmly greeted by the teachers. One teacher said, "I'm glad you came back. The children have been asking about "the girl who talks like the TV" so they'll be happy to see you." How cool is that that they put that together as a way to understand me?! Kids are so smart.
At Noah's Ark, one of the teachers told me that several of the children really like different accents, and that she won't be surprised if they start picking up mine after I work there for a while. We'll have to see what happens!
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Holiday Program
Thanks to everyone who wished me well for my new job. I just realized that I didn't actually post when I am starting - it's the first week of February. So I still have a few weeks before I start, although I'm sure I will spend some time there before I do. I'm so excited!
In the meantime, I worked Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this week for the Kindergarten Association at their Holiday Program. (Just a note: I was surprised to find that the "Holiday Program" ran from the 6th to the 17th of January, because to me, that's clearly after the holidays. I had to remind myself that here, they use the word "holiday" both to mean the specific days and to mean time off work or school, whereas I would use the word "vacation" for the latter.) The kindergartens, like other public schools, are closed from about December 20th to January 25th. It is both their Christmas/New Years Holiday and their summer holiday, and it is the longest school holiday of the year. Unlike the States, however, their longest one (this one) is only about 5 weeks, and they have 3 other 3 week holidays throughout the year, between their 4 "terms." When I have talked to people about it, they say that they like to have the holiday time fairly evenly spread out, because it gives them time off for both summer and winter sports, and prevents the children from getting overly bored and "out of practice" when they're not in school.
Anyway, I had a wonderful time working at the Holiday Program. It provides care for children whose parents need to work during the holidays, and it was at one kindergarten, but children from any kindergarten could come, which meant that it was a mix of children who didn't know each other, and no one teacher there knew them all. Knowing that, I was prepared to face rather a lot of chaos, and was pleasantly surprised to find only the normal amount of chaos that one finds when one puts 30 children under 5 in the same room. We did spin art, dug rivers in the sand pit, figured out how to build an airplane/submarine out of legos, buried marbles in playdough, and painted countless pictures. I got to lead mat time one day, and I took the opportunity to introduce the children to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, which is a wonderful book. The teachers hadn't heard of it either, which was crazy to me, because it is a must-have in american classrooms. Maybe I'll start a trend here. Speaking of international books, it has been wonderful getting to read the Kiwi books that I find at the centres. There are fabulous books by Kiwi authors, many of them in English and Māori, and almost all of them beautifully illustrated.
As always, I felt welcomed and appreciated by the teachers and parents, and I was happy with my participation with the Kindergarten Association. I am glad that I will still be able to be involved with them one day a week when I start at Noah's Ark.
In the meantime, I worked Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this week for the Kindergarten Association at their Holiday Program. (Just a note: I was surprised to find that the "Holiday Program" ran from the 6th to the 17th of January, because to me, that's clearly after the holidays. I had to remind myself that here, they use the word "holiday" both to mean the specific days and to mean time off work or school, whereas I would use the word "vacation" for the latter.) The kindergartens, like other public schools, are closed from about December 20th to January 25th. It is both their Christmas/New Years Holiday and their summer holiday, and it is the longest school holiday of the year. Unlike the States, however, their longest one (this one) is only about 5 weeks, and they have 3 other 3 week holidays throughout the year, between their 4 "terms." When I have talked to people about it, they say that they like to have the holiday time fairly evenly spread out, because it gives them time off for both summer and winter sports, and prevents the children from getting overly bored and "out of practice" when they're not in school.
Anyway, I had a wonderful time working at the Holiday Program. It provides care for children whose parents need to work during the holidays, and it was at one kindergarten, but children from any kindergarten could come, which meant that it was a mix of children who didn't know each other, and no one teacher there knew them all. Knowing that, I was prepared to face rather a lot of chaos, and was pleasantly surprised to find only the normal amount of chaos that one finds when one puts 30 children under 5 in the same room. We did spin art, dug rivers in the sand pit, figured out how to build an airplane/submarine out of legos, buried marbles in playdough, and painted countless pictures. I got to lead mat time one day, and I took the opportunity to introduce the children to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, which is a wonderful book. The teachers hadn't heard of it either, which was crazy to me, because it is a must-have in american classrooms. Maybe I'll start a trend here. Speaking of international books, it has been wonderful getting to read the Kiwi books that I find at the centres. There are fabulous books by Kiwi authors, many of them in English and Māori, and almost all of them beautifully illustrated.
As always, I felt welcomed and appreciated by the teachers and parents, and I was happy with my participation with the Kindergarten Association. I am glad that I will still be able to be involved with them one day a week when I start at Noah's Ark.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
JOB!!!!!!!
I HAVE A JOB!!!! YAY FOR ME!!!!
I tried to think of all kinds of clever ways to announce that, but I decided that it had to just be yelled straight out.
I HAVE A JOB!!!!!!!
After all this time waiting, once it happened, it was quick and easy.
First, some background... back in October, during my rounds, I had stopped by an early learning centre called Noah's Ark (not religious, just a fun name), and met the very kind manager. We had a nice discussion of ECE philosophy and practice, and I left my CV, but she said that I should have a NZ background check before I spent time with the children. As you may recall, it took a very long time to get said background check. When I finally got it, I stopped by again, but the manager wasn't there. So it was still on my list of places to visit, but it hadn't happened yet.
Then this Wednesday, I got a call from the manager, saying, "I'd like you to come in and discuss employment opportunities at Noah's Ark." Of course, I said yes, and we planned a meeting for Thursday morning. I didn't know if it was an interview for a specific job, just a discussion of options, a way to get on the reliever list, etc. I went prepared for an interview, just in case, and it's a good thing I did, because that's exactly what it was! Noah's Ark is owned by a local couple, and the husband was there to interview me, along with the manager. We had a great talk, and I learned a lot of good things about the program (which I will detail later). At the end of the interview, the manager said that she was definitely interested in hiring me, but that she remembered that I wanted to spend time in a centre before I decided to work there. So she invited me to spend the day there on Friday, to see if I liked it, and then take the weekend to think it over. After spending the morning in the Mighty Monkeys preschool room, I was so sure that I wanted the job that I accepted it that afternoon, and it's all settled!! What a wonderful whirlwind week!
So... Noah's Ark (where I have a JOB, you know!) is the newest centre in Whanganui, and has only been open for 9 months. I find this to be almost entirely a positive thing, because it means that things are still being shaped, changed, and improved, and I can be a part of that. Both the manager and the owner said that they are very determined never to be stagnant, and that they are eager to try out new ideas and techniques, provided that they are philosophically sound. The only downside to it being a new centre is that the outdoor environment is still pretty bare compared to many other centres in town. They actually intentionally chose to build it up slowly, because they are making sure that it follows the children's needs. For example, they didn't put in any sidewalks at first, but instead waited until the children had worn paths into the grass, and then put the sidewalks in their natural paths. Which is very cool. And even cooler, they had the children help dig the holes and pour the concrete. Anyway, the outdoor environment is slowly taking shape, and I'm sure that it continue to improve over time.
Another wonderful thing about Noah's Ark is that they are very open minded. They love hiring international teachers, so there are already three non-Kiwi teachers there, plus me. That is particularly encouraging after the other centre seemed like they weren't excited about people with different training/backgrounds.
Something that makes Noah's Ark unique is their community involvement. They are working to be the heart of their neighbourhood, and so they are very interconnected, which I love. They built the centre in a family-friendly residential area, and they are frequently out in the community building relationships and providing a variety of positive experiences for the children. They bake muffins together and bring them to the EMTs at the nearby hospital, they go trout-fishing at the community-sponsored fishing day, they go to the recycling centre, etc. They are also working to help the entire community be very respectful of everyone, starting with the children.
During my time in the Mighty Monkeys room, with children from 2 1/2 to 5 years old, I had fun helping build a huge volcano in the sand pit (box) and then using baking soda and vinegar to make it erupt. I also got to do some painting, read a couple good books, and help a lot of wet, sandy children change into dry clothes after sliding down a makeshift waterslide into the sand pit. It was a great morning, and I am thrilled that I will get to spend lots of days doing similar things!
I will be working at Noah's Ark eight hours a day, four days a week. I would have thought that I'd prefer full time work, but a full day off every week has a wonderful benefit: I can stay on the reliever list for the Kindergarten Association! The only downside to taking this job is that it is not with the Kindergarten Association, because I find it to be such a wonderful organization, and I have felt good about my involvement with it. However, with every Tuesday free, I can still be available for the occasional relief work, which is perfect. That way I can still be involved with the organization, and continue to make connections in the greater ECE community, while delving into deeper work with the children at Noah's Ark. So it all worked out perfectly!
YAY!!!
I tried to think of all kinds of clever ways to announce that, but I decided that it had to just be yelled straight out.
I HAVE A JOB!!!!!!!
After all this time waiting, once it happened, it was quick and easy.
First, some background... back in October, during my rounds, I had stopped by an early learning centre called Noah's Ark (not religious, just a fun name), and met the very kind manager. We had a nice discussion of ECE philosophy and practice, and I left my CV, but she said that I should have a NZ background check before I spent time with the children. As you may recall, it took a very long time to get said background check. When I finally got it, I stopped by again, but the manager wasn't there. So it was still on my list of places to visit, but it hadn't happened yet.
Then this Wednesday, I got a call from the manager, saying, "I'd like you to come in and discuss employment opportunities at Noah's Ark." Of course, I said yes, and we planned a meeting for Thursday morning. I didn't know if it was an interview for a specific job, just a discussion of options, a way to get on the reliever list, etc. I went prepared for an interview, just in case, and it's a good thing I did, because that's exactly what it was! Noah's Ark is owned by a local couple, and the husband was there to interview me, along with the manager. We had a great talk, and I learned a lot of good things about the program (which I will detail later). At the end of the interview, the manager said that she was definitely interested in hiring me, but that she remembered that I wanted to spend time in a centre before I decided to work there. So she invited me to spend the day there on Friday, to see if I liked it, and then take the weekend to think it over. After spending the morning in the Mighty Monkeys preschool room, I was so sure that I wanted the job that I accepted it that afternoon, and it's all settled!! What a wonderful whirlwind week!
So... Noah's Ark (where I have a JOB, you know!) is the newest centre in Whanganui, and has only been open for 9 months. I find this to be almost entirely a positive thing, because it means that things are still being shaped, changed, and improved, and I can be a part of that. Both the manager and the owner said that they are very determined never to be stagnant, and that they are eager to try out new ideas and techniques, provided that they are philosophically sound. The only downside to it being a new centre is that the outdoor environment is still pretty bare compared to many other centres in town. They actually intentionally chose to build it up slowly, because they are making sure that it follows the children's needs. For example, they didn't put in any sidewalks at first, but instead waited until the children had worn paths into the grass, and then put the sidewalks in their natural paths. Which is very cool. And even cooler, they had the children help dig the holes and pour the concrete. Anyway, the outdoor environment is slowly taking shape, and I'm sure that it continue to improve over time.
Another wonderful thing about Noah's Ark is that they are very open minded. They love hiring international teachers, so there are already three non-Kiwi teachers there, plus me. That is particularly encouraging after the other centre seemed like they weren't excited about people with different training/backgrounds.
Something that makes Noah's Ark unique is their community involvement. They are working to be the heart of their neighbourhood, and so they are very interconnected, which I love. They built the centre in a family-friendly residential area, and they are frequently out in the community building relationships and providing a variety of positive experiences for the children. They bake muffins together and bring them to the EMTs at the nearby hospital, they go trout-fishing at the community-sponsored fishing day, they go to the recycling centre, etc. They are also working to help the entire community be very respectful of everyone, starting with the children.
During my time in the Mighty Monkeys room, with children from 2 1/2 to 5 years old, I had fun helping build a huge volcano in the sand pit (box) and then using baking soda and vinegar to make it erupt. I also got to do some painting, read a couple good books, and help a lot of wet, sandy children change into dry clothes after sliding down a makeshift waterslide into the sand pit. It was a great morning, and I am thrilled that I will get to spend lots of days doing similar things!
I will be working at Noah's Ark eight hours a day, four days a week. I would have thought that I'd prefer full time work, but a full day off every week has a wonderful benefit: I can stay on the reliever list for the Kindergarten Association! The only downside to taking this job is that it is not with the Kindergarten Association, because I find it to be such a wonderful organization, and I have felt good about my involvement with it. However, with every Tuesday free, I can still be available for the occasional relief work, which is perfect. That way I can still be involved with the organization, and continue to make connections in the greater ECE community, while delving into deeper work with the children at Noah's Ark. So it all worked out perfectly!
YAY!!!
Thursday, January 9, 2014
More Kiwi-isms
It's been awhile since I have written anything about dialect differences between the US/Canada and NZ, and I think that might be because I am acclimating, and they don't seem "different" anymore. But I was reminded of them the other day when I went into Warehouse Stationary (like Staples) and saw this sign over an isle.
Notice the different word choice? Apparently, "guillotine" means "paper cutter" here. I did figure it out (based on process of elimination), and I can see the reasoning behind it, but it seems a bit... gruesome. Also, my French-speaking self has a problem with them pronunciation: "gill-o-teen" instead of "gee-o-teen." Do people in the States pronounce it like that? I probably haven't heard it said by an American since middle school history class, so maybe that's not a unique Kiwi trait.
As I have mentioned before, many Kiwi-isms are quite similar to British English, and therefore might actually be more common that the way we Americans say things, since the majority of the English-speaking world is much more British than we are. But they are still interesting to me, so I thought I'd share. I put a *star by the ones that I think are fairly uniquely Kiwi.
~* "jandals" (flip-flops) - I thought that this was a combination of "sandals" and something that started with "j," but Harry said that it comes from a Japanese word for sandals.
~ "petrol" (gas)
~ "knee" (lap) - These words, as you can imagine, do not actually mean the same thing, except in the context in which I always hear them: "Emma, can I sit on your knee?" An American child would always say "lap," and occasionally I hear a Kiwi child say that, but almost always, it's "knee."
~ "capsicum" (bell pepper)
~* "kūmara" (sweet potato) - Obviously, this is a Māori word, but all Kiwis seem to use it as the exclusive word for this food.
~ "fizzy drink" (pop/soda)
~ "clever" (smart) - I associate this word with some attempt at humor or wittiness, or maybe even sarcasm, as compared with general intelligence. However, here it seems to still just mean that someone is smart.
~ "pram" (stroller)
~ "serviette" (napkin) - This is actually a French word, but it is the only word they use for them here.
~ "knackered" (exhausted) - You all probably know this one, but I just find it fabulous - wonderful to say, and very expressive.
~* "pudding" (dessert) - I saved my favourite for last. I discovered this word in kindergarten, when they were planning what "puddings" to have at their Christmas party. The teacher said that she was going to ask all the children what their favourite type of pudding was, and I was thinking, "Aren't there like three kinds? This is going to be a short conversation!" Then when the first child was asked, "What is your favourite pudding?" and her response was, "Cake!" I struggled not to laugh. Turns out, I was the one who didn't know what was going on, because here, cake, cookies, jelly (jello), fudge, ice cream, trifle, etc., are all pudding! I can fully understand this when I simply replace the word "pudding" with "dessert" in my head, but it is hard to do that fast enough to avoid a seeming contradiction. I'm sure I'll get used to it, though.
Well, that's all for now. I'm sure that I will continue to hear/notice more over time, and I'll make sure to share them.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Gulf Harbour Trip Part 2
Well, my old computer is officially completely fried, but luckily for me, the repair person I took it to was able to get all my files off of it, and J is an expert deal-finder, so I now have a much nicer, newer laptop for all my digital needs. So as is well in the end.
I am happy to be able to post my recovered pictures from the rest of our trip to Gulf Harbour now.
I am happy to be able to post my recovered pictures from the rest of our trip to Gulf Harbour now.
Jenny made us this AMAZING banana cake with homemade chocolate frosting, and the strawberries we brought to share made it the perfect dessert.
On our last day, we wanted to leave for home at lunch time, so we wouldn't get back too late, but we took the morning to explore and take a few walks on the beach in Shakespear Regional Park.
This frame, complete with a stand in front of it to put your camera on, is such a lovely way to encourage people to enjoy the view, and to have some fun with their pictures.
Parts of the beach were entirely composed of shell fragments, which was so beautiful! Surprisingly, when I did take off my jandals (that is the Kiwi word for flip-flops), they were not sharp, but smooth. I read on a sign that Maori villages used to use shells as a security system, because they crunch so loudly when you walk on them that people would hear anyone sneaking in.
I know you're probably tired of pictures of beautiful beaches and blue water, but I can't get enough of them!
After a lovely lunch with Jenny, we said goodbye and headed south, for another 7 1/2 hours of stunning views. I took a cool video of a gorge that we went through on the way home, to show you the curvy roads and beautiful views, but Blogger will not upload it. I will try again another time, and post it then if I can.
We also passed this area, which is called The Three Sisters. I don't know why, nor do I know why there are lots of what look like tunnels going into the cliff faces. I am intrigued, and J and I promised ourselves that we would go back and investigate someday.
And... more beautiful NZ countryside, as we got closer to home.
All in all, a very short, but extremely satisfying trip. The best part, really, was meeting Jenny, and knowing that we have another great friend, even if she's a little further away. We will definitely be visiting her in Hamilton someday.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Crashed Computers Cause Crises
My lovely laptop decided that today was not its day, and resolved to spend it being a brick instead of a computer. I respect its desire for a change, but wish that it could have stayed within the range of things that allow me to post, check my email, etc. Fortunately for me, I am a spoilt modern girl, with more electronic devices than I know what to do with, so I am trying out my Blogger App on my iPad and thanking Amy and Doug for making sure that I am always well connected. Unfortunately, I can't get pictures to my iPad without my computer, so... no pictures from the second part of our trip, or from our hike yesterday until it is fixed.
The real potential crisis is that if it can't get it to turn back into a laptop, the pictures that I've uploaded to my computer, but haven't posted yet will be lost forever, which is very upsetting! I back up my pictures regularly, so it's not that many, but I would still be upset.
I do have this lovely picture to share, though!
This is us on Christmas Day. From left to right we have: Marie (Jonathon's mum), Jonathon, Harry, the Christmas tree, me, and J. Jonathon's dad, Ernie, took the picture, and Jonathon's sister, Kirsty, was there for the morning, but had to leave. It was a wonderful time, and now we have a picture to go with it.
I apologize for the potentially weird formatting of this post - I don't actually know how to use this App, so it might come out looking very odd. Sorry.
Friday, January 3, 2014
New Years Activities
I know I need to write about Part 2 of our trip to Northland, but I thought I should write about New Years before it is any more out of date. I am suffering from rather intense neck pain, and am therefore typing this laying on my back as much as possible, as sitting at a computer aggravates it. I will try to keep this post short, and then go back to resting it.
J had to work, starting at 5:00am, on New Years Eve, so rather than go out to a party when he got home, we just relaxed at home. It turned out to be a good thing, because Holly was scared of the fireworks, and I'm glad that we were with her. By the way, fireworks are illegal on New Years here, but our neighbours don't mind that law on any day, so I don't know why they would then.
It is legally required that all businesses in NZ close on New Years Day, except Dairies (we would say convenience stores) and petrol (gas) stations. Lots of people go camping over the night and then have a picnic all day, or just relax with family. January 2nd is a national holiday as well, although businesses can choose to be open if they want. Many small businesses in Whanganui closed around the 20th of December, and won't reopen until between the 6th and 13th of January.
On New Years Day, we slept in, had a nice brunch, and then started in on our annual holiday craft project. This is only our second Christmas/New Years being married and far away from family, so only our second craft project, but so far so good. Last year, we made these wall hangings from nails and thread - one for us, and one for our dear friends Matt and Kathy.
This year, we decided to make finger crochet rugs out of old T-Shirts. J loves to crochet, although he usually does it with a hook. He taught me how, and it was quite fun. We had a movie marathon, watching as we cut endless strips out of the shirts, connected them, and then started in on the rugs. It took us much longer than we thought it would, and our rugs are less than half done, but it was a truly lovely day.
J had to work, starting at 5:00am, on New Years Eve, so rather than go out to a party when he got home, we just relaxed at home. It turned out to be a good thing, because Holly was scared of the fireworks, and I'm glad that we were with her. By the way, fireworks are illegal on New Years here, but our neighbours don't mind that law on any day, so I don't know why they would then.
It is legally required that all businesses in NZ close on New Years Day, except Dairies (we would say convenience stores) and petrol (gas) stations. Lots of people go camping over the night and then have a picnic all day, or just relax with family. January 2nd is a national holiday as well, although businesses can choose to be open if they want. Many small businesses in Whanganui closed around the 20th of December, and won't reopen until between the 6th and 13th of January.
On New Years Day, we slept in, had a nice brunch, and then started in on our annual holiday craft project. This is only our second Christmas/New Years being married and far away from family, so only our second craft project, but so far so good. Last year, we made these wall hangings from nails and thread - one for us, and one for our dear friends Matt and Kathy.
J cutting and tying fabric.
J is working on the one on the left, and me the one on the right. For the record, it looks like mine is much smaller, but it's because I got the stretchier fabric, and we really did about the same amount.
We worked all day, even staying up late working, watching movies (and then TV shows), and talking. It was such a pleasant, relaxing day, and I was pleased at the prospect of getting up and doing it some more on the 2nd. No such luck. I woke up barely able to turn my head to the left at all, and not able to do anything at all without severe neck pain. I assume it was my hunched-over position on the couch, combined with a much more sedentary day than I'm used, to that killed my neck. Pain makes me exhausted, and so I spent a lot of the day just laying around.
In the evening, however, we had a lovely time of dinner and games with Harry and Jonathon, which was a welcome distraction. I went to bed as soon as they left, and after a night with a heating pad on my neck, today is a bit better. I still mostly just had to lay around, and I took a 3-hour nap this afternoon, which I never, ever do. The nap helped quite a lot, and I think I'll be back to normal tomorrow. Which is good, because we're going hiking and then having another game night, both of which will be great!
I'd say that counts as mediocre success on the "keeping it short" front. :)
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