Since the weather has warmed up, I have frequently been quite surprised by the shorts people wear. And by people, I mean men. Women/girls here wear very, very short shorts, just like in the States, and while I find this rather crazy, I'm already used to it. What I am not used to, however, is the men wearing short shorts, too. Here, it is totally socially appropriate (as far as I can figure out) for strong, manly men to wear rather tight, cut-off jean shorts, at the mid-thigh or slightly above. They also often wear exercise shorts that are above mid-thigh length. Much as I try to be culturally open and understanding, I have a bit of a hard time not staring and/or laughing when I see it, because it is just so very different from the image that I have of how a man typically dresses. I don't have a problem with it at all, and I think they should wear whatever they want, but I just find it so funny.
The other day at the mall, we saw a tall, muscular man wearing a big, thick, camouflage hunting jacket, and... nothing on the bottom! I did a rather embarrassingly obvious double take, before just barely catching a glimpse of short black shorts underneath. While that made me feel better, I still had to avert my eyes every time we passed him in the aisles of the grocery store, and J could barely contain his amusement.
We talked about it on the way home, and decided that although there are obviously different style customs here than in the States, there also seems to be less concern over what other people think. I realize that this is a terrible generalization, but it really seems like Kiwis are less judgemental of each other, and more likely to do/wear what they want. I think that I've mentioned this before, and I continue to think that it is a really wonderful quality. I love that no one seems to stare when someone is wearing something odd, and people dressed quite uniquely seem confident and at ease. What freedom they give themselves and each other by not feeling the need to seek or give approval.
While I'm on the subject of clothes and judgement, remember my sun hat? Well, after being so excited about it at first, I noticed that most people I saw wearing hats had ones with much smaller brims, and I was a bit concerned, in my American way - or can I blame my own insecurities on my culture? Maybe not. So lets just say that I felt insecure about looking ridiculous in my fabulous but slightly over the top hat. I was very firm with myself and refused to avoid wearing it, and I have been so pleased with the result. Not only is it every bit as good at keeping the sun off my face, neck, and shoulders as I thought it would be, but the kids and teachers love it! I have gotten lots of compliments, and at the first centre I visited when I wore it, the teacher had me stand up at group time and talk about how wide brimmed hats are the best for staying safe in the sun. Needless to say, there was no need for any of my worrying, and I am so thrilled to be enjoying my beautiful, sun-safe hat.
I consider myself a very confident person in general, but sometimes I feel that my ability to do different or crazy things is more because I won't allow myself to give in to my insecurities, rather that due to the lack of them. I don't want to be judged negatively any more than anyone else, and I do tend to worry about it. So I am hoping that living in NZ will help me to take a more Kiwi approach to that sort of thing, and to remember that no one is out there to judge me, and that if they do, it's okay, because I can still just enjoy being me.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Happy Tidbits
Happy Tidbit #1
I loved Zumba. It was so much fun, not too hard to pick up, such great music, and apparently a good workout, because I was sore the next day. The teachers, who are very nice, described it as "exercise disguised as dance," and I think that that was accurate. Anyway, lots of fun, and definitely something I will be doing often. There are classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Happy Tidbit #2
J and I went to lunch yesterday at Wa Japanese, and I noticed a very cool bento box on the menu. J says it has been there since the beginning, which shows how perceptive I am. Anyway, I tried it, and it was very neat to get the cool-shaped box (which was both beautiful and reusable), and the food was delicious!
Happy Tidbit #3
I am working three days this week! That is more times than I've worked in the three weeks that I'd been on the list. And, all three days are at the same kindergarten, so I'm really getting to know the children. I do want to go to lots of different centres so that I can experience all of them, but it is also so nice to feel more competent in my knowledge and understanding of the children with whom I'm working. I got very positive feedback from a special education worker who saw me interacting with the child she comes to support, and that felt good.
Happy Tidbit #4
Since Holly is not allowed on the furniture, J lays on the floor to take naps with her sometimes. When he did this the other day, Holly cuddled up to him at first (and I was not quick enough to get a picture), but then could not contain her excitement for long enough to actually rest, so she rolled around on the back, making her happy noise. In this picture, she is starting at him totally adoringly (she loves me, but she LOVES J).
I loved Zumba. It was so much fun, not too hard to pick up, such great music, and apparently a good workout, because I was sore the next day. The teachers, who are very nice, described it as "exercise disguised as dance," and I think that that was accurate. Anyway, lots of fun, and definitely something I will be doing often. There are classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Happy Tidbit #2
J and I went to lunch yesterday at Wa Japanese, and I noticed a very cool bento box on the menu. J says it has been there since the beginning, which shows how perceptive I am. Anyway, I tried it, and it was very neat to get the cool-shaped box (which was both beautiful and reusable), and the food was delicious!
J says the fried things in the upper left corner are the best things he's ever tasted. :)
Happy Tidbit #3
I am working three days this week! That is more times than I've worked in the three weeks that I'd been on the list. And, all three days are at the same kindergarten, so I'm really getting to know the children. I do want to go to lots of different centres so that I can experience all of them, but it is also so nice to feel more competent in my knowledge and understanding of the children with whom I'm working. I got very positive feedback from a special education worker who saw me interacting with the child she comes to support, and that felt good.
Happy Tidbit #4
Since Holly is not allowed on the furniture, J lays on the floor to take naps with her sometimes. When he did this the other day, Holly cuddled up to him at first (and I was not quick enough to get a picture), but then could not contain her excitement for long enough to actually rest, so she rolled around on the back, making her happy noise. In this picture, she is starting at him totally adoringly (she loves me, but she LOVES J).
Happy Tidbit #5
I am feeling more optimistic about jobs. I spoke with someone at the Kindergarten Association, and she said that jobs come up pretty frequently, and that I shouldn't be discouraged. I also spoke with a teacher at an early learning centre, who said that they're opening a new classroom in February, and they might be hiring. So... I'm staying positive.
Happy Tidbit #6
Playing ball with Holly is so much fun! She is so intent on it, and she catches the ball about 75% of the time, which I find very impressive. J took a video the other day so I could show everyone. She missed the first one, but got the others, so that's good. After J went inside, she caught about 10 in a row, so maybe it made her nervous to have both of us out there. Anyway, she is such a great dog, and we have so much fun with her.
Happy Tidbit #7
When I left kindergarten on Tuesday, I told the kids that I might come back another day, but I wasn't sure. When I got to kindergarten today (Thursday), a little girl saw me come in and said, "Yay! She DID come back!" She ran over and hugged me with a huge grin on her face. There is no better way to start your day.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Kiwi Christmas Trees
I know that it's a bit early to start talking about Christmas-y things, but my friends have told me about pōhutukawa, and then yesterday, I drove by a whole bunch of them planted next to the road. So I decided that it was time.
Pōhutukawa are trees, native to NZ, that bloom right around Christmas time, and their bright red flowers are Christmas-y, so they have become Kiwi Christmas trees. People don't put them in their houses, because they still use pine trees for that, and decorate them just like we do in the States. They even use tinsel, which I think is funny, because I always think of tinsel as simulating snow, and it is definitely not snowy weather here at Christmas time.
Anyway, I took some pictures of the pōhutukawa in Whanganui, and I think that they're quite beautiful.
This is a close-up of one of the blooms. They look like fireworks to me! They are a lot like a flower that I saw a month or so ago, that grows on the ground on a plant that looks kind of like lamb's quarter.
Pōhutukawa are trees, native to NZ, that bloom right around Christmas time, and their bright red flowers are Christmas-y, so they have become Kiwi Christmas trees. People don't put them in their houses, because they still use pine trees for that, and decorate them just like we do in the States. They even use tinsel, which I think is funny, because I always think of tinsel as simulating snow, and it is definitely not snowy weather here at Christmas time.
Anyway, I took some pictures of the pōhutukawa in Whanganui, and I think that they're quite beautiful.
This is a close-up of one of the blooms. They look like fireworks to me! They are a lot like a flower that I saw a month or so ago, that grows on the ground on a plant that looks kind of like lamb's quarter.
The bees seem to adore the pōhutukawa, which makes sense, because it looks like there's a ton of places for nectar, and the tree clearly wants to attract them. The tip of each spike, where it's yellow, is a ball of pollen, so thick that I got turned yellow when I brushed against one.
In other news...
I was called in to teach this morning, and had a wonderful time working all day. I went back to the kindergarten where I relieved the first time, and I was happy to find that I remembered some of the children's names, and retained them much better the second time. I brought in one of my favourite books to read with the children, and also got to teach them a fun song. It was a good day, and now I'm exhausted. I'm resting up a bit, because I need to get my energy back up in time for Zumba with Kirsten this evening! I've never done it before, but I am so excited to try!
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Faux Thanksgiving
Yesterday, we had our friends Harry and Jonathan over for a Faux Thanksgiving dinner. In addition to being belated, it felt "faux" for a variety of reasons, which I will explain. However, it was a truly enjoyable evening, and made me feel wonderful, so that part was completely real.
First, it should be noted that Kiwis know that American Thanksgiving exists, and that it's in November, and not a whole lot else. What they do know is mostly from American movies. Apparently, Jonathan and Harry had a debate on the way over about whether or not Americans go around the table and say something they're thankful for before they eat. I guess they both won this time, because I said that we do and J said that we don't. :)
The first, most obviously different thing was the lack of Grandma Verschelden's house, full of family. Not really replicable here, but we knew that. However, Harry and Jonathan are wonderful friends, and J and I did our best playing host and hostess, and it was good. We taught them to play 500 (the card game), which is actually a Denner family game, and I have therefore never played it at Thanksgiving, but it is J's favourite card game, so it's all good. They picked it up quite well, and we played for hours. So a bit of a mish-mash, but lovely.
Speaking of mish-mashes, the food at our Thanksgiving dinner was... shall we say... unique?
We were unable to find any of the necessary ingredients for pumpkin pie! Well, we could have made home-made pie crust, I suppose, but there was no pumpkin pie filling, nor could we even find an actual pumpkin from which to make any (not that I know how)! They have things here that they call pumpkins, but they are whitish grey inside and out, and what kind of pumpkin pie would that be? Anyway, no pumpkin pie, so we got some apple boysenberry pie, which was pretty good, but nothing like the amazing deliciousness of the pies at the Verschelden Thanksgiving. While I'm on the subject of pies, I should mention that pies here are savoury - mince pies, steak and cheese pies, lamb pies, etc. If you mean our kind of pies, you have to say "sweet pie." Anyway, Harry and Jonathan were happy to try a sweet pie, and we talked to the baker at New World grocery store about making a pumpkin pie some time, so we'll have to check back on that and see what we can get. People here have NEVER even TRIED a pumpkin pie!!!!! Amazing, right?
We were also unable to find cantaloupe, which J insists is a Thanksgiving tradition, although I've never thought of it that way. By the way, Harry and Jonathan didn't know what "cantaloupe" was, until I remember that in British English, it is called a "rock melon." They said that some grocery stores here have them, but they're not that popular. We got pineapple instead, which isn't Thanksgiving-y at all, but it was yummy.
Canned cranberry sauce does not seem to be an item here, although we did find cranberry jelly that was very similar. Apparently, they have that for Christmas here.
We did find sweet potatoes, which was a good thing, because they are one of my favourite things about Thanksgiving! Here, they are called kūmara, and they are much smaller than what I am used to, (although that might be because I'm used to my dad's incredibly huge ones), but still delicious. J made them with brown sugar and marshmallows, but not too terribly sweet, and they were perfect. Jonathan and Harry had never had them cooked like that (or even heard of it), and they loved them.
We had chicken instead of turkey, but that was our choice. Maybe next year we'll tackle a turkey. :)
One of the best parts of the night was when Jonathan and Harry got here, Jonathan said, "We brought a couple things for both of you, but this first one is mostly just for Emma..." and he pulled out two cans of Dr. Pepper!!!! I know that this requires a bit of explanation, so here goes. Dr. Pepper is the only pop that I will drink, but I really love it, and always consider it a huge treat when I get some, even though in the States, it was not all that uncommon for me to have one. Here, Dr. Pepper is largely unheard of. It is not in any restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores... nowhere. There are two little shops in town where you can buy it, but I don't make it there very often. So I have been lamenting my lack of Dr. Pepper, and Jonathan remembered me telling him that weeks ago, and brought some over! How wonderful is that?!? And it was particularly perfect, because one of the places that I'm guaranteed to get my fill of Dr. Pepper is at Grandma's house for Thanksgiving. The Verscheldens must like it, because it was always there as I was growing up. And now, my very kind Aunt Pat always makes sure to bring some, because she knows how much I like it. So it was particularly heartwarming for Jonathan to bring me some. :)
We played cards until late at night, talking about all kinds of things, and doing a lot of explaining about how Thanksgiving came to be, and what traditions we have around it. I'm so glad that we did that!
First, it should be noted that Kiwis know that American Thanksgiving exists, and that it's in November, and not a whole lot else. What they do know is mostly from American movies. Apparently, Jonathan and Harry had a debate on the way over about whether or not Americans go around the table and say something they're thankful for before they eat. I guess they both won this time, because I said that we do and J said that we don't. :)
The first, most obviously different thing was the lack of Grandma Verschelden's house, full of family. Not really replicable here, but we knew that. However, Harry and Jonathan are wonderful friends, and J and I did our best playing host and hostess, and it was good. We taught them to play 500 (the card game), which is actually a Denner family game, and I have therefore never played it at Thanksgiving, but it is J's favourite card game, so it's all good. They picked it up quite well, and we played for hours. So a bit of a mish-mash, but lovely.
Speaking of mish-mashes, the food at our Thanksgiving dinner was... shall we say... unique?
We were unable to find any of the necessary ingredients for pumpkin pie! Well, we could have made home-made pie crust, I suppose, but there was no pumpkin pie filling, nor could we even find an actual pumpkin from which to make any (not that I know how)! They have things here that they call pumpkins, but they are whitish grey inside and out, and what kind of pumpkin pie would that be? Anyway, no pumpkin pie, so we got some apple boysenberry pie, which was pretty good, but nothing like the amazing deliciousness of the pies at the Verschelden Thanksgiving. While I'm on the subject of pies, I should mention that pies here are savoury - mince pies, steak and cheese pies, lamb pies, etc. If you mean our kind of pies, you have to say "sweet pie." Anyway, Harry and Jonathan were happy to try a sweet pie, and we talked to the baker at New World grocery store about making a pumpkin pie some time, so we'll have to check back on that and see what we can get. People here have NEVER even TRIED a pumpkin pie!!!!! Amazing, right?
We were also unable to find cantaloupe, which J insists is a Thanksgiving tradition, although I've never thought of it that way. By the way, Harry and Jonathan didn't know what "cantaloupe" was, until I remember that in British English, it is called a "rock melon." They said that some grocery stores here have them, but they're not that popular. We got pineapple instead, which isn't Thanksgiving-y at all, but it was yummy.
Canned cranberry sauce does not seem to be an item here, although we did find cranberry jelly that was very similar. Apparently, they have that for Christmas here.
We did find sweet potatoes, which was a good thing, because they are one of my favourite things about Thanksgiving! Here, they are called kūmara, and they are much smaller than what I am used to, (although that might be because I'm used to my dad's incredibly huge ones), but still delicious. J made them with brown sugar and marshmallows, but not too terribly sweet, and they were perfect. Jonathan and Harry had never had them cooked like that (or even heard of it), and they loved them.
We had chicken instead of turkey, but that was our choice. Maybe next year we'll tackle a turkey. :)
One of the best parts of the night was when Jonathan and Harry got here, Jonathan said, "We brought a couple things for both of you, but this first one is mostly just for Emma..." and he pulled out two cans of Dr. Pepper!!!! I know that this requires a bit of explanation, so here goes. Dr. Pepper is the only pop that I will drink, but I really love it, and always consider it a huge treat when I get some, even though in the States, it was not all that uncommon for me to have one. Here, Dr. Pepper is largely unheard of. It is not in any restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores... nowhere. There are two little shops in town where you can buy it, but I don't make it there very often. So I have been lamenting my lack of Dr. Pepper, and Jonathan remembered me telling him that weeks ago, and brought some over! How wonderful is that?!? And it was particularly perfect, because one of the places that I'm guaranteed to get my fill of Dr. Pepper is at Grandma's house for Thanksgiving. The Verscheldens must like it, because it was always there as I was growing up. And now, my very kind Aunt Pat always makes sure to bring some, because she knows how much I like it. So it was particularly heartwarming for Jonathan to bring me some. :)
We played cards until late at night, talking about all kinds of things, and doing a lot of explaining about how Thanksgiving came to be, and what traditions we have around it. I'm so glad that we did that!
Friday, December 6, 2013
Job Disappointments
Yesterday, I slept in until 10:00, and when I got up and looked at my phone, it said that I had a voice mail from 8:30. I found this confusing, since my phone always wakes me up when it rings or makes the "new voice mail" noise, and it had done neither of those. In fact, it didn't even register a missed call. The voice mail was the Kindergarten Association wanting me to come in and teach! Needless to say, it was too late, so I missed out on that opportunity. Seeing as I am only getting called in once a week at most, missing that day of work was deeply disappointing. I did a lot of productive things yesterday, but I just had this hanging gloom that I couldn't dispel, reminding me that I should have been in kindergarten. Yuck.
In addition, a teacher at the kindergarten I visited yesterday told me about a website where they post all the available teaching jobs, so I thought I'd look at it. I am still committed to taking time to relieve and get to know schools before applying for anything permanent, but I thought it would make me feel better to know how many opportunities are waiting for me to take them. Well, that plan backfired. Do you know how many early childhood education jobs are currently posted for Whanganui? None. Zero. When I combine that knowledge with the surplus of relievers that I keep hearing about, I find myself feeling a bit down-hearted about the permanent job opportunities coming my way. Double yuck.
As usual, I comforted myself by cuddling with Holly, and this time I got a picture of her. Check it out.
In addition, a teacher at the kindergarten I visited yesterday told me about a website where they post all the available teaching jobs, so I thought I'd look at it. I am still committed to taking time to relieve and get to know schools before applying for anything permanent, but I thought it would make me feel better to know how many opportunities are waiting for me to take them. Well, that plan backfired. Do you know how many early childhood education jobs are currently posted for Whanganui? None. Zero. When I combine that knowledge with the surplus of relievers that I keep hearing about, I find myself feeling a bit down-hearted about the permanent job opportunities coming my way. Double yuck.
As usual, I comforted myself by cuddling with Holly, and this time I got a picture of her. Check it out.
Is that not the most loveable face? She scoots in between my legs, nuzzles her face into my tummy, then rolls on her back and looks up at me (or in this case, the camera, since she finds it fascinating) with those big, gorgeous eyes. Melts my heart. We are so lucky to have her.
When J got home from work, we talked about it, and his complete confidence in my ability to find a job was very comforting as well. He is sure that something will come up in the near future, and that relieving jobs will become more frequent in the meantime. Given that I am usually the more positive one in the relationship, it was particularly nice for him to be so confident and optimistic. And I have been told that they usually need more relievers in January and February, so I'm holding out hope that that's true. Anyway, J and Holly both made me feel better, and it will all be okay.
I took Holly out to the beach again today, which was lovely. It is still a new concept to me that we actually live in a place where you can just head to the beach for the afternoon if you want. How cool is that? Maybe I'll become a permanent beach resident instead of a preschool teacher. :)
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Keeping Busy
I have been continuing my efforts to keep busy and put energy into things that I find interesting or meaningful, so that I can feel productive. I am not sure why I have such a drive to always be accomplishing something, but I do, and so I work with that.
So far this week, I have visited six kindergartens, so that if/when I get called in to teach at them, I will be at least a bit of a familiar face, and have a sense of what to expect. I have two more to visit, and will go to them tomorrow. I have enjoyed my time at each one, and have been amazed at how kindly and warmly they have welcomed me. The teachers are happy to take time to talk with me, and seem genuine in saying that they hope to see me soon. I am hoping and praying that I will get more opportunities to relieve soon.
I have also done some Christmas shopping, which is a mixed bag for me. I love finding things that I think will make people happy, but I also struggle with my desire not to consume more and more things, and with the little voice in my head that is always saying, "But they don't need it!" I do know that Christmas presents are not about getting people something they need, but that voice has trouble being heard above the others. Sometimes it is very difficult to be inside my head.
While I was walking around shopping today, I finally, (after passing it many times before), stopped and got a crêpe at the adorable little stand downtown.
So far this week, I have visited six kindergartens, so that if/when I get called in to teach at them, I will be at least a bit of a familiar face, and have a sense of what to expect. I have two more to visit, and will go to them tomorrow. I have enjoyed my time at each one, and have been amazed at how kindly and warmly they have welcomed me. The teachers are happy to take time to talk with me, and seem genuine in saying that they hope to see me soon. I am hoping and praying that I will get more opportunities to relieve soon.
I have also done some Christmas shopping, which is a mixed bag for me. I love finding things that I think will make people happy, but I also struggle with my desire not to consume more and more things, and with the little voice in my head that is always saying, "But they don't need it!" I do know that Christmas presents are not about getting people something they need, but that voice has trouble being heard above the others. Sometimes it is very difficult to be inside my head.
While I was walking around shopping today, I finally, (after passing it many times before), stopped and got a crêpe at the adorable little stand downtown.
I found it to be a wonderful multi-cultural experience that was oddly parallel to my own history. I, an American who used to live in France and Canada and now lives in NZ, went and got a French Crêpe from a NZ man. The crêpe had lemon and sugar on it, which is a combination that I have only seen in Canada (on Beavertail pastries). Anyway, it was multiculturally delicious, and I enjoyed munching on it as I browsed for Christmas gifts. :)
I am also working on the new pile of paperwork we are facing - this time to get resident visas of NZ. We weren't planning on doing it right away, but we found out that most of our paperwork and certifications that we had for our work visas (and for which we jumped through ever-so-many hoops), will expire in the next few months, and then we would have to do it all again when we applied for resident visas. No thanks. So we are doing that now, and I am remembering all the reasons that I hate paperwork. Oh well. On the bright side, I am getting better and better at it.
On another, wonderfully bright side, Holly is the best cuddler ever. She loves to snuggle up next to me in the living room (on the floor, of course - no dogs on the furniture), and she makes a happy, grumbling noise in her throat when she is particularly happy that I find utterly delightful. I am so happy, with all the time that I'm spending at home, that she is here with me, especially with J working into the evenings these days.
By the way, J continues to do well at work, and feels that he is settling in and getting comfortable with his role and responsibilities. He comes home from work tired, but not stressed or frustrated, and usually satisfied with his work that day, which is as it should be.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Playing at the Beach
Kirsten texted me first thing this morning, saying that it was perfect beach weather, and that if I didn't have to work, she, Holly, and I had to go to the beach. Well, I didn't get called in today, so off we went!
Kai-Iwi Beach is about 20 minutes out of town, and it is a beautiful black sand beach, with gorgeous aquamarine water (a little way out), rolling waves, and fine sand.
When we pulled up, this was the first view I got of the beach. Wow!
We walked down from the parking lot, and saw the clear distinction between where the dirt/sand gets picked up by the waves and mixed in with the water, and where it is settled.
Holly was overjoyed to be out at the beach, and ran right into the water, then seemed quite surprised that she was all wet! As you can see, the water-saturated sand is very reflective, which made the beach all the more interesting.
Holly wanted to catch the foam on the edge of each wave, and would run right up to it and chomp down on it. This picture is right after she plunged into one. Kirsten and I were laughing so hard we almost cried, watching her bound around trying to catch them. I think the salt water upset her stomach afterwards, but she is feeling good now.
These are the cliffs right next to the beach.
What a beautiful dog! She was a joy to be with at the beach.
This is on our walk back towards the car. I couldn't believe how much the blue sky reflected off the beach and changed the colour. Very cool.
It was such a lovely afternoon, and we will definitely be going back, and hopefully swim next time. The air was plenty warm enough for swimming, but the water was very cold. Kirsten said that it will warm up soon, and be perfect for swimming.
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