Tales of an Island Folk

Life, oh life...

2007-09-05T21:40:00.000+12:00

I generally don't think I'll keep this blog going, but I'm at work and it's very quiet at the moment. I do feel like I need to write down my going-ons for future reflection and reference, so I'll blog it. I'd be gutted if the blog disappeared as I've been meaning copy and all the entries off and save them in case this blog does die sometime, but still haven't gotten around to it.

I've been in London now for over 5 months. The time has passed super fast. It's getting to the staff that I will have to start thinking about my visa applications to be able to continue to work here. I'm not (nor was I) paid enough or highly-skilled enough to get the Highly-skilled Visa so I am going to try and get sponsored by my work. I mentioned this being the case when I had my interview. So when I discuss it in a month or two, hopefully they will be responsive and positive about it. I don't know if I'll get sponsored easily though. You're meant to be able to show that you are bring skills to your job that they couldn't get someone to do from the UK and that you've brought those skills from previous work experiences outside the UK. I am working as a travel consultant which I've learnt entirely in this job. Obviously though, they had the opportunity to employ a British person or any one else, but they didn't. They must have thought I was bringing skills and knowledge to the job that other applicants couldn't. When it comes time to apply, I'll just have to talk up the parts of the job description which include skills that I did outside of the UK. The other issue is my pay. I can't afford to stay on the salary I get. It's fine for now, but if I am going to continue I need to know that my salary is going to increase to a level that I can save some for my loan and travel. Some friends have been saying I should start looking elsewhere and that I shouldn't feel that I have to be loyal to the company etc etc. But I am enjoying the job generally, and I've always thought it's an area I'd like to get into, especially since you can work anywhere as a travel consultant. I'll just have to see what happens when I have a chat with management in a couple of months about the visa issue and go from there...

Regarding London and England in general. It's good. I love seeing friends from Japan all the time. I love seeing friends from uni and home lots too, especially since I hadn't seen them much since before I left NZ the first in 2003. It's brilliant living around the corner from Paul and Jenny and being able to feel right at home both at my place and their's. Stoke Newington is cool, it's diverse and so different from NZ and even where NZ friends live in London. Last night I was at Finchley and we were at this O2 Shopping Centre thing, I was in culture-shock at how cool and modern it was compared to SN! It can be a bit smelly but on good sunny days, it's so nice wandering up Church Street and through the park. I like that London always has something going on, and often for free or cheap. Or you can just walk around and look at people and buildings and take in all the sights I've seen on TV and movies for years. Yesterday I met up with Jem and Phil who were in town for the night before going on their Europe tour. I met them at Green Park after walking past the Ritz Hotel, then we wandered through the park past Buckingham Palace and up to Piccadilly Circus with it's neon billboards. We didn't even plan to take in sights, it was just a random walk to the pub to enjoy the sun (and avoid the tube). I like working at Piccadilly Circus and when I go down to the tube after work, there is often a busker of varying skill and talent. Sometimes I have to try not to laugh at them as I pass. I like that. One time there was a guy standing there and I thought he was a cleaner cos it looked like he had a mop in a bucket. He was swaying away, whistling. When I got closed I realised it was a blind guy busking! Or there's a guy who's not talented at all, but bless him for having a go! Or the ones that really put on a performance and are having a right good time, even though people don't stand and watch them. London frustrates me too. I get annoyed by people sometimes, when it's particularly crowded and people are pushy and a rude. It can be dirty too, rubbish and scum on the footpaths all the time. Never seen so much dog shit left everywhere. People blatantly just throw their rubbish on the ground even when there are bins near. Maybe it was like that at home and I just didn't see it, but it annoys me. I think I get frustrated by other things, but nothing comes to mind at the minute.

I miss NZ more here than I did in the whole 2 years I was in Japan. Not miss it so much that I want to go home now. But I know when I do look to go home, I think I'll be super excited. I've pondered why it is that I miss home more now than I did in Japan. I think it's partly because the UK has similarities to NZ so I compare it more. In Japan it was so different, I didn't have things that reminded me as home as much. That goes for the people as well. Here I have friends from home around so that reminds me of other mates or family that are at home. In Japan I didn't have that, so although I missed friends and fam in NZ, it was different. Since I've been here also, there has been sad news from home, and different things happening to people I care for which makes it harder too. In Japan, thankfully nothing major happened at home, but I knew if I had to shoot home quick, I could afford to and it was only a 12 hour flight. UK is twice that away, and I earn heaps less so if anything major happened I'd have to rely on family to get me home. I also hate missing out of fun or memorable occasions, so none of my family better not start getting engaged or pregnant!

This has turned a bit epic, so I should stop. Life is good, even if this started to sound like the contrary, I'm happy. I'm looking forward to going to Last night of the Proms concert thing at Hyde Park on Saturday, watching the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup over the next month, going to a few shows including The Lion King with Jem when I take a week off work in October. I'll hang out with Jem and Phil before they head home to NZ. Am going to try go to Edinburgh soonish to see Shanna and have a wee trip around some other places in England too. Fun times!

Just out of interest...

2007-05-15T22:24:00.000+12:00

I just want to see if and who may still visit this blog!? I haven't obviously written on it for quite sometime. I thought I might start again now that I'm living in London and may have some more insightful observations and get up to more than I did in Christchurch, but I'm not sure if I want to or not..! I may just put notes on facebook so friends can read what I'm up to there...

So yeah, leave a comment if you do visit this blog and I'll see if I will resume..!

My new glasses

2006-08-13T16:34:00.000+12:00

Akaroa

2006-08-13T16:28:00.000+12:00

Sleepy, seaside village on the Banks Peninsula settled by French, about an hour from Christchurch. It was pretty, good for a day trip, would be a bit bored if there for more!

Some Photos...Kaikoura in April

2006-08-13T16:15:00.000+12:00

Quad biking

View from farmland we were biking over
Casey, Shaun and I at Tropical B'day party

Random afternoon..!

2006-08-12T23:07:00.000+12:00

The other week on a Friday off work, Masato and I went to a mall to have some sushi at a kiosk where his mate works. We were sitting there eating our sushi when this old guy comes along and sits at the next table. We looked over and he pulls out a piece of paper with A, B, C… X, Y, Z written on it, and underneath the letters are z, y, x…c, b, a. Then he started to write something on another piece of paper. Obviously a code, very odd but I stopped watching as I thought it must just be another kooky Christchurch person! When he was done though, he got up, put the paper in a plastic bag and walked over to the post box, looked around, then hid the bag under it!?? I was cracking up, and Masato starts insisting that the guy put $100 in the bag. I didn’t see what he put in there, but he was certain that there was $100 in the bag.

It was all very weird. I told Masato that he should go and get it, but he said I’d have to help to keep watch. There was this other random guy standing around, then Masato was sure he was keeping watch! I thought he would have just been waiting for his wife shopping at the supermarket, but he did look quite dodgy. Finally, it turned out that he was just waiting for wife at the supermarket! Then the coast was clear, so we got up, and while I stood semi-watching, semi just thinking, ‘what the f*#k are we doing, this could be drug money or something!’, Masato got the plastic bag and we quickly walked out to the car!

Once in the car, Masato opened the bag, and sure there was a $100 note in there – a $100 notepad page – with a code message on it!! I was cracking up eh, so close to finding money, but so far! We decided we should work out the code over coffee, so we went back in got coffee and deciphered the code, it said “the next clue is on the palm near the food”. There are a whole lot of palm trees in the food court in the centre of the mall, so off we went looking… quite hard to look inconspicuous while walking around looking in and around plants! Then we saw a $100 in a plastic bag in the planter box. So we tried to act natural, while stealthily taking a plastic bag out from under some plants, and we headed off again to work out the next clue! The clue said, “The last clue is in the plant next to the escalator”. It also had a note, not in code, saying “if you can’t find the clue, meet me at McDonalds at 4.45pm”!! So off we went searching the plants around the escalators. There was nothing at the first escalator so headed to the next one… Then we saw it, an empty bag the same as we’d been finding on the ground. Gutted, thinking that someone else had thought they’d seen $100, and stolen our clue – now we were never to know what the last clue would be. We decided to search the wee gardens around the escalators anyway, and then we found another $100 in a plastic bag! Was very exciting! So we went back down and worked out the clue. This one was a bit cryptic – can’t quite remember what it was, but something about “The man who needs rescuing is in…” Then again it said, ‘if you can’t find him meet me at McDonald’s at 4.45pm’!

We had no idea what that was all about so we decided to call it quits. Before we left though, we wrote a message back to the guy. It said (obviously in code), “Hi, how are you? We are too busy to rescue the man. Gomen ne.” We put it in a bag with a piece of Japanese gum (wee present for him), and hid it back under the palm in the food court closest to McDs. Then we left. The most bizarre thing ever! Imagine if we had found $300 for real!!? We wandered around the mall for 2 hours following clues that we don’t even know who they were meant for, or anything. I felt like we were part of some social experiment and somewhere there were people laughing at us! After all that, I have no idea why the guy had planted clues thru the mall, who they were meant for, whether he was back there at 4.45pm, or if he even found the message we left for him..! Crazy, crazy, crazy! Novel way to fill in a Friday afternoon though!

One year on....

2006-07-27T22:07:00.000+12:00

I haven't blogged for ages...in fact I haven't looked at my blog for ages (hence I just saw Jo's where are you? comment from the 12th), but seeing as today it's one year since I left Japan I thought I'd write something... I just read back a couple of blogs, one from the 28/7/04 when I was in the office and busy going to farewell parties of people leaving, recalling my arrival to Japan the previous year. I read my blogs from last year, my final Japan blog and the one after arriving in Thailand. Just so crazy to think 3 years have passed since I was preparing to go to Japan in the first place. The memories are so fresh, but it feels like I have been gone for so long too.

To reflect on my post-Japan life... I've done the CELTA course, but haven't done anything with it (I hope the day doesn't come where I try to and am told it's too late!). I've moved to Christchurch and am working in a call centre for a telecommunication company (not what I was thinking I'd be doing), I'm happy enough and only count down for the day to leave out of excitement for going overseas again. I joined a gym for the first time which I enjoy for the most part...if I had more self control with food I'm sure the results would be amazing by now! Would like to say I've been keeping up my Japanese, but not much... could probably still apply for the JLPT and start studying but that may be too much of a commitment!

I have though been thinking and speaking more Japanese of late cos I've been hanging out with a mate Masato. Some may remember him from Jo's b'day trip to Fukuoka last year when Abra was over. Masato had lived in NZ for quite a few years and at the time I was convinced he sounded like a Maori... I'm not so sure now that he did, I could have just thought that since I'd been away for so long and he probably had more of a Kiwi accent than I did. Anway, we've kept in touch and he came back to Christchurch about 6 weeks ago. He's trying to find a flat and a job. Prob is he needs to be sponsored because he's used his visas for NZ, so if he can't he'll be gone at end of September. It's been fun hanging out. I took him down the Timaru on my days off on Tuesday and Wednesday - showed him the big smoke and all that! We walked to town on Tuesday morning, thru the Bay, to the art gallery (couldn't go to the museum since it didn't open til 1.30pm!), then back home. The tour took all of 2 hours! We then drove back to town for lunch, went for a tiki-tour before I had an appointment at optometrist. Poor Masato got stuck for ages while I tried on glasses and he had to help decide which were keepers for taking home to check with everyone else! I've realised how awful my old glasses are now!

Yesterday, Masato, Mum and I drove up to Lake Tekapo. It was so beautiful up there and after 3 years it has developed so much. It was a perfect day though, lots of snow around on the hills and mountains, blue skies and the water was it's usual glassy self. Love that place.

That's about me for now... Nothing too exciting but I'm content. I miss parts of what I had in Japan, but you're going to get that with any change. I miss my friends I have scattered over the world, but that's also going to happen wherever I am. Thankfully I did end up in a job that always me to call people more frequently than I would if I wasn't working in telecommunications! Hope everyone's well, and I'll be blogging again soon cos have a really random story to tell, but I won't get into it now (thought you'd be thinking this blog is long enough by now Jo!).

Drama on Hagley Ave...

2006-05-09T16:37:00.000+12:00

Last Wednesday, at the end of my two days off work, I went to get Brenda from the airport. When we got back, the person in the car in front of us decided to use our drive as a turning bay, or wait for someone at the netball across the road. Anyway, we were sitting there waiting to turn in on the street and next thing we know, we are rammed from behind and scooting a good few metres forward.

I moved the car to the side of the road, and we got out. I was worried that I didn't have my foot on the brake still, so the person could see that I was waiting. It turned out though, that the guy in a nice, brand-new Peugoet behind me was waiting. It was the guy behind him that ploughed into us both. He must have been going at a decent pace to do the damage he did to my car as well.

Longer story short. The police ended up coming, partly because the middle guy felt a bit whiplashed, and partly because the guy that pranged into us though old and a bit dottery seeming, also appeared to have had a few drinks. The policeman breath tested him, and he was well over the limit. He said, "I only had one, and one for the road!" - Not quite the appropriate comment when he has just written off 3 cars including his own!

I thought I was fine, but when I went to be that night I could feel a bit of a crick in the neck. The next morning, I was rather whiplashed, and after considering pulling a sickie, I got the bus to work. Once there, my boss insisted that I had to go to the doctor just to have it documented in case in the future a problem arises and it can be tied back to the accident. So I left work at lunch time, and borrowed Brenda's car. Incidently, when a bus braked behind me with it's squeaky brakes, I cringed and had a slight freak out! I went to the doctor, and turns out he thought I should have the next day off work, and since I had work over the weekend, he said minimal work, with full return to work for Monday! Who would have thought!? So I had a boring day on Friday, was feeling bit better on Saturday, but decided to milk it, and have to day off! I went back to work on Sunday. Way to get out of working the weekend eh!

So yeah, bit of excitement, and slightly gutted that my car is a goner - though it was timed quite well with warrant of fitness due this week, and rego is up at the end of the month! Dad is bringing me up a new car on Thursday - a mitsubishi mirage 1985, in poo green! Ahh sounds like it's going to be another beautiful car!

Here's a pic of the damage:

Auckland weekend...

2006-04-30T10:21:00.000+12:00

I took two days off work when it was Anzac day on the 25th to make a 5 day weekend. With those five days I decided to fly up to Auckland and catch up with some friends. I stayed with my mate from school, Shanna. Had a great time checking out a bit of the city. On Friday we went with her cousin to Rainbow’s End. This is NZ’s one and only amusement park. I have to say I was mildly surprised that it was quite decent! I even conquered the scary rides, in fact even embraced them! Shan and I went on the ‘Fear Fall’ 3 times. This ride goes up 18 storeys and then you hear a click, then it pauses more and you fall to the ground again! One of those weird things that you (well I) hate, but you like it for some reason and have to do it again! The other big attraction is the rollercoaster, with full circle loop and cork screw section. I was freaking before hand, and wouldn’t have been too shamed to get out after once round (it goes round twice with a pause in the middle for people to get out if they aren’t happy). But that too was awesome. I think we clocked up 8 turns on that! So all in all, a fun day out.

On Saturday we went to Otara Market. Otara is in South Auckland, and mostly populated by Pacific Islanders. Was good to see, and we also caught a cool break-dance battle competition. After we went into town to Aotea Market which was much more classier with arts, clothes and jewellery. Later Shan gave me a lift back into town to my mate, Mark’s apartment. Mark is my Japanese buddy from uni, and I discovered at a family friend’s wedding in March that he is going out with a friend of a friend from Timaru, Richard. So the 3 of us caught up, had a few drinks before going to a farewell party of Richard’s friend at a club in town. Then onto a few more clubs. Ended up being a decently late night, and in turn a very lazy Sunday not leaving Mark’s til 3pm after lounging on the couch since getting up.

Monday, Shanna had to go to school (she's a teacher) and do some prep for the start of the school year so she dropped me in town and I went to the Auckland Art Gallery. Was good. There was an exhibition of 60s British Art from the Tate London. The NZ art collection was cool too. After wandering around I got the bus back out to where Shan lives. That night we went out for dinner with my Dad who was up for car racing and work, my uncle Richard who lives in Auckland, Nikki my cousin, and Dad’s bro Phil. Was a funny night. Shanna and my dad get on fabulously and are always giving each other shit. Much wine and beer was consumed and by the time we’d gone back to Richard’s, him and Dad were rather boozed!

Tuesday was very chilled, didn’t get up to much, and then Shan dropped me at the airport. After the flight being delayed an hour and a half I flew home! All good times…

Kaikoura Birthday Bash

2006-04-11T22:56:00.000+12:00

Had an absolutely fab weekend. My aunty and uncle are both turning 50 this year, and Richard fancies himself as a bit of a party planner - and a party he did indeed plan!

We went up to Kaikoura (beautiful seaside tourist destination famous for crayfish, whale watching and outdoor adventure) on Friday. About 60 guests were invited including Mum, Dad, my bros, Ann and Casey's gf Tess. We stayed at a great backpackers with a brilliant outdoor entertainment area with pool, spa and sauna. We pretty much overtook the backpackers. There was an abundance of beer and wine, with a Thai buffet for Friday night's get to know each other session, and a BBQ for Saturday night.

After a pleasant evening on Friday, woke up bright and early on Saturday to go 4WD motorbiking. A group of 11 went on a 27km journey over amazing farm land, up and down huge hills, tracks, steep banks, and up the rivers. The farm land went right to the coast over looking the massive sea, and a colony of seals at the bottom of the cliff. It was really so awesome, and definitely made me realise how gorgeous NZ is. The start was a bit tentative on the bike, but after a bit of practice, I got really confident and it was really fun. There was also a professional photographer on the trip as the business are making a new brouchure so wanted photos. When I get copies of them all I will post pics.

Saturday evening was the pool party - madatory Hawaiian shirts and leis! Got well and truly stuck into the wines, and must admit got well pissed! I tripped over a big rock trying to get to my brother to have a photo with him, and the bruise hurts! Since it wasn't a birthday (at my uncle's insistance) he got a cake, and we all sang "It's not a birthday to you...!" The night ended with dancing and singing away to the guitars and singing of two mates of my uncle and aunty.

Sunday, wasn't the happiest of days, very slow, very hungover and the windy roads from Kakoura to Christchurch to endure for the trip home - I so remembered why I used to always be sick every time we drove up to that area!

So yeah, if anyone comes out to visit. We should definitely go to Kaikoura and hang out. It's cool!

News...

2006-03-21T22:38:00.000+12:00

I haven't been up to much lately... nothing to blog about, so didn't! But am at home for the night, so taking advantage of the parent's broadband! Have worked the last two weekends, and am working this weekend coming too, so have been very quiet.

On an exciting note, I'm going flatting. A friend I went to school with has a flatmate moving out, so I'm going to move in with her and a guy on the 2nd April. Really looking forward to it eh, haven't flatted since uni so it will be fun. And as fine as it has been living with my Aunty, I still feel quite guest-ish, nad if I'm lazing around on a Sunday, or going anywhere I feel guilty, or like I have to tell her where I'm going, when I'll be home etc, so yeah, it'll be good. So I've come home to get some stuff to go into the flat. Have been looking thru cupboards and boxes and finding all sorts of stuff from uni and so so much stuff from Japan, Thailand etc... I can't even take it all cos I wouldn't have enough wall space or shelf space for everything without either having to have it put all over the flat, or having my room look like some sort of freak shrine to Japan and South East Asia! God I need a house of my own just to put it all!

Another new excitement (or nearly) in my life, I've joined a gym! Shock horror! One of those things I've known I've needed to do for so long but never got up the guts to do it. But last week on one of my days off I was at a mall, and a gym lady baled me up, and asked to get my number so I could go in for a look round. I'd previously been baled up by someone, and I said, oh can't I call you, and made some excuse! So this time, I did the right thing, and am now have a 12 month member of a gym! Am really looking forward to it actually, though I have only been twice. But I can already visualise the slimmer, fitter, healthier me, so that's got to be a good thing! The gym is a woman's gym which is circuit-based with all these machines that you jump on for 40secs, then move to the next one. So, hopefully it all goes well, and I'll be motivated by the fact the money is coming out of my bank each fortnight, and the more I go the cheaper each time is!

Some Photos...

2006-03-21T22:21:00.000+12:00

I went to a wedding of a family friend the other week... at the end of the night I decided to take a number of photos of me with others! Quite amusing really, here are the family ones..!

Dad and I Mum and I

Shaun and I Ann and I

Melt down..!

2006-03-04T00:16:00.000+13:00

I had the shittest day I've ever had at work. Shittest day I have ever had in all my working days that I have worked in my life! From my 2nd phone call this morning, I got landed with customers who had been screwed around cos someone else had f#*ked up. So, seeing as I got there call I had to try and fix the prob. One woman had notes a mile long on her account and while I tried to read them and comprehend what was in fact going on, she continued to rant about lack of customer service, and being mucked around. Demanding something had to be done about it now and she wasn't going to go into the weekend with out it being fixed...!! So while I worked on solving her issues, I was off the phone for ages. When I'm in "not ready" this brings up my 'clerical' time - this is not good. I think my clerical today could well be up to 60% (good is under 32%). So I decide to take a couple of calls so it doesn't look so bad. I get a wanker who asks to speak to the CEO! What the f*&k!!?? Like I'm about to say, sure let me just put you through! So then I had to try and talk to him and tell him why I wasn't putting him thru to him, or his secretary or anyone else in higher management. Finally I told him I'd send an email to a manager of a particular department, and he insisted that I send him a copy of the email I send in the post. I agree and get him off the phone. Now I'm just pissed off (actually I was well before then) to have been constantly landed all the shit calls for the day, and have to fix up other's messes. I'm about to crack when the chick next to me states the obvious and says "man you've had shit calls today!" Uh duh! So I start crying! Gotta love that, having a melt down at work!

So one of the chicks tells me to go and have a cigarette (no I don't smoke guys!), instead I try to keep working then I have to go to the bathroom and bawl! Once back at my desk, one to the managers comes over, logs me off the phone and takes me down stairs for some time out! I had that "I can't breathe, and don't want to be crying" kind of crying going on! Good to here generally everyone has a meltdown at work, mine was 3 months in so not bad!

So after a while I went back up to the phone. Told my boss that I had to call one of the customers back, but couldn't cos I'd probably cry on the phone! So she did it, thankfully! Took another call, all was fine. Another one, fine. Another one - bastard going nuts about charges on his account! So wasn't in the mood. Told him exactly how it was, and went on about the Terms and Conditions (luckily I knew what I was talking about!), then when he said he wasn't going to pay the amount, I said fine, then it will eventually go to the debt collectors. He said fine, have a nice weekend. And I wished him one! Wanker! Thank god after that I had a couple of good calls, and the longest day of my life ended. God help me if I have another day like that soon!

Am now at home in Timaru as have a wedding this weekend. Have also had an email from my old supervisor saying she'd furikomi-ed my refund on my pension thingy! Yay! Another $1300 - thank you JET! And I had a wee package from Louise in Japan too! Thanks mate, good end to a terrible day!

2006-02-27T23:24:00.000+13:00

Had a nice chilled out weekend. Awesome weather to boot. I had the house to myself since my Aunty was away, so was very nice to lounge around without feeling like I should be doing something! Had a brilliant catch up with Jem, Mary, Meagan and Paul, so very nice to talk to all! I went over to Paula's and watched 'The Castle', crackin' up all thru it as I do!

Had a good day at work today too. I spoke Japanese with a customer for the first time! I came back from my break and the girl beside me says, "Selene this woman on the phone can't speak English!" I said that my Japanese wasn't great but I'd try talking to her. So I got Yasuko on the line, and spoke slow simple English, until I tried to tell her the line rental at her house was thru Telecom. She didn't get me there, so I spoke Japanese. I think I need to brush up my telecommunication Japanese, but she understood me, and I said everything that she generally needed to know! Was very fun actually! Not long after I ended up talking to a chick who's sister is on Jet in Kyoto too.

So that was all fun, and broke the monotony of a usual day at work. I'm going home this weekend for a wedding, and have taken Monday off work just because. Hopefully good weather for the standard post-wedding bbq and drinks on Sunday.

Past to Present

2006-02-09T21:26:00.000+13:00

Kate, Tans, Matt, Casey and Dad at the annual Donovan Christmas BBQ at home. Was perfect weather for beers, barbies and playing hacky on the lawn!

My mate Shanna in the Xmas Eve spirit wearing the reindeer outfit I had to wear at work. Lucky she found some Santas also in the spirit!

Me in the main street of Timaru (yes, we have 'a' main street) with its beautiful Christmas lights. Unfortunately I was unable to take photos of the carnival in full flight!

Steriogram at New Years. Such a high energy, fun and funky group! Such an awesome New Years!

Last weekend in Timaru for Jem's farewell party weekend extraveganza! Jem and Phil left for Dublin today. Starting Friday night with a quiet bbq at home. Saturday night was the farewell party in town. They'd hired out the bar, and somehow (I think due to lack of preparation rather thank drinking in excess) they ran out of kegs and had to go get more from the bar down the road! Had a pretty massive night and we headed for home about 3.30am. Home alone I slept off the hangover by sleeping til 1pm, then were back on it at Jem's for Super Sunday by 3pm. Jem, Phil, Tans and I went over to a friend's flatwarming, then headed into town to see a mate of my bro's Rangi play and sing at The Sail (photo above). Ended up being a decent night with us heading home at about 1.30am! The plan for Monday was to make Thai, but we couldn't be bothered, so we just made an awesome pot of Tom Yum soup. Hung out, then it was good byes so I could head back to Christchurch. Great weekend, and perfect send off for Jem.

Back from hiatus...

2006-01-26T23:12:00.000+13:00

Wasn’t an intentional one, just I never feel like sitting at the computer after I’ve just spent eight hours at one at work. I haven’t been up to too much anyway. A brief recap – Jo and Paul stayed on the way home from their honeymoon. Had fun wandering around town, saw some a fun busker’s performance. Resolved my mate Shanna and her brother’s argument (really nothing, just Shan being drunk and her bro not being bothered with her, and then she worked herself up and got upset). How did I get them talking again you ask… I told Shan, that in Japan they’d just have a game of Janken and it would solve all probs. So she marched into the other room where he was, said “Selene said we have to play rock, paper, scissors.” They played, Shan won, they laughed, hugged and were friends again! Cracked me up cos I didn’t really think she’d do it or it’d work!

Went home for the weekend last weekend. Ended up having pretty big nights on both Friday and Saturday. Went out with Jem and Tans on Friday night, after a couple of hours of SingStar! Love that. Saturday was brilliant weather, and went to barbie at Shan’s for her sister’s homecoming. Ended up drinking crazy cocktails that I made up with random drinks around, then went to town.

In between all that been working. Work’s not going too badly. It’s definitely not a job I’ll be staying in forever, and I think parts of me wish I wasn’t sticking it out for a year, but it’s not totally unbearable so I can handle it. I do the other half of training next week so that will be good. Then I’ll finally be able to work on remembering and learning everything I need to, rather than passing calls on to fully trained staff. I get on well with other staff but it’s generally just at work stuff. Paula who I started training with and I get on well, and I think we will go out outside of work, but otherwise I don’t know… I think it’ll be better once we have a social club event, and mix outside of work. We’ll see…! I had a thought the other day… I miss having my weekends planned weeks in advanced. Whether it was just hanging out at someone’s apartment, going to the city clubbing, going some cultural event, or deciding to have a weekend in veging, I always had something to look forward to, and knew I’d be seeing my friends soon. These days with most friends in other cities, my social arrangements are much fewer and further between. I might have to join a club at this stage to make friends!
I do miss the old lifestyle of Japan…

Ramble (I apologise)

2006-01-26T23:08:00.000+13:00

I’ve been feeling very reflective and nostalgic for Japan recently. I don’t know why exactly, but I think there are plenty of reasons. I think it started at Christmas when I got Xmas cards from two of my elementary schools where I taught with a brilliant and absolutely lovely English teacher, Inoue Sensei. I also got cards from a friend, Kyoko’s students and a wee gift from her. It was so sweet, and made me think of all the other scrappy, wee handmade presents and cards I got when I was in Japan. All those things you thank the kids profusely for, but you know when you get home they will be thrown out (and if not straight away, they were definitely thrown out when I left!). Thru the month New Year’s cards have a arrived from friends in Asa, and around, making me think of the fun I had with them.

When I talked to Louise before Xmas, I didn’t really realise I don’t think of Asa or Yamaguchi much. I guess when I do think of Japan, I think of Jet and friends. But catching up with Louise, it made me think about it again, as the home it was, and the people you’d see often, but of course never know. I wonder if they suddenly realise that I must have gone home! I’ve also been in touch a lot recently with my old supervisor sorting out my pension tax refund. It’s been nice writing Japanese again, and communicating with her, because I didn’t really do much of that when I was in Japan! Ah the days spent silently at the office…!

I realised at the start of the week that this time 6 months ago I was leaving Asa and Japan. I can’t believe it’s already 6 months since I was all packed up, final goodbyes and tears and off to Thailand. It feels like so long ago. Even Thailand feels so long ago… When I left Japan I thought I’d get home, find a job teaching English to get some experience. After a NZ summer, I’d pack up and go to Ireland with Jem and live and work… Hmm, so hasn’t happened! Instead, I fear I have wasted what I learn in the CELTA course, and Jem and her bf Phil are leaving for Dublin in two weeks, and I am working in a call centre until at least Feb 2007!

I do see positives in what I’ve ended up doing. I’ll definitely save money not going now, and coming back for Shaun’s wedding then going back and working in the call centre is giving different experience which will be useful later. I’m going to try and somehow keep my Japanese up. I might study for JLPT again. I am also going to contact some language schools and try to at the very least sit in or assist in an hour or two of classes a week, just to keep my mind thinking about what I learnt in Thailand. I also think I’ll go out flatting at some stage, in a few months. I miss living by myself, or at least independently in a flat, rather than boarding.

Right, that's about enough of my babbling... nigh night xo

Happy New Year 2006!

2006-01-01T23:06:00.000+13:00

Had a fabulous New Year. My mate Tanya came up from Timaru and we went around to a chick from work's house for drinks with her, her flatmate and another chick from work. Sat in the sun for an hour or so, drinking, chatting. Another "small world" occasion upon finding out that the flatmate went to a certain school, then not being totally sure, but there being a possibility, I asked "Do you know...?" She says, "Yes, she's one of my best friends!" This best friend lived in my apartment in Asa for two years, two years before I lived there! I met her about a month after I got there, as she was passing thru on her way home from the UK! Crazy eh!

After we went to a concert at a pub out in New Brighton. I was so so looking forward to it, and was so not disappointed!! From about 6pm to 12.30am, I had such a freakin' good time rocking out, singing, cheering and yelling along to 4 super-cool NZ bands! A wide range of people there, plenty either well drunk, trippin' on P, and the smell of pot sometimes was so strong I'm surprised I didn't come away stoned! Everyone was out for a good time!

Deja Voodoo put on a great show, especially exciting as one of there hit songs is "Today, Tomorrow, Timaru"! So got into that song! Then there was Steriogram, such awesome performers going nuts to every song! The lead singer walked/crowd surfed across the audience to get a drink at the bar, while still singing and was back just as the song finished! By far my favourite performance! Then there was Elemeno P, they got popular when I just left to Japan, so know there main hits but not others. Very cool performers, and know how to work a crowd too. Then after some technical difficulties, the head-liners Shihad performed. They've been around for ages now, and are very cool. They changed their name to Pacifier (one of there lead singles) a few years ago when they were trying to make it in the US cos Shihad was too similar to Jihad (Islamic for Holy War). But now they're back to being Shihad. They performed thru the New Year, and it was about 12.05 after a song when we realised it was 2006! So a little belated Happy New Year!

So glad I spent New Year's Eve that way. Had really been looking forward to hearing some NZ bands esp Steriogram. Was nice to spend it with new friends too. After the concert Tans was ready for bed, but I had planned to meet two friends, Dave and Andrew, I've know from when I was a kid. So Tans got dropped home, and I went into town to meet them. Had a few yarns, laughs and a boogie with them. About 3am I was well tired and ready for home, so we left and walked to where they were staying. I called a taxi, tho the taxi guy didn't know how long it'd be, so Dave and I fell asleep waiting for it! When I woke up, I thought, shit, wonder when the taxi will come..! So, I called them again, and turns out I'd missed it! I said that I didn't hear the toot, and the guy says "well we didn't toot, seeing as it was 4 in the morning!" Oops! So I eventually got the taxi and got home just before 5am!

Fabulous New Year's, nicely finished off tonight with going out to dinner for my cousin's birthday, to a fabulous Japanese Restaurant. Had Teppanyaki seafood, chicken and beef with sashimi starter and other tasty morsels! Hope you all had a great New Year too!

Merry Christmas to All!!

2005-12-27T12:47:00.000+13:00

Have had a lovely Christmas with plenty of fun, drinking and eating with friends and family. I started the weekend on Friday, when I arrived down from Christchurch. I went up to my mate Shanna, to wait for her arrival with two mates from England . Had a few drinks with her Mum and brother etc. When they arrived we continued to drink! It was great fun as there is always hilarity when drinking at their place and it has been so long!

After we headed into town, where I was meant be meeting up with a hen night. We were walking up the street and around the corner comes my Mum. "AHHHHH, " she squawks, "I've been wondering where you were!" Yip Ann, was well and truly on the piss too! Met up with Casey too and heaps of other mates and had a brilliant time. Think I got home at about 3.30am. Oh yeah, then I called Tori! Good to catch up, even if my voice was fading fast!

Xmas Eve - after rain and bad weather for a few days before, it was a primo day. Had to be, as the inaugral Donovan Xmas Eve BBQ was on! After a couple of years hiatus, Shaun, Casey and I were sure it was going to peak and be the best yet. Definitely up there, good times, bit of hacky and Vietnamese foot badminton games, drinks, yarns, a reindeer outfit... couldn't have been much better. My mates wanted to go into town, so we did but since the pubs were closing at 12am, it wasnt very good. I came back home, and the others were still cranking so I had a few more drinks with them out by the brazier and got to bed at about 2am.

Xmas day, slept in, got up opened a few pressies with the fam. Dad's Ma, bro and sis with my cousins came over and we opened a few more pressies. Had the whole turkey Xmas dinner thing, a few drinks and then of course the Xmas sleepiness! Was all good!

Boxing day - pretty chilled out, awesome weather again so took Shaun and Ann out for lunch, and visited some mates. Went to Grandma's for Indian takeaways, and pooped next door to where my mate Greg's parents live and had a beer. After dinner, I went to Shanna's relatives where they were all well and truly tanked! Honestly, most crazy, drunken family there is!! Had fabulous time! Obviously, the next day was very chilled out, went out for lunch with Casey and mates, then headed to Shan's for a BBQ before driving back to CHCH for work.

So here I am, on my 3rd day of work and then got 4 days off for New Years. Going to be a goody...

Wedding Photos

2005-12-27T12:43:00.000+13:00

Jem and I with our wonderful dressmaker - Jem's Mum! I'm so so surprised we look so sober in this photo considering it was near the end of the night and we were making a last ditch attempt to finish the bar tab! Check out my pot of gold!! I being the most important woman there (seeing as the bride had left) got biggest glass!

2005-12-27T12:39:00.000+13:00

Paul's sister, Jem, Shanna and I singing "Stand by Me" - a wee surprise for the wedding video! This photo is just prior to Shan and mine's impromptu "Greatest Love..!"

2005-12-27T12:36:00.000+13:00

Jo and Paul cutting the cake at the reception. Cool cake eh! The fun and had lots of funky touches, just the way they are!

2005-12-27T12:31:00.000+13:00

The Bridal party (minus the kids) over looking the bay.

Wedding Photos...

2005-12-27T12:27:00.000+13:00

3 December 2005. Jemma and I after the ceremony at the church.

At work...

2005-12-20T13:24:00.000+13:00

When transfering to another dept, I always smile when the hold music is instrumental "The Greatest Love of All"

I also smile when I check my bank balance and see my pension refund has come thru.

update

2005-12-18T21:21:00.000+13:00

Finally got internet at my Auntie's, so now I can check emails/blog some photos/write emails more. Works been good. Gradually being able to help customers more without having to ask for help myself so often. After new year it's back to training for the other side of our products and services.

On Friday we had the team Christmas competition. Our team had a sleigh with santa in it at the end, then some genius bought reindeer costumes for us to wear! We made some wee black noses to wear, with our team leader wearing a red one. When the judges came thru we sang "Rudolf the red nose reindeer". Was amusing, and we won the comp, so have $200 to spend on a night out or something.

Got the rest of the week at work then home for Xmas. Having the inaugral Donovan Xmas Eve BBQ, obviously on the 24th. Can't wait eh, better be good weather. Might have to pop down to the Bay Carnival since I haven't been for years. Back to work for 3 days, then 4 days off at New Year... not sure what's up yet.

The wedding...

2005-12-06T22:09:00.000+13:00

was fantastic!

I went down home on Friday for Jo and Paul's wedding. I took our mate Amandha, who'd come down from Wellington. When we got to town we met Jo and Jem to do some last minute shopping, had tea at Paul's Mum's, then went out to the church for rehearsal (after going home again when Jo forgot the key. The rehearsal was cool, and it was decided that Jem and I were doing a speech at the reception (were going to, then weren't...but got swayed again). So after I went to Jem's so we could work on it. Jem has been to a few weddings recently so had a few jokes we could say! Also we'd worked on a poem to give them so we finished that to say.

Anyway, on Saturday we got up early and went out for breakie, then at 9am to the hairdressers. I was done first, hair in curls, so I went off to the beautician's for makeup. THen Jem followed. I went back to the hairdresser's as Jo was being finished. At this stage it was 12.45pm. We had to leave the house for the church at 1.30pm-ish. So I dropped Jo at makeup, Jem and I went back to her Mum's to change, and her Mum went to pick her up! Talk about rushing it! I got well nervous by then, mostly cos I knew Jo was starting to stress out. There was time for a few quick photos, then help Jo change, for her to have some photos, then off to the church!

It was meant to be rainy, but the weather was perfect. We arrived at the church, and Jem and I each walked down the aisle hold hands with the wee page boy and flower girl. I was shaking! The ceremony was lovely, though I didn't even look around the church at the decorations. Before we knew it, they were married and we walked out behind the new Mr and Mrs Keane to Smash Mouth, "I'm Believer"!

After hanging around outside with friends and fam we went for photos. First with a steam train, then overlooking the sea, then to a surf beach (but only the guys and Jo were in those photos so I don't know what they're like. We finally got to the reception at about 6.15pm. I was so tired. We sat, then wandered around talking to friends, then Jem, Jo's mum and I got stuck into the wines to build a bit of Dutch courage for the speeches. We ate our main, then it was speeches. All were awesome, Jo's and her Mum's were really good and touching as her Dad died 12 years ago. Mine and Jem's was awesome! The hit being, Jem: Now Selene and I are quite the singers, we love doing duets a lot, so thought we'd sing a wee song for Jo and Paul! (of course everyone got excited and laughed cos we really do like to sing!), then she said: But we've got a wee problem with our throats... Jo said she'd cut them if we dared! Hahaha!! Then we said our wee poem. Jem always used to write funny rhyming poems for our birthdays, and this was along the same lines so it went off! After that, we were all free to relax and get on with the fun of the night! Got well stuck into the wine...really well stuck into the wine! As had my parent's, Jem's parent's, and all that their table and our friends' table!! My bro's mate Rangi was playing, and singing, so I decided I'd help him out and kept going up to the mic and singing! We were all dancing up at storm! At one stage I went up to the bar to get another wine. Upon getting a half filled glass (the proper way), I said "now Jase (the bar guy), I know this the ponsy way to drink wine, but don't worry, just top 'er up and I won't need to come back so soon! Then after Jo and Paul left, I went up to get another one and he says, I'll get you another glass. He came back with a HUGE bucket of a glass! I then kept raving about since Jo had left I was the most important woman left being chief-bridesmaid!

Before the end of the night, our mate Shanna got Rangi to let us borrow a guitar and we sang "Stand By Me" for the wedding video that she was in charge of. We did that...quite badly. After that, I decided it was a good time to take the mic with Shan for my karaoke signature "The Greatest Love of All"!!! Yip... wasn't pretty! But, man I thought it was at the time. After that, before we headed out into town, Jem and I decided we'd try finish the bar tab... but I was pretty much over my wine, so I shoed up and we all left. We danced around like idiots at one bar. At the same bar I slipped over in my shoes and landed on my arse...classy! Then we went to another nite club. We met up with Jem's brother and I decided my feet hurt so I gave him my jandals which he put in his back pockets. When Jem gave them back to me, it was discovered that I'd worn her's into town and left mine at the reception place (she'd changed shoes). No wonder my feet hurt, after about 2 hours I'd discovered I was wearing a size too small shoes! When that bar closed it was home time.

Sunday morning was not happy. Mum and Dad cooked a hell feed of bacon, eggs, sausages, spaghetti etc etc. It went down a treat and I tried to refrain from taking any drugs to cure my killler headache. I went out to get my stuff from Jem's and my car and I was seriously not sure if I'd be sick or not. Things could easily have gone either way for a while there. Once home I took some drugs, then some more. When mate Brenda picked me up to go out to Jo and Paul's for BBQ I still wasn't flash. But a decision to have a lemonade ice block on the way out there, made me! I was back on top of it all and ready to face the day - at 3pm! Got stuck into a few beers, laxed out in the sun and had a good bbq dinner and had a great afternoon!

Other highlight was this brilliant painting that Jo and Paul got from a friend of their's. It's 9 separate square paintings and together in the 3 by 3 square they tell a story. Not sure what it is totally, but the paint has their wedding vows on it, and other stuff. Two of the squares come off, and under one all the names of the wedding guests in painted. Anyway, Jem and I were given one of the square paintings each, and it has "True friends leave footprints on your heart" painted on it. So when people see their painting, they might ask "where are the other two panels?" and They'll say, "my two bridesmaids have them." Cool eh! Such a memorable and lovely gift.

So yeah, sorry for the long long story of the weekend! But it was a truly awesome day, and couldn't have gone better. Before I was thinking, my god it's so weird Jo's getting married, but it was so perfect seeing them marrying each other and having such a happy day!

I'll post some photos sometime soon when I can connect my laptop to internet.

The job...

2005-12-06T21:53:00.000+13:00

is going good. There are 6 of us starting in the same position, and have been training together. We are in a classroom type place, and learning the products and systems we need to know to help customers on the phones. We have the rest of this week training, then we're on the phones for a few weeks, then more training. So much to learn, and to tell the truth, I don't have much confidence in myself that I can do it. All of us training though get on really well. Me and two of the girls have a good laugh most days, and generally end up giggling for ages! Last week especially. This is all down to the other girl training, who is 18 years old. We've decided that she was just nervous about being young, and less experienced (she's been working at McDonalds for 2 years), with les work-place appropriate social skills. We learnt just about everything about her, her boyfriend, upbring etc in the first 2 days, including that her mum is 36, her g-ma is 53, so she has already broken the trend of having a baby before 18. One day she randomly says "I need to find someone." We thought she was talking about in the company so we said look online, but then she says "I want to find my dad, see I've never met my real dad." The killer that had me in tears of laughter was after we were joking about asking customers if they are single? What colour eyes do you have..? etc. Our trainer Jo, says that some of the call centre staff have hooked up with each other, and there'd even been a wedding. Then this girl says, this one time at a MacDonalds party this guy hooked up with this girl, then he hooked up with another girl the same night, who was pregnant and then.... etc etc. I kind of lost what the story was cos I was laughing so much, as were the rest of us. Totally unrelated and inappropriate story to tell! Jo did so well, keeping a totally straight face, then saying "wow, that's crazy. I'd like to think our staff are more mature!" Very funny. Anyway, she has since quietened right down, not telling us any stories really, and actually doesn't talk much. I feel a bit bad, but really...!!

So yeah, all is going well. And I get 4 days at Xmas and 4 days at New Year off cos we aren't experienced enough to work of those times when there will be less staff to help us! Yay!

Hen's Night

2005-11-22T23:22:00.000+13:00

Here you see Jem and I looking a bit freaky with Jo on Saturday night as we celebrated her impending wedding. Unfortunately a lot of friends from out of town, but we had fun all the same! Went out for dinner with friends and fam. Jem and I organised a peg game, where everyone has 2 pegs and we weren't allowed to say "Jo", "Paul", "wedding" or "drink", if someone caught you out they took your peg. Ended up being well successful and rather hilarious as we tried not to say the taboo words. Then there was a 'Jo and Paul quiz'. Earlier in the week Jem and I had filmed Paul answering questions, then at dinner Jo had to guess what Paul would've answered. She did very well, and we gave her a nice tacky veil that we'd made (can't believe she looked lovely in it!), and terribly ugly white satin wedding heart bag, with pink fluffy handle to match her veil, a nice badge, camera and a number of tasks to complete in town during the night. All round it was a fun night and Jo seemed to enjoy it too, which was the objective!

This morning I sat out in the sun (though a bit overcast at times) for about an hour to try get a bit of colour before the wedding. Tonight I realised my back is bright red! One hour I tell you! Lesson: NZ has stronger sun than I remembered.

NEWS!!!

2005-11-16T11:11:00.000+13:00

Was about to blog, but then thought I would call ... cos still hadn't heard from them. But then the phone rang and it was TC. I got a job! As of 28th November I will be a sales and service consultant. Happy to have a job, but apprehensive about the potential of not liking it, or there being too much corporate shit, and targets etc... But then again I've never worked in that kind of atmosphere so I might just thrive!

The other side of it is that I won't be going to UK/Ireland in Feb-April as I first planned. I can't leave this job within 6 months really, and with Shaun and Ann's wedding in Feb 2007, I'd barely be over there long enough to get a job judging by the length of this job hunt! There are some pros... I will save more money, get more experience in a new thing AND people can come visit me here in NZ!! I might try do some English tutoring or something though cos I don't want to waste the money I spent on doing the CELTA course by forgetting everything I learnt.

On Monday I was driving along when I got stopped at a police check point. They just wanted to check over cars. The cop asked when my warrant of fitness was due, I looked and realised I was 10 days overdue! So I said "Oh this month, November." Then he asked what date. It was the 4th, so I decided to say the 14th. Then right when I said it I realised the date was the 14th! So he says, "Looks like you'll have something to do this afternoon then." I agreed, got my licence, rego and breath checked then drove straight to the garage to have the WOF done! I was lucky on a couple of points, one that he didn't lean in and check the due date himself, and also lucky the the date I decided to say was the actually date and not the day after or something silly! Cos really have no concept of dates these days, they all flow into one and the same. Hope that was my last encounter with the police for a while!

Yay!!

2005-11-11T13:14:00.000+13:00

My life involves little so this is very exciting news... There is a third and final part to Paullina Simons Russian novels! For those who don't know, 1st there was "The Bronze Horseman" then "Bridge to Holy Cross" and now there's "The Summer Garden". So looking forward to seeing how things turn out!! And that's what's exciting in my life.

Update...

2005-11-10T19:32:00.000+13:00

Today I went to Christchurch again. This time for testing at a recruitment agency on behalf of ..., the place I interviewed for last week. For two and a half hours I did tests for internet, alpha-numerical data entry, windows 2000, verbal reasoning (odd word out and 'swim is to fish as fly is to...?), numerical reasoning (2, 4, 6, 8... what's the next number, etc), and some other reasoning one with patterns - odd one out and what comes next. Then there was a personality type test to see what type of sales person I am (strongly agree, agree, in between....etc). Finally I had to write a letter to a customer. Phew, talk about whole lot of shit to do! Supposedly I passed with flying colours, and they will pass the information back to ... who'll decide the next step I guess... Watch this space!

P.S. It was 30 degrees when I left Christchurch! Bring on summer!!

Recently...

2005-11-06T23:45:00.000+13:00

Went to Dunedin to visit the few mates I still have down there. Had nice time catching up and hanging out with friends.
While I was walking along the main street in Dunedin talking to my mate Rachel, saw some birds on the footpath. Continued walking and talking, and next thing you know, I kicked a bird! My God, my heart was pounding - like who kicks a bird! The poor thing was bound to have died of shock or head injuries.
Arrived at a pub and saw a guy jumping a high gate, then saw a guy and cop running along. So assisted in their quest to catch a baddie! Or 3 it turned out they were looking for, not sure of the background to the chase.
Drove home on Saturday morning and got pulled up for speeding. My first speed ticket - 112km/h in 100km/h zone (state highway 1) = $80 fine. Just what an overspending, unemployed person needs!
Had some guy fawkes at my mates flat on Saturday. Highlight was her down on the lawn with her caving head lamp on lighting them, esp. when the grand finale of the "red devil". It went off big, then fell over, and shot into the hedge making it glow with live embers! Twas quite amusing!
Still haven't heard back about my job interview. Probably hear something tomorrow.
Can you believe I kicked a bird!?

Still not the full Kiwi!

2005-11-02T23:09:00.000+13:00

Twice in the past two days (as in once each day) I have been commented to about my accent. Yesterday by a chick who was our neighbour when I was a kid and probably haven't seen for 10 years. She goes, "your voice is different!"

Today at the job interview, I didn't even think I'd said much and one of the guys said, "Right, first question. Where are you from? I detect a bit of an accent."

Both times I say my standard response - I've just come back from two years in Japan and I had few NZ friends! I hung out with British and Americans mostly. Then they respond - Ah that's right, I hear a slight British accent.

Crazy, I keep thinking I must be back to normal cos no one mentions it, then a stranger goes and surprises me!

Interviews

2005-11-02T22:57:00.000+13:00

Today I went to Christchurch for my first interview! Two months I've been home, and applied for so many jobs, and finally an interview. It was for ...- a NZ telecommunication company The job is a call centre 'sales and service consultant' position. The interview went alright I guess... they were very laid back, and I smiled a lot and said what I thought they'd want to hear! I will find out how I got on on Friday I think.

After that interview, I went to a recruitment agency for an interview and testing. It was pretty full on with a visual accuracy, grammar, spelling, and math test (all pretty easy). When I finished I went to go out of the room, and the door wouldn't open. I thought "my God, they've locked me in, how strange and wrong!" I sat back down, and thought maybe they were going to come back to get me. Then I started thinking there was a camera and this was some kind of test! After about 5 minutes, I decided to knock on the door, and I tried it again, but still no opening and no one coming. So I waited more, knocking sporadically, thinking how bad it is that they locked me in! Finally after another 10 minutes or so, I knocked louder, and the receptionist came. She said, were you just knocking? When I told her that the door wouldn't open, we realised that it was sticking really badly! Phew, glad they weren't so weird that they'd lock the door on a client! After that fiasco I did the standard typing, alpha-numerical, and numerical tests. After 4 hours of interviews I was done for the day and drove back home to Timaru. Will let you know how I get on.

A bit of Lee goss for Abra!

2005-10-30T22:08:00.000+13:00

Heard this on the radio the other morning:

Ex Blue member LEE RYAN is taking on rapper 50 CENT. Lee thinks that 50 "is not tough at all". Lee also said that he “meet up with 50 a while ago he's not really that tough. Not tough at all. They don't scare me. They want to come down my area then they'll see what rough really is."

Hmm, now I don't know what either 50 cent or Lee's upbringings were like, but didn't Lee grow up in Essex like our Mary!? And who is "they"? I thought 50 cent was one person...that Lee, ah bless'm!

Saturday

2005-10-30T00:40:00.000+13:00

It's 12.41am on Sunday morning. I am just home from town. And no, this isn't a drunk post. I didn't drink tonight. Don't even be shocked, or scoff or whatever - I can so go out without drinking and have a good night! It started with Jem and I visiting Tans, then we decided to go for an early dinner. Then I drove us over to Jem's to watch the netball (NZ won). She drank and Tans and I didn't. I was cracking up at everything, I think I had too much sugar in drinks and lollies. Jem straightened my hair which was a novelty, then at about 9.30pm we went to a sports pub to meet Phil (Jems bf). We listened to a band there, and went to the pokies and played a cheeky $2. I picked a machine, and the things were going around and but I asked a chick if anyone was on the machine, and she said nah, nah. So I sat down put my $2 in, and played a bit. Should've realised that when I had barely won anything, but it said $10 on it there was something strange! Then I did win some. So I collected, and then this guy came along, "Oh, hey! What happened to the auto play that was going?" And I looked blankly at him, then he went away! Oops, freaked me out cos it's definitely a major no no to steal people's machine! Oh well, I'm a novice, but I got a good $20 or so out of it. Then I put $2 in another machine, and I kept winning! When I got 3 pyramids I could choose 1 of 5 features to play and I kept winning, then I'd get 3 more pyramids! I was on fire! The machine even run out of $2s!! In the end I tore myself away and got $90!! I realised it was reward for not drinking! Not bad for a cheeky 2 in the machine! After I drove us down town, and we went to the Sail, stood round chatting, played the pokies around, but lost $10, discovered there is a complimentary coffee machine there too! So stoked as I dug into the coffee. I could hear my liver praising me! I so could've stayed out having a bit of a yarn and boogie, but Tans was ready for home, and as I was driving I couldn't well let her taxi home.

So yeah, good night. Even without the pokie win, would've been well happy with the night. As I wrote that story, I thought of Jo, cos I know Jo that you appreciate the detail and rambliness of my stories! But this was a good one eh!

I've been working!!

2005-10-27T15:01:00.000+13:00

But don't get excited - I've finished. For the last two days I and 3 others have been standing beside a turning thing that has 8 pottles in it. Honey pours into the pottles and as they come around filled, 3 of us screwed lids on they pottles and put them on trays while the other person put out more pottles on the turning thing! Oh the excitement that WINZ can give an unemployed person! But I shan't complain, I got a bit of money, and a pottle of honey (not the stuff we helped with). I'm also really sore on the sides of my back from leaning side to side, rather than turning around and bending forward!

I got rung up yesterday while I was at "work" by the recruitment agency in Chch, but by the time I got back to them they'd given a job to someone else. I was offered a job at Ballantynes (a quite flash department store) the other week for 6 weeks, but it wasn't doing anything I remotely wanted to do, and all I could think was, what if I get offered another job - so I didn't take it. Bit optimistic as I haven't really heard from any of the others!

I have just got a student loan statement from IRD, and they want $1100 NOW, because I haven't payment my minimum non-resident required payment this year. Pisses me off cos last year I paid way over what I was expected to pay. I can't be bothered arguing with them though, so I have just paid it online...Hope I get a job soon, cos funds are running low...! Also pissed off cos of all the interest that has gone on it in the past 4 years! Grr!

Last weekend was a long weekend - Labour Wkend. The best weather, and so far it has been sticking around with a balmy 24 degrees today! Yay. Had such a nice weekend though, Casey came down, so nice to see him. I decided we should have a bbq at Shaun and Ann's but turned out the weekend was double booked for other mates so it was just the 4 of us there!! Nice all the same! On Sunday had a bbq at Jemma's. Such a good night, sat round in the sun drinking and yarning. Then went it was getting cooler, her mum cranked out the brazier and we barbied sitting around the warmth of that! We even went into town for a few drinks at the pub! On Monday we went out for lunch, dining outside in the sun of course, then went down to the bay, wandered on the beach, then watched skateboarders and bmxers doing tricks on skate park. Was a lovely day too.

2005-10-18T16:07:00.000+13:00

This is Jo and Paul, who are getting married on December 3rd. Jem and I are their bridesmaids. Such a lovely couple!

2005-10-18T16:06:00.000+13:00

This is the paddling pool at the Bay. It used be surrounded by trees, but they must have done it up... Such a lovely place for kids I'm sure!

2005-10-18T16:05:00.000+13:00

This is the Caroline Bay Soundshell! A bit dead now, but during the Christmas Carnival its all happening! (Least it was a good 12 years ago when I last went to the carnival..!)

2005-10-18T16:03:00.000+13:00

Since I've been away, so much has been done to the Bay, and they've got it looking really beautiful. This is the Rose Garden, with the Piazza in the background. The Piazza is was few million to build with much public outcry! Personally, I think it is quite cool, and a nice feature! At the top is the iconic Hydro Grand Hotel, years old but I think it may get demolished one day...

2005-10-18T15:59:00.000+13:00

The roller skating rink! - where I spent my childhood, perfecting the talent!

2005-10-18T15:56:00.000+13:00

The lovely Caroline Bay!

2005-10-18T15:55:00.000+13:00

Went for a walk yesterday down around the bay... This is what I missed when in Japan! So nice to be on the coast again!

My place in the world...

2005-10-17T21:56:00.001+13:00

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Your personality type is SCUAN

You are social, calm, moderately organized, accommodating, and non-intellectual, and may prefer a city which matches those traits.

The largest representation of your personality type can be found in the these U.S. cities: Memphis, Reno, Orange County, Louisville, Oklahoma City, Milwaukee, W. Palm Beach, Providence, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Cincinnati, Nashville, Houston and these international countries/regions China, Netherlands, Croatia, Wales, Denmark, Australia, England, Taiwan, Belgium, Scotland, Turkey, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, Spain

What Places In The World Match Your Personality?
City Reviews at CityCulture.org

This is the full SCUAN write up...quite me I think!

SCUAN

spends more time in group activities than solitary activities, not easily hurt, does not like to do things alone, comes alive in night life activities and crowds, trusting, fits in most places, positive, more comfortable when things are imperfect, more artistic than articulate, does not like to go days without speaking to anyone, more abstract than logical, not self absorbed, not materialistic, self expressive, modest, not vain, likes change, not introspective, happiest when helping others, loyal to a fault, wild and crazy, acts without thinking or planning, thoughtful, happy doing mindless work, easy to persuade, socially comfortable, high energy level, rarely prepared, outgoing, self confident, level emotions, not interested in science, easy to get to know, fearless, content, positive, optimistic, not easily hurt, relaxed, usually happy, able to disregard rules, underachiever, likes to tell jokes, not embarrassed easily, adapts easily to new situations, interested in others

2005-10-14T16:26:00.000+13:00

Want to blog, because I'm so so bored...but don't want to blog cos I am so so bored! Talk about dilemmas! Definitely starting to be irritated about being unemployed. I haven't applied for much this week, but I also haven't heard from any that I have already applied for. That's the worst thing I think, I've applied for countless jobs, some with due dates two weeks ago, and I haven't heard anything. Argh, do they not realise that some people REALLY want to get a yay or nay so they can move on!!

Sorted out the dole, and that has made me wish I hadn't bothered. It was going to be worse cos my 'case manager' thought I'd have a big stand down cos I earnt lots in Japan. But it turned out that I could start getting it now. However, I am being put forward for any old random jobs that come in - hence I am may be labelling jars next week (though even they haven't got back to me!) for 8 days. While I am unemployed I also have to go to a "Work Track" course for TWO weeks! What sort of bullshit is that!? Arghhhh...!!! I so hope I hear from some job people soon before I commit myself!

What else... Oh our cat was put down last week. Poor ol' Socks was about 19 years old and tho happy purring away, sleeping and eating, it'd vomit all the time, so Mum took her to the vet and they said her kidneys were failing, so it was bye bye Socks. I told Mum we should get a dog, but that's not going to be happening! Think we are a no pet family for a while. Not bad tho to get to 23 and have only had 2 cats all that time. I have a mate whose family have had so many cats...!

Weather's nice today - thats a plus after such shitty, cold weather for ages. Hopefully it keeps up for the weekend cos I plan to be outside. K, rambling now, so it's over and out - bye!

For Jenny...

2005-10-11T22:27:00.000+13:00

to give her something to do for a few minutes of her day...

Nothing new to report, still unemployed. I went to Christchurch to talk to the recruitment agency on Wednesday. That went okay, did a word, excel and data entry test that went alright. I wish they had my mobile number cos the next day as I was wandering around shops Dad called and said the agency had called and there was a job that was going until December...by the time they got back to me after I left a message, the job was gone! Oh, the excitement of the trip was going to a Japanese restaurant and ordering miso ramen, and the guy only talked Japanese to me, and we just conversed in Japanese. He didn't even question if I could speak or understand Japanese! My pronunciation of miso ramen must be good! It was cool though! Then I realised I must look like some kind of Japan-obsessed person as I went to pull on my book to read - Haruki Murakami, pulled out my mobile with dangly keitai charms (only 3!), and as I walked down the street after I'd left I realised my bag was from Japan too! Oh well!

Anyway, since being back home from my night away I applied for a few more jobs, got contacted by another recruitment agency that my aunty had sent my CV to, got contacted by an agency where I applied for a job. The woman asked me some questions that I wasn't prepared for, so I'm sure I've buggered my chances up there! She asked how much I expect to earn (no idea - something decent!?), why would I be good for the job? It is primarily contact centre stuff, why would I be good for that?... Anyway, she's short-listing and will get back to me...not holding my breath of course! Heaps of other jobs I've applied for still haven't got back to me. Good sign or not?

On Thursday I have to go to have meeting with my "case worker" for the dole! Am a bit annoyed that it only gets back paid to when I applied for the seminar - if I'd known that I would've applied as soon as I got home!

No other news to report... Home and Away is exciting, as is NZ Idol - down to the last two now! Sorry Jenny, I think I've already told you most of what I just wrote! I might try for something different next blog to mix it up a bit..!

2005-10-02T22:51:00.000+13:00

Yeah, so my last blog was relatively incoherent and rambly, so you are all lucky that I decided not to write another one when I got home from town this morning - it was considered briefly! Was very lucky to have 2 fun nights out in Timaru - probably cos it was the first time in over a year! It was also the start of daylight saving, so at 2am it became 3am and the pubs closed. But when one end of town closes at the other end one bar is still open so we went there. When that closed after dancing around for a while, we walked to the petrol station for a drink (non-alcoholic) then walked home. As I crawled into bed it was 5.55am, but really it was 4.55am (making it seem so much better)! Fun times, but thats the end for a while, must be healthy now until Jo's wedding on December 3rd.

You know in Japan, how you go to the toilet in a bar or restaurant there is always a hook somewhere to hang your bag? Well, Timaru doesn't have that. I realised this weekend, and I miss that feature of a Japanese public toilet. Before we went into town last night, I put Jem and Tans through the torture of my favourite karaoke songs on my ipod. Not all but there was definitely Whitney, Disney and Kylie & Jason! They loved it all deep down! Then when we were at Bar Xcel (I know, cool name), the last bar we were dancing, and they played Tori's "Pour Some Sugar on Me", then "I love Rock n' Roll" - I almost thought they had our Shidax Karaoke CD!

There were a couple of Japanese related jobs in the Christchurch paper this weekend, I don't think I quite have the fluency they are looking for, but I think I'll apply. The other jobs I've applied for recently were all due about now, so I'll be getting responses from them this week I presume...good or bad! And I call WINZ (Work and Income NZ) last week to apply for the dole, and have to go to seminar before they will give it to me! So gutted, and such a waste of time cos it's not like I'm sitting around and planning on living on my dole cheque! So it will be a fun couple of hours on Tuesday...! Thats all for my life update for now...

Whoa/// a blog just published and I wanst ready to publish

2005-10-01T03:02:00.000+12:00

...how weird..! so the blog below is actually written ath e same time as this, so should really come at thei start of thins... if youi get what I mean...

So we went into town, and it was pretty cool so some people and it was weird ro see people who wer emy oldest brithers year at school but I'd never seen them oout before I went to Japna. The WEIRDEST thing I swa was this family friends kid who claims to be 18, but I don't think I've seen him since he was like 7! So scary, as the only thing I remember of him is when I was at his sisters birthday party when I wa young and after dinner he picks up his plate and knife nad fork and start s walkong towrds the kitchen . His mum saiys wat are you doiing , and he says I'm taking my plkate to the kitchen." He had to be told that you don't have to do that in a restaurant! - anyway, I'm definitely feeling a tad old!

We to a few other bars, and we ended up seeing our mate Jo's brother out, who had to caom back from Aussie to like cos of a bad injury... Cracked me up that he only got backt o town at 6.30pm but was already out! Was cool to talk to him cos when I was yiounger at high school and he ws a couple of years older than us, I was fully intimidated by him! But its good what a few drinks and a few years can do!

Ok I think I have honestly rambled enough, and I should go to bed. I apoligive for the mistakes in writing this I have made But I have barely looked up at the screen the whole time and I have had a fe w few drinks so really I shoudlnt have even bothered realyy eh!

Oh weell... oyasumi yo!

P.S. I just rememered something
Last year when I came home Jem introduced me like this " THis is Selene, she's from Japan..."
Tonight she said " This is Selene, she's just lived in Japan for two years."
I feel so special! nIGHT!

excuse me cos.

2005-10-01T02:57:00.000+12:00

I have been otuut drinking and I don't want ot turn on the light or correct errors so I wikl just lkeep typing while look ing as hard as I can at the keys...
so I ween tout drink ing with Jem tonight. we met her bf Phil and his mate Dan out. We had a few wines before we went into town, and we were talking about something at our mate Tans' place and I said it wa "super cool" - they all cracked up big time and were histerical about me saying that!? is that a weird thing to say or have I picked it up from someone some wehre?? Who knows!? bu ti didn't think it was so strange to say somthing was "super cool!"

Bullet points of late...

2005-09-19T19:34:00.000+12:00

Saturday was Election day - Closest election ever with Labour winning by 1.2% over National... so it still may change over the next couple of weeks with special votes still to come in.
Spent Election night with a few friends playing an Election drinking game that a radio station had made - rather amusing. And a good few hours of singstar! We rented the latest 'Pop' one, and was fun! Must learn not to be a singstar mic hog..!!
There has been a cold snap. Today there was substantial snow in Canterbury (Christchurch and surrounding areas), and was 0 degrees. Poor wee early lambies are dying.
Got my CV finished and my first official job application away. Will let you know how it gets on.
Think that's about it... Oh the excitement!

The latest...

2005-09-12T19:03:00.000+12:00

On Friday I went to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - was good. The ompaloopas are way cool, and do funky cool dances. Johnny Depp is pretty freaky looking, and has a creepy sarcasm about him - rather funny, so yeah it's ok.

Saturday I went out to a cafe/restaurant with friends and sat in the sun having a smoothie, then it got cold again. I went over to a friends with Ann (Shaun's fiance) and had a girls night. We made a couple of bowls of punch. It was rather nice, and only four of us ended up drinking it..! Then we went into town... Strange, and I spent most of the night just looking at people. It was same shit, different, younger people! It was fun hanging out with some friends and having a wee boogie with them. The biggy was seeing a kid I used to babysit, then I knew I am getting old..! Still managed to be out til 4.30!

Sunday I woke at 2.30, so with half the day done, I went for a drive with Ma and Pa, got an ice cream and visited their friend. Haruka, one of the homestay students Mum has, has the whole series of "Orange Days" - my favourite J-drama, so am super excited to watch that! I have already watched 7 episodes! Love that programme!

Today I started working on my CV, and the international director from my high school rang to talk to me, and next week wants me to go up to visit. I don't think its a job-op, but just to chat to the students and that sort of thing... but you never know...

And that is the life of me...

Life...

2005-09-07T22:29:00.000+12:00

Feel like I've done nothing, while still feeling busy... I have gone through all the boxes that have arrived. Funny the things I've been surprised or 'natsukashii' to see, despite it only being 6-9 weeks since I packed it away. Some of my Hagi-yaki broke unfortunately, but otherwise all is here. I don't have anywhere to put it all though. I emptied 3 of 6 boxes, and the rest is going to have to go away somewhere... wish I had a definite fixed room/house that I could unpack properly into. Other than that, I have been and sorted out my bank stuff, looked for a car, visited Grandma and semi-sorted out my room.

Since arriving home, there have been a few things that have got me confused a little! One, is the old shoes in the house thing. I'm fine when there is just one person around where shoes inside, but as soon as I'm in a room of people and they're all wearing shoes, I'm so close to saying "what are you all doing!?" Then I remember that it's ok here! The other night (and a couple of times since), I went to the fridge looking for some water. I looked, then I said to Mum, "have we got any water?" As they laughed, I remembered that we drink the tap water here! Oops! Thankfully I haven't been throwing my toilet paper into the bin beside the loo!

I still feel a bit of a fish out of water in some ways, but I know once I get serious about job hunting (or start at all), and get a job I'll feel more settled.

Today, Tomorrow, Timaru...

2005-09-04T17:53:00.000+12:00

Tadaima! Got home yesterday. Spent a night in Bangkok staying with Mum and Dad's old homestay girl's family. Was lovely and they spoilt Paul and I rotten and kept feeding us. Even drove Paul out to the airport on Thursday night and me out on Friday afternoon. The airport was crazy on Thursday night, so it was quick, sad goodbyes to Paul. On Friday, however, it was really quiet! Ou's (the homestay chick) family loved Paul, kept going on about him on Friday. "Paul is a very nice man." "Paul is a handsome man." Paul very enjoys to eat food!" It was rather funny!

The flight wasn't too bad, watched some movies, barely slept and had too much time to think. Of course, worked myself into a minor freak out about not finding a job, leaving Japan and everyone I have been with for the past 2 years!

So I arrived home yesterday, Mum and Casey came to pick me up at the airport and I was so tired, my eyes were stinging with tiredness. Got back to Timaru about 3pm, and decided to go thru the boxes that had arrived, so now I have a huge mess of stuff I don't know what I want to do with..!

Went to Jem's to watch the rugby with Jo, Paul and Tans, was very cool to see them, and hagn out. We spent a good couple of hours playing on Playstation "Singstar" karaoke. So cool, you can do battles where two people sing together and you get points for singing the right notes and all that! so funny! It was almost like being in a karaoke box again! Tans only has two disc though, but I hear there is a 3rd one out so I might have to purchase it one day! I was super tired after the rugby, so I didn't even go into town, but went home to bed.

Bought a new cellphone today. Got a nice motorola with photos and video, so I will try texting people in the UK soon. Other than that, I don't know what I'm going to do with myself. Am minorly concerned about the job front...will have to start looking into that soon I guess. Oh, it's cold. I have a sore throat coldy thing starting already. The air is dry so that might be why my throat is that way actually... It's definitely not too winterish though, so spring is definitely on its way!

K, better go, Shaun's gf (fiance) family are coming over for dinner.

In Chaing Mai

2005-08-30T23:30:00.000+12:00

Heya, made it through CELTA! Yay! Very exciting to finish and have passed... Got our provisional results today (real ones come in a few months), and I got a PASS. Once it was clear that the guy who was late with most (all?) assignments, didn't do a lesson plan for one lesson and was general so laid back that he could've been horizontal, was going to pass, I knew there was no chance of failing! I'm really glad I did the course, especially in Thailand. I have learnt so much in such a little time, and it was especially good to get really busy straight after Japan - I might even be more prepared to find a job now..!! Though. I still can't imagine being a real English teacher... oh scary!

Paul and I went out for drinks and dinner with my uncle on Thursday... our meal alone cost more than we spent together on food in the 4 weeks! Was yummy. On Friday we went out with the course people, was fun and nice to have a few drinks. I seem to have lost the desire to get really drunk, but in the end it snuck up on me. Those red bulls really kick in. We went to Nana Disco (not as in your grandmother, but as in an area of Bangkok.) it was interesting to say the least... Jan and I were the only gaijin women in the place, and Paul, Brett and Craig were the only guys under 40, didn't have beer bellys or balding! We danced around for a bit. Mocked and laughed hysterically at this guy who was THE worst dancer ever! He gyrated, thrusted, jumped, clapped, shimmied and more...quite a sight!

Got the night train up here on Sunday evening, then yesterday wandered around temples and the town. Its a lovely small city, that has a real holiday laid-back feel to it. Today we went on a Thai cooking course at a lovely wee farm where they grow all the produce for it. We made red curry paste, red curry, chicken and cashew nuts, papaya salad, pad thai, and coconut sticky rice with mango. All so yummy! Will have to make it all when I get home!

We head back to Bangkok tomorrow night, then we are hanging out/ being looked after and run around by a homestay student of my parents' Mum. We will take Paul to the airport then I will stay the night before flying out Friday! Crazy shit man! Not a day goes by when Paul or I don't either say "I can't believe we've finished CELTA!" or "I can't believe I'm going home in ~ days!"

So very nearly finished!

2005-08-25T15:42:00.000+12:00

YAY YAY YAY!!! Finished my last teaching practice yesterday, and my last assignment! So today and tomorrow are so very carefree that it's as if I've already finished! My last teaching practice, was a new approach - Test Teach Test (T.T.T. - different from TTT - Teacher Talk Time), anyway, I also had a CELTA course assessor watching, adn in general the lesson didn't go well! It wasn't terrible in that I felt sick and panicked that it wasn't working the whole 55 minutes. But it just wasn't working, and I kept realising what I shouldve done, after I hadn't done it! But I didn't care too much, cos I was FINISHED!!

Went out for yummy Japanese dinner and celebratory karaoke after! The karaoke place, although having lots of English songs lacked a lot of the old time karaoke classics, and we may have ODed with 3 hours...2 may have been enough!

I dreamed about lesson planning last night. I had the perfect warmer, and activities for during the lesson, but couldnt think of a good follow-up/freer practice! I was thinking that I'd have to ask Paul for some ideas, but then I woke up and realised I was just dreaming!

Will blog more about the course and stuff tomorrow. Tonight I'm going to meet my uncle whose here on business... yay for company credit cards, and uncles who can take some of my luggage back to NZ!

The weekend...

2005-08-22T22:10:00.000+12:00

In a rare un-CELTA related blog I will tell you about the weekend.

Went to Ayuthaya on Saturday with Jan, Brett and Brett. Jan is a NZ Jet in Hokkaido, and the Bretts are also JETs from America. The day started really early at 6.30am, and it was nice to get out of the city for a bit. We went around the historical sites there, great weather and not too much time at each place, nor too rushed. The funniest thing of the day was at the old palace ruins site, and as Jan and I were walking along talking about temples in Japan, I said how there is a penis temple in Yamaguchi. She goes, "what!? Say that again you pronounce it weird." So I said "penis" and she laughed again, so I said, "how do you say it?" she goes, "pianist"!! Oh God it was funny! We were falling over ourselves laughing, and ended up looking well obnoxious as we were just going up the stairs to see the buddha in the temple. In our fit of hysterical laughter, we realised on the way back down that we were meant to have taken our shoes off. So not only were we loud and rude, but also didn't respect the no shoes rule! Oops, but honestly FUNNY!

We came back by river cruise, it was so nice. Sat out in the sun the whole way and got a little burn even. So nice not to be cooped up inside studying or out in fumey Bangkok air.

Went out drinking that night, first to Gullivers. Played some fooz ball, pool and drank lots of Red Bull vodkas. Yum yum. The funniest thing - Paul in his drunken state getting totally pissed off at Gullivers, declaring that he will never drink there again. Not only did the person he was allocated to play pool against start before he got there (something that would not be done in England), but they also turned the soccer game 30 seconds before the end!! One minute Pauls happily swaying/dancing in front of the TV screen, and next he's storming across the bar to the counter! Maybe it's an ignorant girls point of view not to think it was a big deal. But poor Paul, went on about it for so long, then the first thing he said in the morning was "I'm never going to Gullivers again"!

After leaving there, Jan, Paul and I went over to Koh San Rd, thinking there would be a nightclub open to go dancing. But there wasnt. Things were winding down, and only the odd bar open. So we got a drink. Jan and I got Mai Tais...they were the weirdest drink ever. Tasted so sweet and horrid, and were so so potent. We both only finished half, and when we got up realised we were both off our faces! So weird. So we all sat in the gutter and had some Pad Thai. Was very yummy. This dodgy 45+ year old Italian even tried to get me to go home to his hotel for the night cos he was alone... I said no, and ignored him. Then he asked if it was because I don't like Italian guys. I said no it wasn't that, I've met some nice Italians before, but I really wasn't interested. Then he left. How lovely to know you can be sitting in the gutter of Koh Sang Rd and get picked up...

So yeah, fun weekend of doing no work! Was meant to on Sunday, but was too tired and when I tried I fell asleep so gave up! Today had my second last lesson. Wednesday is my last. So will indeed be having a few drinks that night. My uncle is in Bangkok for work so am going to meet up with him (and his company credit card..!!) sometime. We're also trying to work out what we want to do for next week... Yay, 4 days left (and 2 of them I'll have no work left to hand in or lessons to teach!) then it's holiday time again!! Yay yay yay!

Overdue update - on the home straight!

2005-08-17T23:33:00.000+12:00

Thought I'd better blog, cos people seem to think I've disappeared! And others are just bored..!

We are now in the second half of the third week. Yay, can smell the end of this course...nearly. I have two more teaching practices - 2 55 minute ones. An assignment due tomorrow, and another next week. By next Thursday, I'll be all done with assessment!! Yay! The course hasn't been entirely bad thus far (of course I change me opinion before the end). Have met nice, interesting, decent people, have learnt some stuff, have recalled some stuff from my university memory banks (a definite plus!), and haven't bombed too miserably at anything. So yeah, it's ok. So can't wait for it to be over all the same though. Looking forward to having a stress-free drink and not be thinking about the work that has to be done the next day or whenever. Am going to that historical place Anaythaya..(so not the name but the real one does have those letters in it) on Saturday with a few from the course (Jan and Brett). Will be nice to get out of the city but want to get most of my planning done for next week before. I also have a stuffy nose/coldy thing. I blame the air-cons everywhere and pollution. But I have been entertaining Paul with my Abra-influenced hypercondriactivity! (that so isn't a word is it..!?) So yeah. Funny and games, and generally all is cool.

Got to get back to this assignment.

Made it through a week of CELTA!!!!

2005-08-05T22:17:00.000+12:00

Unbelievable! I feel like I've here so very long, but only a week! I feel so happy to be over with Friday, but I have so much to do in the weekend... Oh well, I'll keep smiling at least for a couple of hours!

So my lesson on Wednesday, I thought bombed. It was meant to be 35mins. and I was finished at 25mins, and had nothing to do. So the surly instructor said we would stop and the next guy continue his part. I sat through Corey's class feeling sick and miserable abotu how bad the lesson had been. Then to my surprise, he didn't tear strips off me in our feedback. Apart from the obvious it was good - "strong to standard" in fact.

Today I had to do a 'guided discovery;' lesson. I had to teach students a grammar point by giving them a reading and a sheet of questions to do that would guide them to discover the correct usage of the grammar - for 50 mins!! I was rather worried, and I of course know shit about grammar. I tried to research the particular point. But in class when students ask me something I so struggled to give a concise answer about why it was one way not the other etc! But anyway, I felt really good about the lesson in general. I generally didn't feel to nervy, and felt pretty relaxed. In feedback he pointed out the obvious things again, and I got "above standard for this stage of the course"!! Surprised I tell you! But he wrote "Relax!" on my form! The first word he wrote when watching me was that! I told him, I felt relaxed! So tell me folks, do I have a nervous disposition? Cos obviously I seem nervous even when I'm not feeling nervous!

Right I'm going, I don't know where Paul is, but seems strange that he's still in his class doing feedback. Think we're going to go out for a drink or two with classmates. Even might get crazy tomorrow and watch a DVD!! Yip we're livin' it up here in Bangkok!

2 days down...

2005-08-02T23:01:00.000+12:00

can't be bothered saynig much more. tired, going to go home and do some more work. tomorrow I teach, for 35mins, ALONE!!! Crazy the things they make us do!!

1 day down...

2005-08-01T22:43:00.000+12:00

not too bad...think I get the instructor guys style so can grin and bear him. teaching wasn't too bad. Got told I should relax but I was so much more relaxed than I could have been. Damn Japan - I speak like a gimp to the students - slow and leave out words = unnatural!

On the whole it wasn't totally bad.

19 days to go.

pre-day one of CELTA

2005-08-01T02:52:00.000+12:00

and already I feel the stress rising, and I wish I'd never decided to do it! We had an orientation today, the people in my class generally seem nice. 6 of 9 have come from Japan. Tomorrow we have out first teaching, and I ended up with the worst section of 15 mins! Our instructor is an arrogant arse and I know will continue to be so, but thankful he's only half of the team and the other guy seems nice enough.

Thankfully when Paul isn't stressing too, which just makes me stress more, we can have a few laughs. That boy continually can think of is stomach and what our next meal should be - even after gorging on salad bar, and a big meal!! Very amusing!!

My brother Shaun and his girlfriend Ann are engaged too. That is very lovely news. But for now its back to the books. Bye!

5 minutes

2005-07-31T16:43:00.000+12:00

before the internet time runs out. Have been doing not much. Went to the weekend market yesterday. Was big and lots of stuff. Went to the night market in Silom the night before, thare place had heaps of cool stuff - and the added bonus of being asked if we want go to a sex show or pingpong ball show! Last night we went to the movies, we didn't know what was showing and ended up going to a rather bad movie - so not worth the 250 yen it cost!

Paul has gone to the hairdresser to get himself tidy for course. We have orientation today, and starts tomorrow... arghh hope it's not too painful..!!

One Night (and many more) in Bangkok!

2005-07-29T04:17:00.000+12:00

Paul and I have made it to Bangkok. Wednesday was emotional of course, burst into tears at the BOE, which was really embarrassing. Then at the station was fine til the shinkansen was coming and the byes had to start. Once aboard I cried for a bit, but thankfully Paul kept me chatting away about pointless shit and it subsided.

At the airport we had 60 kgs between us - we were allowed 40, so the woman said I could take my suitcase on as hand luggage - don't get why that makes it different..? Leaving Japan was fine cos this guy leaving Oita-ken after 3 years kept talking and talking!! We were so tired but had to talk to him til Korea! Then leaving Korea, and Paul was asleep, I had time to ponder the fact I was leaving, and got sad and emotional again! But not for too long.

Since being here however, it doesn't feel like we've left Japan for good. Today we probably ventured at most 100 metres from the hotel cos we are right in the middle of everything!!! So exciting after coming from the Guch to EVERYTHING!!!

Have to start making myselkf intelligent from tomorrow - especially in the field of English Grammar...good luck to me!

I'm outy

2005-07-27T11:45:00.000+12:00

Before I pack up my laptop, thought I'd write one final Asa blog. My supervisor is coming in 15 minutes, then going to the Post Office, the office then the station. I'm going to try remember Abra's words that crying is a sign of weakness... though I'm sure it won't help!

As dead tired cos stayed up cleaning til late after I got home from Nitanda. Then I decided I wasn't tired so I stayed up later. Not helping now, but sure it'll send me to sleep on the plane.

Righto then, it's been a pleasure blogging from Japan. I will keep up the Bangkok edition, and then stories of home! I'll try do exciting things to keep you JETs amused over the long office times!

BYEEEE!!!

Life is crazy these days..!!

2005-07-25T00:57:00.000+12:00

Am going to try and keep this as brief as possible, cos have to get some sleep...

Wednesday night had my office farewell party. It was heaps of fun, the old 2nd-in-charge who used to say "Ret's take Runchi" every lunch time I was there came, so that was amusing as always. My supervisor and I taught my last lesson in Japan, which was also hilarious. They had to say "I come from space" in English, and when someone said it correctly, my supervisor said, "Well that's almost right, but the correct answer is a little different" Then, I, being the AET of course, had to say it while hitting my throat so my voice sounded alienish!! Everyone cracked up, and we all laughed! How amusing!!

Thursday, I went to Nagashi Somen with Louise, Masako, Yuka and Megumi. It was lovely, with a refreshingly cool waterfall flowing down from the mountain. After some Puri-kura together it was home to pack and clean for a bit. Josh came down from Nagato way to have a few drinks at the beer garden. After a year we finally got together to hang out!! It was really great, and did make me wish we'd made more of an effort during the year to see each other. We ended up drinking quite a lot, and at about 4.45am decided we really should stop talking and get some sleep! The next day I couldn't quite decide if I was hungover... I packed and sorted most of the day, and came to the conclusion I was! Had 4 more boxes shipped home - total now is 6 boxes, one suitcase. I'll definitely have one more to send too..!

Friday evening, Louise, Jo, Osamu, Jimmy, Paul and I drank and ate at Nitanda. Much fun, and we were privileged to see the final magic trick in Osamu's reportoir (sp!?). After we went back to my place and waited for Jo's mate Sim, and his friend Eri to show up. Once they arrived we went to do some hanabi. After I realised I was going to kill us if I did it, I took a spectator's seat suitably far back! After a while Jimmy and I left so I could sort out my apartment for the guests, and Jimmy could watch! By the time the others came home I was in bed, and I think we were all in bed by 3am.

Saturday, began the weekend farewell-fest with Osamu. Went for sushi in Shimonoseki, then Paul, Louise and I got the bus to Fukuoka. Was hoping to go gift shopping for J-friends, but only ended up getting things for myself! A huge number of 18 people showed up for my and Jo's Last Time in Concert night out in Fukuoka! We had a rowdy butcherish dinner at an izakaya before going to the Happy Cock. Great fun, drinking, dancing, laughing, photo-taking, hot guy-spotting, bicep-grabbing fun (which Laura of course took way too far, and couldn't control herself!!). It was such a nice end to the many Fukuoka nights out Jo and I have had over the past 2 years! We even got to sing and dance to our song again - "One Love"!! People got drunk to varying levels, and filtered off to bed bit by bit. In the end I left a very drunk Paul in the hands of Gillian and Selena (he insisted, despite being sleepy, that he didn't want to leave), and went back to my capsule. After a while I had a call from Paul, with him saying the girls were trying to take him the wrong way, and they weren't taking him back to the hotel! I insisted they were, and hung up. After emailing drunken rambling emails with Josh (surprise turn-up for a while at the Cock bar), it was almost 5am when I got to sleep. Then awake to farewell Laura, back to sleep, then up to get to the 11.20 bus. After farewelling Lee and Chris we headed to Mos Burger. When Paul turned up, looking well battered, he asked when I went home, and why he didn't come!!!??? Got to Shimonoseki, had sushi with Paul, Gillian, Selena, Jenny, Jimmy, Rei, Gerard and his mate, Kana. Last salmon and cheese was BRILLIANT!! Hung out at Jo's for a while before had to have goodbyes with Jo, Gillian and Selena :( Got back to Asa, and had sad goodbyes with Jimmy and Jenny :( Hung out with Gerard, went for Puri-kura with him and Louise, then Gerard and I had dinner at Chinese Pizza place. He had his fix with the chahan that he is fixated with!!? Rei came back to Asa and ate, we hung out again, before they both had to head on there ways :( So now I'm tired, and drained from the goodbyes. I suck at them, and they aren't nice. But of course they aren't really goodbyes... just see ya laters!!

Phew, and that's up to now. 3 more sleeps, and so so so so so much shit to sort out in my apartment!!

Happy Birthday Blog!

2005-07-19T20:07:00.000+12:00

Yip, it's been a whole year that I have been bloggin' for! It seems like I've been doing it for ages... To think if it weren't for Abra and her "Abra in Exile" (which incidently could also have been read as "A Brain Exile") and the desire for us all to keep in touch, it would never have started! Who would've thought it'd end up being such a craze in the Guch!?

Had a busy weekend of course. Though Friday night I had a much needed night at home by myself, and watched "Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu". It was very cool. Saturday was Tori's farewell. It was lots of fun, just hanging out at home, then the beer garden (dodgy) and karaoke. Sunday we had sad goodbyes at the station. Yes, I cried. But it's not my fault I don't like seeing people sad and saying goodbye to people!! Glad you got home safely Tori!

Sunday when I got home, I went to a farewell bbq at the Kimura's with Louise and other J-friends, and friends of the Kimura's. It was such a nice night. One of the guys there, I met at the wedding I went to in Nov, 2003. He went to London not long after to study at Vidal Sassoon. He didn't speak English then, and now it's really good. So Louise and I spent most of the night chatting with him and another mate who I have met a few times. This guy is hilarious. Lies about most things, looks like Kim Jong El (or however it's spelt), and generally just talks shit in his limited English. His talk always ends up in the gutter, and you learn things you don't want to know!! It was a great night, and I will miss my Asa friends very much, they've been so good to me over the 2 years.

All my nights are full for the rest of my time here (except for Sunday and Tuesday). Tomorrow is my office party. I went to the office today, and my supervisor and I are doing an English lesson at it! It's going to be so funny! I will tell you all about it tomorrow or Thursday.

I bombed..!!

2005-07-14T01:36:00.000+12:00

I tried not to cry at English Club, but I did. I did keep it to an absolute minimum and just let some tears out! But it was justified, cos the students and teacher were so sweet. The two san-nen-sei guys had also written letters to me, which they read out. I will share them with you, I'm sure they wouldn't mind..!

"Dear せりーぬ
When I heard you would leave this school, I was surprised and shocked. The time I talked with you was very fun. For example, we talked about English Club's game, our favorite music and novels, and studies. You also taught me English. When I took part in Speech Contest you looked over my manuscript. I owe my loving English to you. I owe you a lot. Instead of words of cheer. I send you Mr. Children's rylics translated by me.
"Fun is not accompanied by a smile, but a smile is accompanied by fun""

And the other one is:
"To Ceriene (should've taught them how to spell my name!)
Although I would like to talk with you more time, the time has come. Now I try to write this letter without my dictionary. Of course this is not because of neglecting but trying. So, I hope you not mind my losing word skill. I am studying it everyday.

I dreams of working abroad, in my future. That made me study hard. Though I dislike or hate studying, especially English come to me with happy feelings. I think, English is one of the element of my dream. So, I don't feel tired at studying English.

I like English very very bury much! I also like Ceriene very very struuvery much!!! If I go to Cristcherch, I want to go to your country. And if the place is low price, I want to buy! You looks happy every week...sometimes sleepy. When I see you, I want to talk to you. What I can assure you is that I don't forget you. I miss you Ceriene."

So lovely eh, then the teacher said the loveliest things to me, about me which didn't help the emotions..! They also gave me some nice wee gifts. Oh, it was just all very nice, and made me sad that I am all done there now. I have also found of late that when ever someone says "Ogenki de" to me, I get choked up..! Not good, cos it's been getting said frequently!

2005-07-13T15:45:00.000+12:00

I had a thought yesterday (one of many of course). When am I ever going to be able to pay for something for someone, and then have enough money in the bank or wherever to forget that they haven't paid you back!? That's what happened. Amazingly, Paul remembered that he hadn't paid me back the 4 man for our flight. That's like over NZ$500, and I just forgot about it! So never going to happen again. In a few months I'll be saying to friends "You owe me $5" or some lesser or pathetic amount!!

Last night I went out for dinner to the place I went to a couple of months ago. The place where the woman was all excited and kept giving me gifts. She gave me more gifts last night, smaller ones thankful. It was funny again, she'd come in while we were eating this amazingly beautiful Japanese dinner, and kept bring more sashimi, tsukemono, and sushi. She chatter away, then go, then come back..!

Last night however, her husband got in on the act after we were discussing Yamaguchi-ben. He came in and started rambling away in Okayama-ben. Of course I had no idea what he was saying! Then we chatted, and he was crazy and kept telling jokes that I didn't get! I finally got one, when Kyoko said we lived in Asa - "Hirudemo, Yorudemo, Itsudemo Asa!!" (In the daytime, night time, anytime, it's Asa) haha, yeah heard it before! But they cracked up when I laughed cos I finally got a joke. Then we had to go outside to do photos, in every possible 3 person set. It was lovely, they are a lovely couple and I will go back there one day when I visit Japan. They wrote their names and phone number on a set of hens they gave me!

Today I'm at Ube High, last day. They are having a party for me after school at English Club... I am not going to get sad and cry or anything ridiculous - I refuse to!

And finally, this time in two weeks I will be about to board the flight to Thailand. Argh, so much to do, so little time!

Leavers' Weekend

2005-07-12T01:10:00.000+12:00

Friday = Went to kencho with fellow Prefectural leavers. Yamane gave us our travel dosh. Very nice amount was received. I have since worked out that it is paying for my trip via Bangkok home, my CELTA course, my accommodation for the month, with some to spare! Nice! After that, Laura, Jenny, Paul, Jamie, Aaron and I met Jo, Yukari, Tom, Neal, and Kat in Tokuyama for Red Lantern Yaki-tori - yum yum! We continued drinking at the new and uber-cool Suzy Wong's. Such a funky wee place, it makes you feel like you aren't even in lil ol' Guch! As Jimmy says, "You can't go Wong!" After that we met up with Keith, visiting for the Leavers' Party, and Jimmy at Shidax. Nomihodai was ordered - the plan originally was "no hodai tonight", but with the night cranking along so well we couldn't not! So 2 and a half hours of drinking and karaoke later, all the favourites sung once or twice, I have to say I got a bit sad watching and listening to everyone sing their favourite songs, knowing there weren't going to be many other karaoke nights together. We finally made it home to bed after 3.30am!

Woken at 8am-ish on Saturday. Slept again til 10.30ish, then the phone rang, and we knew that it was work time. Everyone in varying degrees of tiredness, and hungoverness it wasn't a entirely happy day! But work indeed had to be done, it was like Santa's Workshop - Zen Zens in the making, CD putting togethering, T-Shirt printing - it was all go. We were hoping for a nap, but time went fast, before we knew it it was time to head to Kenko Park for part one of Leavers' Party.

We ate and drunk, chatted and bantered. All jolly good fun. At one stage Laura removed herself from company to concentrate on drinking as it wasn't happening as fast as it should be with talking at the same time! When we tried to see if Neal could fit a glass in his mouth, Jenny freaked out "Oh my God, don't do that, he won't be able to breathe, and it'll create a vacuum, and he'll explode!" She honestly looked like she might have cried with fear! So we thought (Eleanor and I) we should prove that it wouldn't happen by having Neal sit, and Jenny put her fist in his mouth, while Eleanor and I block his facial orifices (nose and ears!)!! Ah the hilarity, well except when Jenny pulled her fist out, and I thought I saw food matter stuck to it and started dry retching!!

On to Suzy Wong's for the Zenny Awards. I came away the proud and surprised winner of "Person most likely to be last to leave the bar"! Very proud moment, thanks for voting for me everyone!

Then final stop was Tiki-Ta for the party! It was very fun, lots of dancing and general craziness! I decided to stop drinking when began to get headachy and tired. Stuck to the water like a sensible drinker does. Honestly though, if I hadn't have gotten that damn award, I would've been home in bed by 12!! But I stuck it out, and was part of the last crowd to leave at 3am-ish! Couldn't let myself and everyone down on award night after all!

- Photos to follow -

Follow Your Dreams...

2005-07-07T02:42:00.000+12:00

At school today the 2-nen-sei students wrote their "essays" about what they want to be. This is one guys:

I want to be a revolutionist.
I want to play a revolution.
I like Lenin.
This is Lenin quote:
It is true that liberty is precious - so precious that it must be rationed.

Hmmmm!!! I was well surprised! I had to help him with the word revolutionist, but he already had the other parts, so I looked it up in the dictionary to confirm that it is in fact a revolutionist that he wants to become. That he even knew that quote and wrote it out with correct spelling and everything baffles me. Then I heard him telling his friend that he doesn't understand what the quote means! Cracked me up!!

Suck it in Selene!

2005-07-06T02:10:00.000+12:00

Have reached new lows...

Today I went for my final haircut at the salon in Kokura that I have been going to for the past 2 years. The cut appears to be fine, the highlights didn't take to my hair as well as I would have liked. But I did have a brilliant head massage, a lovely scented hand massage, and talked to 2 of the woman trainer/staff people lots, and had interesting conversation with my hair guy - Ikenaga-san! I tried to ask him if anything has ever gone really wrong while cuttign someone hair. But I didn't say it right, so he told me indepth about the troublesome things about cutting hair! I understood not much of it!! But flicky ends are tricky!

Anyway, once he'd successfully fluffed up my hair in the fashion he seems to like, I paid and said my farewells. He said "Ogenki de" and I said that I was sorry if things were a bit taihen at times! Thanked him and walked away. As I walked towards the esculator, I started to get choked up, and tears started coming to my eyes!! I was honestly going to go to the bathroom and have a cry, but then I thought, "Selene, stop being pathetic - it's the hairdressers!" So I sucked it up and carried on! Oh My God though, how stupid is that, getting emotional at the hairdressers!! Ah the things to come...

Had great sushi with Jo afterwards though!

Things are getting crazy...!!

2005-07-05T13:37:00.000+12:00

I'm tired today. Last night I was tired but I couldn't sleep, not because of worrying this time, but just general thinking! It was 3am before I finally went to sleep, kicking myself cos I knew I had to get up at 7.15am! Anyway, I'm done here at 12.20, then I'm going to Kokura for my last hair cut with my hairdresser, and the lovely head massaging staff there! Yay!

The weekend was super fun! Friday night saw Louise and I re-done our Police man outfits! Man, they are cool! Jess was salaryman/police, Erin made a rather realistic boy, and Nate and Osamu were women, and off we went to the Philipino Transvestite bar Tonga in Ube! So fun! We saw a scary/amusing/strange cabaret show upon arrival, then there was karaoke. We did party songs with a couple of the girls. Such hits as Love Shack, YMCA, Bye Bye Bye! We were of fire! And of course the girls couldn't get enough of Osamu and Nate - I think they'd say they got too much!!

Saturday was Yukata party. Great fun, good to see everyone cos it seemed like ages since I'd seen some peops! We ate, drank and generally all had a merry time in our Yukata and Jimbei! At the izakaya, we drank and Laura, Kat, Seth, Jenny, and others... (weren't there others...!?) played a few drinking games, joined by some J-guys on occasion! Then to karaoke (of course with puri-kura first!), Tori, Laura, John, Bruce, Lee, Paul and I headed for a room and sang our little hearts out. People didn't appreciate my Whitney unfortunately, but they just don't know a good song when they hear it!!

Sunday it was still pissing down torrentially, so we made a Hokka Tei dash, ate, then went to Hofy for 'War of the Worlds'. Cool movie, had me jumping, and arm spasms in my usual manner when I watch a movie with scary surprises! We got out, and thankfully the trains that had be cancelled all day, were starting so I was home by 6pm not like poor ol' Paul..!

On other news, I am starting to find it near impossible to fit people in to hang out with and catch up with.. ! It's a bit worrying cos I don't want to miss out seeing anyone. Having the weekends full is also difficult, cos J-friends keep asking to meet on them, and its not going to happen! This Thursday one friend is even going to come after work, stay, then go to work from my place on Friday just so we can catch up!! Desperate times a-coming!!

I have 3 last days at schools this week. Yesterday the annoying teacher said goodbye and all the best and all that, and I actually felt a bit (just a little bit mind!) choked up! Plenty more ahead though..! Great...!

oops!

2005-06-29T14:35:00.000+12:00

I slept in this morning. My alarm went off at about 7am, and I do recall pressing the snooze button often. Usually I would jump up after a few times of doing this, but I was dreaming. I don't recall what I was doing in my dream that involved needing to turn off a buzzing thing, but I do know why I kept sleeping and dreaming. I was going out, and couldn't decide what to wear! How pathetic is that! Honestly though, I was having such a mare trying to decide what to wear, and nothing was working right..! So I kept trying to find something, and people were saying we had to go... then I must have woke up for some reason, and it was 8.10am. The bus I had to get to school was at 7.49am! So, it wasn't the usual, "SHIT!!!" and running around like mad, then charging out the door, just gettign to the bus or train on time (it's happened 2 or 3 times). I well and truly missed it!

So I called the office, but my supervisor wasn't there yet. I called her keitai, and told her my predicament. She must have just been getting into town, cos she was there in 5 minutes and took me to school! All ended up rather well, cos there is a bitch of a hill to walk up, and in this heat I end up a sweaty mess before I'm even started the day!

It's the Tuesday night special...

2005-06-29T01:34:00.000+12:00

Another damn cockroach! This better not be becoming a Tuesday night feature in my apartment cos I can't take it much longer! I Hate Them So Much!! Tonight's gokiburi showed it's ugly head during eikaiwa - nice time for a cockroach to show up!

- - - - - PAUSE IN STORY - - - - - -
The cockroach just showed up again, and I freaked as I do... This one climbs the walls. I tried to hit it with a newspaper but it got away. So now I am doubly paranoid cos I don't know where it went...
- - - - - BACK TO STORY - - - - - - -

- - - - - PAUSE IN STORY - - - - - -
Just as I was about to get back to my story, the little shithead ran by me! I jumped, and thought it had gone again, but I saw it sitting there like a sitting duck (or cockroach if you will). So I grabbed the newspaper I had at my ready, and bashed it. It ran, but I was right on target this time. I bashed, and I bashed it! And killed the little f#%ker!!! Yeah! That's showing it who's boss!!
- - - - - - BACK TO STORY - - - - - -

The guys were not phased at all, while I was freaking out! I set up more traps, 3 to be exact! I discovered that I have some wee packets of meat and vege smelly things to entice it in, and some wee stickers that are furry so they can get into the trap easier! Such ingenuity! But as I've said, I went for corporal punishment this time!

Honestly I hate Japanese summer. I made pikelets with the eikaiwa-ers tonight. They were rather flat - flatter than they are when made in NZ. I blame the humidity. I whipped the cream for them - and it WOULD NOT thicken! Have you ever known cream to not whip!? I tell you its this damn weather! Bring on NZ winter I say! Right, I'm going to bed as I can now sleep easier knowing this cockroach is toast!

On other news...

2005-06-29T01:00:00.000+12:00

I'm boycotting my Post Office. I went in the other day to post a card to NZ. It was square-shaped. The anal postie, sized it up, ee tou-ed and took it out to show the other guy. Then he came back and said it was too small to post. a letter at its minimum has to be 14cm by 9cm! Oh for Christsake! I'd usually be fine about this, except for the fact that I had received the exact same-sized card from Paul for my birthday from Shuto-cho. So I made no hesitation to tell the man this. I was blunt, cold and as abrasive as I can be in Japanese! He said that "actually" Shuto-cho P.O shouldn't have sent it. I just grunted, and stood there with a pissed off face on me while he processed my other thing. Then he had the audacity to write down the correct measurements on a piece of paper for me to take with me!! I tell you I wasn't happy! I'm actually surprised, being so anal, that they didn't send the card from Paul back to Shuto-cho because it was too small!

Anyway, so yes I am boycotting the Asa P.O. I will send my letters by buying stamps from a machine, or from a P.O agent, or I will post things in other towns. The only time I will go into the post office will be to use the ATM, or when sending boxes to NZ. That will show them!

Life update!

2005-06-24T14:29:00.000+12:00

Today the postie is coming to take two boxes and a suitcase, and send them off to NZ. With 5 weeks to go, that's about as organised as I get. You wouldn't be able to tell that anything is gone really...my walls are barer, and I guess some of my shelves are too, but it's obvious I still have a long way to go!

When I went to get my 3nd last pay on Tuesday, my supervisor and I did discuss packing up my place, when my sobetsukai will be (20th July), and sorted when newspaper will stop. We even decided the exact time I will leave Asa! Oh God!

On the Thailand front, I'm pretty organised... Flight there is booked, accommodation is booked, flight home is booked. Just have to pay for all of the above, and the course, read the pre-course stuff and get there I think..!

Since the returners conference I've gone through stages of emotions about leaving/what I'm going to do after Jet/etc etc. Right now, even though there is less than 5 weeks to go, I kind of feel like I've got ages, and all these last parties/visits to schools/times to see people are not really that at all. I'm sure in a few days or so I will be freaking out again...!

Today I am doing my self-introduction! Yay! Everytime I am going to do it recently I get really pissed off thinking why the fuck! But once I've got to class, the kids end up being really cool and I'm happy to be doing it. Today I spoke for are 15 minutes, then they just kept asking questions for the next 30 mins! Best question of the day was 'Are you married to one of the All Blacks?'...one could only wish!! Oh and another goody was 'What's your job?' - obviously that student is as confused about my role as I am sometimes!!

get ya Pirate name here me maties!!

2005-06-24T00:46:00.000+12:00

if you're going to be a pirate on Saturday at Angela's party, you should find out your pirate name!!
Yes I do have too much time on my hands!

I am:
Mad Anne Rackham
Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!

you can get your pirate name at: http://www.fidius.org/quiz/pirate/

EEWWWWWWWWW!!

2005-06-22T01:57:00.000+12:00

I was writing a blog today that I had to put on hold for class, now I have something much more important to say, so I will post the other later.

I came home from Louise's tonight to a COCKROACH!!!!! EEWWW EEWWW EEWWW! I freaked out obviously, and scared the little f#*ker, so it dashed away, then I was trying to close doors to lock it in, and it dashed into my room!! MY ROOM where I sleep on the floor!! ARGH! So then I dashed around trying to get traps set up, and was shaking in a panic to get them down. I set one, but I think in the meantime it skittered away into the kitchen again... so I was preparing another trap, and I saw the little shithead in the middle of my kitchen. In a moment of panicked-cockroach-fearing angst, I threw the trap at it, I guess hoping it would be curious to go inside and get stuck to the floor. But no, it ran!

Needless to say the dirty, little critter is still at large, and I'm freaking out that it is in my bedroom, or for that matter just the fact it's in my house still!! Eww eww eww, how can I go to sleep with that here?

I took the rubbish out (it happens to be rubbish day), I saw that its a full moon. I blame that! Also today just along from the bus stop near the school I was at, there was this Huge Motherf#%ker of a frog! Honestly, I shit you not, it was bigger than my hand, like honestly, no exaggeration! It was also dead, so it was there when I came back to the bus stop later, obviously more cooked in the days heat than before. It was the freakiest, more unnatural thing I've ever seen - I think that was also because of the full moon. I hate Japan sometimes...!

P.S. excuse my language in this entry, but I really don't like cockroaches, or any yucky critters and bugs.

ETA: I checked the trap before going to bed at midnight, and the little sucker was in there! I was able to sleep soundly knowing I wasn't going to get crawled on by a gokiburi!

eww its hot!

2005-06-20T18:35:00.000+12:00

might as well start this post moaning about the heat. Its so icky and hot! On one hand I'm happy there has been little rain, but its so hot. I thought I was used to it, cos I can't remember it feeling this bad last year, but its so icky! I can't be bothered doing anything, and I get home from biking anywhere to only feel icky again! argh!

Anyway, with that out of the way, I had a lovely weekend. Watched "Motorcycle Diaries" on Friday night with Louise, it was a really good movie. Saturday I went for lunch with two teacher/office staff friends, that was also lovely. After that, I bused down to Fukuoka for Gillian's birthday. Had a fun night out at the Happy Cock, though I have decided I don't like that there is only one Cock now. Cos if you want a change of scenery you have to pay money to get into another bar. Least before with two Cocks, you could flit between both of them with the same party pass...! Hahaha that whole bit sounds funny! Anyway, yeah good night, dancing, drinking - everyone was well behaved even!

On Sunday, I came back to Asa and Louise and I went to visit the new baby, with Asa friends. Hina-chan is so so cute! I can't believe how much she has changed in the last 3 weeks! Its sad that I'll only get to see her until she is about 2 months old. After coming back home I watched Alias...6 episodes in fact. That is so bad, but that show is so good I couldn't help myself!

Today I did self introductions. I tried to ask the teacher if on my last two days of that school, if I could not teach 1 nen sei, since I barely know them anyway, but she said it has to be even... In the end though, the two classes were really genki and nice, so I wouldn't mind seeing them again.

Right, I have to try clean this hovel of an apartment. It's such a mess! I am in a few minds of thought. 1. It's too hot to clean so I don't 2. I am trying to get sorted and pack, so why bother putting stuff away! and 3. Its gross, cockroaches might come (not that I leave food or dishes around), and eikaiwa people can't see this mess..! So I go with 3, and I have to clean!

2005-06-14T01:54:00.000+12:00

Approaching our first Palace on "being Cultural day" We arrived in Seoul City quite late on Thursday night. It was 12am by the time we found the Guest House. Not quite what we were expecting, and it has to be said they have a GREAT webpage designer! But it was fine - very basic, cheap with a shit shower, but manageable for 4 nights! It was straight to bed though to prepare for the next day of culture!!

2005-06-14T01:50:00.000+12:00

Jo and Laura posing at the biggest Palace we went to - the name may be something like Chungbokgung Palace... It was pretty cool. I loved the colours and the painting of the arches and eaves. Pity it was raining the whole time we were palace-ing.

2005-06-14T01:47:00.000+12:00

After palace-ing, and wandering, having non-Japanese yaki niku for lunch, we went to Outback Steakhouse for over 4 hours from 5pm. We read magazines, drank a lot of beer, and eventually ate...look at Jo's happy happy Jacket Potato-loving face!!

2005-06-14T01:45:00.000+12:00

In Insadong, we wandered down a street with lots of traditional Korean goods, paint brushes and arty things. We met up with my friend, Naomi from Uni which was cool. Laura was groped just as we met Naomi, but as you can see she recovered from the trauma!

2005-06-14T01:41:00.000+12:00

After going for drinks and dinner at Gecko's Garden, we went to Polly's Kettle which was up Hooker's Hill!? The shady underbelly of Seoul! It was a fun place, really cheap, sweet drinks, music, and very young looking US Army guys. After that we went to Gecko's Terrace for some expensive drinks. There were lots of Army guys there too, but as soon as 1am clicked over, they were off home to bed before the Military Police were on their arses!

2005-06-14T01:35:00.000+12:00

Laura and I decided to play pool against some local gaijin. Then we decided to make her the most important player on the waiting list board...then we decided to take a photo op with the trophy that was in the bar! Ahh, such funny people we are when we're drunk!!

2005-06-14T01:32:00.000+12:00

Laura being "interested" in the taxi driver! Yeah, whatever! She wanted him!!

2005-06-14T01:27:00.000+12:00

This is the dog that I befriended at the conbini! It was so so cute, and we hung out for a while choosing my chocolate bar. We decided to get a toblerone I think! Honestly, it was so cute! I was sad to have to give it back to the shop man, but I think he thought I was going to take it!

2005-06-14T01:25:00.001+12:00

the story behind the bridge

2005-06-14T01:25:00.000+12:00

The Bridge of Freedom

2005-06-14T01:23:00.000+12:00

Laura, Jo and Austin the guide heading to the 3rd tunnel place. We walked down over 300 metres, then walked along the 3rd tunnel that the South Koreans found, until the safety gate (I think about 200metres long). We were 75 metres underground. The tunnel was tall enough that I only had to bend a little, and it was cold and wet - definitely not as scary as Vietnam's little tunnels! No photos were allowed

2005-06-14T01:20:00.000+12:00

No photos were allowed to be taken in front of this line. It was so hazy there was no point taking a photo from behind the line either! We needed the binoculars to see the North Korean flag on their side and the South Korean one on their side.

2005-06-14T01:18:00.000+12:00

First stop in Hiroshima for my birthday celebrations - Beer Garden!! Yay!!

2005-06-14T01:16:00.000+12:00

You know the birthday has been a success when friends do an impromptu dress up!

2005-06-14T01:14:00.000+12:00

The chicks and the swan...!

busy busy busy!

2005-06-09T03:57:00.000+12:00

Such a long and busy day! Before I knew it it was 10.30pm, and was still making a worksheet and stuff for lessons tomorrow where the lesson plan said, "make a speech about New Zealand"...ah thanks! So I am going to talk about schools, then they have to do translate some vocab to English, and find those words in a word find. How fun! Thought I was finished, went to bed and watched an Alias. Finished that, only to remember I hadn't check train times for tomorrow or found out some English grammar thing for a teacher I promised. I've just done that and found out exactly why you have to say "the game ended just now" and not "the game has ended just now"! I know it can't be this, but the teacher wanted to know why, and of course I couldn't tell her a reason! I have since looked it up and found out why!

So I decided to quickly blog before going to bed for real! Tomorrow night Jo, Laura and I are jetting off to Seoul for the weekend! I'm really looking forward to it, and I can't even hint at what we are doing cos until Monday we still didn't even know where we were staying! But that at least is sorted! The best I can give you is there will be eating, drinking, shopping, walking, looking! You will all be informed on Monday! Have a good weekend!

The OC

2005-06-08T14:54:00.000+12:00

First I was Luke...but now I'm:

You scored as Jimmy. You are somewhat of an endearing clown. You are likeable but not well respected because you sacrifice internal skill development (personal competence) in being too externally preoccupied and people pleasing. You will go farther by pursuing and developing internal interests than being preoccupied with keeping people happy.

What OC character are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

Weekend and freakin' out again!

2005-06-07T19:06:00.000+12:00

Had a great weekend, starting on Friday night, I went and saw Yuka, and the new baby - Hina-chan at the Womans' Clinic. So tiny, and cute! She also has so so much silky hair!

On Saturday, I got the train up to Hagi for the BBQ. Crap weather had us back at Rosie and Dan's which I think turned out better anyway! Nice to have the comforts of a house (i.e. toilet, kitchen..) while being able to sit, play and have general banter outside! Lots of drinking, eating, chatting and catching up with people. On Sunday, Paul and I were meant to go to Tsuwano, but after checking the train times from Gerard's it seemed that we'd get there at about the time we thought we'd like to leave at! So plan aborted, we went to a potter's place to buy some Hagi-yaki. The guy had shitloads of awesome bits and pieces. A lot was is his trademark "Seigan (his name) Blue. We ended up buying lots, so went away happy!

We met Tori and Rick in Hagi and went for okonomiyaki before going home. I don't think the okonomiyaki place had ever had so many foreigners thru in one day, with Jamie, John, Tom and Bruce there before us, then as we finished Lauren, Ellen and Dan arrived! After lunch, we waited around for buses and trains to go home. Hagi lovely place - shit to get to and from with public transport!

So, to follow the same lines as Tori's blog (isn't funny that you can have similar thoughts about a blog at the same time!), I have started having my bedtime anxieties again! Last night I turned the light out at 11.30pm, then started thinking about packing and luggage! I already have a suitcase to send, and 2 boxes packed, so I really don't wait to have to send too much more. But I started thinking about how there are still shoes, and clothes that won't be going to Thailand, stuff lying around the apartment still...! I thought about what I would have to take to Thailand, and if it will be overweight. Whether I will be able to carry it all...a pack, a rolly travel bag/suitcasey thing, my laptop, and books for the course...! So then I got up. It must have been about 12.30am. I sat in the kitchen, and started writing a list of things that had to go, and how it had to be sorted- home/Bangkok/throwout! Then I started going through my shoes, and sorted them into those groups! In the end I went back to bed at 1.45am, and went straight to sleep! I tell you, I'll do my head in soon!

I also had my last day at one of my schools yesterday. It was weird, cos I still have about 5-6 weeks of school, but I've finished there. It wasn't so different to usual. I hung out with some 3 nen sei boys at lunchtime while they tried to talk about random shit!? Oh a 2 nen sei guy showed us his breakdancing - very very cool! He could do a back flip, and that spinning on his side/back/shoulders for ages! The class also gave me wee message cards which was lovely!

This week...

2005-06-03T02:31:00.000+12:00

I really have to go to bed, but thought I'd write a quick update of the week. I'm so tired, because I haven't caught up on my all-nighter on Sunday, and keep having long days and late nights!

On Tuesday I had 1st and 6th periods. The worst possible scheduling of classes! After work I went to Shimonoseki for sushi with Jo. I went to Uniqlo first and got a zipped hoodie for 190yen!! Such a steal! As I went for the bus to Karato, I was accosted by Mormons! The only reason I slowed and said hi was cos I thought the blonde guy might have been Jo's 'acquaintance from the week before! Should've noticed the bike helmet sooner! So much like Jo's experience the next day, he proceeded to ask about my religion, and what I knew about the Book of Mormon! I said I was Anglican but not church going...he asked what Anglican is all about. I had to tell him, that I really didn't know cos as I said, I'm not church going! At the end, he asked what my name was, so I told him, and he said "I'm Elder Turnbull". I don't know why I did it, but I replied, "well, nice to meet you Turnbull!" Felt like a right dick then, but I knew his name isn't Elder, so what else was I to call him!! Anyway, got to sushi and the salmon cheese was so so good we had to have 3 plates each! AND it got better with every plate! Great night for sushi!

Wednesday, birthday day. Birthdays in Japan are weird. The day feels like any other day unless people at work know it's your birthday! I left the house at 7.15am, the lovely teacher knew it was my birthday and said happy birthday, which was nice. Had three lessons, then English Club. The teacher had a meeting but said to wait for her and we'd go back to Onoda together. English club were preparing for culture festival, so it was incredibly boring. Then the captain stayed and kept talking. I was getting annoyed cos I had plans to meet Louise and Mrs K for dinner at Nitanda. It annoyed me that the teacher hadn't even considered that on my birthday I might have plans, and leaving school at 7.10pm would be a bitch!! So I got back to Asa at 7.45pm, irritated cos I knew people would have called me and I wasn't home to talk, tired and went straight to dinner. That was lovely though, we ate lots! Oh and found out Asa friend Yuka had gone into labour, so my ongoing joke of the baby being born late, on my birthday was potential going to happen..! She had 4 hours to get Hina-chan out!! I got home to 6 messages, though three were from Jem and Tans! They crack me up! My brother also left a message,and he cracked me up just cos he sounded weird and serious..!?

Today I went to elementary school and did cooking with 3rd and 4th graders, played games, did some gardening and had a minging lunch! Was a really nice day, and sat with a wee guy Sean at lunch. His dad is Israeli, and he speaks English and Japanese. So we chatted away! Such a cute wee lad! Went up to Nagato after school with Kyoko (the teacher I was at school with), for a pretty uneventful look around (Nagato really is quite boring!). Then to Mine for dinner. Got a message at dinner from Yuka to say Hina-chan was born at 11.38pm last night!!! Yay she really did come on my birthday!! One week late! I'm so excited about it! Am going to visit tomorrow night after work! That kid is going to be one cool kid for sharing a birthday with me!!

Now I really must go to bed! So much for a quick, short catch up! Like that would ever happen in one of my blogs!!