...Got a job :D
Probably gonna start a new blog soon, but it wont be here since itll be a totally different subject and style. Way less emotional too - how crineworthingly 'open' was all that? Like Id tell all now about how kuh-ray-zee the last year has been since I returned - going back to college, work, 'That Movie', *cough* pregnancies *cough* and going Ape ;-), to name a few.
Tut tut...some things are private, man.
Newho, cheers for reading.
Take Care,
Nick
25 February 2010
24 February 2009
Never Forgetting/Forever Searching...
Im back.
After 13 Weeks and 1 day away, I once again flew the monumentally-boring journey back home.
There were a few things tempting me to leave towards the end, but ultimately it came down to homesickness. I really thought Id dealt with the homesick thoughts after the eighth week or so, but they all resurfaced in what became my last few days and I just didn't want to be there anymore.
I came to NZ with one goal in mind: to meet new people, try new things, and hopefully somewhere along the way stumble across a career direction. I may not have found that career inspiration, but I certainly had the time of my life looking.
Since leaving my last job in the UK, I had trouble deciding 100% on what I wanted to commit to and become passionate about, and hoped that maybe I would find 'it' by traveling outside the not-so-adventurous Midlands, and meeting a wider variety of people. And while I definitely met my fair share of interesting people, I never found that inspiration. Maybe if I had stayed a little longer, traveled a little further, things would have turned out a little different. I might not ever find my direction in life or work, but I swear I'll keep looking. For now I gotta find some work back home, and take things one step at a time.
So onto lighter stuff:
I wanted to surprise my Mom and Dad so I didn't say a word to anyone but Marc and Cress about coming home. After 36 hours of travel, and popping several sleeping pills which had the exact opposite effect, I stumbled up my parents driveway. Starving, I decided that my mums formerly inedible chips, suddenly became immensely appetizing. So I phoned her...
"Hi Mum, is only me. I was just thinking, Im really in the mood for some chips...could you stick some in the oven for me?"
She laughed - confused at my weird 'joke', before I suddenly opened the front door and stood infront of her in the hallway. In my 21.5 years on this Earth, I had never seen my mom completely gobsmacked, and literally speechless. As Patch bolted towards me and I made a huge fuss of her, my mum stood frozen before uttering 'Nick?!...' which caught my Dads ear and then he came out to see if he had heard right.
So after a few minutes of hugs and greets, and explaining what the hell I am doing there (and reassuring my mum 'Yes, I am real') my deaf dog Lucy in her forever-half-soaked way, returned to her bowl to scoff her face. Thankfully Patch didn't leave me alone all night - so at least one of them is loyal :)
From sleeping in the garden to battling bugs, from having my head brutally shaved to having my balls brutally checked, from dirty Te-Puke hostels to getting drugged in Taupo, from the British guys stealing my stuff to the German girls who were not shy to show me theirs *wink* - I have had the best few months of my life, that I will never forget. Im so grateful for the generosity from those in the UK before I left because without it I wouldn't have been able to experience half the things I have. Im especially grateful to Marc and Cress for putting me up/putting up with me - a favor I'll always return when I can. And Im really really grateful for my Mom and Dad for letting me move back in until I get a job - just when you thought I was long gone, I come stumbling back up the driveway late at night, demanding a plate of chips! I guess some things never change...
Forever wondering where the path leads,
Nick x
After 13 Weeks and 1 day away, I once again flew the monumentally-boring journey back home.
There were a few things tempting me to leave towards the end, but ultimately it came down to homesickness. I really thought Id dealt with the homesick thoughts after the eighth week or so, but they all resurfaced in what became my last few days and I just didn't want to be there anymore.
I came to NZ with one goal in mind: to meet new people, try new things, and hopefully somewhere along the way stumble across a career direction. I may not have found that career inspiration, but I certainly had the time of my life looking.
Since leaving my last job in the UK, I had trouble deciding 100% on what I wanted to commit to and become passionate about, and hoped that maybe I would find 'it' by traveling outside the not-so-adventurous Midlands, and meeting a wider variety of people. And while I definitely met my fair share of interesting people, I never found that inspiration. Maybe if I had stayed a little longer, traveled a little further, things would have turned out a little different. I might not ever find my direction in life or work, but I swear I'll keep looking. For now I gotta find some work back home, and take things one step at a time.
So onto lighter stuff:
I wanted to surprise my Mom and Dad so I didn't say a word to anyone but Marc and Cress about coming home. After 36 hours of travel, and popping several sleeping pills which had the exact opposite effect, I stumbled up my parents driveway. Starving, I decided that my mums formerly inedible chips, suddenly became immensely appetizing. So I phoned her...
"Hi Mum, is only me. I was just thinking, Im really in the mood for some chips...could you stick some in the oven for me?"
She laughed - confused at my weird 'joke', before I suddenly opened the front door and stood infront of her in the hallway. In my 21.5 years on this Earth, I had never seen my mom completely gobsmacked, and literally speechless. As Patch bolted towards me and I made a huge fuss of her, my mum stood frozen before uttering 'Nick?!...' which caught my Dads ear and then he came out to see if he had heard right.
So after a few minutes of hugs and greets, and explaining what the hell I am doing there (and reassuring my mum 'Yes, I am real') my deaf dog Lucy in her forever-half-soaked way, returned to her bowl to scoff her face. Thankfully Patch didn't leave me alone all night - so at least one of them is loyal :)
From sleeping in the garden to battling bugs, from having my head brutally shaved to having my balls brutally checked, from dirty Te-Puke hostels to getting drugged in Taupo, from the British guys stealing my stuff to the German girls who were not shy to show me theirs *wink* - I have had the best few months of my life, that I will never forget. Im so grateful for the generosity from those in the UK before I left because without it I wouldn't have been able to experience half the things I have. Im especially grateful to Marc and Cress for putting me up/putting up with me - a favor I'll always return when I can. And Im really really grateful for my Mom and Dad for letting me move back in until I get a job - just when you thought I was long gone, I come stumbling back up the driveway late at night, demanding a plate of chips! I guess some things never change...
Forever wondering where the path leads,
Nick x
 |
| From New Zealand 2009 |
09 February 2009
Shop Assistant
After failing miserably to find work in Taupo, I came back to Napier, interviewed at a couple of places and now have a job at a supermarket. The moneys good and its only a two minute walk from my backpackers and minutes from the rest of the town centre. Im working from 7am till 3pm (plenty of overtime available aswell) so I still get to catch some good hours in the sun. Although it will take time adjusting to a 6am get-up!
My hostel is letting me work there to pay for my accommodation, so im saving quite a few bucks. Its just $105 a week (instead of the usual $210) and any extra work I do brings that down dramatically. So far Ive been scaling ladders to clean hard to reach areas, wiping dead bugs off the ceiling and tops of lampshades, and changing the emergency water supply. Have got to clean a BBQ grill and repair a bench later - so just general handyman jobs that pass the time and save more money. Its definitely worth doing the extra work because the hostel is right on the coast, with the beach on my doorstep, and the town and work a couple of minutes walk away.
My shop job involves climbing ladders and stacking shelves and lots and lots of heavy lifting - which is what Ive been after (because its so different to the office work).
Its the first job interview Ive ever been for while unshaven and dressed in a short-sleeve shirt(no tie), brown shorts and sandals - and actually got it! Good luck trying that in the UK! They employ a much more common-sense approach to things here. Suppose I would have looked stupid in a suit with the 33 degree weather...
Since Ive been living off rice, coca pops (with no milk), muesli bars, buns, and baked beans, Ive had very little outgoings (because I nearly run out of money) and if I carry on with the cheap basic food I'll be saving quite alot of cash every month. Once the summer has past, if I have enough cash I could look to going somewhere else for awhile (my visa allows me to leave and re-enter as much as I like)but we will see. Im in no rush to leave this job. Taupo was ruthless for job seekers. Twas mandatory that you had previous experience for coffee shop work and couldnt get a job at a bar unless you know someone who works there. It was so busy I think nobody was interested in investing time training anybody. Still, had some great weather there and it was always lively with plenty of stories to tell, like the time my drink got spiked...
So I was sharing my room with this Dutch guy, Frank. On what was supposed to be my last night in Taupo, me and Frank hit my favorite bar. Afterward, we were supposed to meet this girl I knew in a bar near my backpackers. So, quite drunk at this point, we went to the bar and I distinctively remember Frank saying he needed my help approaching some girls. Being the awesome (sidekick?) friend I was, I helped him on the approach with the easy-but-sleazy opener "Haaaaave, you met Frank??" and introduced him, left him to it - everyone was happy. Only, that's all I remember. Because unlike every other generic drunk story where 'everything was just a blur', I don't actually remember a thing after that. Just black. Oh I had a vivid dream I was being violently sick. Only when I woke up, the half of my bed nearest my head, was covered in sick (literally covered, not a little pool or dribble). As were my clothes. And the toilet. Realizing I was in no state to travel 2 hours on a stuffy coach through the mountains, I stumbled to the reception and held in some more sick just long enough to check in for another day.
Frank woke me up a few hours later (more sick followed) and when I asked him what the hell happened he just laughed, took my facebook details, and then checked out. This freaked me out a little as he is, till this day, the only person who knows what happened. Did I hook up with the girl I was meeting? Did we get it on? Or did things get disastrous and I threw up on her? Or on someone else? How the hell did I get up 3 flights of stairs in whatever state I ended up in?
I know I didn't drink a fraction of what I did on New Years Eve so it wasn't the booze. Given the sheer memory loss of it all I think its safe to assume my drink got spiked, but its unclear why. I had my passport on me (for ID), my phone and wallet - and woke up with them buried underneath my sick-soaked shorts, so I wasn't mugged. My butt didn't hurt, so I prefer to believe I wasnt involved with a few of Taupos more flamboyant crew. I suppose I may have aggravated a jealous boyfriend of someone during my set-up approach for Frank, and I did leave my beer unattended. Ill never know, and I survived it all just fine so I suppose the only lesson I learnt was to never leave your pint alone in Taupo. Or trust Frank the Dutchman.
And there was me thinking Taupo was dull compared to Wellington. Then there was the time two Swedish blondes broke into my room late at night just to ask if I wanted to party. After a few seconds pause (convinced this was either the beginning of a really good dream, or one very cruel set-up) they locked themselves in my bathroom before I could answer (which was obviously 'YES!'). Judging by the smattering of white powder they left behind on my toilet, I think its safe to assume they had a whole different party on their own.
Crazy times indeed.
My hostel is letting me work there to pay for my accommodation, so im saving quite a few bucks. Its just $105 a week (instead of the usual $210) and any extra work I do brings that down dramatically. So far Ive been scaling ladders to clean hard to reach areas, wiping dead bugs off the ceiling and tops of lampshades, and changing the emergency water supply. Have got to clean a BBQ grill and repair a bench later - so just general handyman jobs that pass the time and save more money. Its definitely worth doing the extra work because the hostel is right on the coast, with the beach on my doorstep, and the town and work a couple of minutes walk away.
My shop job involves climbing ladders and stacking shelves and lots and lots of heavy lifting - which is what Ive been after (because its so different to the office work).
Its the first job interview Ive ever been for while unshaven and dressed in a short-sleeve shirt(no tie), brown shorts and sandals - and actually got it! Good luck trying that in the UK! They employ a much more common-sense approach to things here. Suppose I would have looked stupid in a suit with the 33 degree weather...
Since Ive been living off rice, coca pops (with no milk), muesli bars, buns, and baked beans, Ive had very little outgoings (because I nearly run out of money) and if I carry on with the cheap basic food I'll be saving quite alot of cash every month. Once the summer has past, if I have enough cash I could look to going somewhere else for awhile (my visa allows me to leave and re-enter as much as I like)but we will see. Im in no rush to leave this job. Taupo was ruthless for job seekers. Twas mandatory that you had previous experience for coffee shop work and couldnt get a job at a bar unless you know someone who works there. It was so busy I think nobody was interested in investing time training anybody. Still, had some great weather there and it was always lively with plenty of stories to tell, like the time my drink got spiked...
So I was sharing my room with this Dutch guy, Frank. On what was supposed to be my last night in Taupo, me and Frank hit my favorite bar. Afterward, we were supposed to meet this girl I knew in a bar near my backpackers. So, quite drunk at this point, we went to the bar and I distinctively remember Frank saying he needed my help approaching some girls. Being the awesome (sidekick?) friend I was, I helped him on the approach with the easy-but-sleazy opener "Haaaaave, you met Frank??" and introduced him, left him to it - everyone was happy. Only, that's all I remember. Because unlike every other generic drunk story where 'everything was just a blur', I don't actually remember a thing after that. Just black. Oh I had a vivid dream I was being violently sick. Only when I woke up, the half of my bed nearest my head, was covered in sick (literally covered, not a little pool or dribble). As were my clothes. And the toilet. Realizing I was in no state to travel 2 hours on a stuffy coach through the mountains, I stumbled to the reception and held in some more sick just long enough to check in for another day.
Frank woke me up a few hours later (more sick followed) and when I asked him what the hell happened he just laughed, took my facebook details, and then checked out. This freaked me out a little as he is, till this day, the only person who knows what happened. Did I hook up with the girl I was meeting? Did we get it on? Or did things get disastrous and I threw up on her? Or on someone else? How the hell did I get up 3 flights of stairs in whatever state I ended up in?
I know I didn't drink a fraction of what I did on New Years Eve so it wasn't the booze. Given the sheer memory loss of it all I think its safe to assume my drink got spiked, but its unclear why. I had my passport on me (for ID), my phone and wallet - and woke up with them buried underneath my sick-soaked shorts, so I wasn't mugged. My butt didn't hurt, so I prefer to believe I wasnt involved with a few of Taupos more flamboyant crew. I suppose I may have aggravated a jealous boyfriend of someone during my set-up approach for Frank, and I did leave my beer unattended. Ill never know, and I survived it all just fine so I suppose the only lesson I learnt was to never leave your pint alone in Taupo. Or trust Frank the Dutchman.
And there was me thinking Taupo was dull compared to Wellington. Then there was the time two Swedish blondes broke into my room late at night just to ask if I wanted to party. After a few seconds pause (convinced this was either the beginning of a really good dream, or one very cruel set-up) they locked themselves in my bathroom before I could answer (which was obviously 'YES!'). Judging by the smattering of white powder they left behind on my toilet, I think its safe to assume they had a whole different party on their own.
Crazy times indeed.
