Projects, projects [#10]
I've had a change of scenery over the last week. Cathie who I've been staying with showed some of my garden work to a friend and before I knew it I'd been poached and given a new list of projects! Val, who I was to be staying with just for a couple of days turned out to be a fascinating individual and we soon got on very well and had plenty to talk about. I'd found someone who was interested in my stories of hitchhiking, camping in the bush and mucking about on yachts. Val had endless tales of a legendary family history. Her grandad was one of the policeman in Australia who apprehended Ned Kelly, she herself had tramped all over NZ and the Himalayas, she'd worked as a journalist at Scott Base in the Antarctic, spent a solitary 6 months as a 'Fire Lookout' in a treehouse to spot for bush fires or poachers up in the central North Island as well as numerous other adventurous life enriching activities over the years.
Oh, the glorious English Summertime....is 12 thousand miles away!
The two days turned into a week as Cathie was housebound with flu and Val's jobs multiplied for me!
The most important of which was to create some steps and a path down the slippery steep garden which led to her stunning section of native bushland. I can say that I assessed the situation and I can verify that indeed there was a requirement for some steps (I slipped and skidded down the hill on my arse!) The finished work pictures will now be stored in my 'Projects' blog (click the link to the right, below my profile if you like, be careful it's quite a thrill).
It was an enjoyable week. It was also my birthday this week, always a time to look back and forwards.
I'm trying my best!
A significant event happened this week back home, my flat finally was sold. After 3 months of the simplest of sales moving at the standard glacial pace, I finally became officially homeless. I couldn't have sold it without the tireless help of my sister, Lou, who now I'm sure is suitably wound up by my solicitor's guiltless inactivity to unlease a hale of epithets and incisive condemnation as I intend to write and provide him with some helpful consumer feeback. Euch, well, 'tis done now.
On Sunday I went for my first NZ tramp with Val and her little dog, Kelly, since I was last in the country. We went to the gorgeous Belmont National Park just 15 minutes from Wellington.
Classic New Zealand Tree Ferns
Val and Kelly
I can say that Val (like Cathie) kept me very well fed with a constant supply of delicious homemade cakes. I'm pleased they find so much work for me - otherwise I'd be nearing 150 stone by now.
I've signed up with an online 'House-Sitting' organisation as an option for long term free accommodation until I find regular full time work. Tomorrow I'm off to see someone about house-sitting and looking after 2 cats for a month. I've also had another idea about accommodation. I'm thinking of buying a house-bus or similar (converting a horse lorry?) as another possibility. Well this is New Zealand, it's almost the norm!
No offers of a job yet, they all say they're impressed with my stuff (but not quite enough to give me forty thousand bucks a year). It's nice to have started earning some money though with my handiwork.
Contacts but no connections [#9]
The routine has become established now, I'm looking for work, I've had some interesting meetings and chats, I'm sending self-promo details off and I'm building more and more stuff for Cathie. This week I've been building garden furniture - I'll photograph it when it's done and I'll start putting pics of that sort of stuff in the 'Crafts' blog to save my main blog becoming full of random bits of carpentry! (See the links under my profile on the right hand side of this page).
But work is the main priority. Alegedly the completion date for my flat back in Berkshire is set for Friday 23 June (please God) so once that's sorted I'll have one less thing on my mind. I'm doing a bit of work this week in someones garden and if I can do bits and bobs until something better turns up I'll be happy. I tell myself that I didn't give everything up and fly across the world just to accept the first thing that comes along, I want to do something that is creative and meaningful. All in good time col. I'm wondering whether it might be best to do a course to upskill and make myself more attractive. (I know, I know - a significant challenge). I've been thinking that the natural progression from the illustrative visualisation stuff I've done over the last few years is to learn something like MicroStation or 3d Studio CAD packages. I'm checking how many people use them first.
I've submitted some samples for a potential job. The local council is commissioning a flood defence scheme and after the last public meeting people complained they couldn't visualise what was intended. I heard about it and after talking to the manager in charge he's interested in the possibilities of me doing the work. Fingers crossed everyone please. I've been encouraged how much consideration is made to the arts in Wellington, I saw the community arts adviser guy this week and he was really encouraging.
Me and Cathie went up to the turbine overlooking Wellington last weekend, it was stunning. This is the harbour and proceeds out to sea out to the right of the picture. The city is at the bottom of the hills. You can just about see the Hutt valley in the centre of the picture and I'm staying there in Lower Hutt at the moment.
This week however it's been getting pretty nippy, and down south they've had huge dumps of snow.
I've signed up to a House-Sitting web site having done lots in the past. It might be a chance to find free accommodation while I look for work. Yup, trying everything to make a life for myself here.
I've emailed the local cricket club about possibly joining. Although it's winter, some teams meet and play indoors. Obviously it does depend what level they set themselves, some are primarily drinking teams!
I was a bit annoyed this week, we've had two earthquakes since I've been here, neither of which I felt. One was at 4:01 am, I did wake up but thought I'd just woken up, don't know if it was the tremour. The other one occurred when I was in the garage with the skill saw. I had my ipod on under the ear defenders and I was wrapped up against the cold and dust so nothing penetrated my sensory mufflng! I'm still waiting.
Captain Cautious
3,2,1, Activate [#8]
This week things have moved forward a bit which is always the right direction.
Got my tax number, so I'm in the lovely position of being able to earn and pay tax :I
Because of this I was able to nip down the KiwiBank and open an account. Banks in NZ are diferent from the UK in that you don't have to do much more than sneeze in a bank and you'll some sort of fee charged against you. 50c for ATM withdrawals, 50c for cashing a cheque, some banks even charge you for *depositing* money! Not so with the KiwiBank, it's a low end style bank for the common man, and I am a common man.
One good thing though, all landline calls to Wellington/Lower and Upper Hutt are free so yes, swings and roundabouts I guess.
I've had some useful leads about finding work too.
Having gained full Residence because 'Graphic Artist' was on the Required Skills listing doesn't necessarily mean that I'm going to be chased down the street by beautiful young HR women waving contracts at me. I've seen some interesting stuff though and putting some artwork on the blog makes it easier to promote.
I submitted my CV to Weta today so early next week I should expect a phone call with a very nice offer!!! I wish.
I have been busy around Cathiie's place still.
I put a concrete path down around the compost heap (am I really putting this on the internet?) and I cut down a table and used it as the base for a potting table. It may not exactly be a Louis XIV piece of prized furniture (I used old pallets) but it's extremely solid. So if we ever get that 8 point 5 richter earthquake, Cathie's house won't be left standing but at least she'll have somewhere to pot on her plants!
There it is, look, just waiting for the French Polishers.
We've been having a guest - uninvited but he's been sharing our meals (well poor Dvorjak's actually). We noticed a little kitten was around recently and although he's completely feral (won't let anyone near him), he's pretty cheeky. He's a master of stealth and cunning. I was settling into bed the other day with my book and this little guy ran out from under my bed, dashed over to the door, realised it was shut and there was no way out, said 'bum' under his breath then scampered back under my bed looking rather foolish. I managed to catch him (or her) and he started purring after a bit but was still desperate to leave. He's been nicking the cat food but doesn't want to take part in other family affairs. He legs it whenever he's near a human. I'd love to keep him but I don't have my own place yet. I looked up how to domesticise feral kittens, part of the article read: ...'A soft baby brush is also a good way to relax and bond with the kitten. From the very beginning your presence, tenderness and touch is the most significant event in their lives.'
I think he's past that stage!
There he is, the little scamp!
Well that's about all for this week.
Slow [#7]
Two weeks in and progress is slow. Not surprising really, I'm trying to make a new life, find a job, somewhere to live and people to share my time with. I'm still waiting for my 'Welcome Pack' (UnWelcome Pack? !) from the NZIS and my tax number. I'm starting to apply for jobs, but cold calling is probably the most likely way of finding something as there aren't many advertised Graphic Artist jobs. The other slightly irritating thing is that I'd arranged to stay with some people on a longer term basis but that fell through this week so I'm stay on with Cathie (she's very kindly let me stay on thank God!)The snow is coming thick and strong down south and the ski season has started earlier than ever before. Maybe I could tart around on a snow board while I wait for my tax number.This week on the radio I heard that the population of NZ's south island has just topped the 1 million mark. They also mentioned that in the Province of Otago (same size as Belgium) will have it's first traffic light installed as early as 2008! I'm living in the 'city' of Lower Hutt at the moment - in New Zealand a town is classed as a city when it's population reaches 20 thousand. I've waited in queues longer than that!
Suspended 'Silver Fern Sphere' at Wellington Art Gallery
I'm experimenting with making some sandals out of kelp. Well, it's freely available, organic, tough as old boots (new sandals?) when dry and it feels kind of funky to make your own footware. My legendary 'carpet' slippers lasted me a decade at least. My first attempt failed though - I cut the kelp to size while fresh then dried it but the pieces shrank about 4 sizes. I'll get some more and dry it first, rub some linseed oil into it then cut it and assemble the sandals. I'll keep all you interested people informed about my kelp developments.
