On December 16th we will be moving out of temporary housing into our new apartment. Space may be a little tight, but who needs a bathroom when you have good views, right?
We will be lucky to enjoy views of some of Auckland's most famous landmarks. Skytower is the space needle looking building which is only a block away and we can also look out to the Auckland bridge which goes north out of the city. Our apartment is not well suited for those afraid of heights; being 24 floors up in a space that is 1/3 windows you are well aware of how high you are.
Best of all, Mat will be able to walk to work. We are right off of Queen Street which is the main street in the CBD (central business district). Queen Street is a busy area with lots of shops and cafes, but perhaps most importantly it is partially covered so that in the rainy season you can walk for blocks without getting wet. We are anticipating come NZ winter (Junish through August) this will be a major bonus since their winters are supposed to be very rainy and chilly.
We continue to anxiously await the arrival of our container which has all of our furniture and personal belongings in it. As we go on week number 6 living out of a suitcase, I cant tell you how comforting it will be when that sweet ship comes from America. Our container is supposed to land at Auckland's port on December 16th and then could take days or weeks to clear customs. Therefore, we will be living in the new place without anything for a little while. We are hoping for a Christmas miracle, it would be so nice to have a holiday with some stuff in our apartment!
I continue to find NZ is challenging to adapt to in ways that are difficult to quantify and explain. The nuances of the kiwi culture and the subtle day to day things that make me feel so far from home are starting to add up. In speaking with other Americans here in Auckland, I discovered that we are not alone. Nearly everyone we have talked to who moved here from the states gives us a knowing smile and uses a sympathetic tone when they say they understand.
Conversations with other Americans usually go like this:
"Ya- I know isn't it so weird?"... "Highly bizzare"..... "Christmas is not really Christmas, its a barbe on the beach"...... "Don't worry, you will get used to driving here".... "No, coffee is not really coffee"...."Nope, there is not shopping here, just forget it"...."If someone asks you to tea in the evening, they mean dinner".....you get the idea
Mat is in Manila for a week on business. He arrived safely despite the looming typhoon and yesterday called to tell me he experienced his first earthquake. No worries, he says business as usual went on and he is doing just fine.
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