Our Firsts in NZ Part Two

October 2006

(Note: If you haven't read my previous entries, I suggest you do so to have a better understanding of my rants and raves, mostly raves though, below.)

Our First Project Runway

Who says what you learned in school can't be used in real life? Well, I'll be the first to say, No-uh! It's about two weeks before Ronnel receives his pay and we were running low on finances. We were holding on to what's left of our pocket money and we had to make the most of what we have. That's why at our flat, we had a lot of improvised stuff--- we had an improvised tabo (please refer to previous entry, "My First Number Two" for full explanation), recycled containers and we shared a toothbrush case (just the container, not the toothbrush itself). We bought some basic items like a quality peeler, ladle, printer and a blender. But for someone like me who loves to cook and bake but hates cleaning up, an apron is an absolute necessity. So we scoured the whole city for a cheap apron and couldn't find any. All aprons cost $30 and above. I couldn't allow myself to spend that much money for an apron though so I had a brilliant idea. Why not make one myself? Ok, so I went back to my 6th grade memories of how to make an apron and I remembered it wasn't that hard. So Ronnel and I went to this textile shop and looked for the cheapest apron material. We found some loose cloth for sale and it was perfect, except for the color-- which was dung brown. But that's ok. I could live with that. And so on a Saturday afternoon, this cute couple, Einge & Nel, were down on the floor, cutting and sewing their first project runway special. Ronnel did the threadin while I did the sewing. When my hands hurt, Nel asked if I could show him the back stitch so he can continue my work. Alas! His back stitch was even straighter than mine. So after three straight hours of toiling, we had made my apron! And it only costs $10, plus I had extra cloth for pot holders and stuff. Nel even wanted me to make him a pair of trousers. Ok, now, let's not go overboard...

My First Office Party

At work, we have lots of tea(m) meetings. It's basically a meeting between teams but with food. I guess it's the same anywhere you go. Food is a great motivator. I remember in Standard Chartered when we had to work on Saturdays and Sundays, our boss then would let us get any food we like. I was the designated order-taker and I was practically the most frequent customer of Dominos. My colleagues and I would order lots and lots of pizza to last the whole day (we were at work usually from day till night) and I was a bit worried that it would cost a lot so I told my boss my concern. I remember her telling me not to worry about the cost coz this is nothing compared to the effort we exerted and for working night and day for this project. I looked at my colleagues then and realized that yeah, food is a great motivator. So back to my real topic. Last Friday was the birthday of one of my officemates in BNZ. We had a small gathering to celebrate her birthday. There was an abundance of wine, cheese, crackers and strawberries. It was the first time I drank champagne at 4 in the afternoon! But the ambience was enough to make me feel it was night time. The people were great. I suppose as anybody would be in a new environment, I still had to adjust. I have to practice my listening skills to understand what everybody was saying and I bet they had a hard time understanding my accent too. But just like how it was in Malaysia, I'm betting that we would "get" each other perfectly as time passes. But in the meantime, I think we'll have to use a lot of "Pardon?, I'm sorry, and Can you say that again?". Sorry for the segue ways again. Now, back to the party. I didn't know the birthday girl too much since it has just been a couple of days since I met her but I believe she'll be as great as all the others at work. I never felt so welcome in my life. I guess for an Asian like me, this is all just overwhelming. It's the first time I received more than three compliments in a day. Just because I did some spreadsheet, I had been called "Super, champion, Great" in different occasions. At first, I didn't know what to say. I actually replied, "You too!" You see, back where I worked (in both banks), we show our appreciation with a mere thank you and that's enough for us, anything more than that would be over the top. So you'd understand why I'm a bit overwhelmed with all the "happy" words I get here. I'm not saying it's better here because I don't think it'll work if we do it in either Philippines or Malaysia. I think people will think you're crazy if you give out too many compliments and they'd think you're insincere. I guess that's sort of a reverse psychology where we work hard so that we can get the boss to part with that oh-so-hard-to-get compliment. Ok, back to the party. My officemates were a fun bunch. Someone played an 80's TV soundtrack cd and it was funny to hear the music from Knight Rider, Doogie Howser and MacGyver. There were free pretend-dance lessons. I learned how to do the big box, little fish dance and could now brave the dance floor anytime. I didn't feel left out even if I was really a newbie. But I also didn't feel patronized just because I was new. I was just there. It was a fun time and surprisingly, I had fun myself. I had doubts and fears on how to mingle with them coz however you look at it, I am different-- not just in color, accent or culture but I guess in a lot of things too. But one thing I'm sure of is that I never felt different when I'm with them. I felt I was blending! And that's a big accomplishment for me.

Our First Pay Check
It was payday! Well, at least it was for Ronnel but not for me. It wasn't my second week yet so I don't get my pay till next week. But that doesn't count coz I don't get to touch it anyway. Ronnel and I had an agreement that my salary will be our savings (down payment for a loan to buy a house) while his salary will be for our daily expenses. That's fine with me since that's what we did back in Malaysia anyway.

It was a big disappointment for the both of us when we found out how much Nel received. Tax was 39% so you could imagine our dismay when we saw his take home pay. All my dreams of getting a new digicam and food processor ended quickly. I had to do some budget re-prioritization. But we were ok with the tax being so much. It was because you really could see where your taxes went. Unlike in the Philippines where the government has to constantly remind us by putting up big billboard of "This is where your taxes go.", here, there is no need to. Remember, the library that was to die for? Plus, all the services here are fast and of quality. It took us only a few days to get our tax number and hopefully, our permanent residency application won't take long too.

Ok, so what was the first thing we did with Nel's pay? We bought pizza! It was no ordinary pizza, I tell you. You see, beside the flat where we lived was a pizza place called "Hell". Everyday for the past few weeks, we would pass by Hell and smell the aroma of pizza. It was absolute torture. People were coming out of Hell with boxes of pure pleasure with devilish grins on their faces. So we promised ourselves that once we have money, we will get one of those devilish grins ourselves. So on a sunny Friday afternoon, we went to Hell and ordered Lust, a pizza with pepperoni and salami on top. On the counter, there was this box of small foil packets. I thought they were chilli sauce or something so I took one. The pizza guy also gave us two so we were really surprised when we saw what was inside. You'll never guess what it was. (Parental Guidance advised) Well, as you're at the edge of your seat, I am going to tell you-- it was a condom. We were perplexed on how a condom and a pizza were related. I mean, does eating pizza make you want to fornicate? No offense or malice intended here-- I am just wondering whether there is a scientific explanation for that. Hmm, now I bet you're wondering what we did after eating the pizza. That's a secret.

My First Fix
I was having withdrawal symptoms. It has been a few weeks now since I've been in a shopping mall. You see, here in the city, there are no big malls. I like the shops, as they are lined up on the streets and very accessible during lunch time. But if you came from a country that has over ten big shopping malls (at least 1000 sqm), then Wellington is a big disappointment. I was getting grouchy already so Ronnel obliged me and told me we were going to Westfield this weekend. I didn't waste time. During lunchtime, I asked my officemates for directions on how to go to Westfield. The guys at work just couldn't get what it is with malls and women. They say it's as if the mall is our turf. For me, its more of a temple. My husband says I have a different aura when I'm in a mall, it's as if I'm in a trance. (note: You might want to read my previous entry, "Confessions of a Shopaholic").

So last Saturday, we woke up early and took a train to Waterloo, which is near the mall. The train ride brought back childhood memories when my grandparents and I took the train to Bicol (my province in the Phils.). The scenery was marvelous. You'll see the sea when you look out the window. Of course my husband's over-excited imagination prompted him to say stuff like what if there was a huge gush of wind that blew the whole train into the sea or there was a collision or something like that. But nothing could dampen my spirit -- I was going to the mall!

It was a long walk from the train station. I could hear my husband saying things like his feet hurt or something. Me? I was just focused on one goal- to get to the mall. While we were walking, we couldn't help but admire the houses. They were typical suburb houses just like those in Wisteria Lane (Desperate Housewives). We talked about having our own home someday. Hopefully, that someday will be eight months from now.

Ok, so now we were a few steps away from the mall. It was different from the malls that we had in the Philippines and Malaysia. First, it wasn't that big. It was like Amcorp in Malaysia or Ever Commonwealth in the Philippines. That was fine with me. It was still a mall. A familiar feeling rushed over me the moment I stepped in the mall. I had my fix. I think my face could have been ripped by how wide my smile was. There was an array of shoe stores, dress shops and book stores. We wanted to eat at the food court but there was no more place to sit so we went to a Japanese restaurant. We bought some household items from the Warehouse (similar to Jaya Jusco / SM) and spent a lot of time at the $2 dollar shop. Best of all, Nel bought me shoes! (Thanks again, Maybank Credit Card.) We went up to the third floor to check what was showing in the movies but we didn't find any that we wanted to see so we decided to go home. That's fine with me. I've had my fix. Hmmm... How long do you think this fix will last?


Our First Outing
Haven't I mentioned enough that the people here are really nice? A proof of that is Ronnel's new office best mate, Paul (I think I mentioned him in my previous entry). Paul offered to bring us to a well known Filipino shop and to show us sea view, which as exactly the name says, is a very nice view of the sea. So on a windy Sunday, after we went to church and bought some fruits and veggies from the market, Paul picked us up from our flat and drove us all the way to Woburn, where the Filipino mart was. Paul was very warm and friendly. He was easy to talk to and he had a sense of humor to boot, so the drive there wasn't boring at all--- although I was worried 'coz he kept on looking at the backseat while I was talking, considering that he was driving. But the road was empty so there were no other cars to fend off. When we got to the store, I quickly searched for the most important ingredient for Adobo-- Datu Puti Vinegar! It costs nearly $3 which was thrice the price in the Philippines but ofcourse when you factor in the tax, cargo expenses and stuff, think $3 is pretty much reasonable. Yay! I would now be able to cook Adobo (although I still couldn't get how my mother in law does her Adobo, mine tastes somewhat different but Ronnel has no choice but to eat it, doesn't he?). I bought bagoong (shrimp paste), balayan (anchovies sauce), laurel leaves and other stuff that I failed to bring from the Philippines. I think I spent almost $30 in that store alone. If Ronnel hadn't looked at me funny, I would have spent more. After that, Paul drove us around Petone and showed us where he used to live, went to school and where he practically grew up. (sidestory: Nel & I were arguing on how to pronounce this- Pet-wan or pe-tow-ni, the latter being my choice. Nel was saying that the first one has more French sound to it so that should be it. So thanks Paul, for clearing that up. It was pe-tow-ni. Just shows that I'm right most of, if not all, the time. Hah!) We had lunch at Cobb n Co, a western cowboy style restaurant, which had a great view of the sea. The food was great, moreso the company. After lunch, Paul brought us to Kmart. We also passed by the Outlet store (I will bug Nel to bring me there someday.) and Johnsonville, which they said, was where most Filipinos in NZ live. It was our first time to have a drive outside Wellington and we had great fun. It made Ronnel temporarily forget about the heap of clothes he had to iron when we get back home. But once at home, we were back to reality, I had to prepare our baon (packed lunches) for the coming week while my dutiful husband had to remove the creases on our clothes. We had a great weekend and we were ready for another week of adventure. Till next week! (Next week, we'll be attending a Filipino party with some of Ronnel's Filipino officemates.)