A friend sent a text message at 7:56 in the morning. She was not working and would like to bond before I leave for Wellington. The past days had been all sorting, cleaning and packing moment for me. All the hassle of moving can be stressful. As if divine intervention was guiding my moves a timely coincidence came up. Doors were opening in response to mounting concerns. She mentioned of having her box for the Philippines picked up and that shipping would take four weeks so I thought it was a good idea to do the same with mine. With my box still a quarter empty I decided to go back to the mall for some bargain so we decided to have a day out with my niece.
It was a rainy day but here comes my friend in shorts. My niece put on her maxi dress and I decided to go on my romper. We started by idly combing the mall. We compared boxing day notes and gave each other a chance to finish our half done business. Our tummies signalled for top up and we had it refilled at a Filipino restaurant in the vicinity. Very timely we met some of our cherished friends who have been from their Sabbath service. Our bellies were fully stretched that I could not think of food the rest of the day. Then we decided to watch The Hobbit: The Desolation of smug. We aimed for the big screen at Hoyts but the show had started and the next was not after a couple of hours and we passed the time window shopping. We realised New Zealand Christmas was over as the guys tried to bring the Christmas Tree down with poor Elf Santa sprawled down on the ground. Christmas is more fun in the Philippines indeed. The spirit starts in September and ends in February.
We were taking a short rest when we met the family of an old friend in Christchurch. I was so amazed to see the kids have grown. They were the same family who I celebrated my first Christmas in New Zealand way back in 2006 and here they are 7 yrs later. Memories of those earliest days came back and definitely so many things had happened. The encounter re-echoed the music of friendship that went quiet but never lost. It was an exciting moment of recall and getting reconnected that we resorted to Facebook as the modern way of getting in touch. We snapped a picture and posted it in the site to complete the circle by getting the member of the family who was primarily the one responsible for our first encounter.
We realised we were getting dehydrated. My niece thought she wanted some food and we drove to Carl's Jr. We headed home for our drink. And when it was time for the movie we went back to Hoyt's Cinema just to be told that the house was full and we could not come in. The rain was still on and we drove back home slightly frustrated. For our finale of the day, we decided to do one more gallivanting by driving to Momotea for a mug of shake. Facebook was really effective as a social media. Before the day ends, my friend in Christchurch got to me via messenger and I rang her on the phone. We talked and revived old connections, looked forward to new beginnings and our group drove home. It was still raining and my packing job was parked the whole day. It is possible to have a rest day even if we are officially out of work.
29 December, 2013
27 December, 2013
BOXING DAY 2013:
The day after Christmas is called Boxing Day. I first heard about it in New Zealand. I tried to google the topic and according to About.com apparently the concept originated in UK and Ireland when servants take a day off and masters give them Christmas Box. Servants who received presents also go home to their families and give christmas boxes themselves. Another view was that churches put in boxes to collect money for the poor on Christmas Day and is opened the next day. Still another idea was that of great sailing ships setting sail with a sealed box containing money on board for good luck. If the voyage is successful the box was given to the priest, opened on Christmas Day and I supposed to explain the following day to be boxing day gives the money to the poor.
To recall this is my 8th Boxing Day in New Zealand and for the first time I had joined the throng in its celebration. In here People say that prices of goods on sale are at its lowest and therefore shoppers take the opportunity to troop to the stores to get the best buy. On my first year of boxing day in 2006 I am not sure if the idea sinked in on me. I was only new then, had very limited resources and unsure of whether there was a job available for me soon enough and so I cannot be bothered. The next boxing days I guess I was at work and happy for the time and a half rate plus day in lieu. 26 December 2013-I am not working while awaiting the start of my next job, still with limited resources and faced with upcoming expenses for the move but this day I am particularly prompted by the urgency to fill the box to be sent home.
Rem and I drove to Dressmart early enough to get a park. We waited for about half an hour till the doors to the mall was opened and amazing it was, we were overwhelmed with the stream of shoppers moving in the stairs. It was early and we opted not to eat breakfast and running short of luck I happened to take in a big gasp of human odour as I managed to save Oxygen for my brain. I felt nauseated and fainting. We went straight to the shop we were aiming as we were not really there for a spree - personally I was only needing to get what was on my list to send to a few people. I can say, the price was no different from when it was a couple of days I visited the mall. Shortly we started to feel hypoglycaemic so we decided to get some sushi and headed back to our next target.
Awaiting home was the need to set the house flea free. We have been having flea bites lately and the sting was unbearable. We decided that on the first day when shops open we should get a flea bomb and we went home to do the job. While the smell of the chemical was strong we drove out for lunch to a Filipino restaurant. After a couple of hours we were too exhausted and decided to doze off. It was about 21:00 hours when I woke up and as I turned the light outside the house - the fuse in the main switch blew off. I felt upset as I was wanting to finish packing our stuff. I knew it was too late to be ringing for help and I supposed everyone must be tired. I decided to ring a friend who was in Australia who was two hours late than my time. I hoped to get some helpful instructions anyway I was too scared to touch anything in the fuse box. To alleviate my frustration I simply took the incident to say that I needed rest and must go back to sleep.
Post the Christmas activity, Rem was back to work and I was left to do my unfinished share of the chore. I am back to packing and loading the car. Seeing all these boxes my thoughts came back to the idea of Boxing Day. So for 2013, Boxing Day is all boxes for me. One box can qualify to the idea of the English Boxing Day late it may be; boxes of stuff to be put in the storage for Rem's use and boxes of my own stuff ready to go to Wellington. Indeed a load of new beginning is set for the next year.
To recall this is my 8th Boxing Day in New Zealand and for the first time I had joined the throng in its celebration. In here People say that prices of goods on sale are at its lowest and therefore shoppers take the opportunity to troop to the stores to get the best buy. On my first year of boxing day in 2006 I am not sure if the idea sinked in on me. I was only new then, had very limited resources and unsure of whether there was a job available for me soon enough and so I cannot be bothered. The next boxing days I guess I was at work and happy for the time and a half rate plus day in lieu. 26 December 2013-I am not working while awaiting the start of my next job, still with limited resources and faced with upcoming expenses for the move but this day I am particularly prompted by the urgency to fill the box to be sent home.
Rem and I drove to Dressmart early enough to get a park. We waited for about half an hour till the doors to the mall was opened and amazing it was, we were overwhelmed with the stream of shoppers moving in the stairs. It was early and we opted not to eat breakfast and running short of luck I happened to take in a big gasp of human odour as I managed to save Oxygen for my brain. I felt nauseated and fainting. We went straight to the shop we were aiming as we were not really there for a spree - personally I was only needing to get what was on my list to send to a few people. I can say, the price was no different from when it was a couple of days I visited the mall. Shortly we started to feel hypoglycaemic so we decided to get some sushi and headed back to our next target.
Awaiting home was the need to set the house flea free. We have been having flea bites lately and the sting was unbearable. We decided that on the first day when shops open we should get a flea bomb and we went home to do the job. While the smell of the chemical was strong we drove out for lunch to a Filipino restaurant. After a couple of hours we were too exhausted and decided to doze off. It was about 21:00 hours when I woke up and as I turned the light outside the house - the fuse in the main switch blew off. I felt upset as I was wanting to finish packing our stuff. I knew it was too late to be ringing for help and I supposed everyone must be tired. I decided to ring a friend who was in Australia who was two hours late than my time. I hoped to get some helpful instructions anyway I was too scared to touch anything in the fuse box. To alleviate my frustration I simply took the incident to say that I needed rest and must go back to sleep.
Post the Christmas activity, Rem was back to work and I was left to do my unfinished share of the chore. I am back to packing and loading the car. Seeing all these boxes my thoughts came back to the idea of Boxing Day. So for 2013, Boxing Day is all boxes for me. One box can qualify to the idea of the English Boxing Day late it may be; boxes of stuff to be put in the storage for Rem's use and boxes of my own stuff ready to go to Wellington. Indeed a load of new beginning is set for the next year.
25 December, 2013
CHRISTMAS 2013:
Christmas means different things to different people at different times and circumstances.
Christmas 2013 started when Rem came home from work on a day before it was to be. It was sweet of her to bring a small bag of token to remind me that it was after all the time of sharing. Activities related to moving out kept me busy during the day. I decided to get a job in Wellington which stirred our current set up and it is making me guilty. I felt sad that I have to cause Rem the trouble of having to move herself. Moving is always a tedious work and yes it is costly. I need to do it the fairest way possible,
Personally I was feeling tired sorting our stuff. The refrigerator needs to be emptied. In this time of world crisis when some people in some parts of the world are hungry I felt the need to save as much foodstuff as possible. Also there are extra loads that needed to be disposed of and indeed it means waste. Earlier I posted some stuff in TradeMe but it did not sell. As I was doing all these I stuck the iPod in Rems stereo component to fill the place with some tunes to keep me company. The car is already loaded with stuffs that are ready to go with me on the drive.
Christmas Eve is just another ordinary day. Rem was exhausted from work and so was I. I had to make a pass on invitations to party. Both of us just dropped to sleep. Waking-up the sound of rain went dropping outside. It is a wet Christmas. I started sending messages to friends in Viber. I did the same with my friends list in Facebook but FB said you are not allowed to send 879 messages all together. So the message for me is: I do not have to wait for the 25th of December to share happy and loving thoughts to those I care. The opportunity of kind heartedness and generosity is a daily thing and does not need a specific date.
To all my friends and acquaintances: Merry Christmas!
Christmas 2013 started when Rem came home from work on a day before it was to be. It was sweet of her to bring a small bag of token to remind me that it was after all the time of sharing. Activities related to moving out kept me busy during the day. I decided to get a job in Wellington which stirred our current set up and it is making me guilty. I felt sad that I have to cause Rem the trouble of having to move herself. Moving is always a tedious work and yes it is costly. I need to do it the fairest way possible,
Personally I was feeling tired sorting our stuff. The refrigerator needs to be emptied. In this time of world crisis when some people in some parts of the world are hungry I felt the need to save as much foodstuff as possible. Also there are extra loads that needed to be disposed of and indeed it means waste. Earlier I posted some stuff in TradeMe but it did not sell. As I was doing all these I stuck the iPod in Rems stereo component to fill the place with some tunes to keep me company. The car is already loaded with stuffs that are ready to go with me on the drive.
Christmas Eve is just another ordinary day. Rem was exhausted from work and so was I. I had to make a pass on invitations to party. Both of us just dropped to sleep. Waking-up the sound of rain went dropping outside. It is a wet Christmas. I started sending messages to friends in Viber. I did the same with my friends list in Facebook but FB said you are not allowed to send 879 messages all together. So the message for me is: I do not have to wait for the 25th of December to share happy and loving thoughts to those I care. The opportunity of kind heartedness and generosity is a daily thing and does not need a specific date.
To all my friends and acquaintances: Merry Christmas!
23 December, 2013
GRACE UNDER PRESSURE:
Three days before Christmas of 2013 the malls are full, car park is hard to find, traffic is heavy as everyone went busy and engrossed on spending for the Christmas celebration. The amount from the last pay have all gone to their assigned budget by now. The next salary release will be a day before Christmas and the desire to spend is compelled to be restrained. In the season of giving the heart and mind is stressed with the compulsion to share.
Nineteen days before the 9th of next month when the next tenant is able to free us from the tenancy agreement financial freedom is tight. It is the month's end so awaiting the fortnight's pay is the usual weekly charges plus the monthly bills like power, water, internet, sky and the phone. I have not worked since the 20th therefore I should not expect anything on the 8th of January and there are outstanding obligations to deal with like rental, insurances and daily overheads.
Sixteen days before starting another job there are things to deal with. There is the need to move stuff 622 kilometres apart. The vacated flat has to be sorted out and the other one has to be set up. There are services to cut and notices to send. The demand for commercial services particularly the cleaner and mover are at its peak and we are racing against time. Life is like a tornado of demands pulling, pushing and actually swirling us around. All these can be nerve wrecking but in the worst of times some things do come up to what we can call good timing.
I used to start work on a Friday and it was late in the afternoon when I got the confirmation that I start work on the 6th of January. I dated my letter on a weekend when I wrote it and was thinking that it will be read on a Monday and should start counting the two-week notice period from then. Anyway admin considered the date of my letter and therefore I was two days out of work as I expected. It spared me another two days pay but it came out to be good timing as it gave me more time to get connected to people and services required for the move.
Our tenancy agreement ends on February and the landlady made sure that we understand we will pay the rent until the contract expires or a new tenant is ready to take the place. We set Christmas time which is a Wednesday to make the house available for occupancy should a new client takes it. A cleaner was scheduled for the 22nd and a mover was set to pick stuff on the 24th. It was rather an awkward time to clean before moving the stuff. Anyway many viewers came to look at the flat but for one reason or another it was not taken.
Last night the owner sent us a message that a contract has been signed for the new occupant to move in on the 9th of January. This is another good timing as it gives us enough time to do what was required and also it was just about time that we have to leave anyway.
Confronted with moving cost, bond to pay, and other miscellaneous expenses during the two week transition period it was also timely that I have two week equivalent left of my Annual leave. As I write, I am left with some unwanted stuff which I like to dispose off. I feel a bit stressed when I posted it in TradeMe and no one bought it but something tells me to calm down. Probably there is a good time for those.
The things happening to me now is ordinary, it can happen to anyone. It is just that for me I see my life to be directed by faith that it is so for a reason. I believed that when I am prompted to do something a way will be provided to accomplish its purpose. For now I might just act with grace under pressure. There seemed to be proper timing with how things are working.
21 December, 2013
2013:
It is the 21st of December and once again the smell of the year-end is close by. Waking up on the couch spell some major events for me this year. A couple of days ago I disposed of the bed I slept for 4 yrs. with the realisation that in this very changing existence I cannot accumulate so much load for good.
I resigned from my job in aged care two weeks ago. With two weeks notice requirement, I am now on my first day of the transition phase. I had aimed to go into another field of nursing in New Zealand and that awaits the next year.
For almost 7 years a reunion with my daughter occurred during 2013. It was a bitter sweet catch up as we dealt with the vast changes that surfaced during the passage of time. The opportunity caused major realignment of priorities and the setting of new goals. In life it is true that, "No man is an island". There will always be people needing our hand. Others need can earn or cost us our living but then again turning our heads on them always bring a reward in us.
2013 also define the phrase "Nothing in this world is for free". There is always a commensurate compensation for things we get. Our choices determine our accountabilities. For whatever impact it makes on anyone the rule is Debts are to be paid. We learn as we position ourselves in the state that we are liable for and must therefore find our way out of the maze.
As we moved on we think about the people we met and the people we are leaving behind. It was a joy to hear of the good words friends have to say. It is sad to see the dissolution on people that has learned to treasure our friendship yet it is also a motivation to become better for the next.
Thank you 2013. Nothing is for naught. We move on!
I resigned from my job in aged care two weeks ago. With two weeks notice requirement, I am now on my first day of the transition phase. I had aimed to go into another field of nursing in New Zealand and that awaits the next year.
For almost 7 years a reunion with my daughter occurred during 2013. It was a bitter sweet catch up as we dealt with the vast changes that surfaced during the passage of time. The opportunity caused major realignment of priorities and the setting of new goals. In life it is true that, "No man is an island". There will always be people needing our hand. Others need can earn or cost us our living but then again turning our heads on them always bring a reward in us.
2013 also define the phrase "Nothing in this world is for free". There is always a commensurate compensation for things we get. Our choices determine our accountabilities. For whatever impact it makes on anyone the rule is Debts are to be paid. We learn as we position ourselves in the state that we are liable for and must therefore find our way out of the maze.
As we moved on we think about the people we met and the people we are leaving behind. It was a joy to hear of the good words friends have to say. It is sad to see the dissolution on people that has learned to treasure our friendship yet it is also a motivation to become better for the next.
Thank you 2013. Nothing is for naught. We move on!
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