Vince's 3rd school

Yesterday was Vince's first day at St. Joseph Catholic School, his 3rd school (2nd school in NZ). Excited kaming pareho kaya maaga kaming gumising. 8:45am ang time nila pero 8:10 pa lang nandon na kami.

Bago kami pumunta sa classroom, dumaan muna ako sa school office para magbayad ng school fees at mag-shopping. Mahal ang school uniforms kaya kung di ka maselan, pwede kang bumili ng second-hand. $35.00 ang binayaran ko para sa 2 short pants, 1 vest at 2 shirts. Ang isang bagong shirt ay $42 na. O di ba malaking tipid yon. Medyas lang ang binili ko na brand new ($11/pair).

Sa classroom, na-meet namin ulit si Ms. Luxon, ang mabait na teacher ni Vince. Isang nakapaskil sa wall ang nakakuha ng attention ko. It's about the class' stat. Nakalagay doon majority ng bata ay itim ang buhok. When I looked around, the class indeed has a big number of pinoy, indian and korean kids.

I didn't stay long in the school. After the bell rang, I immidiately went to my next appointment (my driving test). I know Vince doesn't need any support from me anymore as he is already used to "first days'.

My (temp) NZ Driver License

Scratch 'n Pass

I did my Driver Licensing Theory Test this morning at AA Albany. I answered all 35 questions correctly so I now hold a temporary license. Thanks to the online drving test that I've been working on for the past few months, I sat on the exam prepared. It also helped that the AA staff who assisted me is very helpful (she's asian).

All the while I thought that the test is online, hindi pala. It's paper-based na parang promo coupon na may scratch-off ink. Kung tama ang sagot mo, 'check' ang makikita mo sa ilalim ng silver ink. Kung mali, 'x'. May suspense habang nagkukutkot ka ng sagot kasi minsan wala sa gitna yung resulta .

Isa na lang ang problema ko, yung pratical driving test sa 10 May at AA Orewa (syempre iwas ako sa Browns Bay). I'm still learning how to do the 'head check' when changing lane. Medyo nalilito pa ako sa paglingon. Other than that, I'm ok. Sana one take lang ako para di magastos ($70.80 ang bayad sa practical test).

Lonely me

Things will be different at work next week. Two of my good buddies won't be here beginning Monday. Si friend no. 1, isang chinese, ay uuwi sa China for 6 weeks para magpakasal. Si friend no. 2, isang samoan (pronounced as 'samwan') na dito na pinanganak, ay lilipat naman ng trabaho. Sila ang kasakasama ko sa chikahan, kainan at tawanan.

Si friend no. 1 at ako ay parehong 'asian' kaya we stick together. Nakaka-relate ako sa kanya dahil familiar naman ang mga pinoys sa pagkain, kultura at tradisyon ng mga tsino. Ang common naman sa amin ni friend no. 2 ay ang aming religious affiliation. She's a practicing catholic (like most Samoans). Sabi nya, in her 18 years of working, ako lang ang nakasama nya na kapareho nya ang faith (only 12% of NZ's population is catholic).

Ok din naman yung iba kong kasama pero iba yung closeness namin nung 2. I'll miss them big time.

Pukeko

** Wholesome ang site na to kaya bawal ang madumi ang isip. **

Pukeko is an endemic New Zealand bird. It’s got indigo blue plumage, black wings and red bill. Ang gandang tignan. Akala ko noong una special ang habitat ng mga swamphens na 'to but you can actually see them on swampy areas. Ilang beses na akong nakakakita ng Pukeko na tumutuka-tuka sa gilid ng motorway.

Ayon sa aking bubwit, meron ding ganitong specie sa Pilipinas (esp. in Candaba, Pampanga) kaya lang pale-blue ang kulay. hmmmm…. Parang wala akong nakikita o nababalitaang ganitong ibon eh ang lapit lang namin sa Candaba. Meron nga siguro pero baka sa mesa yon nakadapo, katabi ng beer.

Henry - 1yr in NZ

April 8, 2006 nang iwanan ni Henry ang Pilipinas at nakipagsapalaran sa New Zealand. Mabuti na lang at natunton ko ang ka-eskwela ko noong high school na nandito na sa Auckland, kaya 'soft landing' si Henry ng dumating dito. Di na nya naging problema ang susundo sa airport, bahay na tutuluyan sa susunod na 4weeks, job referral at marami pang iba. Mas maswerte sya sa ibang bagong salta dito.

Ang unang impression ni Henry sa NZ ay malinis at parang may aircon ang buong lugar. Autumn pa lang non pero nalalamigan na sya. Kaya yung mga sando at shorts na baon nya, di nya nailabas sa maleta.

Sa unang linggo nya nakapag-holiday agad sya. Holy week kasi noon at yung host nya ay nag-outing sa Matarangi so sabit din sya. Ok di ba, wala pang trabaho nagre-relax na.

Before the month ended, nagsimula na syang mag-trabaho. Sa isang maliit na company sa Albany sya napasok. Masaya naman si Henry doon dahil kasundo nya ang lahat ng katrabaho nya (walo lang silang lahat doon). Pagdating sa boss, wala din syang problema, he recognizes Henry's skills.

Everything went smoothly, thanks to friends and friends of friends. Malayo pa kami sa "ideal" na buhay but we're not complaining. We enjoying what we have right now. Dadating din kami doon in His time :D

Overseas license in NZ

Using overseas license in NZ is clearer to me know than a few days ago. Thanks Kiwipinay and Anonymous, their comments on my previous post challenged my understanding on the road code.

Point #1– Validity ng overseas driving license
If you do have a current overseas driver licence or international driving permit, you can drive using that for a maximum of 12 months from the date you arrive in New Zealand.
Each time you visit New Zealand, you can drive for a further 12-month period on a valid overseas licence or international driving permit, as long as you stay for no more than a year at a time.

Kung lumabas ka ng NZ tapos bumalik ka ulit, may 12 months ka ulit para magmaneho.


Point #2 – Theory test invalidates overseas license

When you have passed the theory test you will get a New Zealand driver licence and you can no longer use your overseas driver licence for driving in New Zealand, even if you have been here less than one year.

So hindi pala pwede yung iniisip ko na lalabas si Henry ng NZ kung bagsak sya sa Practical Test kasi invalid na yung Phil. license after he past the theory exam. Buti na lang talaga pumasa sya.

Akl harbour trivia

Last Saturday, we had a chance to get a free boat trip as part of Port of Auckland’s SeePort Week. It was an experience to view the port and its operation. To round off the tour, we were taken to the Harbour Bridge, Westhaven Marina and Viaduct Harbour.

Aside from the great view, the trip also gave us a lots of trivia about Auckland. Gaya nito.

• Ang lahat ng containers na pumapasok sa Auckland (and probably in other parts of NZ) ay dumadaan sa biosecurity check. Kung may insektong nasama sa container, mahuhuli yon. Galing!


• Ito palang Akl CBD ay part ng 390 acres of reclaimed land from the harbour. Asus, 9 months na akong nagtatrabaho sa CBD pero di ko man lang nabalitaan ito.


• Harbour bridge, which was opened in 1959, originally has 4 lanes (2 in each direction). Due to increase in traffic volume, nagdagdag ng another 4 lanes nung 1969.


• Pwede mag-bungee jumping sa ilalim ng Harbour Bridge.... kung matibay ang dibdib mo.

Kahit takot ako sa tubig (dahil di ako marunong lumangoy), nag-enjoy ako sa aming boat ride. Ang mommy ko panay ang pa-picture. Syempre dapat yung may katabi syang porenger. Para daw hindi sabihing nasa Pasig River lang sya at yung Harbour Bridge ay ang Jones Bridge.

whew!

After an hour of driving around Orewa and a few booboos, pasado si Henry sa second part ng driving test nya. His license will be mailed soon. Despite being one of the unfriendliest specie on earth, objective naman daw yung examiner.

Whew! Buti naman at maganda ang turn-out ng test nya. Sa Sunday na kasi mapapaso yung Philippine license nya. Kung semplang sa test, ang plan B ay pupunta sya Australia para pagpasok nya ng NZ another yr ang validity Philippine license. Magastos yon pero yun lang ata ang better option.

Kung bumagsak si Henry sa practical driving test, I think he'll still get a license pero conditional yon. Ang condition ay kailangang may kasama syang 'supervisor' (anyone who has a full license for at least 2yrs). Parang sinabi nilang wag na syang magmaneho.

My turn will come before the month ends. Ang pagre-review ng road code ang kakarerin ko sa bakasyon (Good friday to Easter Monday).