Acclimating to NZ…

Some people have told us it will take a year to ‘settle in’—to feel at home. We have been here long enough to have tomato sauce (ketchup, as you remember) on the shopping list for just the second time, the need for a second container of salt is not far off and a second bag of sugar is in the closet. Our rate of sugar consumption has increased since Tessa started making sugar syrup for the birds. This syrup draws Tuis and Silver eyes. The blackbirds prefer breadcrumbs, fatty bits, apple cores and seeds. [Blackbird is not a pejorative moniker in NZ. The NZ blackbird might be related to the English type. It is not a raven, not crow and has better manners than the starling. Its beak is orange and the bird displays a certain intelligence—the poodle of the bird family. We see many well-bred blackbirds here.] The birds are perhaps quicker to feel settled in with us than vice-versa…

Item from the Southland Times: “It’s no bull that Southland males are overworked and struggling to keep the ladies happy. The failure of many Southland bulls to perform, because of poor health and having to service too many cows, has farm consultants and vets worried.”

Item from the Otago Daily Times: The adult minimum wage will rise 9.8% in April…the minimum youth training wage, at 80% of the adult, will rise to $8.20 and $9 and hour. The adult rate will be to $10.25 and 11.25 per hour. (The US rate stands at …?)

Willem’s awards made the paper over the weekend. I was mentioned Monday in the ODT for my accompanying of the young Marama String Project students. (“Professional accompanist JVB enhanced items by the seniors as they strove to match him with phrasing and nuance…”)

It is difficult to predict what Christmas is going to feel like. (Word came down today that chicken has been rescinded and that turkey is now on the menu for Christmas dinner.) We are not on an upswing at the moment but there is plenty of time left for an updraft. Wim and Lily are recovering from colds that started one day apart. Tessa is at the height of hers so I could be next. Our dishwasher just quit for the second time. The repair bill first time around was $350. The dishwasher is old and should probably be replaced. Prices for appliances here are high...higher by a factor of three. Dishwashers are in the $1300 to $1500 range. The father of one of the students I accompany is in the heating business. He is coming around tomorrow to talk to us about getting a proper furnace/boiler to heat the radiators—he has one coming to him second hand…the entire business with installation will be in the c.$6,000. A lottery win would be useful just now.

Monday, as I stood up from resting my helmet on the floor of the bank the friendly teller began a string of social chirps, which seemed to end with ‘bike’. Armed with my best imitation of a cheery kiwi bloke smile, I squeaked out ‘sorry?’ “A good day for getting out the push bike” (she repeated…good--I caught it this time…how did she know I was not out on a motor bike?) “Yes, it’s a beautiful day” I agreed. The temperature range was from a low of 42 to a high of 64. ‘Fine’ meaning sunny with ‘North easterlies’. Tuesday was a sunny day with temperatures in the 48 to 68 range… ‘Cloudy, patchy rain later, Northwest winds’. Variety is definitely the watchword as to weather here in Waikikamukau! Looking ahead, as we are, instead of a white Christmas, the ideal down under is a bright sunny day when you can wear shorts (a bathing suit?) We’ll keep you posted…