Traditional Thai vs Exotic Thai

Went to eat in the "Traditional Thai" this evening, a place that sits above a pub and which has no windows. Saturday night so one would think that some other people had the same idea of having some food in there too but noop, I was the only one which was not a 'promising' sign. Nevertheless I gave it the benefit of the doubt and ordered my drink: cider (I had it last week and was delighted that I was in a country again where it is being sold). I was directed to go down stairs though and buy it in the pub and bring it back up again. "But don't tell anybody otherwise I will get in trouble" the waitress told me. I put my hand on my heart and became an instant accomplice which is what eating out should be all about. Anyway, got back to my table with a green bottle hidden behind my arm in case the "who ever was in charge" crossed my way. No need to be concerned though, still nobody else around, anyway why worry, I could always stop being an accomplice and point the finger to the waitress... no I wouldn't. But nevertheless the cider tasted good, and so did the coconut soup and the mixed veggies with tofu even though I needed a magnifier to find the latter. But still, did it compare with the Exotic Thai in Burbank... well apart from the cider, I don't think so.

I shopped around for a bike today, I would like to use one to get to and from work. So it should not be a mountain bike or a "Tour de France" bike, just a plain bike without shock absorbers or any other fancy stuff. It turns out that what I am looking for is called a hybrid or a commuter bike over here. In two stores I was told (and shown) that they come with 27 inch wheels rather than the 26 inches that go with a mountain bike. Well that was before I arrived in a store where they claimed that 27 inch wheels don't exist in NZ. He was a nice guy though but his credibility went out of the window right there and then. Anyway I am a bit wiser in terms of pricing, quality and sizes. Will do a bit more research tomorrow. Once I have a bike the main challenge will be to climb the hills near my home, something that I am not looking forward to at the end of a working day. But hey, I want to loose a few kilos so I should give it a try.

Another thing I did today was to extend the audio CD from the public library. Initially I thought I had to go down town and do the renewal in person. Then it struck me that perhaps I could do it over the phone which was a major revelation in my mind... so I found the piece of paper that I received the last time during check out (it lists all the items that I borrowed) and yes it had a phone number. What made this exciting as well was that I now could use my new phone for the first time (nothing more exciting than using something new for the first time). Anyway I got through to a nice sounding voice on the other end who informed me that no I could not extend the item over the phone, the only way to do that was by means of the internet. No worries, that would give me the opportunity to use my computer for something else than blogging and e-mailing (nothing more exciting than using something for a different purpose). Anyway after three or five clicks I could use the audio CD for another week, something to be proud of considering that my alternative approach had worked out in the way it was supposed to be. Sometimes simple things are great to validate oneself :-)

Last but not least, I bought a 25 meter long ethernet cable (which turns out to be a bit too optimistic in length but anyway). Since the internet company provided me with a very short cable I had to put the computer close to the access point that is near the front door. But now I can have my computer on the big dining table which allows me to have paper, books and food and drinks around me as well. I bought two speakers in the same store so I have been listening to BBC 6 while typing this blog. No need to be concerned about the volume too much, the neighbors are not on the other side of the wall (like in Burbank). Made myself a nice cup of English breakfast tea and even opened up "Die Gestalt des Menschen" by Gottfried Bammes. Life is good :-)

Moving In

Yesterday I moved into my new home. It was a bit difficult to say good bye to the Dixon hotel, in particularly to the huge and delicious morning breakfast but anyway I finally made it to Seatoun. I parked the car on its parking pad which is a platform that stands on poles and is attached to the road somehow (underneath there is a steep slope). Somehow I managed to carry my bags down the 60 step stair case, unlocked the front door and voila my new home was mine! Had a quick look around before heading to work but felt that I had completed a major step in my New Zealand life.

So when I came home last night I had to get the wood stove working somehow, well it took me about 2 hours before I had a small fire going, which is promising for the days to come. It changed my plans for the night though, not a lot of time to sit in front of the heater and read my library book. But anyway, today it went a lot better, I just threw a bit more wood in the chamber and somehow the fire got going. But I keep going back to see if things are still burning as expected, which seems to turn into a full time job. I also need to get wood from outside and dry it in doors otherwise... no fire.

Got the phone and the internet installed today, which means that I don't have to pay the high internet charge in the hotel anymore. But at least I can use Skype again for making international calls, the local telecom company is charging its customers a small fortune for those type of calls.

Woke up this morning by the sound of the boats passing by. I also hear the sound of the waves which is very soothing and comforting. There is not much sun though which means that the house doesn't get warmed up from the outside. But I should be ok with the heaters, the main challenge is to keep the humidity out, hence a good reason to keep the wood stove in good shape.

Work went well today, I got something working and have been asked to show my stuff tomorrow to a wider audience. Fingers crossed that it will be well received.

Anyway, next project is to get a car and a bicycle, the former should be economical since petrol costs a fortune these days. I got some petrol last weekend and this pump kept going and only stopped when it reached an astronomical amount of $78... quite different than what I was used to in LA.

Well the fire is still going which I consider quite an achievement, good night!

Second Weekend

This is the second weekend for me in New Zealand, so far so good, got a house to live in, did my first day of work last friday, met nice people, I like the pace and traffic is definitely less aggressive than the previous town I lived in (people really give way). Oh and there are public toilets all over town and they are clean (i.e. no inclination to puke). I went to the main public library yesterday and found a great art section which made me happy. I also walked to the railway station which is super clean but tiny to European standards but nevertheless it breathes like a real railway station, people hanging out waiting for the next train, little shops, people running, people queuing up for tickets, people looking for the platform and departure time etc. I walked back to the hotel along the water front and passed a tiny historic building that used to be the first ferry ticket office. It included a text on the side that explained the history of the Wellington ferries. It also mentioned that there used to be trams running through the city... that must have been a great sight, trams with ferries in the back ground :-)

I know I should post more pictures but so far I just enjoy walking around the city and not being concerned with extra responsibilities :-) By the way the weather is great for walking over here, cool and windy, a great sense of being outdoors. I hope to strike out to nature areas outside Wellington and start to recover my sense of smell (unless I completely lost that in LA :-) )

A New Home

Yesterday I signed a lease on a new home. I will be living in Seatoun, in a great but small house that has a view on the ferry pier. It comes with 2 bed rooms, a large living room with a separate dining area, a garden and a large deck. It just has a lot of character so I decided to go for it. I will move in next wednesday June 11th. Oh and it has a wood stove too, and the kitchen has a view on to the water as well and it is nicely furnished. Anyway, I am happy with the prospect of living there for a while. I have posted some pictures below. On another front, I became a member of the Wellington public library today (one more piece of plastic to carry).

House Hunting

Got up relatively early this morning and had breakfast before cashing in my first check at the bank. Subsequently I went over to "Dick Smith Electronics" to buy a microphone for my computer so that I can call people through Skype. Dry but cloudy today by the way. Took the car for a spin and ended up in Seatoun where I placed an advert in the post office window: "Looking for house rental". I offered the lady behind the counter some money for the advertising service but she refused. "Just tell me when you find a place so that I can remove it" she said. I walked back to my rental car and drove to two places that were for rent on the north east side of Miramar, on the ocean front. One house was far too big for me, the other one was better and I will have a look on the inside this coming thursday. It feels good to have a look around, getting a sense of what is out there will help to narrow down my house search list. Later this afternoon Matty the runner showed me one more place (which happened to be very cold and damp) and I finished the day by going to Breaker Bay where I saw another home. Anyway, needless to say that my left hand driving is improving (even though I drove on the right side some where today, no incoming traffic though :-) ). To change the subject, I enjoy the fact that there are a few Indian restaurants in Wellington, had a meal in one of them this evening and felt that it had been a good day!

PS I managed to add "e-mail subscription" to my blog. Not sure if my "compelling" writing will make people subscribe to my blog but in general I find it a simple but amazing web feature that allows people to get the latest news alert delivered to their electronic mail box. More info to look at :-)

Mnt Victoria Tunnel

Raining cats and dogs this morning, breakfast is on the 9th floor and the rainy and windy view was spectacular. Anyway a colleague suggested to explore the Hataitai neighborhood so I looked at the map of Wellington and decided to walk rather than taking the car (my hotel is on Wakefield, in the city center). I ended up walking through Mnt Victoria tunnel, a busy 2 lane car tunnel with a pedestrian walk along side it. Needless to say that the fumes and the walking are not really compatible. Once on the other end I walked around Hataitai and felt that it was ok, nothing spectacular really (one can see the airplanes landing though), just a few shops and the rest is very residential, a 'may be' in terms of renting a place over there but I think I will try Miramar and Seatoun first. Took the bus back, not because of the rain (which had stopped falling a long time ago) but because I didn't want to go back through that tunnel again. Tomorrow will be more house hunting for me...

Just to give you an idea about internet and mobile phones... there are no free WiFi spots over here, I am using the one in the hotel at the moment which comes for $20 for 24 hours. I bought a pre-paid vodafone sim card... 89 cents a minute :-( When buying a phone plan the price is less (not much though) but the number of minutes are minimal. In the US one can get 1000 minutes, the equivalent over here is about 50 minutes. I looked into an internet connection into my future home, and it seems that there is a limit on the number of downloadable bits. When you exceed that number then you have to pay for an extra 'gigabyte package'. So watching tv shows or other movies on your computer is a risky business over here... just so you know :-)

First Week

I arrived last wednesday here in Wellington, New Zealand, to start a new job at company MMC. At the airport I was collected by a so called runner who drove me to The Duxton, my hotel in down town Wellington. I was wide awake so I walked through town for a number of hours and felt that things were very friendly and civilized indeed. The weather was cool and a bit windy, so much different than the LA heat :-)

On Thursday I was driven to a bank where they opened an account for me (I even got a credit card, something one normally get after a 6 month waiting period, it appeared that a letter from MMC was sufficient). Contrary to the States, there are fees for every little transaction. Then on to the MMC company where I had an orientation i.e. an explanation of how things work over there. Got a driving lesson afterwards, turning on the wind screen wipers every time I indicated my intended left or right direction which is at least better than ending up on the wrong side of the road. Anyway, later in the afternoon I tagged along with another new comer who was looking for a place to live in down town Wellington... which made me realize that I want to live further out of town. Afterwards I went back to MMC to meet my new colleagues and to say hi to my desk and chair. I think my new noise canceling head phones will come very handy indeed.

On Friday my runner Mat collected me at 10:30 in the morning to see a one bed room apartment in the harbour area, very nice place with a very nice rent as well. Good to have seen the place though, the name of the game for now is to see a few places and see what my money can buy.

Saturday... drove to Seatoun (pronounced Sea-toon), a small water front community on the same pennincula as Miramar. I walked around and made some pictures. It felt very much the same as Avalon Beach in Australia and it might be the place to go for (in terms of housing, which of course is not cheap considering the water front views)

Sunday already... I set up my computer in my hotel room (a colleague was so kind to lend me a LCD screen) and I am back on the internet. There is a web site that is called "TradeMe" which is useful for finding apartments, cars, and what not. I also drove to "Island Bay" which is another water front neighborhood that was recommended to me. On the way back to the hotel I dropped off my time sheet at MMC, handed in the car keys at the hotel reception and had dinner at a Asian restaurant around the corner. Tomorrow is Queens day, a public holiday over here.