It's hard to believe that it's been almost a month since I returned to New Zealand after my brief Canadian trip. Upon arriving back in the land of kiwis, I spent the next four days mostly horizontal, battling through a haze jet lag mixed with a strong shot of a sinus cold. On the fifth day, I woke up out of my dreamlike and confused state, and stepped back into my life in New Zealand. It's a good thing too, because it seems that so much has happened since.
May 11th marked our fourth month of life at the bottom of the world, and proved to be one of the most significant months so far. First of all, autumn had turned to winter. Of course, I use the word winter in more of a relative sense than an accurate one, as that's what Kiwis on the North Island like to call weather that dips below 10 degrees Celsius. The beginnings of " winter" have been somewhat of a comical and backwards experience for us. For the first time in our lives, due to the lack of central heating and insulation, winter means its the time of year when you are generally colder inside than you are out. That is, of course, if you actually chose to exchange your shorts and jandals (sandals) for, a pair of pants and closed toe shoes. Which oddly enough, a high percentage of kiwis chose not to. The whole thing is an especially odd experience for two Canadians, have spent their entire lives adapting and dressing for different types weather. Instead of being prepared and dressing for the elements, the kiwi mentality seems to aim at ignoring the cold in hopes that it will just go away. It becomes even more comical, when almost every patient comes into my office asking" you must find this so cold!" as though I was from someplace that was known for its hot summers rather than its cold winters. We have come to realise just how tough Canadians really are.
The seasons have continued to change in life as well. Much to Huff's strong disapproval, Trent's five month summer vacation has finally come to an end. Having picked up his first consulting job, Trent has found himself helping the New Zealand Parliament plan for the worst, and hoping that the bottom doesn't drop out when that earthquake/tsunami/flood comes to town. This is also well known as Emergency Management and Business Continuity, which you might recall, used to be Trent's job for the Canadian Government. Let's hope the bottom doesn't drop out there either.
The beginning of winter has also brought us a new sense of comfort and recognition in the community we live in. We are quickly losing our sense of anonymity and slowly becoming recognised as locals. We now know by name, and have regular and meaningful conversations with some amazing people who make our little community tick.
There's Corban the amazing barista who runs The Kapiti Coffee Company, and in our opinion, makes the best coffee in town. No Starbucks rush speed at this cafe, Corban makes each cup of delicious coffee individually and with the finest precision, while getting to know his customers. Then there is Stuart, the butcher who prepares Huff's raw dog food on special order at a really great value. There's Matt and the team at On Yer Bike, who wave and give you a big welcoming smile every time we come into the shop, and who continue to help us get to get from point A to point B on our bikes. And then there is Mark, who recently opened Antoinette's, where he makes some of the most delicious gourmet pizza and pastries in Paraparaumu Beach, and welcomes us by name each time we stop in to pick up an order.
Then of course there is Chris, our funny and motivating trainer who runs the Kapiti Crossfit gym. I'm not sure if its Chris's dry English humour, or his ability to make you want to puke after each intense work out that he dishes up, but he keeps us coming back for more. Somewhere in between the sweat and grunting, we have also found some new friends through the small group workouts at the Crossfit gym and have broadened our community circle that much more.
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| Some of our new friends (aren't they good looking?) |
Huff has quickly become one of the most popular dogs on the local beach, making friends wherever she goes, and introducing us to their owners. I often wonder how we met our neighbours before we had a dog, as it often seems that at least half the people we know we met because of Huff. Huff's long list of friends include a yellow lab named Gus, three black labs named T-Bone, Marlo, and Travis, a staffie named Bella, and countless others. It is amazing to see how comfortable she has become here, running up to the owners of her dog friends on the beach and greeting them with a "arroo roo" or a kiss. She even lets them pet her on the head, which is a long shot from the timid dog we first met a year and a half ago. While the process of getting Huff to New Zealand may have been stressful and scary for all involved, her happiness, and the love she adds to our daily lives has proved the work of getting her here to be 100% worth it.
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| Huff, Bella and TBone |
In fact, It was Huff's friendship with the doggy duo team of Bailey and Elvis, who introduced us to our first friends in New Zealand. Originally from England, Kim and Andy moved to New Zealand with their son Harry four years ago. After meeting Kim on the beach, we accepted an invite for drinks at their home, which ironically was just down the street from ours. We immediately realised we had so many things in common; our love of food and wine, music and animals, and seemingly hit it off right away. We have gotten together a couple of times since, and while our friendship is still quite fresh, their warm, fun, and inviting nature give us the sense that there will be many more bottles of wine and walks with the dogs to be shared.
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| View from our Sunday walk on the Waikane River |
Though the air around us continues to get colder, our kiwi life seems to only get warmer. There is something to be said about living in a community where you know your neighbours and the people who make your world work. It may not be flashy and filled with skyscrapers, but living in small town New Zealand has started to break down the protective walls that years of living in a big city had built up. Breaking down these walls has led to a new building of genuine relationships that have broadened our experience, and love for our new community.While they may have a distorted understanding of dealing with the cold, the welcoming and easygoing mentality of the kiwi character has made us feel less like outsiders and more at home with each coming week.
Kia Ora
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kia_ora
