The YEAR after TODAY

Today is the 31st of December 2012. The so-called apocalypse around the world, failed to take place on the 21st of December. Well, damn the Mayans, but life goes on.

It has been a solid 6 months since my backpacking trip from NZ. Time flies, but the enjoyable moments and sweet memories have still remained. A month later after coming back from the Land of Kiwi, and after a few rounds of edgy interviews, I've finally found myself setting foot in a chip making industry, kicking off a hectic working life as an engineer in this multinational corporation.

It wasn't really that hard. Well, that was my first thought. And that thought did not last very long, for I had to ramp up pretty fast on the demanding and challenging side of the job. Acclimatizing to the company's "modus operandi" and environment itself has been quite an arduous task. Occasionally, I was really struggling my way through as there were inevitably new stuffs to handle on everyday. But nonetheless, I'm grateful to have a group of colleagues with their eagerness and willingness to help me out in every way they can.

The year after today - what would it be?
 
Five months weren't a short period of time, neither long as well. Learning things in a difficult way can make one grows really fast, yet it is the hardest lesson to learn. Only by steering clear from the comfort zones and getting the hands dirty create the opportunities for building a successful path. Although there is still a long, treacherous route ahead, times maybe erratic with unforeseen circumstances, I still believe by remaining stoic wielded with a sheer determination, it will get me through this. After all, the best teacher in the world comes from experience...........


New Year, New Resolutions, Happy 2013!! 

Chapter 10 - E noho rā (Goodbye).......

Hooray! Finally, we had come to the end of kiwi season, a sign to stop work and travel again, but we’ll soon have to part with our money again. Sheesh…However, the feeling of being able to be on the move again is simply sensational! The reason being simple - GETTING OUTTA HERE!! The longer I stayed here, the crazier I would be. Living with a bunch of selfish and unsound people is not just plain uncomfortable, it's a mental torment!! Day-by-day, you would have to face with these people who don't seemed to understand the meaning of give and take. But......it's over now. Thank goodness!

Our first destination was Taupo. But before we reached our pre-booked hostel, we had a few stopovers at several tourist attractions (Mamaku Blue, Agrodome and Wai-o-Tapu) for some shopping spree! Nah……most of the stuffs were mainly gifts and souvenirs for friends and family, but we did reserve some for ourselves too. After checking into the hostel, we had a real good rest. It felt great to be able to sleep on a single bed in a warm, cozy room, once again!

We had a great start on the very next day, with a cool and sunny weather. We arrived at Huka Falls and were greeted by the navy-colored water gushing through the river. The fall was actually a pretty low one. Amazingly, the flow was able to fill in an Olympic-sized swimming pool every minute! Cool! We stayed there for quite some time capturing almost every lookout with the best angles. Then, we moved on to Huka Honey Hive which was situated a short distance away to have some free tastings of a wide variety of honey. Well, we did not buy any of the honey, because they were somewhat relatively more expensive, as we thought. So, we headed back to the Town Centre and had our picnic lunch overlooking the great Lake Taupo (the size of Singapore). The surrounding view was not as spectacular as that of other lakes in South Island, but it was still equally stunning with a touch of winter season. We had our final stop at Taupo Bungy before heading back to our hostel as the temperature was dropping instantaneously. Oh…...by the way, we did not make any jump…… :p

Our journey continued towards the west to the Waikato region, where the infamous Waitomo Caves were located. We booked tickets to two caves, namely the Glowworm Cave and Ruakuri Cave. The latter was stunningly more beautiful than the former, although we expected it to be the opposite. We decided to skip another cave, the Aranui Cave because its main attraction was the formation of stalactites and stalagmites, which was nothing unusual. The Glowworm Cave was some disappointment. It wasn’t as spectacular as publicized. We got to sit in a raft that brought us down the path of river, looking up the worms (larvae to be exact) hanging above which resembled stars in the sky. Most probably the worms were in their hibernating mode, causing their glow to be dimmer than usual. The guide gave some explanation though it was quite boring at times. All in all, there was really nothing much to see. On the contrary, the lighting used in Ruakuri Cave sort of “energized” the cave, making the stalactites and stalagmites more striking and attractive.

En route to Auckland, we had a stopover at Hamilton Garden, where arrays of great garden landscapes were displayed. The Paradise Collection encompassed the Chinese Scholars Garden, the Te Parapara, the Indian Char Bagh Garden, the Italian Renaissance Garden, the English Flower Garden, the American Modernist Garden and the Japanese Garden of Contemplation. Most of them were pretty well-maintained, but due to the fact that it was winter season, only a small collection of flowers were still blooming, while most of them had withered. We stayed there for a few hours taking hundreds of snapshots of those beautiful backdrops, with some witty poses before having our lunch at KFC. Hmm….the set lunch servings were quite large and it costs only $5, which was considered very cheap.  

The time has finally come. Oh……No….No….No…… We are not leaving yet. Our most anticipated activity throughout this whole working holiday thing was just about to begin. This would definitely be the most extreme adventure I’ll ever attempt in my life (I guess this might be the last @@). I’m talking about the ultimate experience of SKYDIVING!! I was wondering how the hell I managed to scrape out that tiny bit of courage to jump from the plane. The weather was really fine on that day but it was cold. Three of us hopped on to the airfield where the skydiving company is located. After a short briefing (that was when I started to get a little bit nervous), we were all geared up with the apparel and entered the plane. There was too little time to be afraid at the instance before we jumped off. It all happened in a jiffy. The moment you sat on the edge of the door, the instructor started to shove him/herself out of the plane and you were like………well, freefalling! Gosh, the adrenalin was pumping so fast and blood was gushing through the brain at terminal velocity. The first few seconds were great. But eventually, my ears started ringing and popping due to sudden pressure drop, and started to get slightly dizzy when the parachute was opened. It was tossing and turning in 360^o. Phew! Luckily I didn’t throw out in mid-air. Hahaha….

We finally arrived in Central Auckland after buying some honey from the Honey Centre in Warkworth. Yup, honey sells like hot cake in NZ, especially their Manuka Honey, which is good for health and curing flu. Again, we were buying loads of them after buying tons of Whittaker’s chocolates previously. All in the name of SOUVENIRS!! This was our third time checking in at Auckland, which was also our final destination in New Zealand, marking the end of our working holiday trip. There were plenty of things to settle and most of our time was spent doing that. But fortunately, lady luck was with us as we managed to sell of our “priceless” wagon to a Japanese girl via a friend. That eventually gave us a sign of relief as the biggest burden was finally gotten rid. So, we had more time to walk and look around in the CBD. Then again, it’s all about searching for souvenirs, more souvenirs!! And that’s how we ended up at Queen St, the heart of Auckland. The street was packed with people, but most of them were Chinese immigrants, especially those selling NZ souvenirs. It totally felt like walking on the streets of Hong Kong. Anyway, our days in Auckland was kind of devastating as showers were pouring throughout the week endlessly, making it difficult to step out from our hostel. However, we still managed to brace through the drizzle to catch a glimpse of the scenery at Viaduct Harbour, Princes Wharf, Queens Wharf, and of course the Sky Tower.

 We also spared some time to pop into the International Buddhist Trust (Fo Guang Shan Temple) - the largest Buddhist temple in the country, with ancient China architectural and design and a beautiful garden landscape. The last attraction was the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT). We jumped at the opportunity to visit it as the entrance is free for the whole month of June. Otherwise, I guessed I wouldn’t be willing to walk for about 50 minutes to and fro in the cold and pay for the entrance, just to see some antiques!! But there were still pretty lots of things to see there and time was barely enough for us. As sun was setting in, we hurriedly head back to our hostel before it gets too dark.

 

Finally, it is time to say goodbye. Seven months of remarkable journey on a stranger’s land, not knowing what was ahead of us, haven’t got a clue how it would end. It was not an easy task. We had bumps and obstacles that thwarted our way, but we still embraced them together and persevered towards the finishing line. We’ve met some people; some became our friends, others were just passer-by. We shared our fun and laughter, ups and downs, tears and fears, and these will definitely serve a lasting memory for us. Thanks to my friends who had made this journey a wonderful and memorable one!! Things would never be the same without you, girls!!

 

Chapter 9 - D.E.S.P.I.C.A.B.L.E.

Our landlady was very much an ardent story-teller. Lots of juicy gossips and grandfather’s stories waiting to be told each day, although certain times, they were kind of repetitive. Nevertheless, she did some narration on her background and family. She moved in to NZ with her family a few years back and became a PR after two years running a not-so-profitable restaurant. After shutting down the restaurant, they survived by working as seasonal workers in packhouses, for they were English illiterate. But alas, her husband just passed away a few months ago and sadly to say, she had to take over the role as a sole breadwinner in the house, despite the fact that she had two sons. Her eldest son is slightly feeble-minded and very much dependent on her to look after him. After the termination of thinning job in the orchard, all he did was lie on the couch, staring at the idiot box, eat, sleep and these goes on every day. Her youngest son went back to China to get married, went for honeymoon and squandered away thousands of her hard-earned money.  Now, she was temporary out of job as there were no more vacancies available and therefore depended heavily on our rental fees and funds from social welfare to sustain these days, which also explain why she can be so frugal at times! But I do have some respect for her as she managed to put up with the unforeseen circumstances and remained optimistic and stoic despite the harsh times she had to endure.

Err……..That was then.

Many things had changed since she broke her right index and middle fingers while using the lawnmower and need to undergo surgery to have them reattached. We unwittingly became her “maid”, helping her to do some household chores and cooked for her. Well, we really didn’t ask for anything in return, but her eldest son is living in the house too, remember? Just a simple act of vacuuming the floor also he cannot perform. In the end, we, the tenants have to do all those stuffs for them. Does this really make any sense? She got paid by us and we still had to do the housework!! Phwaaaar………….Better than maid lahhhhh!! Her second son will be back from honeymoon, and we thought that things will turn out right when the newly-weds take over the jobs. However, we got a big shock of our lives when we first met the couple. The “wife” is like a little kiddo trapped inside a woman’s body, simply childish. In just a few days, the whole house had turned upside down and the place was in a mess. It was very annoying especially when she screamed and guffawed nonsensically with her piercing and flirtatious voice during morning hours when people are still sleeping away. Hello, we are working night shift okay? We finally managed to tell her off and she immediately silenced down thereafter till now. It works! It actually works! Haha… We thought that every cloud has a silver lining. Who would have guessed that when the cat has been tamed, there is still a wild tiger waiting to pounce on you?

This is now. 

My respect for the landlady a.k.a. the tiger had since subsided and had turned into hatred as she began to show her true colour of using people in times of need, and disposing them off when not in use. Whenever she required your help, mostly in terms of transport and communication purposes, she would treat you nicely, smiled at you, and talked to you in a very cordial and well-mannered way. After achieving her main goals, she would just chuck you away like an old piece of junk, not even a slightest bit of gratitude or acknowledgement. If you rejected her requests, she wouldn’t speak even a word or greet you. Sometimes, she would tell you a story and the very next time, she would tell a complete different version of the story. Talk about a two-faced hypocrite, she deserves this “title” more than anyone we knew! Ten years in NZ, she cannot even speak a word of English! The same goes to her sons. Is getting a PR in NZ so damn lenient that it doesn’t require the migrant to be equipped with at least Standard English proficiency? Can someone really survive in a native Angmoh speaking country without knowing Angmoh? How the hell she did it? You guess it - Thick-skin and selfishness. She never felt ashamed for bugging around asking for assistance and causing trouble to other people. She was fortunate because her friends (and tenants) are sincere enough to lend a hand. I really hoped she wouldn’t treat her friends as a “tool” as they are earnest in helping her out.

She is a Christian. Can you believe it? But her main purpose of going to the church is not for prayer. Remember that I mentioned she brought us to collect some free bread in the church? Well, we only took the amount that is sufficient for us. On the other hand, she took more than what she can eat and stored the rest in the freezer. To our horror, the whole freezer was packed with bread; some might have even been kept for several months!! Her greedy character also made her stocked up lots of vegetables which in the end will rot and be thrown away. I couldn’t figure out what kind of mentality is that but it is surely a disgusting act for wastage of the food when there are people who are still starving in this world. Just a word of advice: If you have two loaves of bread, sell one and buy a lily.  Another thing was that she kept asking us to bring back kiwifruits for her. Boxes after boxes we have brought back, but she insisted for more even though there are tons of it still left intact in the garage. She would sort out the good fruits and keep for herself, while the bad ones will be “donated” back to us or to the church. How “noble” that is!! She thought she had done a good deed but that will only demoralized herself.

That wasn’t the worst. Then and again, she loves to enter our rooms while we are away to work just to open the windows. We had to endure the chillness lingering in our rooms when we came back from work in the dusk. The weather is turning cold, yet she still refuse to start the fireplace. Fine, we told her off and she stopped opening the windows, yet she still keeps entering our rooms while we are gone. For whaaaaat???? Is that legal??? She could actually be sued for trespassing!! We paid the rent and reserved the right to have our own privacy. Finally, we discovered that she had been scouting around our kiwifruits and actually stole them while we were away. Phwaaaar……………Damn ridiculous right? Stealing kiwifruits!! You’ll laugh until you roll down from your bed onto the floor, and then keep rolling some more. The moment you’ll stop laughing is only when you bang your head onto the wall. She thought we are fools who hailed from Timbuktu and would never discover the truth is it? But the fact is you don’t need a genius to catch a rat! Behaving like a thief in her own house is really condemning and humiliating. I thought I would take pity on her for having pampered, useless sons that can’t even manage the humblest thing on earth – taking care of the family. But right now, that’s a complete different story. 

I shunned to contemplate of what more else will happen in this very house, with a stingy, greedy and selfish landlady, who never had a sense of appreciation for all that we have done for her! We trusted her but she chose to betray our trust. This is a wicked realm full of sly people ready to swoop you up the moment you let your guards down. You just have to be shrewd enough but at the same time, keep your conscience clear. She’s doing it all the wrong way, probably nobody taught her to differentiate between right and wrong. It is such a pity. However, I’ve learnt a few good lessons. Experience is always a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards. Luckily, we just lost some kiwifruits. Hahahahaha…..Who the hell on earth would be so interested in stealing fruits?? Oh yea…………you’ve got one here. LOL! Hopefully, we could just hang on for another month’s time, then it will be all for good, again. 

How despicable!! Period.

Chapter 8 - Kiwi ... Kiwi ... Kiwi ...

Kiwi, by definition, is a type of flightless bird found native in NZ, and only in NZ. The people of NZ are also known as Kiwis. On the other hand, the most popularly known kiwi refers to a type of fruit. And here we are in the Kiwifruit Capital of the World – Te Puke, again. This time, we will be staying here for at least three months, until the kiwi harvest season is over. 

We had finally moved into our newly rented rooms. Although the landlady can be quite nagging at times, and is particularly thrifty, undeniably, she is quite knowledgeable in certain aspects. She brought us to collect pipi (a type of shellfish) at Papamoa Beach and to a church in Greerton, where we swept off some free breads and buns, which lasted us about one week. 

Work has not yet commenced, not till end of March, as we anticipated. We had gone through an induction programme, where newly employed seasonal workers were trained, assessed and have fingerprints scanned into their system. That simply means we are hired for sure but it’s pretty appalling we still have another one to two weeks to wait! Gosh…time doesn’t seemed to fly here anyhow. In fact, it’s moving at a snail’s pace. Booooooorrrrrrrring…… Te Puke is not a big town anyway. The most significant tourist attraction is the Kiwi 360, a complex with a café and a souvenir shop, and it offers tour to their kiwifruit orchard with their Kiwikart. This place is easily noticed with a giant kiwifruit as its landmark. There is no way we can leave this town and travel to other places at the moment, because we are actually running out of cash. Rentals are pretty expensive in this area, especially during this season. So, I’m keeping my fingers cross again this time around that work will start soon, and I mean real soon!!!!

25^th March, a long-waited day, as work has finally commenced. Woohoo~~ We were pretty glad to hear this good news as some of us were already “dried up” in the pocket. As the saying goes, “No bees, no honey; no work, no money”. However, the work was inconsistent for the time being as most of the kiwifruits were still young due to late harvest this year. We were positioned as graders, the people who picked up the rotten and damaged fruits from the good ones. Sounds easy huh? Not so when there are about 170 -200 kiwis rolling down per minute. To aggravate that, we need to scrutinize for punctures which was so teeny tiny that without good concentration and eyesight, one just simply can’t do the job properly. As a first timer, it was tough but we soon acclimatized to it. The one thing that keeps me perky in the workplace is of course the money, free snacks and not to forget, free kiwifruits up for grabs! Most of them are still in good conditions despite several punctures, mold, stains, blemishes, Hayward hooks and awkwardly-shaped fruits.  

Thanks to our on and off work, we finally couldn’t get ourselves imprisoned within this four-sided wall rooms anymore. It’s time to work out some activity. First, we went to Maketu, a small town along the Bay of Plenty coastline and gathered some mussels in the estuary. On another day, our landlady brought us to a place where chestnut trees were blossoming in Welcome Bay. Then a few days later, we found ourselves landing at Mount Maunganui, again. This time, we climbed up towards the summit to catch a glimpse of the sunset. The hike and the wait were worthwhile as it was mesmerizing and the fine weather made it all even more picturesque and stunningly beautiful. Most of the time, still, we had to stay in because there was just no other places to go to. I mean there were many but it would be quite some distances away. Then and again, we were kind of tight at the moment, so, back to staring at the “screens”. 

 

We had been working in the packhouse for one month, without realizing time had passed by so fast. We had the opportunity to grade a new variety of kiwifruit, the Sweet Green. Work schedule had yet to be stable as it is too weather-dependent so our work is still on and off. That one thing gives us the opportunity to go downtown – Rotorua. This region is famous for its geothermal activity and one can identify it by the smell of rotten egg (hydrogen sulphide) upon reaching the area. There are several hot spots including geysers, hot springs and mud pools, which made it popular for spa rejuvenation and therapy. Our journey began all the way to Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Wonderland. There are three main features located sparsely around the area, which encompasses the Lady Knox Geyser, the Thermal Area and the Mud Pool. After buying the tickets at the visitor centre, we had a 3-minute drive towards the Lady Knox Geyser which is set to erupt daily at 10.15 am. After a brief introduction by a staff member, he popped in a surfactant into the cavity of the white-cone shaped geyser and foam began to bubble out. Soon after, eruptions took place causing jets of water shot up high, leaving the audience observed in awe. The mechanism of the eruptions is due to the breakage of the surface tension of cold water by the surfactant, causing a mixture with the hotter water below. 

Next, we went back to the Thermal Area that encompasses volcanic craters, coloured pools, sulphur caves, steaming grounds, geysers and other geothermal landscapes. Several more prominent attractions include the Artist’s Palette, Devil’s Bath, Oyster Pool and the most appealing highlight of them all – the Champagne Pool. The hot spring contains distinctive orange-coloured precipitates of elements and minerals (mostly arsenic and antimony) around the edge. In addition, the hot CO₂ gas steaming off it offers a paradise-like feeling, and gives sufficient warmth in the midst of the cold weather, which made us kind of refused to budge for quite some time! After spending about two hours revelled in the sensational God’s creations, we moved on to another site where the bubbling mud pools were located. The slogan of NZ’s most colourful geothermal area definitely lives up to its name. 

 

Before heading back to Te Puke, we had a short stopover at the Rotorua Museum located in the Government Gardens. Since we are not that interested with the history and art thing, we just took a few snapshots around the vicinity. Coincidentally, there was a marathon taking place and the finishing point happened to be in the gardens. So, some areas were cordoned off. But we still had some great shots of the red and yellow colour turning leaves, showing signs of autumn setting in.