Hilary & I went to look at lots of Open Homes at Aotea on Easter Sunday, just to try & work out what you get for your money. After a very few, it was obvious that the finish on some of them was better than I can achieve, my location is all that makes mine potentially worth more. As it has always been, my problem is that I can’t really build a good enough house for the site, but does it matter? A dilemma. We had fun anyway, we really liked a couple of the homes, & learnt that those with ‘cathedral’ ceilings certainly feel bigger, even if they aren’t. Don’t think Golden Homes do any like that though.
All the family except my nephew Adam, who was working, came up for dinner, which Erola had cooked. Fortunately she really enjoys cooking & she’s better than me! I made an Easter Egg hunt for Ali & Junior, since apparently it’s a tradition she wants to keep up, even though she’s grown-up! We went for a walk along the beach (see above), weather still fantastic. Phoned my daughter Emma later, it cost almost £16, must stop it & use email instead. She seems OK about the possibility that I won’t be home till almost Christmas, just worried about the renewal of our rental lease. I’m sure we can sort out something via fax when the time comes. Her new lodger, Paul, arrives next weekend, he will help her financial situation since she can’t afford all the rent on her own.
Despite the fact that Erola said she wanted us to be independent & live our own lives, it is becoming rapidly apparent that she needs me, or at least someone, to talk to. Then Hilary invited just me to a barbecue on Easter Monday, and I think Erola was upset that she wasn’t included. I would have preferred to go to the barbecue early, to sit outside & enjoy this lovely weather which must end soon, but Erola showed me around Paraparaumu and then we both went, ended up not arriving till almost 6.30 (that’s another thing, no 24 hour clocks for Kiwis).
All the family except my nephew Adam, who was working, came up for dinner, which Erola had cooked. Fortunately she really enjoys cooking & she’s better than me! I made an Easter Egg hunt for Ali & Junior, since apparently it’s a tradition she wants to keep up, even though she’s grown-up! We went for a walk along the beach (see above), weather still fantastic. Phoned my daughter Emma later, it cost almost £16, must stop it & use email instead. She seems OK about the possibility that I won’t be home till almost Christmas, just worried about the renewal of our rental lease. I’m sure we can sort out something via fax when the time comes. Her new lodger, Paul, arrives next weekend, he will help her financial situation since she can’t afford all the rent on her own.
Despite the fact that Erola said she wanted us to be independent & live our own lives, it is becoming rapidly apparent that she needs me, or at least someone, to talk to. Then Hilary invited just me to a barbecue on Easter Monday, and I think Erola was upset that she wasn’t included. I would have preferred to go to the barbecue early, to sit outside & enjoy this lovely weather which must end soon, but Erola showed me around Paraparaumu and then we both went, ended up not arriving till almost 6.30 (that’s another thing, no 24 hour clocks for Kiwis).
Did my sums & decided that I can just about afford the ‘Grace’ Golden Home, with a little contingency, so am going for it. After all, it’s what I came to NZ to do. It’s a gamble, but then a lot of things in life are a gamble. I’ll only know in a couple of years if this was the right decision or not. Mine will be the cheapest house on the block, but hopefully the spectacular edifices around will bring it’s price up eventually! My plan is to rent it out when I leave, for hopefully $600 per week, until I come back to NZ at the end of 2009. Then I will live in it for 6 months & then sell it, i.e. mid 2010, & buy a small house back in the U.K. & here if there’s time. Otherwise that will have to wait till I come back in 2011. Long-term plans have a way of being changed by circumstances I know, but those our my thoughts at present. I am using the time here to decide if I really do want to spend half my life on the other side of the world from my children & worse, grandchildren.
Friday was a busy day. After spending several hours on Trademe, the NZ equivalent of ebay, over the past couple of weeks, looking for a car, decided to go for a 1996 Ford Festiva, which has only done 62K & is a one owner NZ car. An awful lot of NZ cars are imported second-hand from Asia, but at least with an NZ car the history can be traced. Kiwis are absolutely no good at keeping service history, it doesn’t seem to be something they do, I guess because they’re so trusting. This car is from a wholesale dealer, & we all know what used car salesmen are like, but am having the car checked out next Monday before I sign on the dotted line. Car has what looks like a Maori logo/decoration on it, from new, so hopefully the ‘bros’ will leave it alone. At least I’ll be able to find it in car-parks!
Also went and signed on the dotted line for the house, deposited $6000, which is for the detailed plans. Can still pull out after they’re done if I change my mind, after that it’s full steam ahead for the build. Their promise is that the house will be completed by 9th October, I’m not holding my breath!
Saturday I had an interesting glimpse of NZ culture, which I’m rapidly coming to appreciate is very different from ours. The Taiko drummers performed at the Kapiti Coast International Food Exchange Day, which took place at Kapiti Primary School. Many ethnic groups were represented, and all sorts of free food was available, which was ‘yummy’, which against my instincts is a word I’m now using to describe food, just like a Kiwi! The Maori presence was very evident, & my sister & I had a discussion about the situation later, & our thoughts about the future. Since 25% of NZ children are Maori, & lots of ‘pakeha’ (European descent) young people are leaving the country because of the low wages here, in a few generations it is possible that NZ will be a very different place, a new South Africa? Food for thought!
There were only about 150 people at the event, but they included the Mayor of Kapiti Coast, Jenny Rowan, the NZ Commissioner for Race Relations, Joris de Bres, & Darren Hughes, who is Deputy Leader of the House, the Minister for Statistics, & the youngest MP, who was 30 today so we all sang Happy Birthday. Only in NZ!
Later Erola, Hilary & I went to see ‘The Bucket List’, a very funny but also tear-jerking film starring Jack Nicholson & Morgan Freeman, I recommend it. The cinema was lovely, all sofas, & only a couple of dollars dearer than a ‘normal’ one. Afterwards Erola came home but I went to Hilary’s for ‘fish and chips’, actually we got a Chinese take-away. Arrived home at about 11:30 at the same time as Erola, who had obviously been out too, don't know where.
Friday was a busy day. After spending several hours on Trademe, the NZ equivalent of ebay, over the past couple of weeks, looking for a car, decided to go for a 1996 Ford Festiva, which has only done 62K & is a one owner NZ car. An awful lot of NZ cars are imported second-hand from Asia, but at least with an NZ car the history can be traced. Kiwis are absolutely no good at keeping service history, it doesn’t seem to be something they do, I guess because they’re so trusting. This car is from a wholesale dealer, & we all know what used car salesmen are like, but am having the car checked out next Monday before I sign on the dotted line. Car has what looks like a Maori logo/decoration on it, from new, so hopefully the ‘bros’ will leave it alone. At least I’ll be able to find it in car-parks!
Also went and signed on the dotted line for the house, deposited $6000, which is for the detailed plans. Can still pull out after they’re done if I change my mind, after that it’s full steam ahead for the build. Their promise is that the house will be completed by 9th October, I’m not holding my breath!
Saturday I had an interesting glimpse of NZ culture, which I’m rapidly coming to appreciate is very different from ours. The Taiko drummers performed at the Kapiti Coast International Food Exchange Day, which took place at Kapiti Primary School. Many ethnic groups were represented, and all sorts of free food was available, which was ‘yummy’, which against my instincts is a word I’m now using to describe food, just like a Kiwi! The Maori presence was very evident, & my sister & I had a discussion about the situation later, & our thoughts about the future. Since 25% of NZ children are Maori, & lots of ‘pakeha’ (European descent) young people are leaving the country because of the low wages here, in a few generations it is possible that NZ will be a very different place, a new South Africa? Food for thought!
There were only about 150 people at the event, but they included the Mayor of Kapiti Coast, Jenny Rowan, the NZ Commissioner for Race Relations, Joris de Bres, & Darren Hughes, who is Deputy Leader of the House, the Minister for Statistics, & the youngest MP, who was 30 today so we all sang Happy Birthday. Only in NZ!
Later Erola, Hilary & I went to see ‘The Bucket List’, a very funny but also tear-jerking film starring Jack Nicholson & Morgan Freeman, I recommend it. The cinema was lovely, all sofas, & only a couple of dollars dearer than a ‘normal’ one. Afterwards Erola came home but I went to Hilary’s for ‘fish and chips’, actually we got a Chinese take-away. Arrived home at about 11:30 at the same time as Erola, who had obviously been out too, don't know where.
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