Back in the City of the Future.
So finally I was back in Hamilton. I was pleasantly surprised to discover in the 5 months I had been away from home that Hamilton’s traffic problems had been solved by the changes and improvements they had been doing on the roads. The only thing left to fix in Hamilton’s infrastructure now is the access between the Eastside and the City, but I don’t live on the East side of the river, so Im not so fussed.
So of course it was back to business, trying to find some temporary work, looking into my visa for the UK, and sorting out finishing off my Te Reo course.
I ended up after not having much luck with other recruitment agencies, finding some work at a Meat Works in Te Aroha through Allied Workforce. And I managed to get hold of someone who could help me at Te Wananga O Aotearoa, and resumed my classes.
After about 2 weeks of doing my classes, one weekend, on the Friday night I spent at the Marae on the campus, in which time I managed to catch up the lessons I had missed. Early the next day, my teacher and I headed out to Kawhia, where we learnt about the Marae (Maketu) that is where the Tainui Canoe landed, and is currently buried, which was pretty cool. So we stayed the night there, and then got home about 11am on Sunday. When I got home, I decided that I had enough time to shoot up to Auckland and go to Big Boys Toys, because I really wanted to go, and had promised myself I would this year (I hadn’t been since 2005) after not going last year. It was alright, but not the same as last time. Noticeably less girls and freebies.
Working at the meatworks took a little bit to get used to – mainly the 4am wake ups. The first day I wasn’t sure if I could stomach it, but I think it was because I didn’t get to eat much breakfast, or get lunch until I got home. Anyhow, I ended up quite liking it. I ended up with a bit of a cold, but didn’t think much of it until early one Saturday morning I woke up with really sore glands under my arms, so I went to the A & E once it got to a decent hour, and mentioned that I was working at a Meat Works (in our induction they said we should mention this so they test for Leptospirosis) so they sent me for a blood test.
The following Thursday, once my cold seemed much better, the clinic called me and mentioned that I had tested positive for Leptospirosis. It is a notifiable disease, which basically means the Ministry of Health contacts you and asks you some questions, because it is quite rare, and possibly quite harmful. I was lucky, as it turns out I mustn’t have got a bad case of it. However, I ended up having 3 days off work anyway, which allowed me to sort out my visa application for the UK, and get a UK bank account sorted too, and finish my Christmas shopping. When I went back to work it was kind of nice, as word had gotten around that I had got it, so I was semi-famous. I wasn’t quite so positive about working there as I was before, knowing that I had contracted a potentially harmful disease from it. Anyhow, I’m all OK, so no need to worry.
So, we worked Monday, and then Tuesday I went to Auckland and got my Biometrics done for my visa application (fingerprints scanned, and photo taken) and sent the application off the next day.
Christmas day was had at home in Hamilton, we had to go and pick up my Grandmother up from the hospital, and when we got home my Cousins had arrived, so it was all good. After a good NZ BBQ Christmas lunch, we headed off to Papamoa, where I am now.
Boxing day was basically spent shopping, as I made the most of the Boxing day specials, including getting a full-body wetsuit for cheap. Other than that I’ve just been walking, and doing a bit of reading.
So of course it was back to business, trying to find some temporary work, looking into my visa for the UK, and sorting out finishing off my Te Reo course.
I ended up after not having much luck with other recruitment agencies, finding some work at a Meat Works in Te Aroha through Allied Workforce. And I managed to get hold of someone who could help me at Te Wananga O Aotearoa, and resumed my classes.
After about 2 weeks of doing my classes, one weekend, on the Friday night I spent at the Marae on the campus, in which time I managed to catch up the lessons I had missed. Early the next day, my teacher and I headed out to Kawhia, where we learnt about the Marae (Maketu) that is where the Tainui Canoe landed, and is currently buried, which was pretty cool. So we stayed the night there, and then got home about 11am on Sunday. When I got home, I decided that I had enough time to shoot up to Auckland and go to Big Boys Toys, because I really wanted to go, and had promised myself I would this year (I hadn’t been since 2005) after not going last year. It was alright, but not the same as last time. Noticeably less girls and freebies.
Working at the meatworks took a little bit to get used to – mainly the 4am wake ups. The first day I wasn’t sure if I could stomach it, but I think it was because I didn’t get to eat much breakfast, or get lunch until I got home. Anyhow, I ended up quite liking it. I ended up with a bit of a cold, but didn’t think much of it until early one Saturday morning I woke up with really sore glands under my arms, so I went to the A & E once it got to a decent hour, and mentioned that I was working at a Meat Works (in our induction they said we should mention this so they test for Leptospirosis) so they sent me for a blood test.
The following Thursday, once my cold seemed much better, the clinic called me and mentioned that I had tested positive for Leptospirosis. It is a notifiable disease, which basically means the Ministry of Health contacts you and asks you some questions, because it is quite rare, and possibly quite harmful. I was lucky, as it turns out I mustn’t have got a bad case of it. However, I ended up having 3 days off work anyway, which allowed me to sort out my visa application for the UK, and get a UK bank account sorted too, and finish my Christmas shopping. When I went back to work it was kind of nice, as word had gotten around that I had got it, so I was semi-famous. I wasn’t quite so positive about working there as I was before, knowing that I had contracted a potentially harmful disease from it. Anyhow, I’m all OK, so no need to worry.
So, we worked Monday, and then Tuesday I went to Auckland and got my Biometrics done for my visa application (fingerprints scanned, and photo taken) and sent the application off the next day.
Christmas day was had at home in Hamilton, we had to go and pick up my Grandmother up from the hospital, and when we got home my Cousins had arrived, so it was all good. After a good NZ BBQ Christmas lunch, we headed off to Papamoa, where I am now.
Boxing day was basically spent shopping, as I made the most of the Boxing day specials, including getting a full-body wetsuit for cheap. Other than that I’ve just been walking, and doing a bit of reading.
posted by J T at 1:50 pm
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