I found a little something today that i thought was really neat, and next time i think i don't have time for something, this will ring in my ears...
"I don't have the time...
But time is all you have. It's the one thing we are given to use as we choose. You can spend it in traffic, or watching TV. You can spend it staring at the little video game man who is having more of a life than you are. You can spend it working yourself into a lifeless shell. Or you can spend it on the things you love..."
I read this today, and although wasn't all that keen on how it judged, it did ring true. You can spend it seeing friends, or staying home, or out in the rain, or on a hill top, a beach, a meadow, wherever you deem important. You can use it as you please and it is the one universal entity that is at your complete disposal.
I guess it all comes down to choice, and priorities. We all get 24hrs in a day, and we can choose how to use it. I used to think people who played video games all day were wasting their lives, but now i know that that is their choice. If that is what makes them happy then who i am to say it is a waste. For me, getting out there, in the elements, seeing the sights, feeling the world, that is my choice. And by doing this i have come to the realisation that choice is everyones undeniable right, and that feels quite significant for me.
If it makes you happy, then it is the right thing to do. I always say "Live the Dream", and now i understand that everyones dream is different, diverse, and able to teach others a huge amount. That i like.
Alot.
:)
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
Monday, 26 April 2010
Maybe i just don't get it....
I was at my new job today in the Fruit and Veg department of New World supermarket in Wanaka, and one of my colleagues who has been at the store for maybe more years than is good for her, HEAVILY criticised my stacking of bananas. Apparently i did not get enough out on the shelf, although in my humble opinion, getting 10boxes out on display should give the Wanaka public more than enough choice of which banana they would like.
I then got a 25minute lesson on how to get 12boxes stacked in the same space. I mean i appreciate the assistance, but to go out of your way (and she really did got out of her way) to criticise someone's, quite frankly, novice fruit stacking abilities when they have had no training, or teaching is just a little far fetched for my meager mind obviously.
I took the lesson on board and will endeavor to get 12 boxes out now, but jeez, is life really that important?? Is there not more important things to stress over?
But then again, maybe i just don't get it....
I then got a 25minute lesson on how to get 12boxes stacked in the same space. I mean i appreciate the assistance, but to go out of your way (and she really did got out of her way) to criticise someone's, quite frankly, novice fruit stacking abilities when they have had no training, or teaching is just a little far fetched for my meager mind obviously.
I took the lesson on board and will endeavor to get 12 boxes out now, but jeez, is life really that important?? Is there not more important things to stress over?
But then again, maybe i just don't get it....
Sunday, 25 April 2010
People who know people....
So it's been a while since i last scribed something on here, multiple things have kept me away from computers and civilisation which has been awesome, but now is time for electronic pen to paper.
So i am officially in Wanaka for the Winter Season now. i have a house, a job, money in the bank , a set of skis and new boots, 75cents thermal undies from the local charity shop, but i look out of thw window, and do i see snow??
No. No i do not.
A light dusting hit the tops a couple of days ago, and with the incessant cloud now over Wanaka i have no idea whether it is still there. I hope so and this is the first laying of the winter pack but it may well just melt off in this rain before it can bond.
So whats the crack here? The job hunt went well, i landed various odd jobs through the local job agency, housekeeping and vineyard mostly, and then out of the blue one Tuesday when i was feeling particularly despondent about getting proper work, i got a call from the local supermarket where i had dropped off a CV 2wks previous. They had an opening in the Produce department so i was called in for an informal chat to present myself, and i am happy to say that i must have done a good job as within 4minutes i was ofered the job to start the following monday! Sweet as. Money time!!
With this in mind, i had pretty much run down to my final couple of hundred dollars arriving in Wanaka so i couldn't really afford to leave and travel, as i would miss potential work and be spending with nothing coming in. Bummer situation. But with this job, i was secure in funds coming, so i hopped straight in the van after my interview, and headed off with Emory to Queenstown, Te Anau, and on to Milford Sound on a 5 day trip.
NZ as a whole has been an absolutely incredible trip, but it has been made all the more special by the people i have met, both here and at home, and the people they have been able to put me in contact with.
Thinking back to when i very first arrived in Auckland, i already had a home to stay in for a week with Clare and Tony so nothing to really worry about with the hassle of arriving, finding a place to stay and start from scratch. They gave me such useful hints and tips about how to get the most out of NZ life, and i am so grateful for this awesome start to my trip, it really has transformed it for me. From there, i ran into Luke and Emma from St.Albans whilst downtown in Auckland, and through that i was introduced to Tree, Ian, Sam and Josh. This was very pivotal in my trip as i spent a lot of time with Luke and Emma on trips, and have made friends for life. Tree and Ian were also so good to me, adopting me in and treating me like one of the family, with Sam and Josh like my new little brothers and best friends. From here i went to OPC to work in central North Island, where i met up with Jamie and Mo, friends of one of my mates from North Wales, and who invited me into their home for dinners and took me out kayaking a few times. OPC was a great place to make contacts, and from there i have met many people down the road who have been able to help me out. Also from home, Mike put me in contact with Bron in Wellington, and Kev in Nelson, both of whom were also known to OPC guys.
I stayed with Bron for a night in Wellington before getting the ferry across to the South Island, and was treated to an amazing steak dinner, and a warm family home to relax in for the night. Catching the midnight ferry i arrived into Nelson the following day where i met up with Kev. Again i was put up for the night, and then given keys to the house as Kev was away with work for a few days. Whilst here i went off to hike in Abel Tasman, climb in Takaka, and see the Nelson Lakes National Park. i went back to nelson for a night and spent this again at Kev's place before heading off the next day down the West Coast. Through Kev, i was given information on some great climbing spots along the way, most notably, a phenomenal cornerclimb in Charleston, "The Corner", reputed to be the best Grade 17 in the country, and my my, it was superb.
From here i carried on through down the Coast with Emory towards Wanaka, where i met up with Mike's friend Phil.
Phil deserves a huge mention as he has been so influential in getting me set up here in Wanaka. Arriving here, i spent the afternoon getting a feel for the town then met Phil for a beer, which he insisted on paying for and would not let me get any rounds in. From here we went up to his section of land, about 30mins walk from centre of town, where he said i could park the van for as long as i wanted and would not have any trouble from being moved on (stopping overnight in campervan's is forbidden in Wanaka area, with a community group who feel so strongly about it that they patrol between 3am and 5 am knocking on van windows to move people on...)
From here, i was granted access to Phils workshop to do any maintainance i needed to do, as well as being given the keys to his office downtown, which he told me was at my disposal after office hours, and inside were a shower and laundry facilities, so i was all sorted with somewhere to live, somewhere to wash and clean, and i was also heading into one of the Backpacker hostels in the evening to use kitchen facilities too! My van became a static-but-potentially-mobile bedroom/wardrobe in a field behind the local vets! The field i was parked in was bordered by a couple of houses as it is on outskirts of town and ready to new development prospects. My neighbors, Craig one one side, and Angela and Gareth on the other side, had me into their houses for dinner on a few occasions too, which made a welcome change from either cooking on the back of the van with Emory, or heading to hostels to cook up. Such amazing generosity, which i as yet have not been able to repay, but i shall do as soon as possible.
Also in town, i have met up with a guy who worked with my brother in Wales, 4 years ago. Odd story behind it but basically i handed a CV in at one of the bars and he was working in the kitchen, and upon recognising the name "MASTERMAN" (how many can there be??) he text me to see if i was Stu's brother. meeting up for a few beers i then spent two nights at his house whilst i was getting sorted with a place to live, and also his housemates are high up in Cardrona ski field, the place i want to work for winter, and so i stand a very good chance of getting in there now because of it. Al works in hospitality, and has been in town for 18months, so all the bar staff know him, so by association, they know me, so drinks are rarely paid for, and worst case is two for one! I have already met a few other Cardrona staff through Al so i now have more contacts in the ski fields. Sweet.
Through my new jobs, one of my co-workers had a friend who was after a new house mate, and Nicole thought of me as she knew i was on the hunt. I went round to see the house and it was awesome, modern, huge bedroom, walking distance of town, prime shower, double beds, and a guard dog called "Bones" too :)
It has been an incredible journey so far, and the people i have met have made it that way. By opening my mind to the possibilities of doing this, i have been able to find it. Itineraries have become a thing of the past, plans are loose at best and being the flow, rather than going with the flow have made from some very special memories already.
Things can only get better and better in life from here on in, with meeting more and more people on my journey, and finding the places where that will lead...
So i am officially in Wanaka for the Winter Season now. i have a house, a job, money in the bank , a set of skis and new boots, 75cents thermal undies from the local charity shop, but i look out of thw window, and do i see snow??
No. No i do not.
A light dusting hit the tops a couple of days ago, and with the incessant cloud now over Wanaka i have no idea whether it is still there. I hope so and this is the first laying of the winter pack but it may well just melt off in this rain before it can bond.
So whats the crack here? The job hunt went well, i landed various odd jobs through the local job agency, housekeeping and vineyard mostly, and then out of the blue one Tuesday when i was feeling particularly despondent about getting proper work, i got a call from the local supermarket where i had dropped off a CV 2wks previous. They had an opening in the Produce department so i was called in for an informal chat to present myself, and i am happy to say that i must have done a good job as within 4minutes i was ofered the job to start the following monday! Sweet as. Money time!!
With this in mind, i had pretty much run down to my final couple of hundred dollars arriving in Wanaka so i couldn't really afford to leave and travel, as i would miss potential work and be spending with nothing coming in. Bummer situation. But with this job, i was secure in funds coming, so i hopped straight in the van after my interview, and headed off with Emory to Queenstown, Te Anau, and on to Milford Sound on a 5 day trip.
NZ as a whole has been an absolutely incredible trip, but it has been made all the more special by the people i have met, both here and at home, and the people they have been able to put me in contact with.
Thinking back to when i very first arrived in Auckland, i already had a home to stay in for a week with Clare and Tony so nothing to really worry about with the hassle of arriving, finding a place to stay and start from scratch. They gave me such useful hints and tips about how to get the most out of NZ life, and i am so grateful for this awesome start to my trip, it really has transformed it for me. From there, i ran into Luke and Emma from St.Albans whilst downtown in Auckland, and through that i was introduced to Tree, Ian, Sam and Josh. This was very pivotal in my trip as i spent a lot of time with Luke and Emma on trips, and have made friends for life. Tree and Ian were also so good to me, adopting me in and treating me like one of the family, with Sam and Josh like my new little brothers and best friends. From here i went to OPC to work in central North Island, where i met up with Jamie and Mo, friends of one of my mates from North Wales, and who invited me into their home for dinners and took me out kayaking a few times. OPC was a great place to make contacts, and from there i have met many people down the road who have been able to help me out. Also from home, Mike put me in contact with Bron in Wellington, and Kev in Nelson, both of whom were also known to OPC guys.
I stayed with Bron for a night in Wellington before getting the ferry across to the South Island, and was treated to an amazing steak dinner, and a warm family home to relax in for the night. Catching the midnight ferry i arrived into Nelson the following day where i met up with Kev. Again i was put up for the night, and then given keys to the house as Kev was away with work for a few days. Whilst here i went off to hike in Abel Tasman, climb in Takaka, and see the Nelson Lakes National Park. i went back to nelson for a night and spent this again at Kev's place before heading off the next day down the West Coast. Through Kev, i was given information on some great climbing spots along the way, most notably, a phenomenal cornerclimb in Charleston, "The Corner", reputed to be the best Grade 17 in the country, and my my, it was superb.
From here i carried on through down the Coast with Emory towards Wanaka, where i met up with Mike's friend Phil.
Phil deserves a huge mention as he has been so influential in getting me set up here in Wanaka. Arriving here, i spent the afternoon getting a feel for the town then met Phil for a beer, which he insisted on paying for and would not let me get any rounds in. From here we went up to his section of land, about 30mins walk from centre of town, where he said i could park the van for as long as i wanted and would not have any trouble from being moved on (stopping overnight in campervan's is forbidden in Wanaka area, with a community group who feel so strongly about it that they patrol between 3am and 5 am knocking on van windows to move people on...)
From here, i was granted access to Phils workshop to do any maintainance i needed to do, as well as being given the keys to his office downtown, which he told me was at my disposal after office hours, and inside were a shower and laundry facilities, so i was all sorted with somewhere to live, somewhere to wash and clean, and i was also heading into one of the Backpacker hostels in the evening to use kitchen facilities too! My van became a static-but-potentially-mobile bedroom/wardrobe in a field behind the local vets! The field i was parked in was bordered by a couple of houses as it is on outskirts of town and ready to new development prospects. My neighbors, Craig one one side, and Angela and Gareth on the other side, had me into their houses for dinner on a few occasions too, which made a welcome change from either cooking on the back of the van with Emory, or heading to hostels to cook up. Such amazing generosity, which i as yet have not been able to repay, but i shall do as soon as possible.
Also in town, i have met up with a guy who worked with my brother in Wales, 4 years ago. Odd story behind it but basically i handed a CV in at one of the bars and he was working in the kitchen, and upon recognising the name "MASTERMAN" (how many can there be??) he text me to see if i was Stu's brother. meeting up for a few beers i then spent two nights at his house whilst i was getting sorted with a place to live, and also his housemates are high up in Cardrona ski field, the place i want to work for winter, and so i stand a very good chance of getting in there now because of it. Al works in hospitality, and has been in town for 18months, so all the bar staff know him, so by association, they know me, so drinks are rarely paid for, and worst case is two for one! I have already met a few other Cardrona staff through Al so i now have more contacts in the ski fields. Sweet.
Through my new jobs, one of my co-workers had a friend who was after a new house mate, and Nicole thought of me as she knew i was on the hunt. I went round to see the house and it was awesome, modern, huge bedroom, walking distance of town, prime shower, double beds, and a guard dog called "Bones" too :)
It has been an incredible journey so far, and the people i have met have made it that way. By opening my mind to the possibilities of doing this, i have been able to find it. Itineraries have become a thing of the past, plans are loose at best and being the flow, rather than going with the flow have made from some very special memories already.
Things can only get better and better in life from here on in, with meeting more and more people on my journey, and finding the places where that will lead...
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
Wanaka landings...
So i have arrived in Wanaka, where i plan to make my base for the winter season. The mountains that surround Wanaka are amazing and inspiring. As yet i have not been out ot play but i plan to change that this weekend.
I have been on the hunt for a job since arriving, and at the moment have had no luck. I seem to have arrived a few weeks too early but at least i am here ready for it. I have signed up to help out with a voluntary Easter programme for young kids on the area, i am building dens and scavenger hunting tomorrow, horse riding on thursday and more adventures on friday!
I plan to get myself immersed in the community and know that if i do this, the good grace and opportunities will arise from my input. At the moment, cash is running a little short and the van needs some money spent on it but it will not be long before i can be earning again. I am staying at a friends plot of land, living in the van and i am happy. The sun has shined each day i have been here and i have just found out some climbing goes on very, very close. Also i am looking into getting up into the Alps as the hut access is amazing and it puts me within touching distance of Mt. Aspiring too.
All is well, live is good and it feels great to be alive and be here, living in the now...
I have been on the hunt for a job since arriving, and at the moment have had no luck. I seem to have arrived a few weeks too early but at least i am here ready for it. I have signed up to help out with a voluntary Easter programme for young kids on the area, i am building dens and scavenger hunting tomorrow, horse riding on thursday and more adventures on friday!
I plan to get myself immersed in the community and know that if i do this, the good grace and opportunities will arise from my input. At the moment, cash is running a little short and the van needs some money spent on it but it will not be long before i can be earning again. I am staying at a friends plot of land, living in the van and i am happy. The sun has shined each day i have been here and i have just found out some climbing goes on very, very close. Also i am looking into getting up into the Alps as the hut access is amazing and it puts me within touching distance of Mt. Aspiring too.
All is well, live is good and it feels great to be alive and be here, living in the now...
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