Employed!

It’s official! We are now both employed. Ross as an “offsider” (not a bad guy in football, but someone who helps with removals) and I’m a research manager in a market research agency. We’re both happy with our new colleagues and we’re working fairly close together, so we drive to work in the morning together.

The driving has been the biggest challenge for me up to now. Although I’m sticking to major roads to get to work (and really there are only three long roads I need to take) I still have to concentrate hard to make sure I’m in the right lane and don’t miss my exits. There’s lots of traffic, but it moves fast, so timing isn’t a problem. We drive for about 45 minutes in total, including stopping to let Ross out.

I pulled onto the right side of a quiet road yesterday. The shame! The driver coming the other way must’ve thought I was nuts! I messed up a couple of times at right turns – New Zealanders have this crazy rule that someone turning right (i.e. crossing the lane coming the other way) goes before someone in the opposite lane who’s turning into the same street. It makes sense for traffic flow, because the chap turning right doesn’t hold up the traffic for as long, but it’ll take time to get used to.

The right-turn rule, courtesy of www.avalonsguide.com

In Italiano!  Impieghati!

Ross ed io abbiamo dei lavori!  Ross fa il trasloco e io faccio il research manager ad un'agenzia delle ricerche di mercato.  Siamo entrambi contenti con i nostri nuovi colleghi.  Ci andiamo insieme nella nuova macchina.

Giudare e' stato una sfida per me.  C'e' molto traffico e devo concentrarmi molto per non perdermi ne' usare la corsia sbagliata.

Sono uscita sul lato sbagliato della strada ieri - che vergogna!  Il conducente che veniva dall'altra parte mi considera sicuramente pazza!  Hanno inoltre una regola strana di svolgere a destra - non riesco ad abituarmi.

 

The Job Lot

Jobs, or should I say careers, were a big part of the decision to move to New Zealand. Oceania was touted to be weathering the global storm better than most places, and it would certainly have a more modern, merit-based approach to recruitment than Italy.

I don't want to tempt fate by speaking too soon, but I've had a really good interview (my third meeting with a potential employer), and I might soon be a gainfully employed person once more. Relief! Self-worth!

Going out for a pub meal tonight to celebrate with the housemates. Review to follow.

* * *

The Horse and Trap pub just across the trainline in the trendy Mount Eden quarter gets a big thumbs up. Nice terrace, nice atmosphere, and some nice offers to pull you in. The boys had chosen to go there for the Friday night deal of pork ribs for $5 (€2.50 or £2.30) - big bowl of 'em. My pizza was slightly less bargainous, being $17.50 (€9 or £8) (but considerably cheaper than the Italian restaurant the other night which was $24 or €12.30 or £11). It was called:

Grazer - roast red capsicum, garlic, spiced pumpkin, eggplant, topped with mozzarella

and its kind hasn't been seen within the Italian peninsula. In fact, I'm not entirely sure it classifies as a pizza. Was nice though. I can't imagine what our pizzaiolo would say about the so-called:

Italian - chicken, bacon, blue cheese, onion jam

except that it's not. Still, who's complaining? I'm getting used to paying $34 for the absolute cheapest bottle of plonk (which, to be fair, was quite drinkable), when good wine in Italy was easily half that. I guess I should switch back to beer drinking. It's not cheaper, but they do make some great ales here. I enjoyed Monteiths Original.


In Italiano!: Il lavoro
Il lavoro constituiva gran parte della decisione di trasferirci in Nuova Zelanda. Sembrava che si sosteneva meglio nella crisi mondiale, e comunque, l'atteggiamento neozelandese sarebbe sicuramente piu' moderno e piu' basato sul merito di una persona rispetto alla situazione in Italia.
Non voglio parlarne troppo presto, ma sono ottimista di aver trovato un lavoro; ho fatto un buon colloquio. Che solievo! Che ritorno di autostima!
Esco con i coinquilini a festeggiare - commenti sul pub saranno publicati dopo!

* * *

Mi piace la Horse and Trap nel quartiere del momento Mount Eden. E' un ambiente bello con un terrazzo fuori. Ho mangiato una pizza, ma non e' stata per niente come le pizze in Italia. Si chiamava:

Grazer - peperoni rossi arrosti, aglio, zucca speziata, melanzane, mozzarella

In realta', non sono convinta che se la possono chiamare "la pizza". E' stata buona comunque. Non sono sicura che cosa avrebbe detto il nostro pizzaiolo italiano della:

Italian - pollo, pancetta, gorgonzola, confettura di cipolla

a parte che non lo e'.
Il vino piu' economico del pub costava $34 (€17,50), non era male. Al posto del vino dovrei bere la birra. Non e' piu' economica, ma se la fanno bene qui. Mi piace la "Monteiths Original" birra rossa.