Still alive and kicking (and selling fruit) in Auckland.

 
Hi, all.  Sorry for the neglect of late.  I've been kicking around Auckland for the past two weeks, and not doing much worth writing home about, so I haven't (written, that is). It also hasn’t helped that I haven’t had regular access to a computer, let alone to the Internet, lately.

Upon returning from Northland, I dropped my laptop off at the Sony repair centre, and within a week the wizards there have apparently replaced my wonky screen. Huzzah! I’m picking it up tomorrow, and I’m very excited.  I’ve missed having it more than I thought I would.

In some (somewhat) exciting news, I bought a car a little over a week ago. It’s my first ever set of wheels, so I was a little nervous about it. Sadly, I have no pictures of it yet, so I can't share its magnificence with you all. Suffice to say it’s a white 1993 Toyota Camry station wagon (sexy!). I also have yet to name it. Suggestions welcome.

After spending all that money, I started to stress about the state of my bank account, so my search for someway to stop the one-way cash flow was intensified.

On Sunday I began another WOOFing (willing workers on organic farms – though the “organic farm” definition is broad at best) gig in a ‘burb of Auckland. Basically, I’m selling fruit out of the back of a van at the side of the road in exchange for room and board in a shared house.  Living the life I tell ya!  

It’s so funny - When I was stressing about buying a car, I told myself I would make a point to avoid driving in the city, avoid driving when roads were busy, and avoid driving any kind of big vehicle.  Here I am now zipping around downtown Auckland in a van during rush hour driving on the left hand side of the road no less.  Nothing like trial by fire to get over your fears.

The house is something I’d never have thought I’d enjoy either.  It’s basically the love child of a hostel and a commune.  There are about twenty of us fruit sellers living under one roof. We share chores, meals, rooms, and all of two toilets.

All things considered, it’s OK. I am decidedly the eldest of the bunch, and at times I feel positively ancient (like when one girl came out wearing a pair of jean overall shorts – shudder – and I commented that I used to have a pair when I was in seventh grade, way back in 1990 or so. “you probably don’t remember much about that year,” I said. She replied that she hadn’t yet been born...ouch.)  But overall, I’m cool with it.  It’s only for another week or so, and I’ve got plans in the city tomorrow and the next day with a friend, so I have some reprieve from it.

Tomorrow I also have an official appointment in the form of a meeting with a recruitment agency that specializes in communications and advertising positions. I’m hoping that they’ll be able to help me find some short-term employment elsewhere than Auckland.

I’ll post again tomorrow to let you know how it went and hopefully I can share some pictures too!

Toodleloo!