For my Uncle

This post is to remember my Uncle Lyle, who passed away on Friday in Canada.

My Uncle Lyle is someone in my family who I wish I could have gotten to know better through the years, but circumstances stood in the way of this. I always remembered being younger and getting the odd phonecall for my Dad from Uncle Lyle, he would ask how I was doing and chat it up before I passed the phone on.

During recent years, I got to see Uncle Lyle more, although his health wasn't doing so well. Sometimes he was working with Dad and I even remember him helping Dad put together the custom computer desk at my place.

I have this jewelry box at home that he made for me, and Alisha has a matching one. I would never get rid of it, it's a beautiful box, and it means so much more to me since he made it.

My last memory of Uncle Lyle is that of my going-away to NZ party... the first of my favorite moments of the night was Kiwi making "mini Guiness" shots and him, me, Dad and Uncle Lyle all had one together. The picture is quite funny as Uncle Lyle is almost sipping it, Dad's already downed the whole thing. I think Kiwi was right on his heels, and I'm doing what Uncle Lyle is doing.

But my most favorite memory of that night was the fireworks. I got called outside by my Dad and Kiwi and Uncle Lyle had a surprise for me. He had gotten some fireworks... roman candles, sparkly things and the like and set them off for me for my going-away. It was so cool at the time, and now that I think about it, a really great memory to have. He was smiling like a little kid and I am so happy for that memory.

In closing, although I do not wish to publicize the situation surrounding his passing, I do wish to tell everyone that you all need to hold family dear. This is the first time this has happened to me, and it is extremely hard to deal with. Although I have experienced death in my family before, nothing like this and no one as close as my Uncle.

I hope you have found your peace, Uncle Lyle. We all love and miss you very much.

Worky time!

So for all of you who do not have me on Facebook, I now have a job. Albeit, a temporary one... it's a reception job for the nation's second-largest telecom, called Telstraclear. I am currently the frontdesk receptionist. So basically, I get to come to work dressed up and in heels, answer phones, check in visitors for meetings with all sorts of higher-ups, help out with some computer stuff and sit on Facebook and Yahoo news, etc. all day long. My days are 9.5 hours long, and it is a beautiful building with a huge atrium and a fountain... nice.

As far as interacting wtih the visitors/employees... I have had many different occasions in which I have been asked where I am from, and that I have a "beautiful accent". LOL. I have been asked multiple times where my accent is from and its such a trip being from Canada/North America that we are not used to being asked that! There is a guy here from Texas, although his Texan accent has a Kiwi drawl to it now... and he is really nice. We are "team North America" and we get along quite well. He even said how awesome Canada did for ice hockey in the Olympics, even though he's bitter about the USA losing. *hahaha*

And today I got told I'm an awesome receptionist and they never woulda guessed that I am only a temp... that they thought I would have been here for months. Aww... made me feel good!

So other than sitting all day kinda hurts the bum.. it's been good. Can't complain, its good money. (Although I am driving FAR to get here!)

Hmm... Kiwi isn't here so how about I will put a Kiwi word of the day I hear here ALL the time: CHEERS. I'm starting to use it now. Someone's going native. ;)

New Zealand sure has interesting signs!

This sign is on most garbage cans near beaches. I saw my first one in Kawakawa bay, but this one was on Eastern Beach.

I think basically it proves that New Zealand doesn't subscribe to the North American "PC" culture. And it's funny!

A lot of TV commercials are like that, as well as news reports and print ads. One news report that I was shocked at was a description of a criminal as "fat build". LOL... in Canada it wouldn't be like that!

Kiwi's Kiwi word of the day: MACCA'S. It means: McDonalds. :P (It's even used in actual McDonald's ads!

Bug Blog #2!

Didn't think I would get another chance for a while to blog about another bug until this one literally dropped in!

I was Skyping with my sister and heard a rustling noise coming from the window... I looked over to see a green sticky thing crawling through the blinds. I realized what it was and told Kiwi to come see.

My very first Praying Mantis in New Zealand... in my room!

She is quite pregnant and seems to be ready to lay her eggs... Kiwi picked her up with a piece of paper and put her out the window, and she was clinging to a leaf all safe and sound. She was pretty cool to see when you have never seen one before, her little feelers all moving and she was looking at me.

Kiwi's Kiwi word of the day: "SHE'LL BE RIGHT". It means: "everything's ok".

Fun in New Zealand!

So I decided it would be fun to take pictures when I can of interesting things that come up during my normal daily routine in New Zealand. And everytime I have passed this sign it makes me giggle a little... it may be partly because we don't have signs like this in Canada, but I mean who wouldn't laugh just a little when they see an "aged persons crossing" sign when they are not from the country?

So here is the first in hopefully many pics that I can show everyone of some of the interesting and different things that New Zealand has to offer!

Kiwi is not here (at work) once again to give his word of the day... so I will have to come up with one again:

WINGE. It means: to whine

Sorry for being boring right now guys!

Hey all who follow my blog!!

I haven't lost interest in blogging at all, I have just been so boring lately there hasn't been much at all to blog about! So instead of boring everyone I figured I would wait to post about something interesting!

The job search is going okay, I finally got my first call today and there is an interview on Tuesday! I will keep everyone updated on how that goes!

Other than that, that's about it. My days are pretty boring now that Kiwi is back to work... I wake up late and sometimes they aren't boring when I go out with Kiwi's mom shopping or something... but mostly spent on my laptop job searching.

And Kiwi isn't home to give me a word of the day!

How about... "Dear" (I dunno if that's how it's spelled...) it means "expensive". :)