Christchurch- the metropolis of the south

On June 16th Lynn visited us, she had found a lift from Methven, where she had already started working in a ski lodge snack bar. After we had gotten a parking space near the city center, we first visited a busy brewery with nice live music. We talked about the experiences of the last few months and finally went to a fancy vegetarian restaurant. The ambience was reminiscent of a Hindu temple, drinks were only non-alcoholic and the food tasted excellent, but could have been portioned a bit more generously. Actually, we could have gone partying again, but finding an event that appealed to all of us didn't turn out to be easy and none of us felt particularly much enthusiasm. We preferred to sit in a colorfully lit beer garden next to a radiant heater and chatted, back at home Lynn and I tried a round of billiards at the oversized table. Lynn then slept in the driveway of our van, Isabella might have offered one of the bedrooms too, however her mum was visiting this weekend so there was no room in the house. The next morning we drove to Brighton, a formerly hip area on Christchurch's North Beach that had fallen into disrepair. We played a round of miniature golf decorated in an Alice in Wonderland style. The second half of the course was in a separate area and was illuminated by black lights, colorful works of art shone on the walls, even our golf balls glowed. We went for a walk on the beach, unfortunately the weather wasn't kind, but it was nice to get to know a new corner of Christchurch better. Lynn had actually organized an appointment to view the car, but unfortunately it was canceled shortly beforehand. We rummaged around in various second-hand shops and then drove Lynn back to Methven in the early evening through a fog that was becoming thicker by the minute and said goodbye. We parked the van at the sports field and looked at the little town before we lay down to sleep, wrapped up in blankets. The next morning we saw ice crystals on the meadow next to us. The sun didn't seem to make an appearance for long, but we ventured out on a hike through Rakaia Gorge, where our sliding through the mud was rewarded with terrific views of Mount Hutt and an incredibly blue glacial water river. When the sun stayed a few minutes longer and the air felt warmer by 10 to 15 degrees, I asked myself why on earth I had put on my thick orange fluffy jacket. I balanced this monster of a jacket halfway over my head so as not to accidentally ditch it in the mud. However, when we got back to the parking lot, a disgustingly cold drizzle had set in and we spontaneously went to the cozy brewery called "The Laboratory". The entire interior was collected from all sorts of damaged buildings after the 2011 earthquake and repaired. The red brickwork looked like it was from the 19th century, but was also made of recycled rubble. Great atmosphere with great beers and an organized antique shop feel. Matze then dropped me off at a gaming bar during my test work. As in the conversation a few days before, the manager was a little strange, the employee who introduced me and the chefs seemed nice. When I declined the offer of a beef burger at the end of the two legal hours, the manager gave me a pretty stupid look. A day later I happened to read an anti-vegan comment at an information event in the gastronomy scene about alternative diets. Great, a classic “keyboard warrior in social networks”, I really didn’t want to have someone like that as my boss. To be honest, I was glad that I didn't get any feedback about my trial shift and wasn't particularly surprised either. We started spending more and more time with our French co-woofer Lea, who had started in New Zealand around the same time as us, but hadn't had as much luck with the weather in the north as we had in Queenstown. She had lost a car in the flood disaster; she had only had it for a few weeks. Luckily the insurance paid, but she was still under a lot of stress and was stuck without power or internet for a few days. We went to the cinema together, played, cooked and even made mulled wine one evening. Just a few days later, as we approached our last day at the Britton home, I received a call from the manager of The Thirsty Peacock Restaurant, to whom I had sent an application less than an hour earlier. Otherwise, I had received almost no responses to my applications so far, and the job situation wasn't particularly promising due to the time of year. Lea had drawn my attention to the job advertisement, she had already been to the job interview, but it was quite obvious that the manager was looking for a waitress with experience and didn't want to hire anyone in the kitchen, which was Lea's area of interest. She trained as a nurse in France, but cooking was one of her greatest passions. While Matze was doing an interview at Two Thumb Brewery, I introduced myself at The Thirsty Peacock, which was in the same complex as the art gallery. The manager, Rahmneet, was obviously Indian - as were all the other colleagues I saw - and was wearing a turban. The following job interview definitely deserves a place in the top 3 of the weirdest and most uncomfortable of its kind. After a quick look and a handshake, his eyes kept wandering towards the surveillance cameras that were scattered throughout the restaurant, kitchen and cafe, making me wonder: whether he expected a robbery or terrorist attack at any second. Given the questions he asked me, I was pretty sure he hadn't read my application, which was quite short and informative, very carefully. The way he asked questions seemed stiff and rehearsed, as if he had practiced them in front of the mirror at home. I tried not to let my irritation show and answered all the questions straight away and without thinking about it for a long time. After 5 minutes I was said goodbye and had absolutely no idea what to think of this encounter. When I was asked a short time later about my interest in trying out work, my enthusiasm was limited, but I decided to take a look at the shed and my colleagues first. Simply because I hadn't found any sensible alternatives so far and we were now living in a hostel that wasn't exactly cheap. It certainly had a kind of morbid charm, as the building was a former prison. Our cramped cell only had one very small and high barred window, but you almost felt lost in the stairwell of the two-story complex, every conversation echoed off the walls. The very next afternoon I had trial work at 5 p.m., the Thirsty Peacock was busy, a conference group had booked a banquet. I was actually only supposed to distribute food and drinks at first, but Ramneet noticed that I quickly understood the processes and had experience. I helped Navi, the owner, polish the glasses behind the bar and also served drinks; the little bit of nervousness I had felt at the beginning was gone. After two hours Navi asked me if I wanted to stay, I would have the job if I wanted it. I hadn't expected such a quick decision, but I assumed that being able to top up the account a little more this week made me feel elated. When I was asked to take a break after four hours of work, the two nice Indian chefs gave me a generous portion of food unannounced, with a steak in the middle of the plate... So I had to fall into the house with the door Not planned, but at some point I had to say it anyway, eating all the side dishes and disposing of the schnitzel inconspicuously was ethically out of the question for me. I declined the offer to have something else cooked, seeing how busy the chefs were. When I got back to the hostel just before midnight, I was pretty exhausted but also very happy. We were now looking intensively for a new home, Matze also for a main job, for the brewery they were only looking for weekend support. Our van was in the driveshaft repair shop and so we needed options that could be reached by bike or bus. Finally, I received a message from Adam, who I had met through a Couchsurfing Facebook group. He will soon be back in his house in Christchurch for a few days and could imagine letting us live there longer. Not for free or in exchange for work on the house (there wasn't really anything to do there), but for a reduced rent. He kindly picked us up at the hostel two days later. His house was a little way up the mountain to the south and offered a great view of the city and the snow-capped mountains behind it. Adam's dog Sunny greeted us with great enthusiasm and we felt quite comfortable in the simple but comfortable living area. There was a heat pump and even a projector with a screen for cozy movie nights. We moved in the very next afternoon, and I had a full work week straight away. Matze had his first trial work at the brewery a few days later and had already contacted a construction employment agency before the weekend, which organized a job for him in less than a day. The fact that everything was suddenly going so smoothly motivated us immensely, even though we unfortunately now worked at very different times. On Sunday we hiked along the chic hillside villas and dense forest up to the “Sign of the Kiwi” to surprise our Frenchwoman Lea, who worked there in the kitchen on Saturdays and Sundays. The lovely cafe, built from local stone, was perched on the ridge of hills that lay between ours and Lea's Woofingheim. One had gradiose views of the bay in one side and Christchurch and the mountains on the other side. In the evenings, when I got home from work, I parked my bike at the bottom of the hill and walked the steep kilometers to our home. Unfortunately the bus didn't leave after 8 p.m. Adam left after only 3 days in Christchurch, he enjoyed spending his time camping, prospecting for gold (apparently actually worth it if you have experience and patience) and fishing. He had a second home in Nelson where he lived when he spent time with the son from his previous relationship and many friends who lived there. Of course, Matze and I didn't mind having the apartment all to ourselves. For $200 a week including electricity and water, that's something you wouldn't find as a couple in Christchurch. In our room there was a double bunk bed and a single bed. We hadn't slept separately in ages and both of us thought it was a bit of a shame, but given Matze's early get-up times it worked out quite well. On June 29th Lea picked us up and we drove to Sumner Beach, from where we walked along the promenade and over a hill into the next bay. Bushes and trees were blooming everywhere and the sun was shining. We drank a beer together and then drove to our home, where we ended the evening with delicious food and games. In the coming weeks, Matze worked many hours in construction, an average of around 60, and he also worked there for a few hours on Saturdays before starting his shift at the brewery. After two weeks in a row he had some bad tension and got a discounted appointment (since he was now an employee again) with the osteopath. I had Mondays off, which meant I couldn't see Matze until the early evening, but I was able to spend time with Lea. Together with Romane, a Spanish backpacker, we went on a trip to the scenic area around Castle Hill. I really enjoyed spending time with people of the same sex again; the girls were pleasantly silly and just as detailed and enthusiastic as I was. It wasn't a problem for Adam when Lea stayed in our room, which was great for our game nights together. There had been a... let's call it a "difference of opinion" at work. The owner, Navi, took me aside after my fourth shift and said it was remarkable how quickly and efficiently I worked and contributed. But I should also pay a little more attention to my appearance... put on “proper” make-up, including eyeliner and “things that women put on”. In the situation I was literally at a loss for words, I nodded and carried on, but when I had the day off the next day and thought about this announcement, it disgusted me as much as it shocked me. I am someone who attaches great importance to my appearance and has always covered nasty pimples for work, mostly out of self-doubt. Prescribing myself to wear as much make-up as I would otherwise probably put on my face just to party was going too far for me. So the next day I arrived at work with legs like jelly, crazy how unsettled the whole thing was. If I was going to be fired because of that, then so be it, as a person at work I had to feel valued for my performance, not my looks. I tried to talk to Ramneet, I didn't see Navi anywhere and to be honest I was quite happy about that. During the conversation, a tear rolled down my face, which I wiped away angrily. I explained my point of view, maintained eye contact and made it clear that I was not willing to bow to this demand and that it would be my end if this was not accepted. Ramneet didn't interrupt me and seemed to be genuinely trying to put himself in my shoes. He didn't want to lose me as an employee because of this, and I shouldn't worry about Navi. Interestingly, since then I've developed a more open and direct relationship with him. I've always had excessive respect, sometimes even fear, for my boss. In most cases, these were actually rather unpleasant people (the service manager, who constantly teased me during my training at the Radisson, is the best example) or simply never there and unapproachable. However, I worked directly with Ramneet; during the week we were usually the only service employees on the late shift. Matze also got along well with everyone at work, and of course he particularly enjoyed the Saturday shifts at the brewery. After a few weeks he changed the construction site due to planning problems. Luckily by that time he had already organized a small and reliable city car, a 1995 (still under 200,000km) Nissan Pulsar. God knows it didn't look pretty but we were hoping to sell it again for the same price at the end of September. The specialists finally finished the drive shaft for Transit after just under four weeks (we were originally given two), but after just two days of driving around, Matze had to admit to himself and me that the differential was in the tee. So back to the workshop, the car nightmare never seemed to end. Now Matze could at least pick me up after work in the Nissan, which saved me a steep slope. For the second time, I met a nice group of people to play board games on Saturday before work. Both times we dedicated ourselves to “Roots”, which was really fun and unfortunately I was never able to take part until the end because of work. But we all just enjoyed chatting so much that 2-3 hours flew by. On a Tuesday when the weather was great but no one was available, I stumbled across a small community center with a garden and small shacks that housed a thrift store, a cafe and also a weekly board game event. We were running out of time, the center was closing by 2pm, but I still learned a new game in an hour and got on really well with Russell, a good-natured volunteer in his 60's who organized the whole thing. After that I came every week with Lea, it was definitely one of the highlights of my week. The weather was idiosyncratic, one day we were sitting on the terrace in bright sunshine in T-shirts at noon, the next a cold Siberian wind was blowing and I had to tie my scarf. A few days later, I unfortunately came down with a bad cold, which luckily Matze was spared. On Thursdays, body aches and headaches had set in while I was at work, and the next day I actually stayed at home, I felt so bad. On Saturday my condition hadn't changed a bit, but Ramneet asked me for help; a larger group had announced itself. Even though it was stupid to come to work with such a snotty nose, I took some medication and dragged myself through the evening. A few times I literally had to run away from the table to avoid sneezing on anyone or dripping onto the tablecloth. They had successfully organized a replacement for me on Sunday, and I took a long rest in the morning, snuggled up to Matzo. By midday my cold was almost completely gone and I felt unusual bursts of motivation. With a bit of a bad conscience (I could have gone to work there?!), I drove out into nature with Matze, we walked along a path along different bays and enjoyed the unexpectedly warm weather. Finally we treated ourselves to a cold drink in a brewery, there was live music and the brewery cat was only too happy to be petted by me. From next Tuesday, Lea also came to the Tuesday game event with Russell in the community center. We learned new games and then sat down in a cozy vegan cafe, which is where I originally applied... unfortunately they didn't have a need for additional staff at the time. Lea recently had a "friend with benefits", a Korean colleague at the burger joint where she now worked mostly 3-4 days a week. Matze and I met him during a game and cooking evening at Lea's. He seemed very nice, but the language communication was a real obstacle. For the first time we also got to see Lea's hostess Denise, a somewhat odd but very lovable woman. There was also a new backpacker helper, Dax, who had undergone a gender reassignment surgery a few days ago. When we first met in the large group, where we also met Lea, there wasn't really a suitable moment for questions and in-depth conversations. A week later, however, when we spent an evening just the four of us without Lea's colleagues, we talked extensively and got interesting insights. Matze was now working again on several other small construction sites. In contrast to his first job at the stadium, he had to do significantly less physically grueling work and sometimes just stood around to wait for other people or new loads of material. There were sometimes longer days at the Thirsty Peacock, but I often finished around 9 p.m., which wasn't good for business but good for me because I saw a little more of Matze. One Saturday, when I didn't start work until 3 p.m., we met up with the people from my last two board game meetings, this time at someone's house. We talked so much that we didn't play that much, but the group had a good dynamic and I was happy that Matze had the morning off and was able to join us. It was good to talk openly with people who had been here for a long time and to be able to discuss some of our criticisms about the mentality and processes here in New Zealand without anyone feeling personally attacked, none of those present originally came from here. I've also been playing Werewolf for a long time, shocking everyone with my poker face. I didn't get to work that afternoon sober, but the shift passed without any incidents or errors. On another weekend morning we went for a circular walk at Godleys Head, the sun was shining and the sea was turquoise. Buds were bursting everywhere in the parks, first on the Easter flakes, magnolias and rhododendrons, but now, towards mid-August, you could even admire the first cherry blossoms. In the last week of August, my birthday was just around the corner, and I went on a little tour with Lea on Monday. Matze had driven to work in the van, so I picked up Lea in our Nissan. She usually drove me around and had often traveled extra distances to pick me up. According to Matze, the tank light had started to glow the day before, but mathematically we still had 40 kilometers to go. The whole uphill and downhill journey towards the south was probably a lot more difficult because after our first stop at a viewpoint the car actually broke down. At the time we were on a street that was sparsely frequented on a Monday lunchtime, but we were very lucky that the second person who saw us waving on the side of the road stopped and got a petrol can from the back of the truck. Of course we didn't want to use up his canister, so we had to stop at the next gas station first. The car apparently had a problem since running dry, it kept losing speed without me reducing my pressure on the accelerator pedal. I figured it must be the pump not liking the draining that much, or just air in the tank. We took a short hike along a ridge in Little River and enjoyed a picnic in the warm rays of the afternoon sun. We only heard birdsong around us, the main street was quite a bit down the hill. However, when we were ready to leave, there was a rude awakening: the engine would not fire. I cursed myself for not listening to my queasy gut feeling and postponing the trip plans. How are we supposed to get out of here? I tried to reach Matze, without success. I had the idea that we could maybe let the car roll carefully down the hill without the ignition, but to do that we first have to turn around and it was straight/slightly uphill. We alone didn't manage to push the car and turn in at the same time. Luckily for us, a man came up the mountain on a moped and called his wife, who came with a can of petrol. We managed to get it ignited by pouring gasoline directly into the combustion engine, but after a few seconds the engine died every time. We then managed to push the car down the mountain by pushing together, and we were pulled the last few hundred meters to our rescuers' house. Matze finally arrived in the Ford and looked at the car. After loosening and cleaning some connections, the engine somehow started, but one of the cylinders wasn't running. We made it just to Lea's house, then we had to leave our second car, which had been so reliable until then, on the side of the road. We then spent a nice evening with Lea, she also spent the night, and the next morning we had another game meeting in the Tiny Shops Village with Russell. We learned a new game again and after an hour Matze joined us, he didn't have any work that day, the construction site didn't need him for the time being. But he had the opportunity to stop by the barbershop and get a free haircut, which was otherwise difficult to reconcile with his working hours. What was a small loss financially enabled us to have an unplanned beautiful day with sunshine and lovely people together. At the end of the week my birthday was just around the corner, I had the day off and enjoyed a relaxing morning alone with my latest book from the library. At lunchtime Lea picked me up and we drove to a park with a large lake landscape and bushland, where we went for a walk and observed numerous birds. We had a nice picnic with delicious foccachia and chocolate criossants