New Zealand Weekly Update #84

27th of May to 02nd of June 2024

Approximate reading time: 5 minutes

Lets get it started

Late again, way too late for this weekly update from New Zealand. I recently discovered that looking back to the very beginning of this blog that the last couple of weeks and months have not been as deep and thoughtful as this blog used to be. Sometimes, it is just because I do not really feel like writing down deep things or stuff which has been shown up that week. Sometimes it is because I am jsut tired to write all those things down because it would be just too much, And sometimes, I do not want to write anything at all. But then, for some reason, I still want to keep going with this blog. As a memory. As something I can look back to. As something, that reminds me of the ups and downs of life. Since recently, and talking about the last couple of weeks, New Zealand has been and still is quite challenging. Every week something would show up. Something challenging. Exhausting. Something that takes away energy from my empty batteries. Rejected residency, almost drowned in the river, collegues leaving, moving houses in between a couple of weeks, my manager leaving, one of my very good friends leaving New Zealand. My car is about to break down. And I thought about leaving New Zealand a couple of times. I thought about giving up. I thought about not trying to get residency again. I thought about not spending so much money again without knowing if I would be successful or not. Sometimes I am not even sure why I still keep going and try to save all the money, try to keep going with the job I am doing at the moment, struggeling with physical signs that I maybe should do something else. That I maybe should leave, should move somewhere else. But what would happen afterwards? For now, I still have the chance to stay longterm in New Zealand, even if I might not end up settling down here. I have the option, I could travel, work and stay as long as I want to. And as long as there is this chance, why not fighting for it? And I have learned, that every situation happens for a reason. The good ones to fill us up with all the good energy and the „bad“ ones to show us a new way, a new person, a new opportunity or just a way of life to challenge us and to check in if we really want something.

Anniversairy

1st of June 2023, my first day with OCULA. My way of staying a little longer in New Zealand. The way was quite straight forward. A couple of months with the company and afterwards work and holiday in Canada. I never really worked as dispensing optician in Germany after my apprenticeship, it was never a passion of mine. Nothing I was really looking for. It just happend and I did quite well. So I was not very keen on working longterm in this job or with this company. I just used is as an opportunity to stay a little longer. And now, June 2024, I am still with this company. With an option of residency, with an option of staying as long as I want to. And I was (and I still am) working with some of the most incredible people I have met in my whole life. Inspiring people, kind people, smart people, honest and open minded people. And one of those people is my former manager Shingie. From south africa. There has been not one single day that has been boring when she was in the shop. Shingie is such a great, special and kind soul. She would believe in me even if I would doubt everything. She could tell when I was in a bad mood, when I was stuck in my mind. She would tolerate and accept my weird way, my full-on energy, my jokes and my way of dealing with things and asking way too many questions. Sometimes I was wondering why she did not kick me out of the shop straight away. Shingie taught me a lot about troubleshooting, dealing with customers, slowing down, keeping your head up and down. about faith and about how important collegues are. About how important it is to keep a good energy and how important it is to believe in yourself, in others and to give great and long hugs. On the one hand side I am so very upset that Shinge is not working with us anymore and that I will not be able to work with her for one more day, since every day with Shingie was a great day, even though everything else was shit. But on the other hand side I am so very grateful that I have met her and that we have become friends. That we can talk honest and open minded about what is in our mind without being afraid of being judged, I am so very grateful to have this special person in my life. And as I told you before, the last couple of weeks have been tough, challenging, hard and fucked up. But most of those days, I was able to work with Shingie and to have at least some great, funny and great moments with such a special person. I will miss you heaps fren, we will catch up soon 🙂

What else to say?

Talking about friendships in New Zealand, I was cathcing up with Max, Jess and their baby Finn. Being around them is always a great opportunity to fill up empty batteries and just to have a great social time. And what to say about their little Finn. He is one of the most cute babies I have seen in my life. He is smilig and giggling a lot. And whenever I am around Wastebusters I would grab him some new clothes, vests, wetsuits or anything else.
So well, here we go. I was postponing this weekly blog quite a lot and was not very keen on writing down things. But with some experience now I can tell, writing down is kind of a relief. You do not have to share it or to read it again, but writing things down as their show up in your mind straight away can be so very interesting, excinting and teaching as well.
See you next week.

Your DingyInternational
Felix