what has happened to Christmas?

Posted on Tue 5 December 2006 at 07:28

It’s been a busy week one way and another.  We started house hunting on my 2 days off last week.  We liked the first one we saw but we carried on and viewed several more.  Following major discussion, we asked to see the first one again.  And then decided to offer on it.  Buying a house in NZ is fairly straightforward compared with the UK.  Usually…Of course this is us, so it is not straightforward.  It turned out someone else wanted the same house.  That put us in ‘competition’.  So both interested parties submit their best offer and any conditions (ours was that we weren’t in any hurry for completion so the vendors could find somewhere else to buy).  Surprisingly, we are now possibly going to buy it.  It depends on if the vendors can find somewhere suitable to buy.  I feel a bit apprehensive, never having bought a house before, but this is the house we want!!   It’s a big ‘A’ frame house (very tall at the apex of the A in the living area):  3 bedrooms; separate rooms for shower; bath; toilet; utility room; double garage; sun room/conservatory; a reasonably sized modern kitchen and best of all – a very spacious living area with split level to the dining area.  Gas heating in the main area too.  My family and friends in the UK won’t be aware that there is very little in the way of central heating in NZ.  Readers from the britishexpat site will be only too aware!!   Ideally at some point we will install a heat pump which will either heat or cool the house as required.  I’m thinking ‘do it now’ if we buy and get it out of the way financially, but as we haven’t secured the house yet, it is all a pipe dream so far. 

It needs some work doing – there is a very high possibility it has asbestos in the ceilings that will have to be removed, then the ceilings repainted.  That is very common in older NZ houses and not considered a major problem.  The shower room needs a complete makeover and a fair bit of redecoration will be required – I mean, grey doors and yellow woodwork – what’s that all about?!!  Melissa has asked for years that when we buy our own house, can she decorate it herself.  I now deeply regret saying yes!!  Also, once we buy, we have promised pets, so watch this space.  If we do buy it, I will email my special people with pictures until you beg me to stop!!

Steve spent some time with his potential employers, ‘on the job’ as it were!!  He has another interview tomorrow with someone else so he ought to be employed soon…….or maybe….I will keep him at home….to do....the ironing!!!   He came home with a wonderful story though.  Two of the chaps he worked with that night had been to see the Nativity film (I don’t know if that is the proper title or not) but they were very disappointed as they already knew the ending!!  Brilliant!!

Christmas….it’s just not happening here as far as I’m concerned.  We had our very first home barbeque today cooked on our very own barbeque by Steven’s very own fair hands.  We ate it on the front veranda wearing shorts and sun-screen (and T-shirts!)  The weather is glorious, the sky is blue: how the hell can it be nearly Christmas? There is no mad-rush, must buy presents at any cost shopping here, at least not yet.  We have decided that if our shipping hasn’t arrived by Xmas, we are not doubling up buying stuff that we already have.  But we have no Xmas tree so Steve and the girl can buy one this weekend as I will be at work!!  I am really sorry but I seem to have missed the last posting date for the UK for Christmas cards.  My immediate family may just about hear from me in time but I (as usual) got the rest wrong.  So: HAPPY CHRISTMAS everyone,

We were invited to go with Melissa to see round the Intermediate school she will be attending for 2 years following the Xmas holidays, which we did.  (The school year here starts with the turn of the year).  It doesn’t have a brilliant decile rating (socio-economic – lower s-e schools simply don’t produce such good results as those with a higher rating) but having looked round the school and met some of the staff we are happy to enrol her there.  She will still be with the friends she has made since coming here and that in turn has dictated where we intend to purchase a house.  Spoilt or what?!!!

What else??  Nothing much.  I have found little things that annoy me in this country – c’mon, anyone who knows me will know how particular I am about picky little details, but if little details are all I have to moan about, then life can’t be bad.  The sun shines and all is well in Karenland!!  It IS that simple at the moment. 

Thank you and goodnight!

Karen B