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Dear friends,
It’s a long time ago that we’ve updated you about our well-being here in New Zealand.
First of all: it’s going all right with the three of us.
About Cassy
Our lovely, crazy and funny boy (he makes us laugh at least once a day) mated Aoife (owner: Ann Osborne in Auckland). Aiofe was pregnant as we wrote in our last newsletter, but unfortunately it turned out that there was only one puppy, which was born dead. It caused lots of tears, as well in Auckland and in Wellington. Ann told us that she wants to give it another try when Aoife is in season again.
In the mean time, Cassy tried to mate Lizzy, a litter sister of Aoife (owner: Kelvin Stafford in Palmerston North). But Lizzy was not very interested in our boy. She loved the attention she got from us, but grumbled to Cassy and showed him her teeth. Cassy was not really impressed by that, he tried, kissed her, even on her showed teeth, and tried, and tried. Probably she was over her top, when she arrived at our place. But Lizzy returned home, still being a virgin.......
We’ve had visitors from abroad again: Marcia Hall and Kathy Sproat from Australia visited us in June. These ladies were on holiday on the South Island and hopped over to Wellington for almost two days. They both have IWS’s and fell in love with Cassy straight away. We’ve discussed to send our boy to Australia to obtain his Australian Championship while in the same time he can mate one of Kathy’s bitches. We’ll have to think about it...... We’ve really enjoyed the stay of Marcia and Kathy at our place. And the five of us have been able to meet our friends Kirsty and David halfway between their and our home.
It’s still progressing. After we were invited to apply for residency, we had Cilia’s diploma’s and certificates translated into English and sent to the New Zealand Qualification Authority. NZQA decided that they couldn’t assess them, because they didn’t see any logical trainings after High School. Grrrrrrrrr.
But they decided this after six weeks and two phonecalls of us to find out how the progress was. We’ve put an official complaint; still waiting for an apology for the delay. We’ve to apply for our PR within four months after our Expression of Interest was declared successful and the translations took 4 weeks already. There was not much time left.
Last week, we both went to our GP to have our medical examination done for the second time. We found out that our last results were valid for three months. And they’d expired already. So, we had to undergo the examinations again...... Lots of money again...... Per person NZ$ 450 for a test by the GP, blood- and urine tests and an X-ray..... Everybody (especially our GP: what can change in three or even six months...) thinks it’s ridiculous that we’ve to do all tests again, but we’ll have to.
Let’s keep it positive: at least we’ve given the economy another impulse... J.
Guus had had some more interviews: with recruitment agencies and potential employers. Still no job so far. But it is promising that in the last two weeks, he had three interviews with employers. From two we already know that he is rejected, the third (and most promising) will be answered this week. Cross your fingers and toes, please. Keep you informed.
Cilia and Stats
She still likes working at the Programme Management Office (PMO) with Statistics New Zealand: her colleagues are very nice and the job is challenging. Last month she went with her colleague Gail to Auckland for a business trip (Guus called it a school trip). Picked up at home by a taxi, brought to the airport, flying for one hour, a taxi to Auckland down town, checking in at the hotel and then spent some hours at the Stats office. In the evening, Cilia and Gail met Ann and Phil (Aoife’s mom and dad) and had diner together. The next morning, the ladies spent some more time at the office and played the tourist in the city centre. At 4pm they arrived at the Wellington Airport again. The way back home from the airport took over 2 hours, due to land slides which caused enormous traffic jams. Does that sound like a school trip? J
At the end of this month, the two of them will go to the Christchurch Office to give a lunchtime knowledge bite: a presentation about the Project Management Framework: what is it, how to work with it and where to find it. And of course: what’s the role of the PMO. Interesting, hey?
Two weeks ago there was an enormous land slide in our suburb. The cause is not clear yet: the many, many showers and rain we had or the break down of a sewer line due to corrosion. One house had to be demolished, another one will go probably as well. A neighbour of the houses had a garden of 15 meter, there is only 1 meter left. We were not affected by it; it was two km. down... It was on news for three days in a row, in the newspaper and on TV. Even the Australian television broadcasted it! World news from Kelson......
The house on the right was demolished.....