I have just started blogging about 6 weeks ago, and I am already lagging!
Just like how my fitness regime has been lagging since Chinese New Year!
I had the standard excuses when I was back home:
1) CNY weather is killing me
2) Gym is in Mid Valley... very crowded during CNY break, very hard to get parking
3) Got friends to visit, food to eat, and money to be made/collected
4) Busy packing and getting ready for the move to Auckland
5) Will start when I reach Auckland
Low and behold... I arrived in Auckland mid March, and I couldn't start my engine. This time, the reasons were more reasonable I reckon:
1) Need to settle in
2) My boxes hasn't arrived and I have no proper sporting attire
3) Cold
4) Need to slowly find a gym that suits my lifestyle
5) No money to join gym
But last week, there was an extremely good deal for a half marathon race that is to be held sometime in August. $22. Of course I signed up for it! $22 is damn cheap compared to the Auckland Half which cost $99.
So now, I have to start my training again. No more excuses. During weeknights, I run in the apartment gym (nothing fancy, but it'll do for now) and on weekdays, I try to wake up early and do an outdoor run. Can only manage 5km in 30 mins for now... but I'll get there.
It feels really good to be sweating and running again. There's a lap pool in the apartment gym, and maybe this weekend, I'll go buy myself swim gears. Don't know when my boxes of stuffs will be arriving yet. And my bicycle... it'll be hand carried by my darling when he comes over next month. Yay!!
It's gonna be winter soon. I now have to figure out winter sport wear. All part and parcel of settling in a new country. Can't wait :)
Til then... BMW North Shore Half Marathon... here i come!!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
The jouney continues
Another week down and we now move into April. And is it this weekend that daylight starts?? Man... I've not experienced daylight savings since my uni days; that was so long ago that I need to understand how daylight savings work again! One thing good about this is the time difference with home now is only 4 hours instead of 5. Yay!! This week has been good. Work has started to pour in but I'm not overwhelmed yet. I suppose I've been doing media planning for so long, that no matter where you go, the principles are the same, only the media environment different. New Zealand's media scene is actually not very different from what is back home, or what is happening around the globe. Oh.. we all know that newspaper adspend is on the decline, and more advertisers are moving into online. But what I found distinctively different was the fact that New Zealanders read a whole lot of magazines, and a whole lot of magazines here are actually monitored and audited. And Sky TV, New Zealand's satellite television, is going through similar challenges like Astro back home - challenges with providing more accurate ratings. All these make settling in at work quite easy and smooth as it's nothing majorly new or different. However, what I find a bit harder to settle is going around and making new friends. No doubt, people in the office are friendly, helpful and easy-going, I just find it hard to actually make a connect with them at the moment. I want to eventually be able to hang out and chit-chat instead of just having small talks in the pantry or in the lift. But I'm sure I'll get there somehow.
Friday, March 25, 2011
my work adventure for the week
21st March 2011.
My 1st day of work in Auckland.
I was excited and nervous at the same time because this time around, i'm a complete stranger within the advertising scene. There won't be any familiar faces. I mean, after 10 years of being involved in the agency scene back home, wherever you go, you're bound to know some people. This time around, I will not know anyone. Scary!
My flatmate was very kind to have walk me to the bus stop that morning. Bus stop. Yes, you read it correctly. I now take a bus to work every morning. Something that i've not done in ages! The bus ride is about 15-20mins, and somehow, it felt nice. Convenient and nice.
The agency is very different from any of the agencies i've been with back home. Timber flooring. Open space. Wide screen PC. Kitchen comes with 2 dishwasher, 2 toaster and 2 fridge. Plenty of supply of milk, bread, cheese, butter, peanut butter, jam, honey, coke, coke light, coke zero, sprite, sprite light, beer, cider, wine and bar. Nice and friendly people from all walks of life. The only rooms you have there are meeting rooms. You get the picture of a awesomeness?
I spent the week learning about my new clients and their products. OMG! All 15 brands. A bit overwhelming, but i'm sure i'll be fine. Boss is a patient and good mentor. Some things are quite similar back home, like some of the Nielsen software... but here, they've got so much more data and insights to support any advertising recommendations. Coolness!
So, yeah.... that basically sums up my 1st week at work. Still trying to wrap my head around things, and trying to remember names and faces. Still trying to blend in and learn.
My 1st day of work in Auckland.
I was excited and nervous at the same time because this time around, i'm a complete stranger within the advertising scene. There won't be any familiar faces. I mean, after 10 years of being involved in the agency scene back home, wherever you go, you're bound to know some people. This time around, I will not know anyone. Scary!
My flatmate was very kind to have walk me to the bus stop that morning. Bus stop. Yes, you read it correctly. I now take a bus to work every morning. Something that i've not done in ages! The bus ride is about 15-20mins, and somehow, it felt nice. Convenient and nice.
The agency is very different from any of the agencies i've been with back home. Timber flooring. Open space. Wide screen PC. Kitchen comes with 2 dishwasher, 2 toaster and 2 fridge. Plenty of supply of milk, bread, cheese, butter, peanut butter, jam, honey, coke, coke light, coke zero, sprite, sprite light, beer, cider, wine and bar. Nice and friendly people from all walks of life. The only rooms you have there are meeting rooms. You get the picture of a awesomeness?
I spent the week learning about my new clients and their products. OMG! All 15 brands. A bit overwhelming, but i'm sure i'll be fine. Boss is a patient and good mentor. Some things are quite similar back home, like some of the Nielsen software... but here, they've got so much more data and insights to support any advertising recommendations. Coolness!
So, yeah.... that basically sums up my 1st week at work. Still trying to wrap my head around things, and trying to remember names and faces. Still trying to blend in and learn.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
1st weekend here
It's the weekend and I've got nothing planned. I wished I could just stay home the entire day and just watch tv, go online and skype...
But
I don't wanna just stay home because I'm still getting used to the flatting situation. I don't wanna spend my entire in my room, nor i wanna spend the entire day in front of the telly, hogging it. After all, this isn't my own place. And I really don't know what to say or how to create conversations with my landlords.
So about noon, I walked downtown and planned to take the train out to Mt Albert and get myself some Chinese groceries. And what do you know? My 1st train ride was not meant to be as the train was out of order and I thought things like these usually only happens to trains in KL.
But unlike KL, the train station personnel's were very kind and shared with me how to go to Mt Albert by bus. Turned out to be a pleasant ride, and along the way, learned more about the city and its suburbs.
What's planned for tomorrow? I may go shopping for some cheap gym attire. I have only brought work clothes and shoes, and realised that I haven't got any of my gym attire with me, besides my running shoes. Gotta start working out again after a 2 months hiatus.
Missing my family back home. If I was still in KL, I'd be in Singapore this weekend. Supporting my brother and my cousin in their 1st 70.3 Half Ironman race. How I wish I was there...
But
I don't wanna just stay home because I'm still getting used to the flatting situation. I don't wanna spend my entire in my room, nor i wanna spend the entire day in front of the telly, hogging it. After all, this isn't my own place. And I really don't know what to say or how to create conversations with my landlords.
So about noon, I walked downtown and planned to take the train out to Mt Albert and get myself some Chinese groceries. And what do you know? My 1st train ride was not meant to be as the train was out of order and I thought things like these usually only happens to trains in KL.
But unlike KL, the train station personnel's were very kind and shared with me how to go to Mt Albert by bus. Turned out to be a pleasant ride, and along the way, learned more about the city and its suburbs.
What's planned for tomorrow? I may go shopping for some cheap gym attire. I have only brought work clothes and shoes, and realised that I haven't got any of my gym attire with me, besides my running shoes. Gotta start working out again after a 2 months hiatus.
Missing my family back home. If I was still in KL, I'd be in Singapore this weekend. Supporting my brother and my cousin in their 1st 70.3 Half Ironman race. How I wish I was there...
Thursday, March 17, 2011
From 12th March til today...
So, my last day @ work in KL was 11th March 2011.
And I took the night flight on 12th March and arrived in Auckland on 13th March.
What's been happening since then?
So, on my very 1st day here, I went 'flat' hunting. Besides sharing a dorm back in Uni, I've never 'flat' out on my own before. Needless to say, it was a disaster as I didn't know what to expect and how to react to the situation. Plus, the 10hour flight didn't made things better.
But I learned fast.
On the very next day, I went flatmate hunting again. First stop was in Parnell. Lovely place. Very close to my work place, so close I could roll out of bed and reach my office. Nice modern touch. Fully furnished except for the bedroom.
Later in the evening, I went to see another place down at Freesmans Bay. Nice townhouse too. Not that near to work, but it's on the bus route. It's near the supermarket and everything else in between. And my room has a beautiful view of the Sky Tower. An elderly couple owns the place and with them, they have a daughter in the house and a small dog.
On the same evening, I got both offers. Not bad eh? Not bad at all... quite proud of myself since the day before went terribly. So it was time to make a decision and it wasn't too hard a decision to make. I went for the room in Freemans Bay. And tonight is my 2nd night here in Freemans Bay, and it will be my place for the next couple of months, if not longer.
Of course I did other things in between flat hunting and moving in. I opened a bank account. Got myself a phone plan and with that plan, I was given an android phone + a hands free car kit, worth $499. Thing is, I don't even have a car here. Oh well....
To be continued...
And I took the night flight on 12th March and arrived in Auckland on 13th March.
What's been happening since then?
So, on my very 1st day here, I went 'flat' hunting. Besides sharing a dorm back in Uni, I've never 'flat' out on my own before. Needless to say, it was a disaster as I didn't know what to expect and how to react to the situation. Plus, the 10hour flight didn't made things better.
But I learned fast.
On the very next day, I went flatmate hunting again. First stop was in Parnell. Lovely place. Very close to my work place, so close I could roll out of bed and reach my office. Nice modern touch. Fully furnished except for the bedroom.
Later in the evening, I went to see another place down at Freesmans Bay. Nice townhouse too. Not that near to work, but it's on the bus route. It's near the supermarket and everything else in between. And my room has a beautiful view of the Sky Tower. An elderly couple owns the place and with them, they have a daughter in the house and a small dog.
On the same evening, I got both offers. Not bad eh? Not bad at all... quite proud of myself since the day before went terribly. So it was time to make a decision and it wasn't too hard a decision to make. I went for the room in Freemans Bay. And tonight is my 2nd night here in Freemans Bay, and it will be my place for the next couple of months, if not longer.
Of course I did other things in between flat hunting and moving in. I opened a bank account. Got myself a phone plan and with that plan, I was given an android phone + a hands free car kit, worth $499. Thing is, I don't even have a car here. Oh well....
To be continued...
2011, the year of new beginnings
Why start blogging again after almost a 4 year hiatus?
As I start my new adventures here in Auckland, I hope this blog will provide glimpse of my life here for my family and friends back home.
I don't think i have the ability to update my blog daily, but what I'll try to do is to at least update it a couple of times a week.
So stay tuned and hopefully you'll feel entertained and inspired.
As I start my new adventures here in Auckland, I hope this blog will provide glimpse of my life here for my family and friends back home.
I don't think i have the ability to update my blog daily, but what I'll try to do is to at least update it a couple of times a week.
So stay tuned and hopefully you'll feel entertained and inspired.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)