Musings on Auckland
I came into work this morning to the sound of one of the managers trying desperately to find staff to go help with a project happening in Auckland. I asked what was involved and was told it was fairly low-level work and was asked if "ha ha, are you interested in going?". Considering I had no plans for the long weekend my response was "Sure!" (the overtime pay may have contributed).
However then the questions became "Oh, can you stay until next Friday?" (I'd be flying out tomorrow).
Considering I'm new in here I figured it would be good to say yes. But it's a bit longer than I wanted to be over in NZ (and away from Braden).
But still, I'm going on an adventure!
So I'll be doing PC engineering-style work for the first time since about 1998, when I had a student job that involved testing computers for Y2K compliance (yes, really). This work actually has nothing to do with my new job, but I'm actually looking forward to doing something a bit different for a week.
Also getting back to Auckland for a bit will be nice, although my feelings towards the city have really changed over the past few years. For those unawares I lived in Auckland for 8 years, and when we moved to Melbourne originally I desperately wanted to go back. Melbourne I found to be too big, unfriendly and dirty. I missed the sense of comfort I had back in New Zealand.
So last year after I'd finished things with my ex it was the first location I went to when I had a spare weekend, mainly to see if I still wanted to move back. Much to my surprise I found that I had very little interest in ever going back, after 3 years away it was no longer home and all I could see was the limited nature of the place. While Australia is a bit out of the way New Zealand is positively REMOTE.
I'll always have a large amount of affection for New Zealand, but going back is something I have no interest in doing. WIth everything I've been doing over the past year I've really found that my life is in Australia, to the point where I'll be getting citizneship as soon as I can (mid-next year I think.). Also I think there's just too much of a connection to the place with my ex, having been there so long there's basically a memory with him in almost every part of the city. While it's completely impossible to move away from your past at least a change of scenery helps.
So to sum off Auckland is now a bit of a strange place for me, somewhere that once was strange and new and now feels just completely old-hat.
However then the questions became "Oh, can you stay until next Friday?" (I'd be flying out tomorrow).
Considering I'm new in here I figured it would be good to say yes. But it's a bit longer than I wanted to be over in NZ (and away from Braden).
But still, I'm going on an adventure!
So I'll be doing PC engineering-style work for the first time since about 1998, when I had a student job that involved testing computers for Y2K compliance (yes, really). This work actually has nothing to do with my new job, but I'm actually looking forward to doing something a bit different for a week.
Also getting back to Auckland for a bit will be nice, although my feelings towards the city have really changed over the past few years. For those unawares I lived in Auckland for 8 years, and when we moved to Melbourne originally I desperately wanted to go back. Melbourne I found to be too big, unfriendly and dirty. I missed the sense of comfort I had back in New Zealand.
So last year after I'd finished things with my ex it was the first location I went to when I had a spare weekend, mainly to see if I still wanted to move back. Much to my surprise I found that I had very little interest in ever going back, after 3 years away it was no longer home and all I could see was the limited nature of the place. While Australia is a bit out of the way New Zealand is positively REMOTE.
I'll always have a large amount of affection for New Zealand, but going back is something I have no interest in doing. WIth everything I've been doing over the past year I've really found that my life is in Australia, to the point where I'll be getting citizneship as soon as I can (mid-next year I think.). Also I think there's just too much of a connection to the place with my ex, having been there so long there's basically a memory with him in almost every part of the city. While it's completely impossible to move away from your past at least a change of scenery helps.
So to sum off Auckland is now a bit of a strange place for me, somewhere that once was strange and new and now feels just completely old-hat.