Ayumi's Adventure

Ok let's have a second try. There was a technical accident and so my first draft ist gone 🥲 Nevermind, I'm gonna sum up the main content. Sorry dear reader!! 🙏🏼 Why I changed my accommodation   To answer in just one sentence: The lifestyle and rules of my first landlady Bridgitte didn't fit with my needs - privacy and freedom. This is a part of the contract she gave me in the evening I arrived: As you can see, there are quite a lot wishes. To compare with my actual accommodation, I didn't sign any contract. The only rule is to keep the kitchen and bathroom as tidy as possible. But there might be a difference between private properties and kind of hostels. I'm really grateful for Bridgitte's openness and for all the things she did for me, but you will understand why I left her property after reading this: and more. It was a bit too much. I forgo...

Monday 13.10. That was the day I started working at the kiwi orchards. Of course I knew it wouldn't be easy, but especially after my first day I was completely exhausted. My neck was really hurting because I had to look up the whole time. Even my eyes were tired from the sunlight. But now after doing around 38h the same job, I'm getting used to it :) It makes fun to work while listening to music, podcasts or audiobooks!  What's my job? First I want to clear up a misunderstanding. Until Monday I thought I'm gonna do fruit picking (put the kiwi fruits from the tree into a basket). But what we actually do is thinning (remove some buds to get bigger kiwi fruits). That's what I see every day: The small round balls are called buds. They have the size of a cherry pit. As you can imagine, it's not possible that all of them get to kiwi fruits, so we have to remove some. Thinning rules top 5 1. Triple: Take the two buds on side, leave the king. 2....

Sunday 12.10 was a day of adventure! Morning Jorge and I had to arranged to go for a walk, so first we went to a Maori waking path. It only took about 25min. It looked like a jungle and there was a very huge old tree (2000 years old!!).  Thats the entrance. Then we went to the beach next to Opotiki. The path was actually part of a cycling trail I want to try, that's so beautiful: On the way home, we walked past a really lovely garden. I think owner noticed my amazement, he offered us to walk in. He even gave us an avocado and a couple of lemons of his garden. As we asked his name, it turned out that the man is Bridgitte's landlord 😂 Afternoon I made some pasta for lunch. It's so difficult to make meal for only one person! Every time I make a bit too much. At 1pm, the orchard conductor came to give me the contract. He is Indian (most conductor are Indian here just like all the other workers at the orchard no joke)....

In Germany, especially during school, I was under time pressure. Every time when I was having a break I thought like "What's my next task? Did I forget something?". I simply didn't know how to rest. Now I have plenty of time, but I'm still in a kind of rush mode. Faster, more efficient, don't be lazy! That's what my brain says. How can I get out of this paradox?? Please give me some advice. ------ What I do in my free time... 1. Take a walk : Opōtiki hqas always beautiful and peaceful views to offer. And horses of course. I was a bit scared when I had to pass a horse today as it was blocking my path :D 2. Go to the library It's one of my favourite places in Opotiki. You can enjoy internet and enough books. Today I started reading "1984" by George Orwell in English even though I've already listened to a audiobook but in German. The story reminds me to "Corpus Delicti" by Juli Zeh which we read at school. I liked it. I...

Yesterday I arrived in Opotiki by bus. It took me 7,5h. My accommodation? I found a offer on Facebook, 200NZD per week (=15€ per day!). It's so easy going here and I love my landlady. She's very spiritual, likes to walk in her garden barefoot and is so caring :) She even drove me to the supermarket after arriving. Opotiki It's is a small town next to a river and near to the sea. This morning I took a walk along the river. It was a bit cold. There is actually nothing but that's exactly what I've wanted. It's a nice place to calm down.  The downtown is quiet as well. I saw a laundromat, a hotel, a fire station, a small supermarket, a hairdresser and a modern library. After buying some apples I visited the library. They had WiFi so I decided to do the video call with Clark in the library. However the internet didn't work well and I had to get to my accommodation. As I tried one more time, Clark was talking to another random p...

I've already told you about my friends Seona 🇰🇷 and Faustine 🇫🇷. We talk in English so I think my English is getting better and better :) Now I'm gonna tell you our stressful but funny story about job search and the certain problem about the one-on-one appointmen with Clark... 1. Kiwi fruit or Frappuccino Right at the beginning, Seona and I wanted to work together at the Kiwi farm in Opotiki where I had already been accepted. It looked good for us because my employer offered us to work together. We even had luck in terms of accommodation, because the landlord of Bridgitte (my accommodation in Opotiki) had space left for Seona. But Seona wasn't sure if she joins me. That's acceptable because she actually wanted to work at Starbucks in Queenstown (sth. she is used to doing). However, she was still waiting for an interview on that time... That's how it was last weekend (4./5.10). 2. No matching conditions Shortly afterwards, Seona got an offer from another Starbuck...