Finding my place....

I went to see a place yesterday in an area called "Hataitai" I'm still uncertain how to say that...I wasn't expecting anything with 5 stars since the advertised rent was cheap...I was right not to expect that. Upon arrival at Arcus way...where it was NOT a road but indeed was a "way" made up of gravel and some areas were paved but mostly looked like a place out in the countryside.I got there to see a blue and white old colonial designed home.Met "O" the contact person for the advertised room. She seemed friendly, showed me around..the room was not too large,had one window and was facing towards the East so I'd get the lovely sunlight that I need to keep me smiling all day :) The bathroom was old and looked like something out of the movie "Vacancy" I mean it was okay...just that it did not appeal to me in anyway. She showed me the backyard..this was the highlight of the place. A large green lawn with a park bench and big trees providing some cool shade...this was more appealing than the bathroom lol....If I could,I'd probably prefer to live in the yard :P

All in all,I liked the place.For a decent amount of money,I could live closer to work but I don't think it would be walkable, if ever I attempt it,it would probably take me a while to get to work...so I have had to weigh that out and they asked me to leave my name and number with them...so they can get back to me.I think the previous dude who lived there must have had some sort of falling out with the other two flatmates or something like that...this wasn't a problem for me...but I had to think whether it could be later on down the line.I get along with most people though,mostly the younger people because I can relate to alot of people who are growing up.My own experiences have taught me valuable lessons in life and if I can help someone learn a thing or two that may help them...I will gladly do so!:)

I've had much time to think things through and my current accommodation will hold up until I can find a decent place closer to work.I try not to stress too much about it because stress can be paralyzing to a certain extent.I live my days one day at a time and that is how I can keep smiling :)

My Facebook Suicide Note*

MY FACEBOOK SUICIDE NOTE*

So my journey is about to be cut short,
A few more clicks and my online existence is not,
A few more tears as I look back,
At the few years since I added my first contact.

I try to find a suitable stateus status,
Hopefully it's one without errors
I would like to say "goodbye world"
Since the begining of code is "hello world"

There are many friends I stand to lose along the way,
but I know I'll see them in REAL life some day,
A few enemies I've added as friends,
But they're the ones I hope not to see again.

There were random people I never knew,
But being a nice guy..accept was all I'd do!
Then there were hearts and drinks and farms,
"Gosh,they're turning us all into facebook bums!"

I wonder what life will be like without facebook
But I realize all I have to do is logout and LOOK :)
People tell me to get a life
but what I would prefer to get is a good wife
In reply I sometimes say get some bookface
You can never win the friends race
Too many friends to track and trace
What matters is not the quantity of your friends
but the quality that matters when your account ends!

So here I am staring at the deactivate button,
Seriously "I'm really gonna do it come on!"
I look back one last time with a tear in my eye
I don't wana live my life on facebook I just wanna die*!


Posted by Fila Kaboom (Suicidal) Paulo.
copyright imawip.blogspot.com


##Please be advised that the following is only a poetic expression of my feelings and the conflict inside me as to whether I really need to be on facebook or not.This does not in anyway mean that I am suicidal (well that is up to you to decide :P) I love my life and I treasure it as a gift from God.Please don't kill yourself after reading this...try to GET a REAL life instead :P ##


* ANY REFERENCES TO FACEBOOK SUICIDE AND DEATH AS MENTIONED HERE ONLY REFERS TO DEACTIVATING A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT AND SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.

I posted this on my facebook...but I'm still considering my facebook suicide :P

Try to be realistic....plan for miracles :)

My week has been pretty hectic...but pleasant :) I've been listening to alot of Esmée Denters (a Dutch hottie...or a hot Dutchie,depending on which end you are looking from..lol) lately since,I've been having to take a long 20 minute walk from the bus stop to my accommodation after midnight most times.Justin Timberland is a pretty good producer and I think I prefer Esmée Denters to Britney.I love her song called "What if" I think that it speaks to my heart....I keep thinking "what if i stayed back in Fiji?" "what if I had decided to continue dating my Panda?" what if...what if lol I don't really want to dwell on my past.I'm looking to my future....looks much brighter than it used to.I have truly been through so much since I moved to this new and beautiful country,New Zealand :) I still have this strong desire to get married at the age of 27 and I still have no clue who to....I just know that by the time I'm 27,I shall be married to someone.

I think it is just a natural progression of my life stages but I know that ultimately,I have the power to choose.I am planning for miracles in the sense that I know when I meet my future wife,I will know and we would get married after about 6 months...in some romantic scene that keeps playing out in my head.I know the idea is very much fantasy...but I don't expect the reality be so far off from what I have in mind.I have a quest to be self-sufficient and more independent right now...and I'm doing pretty well.


I worked lateshift with Don tonight.I was asked to lock up and so my supervisor gave me the keycodes for the office.The keycode is....324513gofish! you didn't think I'd actually post it on here,did you? lol

I've been breezing through my workload.I find this job so easy that I don't think I ever want to go back to onsite and hands on work...but that is my passion....it brings the greatest satisfaction and I love fitting things together..it is just how my mind works.


I have been working on my project for my website.I am going to sell products online with the help of L.N. and hopefully our little business venture takes off.

I miss my home so much and I am counting down to my planned trip back to Fiji...that will be the biggest miracle I am planning for...who knows? maybe it will be for my honeymoon lol....

ONE DAY!keep smiling everyone! :D

"If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything!"

I finally got paid and so I have a content smile on my face today :) I am enjoying the work I do, I have helped so many people so far and I still have a strong desire to help more people that call us up. I am learning the way of the Customer Support Jedi now and I think I can "master" it pretty soon.We had a lot of customers calling us up reporting a hoax email that they have been receiving. Luckily most of them have been following our updates and they knew what to do when confronted with a message asking to re-confirm their username and password or else their account could be terminated or something along those lines...but one unlucky guy called me up to inform me that he had sent his details out in reply to the hoax email and that he only realized after he had read our hoax email alert via our website that he had done something wrong. I advised him to remain calm and that we would be able to help him by resetting his password. I helped him out and let him go on his way. It had been an eventful evening, my last caller was the best one :) She asked me if I had patience and I smiled (although she couldn't see that over the phone) and said "Yes, I have been told that I am very patient" She then said that it was a good thing because she isn't very good with computers and she would be needing someone like me to help her out. After hmm...at least 2 hours of "being patient" I was pretty tired, it was late in the night and the other guy working night shift with me had to leave and so I was locking up. I had my supervisor leave me the keycode for the security system and so I was a little nervous at this extra responsibility that seems to have been thrown recklessly at "the new guy" hmm...I spoke to "W" for such a long time...struggling to remain professional because she was just so interesting. We started talking about other things (which usually never happens with my other calls) I really enjoyed talking to her and I thanked her for making my night (she kept me company until I finished my shift :) I was just so happy that I can help her out. There is much satisfaction from helping someone with a motive other than money.Unfortunately,my bills aren't paid by the many "thanks" that I get from appreciative customers. I am loving my job but hating the ordinary nature of tasks. I do get a little excitement each day and I tend to find that in the simple things :)I can't think of a better way to spend my Friday night (hints of sarcasm intended)

Apart from work,I really don't have much of an active social life anymore since I don't know too many people here.I hope that all changes soon.I am gonna try to find accommodation closer to work then see how things go.

I am selling my blackberry after upgrading the Operating System Software to version 4.5 and installing new applications.I did however run into a few issues.I downloaded the software from the blackberry website and then followed the instructions on how to upgrade your blackberry pearl OS software.

I ran into a few glitches when I did so.I lost all my blackberry service books and it made it impossible to download new service books on Vodafone New Zealands network unless you are subscribed to BIS(Blackberry Internet Service) I was left hopeless,only able to use my Opera-mini which I installed through the blackberry application loader on my laptop. I scoured the internet for articles on how to restore service book entries with Vodafone New Zealand's network. I found something on VodafoneNZ website forum that is from a Tech here.Basically the Tech mentioned "that there was no manual way to install this" from his knowledge.This is NOT true,this is my fix for missing service book entries.I just went on to "options" and "Advanced" and "Host Routing Table" then pressed the BB or "options" key and selected "Register Now" The forum said that the only way to restore your service book settings was to sign up for an "On Account" plan or to insert a Vodafone On Account SIM and it will setup the service book entries.I just kept registering (repeating the above steps) until something gave...first time I did register,nothing happens.I was very persistent and about 1 day later.I got a message from "Activation Server" saying I have successfully registered my blackberry device.I am delighted since now I can even receive my own vodafonenz.app.blackberry.net address.

Sadly,I still need to sell it so I have listed it on trademe.I don't want to sell for anything less than what I know it is worth with all the configuration setup on a Prepay account.If I don't get buyers then I will just keep it since it is probably worth more to me than what other people are willing to offer.

I had a great week..how about you? :)

Making the move..

It's been a tough week for me...I breezed through the training....took alot of calls in helpdesk and I handled them so well that my Manager has asked me to start my shifts.I have temporary accommodation but I need to move closer to the city.I love my new job, even though I used to hate being in the helpdesk before. I learned to enjoy my work with a focus on helping people resolve their internet issues. I live with my cousin and her son and their mom,who used to be married to my uncle...so the situation is slightly awkward and not the ideal living situation for me. I was invited by two newfound friends B & M (they're married and are expecting their first child soon) to their place for dinner with other friends E & M who were the first Spanish speaking couple I met in New Zealand. They were really nice and I loved learning a few words from them.....we had lasagne for dinner and some carlsberg and corona for drinks then we watched a DVD which had really old musicians playing for some music festival or concert (I wasn't paying attention coz they were songs from waaaay before my time lol) I had great conversation and we left with hugs and kisses....which was really nice to have since I have not had any since I left Auckland....I know right? poor me :P

Absolutely love Wellington and I keep seeing this ad on TV...beautiful and peaceful....I love my country so much :)

I ♥ Wellington! :)

I made the discovery that virgin blue and pacific blue are one and the same! I'm such a coconut sometimes :P
I left Auckland last week,catching a flight further south to Wellington City...My flight was TERRIBLE! It was only my second flight and because it was a much smaller plane,I had issues with slight pressure changes descending….my ears were killing me...I was lightheaded and hanging on to the armrests on my seats for dear life! I had never experienced that before.....probably because I am not accustomed to flying….but I survived and landed was able to bear it for a few minutes out of the total 1 hour and 5 minute flight.
I flew with Virgin Blue, and did not realize until check-in that they are also known as Pacific Blue.It was the cheapest seat I could find because all the other ones were sold out.I would say Pacific Blue is a good “value” airline.On the flight, the hottie on the mic who claims her name was “Mandy”- I didn’t buy it...coz she called the other air hostesses,her friends, Sandy and Candy but I think that’s a system they have...coz the guy she called Randy,was actually named Raj..lol (I checked his name tag)…anyway Mandy was really funny on the intercom thingy, on take off she said something like: “Do not be alarmed, we are now switching off all lights to enable our flight to take off and also to enhance the appearance of our crew” crack up! Lol, made the flight more interesting…she also said something like “we offer a variety of entertainment options…..if you wish to be entertained,just look at one of our crew members” She made some other smart ass comments that were pretty funny and she had such a personality...I was truly entertained! :)
As the plane landed...the views of Wellington were unexpectedly absorbing,beautiful mountain ranges sharply descend onto a beautiful coastline in some areas...with the city on a gradual plane....facing outward into a well laid out,glistening blue harbor...I fell in love with her soon after ;)
I got in and my host, a cousin of mine,came to pick me up....got home full of excitement,I met her family and had a long chat....I’ve never met her and her family so it was a long catch up...then off I went to my interview.

I went into the building all dressed up.Met the Operations Manager and he introduced me to the Helpdesk Manager...sat down to fill a form (questionaire type thing) I hadn’t written in such a long time...my writing looked like it was written in an earthquake..hands were shaky, nervous, I guess.It was a scenario question....I think I nailed it. Second part was spelling, circle the correct ones..I think I did that :)
These guys were pretty relaxed…so I was able to talk to them about my goals (to work in the IT industry in New Zealand) shared a bit about my life and my work history. The interview ended well and so I have been asked in to see them again today.Hope that my second interview goes well..for now...adios :)

At the time of writing this draft....I left for my interview and I got back...good news, I got the job :) yay! I'm thankful to my family my friends :) I truly feel blessed!

My advice to everyone reading is...endure the worst times,coz when it gets really bad, the good times should be just around the corner :D

Here are some pics..Enjoy!Looks like I'm not the only one who ♥'s Wellington :PView of Wellington City from Tepapa Museum (I heard it is one of the world's largest museums)
A lovely place on the coast in Eastbourne.

Light at the end of the fibre optic cable

I finally got an interview with Actrix Networks, an ISP down in Wellington.My uncle came by my new home to pick me up, now I am in Te Awamutu, a small town close to Hamilton.I love the change in scenery, the concrete cityscape I am used to seeing has been replaced with beautiful hillsides and valleys....this is Waikato District! The place is full of farm land with most of New Zealand's farmers residing in the region and mostly sheep and dairy...I love the smell of green.....I am flying to Wellington from Auckland airport so I have to get up early tomorrow.

I received a message from the manager of operations in Actrix stating that attending the interview may not mean that I will get the job but I still wish to try anyway.

I am going with a positive attitude and a supersmile :D lol hoping to bring some personality to this helpdesk position and put some cash in my pocket too....I have a passion for people and computers and I just hope that those qualities will shine through tomorrow.

Thanks to all my friends and family for their support and of cos I thank God for blessing me with all my talents :)

I took a few pics on my phone today....enjoy :)

I saw this beautiful rainbow.....hadn't seen one since the one on the train...I'm sure its on a previous post.

The neighbors down the road.....they don't take time to stop and see the colors....
I loved the fact that I could still see the sun shining through the clouds...unfortunately I can't take better pics coz I sold my digital camera.
This was taken at a Vet Clinic or something like that....for animals and pets...pet shop I think...

GODZILLA IS ALIVE!!! RUNNNNNN! LOL

"A glimmer of hope!" :)

I got an email yesterday from G who owns Tech Voice Data,about with a reference from L (the Canadian) that I was involved with briefly...she had recommended me to him and he wants to meet me for some business,possibly contract work.This could be my BIG BREAK! but I still want to find something to support myself while I wait for the 15th February meeting date....I am excited but not without a hint of pessimism-I don't think contract work will fly with immigration people. The requirements for anyone expressing interest in residing in New Zealand (at least in my case as a skilled migrant) is that I find suitable employment relevant to my field of study. I want to apply but I don't want the uncertainty of not knowing if I qualify. I can only keep trying so in the past few days I applied to about 9 IT related jobs within Auckland but I only got one reply today :

"We have received your job application for Technical Support / Office Administrator and thank you for your interest in this opportunity.

Your details have been assessed and unfortunately your application does not meet our position requirements.

We thank you for forwarding your details and wish you all the best in your job hunt."

I would appreciate some specific reasons why I do not meet the "requirements" but unfortunately most emails I get don't mention anything except for one which had an online form that I filled in a rush because I was on a public computer and did not have enough time to check.Read it below :

"Although your skill set closely matched what we were looking for,
grammatical errors in your application showed us that your written
English is not up to the level that we need for this customer facing
role."

Now,I don't know if anyone has noticed that I'm not perfect or not...I do make mistakes and admittedly,I acknowledge that I was at fault for not checking "grammatical errors" that may have been present.This one seems to have eluded me :(

Well,I'm not one who gives up so easily...like that darn energizer bunny.....I'll keep on keeping on until something gives. Thanks to all my family and friends for the support and to Kezia.

I am living in a different "undisclosed location" temporarily and hopefully I will be able to work at the local supermarket or whatever. I am still pretty "plus plus" ++ about everything....so hope my enthusiasm and positivity doesn't run out.

The grass isn't always greener on the other side......

My week went by quickly perhaps because I have been very precise with my online applications for work....I get rejection letter after rejection letter...which normally discourages me or diminishes my drive somewhat, but I am pretty up beat despite all the emails I have been getting in response to my application....I think there isn't a nice way of saying..sorry but you're just not good enough for this position....or we prefer a local...or sometimes it has more to do with specific requirements that have not been met.In the past few months of relentlessly bothering recruitment agencies and companies in Auckland I had called up Advanced Personnel, a company in South Auckland that was recommended by a relative.Talked to a friendly voice..finally! I have to call back next week in order to be registered...once that is done,I wait..some more.I don't want to wait any longer than I have already so I've been going through the hundreds of jobs advertised online hoping to find my golden goose egg....This has been ridiculous because I know I could be making more money in my home country.Something inside me tells me to stick around and look around....so despite the gloomy outlook, I am persisting with my positivity.....hoping that something goes right when everything seems wrong!

I am determined to do my best to find work in my field of study but I will probably have to work in "other capacities" until I find suitable work.I have always believed in hard work and I have always tried to give my customers the best.....I am posting a primary goal of getting employment and a secondary goal of getting employment in my field of study. Its a little late for a resolution but the new year does look promising even if it has been my worst year yet.

Hope it all goes well...here's to a fabulous 2010! :D

I'm legal...finally!

I'm finally legally living in New Zealand once again...due to the situation created by my then current visa expiring while waiting for renewal...but now I get to work for unspecified hours, for an unspecified employer. Yay! :) but that's just half of my trouble, now I have to find a job within my field of study in order to attain a residence visa, which I would like to have so that I can freely travel to my home country and back as I wish. Things haven't been the best for me in this "foreign" land. I know now what many immigrants feel when they decide to move to the greener grass (allegedly) on the other side. Moving to a new location creates a hole in your social life that cannot be immediately filled with friends that are of a different culture and social structure.To successfully settle in my new environment, I have had to observe the seeming weird (at first) way that the local people live out their busy lives. I also had to watch alot of local TV and that was just to learn the little words and phrases that locals use to express themselves....like "hard" I'd like to think I am...it was used in a context of agreement which sounded weird to me but HEY! when in Rome.......

I haven't picked up the kiwi accent yet but....I am hoping not to. I am happy with the way I speak but I feel like it draws too much attention and curiosity from many people.....so I find myself mixing things up....so I sound like a total goofball! I just want to sound like myself...my cultural identity crisis continues.....

I have been desperately trying to secure a job interview.....which was annoyingly difficult given the way employers discriminate, yes they do, despite what many people believe, employers have to discriminate in order to fit the right person into a job role.I had learned these facts from an IT workshop I attended a few weeks ago....I've been so lazy with my blog....partly because I've been hard on myself in other areas like.....finding a job! lol

Yes I can LOL in my blog..lol! :D I read in the listener a local magazine,that it helps to write a professional blog if you want to increase your chances of scoring yourself a job. I also realized the reality of the situation here which is a major factor in my difficulties in finding employment.....it is not JUST ME! :P haha talk about being so self-centered....yes other people can't find jobs too....but this is far from reassuring for me."One hundred and thirty-eight thousand New Zealanders are now trapped in the awful reality of unemployment, up 48,000 in the year to June. That's 6% of the workforce. Maori and Pasifika peoples are being hit even harder, with unemployment running at almost 13%. In each week in August, 1000 people more signed on for the unemployment benefit." While I don't qualify for any type of UB here since I am not a resident...this does more to strengthen my resolve since I have to compete with 138,000 locals who are unemployed! Shocking and sobering statistics...but I remain positive about my chances even as an immigrant. but it is not all doom and gloom as the forecast for people like me...I continue to annoy employers about how good I can be if I worked for them..eventually they shall give up and surrender a job to me! my evil plan should work :P

Seek New Zealand general manager Annemarie Duff says,"Job seekers have had to completely change their attitude to the way they go after jobs. They've had to be more focused, and they've had to think about what they have to offer to businesses." Now there are tentative signs the job market could be turning. "We are definitely starting to see a pickup in the last three weeks. We are starting to see an increase in the number of jobs advertised. It's early days, but it's a good sign," she says.

Oh well apart from that....I have not had too many issues with my personal life.....met a nice Canadian woman..but I have become somewhat disconnected with any type of relationship...so ends another chapter of my unattainable love life. I don't mind being a loner because if I find a job it may take me around the country...it is then a wise move not to be involved or as some of my friends put it "chained" to a certain area. I hardly consider being in a relationship chained or restricted...rather it is a freedom to enjoy specific attention from someone you care about.

I am still alive but....trying much harder to stay that way. I am just hoping that some New Zealand employer would see my value and potential and hire me....Since I don't qualify for unemployment benefits I have been working on an online store that I will launch soon with the help of my business partner Allen. I will keep everyone posted on the progress and hopefully....the pieces of the puzzle of my life end up falling in the right place :)

To all my dear friends...thanks for the support!

"Breakups-just a symptom of young love....growing old"

I have found myself without the desire or the bandwidth to post anything new lately....hmmm....i wonder if there’s a "connection" between the two?? lol I have been able to lift myself out of a sad and depressed state of mind..it took a lot from me emotionally, I am someone who never says "die" but a few weeks ago...that’s exactly what I wanted to do...just rot away like an insignificant piece of history (unlike Michael Jacksman) He died, apparently as some sort of hero to many people....but I really wasn't overly sad about the whole thing because I know why parasocial interaction makes people feel connected and some even feel loved by a popstar. I must give him credit for his brilliance though, he was uniquely MJ. This is not a tribute to him, more like an acknowledgement...unfortunately.So if by the amazingly odd chance that google still managed to bring you here ….move along buddy :P damn crawlers… I find it funny that when he was alive no one seemed to care....as much as when he died. I wonder if anyone would remember me if I died....but then again, I couldn't care....I'd be dead :P

Dreams of walking the streets of my childhood seem to taunt me....I had dreams of my friends...my family,especially my brother...cheap internet(even if it was slow) lol I can't help but miss it all! and yet, I do not feel that I am ready to go back to all of that....I even feel a little afraid that I am too used to the luxuries of being here in New Zealand like....an uninterrupted supply of…..water, L&P and cheap chocolate fixes :P it’s just not my time yet...I feel unaccomplished and I feel like it would be a waste if I just gave up and went back home right now...but that options seems more appealing as the days pass me by....5 months, that’s how long I have waited for my application to legally work in New Zealand, it’s crazy! I could accomplish far more back at home in the same time frame....I managed to contact my accounts advisor in Fiji…Joyce..she got married (way to make a single guy feel pressured.lol) she is writing up a reference for me….yeah I am officially single again (ladies hint, hint;) lol after giving my dearest Alyssa the "just friends" speech BUT this time....I meant every word and she understood and took it so well :) that’s why she is such a pumpkin :).I have lost a lot of passion in my life....hence the suspicion that I was depressed...but getting over the feelings of sadness and worthlessness...made me realize...I still don't have the fire inside me that drives me. I have stopped feeling "love" of any kind toward even my family...don’t get me wrong, I am still the same caring person...and I care about everyone I love that hasn't changed and I still have slightly waned feelings of love but...I just don't love everyone that I care about...it’s a weird unflattering feeling….I know!! SAD!! (Seasonal Affected Disorder) that’s what my crazy self diagnosis revealed. I also thought early mid-life crisis??? Anyone know what is up with me??YEHLP! There is definitely something UP with me….I honestly don’t feel like the same person I was before I went through all the tragedy of being unable to adapt to my new circumstances which seem to be very unfavorable at the moment! Psychiatrist anyone?? lol

I deal with it coz….like my brother used to say “sh*t happens” and I usually say yeah and sometimes I happen to sh*t….in da toilet, the place my life seems to be heading right now! I am not all doom and gloom however, I get a little bit of relief everytime I share the sad story of my life with someone….coz I know that things could be worse and there are people out there with much more to deal with than just not being able to work in a country that you spent a year in studying behind off in..ahhhhh…sorry :P. I was reading the newspaper and I actually considered being a sperm donor because I thought it wouldn’t count as work and I would feel good being able to help some infertile couple have children….but I don’t know…maybe I don’t feel like being a clone by 2020 :P Anyway, enough about me…although that’s usually why people read this….they want to know what is going on with me…..uhm so what else happened to me?? Hmmm….let me see…oh oh I met Maria the girl next door, and we went to the library again :) after talking to her about what she is doing with her life….i got an email from her on Monday saying that she is back in school!! Yay!! SEE! I’m not so useless after all :D good on her! I find that young people here just don’t have the right kind of reasoning. They think school is for fools…..maybe true lol but there is a practical side to being educated to a certain level. I feel everyone should at least know how to read and work with numbers, basically just adding,dividing,multiplying and subtracting (not necessarily in that order, I won’t be held responsible for your corrections) and everyone should at least know how to interpret and apply what they learn, to me THAT...is education….the rest is just stuff you learn because you CHOOSE to. People have been successful without having higher level education. Education is overrated.
I’m typing this in the library…so maybe I should remove all my exclamation marks?…shhhh! :P I am still feeling weirdly “emotionally neutral” (yep that’s what I’m calling it) but I feel generally good, okay,alright,set,cool,average,in the middle-ish. I am neither happy nor sad…but I do at times feel a surge of “happy” when I get a call from my friends (ahem…hint hint ;) things are looking up though, this is the last month I will endure this crappy wait for my papers……by the end of July if I don’t get any word on the progress for my application. I am most definitely going to withdraw my application and go home!..I am gonna list some of my goals on here soon….so if I succeed…I’ll be happy and if I fail….I will be humiliated…publicly! And forever known as a total failure :P If that doesn’t induce some passion, if not panic…into my life then I don’t know what will lol
Hasta la vista…..baby! :P my Spanish word(s) for today….eeeer why not?? :P

the 3F's ( Fun,Friends and....uhm Few drinks?lol)

I had been eager to catch up with some of my friends from high school who have moved here the last few years but somehow there was always something that got in the way,so we all decided that we'd make a plan for the 17th of May...which I thought was a Saturday without even checking my calendar.I was so excited and so were they.....and I assumed there were going to be so many people invited since one of my friends MK was saying that she will invite everyone she knows from facebook...so she set the theme for the night to be "yellow" so we all had to wear something yellow...that week I frantically searched my wardrobe for something yellow but I couldn't find anything,since most of my clothes were still at home in Fiji....hmm..I wonder,I just ignored it and thought I'd go against the theme.At the last minute,I was hit by a stroke of brilliance,while in the kitchen having dinner,I saw an apple,an orange and then this bright yellow banana staring me in the face,I immediately knew what I was going to take along for my yellow theme hehe!I got dressed,slightly casual yet warm and I wanted to call my friend in America while I was waiting coz I had this thing I had to do for her,a prank call to her enemy or someone she really didn't like and so we were planning the meanest things to say but I never got to be badass :( my ride came and it was really funny being picked up by two girls....while in the car,I pulled out my banana and pointed at it as my yellow ticket in...they both laughed hard!And miss D said "you better not sit on it and get squashed banana all over my carseat!" she is a fiesty one this girl ;) lol. We got to the city and I managed to catch up with the other girls who...also made a mockery of my banana lol it was the center of attention...so naturally,I was a little jealous lol but I had so much fun and it took my mind of more pressing issues.My friends updated me on their lives here in New Zealand,they all have a life except for banana boy! lol I had such a great time and the other guys cancelled so it was just me and the girls...and 2 others who attended our reunion by phone...Allen,who everyone just loved to make fun of and Ace from Australia,who was feeling rich and wanted to waste his money on international phone calls..lol This was,hands down,the best night I have ever had here! I also got some advice from the 3 lovely ladies about my recent ordeal with the ex girlfriend...it helped :) I am much less stressed now and I am happier knowing that even in this foreign land,where I don't really know anyone,I still have friends and I am grateful for their company :) They're already planning another reunion and I'm hoping that at least some guys would attend coz a night with 3 girls can really wear a guy down..lol
To more serious matters of concern,my work permit is still in limbo and so I am not legally entitled to work here...so I've been looking online for something I can do while I wait for the outcome of my immigration status...I was looking towards opening an online trade website but...someone already did that lol www.trademe.co.nz and from what I hear, they became millionaires....no,I'm not looking for millions just enough to get by...I got some mad skills and so it drives me crazy that I can't put them to good use...I'm just being patient but....I'll have to see what happens.In the meantime,I am happy that I have good friends for support.lol hope you like the update..lol

Yes I grew a mustache again...a sign of mourning or loss lol :P

"My 15 minutes of fame"

Last year, while in class, there was a presentation by geosmart about location innovation, a competition that tries to find innovative applications for use with current maps available on AAmaps.After learning about some of the categories, I decided to give it a shot.....but I was hesitant since I am not exactly a star programmer. I applied for entry but I never worked on it...I mean totally NOTHING was done...I soon forgot about it until one day, I was awakened by a happy voice, and she asked if I was ready to submit my entry. Awake and drowsy, I couldn't care less...so I told her I haven't done jack.....and that I didn’t think I could submit anything within that time. She then asked if I would submit something if the deadline was extended for a week because they were officially extending the deadline. I agreed, perhaps just to get back to sleep...lol I didn't do much after that, but when the weekend came, I started thinking of an idea my friend told me about....she was the one that got me on the way to this idea of a GPS software switch.....which was quite unique, I started putting some words and ideas together. My idea was to develop an application that would change alert profiles based on location. I always found that I sometimes forget to switch my phone to silent mode during class….and I know I wasn’t the only one..lol I remember class being interrupted by annoying ringtones….although some were quite pleasantly annoying haha….well, what if...you didn’t have to switch your phone profile every time you go into a cinema or to class or to a meeting?? This was the entire basis for my concept application. One week later, I still had not completed it so when I got a call this time, I said that it was okay, I cannot enter since it was still incomplete. I told her about my idea so she must have liked it, she gave me another 3 days and I was able to complete it and submit…FINALLY! It would have been a waste if I didn’t get it in coz I really worked hard at it. Then I didn’t hear from her until they had the awards, she called to confirm my attendance and I told her I would be there…..and so I was there, fashionably late…lol there were free drinks so I had a Heineken and my lecturer was there, I told him that I entered and he said that was good. At this point, Sarah had not seen me so no one knew I was there….and then they announced “unfortunately our next category winner wasn’t able to make it”….and when I saw my name on the projector…I quickly raised my hand and waved at Sarah…she invited me up to receive the award for “outstanding student entry” it was super cool……I had never really won too many awards in my life so this was a great experience for me :)

I got an envelope and a framed certificate and I thought wow, this is great….I thanked them and was about to get off the stage area when they announced that I also get a blackberry pearl with GPS…..now this is the part way you try to remain calm..lol I was so happy, it was the best prize I ever won…totally cool and I was always thinking of getting a new phone anyway, didn’t think I’d actually win it…the evening ended with some conversation with the people there and then I personally thanked Sarah with a kiss on the cheek..she was glad I could make it. I had an awesome time…and only had 1 beer the whole night :) I’m glad that Sarah was just like my mom, very pushy lol but I should really call it motivating and not pushing….well, I am glad I participated in such a cool competition. My School had used the pic for a promotional in the newspapers back in Fiji...I got congratulations all around :) thanks everyone!
I’m looking forward to working now and putting my skills to good use. But I have to wait for my work permit to be processed…its taking ages!