Things we love about Wellington - The Buses

I've been doing loads of jobs today.  It is stunning outside so going for a hot chocolate at one of the best cafes in Wellington.  4 more days....ahhh, it's all going super quickly!!!

One of the things I love about Wellington - The Buses!!  The transport system is very efficient.  Lots of buses and people/commuters are very friendly to the drivers - they say, "Thank you, Driver!" as they get off the bus. However, the bus drivers aren't friendly at all.  It is rare to meet a nice one.  I've had a few grumpy ones in the past and even a run in with one of them.  I had to tell them to calm down because they were being so rude and angry simply because of a misunderstanding.  I find the bus drivers are poor communicators in this city.  Apart from angry drivers, the system is great.  I love hopping on and off the buses in Wellington.

The countdown begins....5 days....

Five days, yes, five days left in this wonderful city.  How are we feeling?  A little overwhelmed with everything that we have to do and everyone we have to say goodbye to.  That, is the hardest part, saying goodbye. No matter how many times I move, it doesn't get any easier.  I build these great relationships with people only to have to let them go and then develop a 'long distance' relationship.  Thank goodness for Facebook and Skype!

Last night we had dinner at a friends.  I taught both their girls, Amber and Lola - lovely girls - blessed to have taught them!  We had the best curry and then played an awesome game.  We had a lot of fun.

The Bird family - lovely!!!

Amber and Lola - beautiful children!

There is so much that I have to do today so my blog post won't be long.  I feel like I am just procrastinating at the moment.

The sky is blue and the weather this week looks exceptional - trust Wellington to give us a final week of glorious sunshine, pristine blue skies and very little wind.

view from bedroom

view from computer desk...see, blue skies.

Today I have to visit the bank, have a meeting with a lady regarding compensation for being in hospital for a month and then not being able to work for a month.  (Hopefully I can claim some money.)  Lots and lots of washing, cleaning, packing, organising, meeting people here and there for last coffees, selling stuff, preparing dinner (takeaway, as all pots and pans are in boxes) and finally trying to organise train tickets and hotels in Europe.

Sad to go - yes, but know too well that we are doing the right thing.  Wellington is great, but health comes first and if my lungs can get well in a nice warm, dry climate then so be it!  I am prepared to let this city go.

Excited about new phase - yes.  We have been given a WONDERFUL opportunity to live and work in an ancient land, rich with culture and language.  I want this part to begin now.  I have had enough of waiting!

Every time I move, this song pops into my head :-)  When I left England the first time, my friend got out his guitar and sang this song to me on Clapham Common.  I suppose it has stuck.

Right, have to go.  I have already spent longer than I thought I would have on this blog post.  I'll try and post again tomorrow.

Te Papa

http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/pages/default.aspx

What an awesome museum this is, and best of all, it's free!!!

I can't believe we only have 2 more weeks left in this beautiful city!  I am beginning to feel a sense of sadness, but also great excitement for our next adventure. Plus, we get to see all the people we love and adore in between.

We are busy furiously packing and getting our travel plans organised.  There's a lot of people to see and places to go.

I'll post more about Te Papa soon with some pictures.

Ten Things to do in Wellington

http://www.au.timeout.com/sydney/travel/features/10809/ten-things-to-do-in-wellington

Thought this was quite cool.  Most of the ten things to do are some of the things we love about Wellington.

A bit of a rant.

I just feel the need to rant about something I feel very passionately about - teaching and education.  My old principal who has been an educator in NZ for over 30 years recently wrote this on one of our weekly admin papers.

Please remember this as our education system is in turmoil. It is an honour to be in this profession.

“In a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilisation along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honour and the highest responsibility anyone could have!” Lee Lacocca, Automobile Executive-I think General Motors? JJ

Yes, the NZ education system is in turmoil which is so sad because it is one of the world's best education systems.  First, the national government quickly introduce National Standards without consulting the education profession, stating that 1 in 5 students are failing and National Standards would ensure that no child is left behind.  When teachers heard this, we heard alarm bells and echoes of other education systems that have introduced national standards, such as the US and the UK.  The truth of the matter is this, when you tell a child that they are not meeting the standard, automatically you hear words like, 'failure', 'stupid', 'dumb', 'can't achieve'.  I get very angry here because that is exactly what we don't want children to feel.  Most passionate teachers want children to LOVE learning even if they struggle with it.    National Standards maybe be great for the 4 out of 5 kids, but for that 1 in 5, they need something different.  Some may argue that National Standards help identify those children who struggle, but any decent educator would know!  Most schools already have tried and tested assessments that benchmark student achievement.  

Ok, so we now have National Standards - whoop dee doo!  Next, the national government say that they are going to increase class sizes in order to create quality teachers.  Many teachers are going to lose their jobs because of this, yet they are still pumping out student teachers through the universities - bums on seats, profit, profit, profit for the fat cats!  I just don't get it.

Right, so going back to the 1 in 5 students who are struggling argument - how is increasing the number of children in the classroom going to impact on those who struggle?  Oh, the answer is so clear - why can't the government see it??  I wish those politicians would spend time in a classroom and help rather than spending millions on introducing standards and then cutting funding in areas where it is most needed.

Here are some interesting videos.  They will give you a better idea of what's going on.

http://www.3news.co.nz/More-than-1000-teachers-could-lose-jobs/tabid/367/articleID/255609/Default.aspx

http://www.3news.co.nz/Education-changes-bigger-classes-performance-pay/tabid/309/articleID/254412/Default.aspx

http://www.3news.co.nz/Concern-over-teacher-performance-pay-plan/tabid/309/articleID/254583/Default.aspx 

I'd like to end this rant with this lovely video (see Natural Standards) that a colleague sent out.  It sums up what has been happening in NZ from a teachers perspective.

Just heard some news from my old school....6 of my colleagues will lose their jobs next year!!! 6 in just one school!!!  Shocking!!!

UPDATE:  Government did a U-turn on their education policy.  The battle is won, but the war is not won for NZ education.

Natural Standards

Bird Song

I was just folding the clothes, and all I could hear was a chorus of birdsong. I had to post about it because it is something I absolutely treasure about Wellington and New Zealand.

There is a reserve in Wellington called 'Zealandia' - http://www.visitzealandia.com/site/zealandia_home/ (click on this link and you'll hear what I can hear!)  where birds and other native animals of NZ are protected by a magical fence where stouts, possums, cats and rats can't get in to eat the eggs.  Because of this project, Wellington has seen an increase in the native birds of this land.  An absolutely fabulous project and a great place to visit.  I was fortunate enough to meet the man who began this project.  He wanted his grandchildren (who attend my old school..actually got to teach his granddaughter this year!) to be able to enjoy the beautiful birds and thankfully, they can.  Tui birds are now locals to any garden in Wellington.  I can hear them right now, even in the city - fabulous sounds.

Things we love about Wellington - Saigon Taste

Saigon Taste is an authentic Vietnamese restaurant.  They serve fresh, tasty meals that are cheap and healthy.  Robert ALWAYS eats #37.  He never changes his order even when Mai (the manager) encourages him to try something different.  I will go out of my comfort zone and try something different. I'm always rewarded with fine flavours.  My favourite 'go to' is the Rare Beef Pho (noodle soup).

You could call this place our 'second home' in Wellington as we are usually in here for dinner.  Initially, we'd come here twice a week.  Recently, only once a week.  I can imagine as our time in Wellington dwindles away, we'll come here to eat more often.  I can imagine our last taste of Wellington will be here.

Robert's one and only number 37!

Fresh summer rolls - I am hungry just looking at them!

Number 37!

Number 38!

I tired the Hot Beef Soup because it was cold outside.

We have introduced this restaurant to many good friends.  Brigit (on left) has been here many times with me.  It was Laura's first time and guess what she ordered......yep, number 37 :-)  She loved it!  Everyone does.

Things we love about Wellington - Cuba St and Funky Shops

Cuba Street is a hip and happening pedestrianised area in Wellington City.  It is a real hub of activity with a great mix of bars, cafes, restaurants and shops.  We love it because it has a great vibe and is the perfect place to do some people watching.  There are usually buskers playing their music and artists selling their works to the passers by.  I was recently entertained by a magician who played several card tricks on me and then asked for a donation.  I gladly gave him $2.  It's the only change I had and he was lucky I had that.

The picture below is of the famous 'Bucket Fountain'.  Here is a link to the history of the fountain and how it works http://www.bucketfountain.co.nz/history.html

The Plum Cafe is a great place to grab a coffee or a sneaky afternoon pinos gris with friends. A great spot on a hot, sunny day.

The Matterhorn is a wonderful place where business men and skaters fuse together very naturally.  It's a place that is upmarket enough for business meetings and funky enough for skaters.  It has a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere and the food is sumptuous. 

The Paper Bag Princess - one of my favourite places to buy cheap, second hand clothes.  Everything here is under $20!!  I love it and have found many wonderful bargains here.  One of the things I love about Wellington is the 'op-shop' culture - second hand clothing and goods.  The beauty is that most people who come to New Zealand have immigrated so we can find a large selection of clothes orginating from the UK, Canada, the US and Europe.  Wellington doesn't have a GAP or Hennes, but we can sometimes find GAP clothing in the op-shops thanks those who have given their clothing to these kinds of shops.

 The Recycle Boutique - a bit more upmarket and more expensive than the Paper Bag Princess.  You can find wonderful vintage clothing in this shop.  I could spend hours in here looking at all the old dresses and thinking to myself, "Would I ever wear that and what on earth would I wear it with?"  I just don't have the courage to wear something vintage.

I randomly took this one because I love the houses on hills in the background - a typical Wellington scene.

Frutti - 80% NZ made clothing.  This shop is DIVINE, but it is very expensive.  I have one beautiful jumper from this shop and people always comment on how funky it is.  I love how they display their products.  It's such a beautiful, colourful shop.

Ooooo, the skirts are SO lovely and there is a BEAUTFUL green coat, too!!

...and the hats!  So lovely.

Indeja - my favourite place to buy ear rings!!  I just love their colourful, unusual designs. The shop has been a regular feature on Cuba Street for 15 years.  They sell exotic, bright fashions from places like India and Thailand.  I only ever go in to look at the ear rings and to sometimes buy a pair!   

Yes, those ear rings, pink ones, purple ones, blues ones, green ones, wooden ones, feather ones, beady ones, dangly ones....I love them all!!!  Such an awesome variety.