Weeehoooo ! So, time for some well earned days off, start travelling around the South Island tomorrow ! I'm in Christchurch right now. Flew in on Monday, on a Boeing 747-800, a small one, Pacific Blue, so their planes are...very red...true ! And the last 20 minutes were kinda.....bumpy. Everybody started making the same noises as in a rollercoaster...and I really thought we were missing the landingstrip. I just saw a lot of green grass coming closer and closer. Mmm. Apparently landing in Christchurch is always a bit rough, Iben (Danish roomie from ACB who is currently in Christchurch for a language cousre, that she just quit, so she's coming on the Stray bus tomorrow as well, have bad influence haha) thought she was dying and it took her 30 minutes at the airport to realise she was still alive.... Booked myself 4 nights at Base, right at Cathedral Square, central city. Very cool room on the top floor, heaps of space ! Had some time to walk around the city with iben (who was very happy to meet up again). Only been here 1 night last year, and that was the day that I was very hungover, so didn't remember a lot except the Catherdral.Christchurch is just more laid back then Auckland...and flatter. And it's damn cold at night....freezing ! Closer to Antarctica. But when the sun's out it's nice and warm. Had my interview yesterday. It was in Rolleston, about an hour drive from town by bus. I'm still impressed by the kindness of everybody out here, I got invited by a Dutch family who live in Rolleston, and who read my message on the Nieuwzeelandforum, to come over for a tea before my interview. Caroline picked me up from the bus stop, and it was nice to hear about her experiences in NZ. She actually dropped me of at the place I had my interview !!!!

Although I was 20 minutes early I was welcomed and could start my presentation straight away. I even made a small Powerpoint slide show, and I guess it was ok. They said my English was better then that of some Kiwi's ! And the other night they thought I was from Canada !

They didn't really gave feedback on the presentation, but went straight into the panel interview. The questions were not that different from other interviews, and we even laughed about stuff. The atmosphere was kinda relaxed, and the people I spoke to were really kind. The fact that I don't have a workpermit yet didn't reall;y seem to be a problem, they seem to hire more people from overseas. They do have some Danish students as well, and one of the social workers is Dutch, and they said he might like another Dutch colleague.

After the interveiw somebody showed me around, it's a new facility, and it felt a bit like Jeugddorp Laanzicht. Even got the chance to see one of the units and meet the teenagers that live there. One of them showed me her room, and it was nice to get a feel of the place. Actually I think I would really like to get a job there. They wanted to knwo if I would be interested in another position as well, and I explained that I actually applied for three different positions at their place. And I'm willing to take another position if that suits my skills.

One of the managers offered me a ride and he took me all the way back to my hostel !!! Amzaing. And had a nice chat with another manager, who married a Dutchie, she gave me info about other vacancies as well, just in case. And they might pay me back my planeticket, which is a really nice gesture.

I will hear more in about two weeks, and it was no problem to start travelling, don't have to stay in Christchurch to wait. So Iben and me decided to take the Stray bus to Kaikoura tomorrow, and if it all works out we will get on a bus from picton to Abel Tasman National park on Sunday, and will meet some of our buddies from Auckland who are going to be on the same bus (they come by ferry from Wellington that day), and it could actually be K's bus as well.

Have great feeling bout the interview, glad I deciced to go for it, and even if I won't get the job it's all good. I just had the guts to do it, and it always takes me some time to realise that that is in fact quite cool.

Really looking forward to have some time"off"now, to get back in relaxed mode and breath some outdoor air ! So migth be on the road the next two weeks, getting back to good old Queenstown as well !!!!!

Look after you, and lavya all you know !!!!