Service with a Smile..against the odds

We had a fire at work in the wee hours of yesterday morning. It was big and the damage was considerably large. Thankfully no one was in the building at the time.

Needless to say it was a huge shock but we all banded together really well. Our emergency contingency plan kicked in and was carried out so seamlessly that even the fire department investigators commented on how impressed they were with us.

I am filled with admiration for the entire team - those who took charge in leading from the start as well as those who worked silently behind the scenes. We just drew strength from each other, worked well as a cohesive unit. We are now almost back to normal, very tired but still smiling and determined to move forward and provide our clients with the best possible service we can render.

Our people are our biggest assest. I suppose that's what makes us as good as we are. We understand, we care and we deliver against all odds.

Goody Goody for Jade

I’ve never been a great fan of reality television stars. In fact I find some of these pseudo manufactured celebrities quite annoying. But my views aside, they seem to have ingratiated themselves so deeply into popular culture that they become newsworthy in a truly global sense. You cannot pick up a newspaper or a magazine and not find information on some of these personalities these days.

So it was hardly surprising when Jade Goody made the evening television news here in New Zealand. To ordinary Kiwis, the infamous and sometimes controversial former Big Brother contestant means nothing. But to the British public she seems almost iconic.

Love her or hate her, you have to feel a bit sorry for the girl. The news that she has terminal cancer is sad. The simple fact that a young, single mum with two little boys is dying has got to pull on the heartstrings of anyone with a heart.

My first impression of Jade Goody when I lived in London was that she was pointless, appeared almost irritatingly naive and annoying. But it wasn’t long before I discovered that she is also spirited, entertaining and charming all at the same time. I watched her fame grow with almost a sense of admiration. Someone with no obvious talent in sport, music or acting was still out there making herself a household name. The more I saw of her on the screen, the more amused I was. Controversial as she is, she has this uncanny ability to make you ‘laugh’.

And now in a cruel twist of fate, it appears the joke is on her. It’s also a grim reminder that CANCER does not discriminate. Jade has received a lot of slack for cashing in on her illness and planning to play out her almost certain death in front of television cameras. But really, how can it be fun for someone in pain, someone who is never going to enjoy ‘the money’ that this will bring? So I’m left with the conclusion that she must be doing it to safeguard the future of her two boys. She is not going to be around to raise them or laugh with them. And if this television series is her last chance to secure their future, then I’m certainly not going to cast any stones. Furthermore, if the reports that more women are going to have their cervical smear tests done, as a result of Jade’s illness, are true, then she has managed to not just raise awareness about cancer, but make an impact.

Jade Goody is seriously ill, but far from dead. I’m sure in the next year or however short her time is, she will continue to have a raised profile. And when her day of reckoning comes, she will probably be mourned and missed. But the effect that she has made on people in the five short years of her ‘notoriety’ will certainly play out for a lot longer. And for that “Goody Goody for Jade”

Summer Holiday

I'm holidaying with my family in the very lovely picturesque town of Mt. Maunganui. The Mt. situated on Tauranga Harbour’s eastern entrance, is also called Mauao by the Maori.

According to Maori legend,the hill was a pononga [slave] to a mountain called Otanewainuku. The pononga was in love with a hill called Puwhena, but she had already fallen for his captor.

In despair, the nameless hill decided to drown himself and he called upon the fairy people [Patupaiarehe] to assist with his endeavour. The fairies began dragging him toward the sea, however, these nocturnal imps lost track of time, and as they neared the ocean, the rising sun signalled their disappearance.

The nameless one was left in the very place where he still stands, and became known as Mauao, which means “caught by the dawn.”

Today, Mauao still faces day’s first light; as do many who walk his 3.4-km base, which passes by remote beaches and rocky cliffs. Sea lions and whales are often seen in this area and it remains a fantastic standpoint to watch ships head in and out of the Port of Tauranga.

I'm living in a little apartment overlooking the beach and my bedroom window is a vista of the bay and all the boats in it. We were fortunate enough to have a visit from the Dawn Princess yesterday and as she left our shores a whole lot of folk came out to wave her goodbye.

I've been spending the days in a blissful lazy way - lounging and meandering along the beach, swimming, eating (yes lots of that), and enjoying a daily shot of gelato and ice slushies. And much to my mum's horror, I'm getting to be a real darkie. I prefer to call it embracing my brownness.

In short, I'm having an amazingly relaxed, gloriously warm and sunny holiday. What's more I don't have to travel hours in a plane to get here. Mt. Maunganui is only a 3 hour drive and in some way you could say it's not too far past my back yard. And that's why I plan to visit again in the near future.

Kiwi Christmas Postcard

T'is the season to be silly. The weather is gloriously sunny.
Sail boats are out in the harbour.
The Pohutukawa trees (also known as the kiwi christmas tree) are in full bloom.
Despite the economic gloom, shopping bags are filled with discounted items.
There is a lot to be greatful for this Christmas.
And on that note, I'm heading to the fridge for a chilled beer and some steak to throw on the Barbie.
Merry Christmas from the land of the long white cloud.

Indecision 08

The race for the Whitehouse is finally over. But down under in Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud, the race for the Beehive is only days away.

Saturday 08 November 2008, is when New Zealand heads to the polls in what is considered to be a financially critical election.

They are calling it “Decision 08”. Sadly, yours truly remains “Undecided 08”.

This is the first ever election where I cannot arrive at a decision on where to place my party vote. Traditionally I’ve always leaned towards Labour, but I find myself (like a number of others) unable to align myself anymore with its policies.

There are 19 political parties contesting the elections. As with most elections, the political mud-slinging between the two major parties – Labour and National have made for interesting and sometimes amusing television and press reports. However, months of this “he says/she says” has also assailed my hearing and completely clouded my ability to make an informed decision on who will best serve my needs.

Labour is making a desperate and very greed attempt at a fourth term in office. The “reds” have been in power for nine years now. Their initial terms were served in more or less a constructive manner. The last couple of years have however, seen some dirty political manoeuvring and poor choices, in terms of policies and political bedfellows – all of which has made it apparent that they have gradually lost sight of the realities of life in New Zealand.

National, largely predicted to emerge victorious, is almost “blue” in the face (no pun intended) with their Labour bashing and preaching of the gospel of change. But nothing they have said or spelled out thus far has provided any indication of what it is that they plan to change and exactly how they are going to go about doing this.

John Key, the leader of the National Party is only slightly more attractive to look at than our current Prime Minister Helen Clarke. But a “pretty boy” is not what this country needs to steer it forward. He often boasts that his background as an investment banker makes him more knowledgeable on financial issues than his opponents. I’d love to believe him, but having worked in an investment bank myself, I’m not entirely convinced of this assertion.

The political canvass is further coloured with other minor parties. Some of these like the Greens, the Maori Party, ACT, and NZ First are better known. They also have enough of a following to enable them to form a possible coalition with either Labour or National if required. Other smaller parties like the Kiwi Party, Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis, Alliance, and Democrats for Social Change, Pacific Party etc. are parties that I know nothing about and therefore they do not warrant my vote.

The most interesting gain in terms of votes will more than likely go to the Maori party who have done a lot of positive work in getting Maori issues to the forefront and really kudos to them for doing so well. But again, as I am not Maori, I do not believe that they are necessarily the best representatives of my needs and issues.

And so I’m stuck in this quagmire called indecision.

It’s a bit like being given a blank canvas and asked to paint it with one strikingly rich colour. There are a few attractive colours on the easel - Red, Blue, Green, Yellow and even Purple. Individually bold and rich they may be, but none in my estimation exemplifies the much required “Rainbow of Hope”. And so I remain “Undecided 08”

A Pampered Existence

As a single young woman living alone, you'd think I'd make the time to take better care of myself. In fact you'd probably be forgiven for thinking that I owe it to myself to make an enhanced effort with my appearance. For example, one would think that I have all the time in world to pamper myself with massages, manicures, hairstyles and the works really. But you could not be further from the truth.

I do love the notion of being able to spend time being pampered. But somehow I find neither the time nor the required "spare change" to indulge in such a luxurious routine. I call it a luxury because with the high cost of living, my mortgage and escalating bills, being pampered is not really high on my list of priorities.

Mind you, I don't go around looking like a fat chick in a sack. In fact I make a half decent effort at being presentable, but the truth is I simply cannot afford to get a manicure or be pampered.

So when my brother bought me a two hour massage voucher for my birthday recently, it was as if Christmas and all of the other the holidays came at once. It still took me about a month to book an appointment at the salon. And when I did, the two hours of being massaged by a trained professional left me feeling relaxed, radiant, energised and thoroughly spoiled. In fact you could say it more than made up for the 7 years of not being able to spoil myself.

Now I wonder what my brother has planned for Christmas? Warren, if you are reading this..BIG HINT and MANY MANY THANKS.

It's a bit of a BOILER really.

I seem to be having a really bad run of luck lately. Just when I was starting to take pride in home ownership, I get a sharp dose of reality - an unpalatable medicine that I'd be happier not having to swallow. But sadly unforseen things happen and the costs just have to be borne.

I had over the past few weeks begun to take real pride in my house. Making an effort to transition it from being a house to a home. I've put pretty plants all over and begun to adorn the walls with much loved images and I've even been saving for a new garage door as my current door has collapsed on me. All of these were things that I was planning for costs that would be expected. And then it happened....my hot water system developed a leak. I spent an entire night mopping up the place and then had to call in a plumber. The bad news is that I have to replace the entire system. The cost of a new system...a whopping $2,200+ GST. This is not just a dent in the pocket but a gaping hole in my rapdily depleting finances.

Needless to say it's been a bit of shock and an invaluable lesson.

Now all I need to do is win the Lotto and I'll be smiling again.