Travel

Laughing Kiwi！

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Laughing Kiwi
In Motueka, I had been arranged to live in a BBH + YHA —— Laughing Kiwi
It’s a wonderful place since it could get the name of BBH and YHA at the same time!
Cost: 120/week
Just like its name, my life over here was a laughing life too~

First, allow me to introduce how special it is…
Unlike others, this backpacker contain 4 building…
1 for the owner, 1 self-contained family room and 2 backpacker lodge…
Besides, there was a Hot SPA, swing and a kiwi orchard…
Wonderful right?
后院，Back Yard弹跳床，Trampoline
温泉，SPA独立屋，Self-Caontained

At the beginning the owner arranged all the long stay workers in 1 house, another for short term backpacker…
But because of that worker house is full, I had been arranged into backpacker lodge~
背包客屋，Backpacker Lodge

Thanked God for separate me from my Indian work mate~
Not because I racist, but because they always drink…
And occupied all the living room…
So…

The main advantage of Backpacker lodge was it enable me to observe different kind of backpackers
So I knew how others backpackers live~
(And I found that most of the backpackers are facing their mobile device, especially in rainy day~)
I also observed what they eat, how they cook…
Besides, I could also practice my english as it was the only common language at here…

Inside the living room, there was a traditional heater (But it only open once for my 2 weeks stay)
4 set of sofa and a skytv television~
During the Boston explosion news, everyone will squeeze inside here watching the news…
Besides, weather forecast was also a famous channel since weather largely affected the Abel Tasman Trip~
Laughing Kiwi的客厅，Living Room

There was a Kitchen beside living room…
Since there were many stove and different people different dinner timing, normally no waiting for cooking~
And there were 2 bath room and 3 toilet, so no waiting too…
饭厅，Kitchen

And I lived in a 6 person dorm…
For the long term staying people were:

  1. Benito, my Spanish apple picking mate, can pick 5~6 bins averange…
    我的采苹果朋友，My apple picking mate : Benito
  2. Kim, a Korean who wake up early in the morning and work hard to learn english from TV…
  3. Beside, an agent: Johnly (or something) also arranged his workers sleep at here…
    There were 8 Malaysian come inside during my 2 weeks stay…
    Moreover, there were 3 Taiwanese came here for short stay too…
    After my 1 week stay, Chinese language, Asian traditional food smell was full of the house~
    我们这行人，We Asian
    Chit-chatting our government, University, study course, working…
    Not only bring up hometown feeling…
    But also gained many knowledge about my further study~

But there was always an ending in life…
To save money in the fastest way, I had to move to a Homestay which cheaper and closer to my workplace
Cost: 85/week

The main reason for me to move out was because of distance to Talley’s…
For Laughing Kiwi to Talley’s was 3km and took 45 minutes walk time…
And I had to be in the factory position by 6, which mean I had to get up on 4 for preparation~
So I moved out for a better life~

Thanked Laughing Kiwi for giving 2 laughing weeks…
Much more challenges were in front and to pass over~

旅游

Motueka 我与苹果的日子～

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Motueka就是我南岛的第一站…
根据当地的博物馆的详情，这里曾经是纽西兰农业的主要城市…
因为在这里可以找到Kiwi，苹果，还有许多海产～

等我在这里度过一段日子，会在慢慢介绍哦～

之前在Tauranga接触到一个中介：Tracy，把我介绍来到这个城市…
我在紧张又不问详情的情况下就来到这里开始了我纽西兰的第一份工——采苹果～

抵达了之后，才发现我的工作团队，是一群的印度人！
当然还有极少数的whver…
不知道是不是马来西亚的文化，还是在那里听到太多负面信息…
我对印度人开始也有负面的感觉…
（以前中学的印度历史老师还是我最敬佩的老师之一呢！）

现在要和他们一起工作，也许是上帝先让我在国外接触我在大学可能会接触的东西吧～

其实工作后发现他们并没有人们说的糟糕～
我唯一顶不顺的是在工作时在苹果园高唱印度歌…
明明戴了耳机还要那么大声的唱出来！

除此之外，他们也只不过是一群想赚钱的劳工吧…
而且他们的工作速度真的是…开外挂！

不说别人了，就说说我自己吧…
一接到这个工作，就告诉自己说来体验也可以…
不过一定要撑一个礼拜！

感谢主最后我终于撑了一个礼拜，虽然换了工作环境，停了2天工～

为什么撑一个礼拜都这么难呢？
也许是我体力不好，或者太过完美主义者…
故事就要从整个工作过程说起：

采苹果的工就是要用熟透的红苹果装满一个箱子

一个箱子（大约400公斤）的苹果，和装苹果的袋子（装满20公斤），1 full bin 400kg and 1 full bag 20kg

步骤就是每个人会认领一个排苹果树

每个人都要认领1排来采... 1 people 1 lane...

从果树把苹果在下来，放入背在前面的黑色包包
当包包装满过后，你就可以把包包的苹果倒入箱子，然后重复～

说虽然简单，不过重点就在于：

  1. 满的包包大约18公斤
  2. 满的箱子大约360公斤
  3. 苹果树并不矮，红苹果都要用楼梯往上爬才到得了～
    这就是我们要爬和抬来抬去的梯子～ The ladder for us to climb and carry around~

就这3点，就可以把我的体力吃完了！（后悔没有在家里练好才来）
每次要背着大约10kg的苹果走来走去…
又是还要爬上8阶高的梯子…
刚开始2个箱我还能有速度…
但是接下来的体力就不够用了～

另外不知道是不是我的QC特别严格，还是我太要求完美…
QC每次来都告诉我：”This is still too green, you should leave it on the tree…”（这些苹果还是太青，应该留在树上）
可是我看其他人也是采这样的啊？
所以每一次我就告诉自己，采红一点的～
直到我的QC告诉我:”Your trend looks good, your bin looks good too”（整体上都很好！）
我已经花了比别人一倍的时间…
接下来的日子，我就花很多时间去维持我的品质…
特别是当看到别人什么都采，甚至只在箱子的最上几层做好样子，而赚得比我多时…
心里开始不好受～

到最后，别人一个Lane可以采4到5箱，而我只有3到4箱…
别人一天可以5到6箱，我最多只有4箱…
虽然QC说很好，但是就是过不了心理那一关~
而且如果换成小时，我是底过最低薪金的：

1箱28 NZD，我大概9小时4箱
平均1小时我赚12.44 NZD。
纽西兰最低薪金 + Holiday Pay 是14.85 NZD/小时…
所以我是赚得比别人少，而且工作比别人辛苦～
而且雨天又不能工作！

其实很多问题是只是出在自己的心理…
我也认为如果我坚持多一个礼拜，我的体力应该撑得到9小时5箱…
（女生们不要却步，有些女生是可以做到很好的，像最近有个台湾女孩第一天就采4箱，我第一天才采2箱半！）

其中还有很多能享受的乐趣：

  1. 嘴巴痒时，可以随手拿一粒苹果咬一口～
  2. 爬到楼梯的最高点，欣赏美好的天气～
    一望无边的苹果园～ Apple orchard~好多红红的苹果～ Many Big Red Apples不过很多都是要爬梯子才采的到... But most of them is ladder work...
  3. 在寒冷的秋天，享受酷热的太阳～
  4. 不是会有小鸟飞到你面前替你唱歌～
  5. 郊外的苹果园，可以与绵羊相见～
    羊儿冲过来了！Here came the sheep!

  6. 与不同的whv交流～
  7. 发挥你的Apple料理～
    用苹果壳做的苹果派，Apple pie by apple加面粉的苹果派，Flour-made Apple Pie每天有这么多的苹果，当然要好好利用！So many things can do with the apples!

不过，一个礼拜过后，我终于宣告放弃…

期间有去找过Packhouse的工作，但是那个packhouse老板以为我是女生，才让我工作…
没想到我是个男生，结果我就很容易的被说服了回果园工作…
在新的环境是与一群local kiwi工作…
但是工作量还是没进展~

刚好同时因为在Motueka的Talley’s找到开Mussel的工～
虽然工作时间较短，但是工作稳定，较轻松…
所以采苹果的日子就宣告结束了～

Travel

Motueka, Apple and I~

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Motueka was my first station in South Island…
According to the Measuem, Motueka was the main agriculture city in NZ before…
It was because kiwi and apple orchard can be found and also sea food~
Beside, The Must Go place in NZ——The Abel Tasman Bay also located here…
(Will introduce more after i go)

Since i am going to spend many days here, I will slowly introduce more about this town~

Like I said before, the agent: Tracy sent me to this city…
Without asking more about the job, I started my first job in NZ——Apple Picker~

After I reached, I just knew my working team was a group of Indian!
and also a litle WHVER…
Maybe because of Malaysian Culture, and also negative information from others…
I started have negative feeling toward Indian…
(In Secondary School, An Indian History Teacher was one of my most respect teacher)

I think this was a plan of God to sent me inside the community of Indian~

After Working with them, I found that they are friendly, positive and energetic~
The only thing I can’t stand on was they will sing out their India song loudly!
Even though they are wearing earphone…

Besides that, They just like normal workers…
And their working speed was…Hacking!

Let’s talk about Myself~
As soon I received this job, I told my self must stay for 1 week!

Thanks God for giving me strength for sustain for 1 weeks, although changed working environment and stop working for 2 days~

Why was the apple picker so hard for me?
I think the main reason is because my stamina and my Perfectionist…
The story start from the woking procedure:

Picking Apple is just fill the bin with red apple

一个箱子（大约400公斤）的苹果，和装苹果的袋子（装满20公斤），1 full bin 400kg and 1 full bag 20kg

First, everyone will pick 1 lane

每个人都要认领1排来采... 1 people 1 lane...

I have to pick the apple from tree, put in the black bag…
When the black bag is full, I transfer the apple to the bin…
And Repeat~

Although it sound easy, the main point is:

  1. A full black bag is about 18kg
  2. A full bin is about 360kg
  3. I have to use ladder to climb up apple tree~
    这就是我们要爬和抬来抬去的梯子～ The ladder for us to climb and carry around~

These can consume all my stamina! (regret didn’t train my body well)
I have to carry a 10kg bag around…
and sometime have to climb up a 8-steps leader…
I only can sustain my bin for first 2 bin, afterward nah~

Next, maybe the problem of my perfectionist or my QC was too strict…
At beginning, the QC keep telling me:”This is still too green, you should leave it on the tree…”
But others people was also doing the same…
So I keep telling myself to pick better apple…
Finally, the QC told me:”Your trend looks good, your bin looks good too”
But it spent me more time than others people…
Then I used a lot of time to maintain my quality…
When I saw people just simply pick and do some visual work on the top of bin…
I started to feel unbalance~

At Last, others can pick 4 to 5 bins in a lane however I only manage to get 3 to 4 bins…
And I only can get 4 bins maximum, while others 6 to 7bins
Althought QC is telling me I done a good job, I still cannot feel good~
And if I convert to the money earn per hour, I wan below minimum wage:

For apple, 1 bin get paid 28 NZD and I took 9 hours to complete 4 bins
Do some calculation, I only get 12.44 NZD per hour…
But in NZ the minimum wage + Holiday Pay is 14.85 NZD per hour…
So I am working harder and earning lesser~
And I can’t even work on rainy day!

Basically, the main problem not because of the job but because of myself…
I believe that If I don’t give up, I will able to get 5 bins in 9 hours…
(Girls don’t be afraid, there was a Taiwan girl done better than me. She got 4 bins in the first day, I only get 2 1/2!)

Beside that, you can have a lot enjoy during working:

  1. You can bite the apple whatever you like
  2. Climb to the highest place an enjoy the scene
    一望无边的苹果园～ Apple orchard~好多红红的苹果～ Many Big Red Apples不过很多都是要爬梯子才采的到... But most of them is ladder work...
  3. Enjoy the sunlight during the cold autumn
  4. Some bird will sing in-front of you~
  5. Meeting with sheep in rural orchard~
    羊儿冲过来了！Here came the sheep!

  6. Chatting with other whv~
  7. Do something with the Apple~
    用苹果壳做的苹果派，Apple pie by apple加面粉的苹果派，Flour-made Apple Pie每天有这么多的苹果，当然要好好利用！So many things can do with the apples!

But Finally I gave up in 1 week…

I try to find a job in packhouse, but the owner sent me back to orchard work…
The new environment is a team with local kiwi, but I still manage to done 4 bins…

At the same time, Talley’s Motueka is employing mussel opener workers…
Since the working is easier and stable…
I ended my apple picker job~

奇异经历的世界，A Kiwi's Life