Thursday, January 28, 2010
22 Jan 10: 18 Jan 1997 (3) the story continues..
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
26 Jan 10 - Interruption
Saturday, January 23, 2010
20 Jan 2010: 18 Jan 1997 (2)
Anyway, we were just coming back from walk I think, when we heard a middle aged man from the neighbouring apartment ( who were Indians as well) calling us. He was a guest and still invited us in just because he saw some new Indian faces. After intial intros, he gave us his card and asked us to call him if we needed anything. We told him that we are actually looking for a new place for us to rent and if he knows anyone who is looking for a tenant.
He said that he doesn't know but he knows a person who might know as he lives in a block of units too. He jotted down the name and phone number, when I looked at it.....guess what ? it was the name of the same person who lived in the same galli as me in Hyderabad, whose ball we used to hide when all those boys played cricket in the street :) I asked him if he was from Hyderabad and got a confirmation. I told him that I think I know him. He just picked up the phone and dialled the number himself and asked M if he was ready for a surprise :)
D didn't know this friend of mine M. Even the aunty was here because her DIL had delivered a baby girl a few days earlier !!! I was just so happy to hear their voices. Aunty and M came to visit us the very same evening. I was a bit apprehensive about how D will find M ? M has a habit of talking so much rubbish and teasing, that I thought that D might not like it. But, to my surprise they both hit it off straightaway. M loves telling D stories about my school days how I was and D enjoys hearing it much to my embarrasment !! They still are very good friends.
Anyway, M said that we are mad to be paying so much for our living costs and we should be out of that place asap. He said he will keep an eye and let us know if there's any rentable property that comes to his attention. Just after 2 days we found a property in rental section of the paper and rang him about it. It was a studio unit close to his place that's come up for rent. As far as I was concerned, a single bedroom or no bedroom, as long as there was a place to live so that I could get away from our host family...it was ok with me.
Unfortunately, we didn't have enough money left to pay the bond money for that rental. We approached Work and Income New Zealand, at that time all the permanent residents, the moment they got the residency, were eligible for a minimum amount to survive if they didn't have a job. We appraoched them, though hated it so much, asking for money from someone even though you are entitled to it, isn't something very nice to do. But I am thankful that they agreed to give us a loan for the bond, and that was to be deducted in small amounts from the very small amount of retainer that we were entitled for.
Bond paid, rental agreement signed, M came to help us transfer to our new home. We said bye to the lady and never looked back.
It was a very small flat. there wasn't any bedroom. Just one big room which had a small kitchen in it and toilets. Still it felt good to be there. Then it hit us that we had no furniture. No bed to sleep on, no couch to sit on, nothing. Money was so tight that we couldn't even imagine buying any stuff.
Met M's wife for the first time that day. Equally friendly and nice if not more than M. They were delighted to know that we are expecting a baby too. Since we had no money, they suggested to go to a thrift store and buy a bed from there. Couch could wait. The idea itself was not even worth considering. They explained that its just to start with, once we get jobs, we can always buy new stuff.
So we went and bought just a base for our sleeping from the thrift store for about $80 I think. Had only two pots for cooking that I had got from India with me fearing that I might not get it here !! two dinner plates, again brought from India..two glasses..you get the picture :) So, when I invited M and his family for the first time, I asked them to bring their own plates to eat dinner ! What a disaster my cooking was...is another post for some other day !
That was an important turn - getting rid of such depressing and inhuman people to getting in touch with positive and encouraging people. M's wife even suggested her doctor to me for my checkups. She said she was very happy with that doctor and trusts her completely.
Little did we know that it was just the begining of a year long struggle - we still had no jobs, no reliable transport, fairly new to each other, very new to this country, ILs not talking to me at all and mad as hell at D for bringing me here with him, pressurising him to send money..
How did we reach where we are today -along the way... financially helping both the famililes in getting rest of the siblings married, giving bugs everything he deserved and more, having another baby four years later who used to think that she was a real princess until she turned 5, buying first house, then second, third, travelling overseas every year or so, making friends who mean more than family, starting our own business without any help from friends or family, helping another friend in paying for deposit for his first house etc etc etc..
to be continued..
Monday, January 18, 2010
18 Jan 10 : 18th Jan 1997
Friday, January 15, 2010
15 January 2010 - 13yrs...
Well Bugs was there too....really tiny, in my tummy but no one knew about him except me and D :D
Monday, January 11, 2010
11 Jan 10 - questions, questions and more questions.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
2 Jan 2010 - New Year's resolutions
This year I felt the need to make some resolutions for self improvement. The ones I made are for my own spiritual development so that I can live a more fulfilling, happy, peaceful and meaningful life. I am trying to start with small steps, so they may sound really silly...
1. I will not hold grudges against people about things that happened a long time ago and if they are genuinely regretting it.
2. I will not believe everything that someone says and won't take any action based on that.
3. I will not get too sucked into other people's problems.
4. I will practice the discipline of refraining from all negative and critical comments.
5. I will not speak bad about one person to the other, irrespective of whether I like or dislike that person.
Did you make any resolutions at all ?
Wishing you all a Very Happy New Year !!