first steps

Having sent off our fingerprints to the FBI for our police checks this afternoon, we finally feel as if we're moving forward, though excruciatingly slowly. The local police station offers fingerprinting for free, but as they only make it available between 9:30 and 11 am, it's been difficult to find a time to stop in. We showed up on Tuesday morning and were directed down to the basement Watch House, where the wood paneling showed evidence of unruly persons who marked their presence with crude drawings and carvings, but we were turned away as we didn't realize that we would need our passports for the fingerprinting. This morning (maybe they were better staffed?) our request was taken care of upstairs in the office by an efficient gentleman who commented knowledgeably on the birthplaces listed in our passports.

Other exciting news this week is my success in getting a short-term job during the upcoming school holidays as a kids activity assistant. New Zealand subscribes to the year-round education system, which (if I understand it correctly) means that they get a 2-week break 3 times during the year, plus a longer (4-6 weeks, maybe?) break around Christmastime, so this is their winter break. The program I'll be working for, Outaskool, runs after-school programs during the year in addition to these all-day holiday programs, and it seems to be very well managed by professional and friendly staff. I'll be working up at the Rangiora location (about a 45-min drive bus ride north of the city), but 3 days a week we'll head back into the city for field trips to the children's ballet, the Air Force Museum, the School of Gymnastics, and other fun places. The job is only for 2 weeks, but hopefully it'll be a step in the right direction, and I'll be able to enjoy the pleasant company of 2 friends who work for Outaskool as well. I'll let you know how it goes!

-Rachel