A bit of text again - about my daily struggles and other things

Workwise: By now, I have gone through different phases with my employer Te Korowai Hauora O Hauraki (the health centre I work at and for). There have been difficulties, particularly as it has not been easy for me to adapt to the mix of time pressure, complexity of the health system, imperfection and the laid-back attitude of the people here. A mix I struggled to accept and digest in my own way, and others had to swallow that...
Well, I'm starting to feel more relaxed now and the communication with other employees I find easier and more delightful. I have come to a shift of my attitude to just accept things more as they are, listen, percieve, and just contribute with a small input where appropriate, unless I am really asked. And to make more use of the possibilities I really have.
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The same applies to my family - I feel that I have become more tolerant (at least more relaxed), without being afraid of loosing influence and control (which are limited anyway!).
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 For the last few weeks the weather has been quite grey, the longest period of clouded skies we ever had here to date. But it is warm and the Pohutukawa is blossoming, only that there are only few days you would like to spend on the beach.
Well, other than that we are all fine. At least some of us: two of our 3 older kids recently thanked us so much for having moved to here, because they are so happy here. Whereas one of them is struggling to strike an overall positive balance of the changes that gave NZ to his life (although we find this hard to comprehend). Our little ones are not very different to him, but time will show... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To all our readers and friends we wish the best for a new and healthy 2012, full of purpose and peace.  
Matthias

Our cat, one of my good examples

Ein Stück Mittelmeer in Neuseeland - A piece of Mediterranean in NZ: Tauranga, beliebtes Ziel für Auswanderer - popular destination for expatriats

Hierfür haben sich auch gute Freunde von uns entschieden: Familie Steppat, die selbst einen Blog unterhalten. Die Bilder sind am ersten Weihnachtsfeiertag aufgenommen. The same way decided family Steppat, good friends of ours. They have a blog themselves, too. The pictures were taken on Christmas Day.

Clara

Henrik

Steppats und wir (ich mache das Foto)

Kathrin

Andreas und ich

Daniels Hände

Rechts: Luis und Clara

Sibylle und Elena

Pohutukawa-Blüte - Pohutakawa Blossom

Zur Zeit ist es hier echt trüb und grau. Die Nächte sind eher schwül, die Tage aber nix für den Strand. Wenn aber die Sonne mal scheint, sieht es hier so aus: These days are very grey and moist. The nights tend to be muggy, and at daytime people don't usually feel like going to the beach. But if the sun comes through in between, it looks like this:

Lebensschule

In der letzten Zeit habe ich doch einiges aus der Lebensschule Neuseeland mitnehmen müssen. Ich habe lernen müssen, mit mir selbst und mit anderen nachsichtiger zu sein und mich und andere weniger unter Druck zu setzen. Nach einigen Konflikten auch mit dem Management habe ich den Impuls, mehr auf mein und anderer Wohlergehen zu achten, ernster nehmen müssen.

14 Monate später: Wir in der Dokumentation "Goodbye Deutschland"

http://www.voxnow.de/goodbye-deutschland/teil-1-es-lebe-die-currywurst-am-gardasee.php?container_id=69842&player=1&season=0Familie John in Goodbye Deutschland

In Better Spirits - Yesterday, a Lazy Sunday Afternoon

In Low Spirits...

It is not that at my new home in New Zealand I don't get depressed at times - I do - but now there is no better place I can think of to cheer me up... and that is a difference to how it was in Germany... Matthias

The pictures show a view of the Coromandel Peninsula, the Wairere Falls in Waikato, and surrounding scenery and landscapes.

Family Photo

Assimilation

We were so proud when we watched our son Luis (13) in this Haka competition of different schools. They made the second place among I think about seven different schools, although there were the only culturally and racially mixed team and many of them had never been taught the Haka before. Haka is the Maori war dance, but the performance also included welcoming dances. Luis was one of the dance leaders, and when he was about to perform his solo part we heard some of the audience shouting: Luis, the German!

Daniel's 8th Birthday

After many years of going to an indoor fun park, we have celebrated a true and classical children's birthday in our garden, for Daniel. We had a lot of fun! Unfortunately, and surprinsingly, Daniel afterwards said that he was disappointed that we didn't go to any commercial facility... Children of today, tststs....