Working Travel: Realizing a Dream in a Year
Chapter 3 Lucky to Be a Farmer
Chapter 3 Lucky to Be a Farmer
The blue sky and white clouds outside the car window, the grasslands are the most, rolling up and down.In just a few days, I have made many sentences with the same sentence pattern.
In New Zealand, you can see the blue sky, sea, grassland and snow-capped mountains in this life; in New Zealand, you can eat kiwis, cherries, and strawberries in this life; when a person has enough expectations, he is lucky, because in Among so many expectations, there is always one that will come true.
The car continued to run on the national road in New Zealand at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour, passing one unknown town after another. After 6 hours, it gradually darkened, and we finally arrived at Opotiki in the dark.
Brother Cui said, go to the supermarket to buy some food first, and have to go to work tomorrow.So we went to a small supermarket called New World.But what to buy?I followed Brother Cui in a daze, without a clue.
"There is no discount on rice today," Cui Ge muttered to himself, "buy less, and come back next time. Oh, don't take that one, it's not delicious, take the one next to it. The rice cooked from New Zealand's long japonica rice is not very good It's delicious, fried rice is more or less the same."
"Buy some bread, milk, and eggs. Buy the one with the blue logo, it's a good deal."
"Ham is cheap today, take one."
In this way, I would buy whatever he said, regardless of whether it was delicious or not, and I would finish tomorrow's meal by three times, five times and two times.After paying the bill, my pocket was almost empty.I asked Brother Cui: "Can I wait for today's car money..."
"Wait until the salary is paid."
Like most of the houses in New Zealand, the foreman's house is a single-story wooden structure building, and the orange light shines through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating a small piece of grass at the door.A few slippers and sneakers were scattered outside the door, and as I stepped in, I thought it would be nice to just settle here.
When you take off your shoes and enter the door, you can feel the fluffy carpet under your feet; there is a dining table in the living room, and a plate of kiwi fruit is placed on the table; the living room is connected to the kitchen, and there are pots and rice cookers on the stove; the whole room is bathed in soft yellow light Here, my heart suddenly felt a little more at ease.On a small island in the vast ocean, without any friends, I especially need this feeling.
Jeff, the foreman, exchanged pleasantries with me, and then took me to the bedroom.There are three people living here, Jeff, Brother Cui, and another fair-looking Malaysian guy.I heard that a boy from Fujian will also come over later.I shared the room with the Malaysian guy, greeted him at the door, and then returned to the living room to have dinner with Brother Cui.
Brother Cui is Jeff's friend, both of them are from the Northeast, so the dinner is naturally a Northeast specialty.My mind is full of longing for stability, and everything tastes good.
"Are you going to work tomorrow?" I asked Jeff as we ate.
"Come on, get up at 6:[-]."
"It's so early? It's too hard! I usually feel uncomfortable if I don't sleep until 8 o'clock!" Of course I didn't dare to say that, and my answer was: "No problem."
"The salary is settled once a week, and the rent is directly deducted from the salary. 80 New Zealand dollars a week, including water, electricity and Internet. If you are short of money, you can advance a little salary."
"You still need rent? I thought it was free." I didn't dare to say that, so I said, "I know."
The bedroom is about 10 square meters, and two mattresses are placed directly on the ground, which is our bed.My Malaysian roommate Victor came to New Zealand alone in March this year.Young people who come to work and vacation are more or less confused. We vaguely feel that this year can be used to forge the key to enlightenment.But this vagueness itself is also another kind of confusion.The only thing that makes me sure is that I am finally not fighting alone. From then on, I will know more and more comrades in arms.Under the banner of working holidays, in the name of liberating group confusion, shout: Comrades, go!I can't wait to fight the kiwi for three hundred rounds.
I had the best sleep in days, and the next morning, the sky was just getting bright, and the sound of rain came from outside the window.Victor and I got up early and Jeff was already in the living room.
"It's raining, I'll wait at home for the time being, and wait for the farmer to notify me before starting work," he said.
What?Suddenly there is a feeling of being played!We went back to the room in disappointment, and the guy from Fujian got up too, and he said he could be called Ah Hua.There is always a half-smile expression on his face, and his eyes are bent into a slit, which is both joyful and a bit ruffian.
We had a good night's sleep, woke up and had a hot breakfast of bread and milk.I haven't used the toaster and thought it was new.Milk is heated in a microwave.I don't drink milk in China because it tastes too strong, but I didn't expect the taste of milk in New Zealand to be so fresh and refined.
Near noon, the rain finally stopped.Jeff got the call to let us go at 1:[-].I made a super sandwich with ham, eggs and toast for lunch.
Hua drove, and Victor and I sat in the back, following Jeff out of town.Not long after leaving the town, a section of the road stretched along the coastline. I knew that the coast was facing north, and my hometown was at the end of the sea.The vast sea is easy to make people miss, because only miss is enough to cross its vastness, and only the direction of miss does not need a compass to indicate.
About ten minutes later, we arrived at the orchard.Many orchards in New Zealand have a very recognizable symbol - the windbreak wall.The green soldiers on both sides of these roads are upright and have a special aesthetic feeling.
We three little ghosts couldn't wait to rush into the orchard, only to see that the big army was ready to go.
However, why are almost all the grandparents with white hair?
Jeff called the three of us newcomers aside and explained: "Picking kiwi fruit is a piecework job for the team. The more the whole team works, the more you can earn, so no one dares to be lazy."
What he meant couldn't be more clear, other people's eyes are on you.Want to eat free food?dream!
However, can these old arms and legs compare with our young people?
With such doubts in mind, we embarked on the battlefield.As the saying goes, "If a worker wants to be good at his work, he must first sharpen his tools." The foreman gave each of us a pair of gloves and a numbered fruit basket.
We put on gloves, hung the fruit baskets on our chests in a similar manner, and followed the large army to the depths of the orchard.Large tracts of kiwi passed over my head, and I couldn't contain the excitement in my heart.It was also the first time for Ah Hua to pick kiwis, and we walked side by side talking and laughing in a relaxed manner.
"It's so cool to make money while eating."
"Don't look at eating happily now, I'm afraid of going home..."
"That's worth it. Do you know how much a kiwi fruit costs in China?"
"I heard that you can earn more than 100 New Zealand dollars a day?"
"Yeah. We're about to send it."
"Haha, I'm going to the supermarket to have a good time when I get my salary!"
damn kiwi
For me who have lived in the city for half my life, I only know that kiwifruit grows on trees, and I have only seen the environment in which they grow today.At first glance, the planting method of kiwi fruit is similar to that of grapes. It needs to be matched with supports for the branches and leaves to climb and grow.The fruit trees grow beside the wooden piles arranged vertically every 10 meters. Between the columns, there are several iron wires extending forward in the same direction, playing the role of load-bearing; Most of the sunlight was taken out, and only dots of light fell to the ground through the gaps in the leaves.The foreman told us that picking kiwifruit is the only outdoor job in New Zealand that is not exposed to the sun.
At first, I thought picking fruit was a very simple job, just reach out and pick it.But after a while, I found the problem: those old people picked faster than me!How can this embarrass me?And the most unbearable thing is that they actually look at me with contempt and suspicion!As if I was the guy who was dragging his feet.
In terms of skill and physical strength, I am not bad at any point among my peers, which confuses me.
Fortunately, Jeff came over in time.
"Wu Fei, you pick the fruit very fast, but you only pick one with each hand at a time, so the efficiency is low."
After speaking, he gave me a demonstration.It turns out that one hand can pick 3 kiwis at the same time, and you can pick 6 kiwis with one hand.It is 2 times more efficient than my original one. No wonder I can't keep up with other people's speed no matter how I chase it.Haha I got the hang of this in no time.
The sun at two or three o'clock in the afternoon was very scorching. Although I was working in the shade, I was sweating profusely, especially my shoulders, which were painfully strangled by the shoulder straps of the fruit basket.When the fruit basket hanging on the chest is filled with kiwis, one has to go to a trailer full of large wooden boxes not far ahead, and pour the fruits in the basket into the wooden box.Our daily wages are calculated in units of wooden boxes.
Every time the fruit is poured, it is necessary to lift the basket slightly above the upper edge of the wooden box. The basket full of kiwifruit weighs dozens of kilograms. Every time the force is exerted, the shoulders tighten.When the basket was emptied, my neck became sore.I turned my neck, and a smell of sweat came from my shoulder.
Because it was the first day of work, I worked so hard that I didn't even care about stealing food, I wanted to impress the other members of the team.As a result, within half a day, I was exhausted to death. I let out a long sigh of relief when Jeff announced his dismissal at 5:[-].
"Finally off work." I said to Ahua weakly.
He didn't even have the strength to answer me.
The true face of life is always different from expectations. The life you choose can only be carried by yourself.
When I got home, I lay on the bed, not wanting to do anything.Victor didn't look much better, and we didn't speak, and we reluctantly got out of bed to prepare dinner when we were hungry.
Because I was too tired, I made a dish for dinner, probably tomato scrambled eggs.Fortunately, the host has a rice cooker, which saves the trouble of cooking.I hadn't used an ordinary small pot to cook at that time, and I heard that it was easy to stick to the pot.
When cooking, I found that gas is not used for cooking here, but induction cooker or natural gas is used.I had never cooked in the Fat Camel Inn before, so I had no idea about this thing.Now a little research, it is not difficult to find.And it is more convenient than the switch of gas, and there will be no situation of failure to start the fire.
So busy, it was already past 9 o'clock after taking a shower.I don't want to do anything but lie in bed.Before going abroad, I signed a translation contract with the publishing house, and the delivery period was not easy.I told myself, working part-time during the day and translating at night, if you can’t do it, you’re a pig.After picking kiwis for a day, I feel happier being a pig.
Victor on the other bed suddenly asked me, "What will you have for lunch tomorrow?"
I was stunned when I heard it.Yes, what will you have for lunch tomorrow?Didn't even think about this problem.But even if it kills me, I don't want to get up and cook now.So I said, "Let's talk about it tomorrow morning..."
I suddenly realized that I hadn't had a good chat with my little brother in the same room, so I took the lead in opening the topic.
"When did you come to New Zealand?"
"June."
"one person?"
"Well, but I have relatives in Oakland."
"Have you had any previous work experience?"
"No, I'm still studying for an undergraduate degree. Now I only have a degree certificate but no degree certificate."
"What do you mean?"
"Malaysia is to study in university for three years to obtain a degree certificate, and then one to two years to obtain a degree certificate. What about you? Are you also a student?"
"I have been working for 5 years! 5 years! My most precious youth is spent on the wine table."
I used to be a sales representative. Most people work from [-] to [-], and I drink and dance at night.
We chatted again and again, and then I asked, "Did you have some troubles when you first came?"
He thought for a while and said, "It really is." Then he told me the story of "the first time I entered a police station in my life" in Chinese with a Malaysian accent.
In March 2010, I didn't know whether I was going to continue my undergraduate degree of unknown significance, so I came to New Zealand, and the summer was coming to an end.
I brought more than 1000 New Zealand dollars, and when I spent it until April, it was almost finished, but I didn’t know where the job was. When I had twenty New Zealand dollars left, there was a turning point, and I found it A job picking kiwis in an orchard.No, not in Opotiki, but around Auckland.
It was very cold that morning, and my aunt took me to the entrance of a McDonald's in West Auckland around 6 o'clock, waiting for the foreman to pick me up for work.There's not much to say about work, and as anyone who's ever picked a kiwi knows -- and now you do -- it's all about stretching out your hands over and over again.
At 8 o'clock in the evening, I returned to the door of McDonald's, but I don't plan to live in my aunt's house. If so, I will have to trouble her to send me over tomorrow morning.McDonald's in Malaysia are open 24 hours, so I walked into this McDonald's intending to spend the night here.
I didn't expect to ask after I went in. Although there are people here 24 hours a day, it closes at 12 o'clock in the evening.
I asked the other party: Can I spend the night in your office?
The other party said: No.
I asked again: How about I just sit in the shop?
The other party: You have to ask our manager, (after a while) no.
Let me ask again: What about in your car...
Opponent: That’s no good, what if you steal my car?
I thought to myself, do I look like the bad guy?I was so desperate that I fell asleep on my stomach on the table without knowing it.After an unknown period of time, someone knocked on the table. I saw that they were two little rascals, so let's call them A and B.
A: Young man, did you drink too much?
Me: You just drank too much.
B: Do you want some of that?
Me: which one?
B: That's it, marijuana.
Me: Don't bother me.
A: Young people are quite angry. Let me ask you, How are you? How do you say it in your language?
Me: ni hao.
I don't know if I just smoked marijuana, but the two of them kept surrounding me and kept saying: ni hao, ni hao, ni hao, ni hao... I was going crazy.Later, the pair of live treasures finally left, and I fell asleep again without knowing it.
As a result, I was woken up again by the sound of knocking on the table, this time it was a middle-aged uncle.
Uncle: Brother, are you in trouble?
Me (instinctively): No.
Uncle: I am a security guard, you can tell me if you have anything to do.
Me (it doesn't look like you): I'm fine.
Uncle (seems very anxious): Look, this is my ID, this is my driver's license, this is my...
Seeing his sincerity, I half-believed and told about my situation. After hearing this, he ran to the counter and negotiated with McDonald's for a long time, with a helpless expression on his face.
At 12 o'clock that night, the security uncle sent me to the police station, where I spent a very warm night.The next morning, I took a taxi back to McDonald's with only [-] cents left on me.I don't think I'll ever sleep in a police station again in my life.
Victor finished his story and asked me if I had any memorable experiences, and I said, "I've only been in New Zealand for less than a week."
"No way?" He was extremely surprised, "You found a job in only a week?"
"Ah."
After I finished speaking, I counted with my fingers. Yes, I have only been in New Zealand for 5 days. Why does it feel like 5 weeks?In the past 5 years, what was left in my heart turned out to be a blurred stroke!
Scenes during the 5 days continued to run over my body, allowing me to experience the density of real life.Everyone has had the ambition of ever-changing and colorful life, but do we have the mind to accommodate a thrilling playground?I was so exhausted that I quickly fell asleep.
When I woke up the next day, my shoulders were better, but the pain in my neck was more pronounced. The most terrible thing was that hemorrhoids broke out, which must have been caused by the fruit-picking half-squatting posture.Too lazy to make lunch, I put toast and ham in plastic bags.The first hour of every morning is the hardest, because the body has not fully awakened from sleep, the hands are weak, and the whole person is sick.And at that time, the morning dew hadn't evaporated yet, and the kiwi was wet. Every time I picked a fruit, a lot of dew would flow onto my hands, and then flow all the way into my armpits.If you wear gloves, after a while, the gloves will be soaked with dew, wrapping your fingers sticky, which is very uncomfortable.When I rested in the morning, my fingers had already been soaked and turned white.
I looked around secretly, everyone was working hard, it was really not easy for those white-haired old people.Why do you have to suffer this crime even though you can already live on government subsidies?
During lunch, we chose a shaded place to sit, because there was only half an hour to rest, and everyone was desperately trying to put things into their mouths.Only in this way can we lie in the sun later and enjoy a moment of leisure in the day.
Xiao Yu is from Shandong. Because of the lack of information, he spent 10,000+ to come to New Zealand for a working holiday through an intermediary.In order to repay this fee, he works very hard and can be called the pacesetter of our team.
During the break, he stuffed me with a few kiwis and said, "Ripe."
People are full of expectations for the unknown, many of which are beautified by fantasy.On the way to Opotiki, I was thinking, now I can eat fruit as much as I want.When I arrived at the orchard, I discovered that, unlike apples, kiwis are usually unripe when picked, hard to the touch, and inedible at all.Because kiwi fruit has a short storage time, once it is ripe and soft, it must be eaten as soon as possible.Therefore, it will be too late to pick them after they are fully mature, and during a series of operations such as picking and packaging, it is easy to cause bruises due to contact with human hands.
I was drooling while picking kiwis, and I was so disappointed that I could only see the reality that I couldn't eat them.
I took the gift that was less than, and it felt soft to the touch.I asked him: "Just picked?"
"Correct."
"Why didn't I pick it up?"
"Haha, you just came here and you're not yet proficient. You'll be fine in a few days. When you touch the fruit, you'll know if you can eat it or not."
"Hey, that realm is amazing!"
I ate the first kiwi fruit in 2010. The sweet and sour juice filled my mouth, and all the hard work in the morning disappeared. Life is really wonderful.This was the moment that made me fall in love with New Zealand, with working holidays.I've come to believe that the coming year will have many of these moments.
As the proficiency and efficiency of movements increase, the load on the body increases accordingly.After work this day, I returned home with Iowa and Victor precariously. Jeff seemed to have expected this for a long time. He smiled and said, "How is it? I can't take it anymore?"
"Hehe..." We didn't say anything.
"It will be fine in a week," he began to teach us. "The human body will gradually produce fatigue for a new kind of physical labor. This fatigue curve will reach a peak on the third day of work, and then on the seventh day. Left and right tend to be flat..."
What I was thinking in my heart was another thing. Being physically tired is nothing at all, as long as I can escape the stressful city life, it is the best rest.
After doing the laundry in the evening, I went to the porch in the backyard with a wire over my head, because it often rains in the town in winter, and everyone hangs their clothes here to dry.I didn't see the hanger and clips, so I went back to the living room and asked Jeff to borrow them.Unexpectedly, Brother Cui came with this sentence:
"Borrow a clothes hanger? Just hang it on the wire? You still think it's a vacation? You're here to work!"
His words were very offensive, and I was a little upset.But what he said is also reasonable, I am not prepared to endure hardship, otherwise why should I care about such small details.I resentfully went back to the backyard, put my wet clothes on the wire, and went back to the house to rest.
The initial novelty passed quickly, and fruit picking was highly repetitive. There was always a period of time every day that had to be passed by random thinking, otherwise the time would be unbearably long, and then I began to question the original intention of coming to New Zealand.Sometimes I would joke and chat with Ahua or Victor, but even such a temporary relaxation would be met with blank stares from other players.Perhaps because of the large age gap, our team has never been able to form a harmonious team atmosphere.
Once the boredom of work begins to increase, people are eager to find joy in life.The grass on the ground and the clouds in the sky can be a reason to be happy.I finally understand why I love the phoenix trees on West Nanjing Road in Shanghai so much.
One day after get off work, all the clouds were burning in the sky in a ostentatious manner, which made me feel lost for a while-because I couldn't remember the last time I saw such a magnificent fire cloud.On the road, I gradually discovered that what I look forward to every time I travel is just a certain touching moment, even if it is only for a second, then this trip is worthwhile. People's flash memories are never continuous, but a string of bright spots. into the trajectory.And the so-called long-term moving is also accumulated in this way.
smiling maori
It rains more in Opotiki than in Auckland, and we have already lost a lot of working hours because of the rain in less than a week.Once I waited from morning to noon, and then from noon to afternoon, and was finally told that today's work was cancelled.But the rain also has the benefits of rain. I was able to wake up a little later than usual and make breakfast leisurely. Bacon omelette, bread, and hot milk. These breakfast combinations I never thought of have become the new favorite of the stomach in New Zealand.
When I was in Auckland, in order to save money, I had water and bread for two meals a day. Now that I have the conditions, even if it is simple, I will ensure that there are dishes for three meals a day.There is a frozen mixed vegetable mix in the supermarket that includes cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, red and yellow peppers, mushrooms.It not only saves time-consuming and labor-intensive cutting and washing, but also ensures balanced nutrition and convenient cooking.These vegetables make me feel like a treasure, and I often buy them to eat.
I'm not very good at cooking, but after my working life gradually stabilized, I had to face the problems of "what to eat every night" or "what to bring for lunch tomorrow".If you don't spend time on "eating" because of laziness, your tongue and stomach will suffer. No one can last too long, right?It is true that people are forced out.
Several of our roommates started to learn cooking skills from each other. At first, we were a little embarrassed to speak up, but soon found that we all lacked the experience of living alone, and there were always a few dishes coming and going, so naturally we no longer shy away The fact that he was a cobbler, and worked hard towards Zhuge Liang's goal.
Without teachers, we can only grow by self-study.And New World Supermarket is our classroom.Every time we go to the supermarket, we wonder if we can come up with some new tricks. Although there are all kinds of ingredients and seasonings here, the instructions on the outer packaging are in poor English, which makes me feel worried and think about my English. It's too bad!
After a few days of tossing like this, at least some chicken legs, fish steaks and so on were added to the table. In short, the technical content has not been substantially improved, only the varieties have been refurbished.Compared with the days of tomato scrambled eggs every day, this is already a huge improvement.
On a rest day after working for about a week, Victor and Iowa and I decided that it was necessary to visit this place called Opotiki.For this trip, I am very much looking forward to it, because Auckland gives me the impression that there is no character at all. Of course, this has a lot to do with my short stay.All in all, Opotiki was the first time I visited a corner of a foreign country with a relaxed mood.
It took us an hour to slowly travel through this mini town-an hour can already cover every corner of the place.Although the sparrow is small, it has all kinds of internal organs. Museums, cinemas, libraries, post offices, and almost all public facilities you can think of can be found.Every city has its own history. At the end of the 19th century, this seaside town ushered in the first batch of Westerners. After that, the wooden houses here were burned down by continuous fires, and people continued to rebuild them. This reminds me of an idiom, bathing in fire Rebirth.
Rebirth is a tough move, because being destroyed is always hopeless.
Opotiki is a Maori area and I was warned to be careful with them.The New Zealand government's loose policy on Maori has led to a lack of restraint in some of their behaviors.For example, it is not illegal for Māori to steal less than NZ$200, etc.On the road in Opotiki, I also often see these aboriginal islanders with skin colors that are very different from white people. Their appearance can easily leave a vicious impression on people, so that my mother even worried that I would become their pot Vegetables... But that's all in the past.During my year in New Zealand, the Maori people I met were all nice and helpful people. "Travel is a good way to fight ignorance and hatred." Mark Twain's words really make sense.
When I passed a grocery store and stopped at the door, the clerk inside was a young Maori girl, and I couldn't help smiling.After a second or two, she smiled too.I have met many strangers smiling at me in New Zealand, which is a rare phenomenon in China. Even in restaurants, the waiters are always expressionless.Laughing is actually a very happy action. Sometimes we don't laugh because of happiness, but feel happy because of laughter.People are born to cry, but no one is born to laugh.The movements that have been learned with great difficulty will become rusty if they are not used.
In the pharmacy, an old lady saw my attire and asked me if I was a tourist.After getting a positive answer, she began to introduce the basic situation of the town.Here, the distance between people is very close. Even a passer-by like me felt warm several times in just one hour. The almost primitive directness always moved me.
I bought some postcards at the post office to send to friends and relatives in the country, which cost almost all my money.But I couldn't resist the urge to share with them, they must not have imagined my new life now.
hope in water
The rest day passed quickly. On the first day of reopening, the golden sun illuminated the dewdrops on every blade of grass. The scenery on the roadside was still clear and bright with tall trees and the vast sea, and there were always smiling faces. Yun Duo, I can already hum along to every song on the car stereo.
Yet the weather keeps playing tricks on us. Four hours later, the farmer announced that today is a holiday.Everyone reacted differently, some cheered, some were sad; some wanted to rest, and some wanted to make money.I belong to the group that steals joy in my heart.
Jeff drove us back to the seaside road, and he turned into a sandy beach halfway and dropped us off.
"Look at the ocean," he said, and handed us each a can of Coke.
The sea is like a huge, burning aluminum foil, undulating very slowly, sometimes dazzling white, sometimes deep blue.
"There are a lot of crabs here," Jeff said leisurely, "we catch a lot every time, and throw the small ones back, leaving only the big ones. New Zealand's natural resources are so rich, the nearby beaches And clams."
After speaking, he gestured an astonishing size with his hand.
We spent half an hour at the beach and when we got home Jeff had another surprise for us.He took out some fishing gear from under the bed and said to us: "Let's go fishing while the weather is fine!"
I was so happy I was about to jump up.
The river is within a 5-minute walk, and we happily carried our fishing tackle, like children preparing for a spring outing.
Because of the continuous rainfall, the river was rushing and yellow.Under Jeff's guidance, we inserted the rod fixer, Jeff tied the bait, and then swung the rod skillfully. The fishing line was extended rapidly under the guidance of the lead weight, and finally a small splash of water was splashed in the middle of the river.He put the rod in the holder and asked us if we wanted to try it.
Isn't this asking knowingly!For fishing, I also have a special emotion.When I was young, my family lived in Jiangxi.Father is an avid fisherman.Every weekend, he goes out early. If it is winter, the sky is not yet bright, it can be said that he wears the stars and wears the moon.
I always stand at the door of the house, waiting on tiptoes for him to come back, hoping that he will pour out a fish with shiny tails from the fish basket, and say in my mouth: "There is a big guy today." He occasionally takes me to the river pond Or the reservoir, in those hot afternoons with no wind in my memory, I ran back and forth on the river bank.All the anglers, either sitting or standing, become a corner of the still life painting.I always prick up my ears, waiting for the bell to ring and the fish to take the bait. If I'm lucky, I can enjoy the wonderful scene of walking the fish.For them, the waiting time is the happiest.
I miss those days when I planted my hope in the water so much, but since my family moved to Shanghai, such memories have never lasted.
I couldn't wait to take the fishing rod, pressed the line according to the essentials taught by Jeff, leaned back, swung the rod, loosened the line, and then watched the bait draw a parabola.Since I was not good at learning skills since I was a child, I have no foundation at all. I saw the bait fall in the river not far from the bank, and was quickly blown by the wind to a few clumps of trees near the bank.
Jeff ran over immediately, trying to pull the thread out, but after several attempts, he showed a helpless expression.
"Help me with the knife."
He quickly cut the fishing line with a knife, and tied the broken end of the line to the branch.
He explained to us: "Wait two days before the water level recedes before retrieving the hooks. The stones on the shore are larger than those in the middle, so they are easy to hang on the bottom."
We tried several more swings, but the wind was so strong that even Jeff's bait was washed to the shore. After half an hour, we decided to give up.
"Today, the current is so fast that we can't see the buoy clearly. Even if there is a fish biting the hook, we may not be able to find it. And the water is too muddy, so the fish can't see the bait."
"Oh... then come back another day!"
Little did I know that this would be my first and last fishing trip in New Zealand.
Two days later, the salary arrived.I watched the deposit in my bank card change from one decimal place to the top three in an instant, and let out a long breath again: "I survived in New Zealand!"
The sense of accomplishment at that time was real.To celebrate, I went to the New World Supermarket to buy the long-coveted Shanghai cabbage.
There is a joke about Chinese and New Zealanders that two rich guys meet on the road.The Chinese say, I only eat meat; the New Zealanders say, I only eat vegetarian.This reflects the high price of vegetarian dishes in New Zealand from one aspect.Two heads of cabbage usually cost two yuan and five New Zealand dollars. When you meet the discounted chicken and beef, you can eat several meals.This is not good news for me who is a vegetarian.
Perhaps because of the salary, the table at night was more abundant than before. We had dinner happily and chatted about all kinds of things in New Zealand.
"How much do you spend on food each week?" Jeff asked us out of the blue.
We looked at each other, no one thought about it.I took out the receipt from the supermarket and roughly calculated, it was more than 50 yuan.
"For 30 yuan a week, there are meat and vegetables, and the food is very good." Jeff smiled.
I was blown away by the number and thought I was frugal enough.It seems that I got complacent too early. It is not enough to survive, but to live well!A year of experience has just begun, and I am full of fighting spirit because of Jeff's inadvertent words.From this day on, I began to pay attention to the promotion and discount information of the supermarket, and soon discovered some of the rules, such as which brands are usually cheaper, which products are heavily discounted, and when the possibility of promotion is high...I have a positive relationship with life Encountered, without reinforcements, had to fight hand-to-hand with these trivial things.Finally, I understand my mother's mood of scanning the entire vegetable market in order to save a few cents.Interestingly, when I returned to China a year later, I found that my mother no longer did this.It's my gap year, it's hers, and we've all changed.
The days of fruit picking are quickly coming to an end.In my opinion at the time, picking kiwis had become a boring and hard job.Still, we can continually find something to make us happy.We will pick some oranges from the farmer's house as an appetizer before lunch; after lunch, we will follow the uncle and sister-in-law to pick pecans (May is the season for walnuts in New Zealand) and avocados.
We talk about whether our next great stop will be the snow in the South Island or the lakes in the North Island.And, the hard work has become less hard.The skin is no longer uncomfortable because of the numerous fluff; the shoulders and neck are no longer sore and unbearable due to the day-to-day load; It also makes the young me incapable of complaining.
run away in embarrassment
One day at the end of May, Jeff told us that there were two days left before the fruit picking was over.I figured it out, it happened to be Children's Day.When I was in college, I tried my best to celebrate this festival, insisting on looking like a happy child.Cai Kangyong said in "LA Wandering Notes": People who care about youth are bound to be out of youth.Those who realize that they are wandering are bound to end their wandering.I am lucky, although I am no longer in youth, but my wandering has just begun.
Children's Day is also the day when New Zealand's winter begins.
"Winter is coming soon," I said to my co-workers. "This year we can escape the sticky summer in Shanghai."
"Well, I heard it's very cold here in winter at night."
"No, I have been woken up by the cold these past few nights. Do I have to buy a quilt in winter?" My sleeping bag is thin, and I can only fall asleep wearing a down jacket.
"My quilt is bought in autumn." Victor said.
"We'll talk about it when we go to the South Island." Ahua has decided to go to the South Island to work after the kiwi fruit season is over.
When we got home that day, Jeff called us together and said seriously, "What are your plans after picking fruit?"
The three of us looked at each other, not knowing how to answer.
Seeing this, he continued: "The most profitable farm worker is coming, earning [-] New Zealand dollars in three months..."
We were all dumbfounded.
"Hehe...don't get excited, it's actually winter pruning."
Orchard pruning in winter is known among backpackers as the purgatory of working holidays, because of its physical challenges, it is the most outdoor worker in New Zealand.I had heard about this for a long time, but the attraction of [-] New Zealand dollars in three months was too great, so we agreed to Jeff to learn pruning.
Pruning is the key technique for high-quality and high-yield kiwifruit.Winter pruning adopts the method of combining sparse pruning and short pruning, shortening the old branches that have produced fruit in previous years, and thinning out diseased and insect branches, dead branches and weak branches, leaving strong growing branches as the fruiting branches of the next year.
Jeff told us that pruning usually starts at 5 a.m. every morning, and you can work on it any time, even if you burn the midnight oil, as long as you can handle it.
"It's okay, you're young, you can carry it!" I smiled and encouraged others.
Facts have proved that the fearlessness of a whim is the label of a young life, and it is easily dropped by reality.Before dawn the next day, we were called out of bed to receive special training in pruning.From the moment I got up, I had a bad feeling, it seemed that this job would not be easy.
Standing under the lush branches and leaves, Jeff began to teach various techniques of pruning.As he spoke, he demonstrated. After a while, the sky above his head lit up, and the originally chaotic branches showed an orderly posture, and they were evenly scattered on the iron wire.Sunshine and rain, every leaf is equal.
"Pruning is such an art..." I said automatically.I'm an outsider, and it's a completely involuntary feeling.
But Jeff said seriously: "You are right, every year the pruning competition will regard beauty as an important judging criterion."
After that, it's our turn for internship time.I tremblingly stretched out the scissors, hesitated for a while, not knowing where to start.Every cut has the potential to destroy a tree.
The more I hesitate, the more impatient I am, the more impatient I am, the more likely I am to make mistakes.I don't know how long it took me to complete a unit of homework, the result was terrible, and I was humiliated by Jeff.Even when I was at my worst in Oakland, I wasn't so ashamed.Ahua and Victor are not much better. We calculated that according to this speed, let alone [-] in three months, even [-] would be a problem.The man who earned [-] must have worked hard that ordinary people can't imagine.
Later, some people said picking cherries to make money, and some people said picking apples to make money. I know they are all stories of successful people, and they have nothing to do with me.At the same time, I also began to think about another question, how much money do working holidays cost?
The story of the kiwi is coming to an end soon. On June 6th, three of our new friends got together for our last supper, and I made wildly unsuccessful shredded potatoes, so-so chicken nuggets and Maori cabbage.We agreed to have a reunion sometime in the future before leaving New Zealand.Although I know that everyone who appears on the journey is very likely to be a passer-by, but this time my wish is sincere.They are like my comrades-in-arms, accompanying me to start the first war in New Zealand.The days of sweating and bragging together are not just forgotten.But neither of us could keep the appointment. Victor has returned to China, and neither I nor Ahua can contact him.Ah Hua kept in touch with me intermittently, but then I called his cell phone once, only to find that it had been shut down.
I admit that this kind of goodbye makes me a little frustrated, and sometimes travel can be cruel.Because of the hasty gathering and parting, everyone became stingy with feelings.But what is in a hurry is not only travel, but also life, isn't it?However, there are always some people who will keep the power on for you.I think I'll stay true to myself and have fun with it.
In the early morning of the next day, when the two workers were sent away and there was only one person left in the room, I turned off the light and let the cool white morning light enter the room, making it very quiet.The feeling of being alone is a bit subtle, mixed with excitement and loss.Ahua urged me to go to the South Island with them, but I refused. This may be a man's instinct. The unknown world is like a virgin land, and I still want to cultivate it alone.
Tips
There is a way to save money on working holidays in New Zealand, especially in winter when jobs are hard to find: exchange accommodation.English name: work exchange or help exchange.As the name suggests, for migrant workers who are on a tight budget or want to save money, the direct result of exchanging accommodation is that it can help you exempt from daily accommodation and food expenses (sometimes only accommodation is included without meals, but relatively few), so you can also call it It is for exchanging food and accommodation (of course not mixing food and accommodation).
Migrant workers provide several hours of unpaid work for the homeowner every day during the housing exchange period. In return, the homeowner will provide free accommodation and three meals a day. Of course, if it is just this, it would be too boring.Accommodation and three meals a day can be bought with money, and a good overnight experience can last a long time.The work content of the overnight stay, whether the host is interesting or not, and the immersion of local culture, these are all unique trips.
There are usually three ways to change accommodation:
First, a dedicated website for exchanging accommodation (fees are required).
I use Helpx (there are others such as Workaway). You can browse the contact information of the owner only after upgrading to a premium membership. The cost is 15 euros. There are more accommodation information for Australia and New Zealand.The daily working hours are about four hours, and the host includes board and lodging.
Take the information released by a certain owner on Helpx as an example:
Contact information: phone, email, etc.
Existing jobs: Housework and dinner cooking, plus outdoor work with fruit trees and vegetable gardens.Weed, plant, make compost.
We will provide the most suitable jobs for different backpackers.This way, you get to use your skills and feel like you're making a difference to the family, for which we are grateful.
We have a lot of things to do in our family, if you want to see the life of New Zealanders through a small window, please contact us.
Please take your work as seriously as you take yourself.Your work will be unsupervised.
We will make you feel at home during your stay.Because we, too, were once on the road, we understand how important a hot bath and a good night's sleep are.
We save water and pay attention to garbage classification.
We live in a beautiful canyon and are only a 20 minute drive from the two closest small towns.
There are four people in our family, my husband and I, and two children.
We provide canoes and fishing gear.
With unrivaled beaches just 10 minutes away, you have plenty of time to admire this beautiful idyll.
Have a good trip.
Second, when changing accommodation in a Backpacker Hotel (BBH), the work content is mainly divided into front desk and cleaning. Usually there is no three meals provided, but there are also few working rooms, which last about two and a half hours.The difference from Helpx is that the depth of contact with people has decreased, but the breadth has increased.
Take an example of an accommodation exchange advertisement on the BBH website:
Job Description: Front desk receptionist, working 16-20 hours a week, without salary.
Enjoy the rights: free accommodation, free laundry, free internet, learn a lot of information about New Zealand tourism, and make new friends all over the world.
Third, WWOOF, World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, the full name is World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. It was the first organization established in the UK in 1972. working holiday.It has been operating in dozens of countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, and Costa Rica for many years, connecting organic farm owners and travelers around the world.According to the guidelines of WWOOF, travelers can work on farms participating in the WWOOF program. They only need to work 4 to 6 hours a day to earn free board and lodging provided by the farm. WWOOF is an opportunity for all those who dream of traveling the world freely.Unlike Helpx, WWOOF's job type is mainly farm work.
(End of this chapter)
The blue sky and white clouds outside the car window, the grasslands are the most, rolling up and down.In just a few days, I have made many sentences with the same sentence pattern.
In New Zealand, you can see the blue sky, sea, grassland and snow-capped mountains in this life; in New Zealand, you can eat kiwis, cherries, and strawberries in this life; when a person has enough expectations, he is lucky, because in Among so many expectations, there is always one that will come true.
The car continued to run on the national road in New Zealand at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour, passing one unknown town after another. After 6 hours, it gradually darkened, and we finally arrived at Opotiki in the dark.
Brother Cui said, go to the supermarket to buy some food first, and have to go to work tomorrow.So we went to a small supermarket called New World.But what to buy?I followed Brother Cui in a daze, without a clue.
"There is no discount on rice today," Cui Ge muttered to himself, "buy less, and come back next time. Oh, don't take that one, it's not delicious, take the one next to it. The rice cooked from New Zealand's long japonica rice is not very good It's delicious, fried rice is more or less the same."
"Buy some bread, milk, and eggs. Buy the one with the blue logo, it's a good deal."
"Ham is cheap today, take one."
In this way, I would buy whatever he said, regardless of whether it was delicious or not, and I would finish tomorrow's meal by three times, five times and two times.After paying the bill, my pocket was almost empty.I asked Brother Cui: "Can I wait for today's car money..."
"Wait until the salary is paid."
Like most of the houses in New Zealand, the foreman's house is a single-story wooden structure building, and the orange light shines through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating a small piece of grass at the door.A few slippers and sneakers were scattered outside the door, and as I stepped in, I thought it would be nice to just settle here.
When you take off your shoes and enter the door, you can feel the fluffy carpet under your feet; there is a dining table in the living room, and a plate of kiwi fruit is placed on the table; the living room is connected to the kitchen, and there are pots and rice cookers on the stove; the whole room is bathed in soft yellow light Here, my heart suddenly felt a little more at ease.On a small island in the vast ocean, without any friends, I especially need this feeling.
Jeff, the foreman, exchanged pleasantries with me, and then took me to the bedroom.There are three people living here, Jeff, Brother Cui, and another fair-looking Malaysian guy.I heard that a boy from Fujian will also come over later.I shared the room with the Malaysian guy, greeted him at the door, and then returned to the living room to have dinner with Brother Cui.
Brother Cui is Jeff's friend, both of them are from the Northeast, so the dinner is naturally a Northeast specialty.My mind is full of longing for stability, and everything tastes good.
"Are you going to work tomorrow?" I asked Jeff as we ate.
"Come on, get up at 6:[-]."
"It's so early? It's too hard! I usually feel uncomfortable if I don't sleep until 8 o'clock!" Of course I didn't dare to say that, and my answer was: "No problem."
"The salary is settled once a week, and the rent is directly deducted from the salary. 80 New Zealand dollars a week, including water, electricity and Internet. If you are short of money, you can advance a little salary."
"You still need rent? I thought it was free." I didn't dare to say that, so I said, "I know."
The bedroom is about 10 square meters, and two mattresses are placed directly on the ground, which is our bed.My Malaysian roommate Victor came to New Zealand alone in March this year.Young people who come to work and vacation are more or less confused. We vaguely feel that this year can be used to forge the key to enlightenment.But this vagueness itself is also another kind of confusion.The only thing that makes me sure is that I am finally not fighting alone. From then on, I will know more and more comrades in arms.Under the banner of working holidays, in the name of liberating group confusion, shout: Comrades, go!I can't wait to fight the kiwi for three hundred rounds.
I had the best sleep in days, and the next morning, the sky was just getting bright, and the sound of rain came from outside the window.Victor and I got up early and Jeff was already in the living room.
"It's raining, I'll wait at home for the time being, and wait for the farmer to notify me before starting work," he said.
What?Suddenly there is a feeling of being played!We went back to the room in disappointment, and the guy from Fujian got up too, and he said he could be called Ah Hua.There is always a half-smile expression on his face, and his eyes are bent into a slit, which is both joyful and a bit ruffian.
We had a good night's sleep, woke up and had a hot breakfast of bread and milk.I haven't used the toaster and thought it was new.Milk is heated in a microwave.I don't drink milk in China because it tastes too strong, but I didn't expect the taste of milk in New Zealand to be so fresh and refined.
Near noon, the rain finally stopped.Jeff got the call to let us go at 1:[-].I made a super sandwich with ham, eggs and toast for lunch.
Hua drove, and Victor and I sat in the back, following Jeff out of town.Not long after leaving the town, a section of the road stretched along the coastline. I knew that the coast was facing north, and my hometown was at the end of the sea.The vast sea is easy to make people miss, because only miss is enough to cross its vastness, and only the direction of miss does not need a compass to indicate.
About ten minutes later, we arrived at the orchard.Many orchards in New Zealand have a very recognizable symbol - the windbreak wall.The green soldiers on both sides of these roads are upright and have a special aesthetic feeling.
We three little ghosts couldn't wait to rush into the orchard, only to see that the big army was ready to go.
However, why are almost all the grandparents with white hair?
Jeff called the three of us newcomers aside and explained: "Picking kiwi fruit is a piecework job for the team. The more the whole team works, the more you can earn, so no one dares to be lazy."
What he meant couldn't be more clear, other people's eyes are on you.Want to eat free food?dream!
However, can these old arms and legs compare with our young people?
With such doubts in mind, we embarked on the battlefield.As the saying goes, "If a worker wants to be good at his work, he must first sharpen his tools." The foreman gave each of us a pair of gloves and a numbered fruit basket.
We put on gloves, hung the fruit baskets on our chests in a similar manner, and followed the large army to the depths of the orchard.Large tracts of kiwi passed over my head, and I couldn't contain the excitement in my heart.It was also the first time for Ah Hua to pick kiwis, and we walked side by side talking and laughing in a relaxed manner.
"It's so cool to make money while eating."
"Don't look at eating happily now, I'm afraid of going home..."
"That's worth it. Do you know how much a kiwi fruit costs in China?"
"I heard that you can earn more than 100 New Zealand dollars a day?"
"Yeah. We're about to send it."
"Haha, I'm going to the supermarket to have a good time when I get my salary!"
damn kiwi
For me who have lived in the city for half my life, I only know that kiwifruit grows on trees, and I have only seen the environment in which they grow today.At first glance, the planting method of kiwi fruit is similar to that of grapes. It needs to be matched with supports for the branches and leaves to climb and grow.The fruit trees grow beside the wooden piles arranged vertically every 10 meters. Between the columns, there are several iron wires extending forward in the same direction, playing the role of load-bearing; Most of the sunlight was taken out, and only dots of light fell to the ground through the gaps in the leaves.The foreman told us that picking kiwifruit is the only outdoor job in New Zealand that is not exposed to the sun.
At first, I thought picking fruit was a very simple job, just reach out and pick it.But after a while, I found the problem: those old people picked faster than me!How can this embarrass me?And the most unbearable thing is that they actually look at me with contempt and suspicion!As if I was the guy who was dragging his feet.
In terms of skill and physical strength, I am not bad at any point among my peers, which confuses me.
Fortunately, Jeff came over in time.
"Wu Fei, you pick the fruit very fast, but you only pick one with each hand at a time, so the efficiency is low."
After speaking, he gave me a demonstration.It turns out that one hand can pick 3 kiwis at the same time, and you can pick 6 kiwis with one hand.It is 2 times more efficient than my original one. No wonder I can't keep up with other people's speed no matter how I chase it.Haha I got the hang of this in no time.
The sun at two or three o'clock in the afternoon was very scorching. Although I was working in the shade, I was sweating profusely, especially my shoulders, which were painfully strangled by the shoulder straps of the fruit basket.When the fruit basket hanging on the chest is filled with kiwis, one has to go to a trailer full of large wooden boxes not far ahead, and pour the fruits in the basket into the wooden box.Our daily wages are calculated in units of wooden boxes.
Every time the fruit is poured, it is necessary to lift the basket slightly above the upper edge of the wooden box. The basket full of kiwifruit weighs dozens of kilograms. Every time the force is exerted, the shoulders tighten.When the basket was emptied, my neck became sore.I turned my neck, and a smell of sweat came from my shoulder.
Because it was the first day of work, I worked so hard that I didn't even care about stealing food, I wanted to impress the other members of the team.As a result, within half a day, I was exhausted to death. I let out a long sigh of relief when Jeff announced his dismissal at 5:[-].
"Finally off work." I said to Ahua weakly.
He didn't even have the strength to answer me.
The true face of life is always different from expectations. The life you choose can only be carried by yourself.
When I got home, I lay on the bed, not wanting to do anything.Victor didn't look much better, and we didn't speak, and we reluctantly got out of bed to prepare dinner when we were hungry.
Because I was too tired, I made a dish for dinner, probably tomato scrambled eggs.Fortunately, the host has a rice cooker, which saves the trouble of cooking.I hadn't used an ordinary small pot to cook at that time, and I heard that it was easy to stick to the pot.
When cooking, I found that gas is not used for cooking here, but induction cooker or natural gas is used.I had never cooked in the Fat Camel Inn before, so I had no idea about this thing.Now a little research, it is not difficult to find.And it is more convenient than the switch of gas, and there will be no situation of failure to start the fire.
So busy, it was already past 9 o'clock after taking a shower.I don't want to do anything but lie in bed.Before going abroad, I signed a translation contract with the publishing house, and the delivery period was not easy.I told myself, working part-time during the day and translating at night, if you can’t do it, you’re a pig.After picking kiwis for a day, I feel happier being a pig.
Victor on the other bed suddenly asked me, "What will you have for lunch tomorrow?"
I was stunned when I heard it.Yes, what will you have for lunch tomorrow?Didn't even think about this problem.But even if it kills me, I don't want to get up and cook now.So I said, "Let's talk about it tomorrow morning..."
I suddenly realized that I hadn't had a good chat with my little brother in the same room, so I took the lead in opening the topic.
"When did you come to New Zealand?"
"June."
"one person?"
"Well, but I have relatives in Oakland."
"Have you had any previous work experience?"
"No, I'm still studying for an undergraduate degree. Now I only have a degree certificate but no degree certificate."
"What do you mean?"
"Malaysia is to study in university for three years to obtain a degree certificate, and then one to two years to obtain a degree certificate. What about you? Are you also a student?"
"I have been working for 5 years! 5 years! My most precious youth is spent on the wine table."
I used to be a sales representative. Most people work from [-] to [-], and I drink and dance at night.
We chatted again and again, and then I asked, "Did you have some troubles when you first came?"
He thought for a while and said, "It really is." Then he told me the story of "the first time I entered a police station in my life" in Chinese with a Malaysian accent.
In March 2010, I didn't know whether I was going to continue my undergraduate degree of unknown significance, so I came to New Zealand, and the summer was coming to an end.
I brought more than 1000 New Zealand dollars, and when I spent it until April, it was almost finished, but I didn’t know where the job was. When I had twenty New Zealand dollars left, there was a turning point, and I found it A job picking kiwis in an orchard.No, not in Opotiki, but around Auckland.
It was very cold that morning, and my aunt took me to the entrance of a McDonald's in West Auckland around 6 o'clock, waiting for the foreman to pick me up for work.There's not much to say about work, and as anyone who's ever picked a kiwi knows -- and now you do -- it's all about stretching out your hands over and over again.
At 8 o'clock in the evening, I returned to the door of McDonald's, but I don't plan to live in my aunt's house. If so, I will have to trouble her to send me over tomorrow morning.McDonald's in Malaysia are open 24 hours, so I walked into this McDonald's intending to spend the night here.
I didn't expect to ask after I went in. Although there are people here 24 hours a day, it closes at 12 o'clock in the evening.
I asked the other party: Can I spend the night in your office?
The other party said: No.
I asked again: How about I just sit in the shop?
The other party: You have to ask our manager, (after a while) no.
Let me ask again: What about in your car...
Opponent: That’s no good, what if you steal my car?
I thought to myself, do I look like the bad guy?I was so desperate that I fell asleep on my stomach on the table without knowing it.After an unknown period of time, someone knocked on the table. I saw that they were two little rascals, so let's call them A and B.
A: Young man, did you drink too much?
Me: You just drank too much.
B: Do you want some of that?
Me: which one?
B: That's it, marijuana.
Me: Don't bother me.
A: Young people are quite angry. Let me ask you, How are you? How do you say it in your language?
Me: ni hao.
I don't know if I just smoked marijuana, but the two of them kept surrounding me and kept saying: ni hao, ni hao, ni hao, ni hao... I was going crazy.Later, the pair of live treasures finally left, and I fell asleep again without knowing it.
As a result, I was woken up again by the sound of knocking on the table, this time it was a middle-aged uncle.
Uncle: Brother, are you in trouble?
Me (instinctively): No.
Uncle: I am a security guard, you can tell me if you have anything to do.
Me (it doesn't look like you): I'm fine.
Uncle (seems very anxious): Look, this is my ID, this is my driver's license, this is my...
Seeing his sincerity, I half-believed and told about my situation. After hearing this, he ran to the counter and negotiated with McDonald's for a long time, with a helpless expression on his face.
At 12 o'clock that night, the security uncle sent me to the police station, where I spent a very warm night.The next morning, I took a taxi back to McDonald's with only [-] cents left on me.I don't think I'll ever sleep in a police station again in my life.
Victor finished his story and asked me if I had any memorable experiences, and I said, "I've only been in New Zealand for less than a week."
"No way?" He was extremely surprised, "You found a job in only a week?"
"Ah."
After I finished speaking, I counted with my fingers. Yes, I have only been in New Zealand for 5 days. Why does it feel like 5 weeks?In the past 5 years, what was left in my heart turned out to be a blurred stroke!
Scenes during the 5 days continued to run over my body, allowing me to experience the density of real life.Everyone has had the ambition of ever-changing and colorful life, but do we have the mind to accommodate a thrilling playground?I was so exhausted that I quickly fell asleep.
When I woke up the next day, my shoulders were better, but the pain in my neck was more pronounced. The most terrible thing was that hemorrhoids broke out, which must have been caused by the fruit-picking half-squatting posture.Too lazy to make lunch, I put toast and ham in plastic bags.The first hour of every morning is the hardest, because the body has not fully awakened from sleep, the hands are weak, and the whole person is sick.And at that time, the morning dew hadn't evaporated yet, and the kiwi was wet. Every time I picked a fruit, a lot of dew would flow onto my hands, and then flow all the way into my armpits.If you wear gloves, after a while, the gloves will be soaked with dew, wrapping your fingers sticky, which is very uncomfortable.When I rested in the morning, my fingers had already been soaked and turned white.
I looked around secretly, everyone was working hard, it was really not easy for those white-haired old people.Why do you have to suffer this crime even though you can already live on government subsidies?
During lunch, we chose a shaded place to sit, because there was only half an hour to rest, and everyone was desperately trying to put things into their mouths.Only in this way can we lie in the sun later and enjoy a moment of leisure in the day.
Xiao Yu is from Shandong. Because of the lack of information, he spent 10,000+ to come to New Zealand for a working holiday through an intermediary.In order to repay this fee, he works very hard and can be called the pacesetter of our team.
During the break, he stuffed me with a few kiwis and said, "Ripe."
People are full of expectations for the unknown, many of which are beautified by fantasy.On the way to Opotiki, I was thinking, now I can eat fruit as much as I want.When I arrived at the orchard, I discovered that, unlike apples, kiwis are usually unripe when picked, hard to the touch, and inedible at all.Because kiwi fruit has a short storage time, once it is ripe and soft, it must be eaten as soon as possible.Therefore, it will be too late to pick them after they are fully mature, and during a series of operations such as picking and packaging, it is easy to cause bruises due to contact with human hands.
I was drooling while picking kiwis, and I was so disappointed that I could only see the reality that I couldn't eat them.
I took the gift that was less than, and it felt soft to the touch.I asked him: "Just picked?"
"Correct."
"Why didn't I pick it up?"
"Haha, you just came here and you're not yet proficient. You'll be fine in a few days. When you touch the fruit, you'll know if you can eat it or not."
"Hey, that realm is amazing!"
I ate the first kiwi fruit in 2010. The sweet and sour juice filled my mouth, and all the hard work in the morning disappeared. Life is really wonderful.This was the moment that made me fall in love with New Zealand, with working holidays.I've come to believe that the coming year will have many of these moments.
As the proficiency and efficiency of movements increase, the load on the body increases accordingly.After work this day, I returned home with Iowa and Victor precariously. Jeff seemed to have expected this for a long time. He smiled and said, "How is it? I can't take it anymore?"
"Hehe..." We didn't say anything.
"It will be fine in a week," he began to teach us. "The human body will gradually produce fatigue for a new kind of physical labor. This fatigue curve will reach a peak on the third day of work, and then on the seventh day. Left and right tend to be flat..."
What I was thinking in my heart was another thing. Being physically tired is nothing at all, as long as I can escape the stressful city life, it is the best rest.
After doing the laundry in the evening, I went to the porch in the backyard with a wire over my head, because it often rains in the town in winter, and everyone hangs their clothes here to dry.I didn't see the hanger and clips, so I went back to the living room and asked Jeff to borrow them.Unexpectedly, Brother Cui came with this sentence:
"Borrow a clothes hanger? Just hang it on the wire? You still think it's a vacation? You're here to work!"
His words were very offensive, and I was a little upset.But what he said is also reasonable, I am not prepared to endure hardship, otherwise why should I care about such small details.I resentfully went back to the backyard, put my wet clothes on the wire, and went back to the house to rest.
The initial novelty passed quickly, and fruit picking was highly repetitive. There was always a period of time every day that had to be passed by random thinking, otherwise the time would be unbearably long, and then I began to question the original intention of coming to New Zealand.Sometimes I would joke and chat with Ahua or Victor, but even such a temporary relaxation would be met with blank stares from other players.Perhaps because of the large age gap, our team has never been able to form a harmonious team atmosphere.
Once the boredom of work begins to increase, people are eager to find joy in life.The grass on the ground and the clouds in the sky can be a reason to be happy.I finally understand why I love the phoenix trees on West Nanjing Road in Shanghai so much.
One day after get off work, all the clouds were burning in the sky in a ostentatious manner, which made me feel lost for a while-because I couldn't remember the last time I saw such a magnificent fire cloud.On the road, I gradually discovered that what I look forward to every time I travel is just a certain touching moment, even if it is only for a second, then this trip is worthwhile. People's flash memories are never continuous, but a string of bright spots. into the trajectory.And the so-called long-term moving is also accumulated in this way.
smiling maori
It rains more in Opotiki than in Auckland, and we have already lost a lot of working hours because of the rain in less than a week.Once I waited from morning to noon, and then from noon to afternoon, and was finally told that today's work was cancelled.But the rain also has the benefits of rain. I was able to wake up a little later than usual and make breakfast leisurely. Bacon omelette, bread, and hot milk. These breakfast combinations I never thought of have become the new favorite of the stomach in New Zealand.
When I was in Auckland, in order to save money, I had water and bread for two meals a day. Now that I have the conditions, even if it is simple, I will ensure that there are dishes for three meals a day.There is a frozen mixed vegetable mix in the supermarket that includes cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, red and yellow peppers, mushrooms.It not only saves time-consuming and labor-intensive cutting and washing, but also ensures balanced nutrition and convenient cooking.These vegetables make me feel like a treasure, and I often buy them to eat.
I'm not very good at cooking, but after my working life gradually stabilized, I had to face the problems of "what to eat every night" or "what to bring for lunch tomorrow".If you don't spend time on "eating" because of laziness, your tongue and stomach will suffer. No one can last too long, right?It is true that people are forced out.
Several of our roommates started to learn cooking skills from each other. At first, we were a little embarrassed to speak up, but soon found that we all lacked the experience of living alone, and there were always a few dishes coming and going, so naturally we no longer shy away The fact that he was a cobbler, and worked hard towards Zhuge Liang's goal.
Without teachers, we can only grow by self-study.And New World Supermarket is our classroom.Every time we go to the supermarket, we wonder if we can come up with some new tricks. Although there are all kinds of ingredients and seasonings here, the instructions on the outer packaging are in poor English, which makes me feel worried and think about my English. It's too bad!
After a few days of tossing like this, at least some chicken legs, fish steaks and so on were added to the table. In short, the technical content has not been substantially improved, only the varieties have been refurbished.Compared with the days of tomato scrambled eggs every day, this is already a huge improvement.
On a rest day after working for about a week, Victor and Iowa and I decided that it was necessary to visit this place called Opotiki.For this trip, I am very much looking forward to it, because Auckland gives me the impression that there is no character at all. Of course, this has a lot to do with my short stay.All in all, Opotiki was the first time I visited a corner of a foreign country with a relaxed mood.
It took us an hour to slowly travel through this mini town-an hour can already cover every corner of the place.Although the sparrow is small, it has all kinds of internal organs. Museums, cinemas, libraries, post offices, and almost all public facilities you can think of can be found.Every city has its own history. At the end of the 19th century, this seaside town ushered in the first batch of Westerners. After that, the wooden houses here were burned down by continuous fires, and people continued to rebuild them. This reminds me of an idiom, bathing in fire Rebirth.
Rebirth is a tough move, because being destroyed is always hopeless.
Opotiki is a Maori area and I was warned to be careful with them.The New Zealand government's loose policy on Maori has led to a lack of restraint in some of their behaviors.For example, it is not illegal for Māori to steal less than NZ$200, etc.On the road in Opotiki, I also often see these aboriginal islanders with skin colors that are very different from white people. Their appearance can easily leave a vicious impression on people, so that my mother even worried that I would become their pot Vegetables... But that's all in the past.During my year in New Zealand, the Maori people I met were all nice and helpful people. "Travel is a good way to fight ignorance and hatred." Mark Twain's words really make sense.
When I passed a grocery store and stopped at the door, the clerk inside was a young Maori girl, and I couldn't help smiling.After a second or two, she smiled too.I have met many strangers smiling at me in New Zealand, which is a rare phenomenon in China. Even in restaurants, the waiters are always expressionless.Laughing is actually a very happy action. Sometimes we don't laugh because of happiness, but feel happy because of laughter.People are born to cry, but no one is born to laugh.The movements that have been learned with great difficulty will become rusty if they are not used.
In the pharmacy, an old lady saw my attire and asked me if I was a tourist.After getting a positive answer, she began to introduce the basic situation of the town.Here, the distance between people is very close. Even a passer-by like me felt warm several times in just one hour. The almost primitive directness always moved me.
I bought some postcards at the post office to send to friends and relatives in the country, which cost almost all my money.But I couldn't resist the urge to share with them, they must not have imagined my new life now.
hope in water
The rest day passed quickly. On the first day of reopening, the golden sun illuminated the dewdrops on every blade of grass. The scenery on the roadside was still clear and bright with tall trees and the vast sea, and there were always smiling faces. Yun Duo, I can already hum along to every song on the car stereo.
Yet the weather keeps playing tricks on us. Four hours later, the farmer announced that today is a holiday.Everyone reacted differently, some cheered, some were sad; some wanted to rest, and some wanted to make money.I belong to the group that steals joy in my heart.
Jeff drove us back to the seaside road, and he turned into a sandy beach halfway and dropped us off.
"Look at the ocean," he said, and handed us each a can of Coke.
The sea is like a huge, burning aluminum foil, undulating very slowly, sometimes dazzling white, sometimes deep blue.
"There are a lot of crabs here," Jeff said leisurely, "we catch a lot every time, and throw the small ones back, leaving only the big ones. New Zealand's natural resources are so rich, the nearby beaches And clams."
After speaking, he gestured an astonishing size with his hand.
We spent half an hour at the beach and when we got home Jeff had another surprise for us.He took out some fishing gear from under the bed and said to us: "Let's go fishing while the weather is fine!"
I was so happy I was about to jump up.
The river is within a 5-minute walk, and we happily carried our fishing tackle, like children preparing for a spring outing.
Because of the continuous rainfall, the river was rushing and yellow.Under Jeff's guidance, we inserted the rod fixer, Jeff tied the bait, and then swung the rod skillfully. The fishing line was extended rapidly under the guidance of the lead weight, and finally a small splash of water was splashed in the middle of the river.He put the rod in the holder and asked us if we wanted to try it.
Isn't this asking knowingly!For fishing, I also have a special emotion.When I was young, my family lived in Jiangxi.Father is an avid fisherman.Every weekend, he goes out early. If it is winter, the sky is not yet bright, it can be said that he wears the stars and wears the moon.
I always stand at the door of the house, waiting on tiptoes for him to come back, hoping that he will pour out a fish with shiny tails from the fish basket, and say in my mouth: "There is a big guy today." He occasionally takes me to the river pond Or the reservoir, in those hot afternoons with no wind in my memory, I ran back and forth on the river bank.All the anglers, either sitting or standing, become a corner of the still life painting.I always prick up my ears, waiting for the bell to ring and the fish to take the bait. If I'm lucky, I can enjoy the wonderful scene of walking the fish.For them, the waiting time is the happiest.
I miss those days when I planted my hope in the water so much, but since my family moved to Shanghai, such memories have never lasted.
I couldn't wait to take the fishing rod, pressed the line according to the essentials taught by Jeff, leaned back, swung the rod, loosened the line, and then watched the bait draw a parabola.Since I was not good at learning skills since I was a child, I have no foundation at all. I saw the bait fall in the river not far from the bank, and was quickly blown by the wind to a few clumps of trees near the bank.
Jeff ran over immediately, trying to pull the thread out, but after several attempts, he showed a helpless expression.
"Help me with the knife."
He quickly cut the fishing line with a knife, and tied the broken end of the line to the branch.
He explained to us: "Wait two days before the water level recedes before retrieving the hooks. The stones on the shore are larger than those in the middle, so they are easy to hang on the bottom."
We tried several more swings, but the wind was so strong that even Jeff's bait was washed to the shore. After half an hour, we decided to give up.
"Today, the current is so fast that we can't see the buoy clearly. Even if there is a fish biting the hook, we may not be able to find it. And the water is too muddy, so the fish can't see the bait."
"Oh... then come back another day!"
Little did I know that this would be my first and last fishing trip in New Zealand.
Two days later, the salary arrived.I watched the deposit in my bank card change from one decimal place to the top three in an instant, and let out a long breath again: "I survived in New Zealand!"
The sense of accomplishment at that time was real.To celebrate, I went to the New World Supermarket to buy the long-coveted Shanghai cabbage.
There is a joke about Chinese and New Zealanders that two rich guys meet on the road.The Chinese say, I only eat meat; the New Zealanders say, I only eat vegetarian.This reflects the high price of vegetarian dishes in New Zealand from one aspect.Two heads of cabbage usually cost two yuan and five New Zealand dollars. When you meet the discounted chicken and beef, you can eat several meals.This is not good news for me who is a vegetarian.
Perhaps because of the salary, the table at night was more abundant than before. We had dinner happily and chatted about all kinds of things in New Zealand.
"How much do you spend on food each week?" Jeff asked us out of the blue.
We looked at each other, no one thought about it.I took out the receipt from the supermarket and roughly calculated, it was more than 50 yuan.
"For 30 yuan a week, there are meat and vegetables, and the food is very good." Jeff smiled.
I was blown away by the number and thought I was frugal enough.It seems that I got complacent too early. It is not enough to survive, but to live well!A year of experience has just begun, and I am full of fighting spirit because of Jeff's inadvertent words.From this day on, I began to pay attention to the promotion and discount information of the supermarket, and soon discovered some of the rules, such as which brands are usually cheaper, which products are heavily discounted, and when the possibility of promotion is high...I have a positive relationship with life Encountered, without reinforcements, had to fight hand-to-hand with these trivial things.Finally, I understand my mother's mood of scanning the entire vegetable market in order to save a few cents.Interestingly, when I returned to China a year later, I found that my mother no longer did this.It's my gap year, it's hers, and we've all changed.
The days of fruit picking are quickly coming to an end.In my opinion at the time, picking kiwis had become a boring and hard job.Still, we can continually find something to make us happy.We will pick some oranges from the farmer's house as an appetizer before lunch; after lunch, we will follow the uncle and sister-in-law to pick pecans (May is the season for walnuts in New Zealand) and avocados.
We talk about whether our next great stop will be the snow in the South Island or the lakes in the North Island.And, the hard work has become less hard.The skin is no longer uncomfortable because of the numerous fluff; the shoulders and neck are no longer sore and unbearable due to the day-to-day load; It also makes the young me incapable of complaining.
run away in embarrassment
One day at the end of May, Jeff told us that there were two days left before the fruit picking was over.I figured it out, it happened to be Children's Day.When I was in college, I tried my best to celebrate this festival, insisting on looking like a happy child.Cai Kangyong said in "LA Wandering Notes": People who care about youth are bound to be out of youth.Those who realize that they are wandering are bound to end their wandering.I am lucky, although I am no longer in youth, but my wandering has just begun.
Children's Day is also the day when New Zealand's winter begins.
"Winter is coming soon," I said to my co-workers. "This year we can escape the sticky summer in Shanghai."
"Well, I heard it's very cold here in winter at night."
"No, I have been woken up by the cold these past few nights. Do I have to buy a quilt in winter?" My sleeping bag is thin, and I can only fall asleep wearing a down jacket.
"My quilt is bought in autumn." Victor said.
"We'll talk about it when we go to the South Island." Ahua has decided to go to the South Island to work after the kiwi fruit season is over.
When we got home that day, Jeff called us together and said seriously, "What are your plans after picking fruit?"
The three of us looked at each other, not knowing how to answer.
Seeing this, he continued: "The most profitable farm worker is coming, earning [-] New Zealand dollars in three months..."
We were all dumbfounded.
"Hehe...don't get excited, it's actually winter pruning."
Orchard pruning in winter is known among backpackers as the purgatory of working holidays, because of its physical challenges, it is the most outdoor worker in New Zealand.I had heard about this for a long time, but the attraction of [-] New Zealand dollars in three months was too great, so we agreed to Jeff to learn pruning.
Pruning is the key technique for high-quality and high-yield kiwifruit.Winter pruning adopts the method of combining sparse pruning and short pruning, shortening the old branches that have produced fruit in previous years, and thinning out diseased and insect branches, dead branches and weak branches, leaving strong growing branches as the fruiting branches of the next year.
Jeff told us that pruning usually starts at 5 a.m. every morning, and you can work on it any time, even if you burn the midnight oil, as long as you can handle it.
"It's okay, you're young, you can carry it!" I smiled and encouraged others.
Facts have proved that the fearlessness of a whim is the label of a young life, and it is easily dropped by reality.Before dawn the next day, we were called out of bed to receive special training in pruning.From the moment I got up, I had a bad feeling, it seemed that this job would not be easy.
Standing under the lush branches and leaves, Jeff began to teach various techniques of pruning.As he spoke, he demonstrated. After a while, the sky above his head lit up, and the originally chaotic branches showed an orderly posture, and they were evenly scattered on the iron wire.Sunshine and rain, every leaf is equal.
"Pruning is such an art..." I said automatically.I'm an outsider, and it's a completely involuntary feeling.
But Jeff said seriously: "You are right, every year the pruning competition will regard beauty as an important judging criterion."
After that, it's our turn for internship time.I tremblingly stretched out the scissors, hesitated for a while, not knowing where to start.Every cut has the potential to destroy a tree.
The more I hesitate, the more impatient I am, the more impatient I am, the more likely I am to make mistakes.I don't know how long it took me to complete a unit of homework, the result was terrible, and I was humiliated by Jeff.Even when I was at my worst in Oakland, I wasn't so ashamed.Ahua and Victor are not much better. We calculated that according to this speed, let alone [-] in three months, even [-] would be a problem.The man who earned [-] must have worked hard that ordinary people can't imagine.
Later, some people said picking cherries to make money, and some people said picking apples to make money. I know they are all stories of successful people, and they have nothing to do with me.At the same time, I also began to think about another question, how much money do working holidays cost?
The story of the kiwi is coming to an end soon. On June 6th, three of our new friends got together for our last supper, and I made wildly unsuccessful shredded potatoes, so-so chicken nuggets and Maori cabbage.We agreed to have a reunion sometime in the future before leaving New Zealand.Although I know that everyone who appears on the journey is very likely to be a passer-by, but this time my wish is sincere.They are like my comrades-in-arms, accompanying me to start the first war in New Zealand.The days of sweating and bragging together are not just forgotten.But neither of us could keep the appointment. Victor has returned to China, and neither I nor Ahua can contact him.Ah Hua kept in touch with me intermittently, but then I called his cell phone once, only to find that it had been shut down.
I admit that this kind of goodbye makes me a little frustrated, and sometimes travel can be cruel.Because of the hasty gathering and parting, everyone became stingy with feelings.But what is in a hurry is not only travel, but also life, isn't it?However, there are always some people who will keep the power on for you.I think I'll stay true to myself and have fun with it.
In the early morning of the next day, when the two workers were sent away and there was only one person left in the room, I turned off the light and let the cool white morning light enter the room, making it very quiet.The feeling of being alone is a bit subtle, mixed with excitement and loss.Ahua urged me to go to the South Island with them, but I refused. This may be a man's instinct. The unknown world is like a virgin land, and I still want to cultivate it alone.
Tips
There is a way to save money on working holidays in New Zealand, especially in winter when jobs are hard to find: exchange accommodation.English name: work exchange or help exchange.As the name suggests, for migrant workers who are on a tight budget or want to save money, the direct result of exchanging accommodation is that it can help you exempt from daily accommodation and food expenses (sometimes only accommodation is included without meals, but relatively few), so you can also call it It is for exchanging food and accommodation (of course not mixing food and accommodation).
Migrant workers provide several hours of unpaid work for the homeowner every day during the housing exchange period. In return, the homeowner will provide free accommodation and three meals a day. Of course, if it is just this, it would be too boring.Accommodation and three meals a day can be bought with money, and a good overnight experience can last a long time.The work content of the overnight stay, whether the host is interesting or not, and the immersion of local culture, these are all unique trips.
There are usually three ways to change accommodation:
First, a dedicated website for exchanging accommodation (fees are required).
I use Helpx (there are others such as Workaway). You can browse the contact information of the owner only after upgrading to a premium membership. The cost is 15 euros. There are more accommodation information for Australia and New Zealand.The daily working hours are about four hours, and the host includes board and lodging.
Take the information released by a certain owner on Helpx as an example:
Contact information: phone, email, etc.
Existing jobs: Housework and dinner cooking, plus outdoor work with fruit trees and vegetable gardens.Weed, plant, make compost.
We will provide the most suitable jobs for different backpackers.This way, you get to use your skills and feel like you're making a difference to the family, for which we are grateful.
We have a lot of things to do in our family, if you want to see the life of New Zealanders through a small window, please contact us.
Please take your work as seriously as you take yourself.Your work will be unsupervised.
We will make you feel at home during your stay.Because we, too, were once on the road, we understand how important a hot bath and a good night's sleep are.
We save water and pay attention to garbage classification.
We live in a beautiful canyon and are only a 20 minute drive from the two closest small towns.
There are four people in our family, my husband and I, and two children.
We provide canoes and fishing gear.
With unrivaled beaches just 10 minutes away, you have plenty of time to admire this beautiful idyll.
Have a good trip.
Second, when changing accommodation in a Backpacker Hotel (BBH), the work content is mainly divided into front desk and cleaning. Usually there is no three meals provided, but there are also few working rooms, which last about two and a half hours.The difference from Helpx is that the depth of contact with people has decreased, but the breadth has increased.
Take an example of an accommodation exchange advertisement on the BBH website:
Job Description: Front desk receptionist, working 16-20 hours a week, without salary.
Enjoy the rights: free accommodation, free laundry, free internet, learn a lot of information about New Zealand tourism, and make new friends all over the world.
Third, WWOOF, World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, the full name is World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. It was the first organization established in the UK in 1972. working holiday.It has been operating in dozens of countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, and Costa Rica for many years, connecting organic farm owners and travelers around the world.According to the guidelines of WWOOF, travelers can work on farms participating in the WWOOF program. They only need to work 4 to 6 hours a day to earn free board and lodging provided by the farm. WWOOF is an opportunity for all those who dream of traveling the world freely.Unlike Helpx, WWOOF's job type is mainly farm work.
(End of this chapter)
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