Something useful for those who have foreign documents:

1st round: Declined

felt like i was being *slapped*

Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittttttttttttttttttt~~~~

Oh well, try again. There goes 1k (ouch). They are not gona bring me down. Hah.

o.O

OMG

Where to start?????

Dear Madam,

Please accept this as our receipt of your HSMP application.

Your application was received on the 11/10/07.

Your reference number is xxxxxx.

Kind regards,

HSMP Team

Sent the form off yesterday. *crosses fingers*

Things to get done:

• Collate all documents for HSMP (Done)
  Make that phone call and ask the questions about birth proof and income tax (Done, 26/07)
• Or go through the form (Done)
  Open up a joint account (Done, 26/07)
• Get a contract agreement set up and approve by a lawyer
• Buy plastic containers
• Get Kiwi Saver applications started and going (Done)
  Revise on MCC Schedules (Done, 26/07)
• Read up on Coefficient of Performances (Done,26/07)

Gah~

Why am I doing this. Why am I going to the most expensive place in the world. My goals are defeated. My aims are for the wrong reasons. Why am I going to somewhere that I will have very little chance of saving. Why do people say that you'll earn more when you work in the UK..

So put off. I didn't like the idea that I will not be saving much in the next two years just to travel. Then again, when is the next time I can do this. When will the next time be when I am young again.

But to sacrifice my career, my finance, and putting my future on hold seems a little more daunting.

Perhaps, this is just a warning. Perhaps this is just an advice. Sure enough everyone has fears and doubts. Nevertheless, I've always had this 'Just do it' by nature. So, I'm gona challenge myself for this. These conversations do bring back to the first time I arrived NZ.

We didn't know the cheap places, nor the free parks. Nor the rules you can avoid or the perks that you can try to get for keeping your uni ID. And knowing the cheap markets to shop for food. And the sales that comes on once in a while.

Someone up there, send me a sign. Release me from the doubts and negativity from the others. I am unique, therefore, not everything is true. I shall not be scared.

I think there is a chance that the trip will be delayed till October, when I have already got more than 2 years of experience, and exactly 2 years of experience as a HVAC building services engineer. Well, not exactly.

I do need more time. Next early year is a rush for my career. It is jeapordized in fact, because getting a job would be difficult. As adviced by my director, and my PDP interviewer.

Sigh. I hope I won't delay it anymore because it is the trip that motivates me to work hard. I know I shouldn't be depending on this goal, when I should think hard whether this career is the career that I want to do for the rest of my life.

There is a small opportunity in Singapore that I may not want to place my hands up for just yet. As you know, promises can't be promises on the length of time of the stay. But going there for a a temporary change would feel awesome. As well as there is a director there whom I can speak to.

Peer pressure. I get real annoyed when people start copying my goals and don't set their own. Because along that, comes competition. Its quite annoying. It kinda feels good to be sitting on the other side, where there are no lady engineers with a small divider between the section.

Talk about being competitive negatively...Sigh. I hate it when we have to fight to live. I really hate that. I wish I could just be happy and focused on my own life. And not be effected by other people.

Cheap Shipping from NZ to UK:

http://www.nzbaggagemovers.co.nz/ (sea)
http://www.xsbaggage.com/php/ (air)
http://www.europac.co.nz ($500 first box / tea chests, $40 for consecutive boxes / tea chests)

Shopping in uk:
UK Student Life

VISAS
Costs for HSMP:
Stage1
Stage 2

I must say this talk was evenmore useful than the previous. Very well organised too as it was placed in a more spacious room with 3 Australians talking about 3 different categories. There was the usual pre-drinks, followed by a folder full of things / goodies. I must say the first talk was smartly placed at the front, as it was all about the 'nicer' part of london.

One spoke about his experience in the UK, where to go and how to move.
One spoke about finding a job in the UK.
One spoke about Visas.

Hmm..I was suprise that there wasn't a huge turn up. And I don't know how in the world I was emailed with this.

Their services:

AUS$60 (for that night) for a 'kickstart' package. This includes

• 2 orientation meetings in which they talk about necessities such as insurance, doctors, traveling around and accomodations when you first touchdown in the UK.
• Assistance in opening a UK bank account without any deposit required. Heard it is rather difficult to open one in the UK.
• A pre-paid mobile Sim card. Woohoo. Wonder how much it costs over there.
• Call card (ho humm)

AUS$1600 for guiding and helping through to get your HSMP or equivalent. Through this, I found out that not only it costs UK400 to just get your form to the Britain, but there is also another 2nd stage, in which it costs approx UK300!! Goodness, I better not screw up this application. Most ppl come to 1st contact when they screw it up the first time, losing UK400.

FREE CV template and I could sent them that too for them to start searching for jobs.

A pamphlet showing useful weblinks to look for accomodation, rent, transportation and travelling locally.

And since I was there the night, FREE one way money transfer from NZ to UK. Heh. THought I make the most of scabbing these freebies =P.

House house
Before going into the seminar, I was passed the NZ real estate and saw a HUGe advert showing the houses in Melbourne....and man, they are waaaaaaaay cheaper than over here. What we would get for a $600k house over here is like AUS$400k in Melbourne!! Talk about a huge difference. Then again, there are other factors that are not involved. But it kinda got me excited for a bit...heh.

As of the 1st of July 2007, we are the proud owner of the Utama House =)
.
.
.
.
Feels awesome~

It was recommended that I stayed another year at the Auckland office branch before I head off to the U.K. because of the lack of experience and knowledge that I have and the lack of guidance that I might come across when I am in London. In short, I may have trouble working there.

Hmm...mite have to look at other areas, or a different career. Perhaps, I could put this on hold, perhaps I could make myself work harder when I am there. Perhaps. Sigh. Tough choices. I really don't want to leave the company, but I don't want to struggle either.

5 objectives to accomplish whatever it is.

Been to another U.K talk which I don't really have to do much...

I thought the house we signed was the house we bought. But it was just to offer a bid till when the auction comes. But the deposit must be ready on the dot when the auction went through
.
.
.
.
.
It didn't go true. There was a higher bidder. Oh well. Back to searching.

I do feel better now, since we don't need to hurry this time :)

After much has settled, thought I'd explain bout how we got this house. It is really suprising really to get this one!!

It was a Saturday afternoon, when D was at his long 12hour shifts, where he asked me to join his parents to go look at the houses that we found on trademe. It was pretty much around Manurewa area, since it was the only area that we could afford at the moment.

So they picked me up after Pilates at about 1.30pm. We slowly headed to Manurewa. Our first house that was on the list was on Coxhead Rd, where I had to rely on a very old map to get to where we want. As we headed on to Great South Road, I had a question for D's dad, asking him when is it the right time after all the research to get a house. He said to take our time, since this will be the most expensive item we'd ever buy in our life.

As we headed towards Alfriston Road (off great south road), D's dad made the wrong turn and went the opposite way. I told him that we have to make a turn, and in the midst of getting the right direction, D's mum saw an open house on Brough Road and suggested that we turn in to have a look if it is still on. True enough it was. So we went to check it out.

D's dad, bought it straight away. Before I could blink, we were in the agent's office, with him filling up the form and waiting for agreement from 3 parties. It was scary, the feeling. I did not even had the chance to absorb what happened. And the irony is what he adviced me before we went driving around. Funny that. D's mum jokingly said that D's dad buying a house is worse then her shopping for clothes. Gosh, I did not have time to dissaprove, as I do fully trust his experience.

And so, the property was bought. But with us not under the title, as we are aiming for the first home loan grant in 3 years time...we decided to own half the share privately after talking to a mortgage advisor. But sigh, I didn't want to pay the interest. It would be better getting the title and be eligable to write a tax return. Hope this will be a good idea. We need 100k to break even, considering the amount we will be putting in to fix the house and to pay off the interest.

What a story.

We have got a property =). After a fairly long search.

Today was our first day house hunting. We started off looking on trademe for a week. And today onwards, we went out to property press and narrow down accordingly to 300k or less.

Our aim is to get one to before leaving. Never realised how much pressure the Media is putting on NZ these days. I was exposed to so many things at one go, so much that I wanted to buy one straight away.

But buying a house is SO difficult from shopping. So many factors involved. We are talking about a payback of at least 20 years. 20 years! You can't imagine how many more times it is for us to be careful to pick on a house to invest.

I can't wait though. The first house will not only secure our future, but open us up to more things in life. A tad more complexity, but it makes the irrelevent things that I once thought were huge, smaller and smaller each day.

I must admit I over reacted with the first house. Kinda feeling guilty and bad for the way I behave. But I have to get over it now. I am glad D understands. He too didn't see that part of me. I guess I feared what is coming upon me. Needed the courage within me to pull myself together. Also, there is Karma. Interest rates will go up at the moment, but it will not stop me. For what goes up, will come down.

Anyway, onwards with more house shopping!!

Have started to get involved in fit-out projects so that I can gear myself up for the trip!

And the project is pretty interesting too. Its pretty much organising building spaces according to client's needs or wants. Sometime it is done when the building gets constructed. Or it is done when the building is built, but with a standard space.

25th Feb 07
And so it was a spur sort of a half decision, now becoming a full decision. Yes, we are planning to do our O.E at last. Things were still a hush, and still is a hush. Its still a long way to go.

2 April 07
There was 'The Big O.E' exhibition out at Alexander Park. What we thought was a talk, turned out to be booths full of aids from getting your CV through an agency to having a blog that sets your trip out online. There were heaps of people helping out with finance, visas, job search and extra travel. T'was useful.

It was really exciting to think bout it. It was such a great goal to work for. Me and D have now started a savings plan, or plan to even save more than what we have. It only takes 3 months to apply and leave anytime. And its so much easier for me, as Beca has a branch out at the U.K. I can be transferred anytime.