I had a terrific week at work. It was busy with the 12 hour shifts and some socializing after a few of the days. Yesterday was a highlight. I got to taste around 60 of our wines that are currently fermenting with 3 of our wine makers. Just so you know, we don't drink these samples, we just take a sip, swirl it around in our mouth and spit it in a bucket. It was rewarding to see the fruits of our labour come together and hear the wine makers perspective of the wine. Then I was ready for a real drink by the end of it!
When I moved to Blenheim I purchased a used car. I ended up with a 1991 Toyota Windom which is similar to a Toyota Camery. It has been a great car. The air conditioning and cruise control work great, but I only get 2 radio channels and there are a few other little quirks. Not exactly the sexy 2nd car I was hoping to own, but it has been very reliable. It is a common thing for tourists and vintage/harvest workers to buy a car then sell it when you leave. Here are some comments on the experiment:
- purchased the car for $1900 and I have sold it to a co-worker for $1700
- car insurance is optional....therefore I didn't get any
- I went to register the car in my name, cost was less than $10, the application had a spot for the VIN# which i didn't have and didn't need anyways
- The bloke I bought it from let me take the car for 4 days without any deposit or payment as I waited for my funds to transfer from Canada
- NZ is so safe I never lock the doors
- they drive on the left side of the road which I got the hang of after 3 days
- I got into the wrong side of the car a few times
- I kept turning on the wipers when I wanted to put on a turn signal
- oh, and my first tank of gas cost $130!!!!
