It begins...well sort of.

This is the first post to begin it all. I have now been in NZ for a little more than half a month. Most of the time here thus far has been spent finding a home to rent, getting it setup for my family and I, and trying to settle into some sense of normalcy. Most of our personal effects are still on a ship on its way here, but we are doing fairly well without them. Most of all, I think we all miss having beds the most- for now we are using sleeping bags. But, others have had it far worse than this, so we really have nothing to complain about.

Coming to Aotearoa New Zealand has been a long process- but a worthwhile one. Some cultural anthropologists have taken children with them, but many have not. In the case of Lowell D. Holmes, when he went to Samoa, he took a young child- this worked well for him as being a father meant he gained a certain status within the village that afforded him more contacts and better inclusion. I hope the same holds true for myself. Three of my children are enrolled now in an area school and they are already engaged in school projects that seek to better the community's plant diversity and beautify the area. This area is of course westernized in many respects but being a father of a family may still help in my case.

Not having a car at first meant we walked all over to gather things we needed to live. I was surprised also that we as tenants would have to buy the home's major appliances. In the United States, rentals homes come fully setup- so we were just surprised, that all. It meant we had to spend more than what we planned on, but it is all good. We had a great deal of help, starting with our realtor, and many others who helped us get things done and who went far out of their way to do this.

I recall a Neopoleon Chagnon video wherein the locals always came to his hut to take or ask for something of his. He was either fending them off or trying to make some sort of trade for it. Sometimes things just disappeared. No one ever likes their stuff disappearing- but it does happen. My wife left our baby's stroller outside on the patio... and it of course has disappeared. It worked with our baby's carseat so its loss means we need to find a way to get something else that will work.

Neighbors have been very kind. Some have helped us figure out the trash and recycling system here. Others brought by couches, recliners, chairs, a table and even a TV! Thus, we made some new friends and were finally able to sit down! We all missed sitting! We are well enough off and enjoying our new home and community in Cambridge.