"Couchsurfing" with Maori Family
March 18, 2013
The blueberry season was coming to an end and we needed to find a new job quickly. A vineyard contractor whom we have gotten in touch with offered him a one week assignment to assemble furniture for her client before the start of the grape picking season. As the furniture job only require males, we decided he would head down south first to secure our next job in the vineyard while I continue to work till there's no more work or when the grape picking season starts, whichever is earlier.
I never got to 'continue to work till there's no more work' because of the rain. After he left, it rained for the next two days. One morning, I was about to go up to borrow an iron to dry my clothes when Jacklyn knocked on my caravan door looking serious. "Do you know what just happened?" I shook my head, feeling both puzzled and curious. "We've all been fired!"
I think the "dismissal" happened when I was having breakfast in the kitchen. I overheard other pickers talking to the boss in the shed about wages. The full story shall not be mentioned here. I could sense the tense atmosphere outside so I hid in the kitchen and retreated to my caravan after they were gone lol. Shortly after that, Jacklyn came knocking on my door. I was told that the boss exact words were "I don't want to see all of you after I come back!" I believe he said that in a fit of anger but unfortunately they were upsetting enough to make everyone leave immediately. I was welcome to stay if I want to but if it continues to rain I'll be stuck here with no work and no one will bring me to town. Everyone else had decided to leave and were busy packing. I had to make a decision fast. I lugged my bags to the main road and joined Jacklyn as we waited for our saviour to pick us up.
Remember the Maori family who invited us to their house for hangi? They were so kind to take us in for two nights. We crashed in their spare room and slept on several mattresses stacked up high like Princess and the Pea. It was way more comfortable than sleeping on a dirty couch with no pillow in the cold caravan! They fed us and made sure we felt at home. I love the cultural exchanges we had with them and their sense of humour always crack me up. Though my time with them was short, it was hard to say goodbye to such a lovely family.
I was "fired" and I ended up "couchsurfing". Dramatic ending to my first job in New Zealand.
I never got to 'continue to work till there's no more work' because of the rain. After he left, it rained for the next two days. One morning, I was about to go up to borrow an iron to dry my clothes when Jacklyn knocked on my caravan door looking serious. "Do you know what just happened?" I shook my head, feeling both puzzled and curious. "We've all been fired!"
I think the "dismissal" happened when I was having breakfast in the kitchen. I overheard other pickers talking to the boss in the shed about wages. The full story shall not be mentioned here. I could sense the tense atmosphere outside so I hid in the kitchen and retreated to my caravan after they were gone lol. Shortly after that, Jacklyn came knocking on my door. I was told that the boss exact words were "I don't want to see all of you after I come back!" I believe he said that in a fit of anger but unfortunately they were upsetting enough to make everyone leave immediately. I was welcome to stay if I want to but if it continues to rain I'll be stuck here with no work and no one will bring me to town. Everyone else had decided to leave and were busy packing. I had to make a decision fast. I lugged my bags to the main road and joined Jacklyn as we waited for our saviour to pick us up.
Remember the Maori family who invited us to their house for hangi? They were so kind to take us in for two nights. We crashed in their spare room and slept on several mattresses stacked up high like Princess and the Pea. It was way more comfortable than sleeping on a dirty couch with no pillow in the cold caravan! They fed us and made sure we felt at home. I love the cultural exchanges we had with them and their sense of humour always crack me up. Though my time with them was short, it was hard to say goodbye to such a lovely family.
I was "fired" and I ended up "couchsurfing". Dramatic ending to my first job in New Zealand.
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