10 things I love about living in NZ

Simple things, really. But these are the reasons that I'm starting to love moving here in New Zealand. :-)

1. The greenery. Lots and lots of it. It's always postcard-perfect!

Cows have plenty of grass to eat!

On the road going to Rotorua

View from the top of One Tree Hill

2. Playgrounds. They're everywhere! And the best part is that they're FREE! No entrance fees. Clean. Nice. Family-friendly.

Outside the mall

In parks

3. Parks. Every area has at least one. They're green. They're clean. They're free. :)

4. Museums. FREE entrance, too! Call me a cheapskate, but who doesn't like no-entrance-fees?! ;)

5. Bus schedules. Though sometimes late, I welcome this organized scheme of having specific bus stops and schedules.  Makes life a little less complicated.

This has become my BFF since we got here ;)

6. Clean toilets. Yeah, they call it "toilet" here, as opposed to how we call it "CR" or "restroom" back in the Philippines. When you're busting, you'd appreciate how public toilets here (whether at the park, inside malls, or just by the side street) are clean, and equipped with lots of toilet paper and clean water. I've seen some that are automated, too, with robot-like voices greeting you as you enter the loo. Hehehe ;)

7. Now talking about toilets, this is another thing that's lovely here: Parents' room. See, there's a Ladies room for the females, a Men's room for the males, and a Parents' room for the, yes you got it, Parents! How cool is that! ;)  It's a toilet ++. There's a cubicle with plenty of room for both parent and child, even a stroller could fit too! Then there's a play corner for kids. There are also curtained partitions for nursing moms. And guess what? Dads are welcome in this room too! :-) So moms don't have to worry about leaving our young children (even girls) with just Dad while we go on our shopping spree ;). When Dad's busting, he could just bring along all the kids inside the Parents' room, let them play by the corner, and have his time in the loo. :P

Play area for kids inside a Parents room

8. Foreigners. We all are. Well, most of us, that is. Asians, Indians, Persians, Europeans, British, Americans, Australians. Name it, they probably have at least one here. Makes it easier to be "one of them".

9. Cashless society. They call it EFTPOS. You have a card, swipe it, and you're ready to go. Everything's online. Even a dollar can be EFTPOSed.




10. Family time. Here, it's all about work-life balance. Family always comes first. You can file sick leave if your partner or child is sick. Malls close at 5 PM so that everyone's home by dinner time. Family bonding. Priceless!

Where in the world is Chatty?

Been wondering where I've been?

Always busy, that's me! The past couple of months have been the busiest of all. And with a blink of an eye,

Tadaa!!! We're here!!!

Did you guess it right? ;)

Yes, we've just packed all our bags, left on a plane (sing with me:  "packed my bags, I'm ready to go... 'coz I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again..."), and come to live in this beautiful place called New Zealand!

Wish us luck on our journey! It's gonna be the start of something wonderful! :)

Investing in the Stock Market

It's almost the end of the year, which means Christmas is fast approaching. Who isn't looking forward to Christmas packages, bonuses, and 13th month pays? Wow! Feeling rich soon? ;)

Mall SALEs are everywhere! It's so easy to catch the Sale Fever!

But Wait! Before rushing with the crowd and spending all of your money, why not Stop, Think, and Save before you Splurge.

Been wanting to invest in the stock market but just don't know how to get started? 

photo source: pesosandsense

Bo Sanchez shares with us how! Check out The Truly Rich Club and learn how easy it is to get started! :-)

Now is the best time to start, what with all the extra money you're expecting to receive soon. Put it to good investments and not just throw everything away. You'll be amazed at how much your money will grow till your next bonus! Good luck! :-)