Like I've said before, I love big company orientations.  The one for the Remarkables was markedly more intense than any one I have done in the past the main reason being that most of it took place outside, exposed, on the side of a mountain.



We met in town at 7:30 a.m. and took three big coach buses to the ski lodge at the top of the Remarkables, or the "Remarks" as locals call them here.  Then we had welcome speeches by the CEO and the SAM (ski area manager).  He said please not to call him "Sam" as that was a point of confusion last year, but rather by his first name of "Ross".  That being said, every time I see the guy I still think "SAM". 



Then we were divided into groups for a full morning of team building and bonding.  We had a team leader who had a list of all the areas we had to visit.  The object of the orientation was to visit every department and complete a team challenge there.  Some of the goals for these activities were cooperation, getting to know each other, communication, problem-solving and getting out of your comfort zone.  Here's some of what we had to do:



Food and Beverage - clean up a mock mess in the cafeteria and see how much can be recycled and in what containers

Patrol - load a patient correctly on a stretcher and into the sled behind the snow mobile

Lifts - put together a chair lift and put it on the cable

Groomers - operate a snow groomer so that the tennis ball makes it through the maze

Ski school - set up the learner's barricade in the most effective way

Transportation - fit snow chains on tires

We also had to complete challenges in Guest Services, Rentals, Administration, Maintenance, Avalanche Crew and retail.  It was a busy morning.

After lunch we sat through a variety of HOD (head of department) introductions, health and safety meetings and goals for the upcoming season.  Then we split into our respective departments and completed some more specific training there.  I found out that we all have to complete this fairly involved workbook from "NZSki University" by our mid-season review.  If we pass everything we can earn a "Certificate in New Zealand Tourism."  Like I said, this ski company takes its employee training and orientation pretty seriously.

Sunrise at the Remarks

For the past two weeks I've been working for NZSki - the snowsports company that controls three of the biggest ski fields on the South Island.  It is a lot more fun than housekeeping (no surprise there, really) and I am learning a lot about the snow industry along with how to ski.

NZSki Remarks crew 2012

From Monday through Friday I spend the mornings at the base of the Remarkables Ski Field and sell bus tickets for those who don't wish to brave the treacherous 45 min. drive up the mountain on an unpaved road.  Then I take the last bus up at noon and work in the retail store from one p.m. until close at 5 p.m. 

Above the cloud line

If it's not busy we can take a break to ski and I have been spending my days off there as well since we can jump into lessons for free if there is enough room.  Currently I've done level I (how to wedge or snowplow), level II (how to turn), and level IIIA (how to use the lifts and make it safely down the green/beginner runs). I've learned that skiing is a lot harder than it looks and quite painful if you fall or if someone nears you falls and you crash into them.  I have the bruises to prove it.


To be honest, my favorite thing about working this ski job is just being up in the mountains every day.  The view is spectacular and while selling bus tickets I get to be outside which is nice.  It's fun talking to all of the tourists and guests as well as learning all about the gear we sell in our shop.  My least favorite thing about the job is the cold and wintry conditions that are ever-present and hard to deal with as NZ doesn't use central heating or furnaces anywhere.  That being said, during the past ten days I've only taken my full set of long johns off to shower.  It's that cold.  Cheers to winter!

The long hours of room service and re-filling the mini bar have finally paid off and this week Sean scored a new job as the supervisor of events and banquets at the hotel.  This not only means a pay raise but also working with different people, more interesting and challenging things to do, better hours and weekends off.  Nice work babe!  As an added bonus, he also got his picture in the weekly paper here.  Each week they include random photos of locals out and about and they snapped a photo of Sean and some of his friends at a pub.  Not a bad start to the winter - a promotion and a picture in the paper.  Next on his to-do list? Learn to snowboard.  We'll see how that goes.

It didn't cost a million dollars but rather $15 each on the internet coupon site "GrabOne".  The fifteen dollar "Million Dollar Cruise" consisted of an hour ride around Lake Wakatipu with a guided commentary from the boat's captain.



I had wanted to do this ride since we got here so when I saw the coupon I snatched it up and booked a spot on our next joint days off.  Sean was less than enthused to go on a boat ride in the middle of winter but tolerated it in a similar fashion to how he will probably tolerate the ice skating voucher that I picked up this week.  Can't wait!



We lucked out with a beautiful day though it was quite cold and windy especially standing and posing for pictures while exposed at the front of the boat.  We saw the different neighborhoods of Queenstown from a different perspective, the historic steamship the Earnslaw and of course the fabulous Hilton Hotel.



On our way back into town we had to go and sit inside the boat to thaw out and met several of the other passengers.  They all happened to be from Michigan, of course, and we had a great time chatting with them and hearing about their travels in New Zealand. 


It was a great day for a boat ride, but next time I'm not going to book one in winter.

This year, my birthday fell on the opening day of ski season here in Queenstown.  This felt odd because normally my birthday is during the beginning of summer and not when everyone is excited about snow and the start of winter.  Sean and I had both requested the weekend off to celebrate and celebrate we did - in style.

Kathryn, one of my flatmates

While I was away teaching one night, Sean and my roommates decided that I should have a cowboy-themed birthday party on Saturday night. Birthday parties always cause me some anxiety as I think what if nobody comes? What if I am the only one who wears a costume?  etc.  I shouldn't have worried - the Western birthday party was a success and a lot of fun.  If there is one thing I have learned from being married to a Doyle it's that costumes are always a good idea. 

Sean with two of my housekeeper friends, Adriana and Leissy

Andrew, my other flatmate (Kathryn's brother)

We started the night with a visit to the 1-2-3 Budget Store for props and left with fake facial hair, sunglasses, hats, guns and sheriff badges.  Then we got pizza and beer at Harry's and watched the "big game" of the weekend which was a rugby match between New Zealand and Ireland.  From there we proceeded to a bar called "Cowboys" and enjoyed plenty of country music, rides on the mechanical bull and lots of compliments on our get-up.

It's harder than it looks

Points for style

 On Sunday, my actual birthday, I slept in, did some Skyping and then headed out with Sean, our neighbors and our roommates for the weekly pub trivia quiz at an Irish bar called Morrisons.  For the first time ever our team won and we went home with $50 which was actually quite exciting for all of us.  Year 31 is off to a good start!

If you know me at all, you know I can't even finish a 1/4 of this beer - I could literally barely hold it up it was so heavy

I have never been the queen of cool though I have always really tried to be.  Sadly, the stars have not aligned for me to be automatically 'cool' here in Queenstown because of two main reasons (among many others):

1.  I am married.  Apparently, it is not cool to be married in Queenstown.  When I first started work at the hotel people would meet me, notice my ring and then ask in a shocked voice, "Are you married?"  Questions would invariably follow such as "Did your parents make you do it?", "Did you get pregnant?",  "Is it a religious thing?"  or simply just "Why?"  It got so obnoxious that I considered not wearing my ring, but quickly dismissed that thought as just plain ridiculous.

I have asked around and it seems that the un-coolness of marriage is not a New Zealand thing but rather an opinion unique to Queenstown which is typically inhabited by a young, adventurous and trendy, single crowd.  Interestingly, people don't use the word 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend' here but instead use the word 'partner'.  Sean and I both admitted to each other that many times instead of referring to each other as 'husband' or 'wife' we simply say that we have a 'partner' just to avoid excessive explanation and surprised gasps.   I have yet to meet anyone else here who is married but I have met many people in serious, long-term committed relationships with their so-called partners.    

This is our living room currently occupied by three large snowboards.  I think my roommates just put them up as a sign to visitors like "Don't worry - we're cool - we snowboard yo."

2.  I am not a snowboarder.  Again, I have found out that it is anything but cool to do anything else other than snowboard here.  Skiing is so out, and snowboarding is definitely in including all that goes with it: the attitude, clothes, helmets and boots.  I have tried snowboarding a few years ago and I have failed excellently.  I was in so much pain afterwards and with a bruised rib that didn't heal for a good four months I have vowed that I wouldn't try it again until I was good and ready.  I'm still not ready.

I have decided to try skiing here since I have grown up cross country skiing and because I have been downhill skiing a few times before and liked it.  Snowboarding is so intense here that people just assume you snowboard.  If, by chance, someone asks me whether I ski or snowboard and I answer that I am a skier I get a very similar reaction to being married.  They look at me, mouth agape and most times a few of them will pat me reassuringly and say something like, "Don't worry, I know how to snowboard and I can teach you." 

I am the only skier in our house - Andrew, Kathryn and Sean are all snowboarders.  They have also promised to teach me and have offered to let me borrow their gear to learn as well.  I am expecting to be in the minority as a skier on the mountain.  Maybe I can just find some cool gear to wear to make up for it and even out my cool factor.

In short, my attempt at being cool here as a married skier is essentially doomed before I could even get started.