Working holiday in New Zealand

At the beginning of my current role, I couldn’t communicate with customers at all when I was extremely tired. However, I have gradually developed the ability to handle each inquiry in English, even when I’m not feeling well. Of course, I still struggle to understand Kiwis, especially when talking over the phone. But now I can grasp the overall meaning by catching key phrases from their explanations. I believe this is definitely a crucial skill, as my physical condition isn’t always stable and I need to interact with people from various nationalities. This experience will contribute to my future career.

I have recently listened to a wide variety of content, ranging from casual daily life topics to scientific areas, to improve my listening skills. I realized how important it is to know idiomatic expressions. As you know, we cannot grasp phrases that we cannot speak ourselves. In other words, I should focus on increasing my vocabulary—not by learning complicated or specialized words like scientific terms, but by mastering common everyday expressions. In any type of content, words like "take," "put," and "bring" are commonly used. Therefore, I will broaden my knowledge related to these three words first. In fact, I have gradually become better at catching and guessing customers' inquiries and explanations by learning vocabulary related to these words compared to before.

My second pair of rubber gloves wore out, and I couldn’t help but buy new ones immediately. I take this as a sign that I have been doing my best in my role so far. Since February, I have polished almost 200 wheels. Although it looks like a super simple task at first glance, I have been able to learn something new each time and have come to memorize the characteristics of each manufacturer's wheels. Also, I realized that I am good at performing delicate work.

 Most of us own smartphones nowadays. They definitely affect the way we communicate and have both advantages and downsides. About 15 years ago, when we were younger, we didn’t have personal digital devices. Therefore, we had to call our friends' home phones when we wanted to make plans to go somewhere together. However, thanks to the recent development of technology, we can easily invite anyone at any time. Also, when we search for places to go, search engines give us a lot of ideas, and we can share them with our friends in a timely manner. On the other hand, using such useful tools for a long time can disturb our daily lives. Many of us have probably experienced not being able to secure enough sleep at night because of endless chatting with someone or browsing loads of content uploaded on YouTube. To summarize, we should sometimes review our lifestyle and consider separating smartphone time from other activities. The lists I posted my thought about several topics before are as fo...

Today, I went to watch an Auckland Club Rugby match with my flatmate, who is also a rugby lover. Although I like rugby very much, I had never watched a local rugby league match in New Zealand until now. Today's game between Papatoetoe and Grammar TEC was exciting, and I was so happy to see the heartwarming scene of many local fans gathering and constantly cheering for the players.

Yesterday, I participated in a local English and Japanese exchange activity. I had a fruitful time when I joined last week, and this time was no different. I was able to meet new people again and learn about different countries’ lifestyles and perspectives. We also shared the struggles we face in our lives. Although my English is not yet perfect, I have gradually become more comfortable with various accents thanks to my job. Now, there are no longer any cases where I completely fail to understand someone's speech.

What if something happens to my wife while she’s staying alone in Japan? What if I can’t find a job that makes use of my career experience? How should I narrow down my options for what to do next? Recently, I’ve been feeling bothered by a lot of things. People often say that those who worry must have too much free time, but I don’t think that’s true. Everyone’s situation is different. This experience is still valuable, and I know I wouldn’t be facing these thoughts and challenges if I hadn’t come here.

Today, I had a counseling session with a career advisor. I was able to learn about different areas I could try. On the other hand, I've started to feel concerned about various things such as working hours, work style, and salary. I understand that some concerns will always come up, no matter what kind of job I choose. I need to decide which area I want to step into. I'm still unsure what I will write about in this blog at the end of my working holiday.

I have been updating a line graph to analyze my emotional state since I started my working holiday. I’ve definitely made progress in both my role and my English skills. However, the more inquiries I received from customers, the more challenges I faced. Through customer service, I have developed the ability to adjust my explanations and improve my skills in understanding different accents and intonations. I’m still in the process of training these skills, but I absorb something new step by step each day. I will keep moving forward.

I’ve started trying a new method to accelerate my English skills. So far, I had separated listening to podcasts from learning work-related vocabulary. However, I realized that this approach wasn’t very effective, so I decided to combine the two. The method is super simple: I pick up useful phrases from podcasts and transform them into sentences I can use in my current role. I feel this method is better than any other because I can't retain new phrases long-term unless I repeat them through speaking.

I’ve experienced autumn in New Zealand for the first time. Since last week, the temperature has been fluctuating, and the weather has become quite unpredictable. It feels like it reflects human emotions. Anyway, needless to say, safety and health are the top priorities. I’ll keep an eye on the latest updates.

As written in the title, I had dinner with my co-workers yesterday. Actually, this was the first time I had done that here in New Zealand because I usually separate my private life from my work life. To begin with the conclusion: it was a great opportunity to understand their personalities better. In particular, learning why he chose to stay here was inspiring, and hearing about the process of his achievements was fascinating.

As I mentioned in the title, I participate in local activities irregularly. Securing more opportunities to speak English is certainly one of the reasons. However, my main purpose is to deepen my understanding of how Japan is perceived from other countries and to broaden my perspective. Although exploring new places with friends I met at language school is meaningful, I’ve recently wanted to inspire myself through conversations with a wider variety of people. I feel a bit nervous before going to the meeting place each time, but overcoming that feeling has definitely broadened my horizons. I’ll keep trying and moving forward.

I’ll have four days off in a row starting this Friday, thanks to the public holidays. I was thinking of going somewhere new, but the forecast is predicting heavy rain and strong winds. Maybe it’s a sign from the universe that I should just stay in and catch up on some rest. Reference:  https://www.weatherwatch.co.nz/forecasts/auckland

As I mentioned in my blog recently, I've been feeling tired. However, this is actually a good opportunity to see how well I can serve customers in English. Needless to say, it's easy to speak English when I have plenty of energy. But customers come to the store or call me at any time, even when I'm exhausted. Still, I must not let the quality of my service drop. Speaking more quickly is definitely important. So, I’ll continue practicing while imagining different situations.

I might have taken on too many tasks related to learning English. So, I narrowed them down and clarified what I really need to focus on at this point. I’ve been training my listening skills using the BBC World Service. Until last month, I definitely felt that my ability to catch long sentences had improved. However, most of the content includes a lot of academic vocabulary, and the speakers are very well-organized in their speech. That means it’s a bit different from real, everyday conversations. For these reasons, I reviewed my learning method and decided to use a different podcast. Spending time with the BBC wasn’t a waste—it was all part of the learning process, and adjusting my approach is just one step along the way.

I participated in a walking event held in eastern Auckland. Actually, I wasn’t sure if I should join until yesterday because I had been feeling down recently. However, I was able to recover thanks to meeting new people and discovering some warm, welcoming areas. I realized that forcing myself to go outside sometimes has its advantages.

I went to see a Super Rugby match between the Blues and Moana Pasifika at Eden Park. I wasn’t sure if I should go at first, but I’m really glad I did. The atmosphere was so lively — it gave me a lot of energy, and I got super excited watching their amazing performances. And of course, I enjoyed seeing a different style of rugby compared to the Japanese league. The other articles I wrote about watching rugby matches are as follows: Day 22 ALL BLACKS vs LOS PUMAS Day 205 Watching Super Rugby between the Blues and the Chiefs

I went to the dentist again today to treat another issue with my tooth. I had visited the clinic two months ago, but a different problem came up. It was actually my first time leaving work during working hours. Although my salary will decrease a little, I believe nothing is more important than health.

My workplace hasn't been busy recently, but my physical condition hasn’t been great. I suppose the main reason is the recent fluctuating weather. Especially last week, it rained heavily for four days. The temperature kept going up and down during that time, which made my body feel more tired than usual. I’ll prioritize recovering by eating nutritious food.

In April last year, I decided to go on a working holiday to New Zealand. A lot of emotions came up, and my mind felt like a mess. I also received many comments like these: "Is it really worth quitting your job and giving up a fixed salary?" "What are you thinking about your career?" "Can’t you just learn English in Japan?" "A working holiday isn’t really considered part of your career history." "Didn’t you just get married?" I may not be a conventional person, but I never hated living in Japan, and there was no way I would break off my relationship with my wife. I just felt a strong need to immerse myself in a different country. Of course, simply studying English in Japan is perfectly fine—I actually studied on my own for a while there. Now, after eight months of living here, I truly feel that my decision was absolutely right. I’ve had so many experiences that it would take forever to explain them all… haha. Anyway, I’ll k...

Simply using English is fine, but handling complicated situations in English is definitely hard. I understand that the more inquiries I receive from customers, the more perspectives and knowledge I can gain. However, I sometimes feel stressed by this process because I struggle to reach the level I aim for. I know that overcoming this period will definitely make me stronger and tougher. Not knowing when I’ll finally improve makes me tired. Still, I can’t help but keep doing my best and reviewing my tasks every day.

Today, I had a complicated phone call with a customer. I wanted the conversation to go smoothly, but I wasn’t able to manage it well. Customer) I want to buy an ignition cylinder and its cover at the same time. Also, I'd like to combine the shipping cost for both items. But I'm not sure how to do that. Me) I see, you'd like to have both items shipped together to avoid paying for shipping twice. To do that, please select 'Shipping' for one of the items, and 'Pick up' for the other. Customer) There's no 'Pick up' button on website. What should we do? Me) Oh, I see. Thank you for letting me know. In that case, the total shipping cost is $ 20, so please try this: Select 'Expedite Northland' for one item, and 'Standard Southland' for the other. That should combine the shipping and only charge you $ 20 in total. <My Past Articles Related to Customer Service> I will review my past articles and keep practicing every day. Day 166 Phr...

I visited North Head Historic Reserve today. Although this reserve is located near Mount Victoria, I found out the scenery from the top of them is different each. Contrast of blue of sea and green of mount or hill helped me relax. I could relieve from fatigue thanks to nature. 

Today is the last day of Daylight Saving Time, which means winter is coming soon. Some people dislike winter due to its cold weather. However, I like both summer and winter because they each have fantastic characteristics, especially from the perspective of nature. It's true that shorter daylight hours limit our activities, but I will continue to explore enjoyable things. As for today, I went running to Mission Bay with my friend from Taiwan. I always learn something through conversations with her. I really respect her warm personality and vitality. Although she will leave Auckland soon, I will keep cheering for her even if we live in different places. Also, I was able to secure some time to talk with my wife over the phone. I was so happy to hear about her current work situation and her plans for the weekend. I must not forget her kindness and supportive personality. Recently, I’ve realized how crucial it is to build good relationships with others, especially over the past couple ...

As you all know, the minimum wage has increased since April 1st. I watched a Japanese news segment that featured people earning a large amount of money through working holidays. However, I feel the reality is different, as it depends on how you work and what kind of job you have. I wasn’t surprised by this situation because I had already expected that it would be difficult to earn a lot of money quickly here in New Zealand. An increase in the minimum wage also means that the cost of food and groceries is rising. So, focusing only on wages doesn’t make sense. We always need to look at the bigger picture. I’ll keep thinking about what I should invest in while I’m in New Zealand. Reference:  Minimum wages increase from 1 April 2025

I passed through my neighborhood and headed to the CBD today because I felt the need to visit somewhere I rarely go. I happened to run into a friend at a shop. It had been more than six months since I last saw him. I was really happy to see that he's doing well, and I felt encouraged by his attitude toward work. Back at work, I threw away my old gloves because they were worn out and no longer usable. I appreciated those gloves, as I had been using them since I started my current job.

I have spent most of my working hours polishing wheels because we need to prioritize advertising as many wheels as possible. Until January, there were many vacant spaces that needed to be filled with wheel stock. Therefore, I’ve recently been focusing on cleaning the wheels and uploading them to online advertisements. This task is quite simple, but it consumes a lot of energy. In addition, doing the same simple action repeatedly can be boring. However, the more wheels I upload, the more profit we can generate, and I get more opportunities to communicate with customers. That’s why I will continue doing my best, even with small tasks.

Since coming to New Zealand, I’ve gradually realized how important it is to rely on others. When I was younger, I was taught not to trouble anyone and to be as independent as possible. However, I’ve noticed that in some other countries, people teach their children something different—like saying, “Please forgive others when they make mistakes, because you might make similar mistakes too.” I found this way of thinking very intriguing. It helped me understand why people from other nationalities often have such a positive mindset. After hearing this, I started to feel less pressure, and I became more comfortable accepting small mistakes.