Being an exploited migrant worker-
Theresa and I have been working for over a month now and we’ve been fortunate enough to find ourselves working for good employers who provide steady work. Our first short-term work experience was not a positive one however…. We were called in to help out a crew of pollinators who worked for a contractor named Vince- Lesson #1- never trust a guy named Vince unless he is the lead singer of a Heavy Metal band. Anyhow, we arrived at the orchard and began working at 8:45 and finished working at 2:20 with a twenty minute lunch. Once we got back to the hostel I asked Vince if we were supposed to give him our hours. He responded that he had written down that we worked for 4.5 hrs. After doing the mental math I said that we had worked at least 5 hrs. He insisted that it was 4.5 and I decided not to push it and make a scene since it was a possibility that he might have more work the next couple days (and at that point we were getting a little desperate for work). So obviously he had all the control. Though the situation was frustrating, it was a good learning experience… and I figure it was not such a bad thing for a couple of Americans to get a little taste of what it’s like to be exploited migrant workers, if only for half a day…
Working in the factory-
For the past six weeks I have been working at a Kiwi Puree factory called Kiwifruitz. While the work is monotonous and sometimes even mind-numbing I have plenty of time to daydream and even get physical workout every now and then. Kiwifruitz is a small family owned business which sells puree to markets all over the world (primarily in Asia).
Here are my various jobs:
Palletizing- Taking 20 kg boxes of puree off of racks and stacking onto pallets (good workout)
Cleaning bins- using a pressure washer to clean the bins that the kiwi fruit comes in (Great for daydreaming)
Operating bin tip machine- the most important of all of my tasks, this involves loading and operating the machine which tips the crates full of kiwi fruit (350-420 kg each) onto conveyor belt which carries fruit into the factory. The challenge here is to make sure there is a constant flow of fruit going into the factory to maximize production. Actually one day, the conveyor belt motor broke and a co-worker and I had to manually push the fruit along the conveyor belt into the factory. This added a welcomed element of variety and challenge- two men trying to out-work a machine- and it was actually kind of fun for a couple hours. But after 7 hours of constant shoveling we were both quite relieved when the motor was fixed!
As I have said before, the people are good folks to work for, so that eases the pain of the monotony. The operation is run by Craig, a very competent jack of all trades who understands that one of the secrets of success in running a business is showing genuine appreciation and respect for those who do the dirty work. Some of the other folks I work with include Alex & Vera, a friendly couple from Argentina who are trying to get residency in NZ and hope to buy a farm/orchard of their own. There is also Tim, a Kiwi and an avid rugby fan who has generously invited myself and a few co-workers to join him for a variety of social gatherings.
Friendly Kiwis-
Prior to finding work in the fruit industry, I was looking at finding some construction work. During a walk around an estuary near town, we came upon a carpenter who was working on a house. An inquiry to see if he needed any help on the project led to a thirty-minute conversation in which he informed us of the local construction situation (not good) as well as sights to see in the area. While he wasn’t able to hook me up with any work, Nigel did offer to have Theresa and I over to dinner with him and his wife that Sunday. We graciously accepted his offer and enjoyed a wonderful home-cooked meal while learning about their family and Kiwi culture in general. They both seemed very excited and fascinated to have a couple of foreigners in their home. In addition to being a builder, Nigel is also a very talented woodworker- he’s actually in the process of making his son a custom electric guitar for Christmas (check out his work at www.carpenterscraft.co.nz). While living at the hostel amongst people from all over the world has been interesting, we are a bit isolated in terms of meeting actual Kiwis. Some of our richest experiences so far have occurred when we have had the opportunity to spend extended amounts of time with Kiwis and our evening with Nigel and Linda was definitely one of our highlights thus far.
Rugby-
Rugby is everywhere in New Zealand… and I must admit that I have become quite fascinated with the sport after years of considering it a second rate sport. In terms of the actual skills involved, I still believe it can’t compare to my favorite American sports- Basketball and Baseball. But in terms of the physicality and toughness of the athletes, it doesn’t get any better than Rugby. It’s refreshing to see athletes who are so intense and willing to play through injury. Though I’m not exactly sure what a foul is in Rugby, I do know that there is no faking or acting in order to draw a foul (a disdainful art form which has been perfected by so many soccer and basketball players). From what I’ve seen, prima donnas would not fare well in this brutal sport. A while ago, a bunch of us went into town to watch the All Blacks (NZ’s national team) play against the Wallabees (Australia). It was an intense match in which Australia was able to pull out a last second win, much to the dismay of the bar full of Kiwis. Hopefully we will get at least one chance to see the All Blacks play a live match…. And hopefully by then I will know the rules of the game…..
