labellementeuse: a girl sits at a desk in front of a window, chewing a pencil (Default)
worryingly jolly batman ([personal profile] labellementeuse) wrote2007-07-27 04:46 pm

(no subject)

Went to deposit a cheque at Kiwibank today and only realised when I got to the counter that the person who issued it hadn't updated their records since I changed my name - when I was two.

(My mother didn't change her name when she got married and my parents aren't keen on hyphenation, so the name on my birth certificate is Tui Rachel [mum's name] [dad's name]. When my brother was born, though, they decided a better pattern was to give the girls mum's surname and the boys dad's surname, so my name was changed to Tui Rachel [dad's name] [mum's name]. They followed the pattern with my other brother and sister, so both my brothers have my mum's surname as a middle name, and my sister and I both have my dad's name as a middle name. I like it a lot, because I feel connected to both my parents.)

Anyway, fortunately I had my driver's license on me to prove my middle names and the bank lady (extremely nicely) didn't make me run home to get my updated birth certificate which records the name change.

I then went on to Westpac to try to get one of their fancy debit plus cards, which basically function as credit cards - buying things on the internet, overseas, etc - without the big downside of credit cards, which is to say, credit. I just don't have the kind of income that justifies me having a credit card right now, but the things I want to spend money on - having more than six LJ icons, getting the latest Young Wizards book without waiting three months for Borders to get it - are things I have the cash for upfront. So basically this is like a BRILLIANT solution to all my problems, except... apparently I have to have "regular income" going into the account. My regular payment of $60/week into the card apparently doesn't count as regular income, despite the fact that the payment's run uninterrupted for nearly two years. It has to come from outside. So I can either put my student loan in there, and wait three weeks, or put my fortnightly work salary in there, and wait six freakin' weeks. Neither of these are good solutions for me, either, because the westpac account is purely petty cash - all my main banking gets done through my Kiwibank accounts on the grounds that they're eighteen thousand times easier and cheaper to handle and are also a lot more prompt. Whatever I choose to do it's going to screw up something, like, my rent payments. GOD WHY, I really want this stupid card. Siiiiiiigh.

In other news: Castaways: Wrecked on a Subantarctic Island is probably my favourite article in Te Ara right now.

Your Maori words for the day:
tamaiti means child.
tamariki means children.
tuakana means older sister of a girl, or older brother of a boy.
teina/taina means younger sister of a girl, or younger brother of a boy.
tuahine means sister of a boy.
tungane means brother of a girl.

I think that if I wanted to talk about my family, I would say:
Ko mataamua ahau. Tokorua aku tungane, kotahi taku teina.
I am the eldest child. I have two brothers and I have one younger sister.
But I'm not 100% confident about that, so if anyone knows it a bit better, please correct me.

[identity profile] angry-in-pink.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 06:10 am (UTC)(link)
both my brothers have my mum's surname as a middle name, and my sister and I both have my dad's name as a middle name. I like it a lot, because I feel connected to both my parents.)

That's really cool :)

Suxxors about the bank though. I hate the places, each and every one. The debit card sounds like a cool idea, but I'd never go with it. My lack of restraint would be a MAJOR problem.

Oh, and the Teo Reo thing you're doing? Very cool. I'm considering doing a summer paper in Maori Art. Which doesn't really have any revelance to Te Reo week, but hey. I thought I'd just throw it out there.
ext_2569: text: "a straight account is difficult, so let me define seven wishes" image: man on steps. (Default)

[identity profile] labellementeuse.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 08:47 pm (UTC)(link)
It is cool! I'll probably do the same with my own kids.

heh, my lack of restraint is WHY I want to go with the debit card - so I never spend money I don't have...

:D thank you!

[identity profile] disturbed-kiwi.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 06:52 am (UTC)(link)
Dammit, this make sit sound like I'mnot gonna get my debit card anytime soon... Are you sure no other banks do them? I'm sure I heard SOMEONE mention other banks having them
ext_2569: text: "a straight account is difficult, so let me define seven wishes" image: man on steps. (on the road again)

[identity profile] labellementeuse.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 08:48 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm not 100% sure, but it seems like other banks would be advertising it, you know?

[identity profile] persephone-kore.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 07:41 pm (UTC)(link)
I have a question. It may come across as a really stupid question, but I've never had occasion to apply for a credit card in Australia, so... oh well.

Around here, it is possible to get a credit card with no annual or automatic monthly fees, as far as I can tell even if you don't have remarkably good credit, and if you use it only to make purchases and pay it off every month, you don't pay any interest either. This is what I do.

If you only intend to use it to buy stuff you have the money for anyway, is anything stopping you from using a credit card that way? Is the option not available, is there no grace period and you start having to pay interest the day you use it? Or are you worried you wouldn't be careful enough with it?

(Not that I'd blame you if it's only the latter; I'm just wondering. I've never spent more than I could pay off, but it's possible that I've spent more than I might have if I had to go take out money from the bank every time I wanted to shop, because I'm lazy about going to withdraw cash.)
ext_2569: text: "a straight account is difficult, so let me define seven wishes" image: man on steps. (Default)

[identity profile] labellementeuse.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 08:51 pm (UTC)(link)
(New Zealand, btw ;))

I think most have some kind of monthly fee, but yes, it probably would be possible to do that - the trouble is that I am really worried I wouldn't be careful enough with it, and I already have a massive student loan, the last thing I need is more debt, you know? I wish I could be a bit more casual about it, but the fact remains that also, sometimes I don't have the money I'm expecting to have every week - if I get sick and don't work, or whatever. So yeah.

[identity profile] persephone-kore.livejournal.com 2007-07-27 09:16 pm (UTC)(link)
(New Zealand, btw ;))

*headdesk* My apologies. I know better, but apparently I left my brain in the other room.

Anyway, I can certainly understand not wanting to give oneself the opportunity to be careless; it's possible to use a credit card and spend only money one already has, but it can also be easier to lose track. I was wondering whether the no-fee ones were a local thing.

[identity profile] disturbed-kiwi.livejournal.com 2007-07-28 03:59 am (UTC)(link)
THat's why I stopped using a credit card. It was only using money we had and also a couple of emergencies paid off quickly, but it just eventually unravelled and got to be a burden.

A debit card would be much better for me.

SUPRISED

[identity profile] urpetitefresca.livejournal.com 2007-07-28 03:34 am (UTC)(link)
SORT OF A SIMILAR STORY WITH THE NAMES ..(MIDDLE, LAST, ).. I LOST MY S.S CARD.. I NEEDED TO ISSUE A NEW ONE. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT I MISPLACED MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE. LIVING IN CALI NOW. BUT BORN IN TEXAS. SO I MADE A FEW CALLS TO TEXAS COURT HOUSE. YOU KNOW TO HAVE THEM MAIL ME A COPY OF MY B.C.
WELL TO MY SURPRISE! I DIDNT EXIST! ----I WAS ADOPTED AT BIRTH, MY ADOPTED PARENTS HIRED A ATTORNEY TO TO ALL THE PAPER WORK WITH THE ADOPTION..LEGALLY. AND PAID FOR. { THE ATTORNEY NEVER FILED THE ADOPTION } I WAS A JANE DOE..ALL THROUGH MY CHILD HOOD UP TO MY ADULT LIFE.. USING A FALSE LAST NAME.UNTIL JUST RECENTLY. I WAS FILED UNDER MY BIRTH MOTHERS NAME. ( ATTORNEY PASTED ON MANY MOONS AGO) .

[identity profile] ihatyou.livejournal.com 2007-07-29 04:01 am (UTC)(link)
I think it is better to say tokorua rather than e rua, because you are talking about people, and kotahi instead of e tahi, because tahi is weird like that. Also, "taku teina" rather than "aku teina" because you only have one sister and aku is for when you have plurals. Err not to hack into you before I've even introduced myself or anything. It really just makes me happy that there are other people out there interested in the language. I'm a Te Reo major but I only started learning it this year so this is pretty much my limit anyway.

It is ok to friend you? I wandered here from checking out the ucanterbury community. Hopefully that isn't creepy. I do see you know Miriam, and I was in her hall so she can maybe vouch for me not being particular creepy.
ext_2569: text: "a straight account is difficult, so let me define seven wishes" image: man on steps. (Default)

[identity profile] labellementeuse.livejournal.com 2007-07-29 04:39 am (UTC)(link)
Dude, that's awesome, thanks heaps for the corrections!

hey, go for it, I'll friend back :) Nice to meet you!

[identity profile] ihatyou.livejournal.com 2007-07-29 05:25 am (UTC)(link)
Cool you too :)