Video of the week - VIII

I am a fan of Michael Moore. I am sure that those who know a little bit of his journey are as well. He and his incredible team have my respect. And this video shows us a little bit of his courage:

I'd like to point out one of the comments one user posted in the above video on Youtube:

"It's sad that most of the celebrities there were too afraid to applaud him just because of what a bunch of conservative rednecks will think of them. Michael Moore has the balls to stand up against whats wrong... movie stars are willing to play heroic characters in films but here they are just cowards." - blavia77

Brilliant! That pretty much sums up how I feel about this episode.

Congratulations Michael!!!

Quote of the week - X

"I have never learned how to play around with somebody else's emotions. And I hope I never will."

Tiago (myself)

GST

GST stands for "Goods and Services Tax"¹. It is a tax on most goods and services in New Zealand, most imported goods, and certain imported service.²

99% of the time, the price you see in the stores already include the GST. However, you might find some exceptions...

Nevertheless, this is the only store I know so far that presents the price like that. I honestly don't think that's something you need to be careful with.

That's it! If you wish to know more details about this tax, just check the excellent official references below.

See you! =)


## References ##

1) http://www.ird.govt.nz/gst/
2) http://www.ird.govt.nz/gst/gst-registering/gst-about/

Kiwi Bank

I opened up my bank account in a Kiwi Bank¹. It is really easy. All you need is your IRD number, your passport (the original one), a proof of address and a small amount of money to deposit. The bank teller told me that it could be any amount, so I chose to deposit NZ$ 20.00 (if you read the brochures, however, they say that you need to deposit at least NZ$ 50.00... go figure!). After that you just need to go to a Kiwi Bank and schedule an appointment (they will usually schedule it to the next day). You receive your card (EFTPOS²) on the spot and can immediately start using it!

There are dozens of accounts to choose from. I chose the one called "Free up"³, because almost everything is free. Just pay attention that, if you ever need to withdraw some money, you should do this only in the Kiwi Bank's ATMs, otherwise you'll be charged.

• Internet Banking

The Internet Banking system of the Kiwi Bank is the best one I have ever seen. Really clean and well designed, you find just the information you are looking for.

Setting up your Internet Banking account is also a piece of cake. When you open up your account, they give you a card with your Internet Banking ID (a.k.a Access Number) and a temporary password. All you have to do is go to the IB website⁴ and put those information in the form.

The system will then ask you to change your password, and to create some pairs of questions and answers (a.k.a KeepSafe). Next time you log in into your account you will be asked for your password and for one of the questions you have previous set up. Really easy! =)

Hope you found this post useful! If you have any queries, feel free to ask me!



## Links & Resources ##

1) http://www.kiwibank.co.nz/
2) http://www.kiwibank.co.nz/personal-banking/ways-to-bank/atm-and-eftpos/eftpos.asp
3) http://www.kiwibank.co.nz/personal-banking/everyday-banking/freeup.asp
4) https://www.ib.kiwibank.co.nz/

My name is Bond, Rent Bond.

Never mind my dreadful title... (I had to try... =P)

A bold is just the money that you have to pay when you are moving into a new place. The amount is usually 2, 3 or 4 weeks of the regular rent. So, in case you break something in the house, they will use your bond to repair everything. Otherwise, you will get it back when you leave the house.

All homes/apartments require you to pay the bond, there is no way around it (unless you live in a backpack or a home stay). I would recommend you, however, to do so by transferring the money from your bank account to the owner's bank account. That way you have a receipt that you did pay him/her, whereas if you just give him/her the money in cash, the person can try to pull your leg.

TV ad

This Sky ad has been aired in New Zealand for quite a while. I have seen it several times.

"You can't choose your guests, but you can choose how you entertain them." =P

Quote of the week - IX

"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society."

Jiddu Krishnamurti

PS: This is one of my favorite quotes ever! So powerful and so true.