Your life in NZ vs UK
#136
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: permanently locked down
Posts: 733
Re: Your life in NZ vs UK
Ive heard stories of people from Lanark, North Scotland, Middlesborough , Northampton (Genesis) and Sheffield, and I certainly wouldnt be going back to UK to live in those places.
But there are plenty of places down south that I would go to, and would much prefer to go to.
But there are plenty of places down south that I would go to, and would much prefer to go to.
Opposite for me if I went back to the UK, the last place I'd be going back would be down south. Nowt wrong with Sheffield.
#137
Re: Your life in NZ vs UK
See if you still think that once the govt funding has really dried up in a couple of years
#139
Re: Your life in NZ vs UK
Well if I was back in the UK I would be a billionaire married to a model with kids that where always quiet and well behaved. I’d be enjoying lunch with the queen, weekends jetting all over Europe and evenings basking in England’s glorious sun on the balcony of my country mansion as the butler made drinks for me. I would pay no taxes on my fortune and nothing bad would have ever happened to me.
Over here in New Zealand I live in a cardboard box.
Over here in New Zealand I live in a cardboard box.
#140
Re: Your life in NZ vs UK
What is it with the paint?
Is the price of paint so high cos kiwis only paint one room every 50 years or so? Or do they only paint one room every 50 years or so cos of the price of paint?
Must be an opportunity for someone to import a ship load of paint from China or something, and sell it for a tenth of the price it is here.
Is the price of paint so high cos kiwis only paint one room every 50 years or so? Or do they only paint one room every 50 years or so cos of the price of paint?
Must be an opportunity for someone to import a ship load of paint from China or something, and sell it for a tenth of the price it is here.
An ex-colleague did exactly as you are suggesting,he took over a paint business in Auckland and is now a multi millionaire !!
He sent me some photos a while back of his family on a day out in their mega buck yacht. He was an IBM midrange systems engineer like myself,in a dead end street going nowhere. Good luck to him,for some it works out but you have to be in the right place at the right time.
http://www.painttech.co.nz/
Last edited by Droidling; Jul 7th 2011 at 10:37 am. Reason: Added companies website link
#141
Re: Your life in NZ vs UK
'People here take sick on behalf of other family members, really it is pathetic. The wife's sick, so I have to stay home an look after her and can claim sick pay too. I never heard of that being possible when I was in the UK. '
My company,like a lot of others in UK have had no payrises for the last 5 years. Instead they have introduced bonus schemes. If you take 1 day off sick,you lose 1/2 of your quarterly bonus. It was introduced to stop the Monday morning crew ringing up when they had over indulged on a Sunday night. Amazingly,a vast proportion of sick leave has disappeared overnight. The downside is,you practically have to have a leg fall off before you ring in
I have had 1 day off sick since 2002,that was when I gave myself welding flash and couldn't see for half a day. Yes I was wearing a mask by the way !!
Of course the other downside is Flu hits everyone in the office as they still come to work and give it to all and sundry.
My company,like a lot of others in UK have had no payrises for the last 5 years. Instead they have introduced bonus schemes. If you take 1 day off sick,you lose 1/2 of your quarterly bonus. It was introduced to stop the Monday morning crew ringing up when they had over indulged on a Sunday night. Amazingly,a vast proportion of sick leave has disappeared overnight. The downside is,you practically have to have a leg fall off before you ring in
I have had 1 day off sick since 2002,that was when I gave myself welding flash and couldn't see for half a day. Yes I was wearing a mask by the way !!
Of course the other downside is Flu hits everyone in the office as they still come to work and give it to all and sundry.
#142
Re: Your life in NZ vs UK
I think it's great the way UK companies are doing that, although I am surprised they have not fallen foul of disability laws (e.g. penalising a diabetic or mentally ill person for taking a day off due to their condition)
#144
Re: Your life in NZ vs UK
It won't last - someone will take it higher and the European Courts will make that illegal and the UK will roll over and be a good European to protect the 'rebate' while the French will carry on regardless sitting on their 2 acre 'farms' claiming subsidies.....
#146
Just Joined
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 18
Re: Your life in NZ vs UK
I do think it's important not to confuse NZ's *"high"* prices with Sterling's collapse. Don't blame NZ for Gordon Brown.
If Sterling-NZD were near its medium-term average then things wouldn't seem so expensive in NZ.
As for no right to sue - well I could write a book. One thing I will definitely not miss about the UK is the legions of "Have you had an accident that wasn't your fault?" scroungers and ambulance chasing solicitor parasites. Guess what - if you trip over it almost certainly WAS your fault.
Lastly, (I promise!) I firmly believe that it is reasonable for users to contribute to health costs at point of use. Nobody seriously believes that other basic needs such as housing, food, heating should be free at point of use - why is health so special? The NHS cult encourages the whole "sick note" culture of inefficiency here and sends people rushing to the doctor/hospital and taking sick days at the drop of a hat.
If Sterling-NZD were near its medium-term average then things wouldn't seem so expensive in NZ.
As for no right to sue - well I could write a book. One thing I will definitely not miss about the UK is the legions of "Have you had an accident that wasn't your fault?" scroungers and ambulance chasing solicitor parasites. Guess what - if you trip over it almost certainly WAS your fault.
Lastly, (I promise!) I firmly believe that it is reasonable for users to contribute to health costs at point of use. Nobody seriously believes that other basic needs such as housing, food, heating should be free at point of use - why is health so special? The NHS cult encourages the whole "sick note" culture of inefficiency here and sends people rushing to the doctor/hospital and taking sick days at the drop of a hat.