lardyl

just listen out to Joe-Kiwi and you will find that there is a lot of opinion based on bad information. A Journo will pick up that, even I as a professional judge of character do!

Personally this does not suprise me one bit as the standard of current affairs TV, Radio and newspapers is so low here that many of us have given up even trying to stay "informed"..........the amount of racisim and xenophobia in the Kiwi workplace was for me staggering when I arrived - one reason why I am now my own boss

southerner

It is deeply disappointing that not everyone has a positive experience of living in NZ. Myself, I think I don't take that too personally, but there are plenty of kiwis who probably do take it as a bit of an attack on everything that they believe in.

I'm often amazed how it seems to be the same few factors that some people think are great about living here, and others think are the downfalls. I'm talking about things like isolation, low population density and laid back people and lifestyle.

If so many people think NZ is great for them, and likewise if so many other people think it is terrible for them, then really the only advice that can be given to strangers [and aren't we all strangers] is "depending on what makes you tick, NZ may or may not be right for you". Either do lots of research, or if you don't, then take the plunge if you have the balls to.

ps. thanks to Katypie and other recent posters for some very interesting insights...

Maz

Great post Southerner!

Bo-Jangles

That's just it though isn't it? There are so many variables as to where you end up, the people you meet, work with, the street you live in, all have an impact on he total 'experience' and they can never be the same for everybody. Also when you're not here and in the planning stages of coming to NZ, you simply cannot comprehend what it will be like, to have that lower population, isolation or whatever it is you thought you wanted. Conversely or even possibly both the same arguments, you can never truly appreciate what you had, until it's gone. I don't think all the research in the world can make up for neing here, seeing it for yourself and trying it on.

Heck most people wouldn't buy a pair of shoes without trying them on and walking a few paces, so why do they think that they can move to the other side of the world unseen and hope that everything fits perfectly. There are bound to be blisters!

julesnye

Excellent post Bo-Jangles

I_Will_Freckle

It's not rocket science, is it?

crap coffee

you are right. My British prof. told me that too unfortunately I speak English as a second language despite being born in UK (I blame my parents for that), however I speak 3 languages (none of them are perfect though). Besides, (Stupidly) I even had to learn Latin whilst studying at the uni (so that I can understand/read advanced textbooks properly to write my thesis)- it was horribly, horribly difficult at the time! - No one could imagine how hard it could be. (every single day going to the lecturer/having a test was a total nightmare :curse: - What could possibly be worse than this? )

He e-mailed this to me last year.... because....I sat and cried indeed - Surely professional writing is bloody difficult ...... He was a deputy vice-chancellor/ is an emeritus prof, and been publishing his research for 30 years, but what? he also seems to find it very difficult (like us)... and he always has been telling me about this ever since he met me (7 yrs ago)

at first I couldn't believe him ...

I suspect you are better off writing something, putting it to one side for a bit and then coming back to it later and seeing what you think about it. or, if you prefer you can send it to me and I will deal with it. But don't put yourself down - half the kids at the university can't write decent English - and its often hard to understand what they are trying to say in an essay. As for writing complicated sentences - don't - keep them simple to start with with just a single idea in each. I used to get in trouble when DVC with the VC who accuseed me of writing vergilian sentences! But I got better at it over 5 years - often by doing bullet points of each issue that I wanted to raise and then turning it into a sentence. But its all a matter of practice and it takes time - so don't flagellate yourself if you can't do it immediately - as I said there are millions of others like you all around. And you only have to read newspapers or adverts or bumf that comes in the mail to see that many of them are in good jobs but still can't write decent English, nor do their bosses recognise that they can't because they are in the same state.

I must admit to being puzzled by what he has to say

lardyl

me too, but then again the only Virgil I know about has strings and lives on Tracey Island

j19fmm

[QUOTE=crap coffee;6313355] Besides, (Stupidly) I even had to learn Latin whilst studying at the uni - it was horribly, horribly difficult at the time! - No one could imagine how hard it could be.

See now, I'm probably a real saddo, but I really enjoyed studying Latin at secondary school. Stood me in good stead for all sorts of things too - medical to horticultural!!

Persephone

So did I, I enjoyed the challenge! I liked maths as well so does that make me twice the saddo you are??

Batty

Great post Bo-Jangles. And so flippin' true!

j19fmm

We'll have to put it to the test sometime Sue!

Persephone

I'll look forward to that!
Was trying to remember enough Latin to make some smartarse reply but gave up, it was a long time ago

crap coffee

I've done Stage II Latin Literature and Language A&B. Elementary Latin is a joke. but still, on second semester in first year (elementary level), loads of students failed. obviously university is different from school - tend to be much harder though you learn the same stuffs

As I said English isn't my first language (if you speak English as a first language, you might find it's easier - but it's hard anyway), therfore I found it's Triple Harder.:curse: translations from Latin into proper/morden English was the most difficult one.

My younger brother done Latin as well because he did Law. He said it's easy ? (I was totally deceived! ) that's why I began studying it without too much fear, but then seriously we both ended up in Hell. No more Latin for the rest of our lives.

cappuccino

I only had one Latin lesson at school and then changed to German. Bizarrely, 30+years later, I can clearly remember the Latin lesson (conjugating the verb 'to love' - amo, amas, amat, amamus, amatis, amant - or something like that) but can't remember any of my German now!!!!