Making Kiwi Mates - What's the Secret?
#16
Account Closed
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 93
Re: Making Kiwi Mates - What's the Secret?
Ive made stacks of Kiwi pals through myspace.
One is coming to Glasgow on wednesday for 2 days,hes touring Europe.So we are meeting him for a few beers,and when we go to N.Z we are going to pop over to Wellington and meet him again in his home town.
We have a lovely Kiwi couple going to meet us at the airport,have spoken to them on the phone. lovely accents,and they love ours
They have all encouraged us and without them we might have given up the whole idea.
We are meeting up with them all when we get over,their all in Christchurch.
had an offer on the house Andy,so hopefully be in christchurch for xmas
I,ll intoroduce to our Kiwis if you like. lol
One is coming to Glasgow on wednesday for 2 days,hes touring Europe.So we are meeting him for a few beers,and when we go to N.Z we are going to pop over to Wellington and meet him again in his home town.
We have a lovely Kiwi couple going to meet us at the airport,have spoken to them on the phone. lovely accents,and they love ours
They have all encouraged us and without them we might have given up the whole idea.
We are meeting up with them all when we get over,their all in Christchurch.
had an offer on the house Andy,so hopefully be in christchurch for xmas
I,ll intoroduce to our Kiwis if you like. lol
#17
you dewty owld maan!
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: is practically perfect in every way
Posts: 5,565
Re: Making Kiwi Mates - What's the Secret?
not in my experience as racism is pretty rampant in places in NZ, and that's not just the absence of super-PCism, its daily characterisations of "islanders", "maori", "immigrants", "asians", "afrikaaners" and dare I say "pomms"......its there as an undercurrent and another symptom of the "lag" between NZ and much of the developed world - the "lag" is a big part of the reason we came, but the other downsides are shocking nonetheless. Again, I'd say that the rural mentality may be wrapped up in all that. Again I may be completely wrong and out of order but that's what I see when I meet people, and I meet a lot and have to weigh them up!
#18
you dewty owld maan!
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: is practically perfect in every way
Posts: 5,565
Re: Making Kiwi Mates - What's the Secret?
you might make kiwi pals but just try making real "friends", I hate to say it but the Kiwis hereabouts and certainly those in the workplace are outwardly friendly but very very difficult to approach and really get to know, its like they dont want to offer themselves......maybe due to the reasons Avid suggested...???
#20
Just Joined
Joined: Sep 2007
Location: London
Posts: 23
Re: Making Kiwi Mates - What's the Secret?
We spent a month earlier this year travelling around the north island and had a great time ..
We met quite a few Kiwi's and have kept in touch via phone and email sinse we've been back..
We even met a lady on the flight over who invited us to her house for a BBQ and sent her husband to our hotel to pick us up...and we'd only been in NZ for two days..
We also met a great bunch at one of the parks and they insisted we came back for the following weekend when they took us out fishing and skiing on their boats ...BBq fish and beers in the evening ...
Two of the people even offered me a job after finding out our plans to emmigrate !!!
I can honestly say every Kiwi and for that matter maori we met were more than friendly and hospitable ..
can't wait to get back their to live ...
We met quite a few Kiwi's and have kept in touch via phone and email sinse we've been back..
We even met a lady on the flight over who invited us to her house for a BBQ and sent her husband to our hotel to pick us up...and we'd only been in NZ for two days..
We also met a great bunch at one of the parks and they insisted we came back for the following weekend when they took us out fishing and skiing on their boats ...BBq fish and beers in the evening ...
Two of the people even offered me a job after finding out our plans to emmigrate !!!
I can honestly say every Kiwi and for that matter maori we met were more than friendly and hospitable ..
can't wait to get back their to live ...
#21
Re: Making Kiwi Mates - What's the Secret?
We spent a month earlier this year travelling around the north island and had a great time ..
We met quite a few Kiwi's and have kept in touch via phone and email sinse we've been back..
We even met a lady on the flight over who invited us to her house for a BBQ and sent her husband to our hotel to pick us up...and we'd only been in NZ for two days..
We also met a great bunch at one of the parks and they insisted we came back for the following weekend when they took us out fishing and skiing on their boats ...BBq fish and beers in the evening ...
Two of the people even offered me a job after finding out our plans to emmigrate !!!
I can honestly say every Kiwi and for that matter maori we met were more than friendly and hospitable ..
can't wait to get back their to live ...
We met quite a few Kiwi's and have kept in touch via phone and email sinse we've been back..
We even met a lady on the flight over who invited us to her house for a BBQ and sent her husband to our hotel to pick us up...and we'd only been in NZ for two days..
We also met a great bunch at one of the parks and they insisted we came back for the following weekend when they took us out fishing and skiing on their boats ...BBq fish and beers in the evening ...
Two of the people even offered me a job after finding out our plans to emmigrate !!!
I can honestly say every Kiwi and for that matter maori we met were more than friendly and hospitable ..
can't wait to get back their to live ...
We have been here 6 months and have only just started to make 'Kiwi friends', most of who are actually not from the area we live in, where being accepted is very hard even for a Kiwi.
#22
you dewty owld maan!
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: is practically perfect in every way
Posts: 5,565
Re: Making Kiwi Mates - What's the Secret?
Lots of us had similar experiences when we came on hols or reccies, but to live here is an entirely different experience.
We have been here 6 months and have only just started to make 'Kiwi friends', most of who are actually not from the area we live in, where being accepted is very hard even for a Kiwi.
We have been here 6 months and have only just started to make 'Kiwi friends', most of who are actually not from the area we live in, where being accepted is very hard even for a Kiwi.
#23
Re: Making Kiwi Mates - What's the Secret?
From what I can work out people from the UK seem to have a knack for talking nonsense which Kiwis just don’t have. We can go off on a tangent on the most bizarre topics for hours at a time. It seems to take more effort to relate to people in NZ.
Also the blokes are much more sport focused over here, I know that’s obvious but I think trying to get in to the rugby at least enough to follow the teams and the odd game may be a good idea. I you like another sport then try and get them in to that, guys in general here seem up for getting in to anything like that.
Women I’ve had no trouble making friends with, they seem a lot less girly than some of my mates from back home but I’ve decided not to point that out. They seem more inclusive than the guys in general and sometimes less inclined to talk sport all afternoon.
Other than that, they may not always get British sarcasm and seem to have a coffee rather than beer culture at my work. Maybe that just Hamilton or just my office? Hmmm yep definitely missing the pub, does that make me an alchy?
Also the blokes are much more sport focused over here, I know that’s obvious but I think trying to get in to the rugby at least enough to follow the teams and the odd game may be a good idea. I you like another sport then try and get them in to that, guys in general here seem up for getting in to anything like that.
Women I’ve had no trouble making friends with, they seem a lot less girly than some of my mates from back home but I’ve decided not to point that out. They seem more inclusive than the guys in general and sometimes less inclined to talk sport all afternoon.
Other than that, they may not always get British sarcasm and seem to have a coffee rather than beer culture at my work. Maybe that just Hamilton or just my office? Hmmm yep definitely missing the pub, does that make me an alchy?
#24
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 107
Re: Making Kiwi Mates - What's the Secret?
From what I can work out people from the UK seem to have a knack for talking nonsense which Kiwis just don’t have. We can go off on a tangent on the most bizarre topics for hours at a time. It seems to take more effort to relate to people in NZ.
Also the blokes are much more sport focused over here, I know that’s obvious but I think trying to get in to the rugby at least enough to follow the teams and the odd game may be a good idea. I you like another sport then try and get them in to that, guys in general here seem up for getting in to anything like that.
Women I’ve had no trouble making friends with, they seem a lot less girly than some of my mates from back home but I’ve decided not to point that out. They seem more inclusive than the guys in general and sometimes less inclined to talk sport all afternoon.
Other than that, they may not always get British sarcasm and seem to have a coffee rather than beer culture at my work. Maybe that just Hamilton or just my office? Hmmm yep definitely missing the pub, does that make me an alchy?
Also the blokes are much more sport focused over here, I know that’s obvious but I think trying to get in to the rugby at least enough to follow the teams and the odd game may be a good idea. I you like another sport then try and get them in to that, guys in general here seem up for getting in to anything like that.
Women I’ve had no trouble making friends with, they seem a lot less girly than some of my mates from back home but I’ve decided not to point that out. They seem more inclusive than the guys in general and sometimes less inclined to talk sport all afternoon.
Other than that, they may not always get British sarcasm and seem to have a coffee rather than beer culture at my work. Maybe that just Hamilton or just my office? Hmmm yep definitely missing the pub, does that make me an alchy?
#25
Just Joined
Joined: Aug 2007
Location: Tauranga
Posts: 26
Re: Making Kiwi Mates - What's the Secret?
From what I can work out people from the UK seem to have a knack for talking nonsense which Kiwis just don’t have. We can go off on a tangent on the most bizarre topics for hours at a time. It seems to take more effort to relate to people in NZ.
Also the blokes are much more sport focused over here, I know that’s obvious but I think trying to get in to the rugby at least enough to follow the teams and the odd game may be a good idea. I you like another sport then try and get them in to that, guys in general here seem up for getting in to anything like that.
Women I’ve had no trouble making friends with, they seem a lot less girly than some of my mates from back home but I’ve decided not to point that out. They seem more inclusive than the guys in general and sometimes less inclined to talk sport all afternoon.
Other than that, they may not always get British sarcasm and seem to have a coffee rather than beer culture at my work. Maybe that just Hamilton or just my office? Hmmm yep definitely missing the pub, does that make me an alchy?
Also the blokes are much more sport focused over here, I know that’s obvious but I think trying to get in to the rugby at least enough to follow the teams and the odd game may be a good idea. I you like another sport then try and get them in to that, guys in general here seem up for getting in to anything like that.
Women I’ve had no trouble making friends with, they seem a lot less girly than some of my mates from back home but I’ve decided not to point that out. They seem more inclusive than the guys in general and sometimes less inclined to talk sport all afternoon.
Other than that, they may not always get British sarcasm and seem to have a coffee rather than beer culture at my work. Maybe that just Hamilton or just my office? Hmmm yep definitely missing the pub, does that make me an alchy?
Disagree with you about the sport though- suggesting that blokes are more focused on sport here. yes perhaps rugby is big here, but it doesn't compare to how big football is in the Uk. It can't. There are 60million people in the Uk and look at the average attandance at a football match compared to rugby. it's a whole different level.
I find Kiwis, on the whole, extremely friendly, although they do "keep them selves to themselves" There is definitely a stick to what/who you know mentality here- as if there is not benefit in meeting outsiders and discovering new things. They tend to be very slow to intergrate. Just look at all the kiwis over in London (most of them mix/live with other kiwis and then come home again)
#26
Re: Making Kiwi Mates - What's the Secret?
I think Avid's right about newcomers, expats etc tending to stick together the world over but I just got back from one of my kid's swimming lesson where I got talking to a lady I thought was a kiwi and you guessed it she was a Brit in disguise...this keeps happening to me . Her kiwi accent disappeared once she'd confessed too...is there a lesson here?
On a superficial level EVERYONE is much friendlier here than anywhere I have ever lived before, people smile at each other and return smiles readily which is pretty good for a capital city.
I have to agree though that most of my 'friends' so far are also expats - not just Brits though. It was the same in my last location although there was a language barrier too.
Of course I don't help my cause by saying I'm only here for 4 years but I'm a tad disappointed to hear most of you who technically have 'emigrated' are also finding it tough...maybe it just takes time...I think you have to have the thing in common sport, religion, politics, stuck at home with kids or whatever for it to happen naturally....whereas newly arrived expats understand that it is worth trying out a wider range of people because to be honest you never know who you will click with at the end of the day.
Good luck to us all in our endeavours...it really should be easy given the language and common heritage.
#27
Just Joined
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 17
Re: Making Kiwi Mates - What's the Secret?
Wiz and Ton
Stop trying. Just be yourselves, and you'll make friends. When you stop being "pom" kiwis will take you at face value, and some of the new friends you make will be NZ's and some will be from elsewhere -all will be valuable.
Steve
Stop trying. Just be yourselves, and you'll make friends. When you stop being "pom" kiwis will take you at face value, and some of the new friends you make will be NZ's and some will be from elsewhere -all will be valuable.
Steve
#28
Re: Making Kiwi Mates - What's the Secret?
jacky g here.....myaughter as you may be aware from my previous posts has now been to 2 schools....1 that was 90% kiwis i would say....
and the other about 10% kiwis,the second being made up of mostly pacific islanders,and maoiris,
the pacific islanders,maoiris,chinese etc are far friendlier than the kiwis....
she has been totaly excepted at that school from day 1 and they call her "my scottish friend"....and they love her accent,keep asking her to say things....and asking about her country....
the second school wouldn't even give her the time of day,and the girls were ,according to her complete bitches.....and made her feel like an outsider...
i made the mistake of judging the people at the first school by stories i heard...i personaly find kiwis don't mix with brits that well....when i pick son up from school its the chines that speak to me....a few of the kiwi fathers have,but not the womeni even smile and say hello,many times just to get ignored....
and the other about 10% kiwis,the second being made up of mostly pacific islanders,and maoiris,
the pacific islanders,maoiris,chinese etc are far friendlier than the kiwis....
she has been totaly excepted at that school from day 1 and they call her "my scottish friend"....and they love her accent,keep asking her to say things....and asking about her country....
the second school wouldn't even give her the time of day,and the girls were ,according to her complete bitches.....and made her feel like an outsider...
i made the mistake of judging the people at the first school by stories i heard...i personaly find kiwis don't mix with brits that well....when i pick son up from school its the chines that speak to me....a few of the kiwi fathers have,but not the womeni even smile and say hello,many times just to get ignored....