Am Loolah

Someone who throws dirty water over your windscreen at traffic lights whether you want them to not then wipes it off with a pair of old soiled underpants and charges you £50 or they kick your head in

thebears

Unless they would like what the locals say about them

Tooanfrom

2) Poverty. There are very poor people here. I work in a hospital so meet all sorts of people. There are alot of people who dont wash themselves or their clothes, some dont eat enough, there is alot of illness in the more poverty stricken people.

3) Many I see through work can barely read or write. People seem generally dim. The schools only teach NZ history, and unless they went to university many people dont have a grasp on the world. Its a bit (not as bad) as America.

4) Violence. Not nearly as bad as UK, but it does happen. There is a gang culture here, with the Mongrel Mob, Black Power, White supremacists, and various bike gangs. They mainly fight between them selves but they are certainly unnerving when you come across of a group of em day or night. Some areas the Police just wont go. My partner works with the Police and some places like bars, they have walked into and come straight out soon as.


.

7) Kiwi work ethic. Not sure its a bad thing but its a culture shock. there seems to be a strong work ethic in Healthcare at least. They will try to pressurise you into working as much as possible, and the kiwis dont mind, some work double shifts (16 hours) and dont claim the extra pay they should get cos of this. There is a huge volunteer mentality. Half the ambulance service seems to consist of volunteers, as does the rescue police, fire. Then work tries to get you in on your days off to do study and training, with no pay. I feel like a mercenary, i just wont do it. Kiwis dont seem to enjoy their time off, its all work work work. My partner works 50 hours a week, then does an ambo night shift in the middle then does St John volunteering on the weekend. We live together and i still think hes mad.
You have hit the nail right on the head--but like you I know what we have here, is so much better than what they have got in the UK

mumomonty

Sorry to pee on your parade Stevie but they're just as PC here. It's just as nuts.
Recently twins were murdered in their home and the family(whanau) closed ranks and no one is close to solving it. If they were white (pakeha) I suspect they would not have gotten away with that. You will understand it when you get here. It is not a HUGE prob don't get me wrong and there's good and bad in everyone and I'm not rascist and the maoris were here before us but it happened and I saw the fall out. The way it was reported was terrible; the family were given air time to say 'I know who did it an I'm not telling...' etc. Where did it get anyone? Nowhere. all it did was make some people watch it more. Personally I don't know how they gave that lowlife airtime.

You have to get your passport pics just so nowadays everywhere by the way.
And teh other day a woman was told not to change her baby by the side of the pool because it's offensive. It's a global thing I'm afraid and if the otehr stuff is better for you, great.

I';m not pro UK by the way; I'm here now. I just like to tell folk what's going on.

sky

It's just as politically correct over here and the same crimes still happen.
One of my mates is a St Johns Ambulance volunteer too ... she loves it with a passion, she shares school crossing duties with me and told me casually the other day that she had been beaten and worse as a child, like it was normal conversation and matter of fact.
There does seem to be a lot of domestic brutality in NZ and it's accepted as the norm in some circles.
One of my other kiwi mates never has any food in the house, her mother tried to kill herself the other day due to financial difficulties, she cut into her wrists so hard that bone was showing.
It's just another country full of human beings at the end of the day isn't it, just it's not as overcrowded as the UK that's all and if it was I'm pretty sure it would be just as bad as you all make the old country out to be, if not worse.

danny.f

Superb thread people.

Informed choice-that's what it's all about.
For me it is about knowing the pro's and cons about what will be a mindboggling thing to do-this gives us a good insight into what might be some difficulties-but also I think that it cannot possibly be as bad as the direction this country,and its folk are taking. In 10 years I predict it's going to be a scary place to be,Britain. So I'm hoping in 10 years time NZ isn't going to be that bad-but we all need to know what might be problems before we commit-so thanks for the thread. Karma too.

sky

We're going to be running out of oil in five years according to a news prog on tv tonight, so you'd better hurry up and get here danny or you'll have to come on the sail ships like hundreds of years ago :scared:

danny.f

I'll just lie on my back and put the family and possessions on my front. Cheaper,and probably more fun.I have an inbuilt jet propulsion system,simple but effective,should be there within the week.

sky

Cool

danny.f

I have to go along with Ste's sentiments on this one.
I also don't expect roses and sweet smelling rabbit shit-I know everywhere has its problems-none of us have gone to Africa or Middle East,or Hull,I notice-, but unless you've lived here and witnessed the general decline in the country's ability to keep people happy-illegal immigration,unemployment,general deterioration in anti-social behaviour of all ages,not just youth,prices,taxes,care of the elderly,dishonesty of councils and government alike (I mean,really,would you vote for ANYONE), increase of violent crime, getting ripped off every time you fart,even the laziness of any service you care to mention, you can't imagine that there is anything left to do but have the bottle to leave-get out-abandon ship!!
So then you're thinking-well,where shall we try?
America? Nah-mad as psychotic Osama himself,and more paranoid than a white man in Basra.
Canada? Too cold and expensive-ciggies £20,honest.
Australia? Fair dincum-but can you name a clever one? Hot,barren,education reputedly a struggle,but will do if elsewhere fails.
Jersey? Guernsey? Isle of Shite? Nah-too close!!
Don't speak any other language?? Mmmmmmmmmmmmm. Righto.
Where speaks English,drives on the left,has similar weather,warmer in Summer,needs experienced nurses,is beautiful,more relaxing than Toxteth on a Saturday,friendier people,and you can get out a bit more-try to get involved with activities with your family instead of sitting on a computer all day?

New ****ing Zealand baby!! Its paradise to some,its hard work to others,
but hopefully at some point or other,it's going to be our home-all of us.
You people are going to be my neighbours-might even be some locals to mix in!! Me? Can't bloody wait!!

StevieB

Here Here Danny. my sentiments exactly, though more eloquantly of course.

Yeah mumo, I understand all that and I realise that PC ism is something that is going to happen globally. But let's have some common sense I say. The incident I referred to in my post was the decision of a Post Office worker, the Passport agency themselves said they would have allowed the photo. It just shows though, how scared people are in this country these days from doing anything that may land them in court because it has caused some spurious offence. People are literally in fear of doing anything that other people may consider inapropriate or offensive - even though those same people will in actual fact have no problem with it. Kids can't climb trees anymore because councils fear (and for some compensation culture types they're right) that parents will sue them if their child falls from it. The real victim in this case is the child, I know I loved climbing trees as a kid.

Anyway, I've had my say and I'm not going to post any more on this rant. To all those who have responded, whether they agree with me or not, I thankyou. I enjoy a good discussion with open views, and have found this to be such. Come over to the bar and I'll get a round in for the house!

Lenny the Lion

Come on Sky and Mumomonty you are having a laugh surely. Whilst a faint hint of political correctness is creeping in, there aint NO WAY that this place is as bad as the UK is right now. Maybe you have been away from the UK for too long.
Every day at work and out socially I see and hear things said in front of women and immigrants that make me squirm with embarrassment. People would be sacked and in court for much less in England. It is like several 70s sitcoms I can remember. And NZ radio stations can be hardly be described as PC can they. Have you heard Blackie`s morning show............... :scared: That guy if he was in the UK would have been dragged to the Tower of London to be hung drawn and quartered, probably by some muslim extremists.
Its just as politically correct over here................PISH
[QUOTE=sky]It's just as politically correct over here

sky

[QUOTE=Lenny the Lion]Come on Sky and Mumomonty you are having a laugh surely. Whilst a faint hint of political correctness is creeping in, there aint NO WAY that this place is as bad as the UK is right now. Maybe you have been away from the UK for too long.
Every day at work and out socially I see and hear things said in front of women and immigrants that make me squirm with embarrassment. People would be sacked and in court for much less in England. It is like several 70s sitcoms I can remember. And NZ radio stations can be hardly be described as PC can they. Have you heard Blackie`s morning show............... :scared: That guy if he was in the UK would have been dragged to the Tower of London to be hung drawn and quartered, probably by some muslim extremists.
Its just as politically correct over here................PISH
Lol I know it is a bit like that isn't it and the comedy is so childish and basic it just is not funny ... actually I probably have been here too long cos I caught myself laughing at it the other day
Agree with everything you say but there is political correctness here it just is in it's infancy at the mo that's all.

uk+kiwi

[QUOTE=Lenny the Lion]Come on Sky and Mumomonty you are having a laugh surely. Whilst a faint hint of political correctness is creeping in, there aint NO WAY that this place is as bad as the UK is right now. Maybe you have been away from the UK for too long.
Every day at work and out socially I see and hear things said in front of women and immigrants that make me squirm with embarrassment. People would be sacked and in court for much less in England. It is like several 70s sitcoms I can remember. And NZ radio stations can be hardly be described as PC can they. Have you heard Blackie`s morning show............... :scared: That guy if he was in the UK would have been dragged to the Tower of London to be hung drawn and quartered, probably by some muslim extremists.
Its just as politically correct over here................PISH
I agree. I haven't noticed before how (comparatively) un-PC NZ is, but when we were there at Xmas, I couldn't believe the general racist/sexist remarks that are made as part of normal conversation. Quite crass actually, without even being particularly derogatory. It made me feel very uncomfortable. The mere frequent mention of the word 'Asians' I found bizarre, as one would NEVER use such phrases in the UK without being considered racist for commenting on someone's country of origin. Now whilst this is quite right, since sweeping generalisations and peoples' nationality rarely have anything to do with pleasant daily conversation, it has also gone a bit mad over here.

And re: potential religious based changes, I wish the Brits would stand up and be a Christian nation in the same way as the Middle East would re: Islam. Yes 100% tolerant of other religions, but not prepared to change things that are Britsh about Britain, for people who choose to come and live here. I lived in the ME and respected the culture there, eg as an 8-13 year old child in a British school with muslim pupils, we did not eat or drink in front of locals during the Ramadan fasting period. I also had my shoulders whipped with a cane at the age of 8 in the Souk for wearing a strapy sun dress. Obviously I didn't do it again. Live and let live, but when in Rome and all that.....

StevieB

[QUOTE=uk+kiwi] Quite right and, as you mention Rome, the romans were the fathers of tolerance, allowing all religions to be practiced without prejudice...until one of them became a threat to the state of course. Funny that it happened to be Christianity isn't it?