pricklykina

Exackery..Kiwis have a very long history of overseas travel.
And are great travellers.

I am always embarrassed by how little I have travelled in comparison (and I don't hang out with lots of young folk all the time)

I think whatever you call it, being singled out is icky...but you have to look at intent too. I don't think all people use the word pom in an offensive way. I call myself a Pom sometimes and that's OK...although people tend to think that I'm a pacific islander which makes me giggle.

BEVS

but not the people around us and they are kiwis too.

Out of interest why have you travelled little. I am curious ? No more or less than that.

Some of the younger kiwis we know have visited family in the UK or perhaps Scotland . One went to an uncle in Canada. Some took a couple to six weeks on a flying back packing bus tour of Europe but not much more. That's not travelling. That's visiting or an organised tour.

I've not ever met one that has travelled. Not saying they are not out there, but we are yet to meet one.

Having said that , a neighbour recently came into an inheritance and so her and her sister used that for a organised tour of parts of Europe . Enjoyed it they did too which was lovely to hear .

I have to be honest. I think it's a myth that Kiwis are great travellers. I don't think they travel any more or less than anyone else of any other developed country.

aA for the term Poms. It is mostly used in a detrimental way. We don't much bother to respond to those types that feel the need to use it. If we do, we ask them if they think we are Australian as Poms seems to have originated from some Australian ancestry. Not ours. As we are of irish and Welsh descent. That normally stuffs a lemon in their faces.

emma23

Hey I'm Cornish and have never said anything like that to people from other towns etc! I think it's a minority thing!

pricklykina

I’ve been talking about this at work today and people were surprised to hear that Kiwis might be consider less than well travelled

In my little team at work, of the five Kiwis in it, all have lived and worked overseas in diverse places too…not just the UK and Aussie. I admit that I work with a bunch of well educated people…maybe that makes a difference…but actually I doubt it as I work with people from all walks who tell me about there time in the UK when they here my accent.

But it could be an Auckland thing perhaps?

As for my own travel desires
Well, when I lived in the UK my main preoccupation was either going out, going out or occasionally studying. Not travel at all…I left the UK aged 26 so not much time to travel then and now, 10 years later, a child, a degree and a mortgage later…not much time for travel

I figure that I will when my girl goes to Uni, If I feel like it, but I don’t have a huge compulsion to travel. It’s not one of the things that drives me in my life although I certainly see the attraction for others and don’t doubt that it is valuable for them

I think my experience here is so different because I did experience racism in the UK. On account of being non white. Here is different. Instead of the regular barrage of questioning of my right to be in the UK…Here…people ask where I am from and when I say England the response is positive.
It actually feels different to be in a country with brown people as first settlers.
Now I don’t say that sentence lightly or with a view to offend so please read it with the heart from which it was written. Just my experience.

BEVS

Lovely post Prickly & I thank you for it. Very refreshing.
It's so much more interesting to really interchange experiences and viewpoints rather than slap ones own stance right in another's face.

I wonder if it is a location thing then. This could possibly be the answer.

I'm not at all offended by the last part of your post. I come from a time when the 'No Irish Need Apply' notices were still outside shops and cafes. My Mum was Irish and for that I got plenty of stick from kids and adults. Believe me.

My Dad was a hotel chef in his earlier years and so my family were always mixing with those from other countries. Happy times indeed. This gave me my yearning to travel I think. To see other , places, cultures, peoples.
I had a mortgage from my early twenties but worked 3 jobs and instead of going out, I used to save and then bog off when I could . Always cheap, cheap. It did help when I landed a job in a travel agents though. I still have those itchy feet to up and go see what's around the corner. Something I feel will never leave me now.

One lot of my husbands cousins are half afro-caribbean. His aunt was totally shunned and as far as I am aware it is only my husband and sometimes his mum that has any contact at all. Families can be difficult enough with the skin colour thing. Does my head in does that.

I have experienced unpleasant comments here for being English. I can't deny that. I've even been told to go back where I came from . Not from anything I've said or done, simply after browsing to enquire about the price of carpet . Came out of the blue did that one. i see that as their problemo though. Not mine.

I do get a little tired sometimes of always having to explain how & why we are here and that we are not 'cashed up'

My friend back in the UK , who is one quarter Maori , looks very much Maori who has never lived in New Zealand being English through and through, found the place to be very warmly welcoming when he came here.

Hokey-pokey

Nope.

Kiwiprincess

I'm in Wellington so I don't think it's just Auckland. Potentially I guess it could be a city/larger area thing but I'm not sure about even that. Even my young cousins in the provinces have travel plans - whether exchange programmes in the first instance, travel after university or just general 'travel'. I'm really surprised if you meet few people that haven't travelled. It's one of the things some brits have commented to me on - they are from some teeny tiny town in the middle of nowhere then find you have been there.

dave77

Hi Emma, sorry no offence mean't! I love Cornwall (and the people) but was just highlighting that I am just as likely to suffer abuse about where I'm from moving to another UK town as I am moving to a different country!

Yes thankfully the small minded do appear to be in the minority

emma23

No offence taken! You're completely right though, racism is everywhere. Just at home I reckon it's all a bit of banter between different county's, I've never seen or heard anyone going out of their way to be racist because they hear a different accent - but maybe that's cause I'm from little Cornwall! I've had some not so nice words said to me here - but just brush it off. Some people are just small minded and have no sense!

Hokey-pokey

I reckon if you walk thru any hospital from Invercargill to Kaitaia you will find ALL of the Senior NZ Drs ( there are a few still left in the country ) have worked overseas- mainly UK, I bet many of the Registered nurses, physios, OTs have had an OE or are planning one. Transferrable skills might be the key.

It even gets a mention on Wiki ! ( for anyone vaguely interested )
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_experience

I do find the focus on London a bit strange. I tried to make a point of working in some off the beaten track parts of Britain only to discover a NZer already holed up there. I came to really appreciate Australians when I was away from home, but thats another story.

dave77

Just out of interest, I was wondering how many of you find the term 'Pom' offensive? I was called one by a Kiwi on my reccie, who immediately asked if she'd offended me!!

To be honest it doesn't bother me one bit, I don't think it is a derogatory term.... although I might be miffed if I was called a Whinging Pom!!

ukkiwi

No but i prefered not to be called Pommie Pufta

Margaret Parkinson

Correct me if I am wrong but I seem to remember someone telling me that Papamoa is often referred to as Pomamoa and no one seems to mind.

pieface

Normally I'm a bit of a lurker, feel I must chime in on this one though! As a bit of background, I was born and raised in Dunedin, but have lived nearly all of my adult life in the UK. I'm a dual national and proud to be both British and a New Zealander.

I have to say to those here who take offence to being called a Pom, really have to realise that the term itself is rarely, if ever meant with any offence. Attach an adjective and maybe you can cause some offence, "Pommy b@stard" etc. But then calling someone "English b@astard" would equally so.

In short see at as a term like Cockney, Scouser, Manc, Kiwi, Aussie or Antipodean. These are all just colloquial terms for another group of people based on geography which all humans by their very nature instinctively divide up into categories.

I don't think people are being racist or even nationalist. I think they're being tribalist, which we all do. For instance us people on the south side of my street don't think a lot of those on the North side. They're a bit wierd. We need to come up with a name for them.

bdclayton

I totally agree with this.
I used to work on the South Island with a group of Kiwis I was the only pom in the group and was always called The pom in what I thought was a nice way
No problem they really meant no offence and were some of the best people I have ever met.
One of the funniest things I have come across was when one of the Kiwi crew arranged for me to go out on his boat fishing with him
(A very high honour as it was a new boat and none of the Kiwis had been invited)
For some reason we both didnt’t get to finalise meeting times etc
So I thought the trip was off.
I was staying in a camper van in Arrowtown.
The caretaker came knocking on the door to tell me I had a phone call
It was old Rex the Kiwi he called to arrange to pick me up and take me fishing I asked how he knew where I was staying and how he knew who to ask ? for he said
“ O I just asked the guy who answered the phone if he had any pomms staying there and he fetched you “
Classic I still laugh about it now