Worst year for returns to UK that I can remeber
Sep 9th 2008, 11:37 am
#31
Weirdo Latin Dude
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Hotter than hell
Posts: 2,545
Sep 9th 2008, 11:52 am
#32
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,285
Re: Worst year for returns to UK that I can remeber
Kiwi homes have heated towel rails in the bathroom and maybe a gas fire in the lounge and that can be it..no wonder there are so many electric blankets on sale in the shops.
Sep 9th 2008, 2:36 pm
#33
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 405
Re: Worst year for returns to UK that I can remeber
I agree with you . A lot of the comments in this thread are distortions based on individual experiences...just because one poster had a bad experience with a doddery Kiwi dentist doesn't mean all Kiwi dentists are bad - mine is the best I have ever seen and I saw private ones in UK too. I didn't like the ones I saw in the EU country I lived in either.
I joined BE more than 6 years ago to try to get as much information as I could about New Zealand from persons already living here so that I could make the most informed decision possible about whether or not to move my family here. But then, just as now, just about everyone who had anything even the slightest bit negative to say on these forums about New Zealand was almost always shot down right swiftly, and often with some vehemence. And thus a one-sided and quite frankly often downright naive and even 'dishonest' view was all that was allowed for the most part to get through about New Zealand. And I resent that, I truly do, because the only people who were willing and dare I say often intelligent enough to understand the need for, and to give, a true picture of life here were bullied off of the threads. Anyone with any experience to share that was not all 'rosy and happy' was derisively tagged a "whinger, 'nuff said".
Most of my life has been spent living in countries all over the world as a 'happy, positive expat'. I'm an adventurer, and you would not easily find a more positive or optimistic person than me. Note than in over 5 years now in New Zealand, I have not posted on these boards but 2 or 3 times until recently. Well that's how long I've given NZ a chance, and I can honestly say that not only, IN MY EXPERIENCE, is this without question or doubt the worst place I have ever lived, but also I can't imagine there being many, if ANY, places in the world that could be even close to as bad for us as NZ has been- that was clear from our first few months here, and things never got much if any better despite our efforts month after month and year after year to 'fix' things, and god did we try. We just could not believe that a place could REALLY be this bad, it must be US, and so we kept trying - I'm one who has always always believed 'there MUST be a way, there just must be!' But we can't fix New Zealand. We can't fix the Tall Poppy Syndrome that affects us in particular because we AREN'T 'average' and have no desire for ourselves or for our children to become 'average' just to be deemed 'acceptable'. We can't fix the problems with the houses here, the damp miserable cold rotting-under-the-roughcast, asbestos-, borer- and lead-ridden houses - even if we could have completely 'fixed' the houses we've personally lived in, we couldn't have fixed ALL of the houses in our street, or our neighbourhood, or our town, the houses where our friends and neighbours and fellow citizens live - that last comment may have gone right over the heads of many of you, but a handful of you may understand what underlies it. It's an alien attitude to many on this forum who seem to think that 'if I'M alright jack, that's all that matters". We don't think that that's all that matters, we don't want to live in a society where we're doing OK when so many others aren't. And the truth is, most NZers aren't doing 'OK'.
There's no point in going further into this on BE, though there's so much to be said, so many more areas of living here to be covered. The truth is that there is just SO much seriously wrong with NZ for certain of us, immigrants AND NZers alike, but much of it is things that just can't easily or comfortably be discussed 'openly' on a public forum like this for a large variety of reasons, including the safeguarding of ones own personal identity in a small town/small country. How many times have people here been surprised to learn that 'so-and-so' has up and left NZ, when 'so-and-so' had never given any obvious outward sign of being unhappy here?? Well, so much of what makes people unhappy in NZ (and Im talking well beyond homesickness here, which is a very common and difficult-to-overcome condition that can affect certain expats anywhere in the world) just cannot be freely discussed - which comment I have no doubt at least a few reading this will well understand!
This thread is titled: worst year for returns to UK that I can remember. I've put a bit of my own 'why that might be' into the thread, though in an admittedly (but to-my-mind-necessarily) cryptic manner - perhaps there are others braver than me willing to continue where I've left off?
Last edited by Black Sheep; Sep 9th 2008 at 2:42 pm.
Sep 9th 2008, 6:03 pm
#34
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2007
Location: Liverpool U.K.
Posts: 325
Re: Worst year for returns to UK that I can remeber
I doubt there's anywhere in the world where 'all the dentists are bad'. However please read carefully your own comment luvwelly: "A lot of the comments in this thread are distortions based on individual experiences". If this is what you believe, then isn't your own comment re 'best I have ever seen dentist' also a 'distortion based on individual experience'? If feels to me from comments made by yourself and a few others who post from New Zealand on this forum that you expect from others respect for, acceptance, and belief in your own views and experiences of life here, yet are yourselves somewhat reluctant shall we say to equally accept, respect or believe in others' views and experiences of life here.
I joined BE more than 6 years ago to try to get as much information as I could about New Zealand from persons already living here so that I could make the most informed decision possible about whether or not to move my family here. But then, just as now, just about everyone who had anything even the slightest bit negative to say on these forums about New Zealand was almost always shot down right swiftly, and often with some vehemence. And thus a one-sided and quite frankly often downright naive and even 'dishonest' view was all that was allowed for the most part to get through about New Zealand. And I resent that, I truly do, because the only people who were willing and dare I say often intelligent enough to understand the need for, and to give, a true picture of life here were bullied off of the threads. Anyone with any experience to share that was not all 'rosy and happy' was derisively tagged a "whinger, 'nuff said".
Most of my life has been spent living in countries all over the world as a 'happy, positive expat'. I'm an adventurer, and you would not easily find a more positive or optimistic person than me. Note than in over 5 years now in New Zealand, I have not posted on these boards but 2 or 3 times until recently. Well that's how long I've given NZ a chance, and I can honestly say that not only, IN MY EXPERIENCE, is this without question or doubt the worst place I have ever lived, but also I can't imagine there being many, if ANY, places in the world that could be even close to as bad for us as NZ has been- that was clear from our first few months here, and things never got much if any better despite our efforts month after month and year after year to 'fix' things, and god did we try. We just could not believe that a place could REALLY be this bad, it must be US, and so we kept trying - I'm one who has always always believed 'there MUST be a way, there just must be!' But we can't fix New Zealand. We can't fix the Tall Poppy Syndrome that affects us in particular because we AREN'T 'average' and have no desire for ourselves or for our children to become 'average' just to be deemed 'acceptable'. We can't fix the problems with the houses here, the damp miserable cold rotting-under-the-roughcast, asbestos-, borer- and lead-ridden houses - even if we could have completely 'fixed' the houses we've personally lived in, we couldn't have fixed ALL of the houses in our street, or our neighbourhood, or our town, the houses where our friends and neighbours and fellow citizens live - that last comment may have gone right over the heads of many of you, but a handful of you may understand what underlies it. It's an alien attitude to many on this forum who seem to think that 'if I'M alright jack, that's all that matters". We don't think that that's all that matters, we don't want to live in a society where we're doing OK when so many others aren't. And the truth is, most NZers aren't doing 'OK'.
There's no point in going further into this on BE, though there's so much to be said, so many more areas of living here to be covered. The truth is that there is just SO much seriously wrong with NZ for certain of us, immigrants AND NZers alike, but much of it is things that just can't easily or comfortably be discussed 'openly' on a public forum like this for a large variety of reasons, including the safeguarding of ones own personal identity in a small town/small country. How many times have people here been surprised to learn that 'so-and-so' has up and left NZ, when 'so-and-so' had never given any obvious outward sign of being unhappy here?? Well, so much of what makes people unhappy in NZ (and Im talking well beyond homesickness here, which is a very common and difficult-to-overcome condition that can affect certain expats anywhere in the world) just cannot be freely discussed - which comment I have no doubt at least a few reading this will well understand!
This thread is titled: worst year for returns to UK that I can remember. I've put a bit of my own 'why that might be' into the thread, though in an admittedly (but to-my-mind-necessarily) cryptic manner - perhaps there are others braver than me willing to continue where I've left off?
I joined BE more than 6 years ago to try to get as much information as I could about New Zealand from persons already living here so that I could make the most informed decision possible about whether or not to move my family here. But then, just as now, just about everyone who had anything even the slightest bit negative to say on these forums about New Zealand was almost always shot down right swiftly, and often with some vehemence. And thus a one-sided and quite frankly often downright naive and even 'dishonest' view was all that was allowed for the most part to get through about New Zealand. And I resent that, I truly do, because the only people who were willing and dare I say often intelligent enough to understand the need for, and to give, a true picture of life here were bullied off of the threads. Anyone with any experience to share that was not all 'rosy and happy' was derisively tagged a "whinger, 'nuff said".
Most of my life has been spent living in countries all over the world as a 'happy, positive expat'. I'm an adventurer, and you would not easily find a more positive or optimistic person than me. Note than in over 5 years now in New Zealand, I have not posted on these boards but 2 or 3 times until recently. Well that's how long I've given NZ a chance, and I can honestly say that not only, IN MY EXPERIENCE, is this without question or doubt the worst place I have ever lived, but also I can't imagine there being many, if ANY, places in the world that could be even close to as bad for us as NZ has been- that was clear from our first few months here, and things never got much if any better despite our efforts month after month and year after year to 'fix' things, and god did we try. We just could not believe that a place could REALLY be this bad, it must be US, and so we kept trying - I'm one who has always always believed 'there MUST be a way, there just must be!' But we can't fix New Zealand. We can't fix the Tall Poppy Syndrome that affects us in particular because we AREN'T 'average' and have no desire for ourselves or for our children to become 'average' just to be deemed 'acceptable'. We can't fix the problems with the houses here, the damp miserable cold rotting-under-the-roughcast, asbestos-, borer- and lead-ridden houses - even if we could have completely 'fixed' the houses we've personally lived in, we couldn't have fixed ALL of the houses in our street, or our neighbourhood, or our town, the houses where our friends and neighbours and fellow citizens live - that last comment may have gone right over the heads of many of you, but a handful of you may understand what underlies it. It's an alien attitude to many on this forum who seem to think that 'if I'M alright jack, that's all that matters". We don't think that that's all that matters, we don't want to live in a society where we're doing OK when so many others aren't. And the truth is, most NZers aren't doing 'OK'.
There's no point in going further into this on BE, though there's so much to be said, so many more areas of living here to be covered. The truth is that there is just SO much seriously wrong with NZ for certain of us, immigrants AND NZers alike, but much of it is things that just can't easily or comfortably be discussed 'openly' on a public forum like this for a large variety of reasons, including the safeguarding of ones own personal identity in a small town/small country. How many times have people here been surprised to learn that 'so-and-so' has up and left NZ, when 'so-and-so' had never given any obvious outward sign of being unhappy here?? Well, so much of what makes people unhappy in NZ (and Im talking well beyond homesickness here, which is a very common and difficult-to-overcome condition that can affect certain expats anywhere in the world) just cannot be freely discussed - which comment I have no doubt at least a few reading this will well understand!
This thread is titled: worst year for returns to UK that I can remember. I've put a bit of my own 'why that might be' into the thread, though in an admittedly (but to-my-mind-necessarily) cryptic manner - perhaps there are others braver than me willing to continue where I've left off?
Sep 9th 2008, 7:02 pm
#35
Life's a beach
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Cranbrook Kent
Posts: 150
Re: Worst year for returns to UK that I can remeber
I think what it is, is that people never want to here the truth especially if they setting out on an adventure, we have had a great time in NZ but agree with all your comments and no for us NZ is not somewhere we want to live forever, but is and has been a good life experiance. I think as well it all depends where you have come from in UK and how you lived, if you had a good income in UK house etc and lived in a lovely area, NZ can be a very hard culture shook and disapointing. However for some to be near a beach or see green feilds is a new experiance and one they appreciate if they never had it.
Everyone should always try something they want to do, but with NZ once you get over travelling through breathtaking views, you have to live normal live.
NZ has good points as does UK Australia etc, but we never try and get people to stay if they don't like NZ and i have to say out of the 10 UK families we have been friends with and known over the last 5 years there are now only 3 of us left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Everyone should always try something they want to do, but with NZ once you get over travelling through breathtaking views, you have to live normal live.
NZ has good points as does UK Australia etc, but we never try and get people to stay if they don't like NZ and i have to say out of the 10 UK families we have been friends with and known over the last 5 years there are now only 3 of us left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sep 9th 2008, 8:18 pm
#36
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,787
Re: Worst year for returns to UK that I can remeber
I doubt there's anywhere in the world where 'all the dentists are bad'. However please read carefully your own comment luvwelly: "A lot of the comments in this thread are distortions based on individual experiences". If this is what you believe, then isn't your own comment re 'best I have ever seen dentist' also a 'distortion based on individual experience'? If feels to me from comments made by yourself and a few others who post from New Zealand on this forum that you expect from others respect for, acceptance, and belief in your own views and experiences of life here, yet are yourselves somewhat reluctant shall we say to equally accept, respect or believe in others' views and experiences of life here.
I joined BE more than 6 years ago to try to get as much information as I could about New Zealand from persons already living here so that I could make the most informed decision possible about whether or not to move my family here. But then, just as now, just about everyone who had anything even the slightest bit negative to say on these forums about New Zealand was almost always shot down right swiftly, and often with some vehemence. And thus a one-sided and quite frankly often downright naive and even 'dishonest' view was all that was allowed for the most part to get through about New Zealand. And I resent that, I truly do, because the only people who were willing and dare I say often intelligent enough to understand the need for, and to give, a true picture of life here were bullied off of the threads. Anyone with any experience to share that was not all 'rosy and happy' was derisively tagged a "whinger, 'nuff said".
Most of my life has been spent living in countries all over the world as a 'happy, positive expat'. I'm an adventurer, and you would not easily find a more positive or optimistic person than me. Note than in over 5 years now in New Zealand, I have not posted on these boards but 2 or 3 times until recently. Well that's how long I've given NZ a chance, and I can honestly say that not only, IN MY EXPERIENCE, is this without question or doubt the worst place I have ever lived, but also I can't imagine there being many, if ANY, places in the world that could be even close to as bad for us as NZ has been- that was clear from our first few months here, and things never got much if any better despite our efforts month after month and year after year to 'fix' things, and god did we try. We just could not believe that a place could REALLY be this bad, it must be US, and so we kept trying - I'm one who has always always believed 'there MUST be a way, there just must be!' But we can't fix New Zealand. We can't fix the Tall Poppy Syndrome that affects us in particular because we AREN'T 'average' and have no desire for ourselves or for our children to become 'average' just to be deemed 'acceptable'. We can't fix the problems with the houses here, the damp miserable cold rotting-under-the-roughcast, asbestos-, borer- and lead-ridden houses - even if we could have completely 'fixed' the houses we've personally lived in, we couldn't have fixed ALL of the houses in our street, or our neighbourhood, or our town, the houses where our friends and neighbours and fellow citizens live - that last comment may have gone right over the heads of many of you, but a handful of you may understand what underlies it. It's an alien attitude to many on this forum who seem to think that 'if I'M alright jack, that's all that matters". We don't think that that's all that matters, we don't want to live in a society where we're doing OK when so many others aren't. And the truth is, most NZers aren't doing 'OK'.
There's no point in going further into this on BE, though there's so much to be said, so many more areas of living here to be covered. The truth is that there is just SO much seriously wrong with NZ for certain of us, immigrants AND NZers alike, but much of it is things that just can't easily or comfortably be discussed 'openly' on a public forum like this for a large variety of reasons, including the safeguarding of ones own personal identity in a small town/small country. How many times have people here been surprised to learn that 'so-and-so' has up and left NZ, when 'so-and-so' had never given any obvious outward sign of being unhappy here?? Well, so much of what makes people unhappy in NZ (and Im talking well beyond homesickness here, which is a very common and difficult-to-overcome condition that can affect certain expats anywhere in the world) just cannot be freely discussed - which comment I have no doubt at least a few reading this will well understand!
This thread is titled: worst year for returns to UK that I can remember. I've put a bit of my own 'why that might be' into the thread, though in an admittedly (but to-my-mind-necessarily) cryptic manner - perhaps there are others braver than me willing to continue where I've left off?
I joined BE more than 6 years ago to try to get as much information as I could about New Zealand from persons already living here so that I could make the most informed decision possible about whether or not to move my family here. But then, just as now, just about everyone who had anything even the slightest bit negative to say on these forums about New Zealand was almost always shot down right swiftly, and often with some vehemence. And thus a one-sided and quite frankly often downright naive and even 'dishonest' view was all that was allowed for the most part to get through about New Zealand. And I resent that, I truly do, because the only people who were willing and dare I say often intelligent enough to understand the need for, and to give, a true picture of life here were bullied off of the threads. Anyone with any experience to share that was not all 'rosy and happy' was derisively tagged a "whinger, 'nuff said".
Most of my life has been spent living in countries all over the world as a 'happy, positive expat'. I'm an adventurer, and you would not easily find a more positive or optimistic person than me. Note than in over 5 years now in New Zealand, I have not posted on these boards but 2 or 3 times until recently. Well that's how long I've given NZ a chance, and I can honestly say that not only, IN MY EXPERIENCE, is this without question or doubt the worst place I have ever lived, but also I can't imagine there being many, if ANY, places in the world that could be even close to as bad for us as NZ has been- that was clear from our first few months here, and things never got much if any better despite our efforts month after month and year after year to 'fix' things, and god did we try. We just could not believe that a place could REALLY be this bad, it must be US, and so we kept trying - I'm one who has always always believed 'there MUST be a way, there just must be!' But we can't fix New Zealand. We can't fix the Tall Poppy Syndrome that affects us in particular because we AREN'T 'average' and have no desire for ourselves or for our children to become 'average' just to be deemed 'acceptable'. We can't fix the problems with the houses here, the damp miserable cold rotting-under-the-roughcast, asbestos-, borer- and lead-ridden houses - even if we could have completely 'fixed' the houses we've personally lived in, we couldn't have fixed ALL of the houses in our street, or our neighbourhood, or our town, the houses where our friends and neighbours and fellow citizens live - that last comment may have gone right over the heads of many of you, but a handful of you may understand what underlies it. It's an alien attitude to many on this forum who seem to think that 'if I'M alright jack, that's all that matters". We don't think that that's all that matters, we don't want to live in a society where we're doing OK when so many others aren't. And the truth is, most NZers aren't doing 'OK'.
There's no point in going further into this on BE, though there's so much to be said, so many more areas of living here to be covered. The truth is that there is just SO much seriously wrong with NZ for certain of us, immigrants AND NZers alike, but much of it is things that just can't easily or comfortably be discussed 'openly' on a public forum like this for a large variety of reasons, including the safeguarding of ones own personal identity in a small town/small country. How many times have people here been surprised to learn that 'so-and-so' has up and left NZ, when 'so-and-so' had never given any obvious outward sign of being unhappy here?? Well, so much of what makes people unhappy in NZ (and Im talking well beyond homesickness here, which is a very common and difficult-to-overcome condition that can affect certain expats anywhere in the world) just cannot be freely discussed - which comment I have no doubt at least a few reading this will well understand!
This thread is titled: worst year for returns to UK that I can remember. I've put a bit of my own 'why that might be' into the thread, though in an admittedly (but to-my-mind-necessarily) cryptic manner - perhaps there are others braver than me willing to continue where I've left off?
Sep 9th 2008, 9:57 pm
#37
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,285
Re: Worst year for returns to UK that I can remeber
I doubt there's anywhere in the world where 'all the dentists are bad'. However please read carefully your own comment luvwelly: "A lot of the comments in this thread are distortions based on individual experiences". If this is what you believe, then isn't your own comment re 'best I have ever seen dentist' also a 'distortion based on individual experience'? If feels to me from comments made by yourself and a few others who post from New Zealand on this forum that you expect from others respect for, acceptance, and belief in your own views and experiences of life here, yet are yourselves somewhat reluctant shall we say to equally accept, respect or believe in others' views and experiences of life here.
I joined BE more than 6 years ago to try to get as much information as I could about New Zealand from persons already living here so that I could make the most informed decision possible about whether or not to move my family here. But then, just as now, just about everyone who had anything even the slightest bit negative to say on these forums about New Zealand was almost always shot down right swiftly, and often with some vehemence. And thus a one-sided and quite frankly often downright naive and even 'dishonest' view was all that was allowed for the most part to get through about New Zealand. And I resent that, I truly do, because the only people who were willing and dare I say often intelligent enough to understand the need for, and to give, a true picture of life here were bullied off of the threads. Anyone with any experience to share that was not all 'rosy and happy' was derisively tagged a "whinger, 'nuff said".
Most of my life has been spent living in countries all over the world as a 'happy, positive expat'. I'm an adventurer, and you would not easily find a more positive or optimistic person than me. Note than in over 5 years now in New Zealand, I have not posted on these boards but 2 or 3 times until recently. Well that's how long I've given NZ a chance, and I can honestly say that not only, IN MY EXPERIENCE, is this without question or doubt the worst place I have ever lived, but also I can't imagine there being many, if ANY, places in the world that could be even close to as bad for us as NZ has been- that was clear from our first few months here, and things never got much if any better despite our efforts month after month and year after year to 'fix' things, and god did we try. We just could not believe that a place could REALLY be this bad, it must be US, and so we kept trying - I'm one who has always always believed 'there MUST be a way, there just must be!' But we can't fix New Zealand. We can't fix the Tall Poppy Syndrome that affects us in particular because we AREN'T 'average' and have no desire for ourselves or for our children to become 'average' just to be deemed 'acceptable'. We can't fix the problems with the houses here, the damp miserable cold rotting-under-the-roughcast, asbestos-, borer- and lead-ridden houses - even if we could have completely 'fixed' the houses we've personally lived in, we couldn't have fixed ALL of the houses in our street, or our neighbourhood, or our town, the houses where our friends and neighbours and fellow citizens live - that last comment may have gone right over the heads of many of you, but a handful of you may understand what underlies it. It's an alien attitude to many on this forum who seem to think that 'if I'M alright jack, that's all that matters". We don't think that that's all that matters, we don't want to live in a society where we're doing OK when so many others aren't. And the truth is, most NZers aren't doing 'OK'.
There's no point in going further into this on BE, though there's so much to be said, so many more areas of living here to be covered. The truth is that there is just SO much seriously wrong with NZ for certain of us, immigrants AND NZers alike, but much of it is things that just can't easily or comfortably be discussed 'openly' on a public forum like this for a large variety of reasons, including the safeguarding of ones own personal identity in a small town/small country. How many times have people here been surprised to learn that 'so-and-so' has up and left NZ, when 'so-and-so' had never given any obvious outward sign of being unhappy here?? Well, so much of what makes people unhappy in NZ (and Im talking well beyond homesickness here, which is a very common and difficult-to-overcome condition that can affect certain expats anywhere in the world) just cannot be freely discussed - which comment I have no doubt at least a few reading this will well understand!
This thread is titled: worst year for returns to UK that I can remember. I've put a bit of my own 'why that might be' into the thread, though in an admittedly (but to-my-mind-necessarily) cryptic manner - perhaps there are others braver than me willing to continue where I've left off?
I joined BE more than 6 years ago to try to get as much information as I could about New Zealand from persons already living here so that I could make the most informed decision possible about whether or not to move my family here. But then, just as now, just about everyone who had anything even the slightest bit negative to say on these forums about New Zealand was almost always shot down right swiftly, and often with some vehemence. And thus a one-sided and quite frankly often downright naive and even 'dishonest' view was all that was allowed for the most part to get through about New Zealand. And I resent that, I truly do, because the only people who were willing and dare I say often intelligent enough to understand the need for, and to give, a true picture of life here were bullied off of the threads. Anyone with any experience to share that was not all 'rosy and happy' was derisively tagged a "whinger, 'nuff said".
Most of my life has been spent living in countries all over the world as a 'happy, positive expat'. I'm an adventurer, and you would not easily find a more positive or optimistic person than me. Note than in over 5 years now in New Zealand, I have not posted on these boards but 2 or 3 times until recently. Well that's how long I've given NZ a chance, and I can honestly say that not only, IN MY EXPERIENCE, is this without question or doubt the worst place I have ever lived, but also I can't imagine there being many, if ANY, places in the world that could be even close to as bad for us as NZ has been- that was clear from our first few months here, and things never got much if any better despite our efforts month after month and year after year to 'fix' things, and god did we try. We just could not believe that a place could REALLY be this bad, it must be US, and so we kept trying - I'm one who has always always believed 'there MUST be a way, there just must be!' But we can't fix New Zealand. We can't fix the Tall Poppy Syndrome that affects us in particular because we AREN'T 'average' and have no desire for ourselves or for our children to become 'average' just to be deemed 'acceptable'. We can't fix the problems with the houses here, the damp miserable cold rotting-under-the-roughcast, asbestos-, borer- and lead-ridden houses - even if we could have completely 'fixed' the houses we've personally lived in, we couldn't have fixed ALL of the houses in our street, or our neighbourhood, or our town, the houses where our friends and neighbours and fellow citizens live - that last comment may have gone right over the heads of many of you, but a handful of you may understand what underlies it. It's an alien attitude to many on this forum who seem to think that 'if I'M alright jack, that's all that matters". We don't think that that's all that matters, we don't want to live in a society where we're doing OK when so many others aren't. And the truth is, most NZers aren't doing 'OK'.
There's no point in going further into this on BE, though there's so much to be said, so many more areas of living here to be covered. The truth is that there is just SO much seriously wrong with NZ for certain of us, immigrants AND NZers alike, but much of it is things that just can't easily or comfortably be discussed 'openly' on a public forum like this for a large variety of reasons, including the safeguarding of ones own personal identity in a small town/small country. How many times have people here been surprised to learn that 'so-and-so' has up and left NZ, when 'so-and-so' had never given any obvious outward sign of being unhappy here?? Well, so much of what makes people unhappy in NZ (and Im talking well beyond homesickness here, which is a very common and difficult-to-overcome condition that can affect certain expats anywhere in the world) just cannot be freely discussed - which comment I have no doubt at least a few reading this will well understand!
This thread is titled: worst year for returns to UK that I can remember. I've put a bit of my own 'why that might be' into the thread, though in an admittedly (but to-my-mind-necessarily) cryptic manner - perhaps there are others braver than me willing to continue where I've left off?
- negative posts always welcome by me but read on) I only posted because the thread was so unbalanced and other posters (not in NZ) were believing the unbalanced message.I am not saying people didn't have these experiences or that my experience is the accurate one, just that a distorted impression was being given in this thread....e.g. Patrick in this thread and others says the dentistry is awful in NZ but from previous threads he is concerned that it is not free, he is not saying the quality is bad (you wouldn't know this unless you had read his previous posts on the subject)....whereas Crapcoffee had a bad experience (you can have these anywhere - I had a couple in my last EU country)....others said 'there is no NHS' this is actually untrue where hospital care is concerned and needs to be refuted on factual grounds alone. Should you get private cover as well? Probably i.m.v.just to keep options open if waiting lists are long.
Yes my experience is just that, my experience but that is why I am sharing it to redress the balance in this thread. My only experience of hospital A&E so far has been good. I have private cover but there is no private A&E in Wellington. I agree with the poster who said it is an insult to doctors here to imply they are inferior because they didn't stay in Europe on their OE but came back to serve the country which trained them. Just as it is an insult when the media in the UK says the UK NHS is like a Third World Service (but here's the balanced bit...they really should do sth about MRSA)
I don't bang the drum for NZ at all if you review my posts, my circumstances are unusual, we are here for x years and will make the best of any place we are posted to..we don't have the financial pressures others have here....I can see how hard it is financially here for people who sell up in the UK and come here for 50% wage cuts so my advice is always do your budget very carefully and don't underestimate the effects of the geographic isolation....living here mortgage-free as a 'cashedup POM' (which I am not by the way) will always be easier than living here on the usually lower
Kiwi wages with a mortgage since the mortgage rates are so high.
I'm sorry you have had such a bad time here...I wouldn't want to live here forever either..it is too remote.....I think it is important to share your experiences and yes I agree some posters on here will shoot you down but that is not what I was doing...I was trying to just redress the balance in this thread. I wasn't the one who originally brought it off-topic from 'worst year for returns'. People who think the grass is always greener would do well to ask themselves why do so many Kiwis never return permanently if it is such a great place to live? Lower wages and isolation are the reasons the few I knew in Europe gave.
UPDATE: I just re-read my last post (I had a night's sleepinbetween!) and ..I wasn't saying it was all positive at all...I even mentioned the need for a high enough salary and the isolation.
Last edited by luvwelly; Sep 9th 2008 at 10:08 pm. Reason: re-read my other posts in thread
Sep 10th 2008, 6:23 am
#38
Life's a beach
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Cranbrook Kent
Posts: 150
Re: Worst year for returns to UK that I can remeber
From my point of view I will always be part English part Kiwi and which ever country I am in will miss the other one.
Sep 10th 2008, 8:59 am
#39
By name and by nature
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,852
Re: Worst year for returns to UK that I can remeber
Well. 
Apart from people getting their heads around heating and insulating their houses there's not such a lot different going on here than anywhere else - and I've just come back from Europe. There's no way there is as much crime here as where I've just been but otherwise people are consumed by the very same issues as us.
With regard to the Tall Poppy syndrome. Yes, it's a part of NZ culture - probably a peasant farmer thing where you didn't 'get above your station' but it applies to everyone and not just immigrants - so don't feel singled out -although you can of course if you choose to.
Unless you live in a highly populated area or a (very) anonymous suburb, being different is always going to be a problem. I spent the first 17 years of my life in a tiny village where I was so different I kept the old biddies awake at night. The first rule of being different is not to care what other people think of you - that's if it's an innate part of you - if it's something that's been cultivated then of course a person is going to want to be accepted 'no matter what'. It doesn't work that way. You have a few friends who appreciate that you're different and the rest don't matter. That's what I'd be teaching my kids in that situation.
An Australian colleague left us a couple of months ago to return 'home' with his wife and 2 daughters. They arrived back in Auckland today and he's back to work on Monday
People come, people go - it's that eternal circle of life!
Apart from people getting their heads around heating and insulating their houses there's not such a lot different going on here than anywhere else - and I've just come back from Europe. There's no way there is as much crime here as where I've just been but otherwise people are consumed by the very same issues as us.With regard to the Tall Poppy syndrome. Yes, it's a part of NZ culture - probably a peasant farmer thing where you didn't 'get above your station' but it applies to everyone and not just immigrants - so don't feel singled out -although you can of course if you choose to.
Unless you live in a highly populated area or a (very) anonymous suburb, being different is always going to be a problem. I spent the first 17 years of my life in a tiny village where I was so different I kept the old biddies awake at night.
The first rule of being different is not to care what other people think of you - that's if it's an innate part of you - if it's something that's been cultivated then of course a person is going to want to be accepted 'no matter what'. It doesn't work that way. You have a few friends who appreciate that you're different and the rest don't matter. That's what I'd be teaching my kids in that situation. An Australian colleague left us a couple of months ago to return 'home' with his wife and 2 daughters. They arrived back in Auckland today and he's back to work on Monday
People come, people go - it's that eternal circle of life!
Sep 10th 2008, 9:09 pm
#40
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Top of the South
Posts: 348
Re: Worst year for returns to UK that I can remeber
Well I am going to live to be at least 100 and I will argue the point with anyone who says otherwise
imo I can't seem to fault the Health service here, my GP is a nice lady, but according to some of the previous posters a lot of Doctors in this country are crap, do you think it might be because she is an immigrant? i don't but maybe its because she is happy in her work and is therefore good at it.
I was called in to have a mammogram very soon after jumping off the plane and the same goes for the smear, although I had to pay for that. I find the consultation fees acceptable, but fortunately am not a regular.
however when I do get to my 100th birthday I shall probably be toothless
and blind I won't be able to read the message from the King!
I am also interested that if the medical services here are as poor as has been stated why are we reasonably long lived?? Answers with bullet points would help please.
I think it is about 82 for a woman, although as I said it will be at least 100 for me, I would like to know the stats for the Nelson region too, this place is over-flowing with geriatric rest homes, I've got my bed booked, but not for another 40 years yet....
imo I can't seem to fault the Health service here, my GP is a nice lady, but according to some of the previous posters a lot of Doctors in this country are crap, do you think it might be because she is an immigrant? i don't but maybe its because she is happy in her work and is therefore good at it.
I was called in to have a mammogram very soon after jumping off the plane and the same goes for the smear, although I had to pay for that. I find the consultation fees acceptable, but fortunately am not a regular.
however when I do get to my 100th birthday I shall probably be toothless
and blind
I won't be able to read the message from the King!I am also interested that if the medical services here are as poor as has been stated why are we reasonably long lived?? Answers with bullet points would help please.
I think it is about 82 for a woman, although as I said it will be at least 100 for me, I would like to know the stats for the Nelson region too, this place is over-flowing with geriatric rest homes, I've got my bed booked, but not for another 40 years yet....
Sep 11th 2008, 5:43 am
#41
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2007
Location: Liverpool U.K.
Posts: 325
Re: Worst year for returns to UK that I can remeber
Well I am going to live to be at least 100 and I will argue the point with anyone who says otherwise
imo I can't seem to fault the Health service here, my GP is a nice lady, but according to some of the previous posters a lot of Doctors in this country are crap, do you think it might be because she is an immigrant? i don't but maybe its because she is happy in her work and is therefore good at it.
I was called in to have a mammogram very soon after jumping off the plane and the same goes for the smear, although I had to pay for that. I find the consultation fees acceptable, but fortunately am not a regular.
however when I do get to my 100th birthday I shall probably be toothless
and blind I won't be able to read the message from the King!
I am also interested that if the medical services here are as poor as has been stated why are we reasonably long lived?? Answers with bullet points would help please.
I think it is about 82 for a woman, although as I said it will be at least 100 for me, I would like to know the stats for the Nelson region too, this place is over-flowing with geriatric rest homes, I've got my bed booked, but not for another 40 years yet....
imo I can't seem to fault the Health service here, my GP is a nice lady, but according to some of the previous posters a lot of Doctors in this country are crap, do you think it might be because she is an immigrant? i don't but maybe its because she is happy in her work and is therefore good at it.
I was called in to have a mammogram very soon after jumping off the plane and the same goes for the smear, although I had to pay for that. I find the consultation fees acceptable, but fortunately am not a regular.
however when I do get to my 100th birthday I shall probably be toothless
and blind
I won't be able to read the message from the King!I am also interested that if the medical services here are as poor as has been stated why are we reasonably long lived?? Answers with bullet points would help please.
I think it is about 82 for a woman, although as I said it will be at least 100 for me, I would like to know the stats for the Nelson region too, this place is over-flowing with geriatric rest homes, I've got my bed booked, but not for another 40 years yet....
Sep 11th 2008, 6:32 am
#42
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 968
Re: Worst year for returns to UK that I can remeber
Sep 11th 2008, 6:57 am
#43
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Top of the South
Posts: 348
Re: Worst year for returns to UK that I can remeber
U will most definitely be toothless unless u r well off. I always used to wonder were all the old people were in Auckland?? Seriously we used to think they were pushed off cliffs when they reached a certain age. Think about it do u ever see many O.A.P.s? God alone knows what the resthomes charges are as there obviously will not be any state run homes will there? Mind you the house u have been paying off for all those years will have to pay for that. Food for thought......
I don't think there are state run rest homes, but the state will step in and pay when your income drops below a certain level, by the time I am 90 -100 I plan on being flat broke!
Sep 11th 2008, 7:50 am
#44
Weirdo Latin Dude
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Hotter than hell
Posts: 2,545
Re: Worst year for returns to UK that I can remeber
Well I am going to live to be at least 100 and I will argue the point with anyone who says otherwise
imo I can't seem to fault the Health service here, my GP is a nice lady, but according to some of the previous posters a lot of Doctors in this country are crap, do you think it might be because she is an immigrant? i don't but maybe its because she is happy in her work and is therefore good at it.
I was called in to have a mammogram very soon after jumping off the plane and the same goes for the smear, although I had to pay for that. I find the consultation fees acceptable, but fortunately am not a regular.
however when I do get to my 100th birthday I shall probably be toothless
and blind I won't be able to read the message from the King!
I am also interested that if the medical services here are as poor as has been stated why are we reasonably long lived?? Answers with bullet points would help please.
I think it is about 82 for a woman, although as I said it will be at least 100 for me, I would like to know the stats for the Nelson region too, this place is over-flowing with geriatric rest homes, I've got my bed booked, but not for another 40 years yet....
imo I can't seem to fault the Health service here, my GP is a nice lady, but according to some of the previous posters a lot of Doctors in this country are crap, do you think it might be because she is an immigrant? i don't but maybe its because she is happy in her work and is therefore good at it.
I was called in to have a mammogram very soon after jumping off the plane and the same goes for the smear, although I had to pay for that. I find the consultation fees acceptable, but fortunately am not a regular.
however when I do get to my 100th birthday I shall probably be toothless
and blind
I won't be able to read the message from the King!I am also interested that if the medical services here are as poor as has been stated why are we reasonably long lived?? Answers with bullet points would help please.
I think it is about 82 for a woman, although as I said it will be at least 100 for me, I would like to know the stats for the Nelson region too, this place is over-flowing with geriatric rest homes, I've got my bed booked, but not for another 40 years yet....
Often heard as well about the long life-line in NZ, so it would be good to know any other reasons for this?
Sep 11th 2008, 8:27 am
#45
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: In a large village called Auckland
Posts: 5,249
Re: Worst year for returns to UK that I can remeber
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...ife_expectancy
NZ is at number 32 and UK 37th with only a matter of months difference. Aussie fares marginally better at number 9.