wayne
9th April 2008, 10:30 PM
Hi to all you people I dont know and hi to any that still remember us.
Well its been nearly 3 years now and what a 3 years, many up's and downs, but all in all not too bad,I still miss the UK but am pretty sure this is home now.
We have a similar life to the Uk except that we own our home outright now (just as well as to pay a mortgage would be a struggle some months).
We have a good circle of social friends,I belong to a couple of clubs I am in the process of restoring my dream car , a 1956 Chevrolet Bel-Air and I am lucky to have a job I like and after two years of dead ends Trudy now has a job she loves ,working with special needs kids at Orewa College.
If I was to offer any advice to new migrants or wannabe's it would be to do your home work and dont bother with the six month visa route as some are lucky, but we know of someone who has to go back next week , to no job and no house in the UK all for the sake of not doing their home work,
I guess you must be prepared to do work that some may consider beneath them to make a living .(to coin a Kiwi phrase "get over it") I left the UK as a college lecturer of many years , but here have has to work as a welder, a fence and gate maker, even welding the inside of septic tanks! but now have settled back as a panelbeater a trade I did my apprenticeship in many years ago ,and having just turned 50 some days it can be difficult grovelling around on a concrete floor under a wet car,
I think what I'm trying to say that if you come to NZ with a "I couldnt possibly lower myself to that attitude " you may find it hard going .
Dont think NZ is all wonderful and the land of milk and honey it isnt, but theres not too much to complain about really, although for the first time in my life I found out what real depression was all about and even was on anti depressants, but thankfully with the help of my best mate and wife it was a relatively short episode.
But Hey when I stroll along Orewa beach with my dogs with the sun on my back theres *** all to complain about.
Wayne
Well its been nearly 3 years now and what a 3 years, many up's and downs, but all in all not too bad,I still miss the UK but am pretty sure this is home now.
We have a similar life to the Uk except that we own our home outright now (just as well as to pay a mortgage would be a struggle some months).
We have a good circle of social friends,I belong to a couple of clubs I am in the process of restoring my dream car , a 1956 Chevrolet Bel-Air and I am lucky to have a job I like and after two years of dead ends Trudy now has a job she loves ,working with special needs kids at Orewa College.
If I was to offer any advice to new migrants or wannabe's it would be to do your home work and dont bother with the six month visa route as some are lucky, but we know of someone who has to go back next week , to no job and no house in the UK all for the sake of not doing their home work,
I guess you must be prepared to do work that some may consider beneath them to make a living .(to coin a Kiwi phrase "get over it") I left the UK as a college lecturer of many years , but here have has to work as a welder, a fence and gate maker, even welding the inside of septic tanks! but now have settled back as a panelbeater a trade I did my apprenticeship in many years ago ,and having just turned 50 some days it can be difficult grovelling around on a concrete floor under a wet car,
I think what I'm trying to say that if you come to NZ with a "I couldnt possibly lower myself to that attitude " you may find it hard going .
Dont think NZ is all wonderful and the land of milk and honey it isnt, but theres not too much to complain about really, although for the first time in my life I found out what real depression was all about and even was on anti depressants, but thankfully with the help of my best mate and wife it was a relatively short episode.
But Hey when I stroll along Orewa beach with my dogs with the sun on my back theres *** all to complain about.
Wayne