Cold comfort. Its easy to draw a parallel between the condition of NZ’s homes and the country in general
Welcome to another Migrant Tale – hundreds of first hand accounts of the migrant experience of New Zealand.
Today’s second tale was sent in by another German expat, married to a Kiwi who is counting down the days until she can leave New Zealand.
Unable to find work commensurate with her qualifications, and disappointed with much of what New Zealand has to offer here’s why she’s leaving:
“I am German and I am counting the days till we are going to leave this place. I have experienced racism against me here in NZ in so many possible ways as well and I now have a child and under no circumstance I will allow that he experiences the same as I have been over the last 2 years.
As well am I highly experienced in my field where I am additionally holding a honours master degree, nevertheless the only jobs I was offered were low paid assistance jobs…assisting much lower qualified kiwis in tasks they are simply to lazy to do themselves.
It’s going to be a change for us to live in a small flat again instead of a house as we do here in NZ but I always say to my partner, you exchange space with no longer living in total social isolation, a functioning health system, culture, infrastructure, lower cost of living, great free (!) education, friends and family, and so much more….A bit more living space is a bad trade for all these things…
The whole life in NZ is as the NZ houses are: looking good and shiny from the outside but it’s shabby from the inside. Whereas in Germany some things might not look so modern or fancy but when you look deeper you see it has substance, depth, quality, thoughtfulness etc. This includes the people.
Btw my partner is kiwi and he agrees with me but he’s been living for about 10 years abroad and about 7 of it it in Gemany…He calls Germany home, where he has been welcomed with open arms whilst I get treated like a dog in New Zealand.”
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The problem with NZ is it culture. It’s a rotten country from inside. Just looks good and polished from outside. Till date I have yet to meet a kiwi who is ‘normal’.
The other problem these guys have is in their thinking that ‘kiwi way of doing thing is better’.
I have never seen so stuck up people in my life.
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I can so relate to your comments, I’m a UK citizen and despite having lived in NZ since 1967 get the veiled as humor racist comments near daily.
I have lived and worked overseas for extended periods, including in Norway, Sweden, German, France, and Italy. I loved life in Europe and was in the process of planning to return to live in France to open a B&B / Gites, something I was able to do due to the benefit of the UK/EU passport. Sadly my former fellow countrymen seem to have suffered a complete and utter breakdown of good sense and it very much appears has scuppered my dream of the last 5 years.
I have no longing nor desire to return to the UK, to me that would be swapping the faults of NZ for even greater faults with the UK.
I just wish Merkel could somehow get May to see sense and stop this stupidity of the Brexit.
great story ! and yes you are so right about everything.I experienced the same things as an Dutchie after almost five years living and working my ass of in nz for the poorest quality of life I ever experienced in my whole life. I have lived in an second world country in the middle east which has offered me far better quality of housing then nz ever did !
I am happy you have the decision to move to Germany for sure your child will be healthier and it is always nicer to grow up with happier parents as well !
I wish you guy’s all the best of luck in Germany !
I have left nz now for almost four months and I have absolutely no regrets ! My chances in Australia and Canada for my husband are far more better and challenging including the salaries.
At the moment i am having an cheap holiday in bali where you can do all the adventure sports NZ has to offer for a few buck ! Besides the culture and food are far more interesting and better quality.
And I’m like Why in the world did I spend all my savings on NZ ? Why didn’t i think of this before ?
Anyway I hope any of you guy’s won’t make the same mistake i have made to stay longer than one year !
My husband is struggling not to come into depression. Even while he has been in Paris for two weeks << his behavior has drastically changed after NZ and i wander if he will ever be his old self again ?
He has never isolated himself from all friends and family and I really am concerned how long it will take to get over NZ if not ever.
Like one of my best friends only stayed in nz for about an year and never was the same person again after only ONE YEAR IN CHRISTCHURCH NZ !!
I ACTUALLY BELIEVE I LOST MY FRIENDSHIP WITH HER BECAUSE OF THIS EXPERIENCE.
She changed so much after NZ that is was impossible for us to be friends again. We grew up with each other from 6 year old and had known her for 26 years…
So no i don't think you can go wrong on leaving NZ.
thanks for mentioning it E2nz. I think that would be an great option for him. I really hope he will open up to his family and maybe even talk to an psychologist once he’s back into the health system .
I knew it was going to be an progress to recover mentally for him but I never thought things would end up like this ! pfffeww really are hoping for the best ! Will see if he’s into it.
I sure hope so E2NZ ! He seems to be in an state of shock since he has been back in Europe.
The situation in New Zealand is so bad, it causes many people, especially migrants, to develop PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Symptoms of this include: disturbing thoughts, feelings and dreams, mental or physical distress to trauma-related cues (triggers), attempts to avoid trigger related events, alterations to thinking, feeling and behavioural patterns, and an increase in fight and flight response.
Another response is the development of C-PTSD (Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). This is similar to PTSD, but tends to be developed from ongoing experiences of abuse and trauma, rather than shorter term trauma. People who have endured situations which involve being trapped and abused are most prone to this including those who have been: kidnapped, have been prisoners or war, are concentration camp survivors or have been in situations such as working in sweatshops, being forced into sex slavery or having long term child abuse. Symptoms of this include prolonged feelings of helplessness and a destruction of a sense of self.
Of course, there is no reason an individual can’t suffer from both conditions.
It really shows something about New Zealand, that living there can result in the same kinds of mental responses that soldiers can develop in a war zone or concentration camp survivors can develop. The culture of this horrible place is absolutely brutal.
you hit the nail on the head Xavier. I am afraid this has happened to him and the worst thing is there is not much I can do for him now than get my own life back in order . I try to not become an victim from this experience in NZ as much as I can . and when he needs support I’ll just hope he’ll go to the right people !
Have to call you up on that one – in Bali, what mountains do they have? What grade-4 rivers? Where is the skiing and snowboarding resorts? What about canyon jumping? Luge tracks?
I’m all for taking people on face value, but I’ve been to Bali, and you can’t do a fraction of the extreme sports you can in New Zealand.