New Zealand - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

[intern]

Interesting vid on leaving SA. For those who settled in NZ, are his comments re kiwis reminding us of how terrible SA is accurate? Around 11:50 in the vid. ***strong language*** https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=914116148944240&id=504544813234711

This oke is a classic ********, Kiwis would not have liked him, don't get me wrong   

[intern]

'Tough to live overseas and bite your lip' - you reckon any other culture is going to be thrilled if you pull in and then try tell them that while you are there and everything, their domestic culture isn't better than the one you fled? This palluka clearly tried that on and was surprised when the locals didn't schmaak it so much...hahaha. He ain't going nowhere.

[patches]

Where did you stay in Weltevreden Park? I lived in that suburb from 1979 right up to my move to the UAE begging this year. Grew up on Cornelius Street, went to Panorama Primary.... My parents are still there! But they relocate to PMB next month to retire.

 

Haha- I was born in Marizburg and grew up in Howick. Was in Insinde St in Welties, close to Jim Fouche/JG Strydom intersection...

Having been to Pmb a year or 2 ago - man, that place is absolutely shocking. Looks like it's been bombed. So depressing - used to cruise through Alex Park on the way into Take 5 and Crowded House, past the cemetaries on Commercial Road. It's all destroyed now. So sad.

 

I also grew up in and around that hood.

 

We moved around a bit but always in that general area. Karibbiese St (near the water reservoir on the Cnr John voster & Beyers Naude (DF Malan back then). Then Spekboom just down the road from Panorama Primary. The Tureluur Ave, just down the road from Randridge Mall.

 

Went to Welties primary and Rand Park High School.

 

Small world!

[patches]

Yes thank you. My job is on the” long term skill” list

My goal is residency and ultimately citizenship, so your 1st option would be the one i will aim for.

 

There are a number of other options. Some require one to setup businesses, or huge amounts of money to invest etc. But one that is quite viable and which a few people (including myself) would have come over on is the Talent - Accredited Employer

 

This is roughly the same as the Talent - Long Term Skills Shortage visa except for the following:

• No need to be on skills shortage list
• Employer needs to be accredited (most decent sized companies are)
• and best of all... one can skip residency and fast track to Permanent Residency if they earn over $90,000pa.

Citizenship will still take about 5yrs after PR, but besides tourist visas for various countries and working in Aus, PR is almost as good as Citizenship. One can leave and come back anytime.

[intern]

I also grew up in and around that hood.

 

We moved around a bit but always in that general area. Karibbiese St (near the water reservoir on the Cnr John voster & Beyers Naude (DF Malan back then). Then Spekboom just down the road from Panorama Primary. The Tureluur Ave, just down the road from Randridge Mall.

 

Went to Welties primary and Rand Park High School.

 

Small world!

Biggest place you'll ever visit, my china!

[eibmoZ]

How is the work culture compared to SA?

I read on the NZ sites they “just get on with it”

 

Might be controversial here but although people say Saffers work hard... I have always found people around me in corporate to be mostly just doing what they need to. This has always enabled me to stand out a bit.

 

Im going with the attitude of showing my value. Work hard but still maintain life balance. Also going to learn as much as i can from the people.

 

Told my wife if we do this, go dont go half in. We go full in soaking it all up.

[GrahamS2]

How is the work culture compared to SA?

I read on the NZ sites they “just get on with it”

 

Might be controversial here but although people say Saffers work hard... I have always found people around me in corporate to be mostly just doing what they need to. This has always enabled me to stand out a bit.

 

Im going with the attitude of showing my value. Work hard but still maintain life balance. Also going to learn as much as i can from the people.

 

Told my wife if we do this, go dont go half in. We go full in soaking it all up.

I always chuckle at the 'saffas work hard' opinion. I'm my experience, they generally don't work any harder than other people. Background and ethnicity of people here is far wider than I experienced in SA, so no particular group of people really stands out. Culture is very much dependent on the specific organisation, but I've found people to be far more professional and take their jobs quite seriously, than in SA. I worked for 10+ organisations in SA and every single one of them had a fair amount of 'dead wood' floating around - people that just collect a pay check and manage to fly below the radar. I haven't experienced that at all in Australia so far.

Edited August 30, 2019 by GrahamS2

[hayleyearth]

Don't even get me started on the work ethic of people here (well the lack there of). In my company I often wonder what most of the people do there including management level as most are just walking around with fancy coffee cups and chit chatting in the passage ways.... There is no such thing as timelines/deadlines in my company..... Don't know how we are almost always in the top 4 on the NZ stock market!

[patham]

I always chuckle at the 'saffas work hard' opinion. I'm my experience, they generally don't work any harder than other people. Background and ethnicity of people here is far wider than I experienced in SA, so no particular group of people really stands out. Culture is very much dependent on the specific organisation, but I've found people to be far more professional and take their jobs quite seriously, than in SA. I worked for 10+ organisations in SA and every single one of them had a fair amount of 'dead wood' floating around - people that just collect a pay check and manage to fly below the radar. I haven't experienced that at all in Australia so far.

 

Not sure I agree with you there, but my sample size and industry is biased. I think that in the professional consulting businesses here (science and engineering), native Australians are under-represented in general, and at higher levels in particular. But that is because migration to Aus in these fields is generally limited to the go-getters with an ambition to better themselves and have built up appropriate experience - hence the bias in the sample. Whereas the native born are the full spectrum of "deadwood" to "go-getters", so their average performance is drawn down !

 

I do agree that hard work and ethics is pretty multi-cultural here, but I think the saffa's (in professional roles at least) pull more than their "nominal" fair share.   

[patham]

Don't even get me started on the work ethic of people here (well the lack there of). In my company I often wonder what most of the people do there including management level as most are just walking around with fancy coffee cups and chit chatting in the passage ways.... There is no such thing as timelines/deadlines in my company..... Don't know how we are almost always in the top 4 on the NZ stock market!

 

If coffee was banned tomorrow here in Aus, people would have about an extra hour in their day to find something else to waste their time with. And don't forget the other irritating trend - that people now have to be continually hydrated and need to have at least a 1.5 litre jug of water on their person at all times. Even in the corridor. Or the 30 minute meeting. Otherwise they might expire. Because they forgot that when your body says you are thirsty, that might be an appropriate time to get a glass of water from the cooler.

 

Attack of the Friday grumpies !

[RossW]

If coffee was banned tomorrow here in Aus, people would have about an extra hour in their day to find something else to waste their time with. And don't forget the other irritating trend - that people now have to be continually hydrated and need to have at least a 1.5 litre jug of water on their person at all times. Even in the corridor. Or the 30 minute meeting. Otherwise they might expire. Because they forgot that when your body says you are thirsty, that might be an appropriate time to get a glass of water from the cooler.

 

Attack of the Friday grumpies !

I love my 10:00, $3 coffee, every day [emoji16]

I don’t understand the water requirement though.

[WrightJnr]

I also grew up in and around that hood.

 

We moved around a bit but always in that general area. Karibbiese St (near the water reservoir on the Cnr John voster & Beyers Naude (DF Malan back then). Then Spekboom just down the road from Panorama Primary. The Tureluur Ave, just down the road from Randridge Mall.

 

Went to Welties primary and Rand Park High School.

 

Small world!

Cool! I went to RPH too. About a decade earlier than you though I assume. [emoji16]

[Wayne Potgieter]

Anyone have any tips for semi decent 24 inch bikes?

 

The stuff in the stores is garbage.

[MrJacques]

Anyone have any tips for semi decent 24 inch bikes?

 

The stuff in the stores is garbage.

 

These look nice: https://signalbikes.co.za/collections/kids-bikes

 

Not sure how you'd get them over to NZ though.

[patham]

Anyone have any tips for semi decent 24 inch bikes?

 

The stuff in the stores is garbage.

 

Giant XTC Junior - cable disc was the sweet spot for us. You can go one up for hydraulic brakes and trigger shifters, but then they are getting pricey.

 

But pretty much all bikes at this level have junky coil forks. My youngsters lasted less than a year - and with jumps and bumps it was trashed - and would cost too much to have looked at, let alone repair. I had an 100 mm travel Reba dual air straight steerer sitting around from my old 26" , so put it on as an upgrade. Became a silky-smooth, mean machine as the fork is so plush from 8 years of use that it does not have the sticktion that these lighties experience on newer air forks. The standard forks on the Giant are 26" sized, so it didn't even slacken the head angle.

[canfan]

Anyone have any tips for semi decent 24 inch bikes?

 

The stuff in the stores is garbage.

Hey Wayne. I am about to sell my sons Giants XTC 24” if you are interested. It’s still in great condition as it hasn’t had much use. It’s the one with disc brakes and the air shock. Let me know if you are interested and I can send you some pictures tomorrow.