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Post by jonesy on Oct 11, 2011 12:31:10 GMT 12
Its interesting how people in another land hold onto their identity. When we were in the UK in the early 90's there were heaps of Kiwis in London that lived in Kiwi flats, worked in Kiwi pubs, went mainly to Kiwi/Aussie social events, and then travelled Europe with Kiwis. Shouldve stayed at home! We did the opposite, and kept independant of the Kiwi/Aussie/SA scene. Was a much better experience. Reason I asked this originally is that we're gonna shift to Perth next year, and whilst the missus and I will alweays be Kiwis, I do wonder how the kids will turn out - maybe bit of a hybrid? Will be interesting to see how it pans out...
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Post by strikemaster on Oct 11, 2011 13:43:22 GMT 12
How old are they? I was 16 when I hit the west island and no sign's of giving up my nationality.
You know, I wonder if its because I grew up in the 70's and 80's and moved here in the late 80's. NZ back when I was a kid was freaking awesome, not so much the people, but the place. Hunting, fishing, swimming in Lake Taupo and the East coast. Pure freedom. I think sometimes my glasses are rose tinted.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 11, 2011 14:02:51 GMT 12
When I was in London in 1996 I decided to one night go to a pub that was a kiwi and Aussie haunt, because then it was the only place in London that had Lion Red that I knew of and I fancied a taste of home for a change. It was packed out with mainly australians and I really didn't like it. I was about to leave and was pushing my way through the crowd to get out when i came face to face with a really good mate I'd gone to school with. I hadn't seen him for about a year and the last time I had seen him we were stood in the pub in Cambridge both lamenting the fact that we really wanted to go back to London. Now we met again, in a pub in London. Funny how things happen, with 12 million people in london and I bump into an old mate like that just as i was leaving. Naturally I stayed for a few more beers with him, till they shut the bar at a ridiculously early 11pm.
I went to another bar once that was advertised in NZ-UK News as THE kiwi pub, it was called The Polar Bear, quite near to Chinatown in a really creepy, filthy area. It was full of Russians and cockneys, and I didn't see/hear another kiwi there at all. The beer was overpriced and wasn't from NZ. And the toilet was overflowing shit all over the floor. I had one pint and left. I don't know which bit of NZ they were trying to emulate but it was noting like the bars I've been to here.
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Post by chinapilot on Oct 11, 2011 16:01:22 GMT 12
During the '80s and '90s some good friends of mine had a 'New Zealand' Shop in London and did quite well out of it, not just with homesick Kiwis but many English clients who liked NZ products ...
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Post by Peter Lewis on Oct 11, 2011 17:07:17 GMT 12
I remember that shop. It was on the ground floor of New Zealand house, located in the walk-through back alley.
Used to have lunches in London at a Covent Garden pub, where the waitress confessed she grew up in Taihape.
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Post by jonesy on Oct 11, 2011 19:13:09 GMT 12
During the '80s and '90s some good friends of mine had a 'New Zealand' Shop in London and did quite well out of it, not just with homesick Kiwis but many English clients who liked NZ products ... yep! used to get our fix of jaffas and minties when we visited town...
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 11, 2011 19:15:00 GMT 12
I recall that NZ shop too, I remember the tiniest jars of vegemite cost about five times the cost of the huge jar I took with me for my sister. Talk about a rip off.
Now here in Cambridge we have one shop specialising in English food for the English immigrants and another seperate shop specialising in South African food for people from there, and a third shop speciaising in Dutch and other European foods. All seem to be doing a roaring trade.
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Post by obiwan27 on Oct 11, 2011 19:33:30 GMT 12
One another occasion I was standing at an underground railway map studying it to see which Tube I needed to take. I felt a whack on my bag that I was wearing and heard a voice say "Nice bag". I turned to see a guy in a suit walking off with an identical Macpac bag and the same identical NZ flag patch sewn onto it that I'd bought and had sewn on. He had a big grin on his face, as did I. That's amazing Dave, as I had a similar thing happen to me in Waterloo Station as I was on the way to Norwich to stay with my rellies back in 1990. Great way for Ex-pat Kiwis to spot each other from afar those Macpac backpacks.
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hobbes
Leading Aircraftman
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Post by hobbes on Oct 11, 2011 20:41:15 GMT 12
Having sat through my mother in laws citizenship ceremony earlier this year made me reconsider my previous thoughts on dual citizenship. It made me realize that there was no way that I could pledge allegiance to another country and mean it. Maybe it's me being a kiwi 'bloke', maybe my service time helps. All I know is that I'm a kiwi full stop. My wife on the other hand has no issues with it, but has done a longer stint here from a younger age. My kids are in trouble as one was born in NZ but moved over here at 6 months, the other was born here in Oz, but both have NZ passports. Unfortunately they both say 'dance' not 'darnce' . At least the oldest one does know our team wears the black shirts, don't they Dad.
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Post by nuuumannn on Oct 11, 2011 21:06:50 GMT 12
I've lived in Australia, Germany and the UK and will always be a Kiwi and will always support the All Blacks. Wearing my All Black jersey, which got pinched by a fellow Kiwi in Edinburgh, a self professed hippy by the name of Jon - "give me my jersey back, you long haired Ess-Oh-Bee!", got me a night of free drinks each in Ansbach in Germany and St Petersburg in Russia!
"Amerikansk? Angiliskiy?" "Nyet, Novaya Zelandiya" "Aaaah All Blacks! Dvo pivo pazhalsta!"
When I came back here though, I wasn't that keen on it. The wages are too low and opportunities are not the same as what they are abroad. The only reason I did was because my girlfriend, whose now my wife got a job in Christchurch. If I chose not to follow her, like she offered, I'd still be over there, but I'd still be a Kiwi.
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Post by chinapilot on Oct 11, 2011 21:21:05 GMT 12
A lot of Kiwis do go around on the 'shirttails' of the All Blacks- Most expat Kiwis, myself included, would be hard pressed to name the team members Unfortunately what Kiwis are known for overseas is a reluctance to put their hands in their pockets - everything is a 'rip-off' and "back home we only pay so much" etc etc. I worked with a bunch of Irish guys in Lagos and they just about fell over when I bought a round...several Kiwis had been working with them and evidently would go to great lengths to avoid their round
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Post by strikemaster on Oct 12, 2011 15:38:29 GMT 12
I've not heard Kiwi's refereed to as tight arses before. Piss heads, yes, tight arses no. ;D
I know most of the AB's, new guys excepted as we don't get to see any of the NPC over here. Now that Melbourne has a super rugby team I'm sure I'll hear more about the new guys.
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Post by chinapilot on Oct 12, 2011 15:49:53 GMT 12
Before that in the early '80s it was in a little lane near Covent Garden - only moving to NZ House towards the end of my friends time with it.
At that time and into the early part of this century Kiwi bar staff and waitresses were highly thought of in the UK and only got pushed out, as it were, due to the cheaper Poles and other EU members coming to the UK.
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Post by Darren Masters on Oct 12, 2011 16:01:20 GMT 12
I'm yet to meet stacks of tight-arse Kiwis. Most I have met have been quite good with money/spending/shouting. I guess you will find a tight-arse everywhere. In saying that, I find it quite expensive to live here compared to Aus especially with fuel and groceries. They got to catch on to the 'Tight-arse Tuesday' marketing thing here. That's where things like pizzas/movies etc are cheaper on Tuesdays.
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Post by chinapilot on Oct 12, 2011 17:22:07 GMT 12
Spent around 35 years overseas since I was 21 and it's the first time I've seen/heard an Aussie trying to ingratiate himself with Kiwis
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Post by Darren Masters on Oct 12, 2011 17:40:34 GMT 12
Spent around 35 years overseas since I was 21 and it's the first time I've seen/heard an Aussie trying to ingratiate himself with Kiwis Maybe you've been hanging around in the wrong places I don't seem to have too much trouble...
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mroz
Flying Officer
Posts: 59
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Post by mroz on Oct 12, 2011 19:36:51 GMT 12
Apologies, my error, sorry for taking an interest.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 12, 2011 20:15:58 GMT 12
mroz, sorry for snapping at you.
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Post by flyjoe180 on Oct 12, 2011 20:40:30 GMT 12
Dave is nervy, there are lightning storms about
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Post by ox on Oct 21, 2011 2:19:40 GMT 12
I've been in Aus for 14 years now.
I'm bilingual so most people don't even pick that I'm a kiwi.
I still support the ABs, and most others, but adopt a pragmatic approach to supporting the Black Caps.
Can't see myself moving back to NZ, in fact I may ditch australia too, haven't decided.
I will only spend about 16 weeks in the country this year anyway, rest in PNG working and holidays elsewhere.
Cebu looks alright as a base, nice and cheap, spend a bit of time there as have a mate who lives there, and now I seem to have a girlfriend there too.............
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