the how and the why

Lately, we've met quite a few people from other parts of the world and many have been intrigued by why we moved to New Zealand and how we went about it. This post is a series of (slightly edited) emails which tells our story. Firstly the "why", written in a lengthy corespondance, followed by bits of the "how". Funny, I still get knots in my stomach reading these:

Hi Kathleen,
Well, its a big story - bigger than I thought until I typed it!

The idea of our dream life started as a series of conversations Tracey and I had about the state of the UK (crumbling health service, tragic education, underfunded public transport, gutless politicians) and what we wanted for our children. It was something that had come up before and we looked at moving home to the West Country but always felt that the small town attitudes, resistance to change and narrow mindedness - as well as shops that shut at 4.30pm on a Wednesday, wasn't going to sit well with us. Mainly it was the lack of work. Graphic design only goes as far as t-shirt printing and big vinyl banners in Somerset.

We looked to Europe - Spain was a possible, so we visited it to see - good weather, but the language barrier was an big issue.

I dreamed of living on  mountain teaching snowboarding - but in my 3 years experience as an instructor I realised it was a job for young, single people - certainly not a wage that you could raise a family on, besides Tracey wouldnt be able to use any of her skills - in essence in would be my dream, not our dream.

Some friends gave us a book on NZ and it looked so beautiful, but we both thought "Its as rural a Somerset with 40 million sheep, what will we do for jobs?" - how little we knew back then!

As early as 2003 (when I was "working" for Southwark Council - read: plenty of time of my hands - I started researching what it would take for us to get there. Believe me, there was a ton of stuff to understand, restrictions, conditions, as with all emigration. I felt totally overwhelmed but managed to glean that the first stage was to get my qualifications assessed by the NZ authorities. So I went ahead and did that - just in case.

Then all at once New Zealand seemed to be calling. Friends with pictures and stories, Whale Rider, Lord of the Rings, the snowboarding scene, the surf was great (2 really important conditions for me!) As it turned 2004 I had made a decision - and hoped Tracey would see it too. I had read and digested all the paperwork and knew what was involved. I printed bits out and showed them to Tracey. She thought it looked comnplicated but do-able. It was all top secret.

NZ emigration is based on Work Experience, age, qualifications, health and police clearance. With 2 degrees and other things in our favour, it looked good. But it all was all based on points and a passmark.

In Feb 2004 the passmark stood at 180 - without a job offer we had 110 :( There seemed to be a catch 22 - I couldn't get a work visa without a job offer but I wouldn't get offered work unless I was legally allowed to work in NZ. We hit a dead end.

We tried to be philosophical, we hadnt even been there as yet, so we reserved judgement until we could go and check it out. Then another coincidence - Niels' wedding! The perfect opportunity and perfect timing. By this time I was certain but Tracey was more cautious "lets not make any decisions until we get there". Everything I read about NZ, from laws to environmental projects seemed well considered, intelligent, and forward looking. It was safe, clean, green, spacious, with a healthy outdoor lifestyle. But best of all, it had a shortage of skilled workers. And graphic design was an identified future growth area.

Not making a decision until we got there evaporated when shortly before touchdown when we caught site of the place through the plane window - we were both moved to tears, it was so beautiful. Minutes after leaving the airport Tracey turned to me as said "yeah, lets live here baby, lets do it!"

Our adventures in NZ were extensive: Bungie jumping, skydiving, kayaking, hiking, horseriding. The food too was amazing and the wines, delicious. We were struck by the genuine warmth, friendliness and generosity of the kiwis - the guy at the hotel even drove us to a 24hr supermarket after we overslept and woke up ravenous at 10pm but room service and delivery food had stopped. What a nice guy!

Then there was the wedding - great to see Niels and meet his bethrothed, Debs. We toured the South Island then returned to Wellington to stay with the newly weds. When I saw their house, their view, their life, I was deeply jealous for the first time in my life. We hung out in Wellington and fell in love the city.

We had originally hoped for Wellington but Auckland is a good place to start. So thats the story.
Phil

Now to a blow-by-blow of the "how".

Hi Phil,
Thanks for your application for the Senior Design Position, we would be very interested to meet with you and view your portfolio. How does Monday the 18th of October sound any time before 4pm, hopefully this will give you enough time to get over the jetlag. Let me know if you can make it this day and what time would suit you. If you can get to NZ any sooner let me know.
Thanks & Best Regards
Joseph

Joseph,
That date is fine. Is 11am okay?
Phil

Hi Phil,
11am is fine, we'll see you then.
Regards
Joseph

Hi Phil,
Sorry for the delay, we'd like to offer you the job - I have spoken to Greg and we are working on sending all the necessary paper work to you by tomorrow.
Hope all is well with you.
Best Regards
Joseph

From: "Phil Roberts"
To: Tracey Roberts
Subject: its going off JC! Job offers and interviews

Hello T,
Yep, got offered the job in Auckland as I suspected. CHRIST! What do we do? They were hoping to have me back in Auckland to talk before going back to the UK, but as its Sunday... Still waiting for them to call me back.

Not only that, I have 2 job interviews here in Wellington tomorrow!!! Lets see if anything else is offered.

As for Auckland, I was told again today by Jason at Origin that I should take it - its just a year after all. I still dont feel quite right. It would mean moving twice. But the foot in the door aspect is a fair point.

All these roles are destined to commence for early next year (Jan/Feb). We will need to talk and I think its only fair that employers allow me/us at least a few days to discuss it when I return.
Its all so exciting!
P

Hey you,
God, I have been thinking about this all so much today and have nearly been in tears thinking about leaving here and all the repurcussions and I have had butterflies in my tummy all day with the excitment of it all.

If you get this call me either tonight (Thursday) or tomorrow 8am.

T

Sent: Wednesday, 1 December 2004 1:27 p.m.
To: Pat Billett, New Zealand Immigration
Subject: ITA timings

Hi Pat,
We have our ITA, thanks. We have our flights booked for Jan 17th. Our
Police Certs arrived lastnight.

Is it likely that the ITA can be processed before we leave? Or is it
more realistic to get a work visa and continue the process in NZ?

Regards,
Phil

Dear Philip
Thank you for your message.

At the present time, I am processing skilled migrant applications in
about 2 weeks.  So hopefully, mid January should be fine, providing we
have all the documents we need and there are no other issues.  Stick
with the residence application first and we shall endeavour to process
it urgently.

Cheers.
Pat Billett
Visa Officer
NZIS London

Sent: Monday, 6 December 2004 8:24 p.m.
To: Pat Billett
Subject: Appointment for submission of ITA
Hello Pat,
My wife and I have our meds this thursday 9th December. After this, we
have all the required documentation.
When is the earliest appointment available so we can deliver it in
person to you, and how long will we need to see you for?
Also, do both of us need to by there?

Regards,
Phil Roberts

Hi Phil
Can you come in at 10.30 on Friday 10 December? Only one of you needs
to come. It takes about 20-30 minutes to lodge. If you bring in the
original documents, please also provide a photocopy of each which we can
keep. I can endorse the copies with "original sighted". Will your
medical reports be ready on 09 December? It usually takes a few days
for the blood tests to come through.

I await your reply.

Pat Billett
Visa Officer
NZIS London
Direct dial: 020 7208 1143
Fax: 020 7973 0370

Hi Joseph,
me and my wife are looking at places to rent. We thought Ponsonby, Mt Eden or nearby. Is this an expensive area?

Can you suggest any places to try, or areas that are an easy commute.

thanks alot
Phil

Morning Phil,
Rent in these and surrounding areas range from $250-$600 a week the higher end would be a 3-4 bedroom house. Do you have maps of the areas? Balmoral, Grey lynn, Kingsland, Mt Roskill would be slightly cheaper than Mt Eden/Ponsonby and are not much further away.
Let me know if you need any further help with this.
Best Regards
Joseph

Hi again Joseph,
The airline released more flights this evening and we snapped them up. We got the earliest date we could: 17 Jan, arriving 19th Jan - much more what we were after. I hope thats agreeable.

Now to sell all our junk!

regards,
Phil

Hi Phil,
Yes that’s great the earlier the better, I will be mailing your contract out tomorrow, do you have a computer at home? I would like to send you pdfs and a redesign brief. I would like this to be your first job but we will probably need indesign templates before you arrive in NZ, is this possible. It will go from a B&W with a couple of 4 colour pgs to a higher quality gloss paper full cover saddle stitched Mag/Newspaper.
Please let me know if you are able to do this.
thanks & Best Regards
Joseph

Hey Debs,
thanks for your spare room and wellington life.

Please, please, thank your mum and dad again for their warmth, advice and wonderful hospitality. Food is always fine and abundant in the Sweeney household :)

As its transpired, the Welly job didnt work out, so were taking the one in Auckland.(this has also been the advice from nearly everyone in Welly both design and recruitment). Its not a bad start. They are sending the paperwork this week so I can get the work permit!

Plan to stay 6-12 months in AKL then head to WLG to be your neighbours, have babies, open the surf cafe, start a blues jam and drink beers.

T & I are frantically labelling things for sale at car boots, ebay, getting chest X-rays, medicals, police certificates etc. All the things we need for permit and residency.

Then of course, its breaking the news to family. Mainly its been a complete secret and even those who know we are planning wont realise its going to be so soon. Its going to be hard. T has Mum, dad, brother and sister to leave behind, for me its just my mum.

We're going to be in NZ in Jan, will let you know dates when the paperwork is done!

later piglets,

P

abbrev.

If a grown man came up to you and asked you if you wanted to play Touch, what would you say?

If you're from the UK you'd probably say "Er, I'm not really into guy-on-guy action." If you're a kiwi you'd probably say "Yep, lets really get into some guy-on-guy action" That's because Touch isnt a pervy game of fondling - its a minimal-contact form of rugby.

If the same grown man had asked you if you wanted to play Touch rugby then you'd know exactly what he was asking about - verbal truncations (clearly) lead to misunderstandings. However, the kiwis abbrieviate all the time, mostly by snipping off the last syllable and adding "ies" or "oes" instead and its often left to the hapless pom (yours truly) to figure out what on earth they are talking about.

Scene A: in the DIY store
Yip, it comes in sheets of 600 x 800.
Oh thats too big, can you cut it down?
I can't but you can... if you've got a skilly
(WTF?)
If not, Placies is open tomorrow and you can ask them about MDF shelving.
(I rpt WTF?)
At which point I should have said "Speak the Queen's English man or I'll have you flogged at sunrise"* However, it was left to me to join the dots and extract the true meaning which was: I could trim said wood panel if I had a skill saw (circular saw) and that if I didn't then Placemakers (another DIY store) would be open for further assistance.

*Bonus gag: “My God man, don't you know the Queen's English?”
“Of course, everyone, knows she's English.”

Others that have caused difficulty:
When are we getting those illies in for the preso?
How soon can we expect those illustrations for the client presentation
Its like being back at Kindie
Just like the heady days of nursery school (kindergarten)

However, I've noticed it works both ways when I add a bit of cultural dislocation.
Can you pass me that Fairy Liquid bottle
Kiwis don't know the brand so I just get blank looks.
Get on the dog a & bone and tell the client its all gone Pete Tong and they're avin a Steffi Graaf in they think we can fix it tonight
Cockney rhyming slang stuffs them up good and proper. I get asked "Sorry, was that actually English?" and it is with extreme pleasure and self-righteousness that I answer (in my best Sir John Gielgud voice) "My dear, as we invented the language I should say say it was. Perhaps you should take notes." Glee!

Ah, but its not as "them and us" as it seems - just a bit of fun. Sometimes I understand the gist from the context - its like the Missing Word game everyday.

comfort | stimulation | imagination

When we lived in London, we'd come home and one of us would start dinner. We listened to the radio when we cooked (mainly because the stereo was 2 rooms away) and one of us would sit on the steps which led down our kitchen and recount their days events while the other chopped, sealed and sauced.

The radio was always tuned to Jazz FM. It was a part of our London life even before we moved there.

Before, when I lived in Epsom, Surrey (45mins by train outside London) I listened to Jazz FM. The boys I shared the house with listened to Kiss FM but it was a bit too rowdy for me. (However, come Sunday night all radios including mine were tuned to Giles Peterson’s the VibraZone). Some of the daytime stuff on Jazz FM was a bit light and crappy but the weekend shows were really decent and very educational for a student-muso like myself.

It was also where I first discovered Communter Jazz. 2 hrs of free jazz every Friday at the Royal Festival Hall Foyer Bar. I used to get the train up on my own just for that. And on the occassion that Tracey was visiting, we'd go together. It was romantic and exciting.

Over the years Jazz FM became inextricably intertwined in our relationship and its music was always around in some way or another.

Similarly, on all our long journeys in the car we listened to Radio 4 . It was a great companion for me when I used to teach snowboarding in Tamworth (6hrs roundtrip) and Milton Keynes (3hrs roundtrip) and for all the weekend journeys Tracey and I made to Somerset to see the folks.

The Archers, the afternoon play, Woman's hour, Money Box. Though it all sounds a bit middle aged and middle England, listening to audio dramatisations and the like are alot more stimulating and engaging. The words make pictures in your brain and like the sensation of reading a book, its your imagations that creates the imagery.

I love the spoken word. I don't think I've ever lost the attraction to it since my Dad read me bedtime stories as a child. I read to Tracey and sometimes she's reads to me. Its a comforting feeling.

Recently I came over all nostalgic. I felt like listening to something. Something new but familiar.

I had an idea. Streaming audio, of course! So, with the Power the Internet™ I logged onto to both Jazz FM and Radio 4 and immersed myself in aural pleasure.

don't belong

It seemed like a great line-up: Hollie Smith, Shapeshifter, Open Souls, Ddub, Timmy Schumacher, State of Mind. I'd seen the ad on TV. "Orientation". It was basically a freshers week student gig but was also open to the public. With so many great acts on the same bill I was convinced it was a goer. So I bought a pair of tickets.

Friday night came and T and I met after work, had some dinner and slowly made our way to the St. James theatre. I'd gotten great seats on the first level and was pretty stoked with the view of the stage.

The show was billed to start at 8.30pm, which it did. Unfortunately it was the house music beats of Timmy Schumacher. (Happy House, funky house, deep house, trancey house - don' t interlectualise it, it ALL goes um-cha, um-cha, um cha, um-cha. ) I'm not a fan but can understand its appeal for those more musically challenged.

So we sat there for about an hour as the music got slightly more annoying and the strobe lights (shining directly into our eyes) got very annoying. So we left our seats and moved to the bar area for a bit. Here was where it happened.

Hundreds of students had poured in to the venue and were all hanging out and chatting and drinking and generally having a good time. We got our drinks and sat amongst them. The girls were showing alittle too much flesh while the boys were strutting around in groups, peacocking.

We people-watched for a while and it was fascinating to note the interaction between groups. The awkward boys - in a social situation but not socialising with anyone except themselves. The sensitive guy friend - having a quiet chat with the hot girl although those lingering looks betrayed his true feelings. The friends-forever girls in a big group with hugs for all those entering their circle. The alpha males displaying their honed torsos and exhibiting the kind of behaviour which screamed "everyone look at me"

Although we tried, it was impossible for Tracey and I to have a normal conversation. There was only so much we could say to eachother while waiting for the bands to start but time and again we returned to the actions of those around us. Young, bright-eyed, excitable students, talking a bit too loudly and literally bursting with youthful exhuberance.

Briefly we were amused then appalled then just plain resentful. The kids weren't doing anything except being themselves and having fun but as the night went on their presence became wearing. We felt awkward and out of place. Or maybe we just felt old.

9.45pm and still no bands. What was going on? I was expecting it to be a normal gig, start at 8.30pm finish at 11pm sort of thing. I grabbed the running order times from one of the doormen. Horrified, I read the stage times: 10pm, 11.45pm, 1.10am. This wan't a gig, this was going to be an all-nighter!

I broke the news to Tracey. I thought we might stay to at least see the first band but we'd both been up since 7.30am and probably wouldn't make it. Tracey upped and left, leaving me to decide whether I would stay or join her. It wasnt a hard decision: we'd bought tickets to something that wasnt what we thought surrounded by gaggle of people we could related to. Time for the old folks to get themsleves off home to their slippers and a warm milky drink.

Shit.

inspiration

Yesterday, a photographer came into work to show her book. Her name was Virginia. She was a fellow pommie. Her work was great and I felt really inspired. I also felt an age old pull to photography. I wish I'd been a photographer, actually I'd still like to be one. My affinity with the medium is greater than my love of design.

Her work covered lots of people shots: kids, neighbours, teenagers. It used impromtu set-ups, captured spontaneous moments and used available light. Alot like the shots I have taken. For a moment I felt like I could actually make a career of it, seeing the similarities in her work and mine, I didn't feel like such a leap.

At the end she laid out her business cards on the table. There were many to choose from and it felt a bit like a test to see which one you'd pick. I picked "the kiss", it spoke to me the most, which incidently, is the one Virginia selected for the homepage of her website. Another parallel.

Still inspired, I'm looking into photography short courses.

Check her stuff, its great.
Virginia Woods-Jack Photography