Riga, Latvia... The home of the Russian Discotheque Mafia and anal encounters
give me a call if you are having a party and the mrs's Latvian mates are attending
Oh yes, Latvian talent is outstanding. Although personally still think Hungary is the no 1 in Europe in that respect.
The biggest lie told about New Zealand is that we are nuclear free. We might be nuclear weapons free but just nuclear free we most certainly are not.
NZ pies - can't be beat anywhere else in the world.
"Phoenix till they lose"
Posting 97% bollox, 8% lies and 3.658% genuine opinion.
Genuine opinion: FTFFA
NZ pies - can't be beat anywhere else in the world.
"Ive just re-visited this and once again realised that C-Diddy is a genius - a drunk, Newcastle bred disgrace - but a genius." - Hard News, 11:39am 4th June 2009
Should I mention the coffee as well?
"Phoenix till they lose"
Posting 97% bollox, 8% lies and 3.658% genuine opinion.
Genuine opinion: FTFFA
Should I mention the coffee as well?
If you are old and wise you were probably young and stupid
With what I do I earn a fairly good income in NZ, overseas I could earn more of course - I have worked in Europe and the US and find that NZ ticks most boxes for me.
Most people think NZ is a paradise, and while it has plenty of flaws it more than makes up for them in my book. It's really only the right wingers that leave, and you know what Muldoon said about the brain drain...
My girlfriend and I talk every now and then about relocating permanently - she is from Latvia and I am a British citizen by descent so we could go anywhere in Europe - but if you spend any time overseas you appreciate how really pleasant NZ is. It's the little things that makes life easy here.
Some comments:
1) Not sure what is going on in point 1. There is lots of stuff in Wellington, but there is also lots around Europe but sometimes you have to fly to it. Equally, sometimes you don't either. There is plenty of sports fields, nature, and water access within easy distance of London/other parts of the UK as well. I also take issue with the comment that most people dream about being close to sports fields, nature and water access.
2) London is very easy to live in - great public transport which leads to about a million more bands, cafes, restaurants, cinemas, theatre, etc which is all on your doorstep. The other night I got attacked by the fox that lives in our garden, so you cannot get closer to nature than that.
3) read people dress badly and there is nothing happening.
4) pretty specific to you, so I have no comment.
5) Anyone who calls NZ fairly accessible is mental. I think that anyone who has lived across both places would agree that travel is the one massive plus point of living outside of NZ or Aussie. (As a gross generalisation) all of NZ is the same, and even Aussie is culturally and historically very similar (and a minimum 3.5 hours flight away). Even within the UK there is massive diversity in language, history, etc and then you have all of Europe that can be easily accessed by car, train or flight (I refuse to travel on buses).
6) I do not know how any country could be classified as the sanest country.
7) work is work - sometimes it is manageable, most of the time it is shit. Having worked in both countries I have found that there is generally the same level of competency (most people high, me not so much), the same percentage of fuckwits, and the same attitudes to a lunchtime pint or a cheeky scarper in the mid afternoon. It does grate me when I hear people from NZ go on about how amazing and hardworking they are compared to the Brits, when I have generally seen no evidence to support this as a generalisation. I am not arguing that in the UK there wasn't some people who took all day to do something that they could do (better) in an hour, more that there is probably around the same number of people in a similar role in NZ who would take just as long.
8) Poor people are always going to get in the way - fact of life.
I am not hating on people (yoof speak I have learnt) that live in NZ.....actually at the moment I am not really sure what I am doing in this thread. It started off as a discussion about the cost of living in NZ and the ability of people to live a comfortable lifestyle while able to adequately save for the future. It has now morphed slightly into a "why would anyone live in NZ?" which is not my intention at all. Lets present this as an angle of someone prefering not to live in NZ (personal choice), and playing devils advocate and questioning why others do.
This has taken way too long, and my genuine purpose when I started this was to make a joke about being attacked by a fox. I really do have to question some of my life choices.
All I do is make the stuff I would've liked
Reference things I wanna watch, reference girls I wanna bite
Now I'm firefly like a burning kite
And yousa fake fuck like a fleshlight
With what I do I earn a fairly good income in NZ, overseas I could earn more of course - I have worked in Europe and the US and find that NZ ticks most boxes for me.
Most people think NZ is a paradise, and while it has plenty of flaws it more than makes up for them in my book. It's really only the right wingers that leave, and you know what Muldoon said about the brain drain...
My girlfriend and I talk every now and then about relocating permanently - she is from Latvia and I am a British citizen by descent so we could go anywhere in Europe - but if you spend any time overseas you appreciate how really pleasant NZ is. It's the little things that makes life easy here.
Some comments:
1) Not sure what is going on in point 1. There is lots of stuff in Wellington, but there is also lots around Europe but sometimes you have to fly to it. Equally, sometimes you don't either. There is plenty of sports fields, nature, and water access within easy distance of London/other parts of the UK as well. I also take issue with the comment that most people dream about being close to sports fields, nature and water access.
2) London is very easy to live in - great public transport which leads to about a million more bands, cafes, restaurants, cinemas, theatre, etc which is all on your doorstep. The other night I got attacked by the fox that lives in our garden, so you cannot get closer to nature than that.
3) read people dress badly and there is nothing happening.
4) pretty specific to you, so I have no comment.
5) Anyone who calls NZ fairly accessible is mental. I think that anyone who has lived across both places would agree that travel is the one massive plus point of living outside of NZ or Aussie. (As a gross generalisation) all of NZ is the same, and even Aussie is culturally and historically very similar (and a minimum 3.5 hours flight away). Even within the UK there is massive diversity in language, history, etc and then you have all of Europe that can be easily accessed by car, train or flight (I refuse to travel on buses).
6) I do not know how any country could be classified as the sanest country.
7) work is work - sometimes it is manageable, most of the time it is shit. Having worked in both countries I have found that there is generally the same level of competency (most people high, me not so much), the same percentage of fuckwits, and the same attitudes to a lunchtime pint or a cheeky scarper in the mid afternoon. It does grate me when I hear people from NZ go on about how amazing and hardworking they are compared to the Brits, when I have generally seen no evidence to support this as a generalisation. I am not arguing that in the UK there wasn't some people who took all day to do something that they could do (better) in an hour, more that there is probably around the same number of people in a similar role in NZ who would take just as long.
8) Poor people are always going to get in the way - fact of life.
I am not hating on people (yoof speak I have learnt) that live in NZ.....actually at the moment I am not really sure what I am doing in this thread. It started off as a discussion about the cost of living in NZ and the ability of people to live a comfortable lifestyle while able to adequately save for the future. It has now morphed slightly into a "why would anyone live in NZ?" which is not my intention at all. Lets present this as an angle of someone prefering not to live in NZ (personal choice), and playing devils advocate and questioning why others do.
This has taken way too long, and my genuine purpose when I started this was to make a joke about being attacked by a fox. I really do have to question some of my life choices.
Normo's coming home
There's a clear statement of priorities there JD...
Frankie your choice of thread title might have contributed to it heading off topic from where you started. Just a thought.
I like living in NZ. I also liked living in England. I find it hard to choose between the two because both have so many great aspects. Like anything in life it's probably just a case of finding what works for you and avoiding telling other people what you think would work for them.
Incredible stamina. No shame. Yellow Fever.
nah nah Smithy you don't want to do that, you want to do this
E's Flat Ah's Flat Too
The biggest lie told about New Zealand is that we are nuclear free. We might be nuclear weapons free but just nuclear free we most certainly are not.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/social-issues/news/article.cfm?c_id=87&objectid=11189470
Bit of a disappointment - was expecting more about why NZ is so expensive - is it really just we are small and far away?
If so then I would like us to be larger.
Can some economist witch doctor say with certainty that being small and far away is the main/most significant reason why everything is more expensive here and it is harder to save for retirement than many other places?
"Phoenix till they lose"
Posting 97% bollox, 8% lies and 3.658% genuine opinion.
Genuine opinion: FTFFA
My guess is its a lack of competition which is mainly because the market is so small - hence two supermarket chains, three mobile companies (which outside of the big cities is really only two).
Even things like Computers mainly come through a couple of importers.
Electronic companies have a huge monopoly in the Australia/ New Zealand market. Its due to a multitude of factors such as isolation and a lack of competition. Thats why traditionally playstations/ xboxs are so much more expensive because there is no alternative, which companies claim are due to extra 'transport' costs, which is assumed to be rediculous.
Im assuming its similar for most things
For me these are the cons.
UK. Too many people and the weather.
NZ Too far away (except Oz) from anywhere.
If you are old and wise you were probably young and stupid
For me these are the cons.
UK. Too many people and the weather.
Three for me, and two for them.
For me these are the cons.
UK. Too many people and the weather.
Lol. You would hate China.
If you are old and wise you were probably young and stupid
There's a clear statement of priorities there JD...
Frankie your choice of thread title might have contributed to it heading off topic from where you started. Just a thought.
I like living in NZ. I also liked living in England. I find it hard to choose between the two because both have so many great aspects. Like anything in life it's probably just a case of finding what works for you and avoiding telling other people what you think would work for them.
yeah, the thread title was wrong, but I didn't think I could change it. Almost immediately after I opened this thread I was regretting not having put the comma in (it should have been "God, New Zealand is shit").
I never intend to tell people what they should do - actually, scratch that. I always tell people what they should do, but then I realise just what a cunt I am after I have done so. I am more interested in finding out if people in NZ think it is expensive to live there (especially those who have lived abroad) and if so, why?
All I do is make the stuff I would've liked
Reference things I wanna watch, reference girls I wanna bite
Now I'm firefly like a burning kite
And yousa fake fuck like a fleshlight
For me these are the cons.
UK. Too many people and the weather.
NZ Too far away (except Oz) from anywhere.
that is another thing that I always find interesting, people complaining about the weather in the UK. For me and my wife (although legally she has to agree with everything I think) the UK is warmer that Wellington. The average temperature is say 5 or 6 degrees lower at the corresponding time of the season (although the other day it was 10 degrees in London, and 17 degrees in Wellington......in the middle of January) but London is just so much better set up. Houses have underfloor heating, central heating, double glazing, etc to keep them warm, the public transport infrastructure means that you can get around easily without having to spend too much time outside, and clothing is cheaper so you are able to have bigger and better wardrobes, meaning you were better prepared. We just had the last winter in Wellington, and kept heaters on all the time in our place, yet still found it cold inside. People would come over and the first thing they would say is "wow, it is so warm in here", which really made me wonder just how cold their place was.
All I do is make the stuff I would've liked
Reference things I wanna watch, reference girls I wanna bite
Now I'm firefly like a burning kite
And yousa fake fuck like a fleshlight
For me these are the cons.
UK. Too many people and the weather.
NZ Too far away (except Oz) from anywhere.
that is another thing that I always find interesting, people complaining about the weather in the UK. For me and my wife (although legally she has to agree with everything I think) the UK is warmer that Wellington. The average temperature is say 5 or 6 degrees lower at the corresponding time of the season (although the other day it was 10 degrees in London, and 17 degrees in Wellington......in the middle of January) but London is just so much better set up. Houses have underfloor heating, central heating, double glazing, etc to keep them warm, the public transport infrastructure means that you can get around easily without having to spend too much time outside, and clothing is cheaper so you are able to have bigger and better wardrobes, meaning you were better prepared. We just had the last winter in Wellington, and kept heaters on all the time in our place, yet still found it cold inside. People would come over and the first thing they would say is "wow, it is so warm in here", which really made me wonder just how cold their place was.
If you are old and wise you were probably young and stupid
For me these are the cons.
UK. Too many people and the weather.
NZ Too far away (except Oz) from anywhere.
that is another thing that I always find interesting, people complaining about the weather in the UK. For me and my wife (although legally she has to agree with everything I think) the UK is warmer that Wellington. The average temperature is say 5 or 6 degrees lower at the corresponding time of the season (although the other day it was 10 degrees in London, and 17 degrees in Wellington......in the middle of January) but London is just so much better set up. Houses have underfloor heating, central heating, double glazing, etc to keep them warm, the public transport infrastructure means that you can get around easily without having to spend too much time outside, and clothing is cheaper so you are able to have bigger and better wardrobes, meaning you were better prepared. We just had the last winter in Wellington, and kept heaters on all the time in our place, yet still found it cold inside. People would come over and the first thing they would say is "wow, it is so warm in here", which really made me wonder just how cold their place was.
I am going to assume that you stopped reading my previous post after the second sentence.
All I do is make the stuff I would've liked
Reference things I wanna watch, reference girls I wanna bite
Now I'm firefly like a burning kite
And yousa fake fuck like a fleshlight
For me these are the cons.
UK. Too many people and the weather.
NZ Too far away (except Oz) from anywhere.
that is another thing that I always find interesting, people complaining about the weather in the UK. For me and my wife (although legally she has to agree with everything I think) the UK is warmer that Wellington. The average temperature is say 5 or 6 degrees lower at the corresponding time of the season (although the other day it was 10 degrees in London, and 17 degrees in Wellington......in the middle of January) but London is just so much better set up. Houses have underfloor heating, central heating, double glazing, etc to keep them warm, the public transport infrastructure means that you can get around easily without having to spend too much time outside, and clothing is cheaper so you are able to have bigger and better wardrobes, meaning you were better prepared. We just had the last winter in Wellington, and kept heaters on all the time in our place, yet still found it cold inside. People would come over and the first thing they would say is "wow, it is so warm in here", which really made me wonder just how cold their place was.
Founder
For me these are the cons.
UK. Too many people and the weather.
NZ Too far away (except Oz) from anywhere.
For me these are the cons.
UK. Too many people and the weather.
NZ Too far away (except Oz) from anywhere.
that is another thing that I always find interesting, people complaining about the weather in the UK. For me and my wife (although legally she has to agree with everything I think) the UK is warmer that Wellington. The average temperature is say 5 or 6 degrees lower at the corresponding time of the season (although the other day it was 10 degrees in London, and 17 degrees in Wellington......in the middle of January) but London is just so much better set up. Houses have underfloor heating, central heating, double glazing, etc to keep them warm, the public transport infrastructure means that you can get around easily without having to spend too much time outside, and clothing is cheaper so you are able to have bigger and better wardrobes, meaning you were better prepared. We just had the last winter in Wellington, and kept heaters on all the time in our place, yet still found it cold inside. People would come over and the first thing they would say is "wow, it is so warm in here", which really made me wonder just how cold their place was.
maybe you are just soft and you bought a shit house
but our place was warmer than all the other ones we went........
*sigh*
to be fair, your place was pretty warm although that might have been because Batty had set fire to the coffee table.
All I do is make the stuff I would've liked
Reference things I wanna watch, reference girls I wanna bite
Now I'm firefly like a burning kite
And yousa fake fuck like a fleshlight
For me these are the cons.
UK. Too many people and the weather.
NZ Too far away (except Oz) from anywhere.
Trust you to only come up with negatives.
If you are old and wise you were probably young and stupid
For me these are the cons.
UK. Too many people and the weather.
NZ Too far away (except Oz) from anywhere.
Trust you to only come up with negatives.
NZ .is very expensive compared to the UK at current exchange rates, but then I doubt if get paid what I do here in the UK for the same type of job.
Public transport is a bit of a rip off on Wellington I must admit. Close to $4 for Hataitai to Courtenay Place on a bus journey that can take as little as 5 minutes!
In Edinburgh you would pay about $2.50 and could go to the end of the bus route'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe_B5CzbTJo - Caceres winning penalty v Perth - footage from the Fever Zone
Public transport is a bit of a rip off on Wellington I must admit. Close to $4 for Hataitai to Courtenay Place on a bus journey that can take as little as 5 minutes!
In Edinburgh you would pay about $2.50 and could go to the end of the bus route'
True, but you are then at the end of the bus route in Edinburgh. Swings and roundabouts.
All I do is make the stuff I would've liked
Reference things I wanna watch, reference girls I wanna bite
Now I'm firefly like a burning kite
And yousa fake fuck like a fleshlight
Steve-O - slight exaggeration there: Hataitai is 2 zones to Courtney Place. $3.50 cash or $2.73 on snapper.
But Wgtn buses are quite expensive compared with other places overseas.
"Phoenix till they lose"
Posting 97% bollox, 8% lies and 3.658% genuine opinion.
Genuine opinion: FTFFA
For me these are the cons.
UK. Too many people and the weather.
NZ Too far away (except Oz) from anywhere.
Trust you to only come up with negatives.
Yeah, its too expensive.
Clappy Cat applauds you.
For me these are the cons.
UK. Too many people and the weather.
Lol. You would hate China.
For me these are the cons.
UK. Too many people and the weather.
Lol. You would hate China.
China is a largish size land mass...
The major cities there have far more people than their UK compatriots though. Land mass in those cities being about the same.
That is the point i was making. Seems you and Leggy have poor comprehension.
Three for me, and two for them.
I never mentioned China. You did.
I was making the comparison between NZ and the UK.NZ is roughly the same size as England,Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland. The population of the UK is 63 million and NZ 4 million. That is what I was getting at.
If you are old and wise you were probably young and stupid
Sure, There's a cobalt reactor in Upper Hutt, another form of Nuclear reactor at ESR in Gracefield, another one up in the waikato. Of course these are very small scale reactors, not Cherenobyl sized oens. However, the Greenies etc go on and on about Nuclear Free New Zealand and that is plain wrong.
The one in Upper Hutt used to be under the auspices of ICI Tasman and was used to sterilize medical instruments.