Hi, On 21/09/11 09:22, Adrian Mageanu wrote: > Ever since I came here, in this town especially, I never felt a hint of > xenophobia, despite my heavy accent, broken English in the early years, > and slight social awkwardness when first interacting with various > sections of the society.
The Kiwis are very polite, and very enigmatic, compared to most other cultures. Reminded me very much of my 2 years in Japan. Have even had older Britons telling me that NZ is culturally like the UK was 50 years ago. But I've also learned that it is fairly easy to unintentionally upset Kiwis, and not have even the slightest hint that you've done so, while their anger festers. Others have pointed out the Kiwi men are like Aussie women in that regard, and the Kiwi women are even more perplexing. On the other hand, we Hungarian-Americans are the most outspoken and frank b******s in the world. :-) > And had no problem getting into the so called "old boys' networks", > either for employment or just socialising. I came here from more productive and competitive economies, was in my mid 50s, am a qualified and successful general manager, do not suffer fools gladly, and am not an up-to-date IT specialist. I think these things worked against me in those regards. I've found the IT sector and the university sector (academic side) to be the most "cosmopolitan" of New Zealand's economy. You guys are very lucky in that regard. For the most part you are working in "young" organisations. > coming from an Eastern European slightly Balcanic background, Zdrastvutye. Izvenitye moi Russki. Ya nye gavaritye pa Balkanski glossar. > What's interesting is that > usually this generates a lot of corruption in other places, amazing that > there isn't much of it at all here. Probably has to do with the inherited British traditions. They had a well monitored and enforced class system, instead of the more South Asian style of laissez faire corruption per se. NZ appears to have perpetuated an adapted form of this: Class not by long blood lines, but by post-colonial blood lines (e.g. a jump start by descending from an early settler, then by "personal networks" and by "attending the right schools"). It seems the "corruption" is not that money changes hands, but that managers (no matter how incompetent) enjoy more support and opportunities -- while people who would be promoted on merit in North America, Australia, and Western Europe are persecuted as "tall poppies". But it's not as bad in IT, and for me it all in the past -- a painful and costly lesson that took 5 years out of my life, which I will gladly share with anyone here in Oz who raises the topic of NZ. Cheers, Carl _______________________________________________ Linux-users mailing list [email protected] http://lists.canterbury.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/linux-users
