Thread: Kiwis - are they a friendly bunch?
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Old 21-06-2005, 11:05 AM
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Default Kiwis - are they a friendly bunch?
To be honest, they are some of the friendliest people I have ever met! To have passers-by on the street say hello to you and give you a smile, to have the shop assistant smile and say thank you, to have complete strangers ask if there is anything they can do to help you.... it is something you can only experience and appreciate when you get here. A member of my family came over for a holiday a few months ago, and it was one of the first things she noticed. This is not a biased view, we've been here almost 9 months now, and sure, you get your grumpy ones who don't acknowledge you or smile at you, that's to be expected - but they are the exception rather than the rule!

I think it all depends on your attitude - if you are intent on making Kiwi friends, and are of a generally happy disposition, you shouldn't have any problems! There is apparently some 'anti-English' feeling here, but we've not experienced any of it.......

My only advice is to allow yourself an extra 5/10 mins to do your shopping, as chances are a friendly shop assistant will ask you how your day is going and end up chatting to you!
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