Back again!

Hello! Just been checking out the forum after a very long rest, have been sooo busy!!! Sorry I went missing Mother Bear...........but I'm here now!

For those wondering how I'm doing.........the answer is just fine! I love the country and know we're here for good! Work is still difficult. I'm well out of my comfort zone still and feel like my wings have been clipped. I lost loads of confidence when I first started, but talking to a few other newies I've met, I'm not the only one. The kiwi communication level is not as advanced as the English way and can be very frustrating, but I'm trying to adapt as quickly as I can..............the answer is to chill, it will right itself.

For every frustration, you can always see a positive. We took 120 kids to camp last week on the bus. A bus that was nowhere near big enough....when I suggested this, the answer form the other staff was '3 to a seat!' :icon_eek: After a bit of a panic, I soon settled to see that a) the children were very accomodating whilst being squashed, and b) nothing went wrong. We had a great day, all the children pitched in, it was a very physical trip, they were all well behaved and about 40-50 parents showed up to run the activities!

I'm still on my own here with the kids which is a bit wearing especially working full time too but our rule is that Fri nights we go out and do something special! Lewis (my youngest) has joined the local swim club with a view to making one of the teams, he plays hockey for the school team and goes to a maths school aswell. If he's at home, he's out for hours with the local kids skateboarding, biking, scootering you name it! I have to drag him in when its dark!!!!

Jonathan, my eldest has done well to settle socially but is finding school a bit difficult. He's in 6th form at an all boys school............bit of a change form 6th form college at home. Things have been a bit strained, but I think they'll work out. Socially, he goes off to Auckland to gigs at the weekend, has just bought new drums and has formed a band. On Sundays he works in Starbucks. I don't worry about him out at night like I did when he went into Birmingham......he can used his phone in public and get the last bus home without ony hassle.

The teenagers here are young people being young people, not trying to be adults like at home. They don't walk around in gangs and when they are coming home from school aren't shattering bus shelters or burning litter bins. There are things for them to do and intimidating others doesn't seem to be one of them.

Any way, you'll be wishing that i hadn't posted after reading this epilogue. I'll keep it shorter next time.................you never know, hubby might actually know when he's coming over!! :icon_rolleyes:

Fisheress :icon_wink:

Hi fisheress,

Welcome back! No way is your report too long - we all love to hear how you are getting on (and anyway, you should look back to the length of some of mine. :icon_rolleyes: ).

Glad to hear you are settling down, though it is taking time ... when you think about it, starting a new life will take time as you have to rebuild your friends/acquaintence network that has taken years to develop in the UK, as well as getting used to differences between NZ and the UK. Once your network grows, and your knowledge and experience of living in NZ grows, I am sure your confidence will. 'Chilling out' and accepting the differences certainly helps.

Know what you mean about school camps. :icon_rolleyes: You were lucky you [i:c8d7406a91]had[/i:c8d7406a91] a bus. In our case, the kids had to be driven, or boated, by parents - those that were not working provided transport and/or stayed on the camp supervising the kids. The stuff we had to provide too!

Also know what you mean about the safety of our kids - my eldest would not even go into town alone in the UK; here he is more than happy to do so. If crime is the same here as in the UK, as some reports would led us to believe, it certainly does not feel like it.

You know what you will have to do next - change your 'location' on your message profile(!)

:icon_biggrin:

Keep on truckin?, Fisheress. It?ll come together in time. I think the way I hear children are often settling so quickly in NZ is a lesson to us all. For the most part I think they accept it as it is, rather than trying to think of it or make it an extension of their previous country.

It hasn?t been the best start for you with having your hubby back in the UK and you?ve had to face a lot of the challenges alone. Hope it won?t be too much longer and he?ll be returning to NZ to help you out. Is he still working in the UK or just chilling out whilst waiting for the house to sell?

It's good to hear from you again, Fisheress, and to get a report on how you're doing. It sounds like you're in the Auckland area. Have you been able to explore the area? Although I prefer to live in a smaller poulation center, I found Aucks to be a pleasant city with lots of open space. Hope all works out well for you and yours.

Cheers everyone!

Glenda, have changed my location now [smilie=titter.gif].

Mother Bear, hubby is still working. Once the house is sold, he will resign and work a months notice which isn't too bad. The downside for him is that he'll have to live in the single mens quarters (at least I'm hoping it's a down side) :icon_eek:

Word of warning to those fleeing the UK alone.............don't forget to organise a power of attorney for the deeds signature.........I did! Now in the process with a solicitor to get one done asap! :icon_redface:

Selchie, I'm on the North Shore (immigrant city) as that's where I got my teaching job........also, it was intentional to live near the city so my 17 year old didn't fly home to his grandparents! When the kids are gone........who knows? Have done some exploring and will resume this inthe Easter hols (with a raincoat judging by todays weather!)

Fisheress

welcome back fisheress..
hope mr fisheress, is with you sooner rather than later...

Nononono!!!! Not to long by any stretch. Especially with 2 boys ourselves who will face the same problems yours are in several year time. It must be soo hard doing by yourself at the moment and you should be admired for coping so well as you evidentally are. Keep us posted as ever hands on information from people there is so comforting for us hoping to make the move. I'll show your thread to Claire and she'll be really appreciative.