Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am very surprised that you will consider moving to another country, what to speak of N.Z.! From the top of Alaska (almost N. Pole) to the tip of FL (like caribean) there is almost anyting you can wish for in the U.S. Mountains, desert, rivers, forests, oceans.... Did you visit the Grand Canyon? Yosemite? YellowStones? Niagara Falls? Sonoma desert?
Add to this nearby Canada and Mexico, and I do no see what you could be hoping to find in N.Z. that you do not have here, and that would be so important to you that you would emigrate, or even visit.
I can see visiting, but living there???
The only thing missing in the U.S. is a Tropical Forest.
When I was a kid, my parents will take us every year to one of those great places. So, when I turned 20, I wanted to see something more exotic and traveled abroad. But this only helped me realize how extraordinarily great, beautiful, and variagated the U.S. is. And I assure you that I do not have a single yota of patriotism in my bones.
Last edited by SurferCocoa; 12-28-2011 at 01:13 PM..
Oahu. We love the climate, overall aloha, ocean and mountains. We wanted to live somewhere we could enjoy the outdoors and sunshine. Oahu over Maui for the job opportunities at first. But after living here for a while, we like the ability to go from the big city to the country in just under an hour's drive. Actually, Sandy Beach is only 12 miles, and it's pretty far removed from the city. Having the big city here enables us to shop at the bigger stores, see movies at great theaters, and do more things overall in addition to the outdoors stuff.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lane_change
Pros and Cons?
Pro's - The weather is pretty much perfect. The ocean is amazing. The city life is fun.
Cons - Being a minority with the undertone of prejudice because we are white. Most folks are decent people, but as another poster put it, the area is predominantly asian/pacific islander and the underlying expectation is that you adapt to that culture. Some folks get rude if you don't adapt to it. I suspect this would be tougher on kids than an adult who is ok with being themselves and not what others think/want. Even though I elaborated on this a bit, we really don't experience the prejudice all that often. It is worth mentioning though because it does exist.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lane_change
Issues with job placement or salary compensations?
I lived in a smaller town in Washington, so the salary change was lateral. My brother lives near Seattle and makes a solid $20K more than I do for a similar job role.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lane_change
Issues with schools for children and the ease of transition.
Child in college on the Mainland, so no direct input here. Like you, I changed schools frequently. My senior year was a drastic move from Colorado to Dallas. While it sucked, it was a good learning experience, and an abrupt introduction to racial prejudice. At least there it was 60/40. Here caucasian kids would be facing a more dramatic shift of 85/15. That would be tough. You know best what your kids will be able to deal with.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lane_change
How much does it cost to get back to Honolulu for mainland flights home from the other islands?
You can usually get a round trip inter-island for about $150 or less. Hawaiian is the most reliable.
Winkosmosis stated that Houston and Honolulu look and smell the same. This is nothing short of BS. Honolulu is nowhere near the size of Houston, and lacks the industrial elements (pollution) that Houston has. The trade winds in Honolulu keep the air fresh, and flowering plants add a very nice aroma to the air. I spent a good deal of time in Houston at skateboarding contests when I was younger, and now live in Honolulu. They are very different towns.
The only thing missing in the U.S. is a Tropical Forest.
Ah, but we do have those – in Hawaii! They might not be huge, but they're on the wet sides of most of the islands. Think about where Jurassic Park, Lost, and the opening jungle scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark were filmed.
Pro's - The weather is pretty much perfect. The ocean is amazing. The city life is fun.
Cons - Being a minority with the undertone of prejudice because we are white. Most folks are decent people, but as another poster put it, the area is predominantly asian/pacific islander and the underlying expectation is that you adapt to that culture. Some folks get rude if you don't adapt to it. I suspect this would be tougher on kids than an adult who is ok with being themselves and not what others think/want. Even though I elaborated on this a bit, we really don't experience the prejudice all that often. It is worth mentioning though because it does exist.
Interesting point, because it might shed some light on the ongoing debate over whether there's prejudice against haoles in Hawaii. Can you give an example of a "not adapting" behavior that would provoke rudeness from some people? My Hawaiian wife explained most of the cultural do's and don't's to me before our first visit together. The ones involving Asian high-context behavior -- i.e., figuring out what the other person wants or means based on subtle hints -- were the most difficult for me, because I had to learn how to read cues that I wasn't used to. Others, such as hugging strangers and being more elaborately polite than I would on the mainland, were easy enough. I've never felt that I have to be someone other than myself in Hawaii, because I was raised to be friendly and not to offend people, so adapting my behavior is in the service of those larger goals. I view it as communication: this is my intended meaning, and this is how I have to get my meaning across in Hawaii, vs. how I'd do it in, say, NYC. Hugging strangers and being oblique in my communications might be considered rude in NYC, but it's polite in Hawaii.
On my very first trip to Hawaii, years before I met my wife, I went with a good friend who was from NYC. The rental property manager explained that it's customary to take off one's shoes in Hawaiian homes. My friend said, "Absolutely, no problem," but after the property manager left, he said, "F**k that – I don't take off my shoes at home, and I'm not going to do it here." The property manager caught him a couple days later and scolded him. My friend thought that was very rude of her, because he was the "paying customer." I told my friend that I thought he was the rude one, because he was violating a local custom that he'd agreed to observe.
On one level, it's Western/mainland individualism ("This is who I am, and I need to be myself, and I need other people to accept and respect that!") vs. Asian/Hawaiian collectivism ("These are the norms of our group, and adhering to those norms promotes harmony, so we'd appreciate it if you adhere to them, too."). On another level, every culture or group has its accepted norms of behavior – increasingly so, the smaller and more homogeneous the group ("Out here in rural Oregon, we're rugged individuals, and if you can't express your individuality in the same way we do, then go back to liberal Portland!").
Those are all good points. I live in Japan, and I only get a chance to visit the States once every couple years. Now that I have a wife and kid, it's around $4,000 for all the tickets to get back to my part of the Mainland. Maybe more figuring revenue you lose to be on vacation and other miscellenaous expenses.
Obviously, I'd rather buy a used car or something, than go visit family anymore than once every few years.
You probably also made a solid point about lack of purchasing options in NZ. I know an Australian who married an American. The first major shocker to him was seeing the immense amount of choices he saw when he went to an AMerican supermarket. It's on a whole other level.
Absolutely. The people in question are some of my BF's family members, and they came back to visit last year. They bought stuff like cinnamon gum, rubbing alcohol, and grape nuts (among other things) to bring back with them--stuff I pass in the grocery stores all the time and don't even think about. apparently that stuff is super pricy or just simply unavailable. You know how you can just go to Rite Aid or CVS and pick up a big bottle of rubbing alcohol? You can't do that there. Oh and certain specialty items like types of cheese, aren't available there. I mean, they really like living there and I'm not saying it to dissuade anyone from moving, but if you're accustomed to going to your local Mexican, Asian or Middle Eastern market to pick up some things for dinner (to say nothing of just finding a lot of that stuff in generic grocery stores) I think you (general you) will have some trouble adjusting to that aspect of life in NZ. I know i would, I'm spoiled!
Ah, but we do have those – in Hawaii! They might not be huge, but they're on the wet sides of most of the islands. Think about where Jurassic Park, Lost, and the opening jungle scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark were filmed.
Perfect! Thank you for the rectification. So, yes, in the U.S. we have it all! Hehehe. From Eskimos in the North Poles, to Caribeans in S. FL.
When people visit from Europe they are so astonished to hear that we do have bears, mountain lions or aligators. For them those creatures are only in fairy tales. Manatees, boas constrictors....The wild life is amazing, in the U.S. for a super developed country.
Now add the unspoiled wilderness of Canada and Mexico too.
I have been following some blogs of people who have recently moved to New Zealand, what is the work life like? I am reading about how much more free time a lot of people have to focus on life and family outside of work...is that the norm? Do people in NZ work less hours per week than Americans? What about Hawaii? Is it still the norm to put in 40-60hr work weeks for most salary positions?
What about Hawaii? Is it still the norm to put in 40-60hr work weeks for most salary positions?
That has been my experience. 40+hrs a week for salary positions. The biggest differences I have seen between companies here and those on the mainland are that companies seem to have a harder time finding qualified hire-able employees that want to work for the pay offered. And that a huge percentage of the businesses here are small companies with under-developed corporate cultures.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HonuMan
Interesting point, because it might shed some light on the ongoing debate over whether there's prejudice against haoles in Hawaii. Can you give an example of a "not adapting" behavior that would provoke rudeness from some people?
As far as a debate over whether there is prejudice against Haole's in Hawaii, there's not much to debate. It exists as an underlying "us and them" kind of theme. If you are brown skinned you are a bit exempt from scrutiny. If you are not, it seems like a case by case basis. It really ties back to what you said, communication and how you behave. Once you adapt to the more mellow behaivor patterns, you 'fit' in more.
Here are some examples:
Adapting behavior: Don't honk your horn. Keep quiet, mind your own, and watch (let) things play out.
"Them" behavior: Talking to everyone just to make conversation when it is uninvited. Not having patience when people prevent you from doing what you want to do right this very second. (i.e. Getting angry at someone who hogs the shower at the beach, or runs a red only to block traffic.)
I think on the mainland we have a larger expectation that we can do what we want right this very second, and we're more vocal about it. That doesn't fly here.
I have been following some blogs of people who have recently moved to New Zealand, what is the work life like? I am reading about how much more free time a lot of people have to focus on life and family outside of work...is that the norm? Do people in NZ work less hours per week than Americans? What about Hawaii? Is it still the norm to put in 40-60hr work weeks for most salary positions?
every worker has national holidays off and typically minimum 4 weeks paid time off. Unlike here in the US where working over the holidays seems normal is nearly unheard of there in my few years of experience. Shops may close just because the owner or shop keeper wants to go fishing. I loved that because though I've been a workaholic in most of my career, though a little frustrating, time off and life balance is priceless and I support it.
like someone said earlier, it's a parallel world in some ways. It's like stepping back in time when life was simpler. Kids are able to just be kids. Families are forced to spend time together because most things are closed on holidays and the malls, last time I checked don't have long hours.
The cost of living is high, the products are sparse and expensive and usually sub-par, but you learn so much about how to make your favorite things from scratch, how to live cheaply, and how to enjoy and appreciate the free things in life. The immigrant process seems long, but jobs seemed very easy to get if you're in a skills shortage category.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
They might not be huge, but they're on the wet sides of most of the islands. Think about where Jurassic Park, Lost, and the opening jungle scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark were filmed.
