Migrating to a different nation is a life-changing resolution that comes with each alternatives and challenges. Whereas some discover a recent begin, others battle to slot in. A Reddit person lately shared their expertise of dwelling in New Zealand, revealing why they finally determined to return to India.
In a prolonged put up, the person, who grew up in New Zealand however wasn’t born there, painted a stark image of life within the island nation. They warned potential immigrants that the nation’s geographical isolation ends in excessive prices, restricted enterprise alternatives, and a “small-town” really feel. “It’s a geographically remoted nation, which suggests items are usually costlier resulting from delivery prices. It additionally means no neighbors — which could really be good for India however makes NZ really feel like a small city the place you’re simply not linked to the remainder of the world,” they wrote.
In line with the person, New Zealand’s small inhabitants of 5 million makes it an unattractive market for a lot of worldwide companies. “Loads of worldwide companies don’t see the purpose in investing in NZ or simply go away. For instance, a couple of yr in the past Nike shut down their NZ on-line retailer — so now you’ll need to ship Nike merchandise from abroad in the event you had been shopping for on-line.”
Additionally they described the nation as “extraordinarily boring,” missing the vibrancy and social vitality of India. “The largest buying malls all shut at 7pm. Most retailers shut at 5-6pm. You stroll via the town middle after 8:30pm, and there’s hardly anybody out and about. Individuals are all at residence as a result of issues are costly. There actually isn’t a lot to do apart from eat and drink.”
Citing a survey wherein expats ranked New Zealand because the second-worst nation on the earth to maneuver to, the person identified that top prices make life troublesome. “You are taking a bus/taxi from one metropolis to a different, and that’s the vast majority of your disposable earnings for the week gone. So individuals all simply find yourself staying residence and doing nothing after work.”
Healthcare woes and social challenges
One of many greatest complaints was New Zealand’s healthcare system. The person criticized the lengthy wait instances for specialists, the excessive price of personal consultations, and what they noticed as an absence of skilled docs. “My good friend needed to see a heart specialist for chest ache. Only for an preliminary session, it price her round Rs 1 lakh.” Additionally they shared an incident the place their father needed to fly again to India to get kidney stones eliminated due to a six-month look ahead to surgical procedure in New Zealand.
The put up additionally touched on racial biases in healthcare. “The federal government prioritizes healthcare for indigenous Māori and Pacific Islander populations, which suggests different races are deprioritized over no fault of their very own.”
Past healthcare, the person discovered it troublesome to type social connections. “It’s laborious to make pals right here. Individuals are pleasant however insular. The tradition right here is that you simply make your pals when you’re younger — at school or uni — and follow them for all times. They don’t like bringing new individuals into their circles.”
Discovering a life accomplice was one other battle, particularly for Indian immigrants. “Rightfully or wrongfully, Indians sadly have a unfavorable status in NZ. You may go to any NZ subreddit and seek for ‘Indian’ to see the type of feedback that present up. And, after all, magnificence requirements listed below are Eurocentric.”
‘Not Value It’
Whereas the person acknowledged New Zealand’s positives — peaceable environment, excessive minimal wage, and social safety advantages — they felt they weren’t sufficient to justify staying. “Perhaps NZ is nice in the event you’re fairly previous and have already lived most of your life. However none of that is definitely worth the negatives of dwelling in NZ.”
The put up sparked a debate, with some agreeing whereas others defended the nation. One commenter wrote, “It relies on the particular person. My brother cherished it — climbing, tenting, and being outdoor. He’s again in India now and depressing.” One other argued, “OP simply grew up in a typical desi bubble that prevented him from constructing actual social capital. If there’s ever a high-trust society with an egalitarian and equitable tradition, it’s New Zealand.”
The dialogue highlights the deeply private nature of migration — what works for one particular person could not work for one more. For this Redditor, nonetheless, the choice was clear: New Zealand was not residence.
