So, on my first day here, it was at the afternoon meeting, and I was introduced to my colleagues. They were pleasant enough, but it was kind of annoying at the beginning, because to be honest, I found them a little dull and, well, pompous. I guess I could have been more open-minded. I was too quick to judge – it was just different to what I was used to, but with time I think my impression probably changed. Er, the building itself is in this out-of-the-way, purpose-built, industrial zone, as they call it here. In fact, it’s pretty upmarket and I think it has pretty much everything you could ask for. One thing I found very time- consuming was the constant greeting and wishing people farewell. I can appreciate the need for formality, but it got kind of tedious, all that kissing and shaking hands every day.

When you’re working here, you have to take into account the wide variety of cultural influences. It’s quite amazing to me, really. I mean, it’s so up-and-coming, investment is pouring in from everywhere. And it really is a melting-pot culture, so business tends to be more formal, which, personally, I think is not a bad thing. People dress smartly, and they are confident, you know, self-assured and outspoken. Where I come from many things are outdated and in some cases quite run-down, but over here it’s the opposite. Everything is new and state-of-the-art. I suppose a predictable outcome of this difference in cultures is that communication can sometimes break down, you know, in negotiations and business deals. So what happens is that language and concepts get simplified, which can lead to meetings that are, you know, run-of-the-mill – quite dull, really.

When you arrive in New Zealand, there are so many new things to take on board. A lot of new information to process. But New Zealanders are very down to earth people, and very easy-going. I was surprised at first, but I like it. Coming from a big city, I guess it’s not surprising that New Zealand lifestyle is more low-key. Yes, this helps to make it relaxing, but there are times when it can feel quite a lonely place. One of the most unexpected things for me was how entertaining the people can be. Laughter and joking are very much part of the culture, and it’s nice at work sometimes, when people are not so serious. It helps to cheer me up.