HELLO From New Zealand

chevalier

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Get a 2 month free rail card. How cool is that?

brizzledfw

Hi Chev

So sorry you're feeling low. Seems like you have a lot to think about and have been ill too..a tricky combination. Hope you see the best way ahead soon

Hugs from us all here

HeadAboveWater

Hey. Would also recommend a food/exercise diary too. Helps to see exactly what you're dealing with and what hurdles need to be overcome.

Thinking about you

chevalier

You know when you get something you wanted, and then you find that maybe it would have been better not getting it. Well that.

I got a job, nothing much, nightfill at a supermarket. It is the first time I have worked in a work place where the majority of the people are not white. It really doesn't bother me at all, they are lovely young men. All here on education visas that let them work a few hours a week as well. But oh they are treated sooo badly. My main boss is a real pusher. Ie pushes people to work even when they really shouldn't, and these young men (none are over 30) really don't feel like they can say no....And of course they mostly don't have any support systems over here, as there families are all back home.

So I am doing the work and hoping not to get caught up in the politics of it too much. Damn the work is hard though. If you ever want to do squats for your legs just do night fill work, my knees don't know what has hit them the last two weeks. I just hope I can keep going as I make about $100 a night after tax which isn't to be sniffed at.

The benefit has been that the rest of the family has HAD to pull together regarding the housework. The dishwasher has been replaced by two small boys lol. They don't like doing it, but don't get computer time without doing it. I had some trepidation about letting them lose with the crockery but so far the only person to have broken anything in the last two weeks is...... me oops.

Right off to get on top of washing mountain.
yawn
chev

dearlouise

I hate work politics. It's even worse seeing others suffer. Glad to hear the boys are helping out.

brizzledfw

Good to hear you're earning some cash. Hate the sound of the boss though..:(

Wol2

Hey Chevvie -

Glad you're still here and updating.

I'm Still here too...just! and lots to catch up on your thead and can't do it all tonight ....so just "skimming" today.

So your last point first - well done on the job. I know it doesn't seem like much - and pants to the politics - but it's money (same for me with invigilating) and changes the household dynamic which i think will be good for you in many ways.
As I can't claim JSA and have no income - then ANY income is worth it for cash flow purposes and self-confidence- even though it takes away from my time that could be spent on the incredibly time-consuming and industrious effort of trying to get a job at my actual qualified level . See my recent post on my thread - Any single job application for me takes concerted 14day full;-time effort/research to see it through to (rejection at) final interview.

Secondly -Keep the faith - it appears you're now coming back so concentrate on best ways to get back here because i think that is what you really want. You've given it your best shot ....time to "monitor and feedback" and assess pro's and con's.

Thirdly- house prices over here are all over the place but it may well be worth you looking to see if it is prime time to sell in your home counties area (suspect it might be).

Fourthly - if you are coming back - any ideas of area to move to?

Hugs Hun - still here...hopefully more frequently now
xxxx
xxxx

chevalier

Wol2 wrote: »

Hey Chevvie -

Glad you're still here and updating. Well just about lol. Realised it had been a few weeks.

I'm Still here too...just! and lots to catch up on your thead and can't do it all tonight ....so just "skimming" today. Looking forward to your next update on your thread.

So your last point first - well done on the job. I know it doesn't seem like much - and pants to the politics - but it's money, Actually the my bosses boss has moved on, which I think will be a relief for everyone. Feel sorry though for the store he has gone to. Our new boss looks about 16 lol. But he seems alright so far.

Pants about it taking that long to apply for a job. On the other hand maybe that is where I am going wrong, when I apply for jobs. I do try and tailor my cv etc, but most of the time I am applying for admin jobs and how many ways are there of saying that I can do admin work?

Secondly -Keep the faith - it appears you're now coming back so concentrate on best ways to get back here because i think that is what you really want. You've given it your best shot ....time to "monitor and feedback" and assess pro's and con's.

I am thinking about this pretty much all the time at the moment. I am really torn about it. If I think about my mum and parents - in law/ wider family, then the decision seems easy. However whilst it would be a good time for DS1 to LEAVE this education system it would be pants for him to go BACK into the UK one. Lets say we leave at xmas (which is the end of year 8 here), the UK year for year 9 (which is where i 'think' a 13 year old would go back into) would have already started in September. I have been led to believe that students would already have been starting to chose the GCSE subject...

If we leave it until next year (thought we might time coming back with the rugby world cup in October), then he would have had 2 nearly 3 terms here of year 9, but would then go back into year 10 I think and would be having to choose O levels right then and there. Bare in mind that he hasn't learned a language here except a bit of maori (and it always used to be compulsory to do a language), and that the geography and history he has been doing will have been totally different to the focus in the UK. He wants to be a geologist apparently so we would want to study this can you even do that as a GCSE?

DS2 is a bit easier as he would be starting year 7 in January 2015, so would a) have longer to catch up and b) doesn't have dyslexia ti deal with. On the other hand he doesn't remember anywhere else than New Zealand so might have adjustment issues with coming back to the UK, that DS1 doesn't have so much.

I even got to thinking about environmental things last night. UK will increasingly be dependant on eastern gas from politically unstable sources. At least here we are fairly independent as far as energy goes, And there plenty of places to go to higher ground if the sea levels does rise (which brings us to whether man made climate change is real, or whether it is just the planet).

Really what it comes down to is that only I am unhappy here. The others are at least content with their lives. It is going to make my OH unhappy to go back. It would make my mum ecstatic if we went back.

I don't want my inlaws/mum to pass away without being able to spend time with them. They are all in their 80's now.

Thirdly- house prices over here are all over the place but it may well be worth you looking to see if it is prime time to sell in your home counties area (suspect it might be). We wouldn't want to go back to the house that we had previously. We now have a tenant for 6 months, so can reassess at the end of that tenancy.

Fourthly - if you are coming back - any ideas of area to move to? No real idea. One of the bonuses to coming back is that we can sell the house, and have a fair bit of money after the mortgage, to put down as a big deposit somewhere else. And of course anywhere in the UK is closer than here. OH does have the possibility of transferring with this team to somewhere near Southampton, so that wouldn't be too bad for seeing family....

Hugs Hun - still here...hopefully more frequently now
xxxx
xxxx

So as you can see I really don't know what to do for the best. About the only thing I can think of would be getting a substantial amount of money, so we didn't have to worry about it here. I hate having a good income for here and STILL being poor and scrabbling around for stuff. Sigh.
chev

brizzledfw

Oh chev...I am really at a loss for words.. ( those who know me in RL would giggle at that statement!) ...it seems such a difficult decision...I do feel for you. Re the school system, a language is not compulsory but they are mucking about with the curriculum (as ever) and yes you do choose options in Year 9, around Easter really. I think you are right to focus on the adjustment angle..it's hard to learn if you are feeling unsettled.

Sending huge hugs anyway :grouphug:

ZTD

chevalier wrote: »

Our new boss looks about 16 lol. But he seems alright so far.

When the policemen look that young, then you know you're in trouble...

chevalier wrote: »

On the other hand maybe that is where I am going wrong, when I apply for jobs. I do try and tailor my cv etc, but most of the time I am applying for admin jobs and how many ways are there of saying that I can do admin work?

It may be an idea to try volume over quality. Works for machine gunners...

chevalier wrote: »

I am thinking about this pretty much all the time at the moment. I am really torn about it. If I think about my mum and parents - in law/ wider family, then the decision seems easy. However whilst it would be a good time for DS1 to LEAVE this education system it would be pants for him to go BACK into the UK one. Lets say we leave at xmas (which is the end of year 8 here), the UK year for year 9 (which is where i 'think' a 13 year old would go back into) would have already started in September. I have been led to believe that students would already have been starting to chose the GCSE subject...

If we leave it until next year (thought we might time coming back with the rugby world cup in October), then he would have had 2 nearly 3 terms here of year 9, but would then go back into year 10 I think and would be having to choose O levels right then and there. Bare in mind that he hasn't learned a language here except a bit of maori (and it always used to be compulsory to do a language), and that the geography and history he has been doing will have been totally different to the focus in the UK. He wants to be a geologist apparently so we would want to study this can you even do that as a GCSE?

He'd probably need Geography and Chemistry. Maths as well, but you can hardly breathe these days without maths.

chevalier wrote: »

DS2 is a bit easier as he would be starting year 7 in January 2015, so would a) have longer to catch up and b) doesn't have dyslexia ti deal with. On the other hand he doesn't remember anywhere else than New Zealand so might have adjustment issues with coming back to the UK, that DS1 doesn't have so much.

I even got to thinking about environmental things last night. UK will increasingly be dependant on eastern gas from politically unstable sources. At least here we are fairly independent as far as energy goes,

You won't be unaffected there. If a major producer cuts off supply, your prices will rise as well. That's because "foreigners" will be buying your energy and raising the price for it. In the eventuality someone gets sick of the Russians continually pulling that stunt, we'll see a dash for fracking and nuclear here.

chevalier wrote: »

And there plenty of places to go to higher ground if the sea levels does rise (which brings us to whether man made climate change is real, or whether it is just the planet).

Don't worry about that, it's just fluff. Sea levels have been rising and falling throughout history - take Beaumaris Castle It was built so that it could be supplied via the southern gate by ship (from the sea) in times of seige. This is it now. Even a rowing boat is going to need wheels.

Incidentally Beaumaris is on the null inflection of the isostatic adjustment - so no claiming the land is rising. If you don't know what that means - ask your son. He'll either know, or it'll keep him quiet for 10 minutes or so...

But basically: If sea levels rise - people will adjust. If they fall - people will adjust.

chevalier wrote: »

Really what it comes down to is that only I am unhappy here. The others are at least content with their lives. It is going to make my OH unhappy to go back. It would make my mum ecstatic if we went back.

I don't want my inlaws/mum to pass away without being able to spend time with them. They are all in their 80's now.

We wouldn't want to go back to the house that we had previously. We now have a tenant for 6 months, so can reassess at the end of that tenancy.

Well consider selling wisely. This is a article about house price to earnings ratios. Ultimately, there is a level of indebtedness that people simply can not afford. If you thought that had been reached in 2006-2008, we're beyond that again - at least in London.

chevalier wrote: »

So as you can see I really don't know what to do for the best. About the only thing I can think of would be getting a substantial amount of money, so we didn't have to worry about it here. I hate having a good income for here and STILL being poor and scrabbling around for stuff. Sigh.
chev

Well :grouphug:. You probably need to sit down and put it all on paper and list facts that are relevant to you. Ignore and don't worry about geo-political stuff. The world is a small country now, and nowhere is safe from that.