Expat returning from Norway

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rjdvsk

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#250837 28-May-2019 06:51

Hi all,

long time lurker, first time poster. I'm a web developer / graphic designer who has just returned to New Zealand from an extended stay -- 15 years -- overseas, mostly in Tromsø, Norway. We've relocated to Hamilton and so far have found it really nice. We being my wife and our 2 little kids. My wife works at the University and I work from home, though eagerly wanting to join a co-working space soon!

I've found Geekzone invaluable when navigating the very different tech landscape of NZ from what it was 15 years ago. For example, the general consensus around broadband and mobile seems to lean toward 2Degrees, and I've found them very reasonable. Thanks for the tips :)

At any rate, hi! and I hope to contribute and find engaging conversation here :)

PeterReader

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#2246731 28-May-2019 06:51

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#2246732 28-May-2019 06:51

Welcome to Geekzone!

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#2246748 28-May-2019 07:29

Welcome home and welcome to Geekzone

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#2246827 28-May-2019 09:49

Welcome aboard.

@jarledb will no longer be our only Kiwi-Norwegian hybrid lol

I'm a geek, a gamer, a dad, a Quic user, and an IT Professional. I have a full rack home lab, size 15 feet, an epic beard and Asperger's. I'm a bit of a Cypherpunk, who believes information wants to be free and the Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it. If you use my Quic signup you can also use the code R570394EKGIZ8 for free setup. Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

Dynamic

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#2246833 28-May-2019 09:54

Welcome back! I hope your family settles in nicely and falls in love with their new home.

What bought you back here? Typically families end up living nearer the wife's parents! Or did you go to Norway to find a Kiwi girl?

“Don't believe anything you read on the net. Except this. Well, including this, I suppose.” Douglas Adams

rjdvsk

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#2246840 28-May-2019 10:16

Dynamic:

Welcome back! I hope your family settles in nicely and falls in love with their new home.

What bought you back here? Typically families end up living nearer the wife's parents! Or did you go to Norway to find a Kiwi girl?

Good question :) We're both kiwis, originally from Chch. Since I'm a web developer/designer I can travel quite easily with my work and my wife is a research scientist, so I followed her wayyyyyy back in 2004:) Been to Australia, Sweden, Norway and pretty much everywhere in-between! It's been a hell of a trip, but we came back as my wife was awarded some NZ based funding and we wanted to raise our children back in the homeland -- though Norway was pretty freaking great. It really wouldn't surprise me once the kids have grown up, me and the wife head off again and live in a small shack somewhere on the coast of Iceland or maybe Isle of Skye. I'm an avid photographer and love epic landscapes :)

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#2246841 28-May-2019 10:19

I have visited Norway 3 times for holidays and fantastic place to visit

Dynamic

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#2246843 28-May-2019 10:25

rjdvsk:

Dynamic:

Welcome back! I hope your family settles in nicely and falls in love with their new home.

What bought you back here? Typically families end up living nearer the wife's parents! Or did you go to Norway to find a Kiwi girl?

Good question :) We're both kiwis, originally from Chch. Since I'm a web developer/designer I can travel quite easily with my work and my wife is a research scientist, so I followed her wayyyyyy back in 2004:) Been to Australia, Sweden, Norway and pretty much everywhere in-between! It's been a hell of a trip, but we came back as my wife was awarded some NZ based funding and we wanted to raise our children back in the homeland -- though Norway was pretty freaking great. It really wouldn't surprise me once the kids have grown up, me and the wife head off again and live in a small shack somewhere on the coast of Iceland or maybe Isle of Skye. I'm an avid photographer and love epic landscapes :)

That's fantastic.... well done to both of you. We are waiting on the day we can kick the last of our kids out before we travel further afield that Aussie.

Can you share your wife's research field and what she is working to achieve, or is it not for public knowledge at this point?

“Don't believe anything you read on the net. Except this. Well, including this, I suppose.” Douglas Adams

rjdvsk

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#2246847 28-May-2019 10:31

Dynamic:

That's fantastic.... well done to both of you. We are waiting on the day we can kick the last of our kids out before we travel further afield that Aussie.

Can you share your wife's research field and what she is working to achieve, or is it not for public knowledge at this point?

Sure thing, it's relatively public: https://royalsociety.org.nz/what-we-do/funds-and-opportunities/marsden/awarded-grants/marsden-fund-highlights/2018-marsden-fund-highlights/how-microbes-survive-in-antarctica/

We're both incredibly stoked as funding back in NZ is very hard to get.

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#2246867 28-May-2019 10:53

Wow! That's an amazing challenge... your wife must have some mad skills!

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rjdvsk

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#2247079 28-May-2019 14:23

Dynamic:

Wow! That's an amazing challenge... your wife must have some mad skills!

Aye you're not wrong 😉

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jarledb

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#2247175 28-May-2019 15:32

rjdvsk:

long time lurker, first time poster. I'm a web developer / graphic designer who has just returned to New Zealand from an extended stay -- 15 years -- overseas, mostly in Tromsø, Norway.

Velkommen tilbake til New Zealand og velkommen til Geekzone! :)

Amazingly there are actually a few kiwis in Norway and a few Norwegians in New Zealand.

Going back to NZ in the winter wouldn't have been my choice, but welcome back.

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rjdvsk

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#2247235 28-May-2019 16:07

jarledb:

rjdvsk:

long time lurker, first time poster. I'm a web developer / graphic designer who has just returned to New Zealand from an extended stay -- 15 years -- overseas, mostly in Tromsø, Norway.

Velkommen tilbake til New Zealand og velkommen til Geekzone! :)

Amazingly there are actually a few kiwis in Norway and a few Norwegians in New Zealand.

Going back to NZ in the winter wouldn't have been my choice, but welcome back.

Takk skal du har!

Yeah during our time in Tromsø I think we met every permanent resident kiwi there, we even added an extra 2!

And I agree, coming back to NZ in winter coming off the back of a winter in Tromsø was not the best choice. Though on the flip side, winter in Hamilton is probably much like summer in Tromsø !!

rp1790

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#2247487 29-May-2019 08:20

Spent a couple of days/nights in Tromsø visiting my daughter who was living in Bergen at the time with her Norwegian boyfriend. Loved it up there and it was winter, magical. Not sure I'd like the constant darkness though!

Norway's beautiful and I feel like it's our sister/brother country on the other side of the world.

rjdvsk

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#2248126 30-May-2019 06:23

rp1790:

Spent a couple of days/nights in Tromsø visiting my daughter who was living in Bergen at the time with her Norwegian boyfriend. Loved it up there and it was winter, magical. Not sure I'd like the constant darkness though!

Norway's beautiful and I feel like it's our sister/brother country on the other side of the world.

Funnily enough it's quite comparable. Norway is roughly the same population size, landmass and it's on the OTHER end of the world. The landscape is relatively similar -- just reversed -- so the south is the beautiful rolling green hills and mountains, the north is the more rugged mountainous areas. The people and culture is different enough, but I did feel some similarities too. Most likely due to the size of the country and the relative remoteness.