Weather nothing to cry about - migrant

ROHIT Srivastava with wife Arpita and eight-year-old daughter Aarushi.

Indian immigrant Rohit Srivastava sat in his office in Levin and listened in confusion as his work colleagues complained about summer's late arrival.

Blissfully happy with his new life in New Zealand, he found himself asking the question "do I need a reason to cry".

A first generation migrant, Mr Srivastava and his family are happily settled into Kiwi life; he with a good, stable job, his wife studying business, the couple buying their first home and his daughter doing well in school.

As a happy family he couldn't have asked for more coming from India where a typical working day was nine hours sandwiched between a two hour commute morning and evening.

Mr Srivastava said his two minute drive to work now was "irritating".

"I can't listen to one full song."

He said in North India, parents tend to put their kids in private schools that came as a "big expense".

"We had to fill in lengthy forms, attend interviews and submit salary slips. Textbooks cost $400 for the year and fees were $300 per term.

"Getting admission for our daughter here was simply [a case of] walking to the nearest state-funded school and paying a pocket-friendly fee per term."

His daughter Aarushi, 8, loves her school and new friends and said she doesn't want to go back to India to study.

Mr Srivastava said the pressure on kids in New Zealand to perform well at school is far less compared to Asian countries.

"I tend to believe we need to put some more pressure on kids here as many drop out of school," he said.

Aarushi said she loves the clean, green atmosphere in New Zealand compared to the intense atmospheric pollution in India.

Mr Srivastava said his wife misses her social circle back home and the luxury of having maids to do household chores.

"In New Zealand the dishwasher and vacuum are our maids," he said.

Most people in North India lived an apartment life that was expensive.

"Life in New Zealand with a house on a full section, manicured backyard along with a vege patch is a luxury beyond imagination for many Indians.

"We shifted to Kiwiland to enjoy the simple relaxed lifestyle ... Horowhenua encompassed all we wanted."
He said he doesn't bother about the weather.

"The nation I live in now with my family is so great. Here everyone is allowed to express themselves, where people from all over the world meet and live happy together as one nation.

"Yes, most of us cry about rain and wind but I think if we focus on the huge positives this nation has ... then I am sure we will all realise that there is no need to cry and blame the weather, we can actually ignore it."