On a better life

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The resounding theme amongst Samoans who have migrated to New Zealand is their search for a better life. This usually means better jobs and better education.

But what is better? And what is it better than?

I have lived all my childhood years in Samoa (until the end of Form 7), and all my adult years in New Zealand, and offer the following observations from my own migration journey.


The cost of time

What people in Samoa might not appreciate when migrating to countries of Western cultures, is how time-demanding the lifestyle can be in general. All activities are run by the clock, and time is accounted for and given frugally. In Samoa, time is usually seen in a more relative manner, for example using night time instead of 7:35pm. It lends to a more relaxed outlook when it comes to scheduling, but in turn in provides for a generous giving of ones time when needed.

I look at how I need to have most days planned out to the hour, weeks in advance. There is not much wiggle room or allowance for spontaneity. Even the maintenance of close personal relationships hinge on the availability, or non-availability, of precious time.

I don't know if people consider this cost when assessing the move to a better life.


The cost of organic produce

Organic produce in New Zealand is labelled as Organic produce. Organic produce in Samoa is, for the most part, just produce. Locally sourced food is not done so on so large a scale as to require the extreme genetic modification and exposure to chemicals as required in New Zealand. Due to the time factor (above) and other factors like extended family support and availability of land, it is more feasible to grow some of your own fruit, vegetables and root crops.

Knowing where your food comes from is not a concept many Samoans are concerned with, because we all know they come from the soil, using some water and sunshine and manual labour. In New Zealand there are a few more players in the equation, so you don't know if your bright yellow egg yolk was just a natural genetic attribute, or the result of using dyes extracted from [insert unknown substance] added to mass produced chicken feed, fed to a battery chicken. You just don't know. Instead you marvel at the low prices of egg, and carry on with your subjecting your body to [insert list of unknown substances].

Ditto for chickens. Just saying - I've seen a real a chicken, and them chicken legs we be eating ain't be coming from no chickens...


The cost of education

This one is strange. You move to New Zealand so your children can have better education, so how are you losing out on their education?

It essentially comes down on what you want your children to learn. You as a parent have to find the balance between: what you want them to learn about the Western world in order to succeed in a Western environment (again, success is as you define it); what specialised knowledge you want them to learn in their chosen career field; what you want them to know about your culture and language; what you want them to learn about themselves; and your spiritual beliefs, and they tie in with everything else.

Education is not about getting certain letters (A+, B, C-) or numbers (1st in class, 2nd class honours), but a holistic look at what a person, being created in the very image of God, learns from all environments of learning - home, school, church, extra curricular activities, and other social settings.

So what are you giving up, and what are you getting, when migrating.



OK my head hurts, so I'm hitting publish. But there is plenty more to digest and consider, so expect a Part 2 at some point.







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