Stories across Borders

Interviewer: Alright, so just to get us started. What's your name?

Adriana: My name is Adriana Gomez

Jorge :  And Jorge Aristizabal

Interviewer:  so where are you from and what was it like growing up there?

Adriana: I am originally from Colombia and Jorge is also originally from Colombia too. My childhood was good and happy. We use lived in a very poor neighborhood.
 

Jorge : It was actually very tough, my mother lost my dad when I was 4. I come from a family of 12.  So you can imagine a single mum with 12 children expecting number 13. So it was very tough. But in the end it was very good because helped us with many things about building resilience. It was tough but made me happy as well because we enjoyed the simple things.

Adriana: We also didn’t know a better life then it was good for us.

 

Interviewer: Where in Colombia were you guys from?

Adriana: We are from Medellin

Jorge : She is from Medellin, I’m from the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the jungle, that you cannot even find on a map. But then we moved to Medellin when I was young, just before my dad passed away. So he brought us to Medellin, to the big city.

Interviewer: So what were the circumstances that brought you to New Zealand?

Adriana: We initially wanted to give our children a better live and a better life and also to learn a second language. Primarily because Jorge had already lived in Australia before, so he knew how to do the immigration part. That’s why we decided to come.

Jorge : When we first started our plan was initially to settle in Australia but when I was there, I was applying for jobs and applied for one here. So we decided to come here for a couple of years. That was 17 years ago, so we never came back.

Interviewer: So did you feel that Colombia was not a good environment for your kids?

Adriana: No, Colombia is a beautiful place and people are very kind but we have a lot of problems. Social problems, we have violence and then for the children it was not a good place to grow up. So that’s the main reason we are here.

Jorge : Yeah because that was in the 90s, especially in Medellin it was very tough because of the Narcos, so basically people were getting killed on the street for anything and anybody. We didn’t want our kids living in that environment.

 

Interviewer: What was the process of going to New Zealand?

Jorge : It was very easy because I helped us get passport and so did my children and Riana had residence, so when we came we got residence on the spot. So able to get resident. In the early 90s it was a slow process and it took almost 2 years. We got it because of the kids and my profession. In Medellin, Adriana already had my passport, so it was quite easy for Adriana to get the residence, so we didn’t actually have to apply at all, because Adriana had residence and I had my passport.

 

 

Interviewer: What was your thoughts going through the immigrant process?

Adriana: In reality, I see people today go to through the process, suffering and waiting, a lot of problems. I didn’t feel anything. I was pretty sure that we were going to. It was very simple and easy.

Jorge: It was very easy because of the agreement between Australia and New Zealand. Australian passport made us welcome in New Zealand, and 5 years later Adriana got a passport

Adriana: I have never have had any problems or suffering from getting kicked out of the country.

 

Interviewer: How long have you been in New Zealand and what is your profession?

Adriana: We have been here for 17 years. I was originally an electronic technician but now I am a health and wellness therapist

Jorge: Mine is quite similar, I use to be in cooperate as an IT professional but I left the cooperate and now we work together in health and wellness.

 

Interviewer: What brought you to that job?

 

Adriana: Initially I wanted to be a dentist and then because I did not too well in school. I did not pass the exam with high enough grades. In university I studied I could not apply to become a dentist. Fortunately because today, I don’t want to be a dentist. The second option was the technical side because I liked the technical side. So I applied to study in electronics. Then I worked for the same company for almost 20 years before coming to Australia. Before about 27 years ago, I like helping people, I wanted to help sick people. I was on this path since very young. I studied my first course of reflexology. I used to use reflexology as a volunteer job. When I moved here, I didn’t want to work at companies anymore. So, I started doing reflexology here to be able to work here. Then I got a diploma and became a therapist in 2017. It is my job today. Its not like a job, its more like a passion.

 

Jorge: In my case I became an electronic engineer because I was very good at math and physics. I didn’t want to major in math or physic because the only jobs was a teacher. I didn’t want to be a teacher. So I found in electronic engineering that you needed a good background in math and physics . It was something that was more practical and also in that time engineering was good in Colombia. I was looking for a way to move forward and help my family. After 35 years in electronics and IT, during the last lockdown, I was thinking of what I wanted to do long-term, and I wasn’t enjoying my job in cooperate anymore. During the lockdown we decided to work together. So we were building a business around health and wellness

 

Interviewer: What was the most difficult part in assimilating to New Zealand like New Zealand culture?

Adriana: Nothing

Interviewer: Nothing, so it was an immediate fit when you came in?

 

Adriana: The good thing for me is that I very pragmatic, so I don’t suffer much. For example when we left Colombia to go to Australia, my family was crying. It was a like show because my family and his were there. We were happy. For me it is very easy for to settle down. When I was in Australia, I was happy in Australia and when we were here I was happy here. I never cry for that.

Jorge: I think for me it’s the language because especially when you come here at our age its difficult to be proficient in English or another language. Since English is a different language so that would be my main thing.
 

Adriana: We never lost our accent; it is hard for people to understand sometimes. Sometimes I speak every quick then people don’t understand me.  I think not understanding the language was hard at the beginning. I just went to study and acquire the listening.

Jorge: It still is trouble, I still don’t understand when Camillo speaks in English, I need to ask him to please speak in Spanish.

Adriana: Melissa too, I cannot understand Melissa.

Jorge: For the job it was ok because it was a technical job.

 

Interviewer: Is there much of a Colombian community coming here? Were you some of the only ones?

Adriana: No, it’s a big community here. At the beginning we had a lot of Colombia friends. Then we decided that we needed to do our own thing. We still have Colombian friends but they are not in our close circle. We know people from everywhere and we have friends from every country. But yeah it’s a big community.

 

Interviewer: What made it easier for you to adapt to New Zealand?

 

Adriana: The climate, it was easier than Australia. The climate in Australia was very changeable and strong weather. It was very hot or very cold. Coming from a country which had no seasons it’s a bit difficult. The winter here is still quite hard for me, during winter I don’t leave the house much. But apart from that, we love doing things outside like walking. It’s very good for me.

Jorge: In my case, I had clarity on what I wanted, because I think that one of the main reasons that people that don’t adjust to a new country is basically because they don’t have clarity on what they want to do. Because even though we didn’t have many challenges with immigration, we were not Kiwis. So having clarity to why we wanted to come here, especially the main reason why to have more options for Camillo and Melissa, and to have a better life for the two of us, so that made it easier.

Adriana: Understanding what was our priorities. One of the things that made it easy is that the people here are very friendly. For example, my clients in the beginning, I couldn’t spell their names. While working with them I was learning English, and I learnt from them a lot.

Jorge: We fine that in general that New Zealander are very friendly and welcoming.

 

Interviewer: What have you learnt in the process of immigrating to New Zealand?

 

Adriana: For me it’s a learning for getting slow. Like, not rushing for everything. In Colombia we had a very stressful life. We use to work from 7-6 and take the children to school at 5:30. When we came here we saw that it was so slow, people were more tranquil. People were not rushing to go to work because they dont start at 7 like we used to do. Then there is more time for family, I like that part. Practically that’s it for me.

Jorge: Life in New Zealand is very easy especially when compared to Colombia.

 

Interviewer: If you could go back in time what would you tell yourself before leaving?

Adriana: To bring more warm clothes to be more prepared for the winter. Because at the beginning when we first came, I didn’t know about the clothes that I needed to wear like wearing clothes underneath. When I was studying, I was freezing, and my legs were freezing. Then one of my friends told me that I wasn’t wearing anything underneath. I learnt that.

Jorge: Maybe if I had done more research, how the life in New Zealand is. Even compared to Australia it is quite different. So coming from Australia to here there was many different. Slow pace life. Compared to many immigrants our process has been to very smooth. There hasn’t been too many challenges.

 

Interviewer: What is your favorite and least favorite thing about living in New Zealand?

Adriana: For me my favorite is the freedom that we have and the time that we have with the family. And the outdoors, I love the outdoors especially the walking and hiking. We couldn’t do that in Colombia, I did a few times, but it was with a risk. Here there is no risk at all. The different landscapes and the scenery are beautiful. I love seeing nature. The worst thing here probably because it effected my health, is that they use a lot of pesticides. Everywhere in the parks and in the food. It was killing me, it was probably the worst part of me being here. It took me 7 years to understand what is happening me and find a solution and see that part of New Zealand isn’t good. They want to show a green country but in reality they are poisoning many parks and many places.

Jorge: I think the best thing in my opinion is the safety. The security that we have here. We have had challenges but nothing compared to the places that we have lived before. The worst is, I don’t know. I like everything from New Zealand. Maybe we don’t have enough food, fruits, and vegetables. They are all very seasonal. Even compared to Australia, I find New Zealand very expensive. Especially, Auckland for living. Like the food and houses.

 

Interviewer: What would life be like if you didn’t immigrant to New Zealand or Australia? If you were to have stayed in Colombia?

Adriana: Would be not good, in Colombia, if you wanted to be safe, you would have to live in units that are surrounded by gates and security. You can only go at certain time, such as going to do sport by yourself on a bicycle, it would be very dangerous. That part was probably the worst.

 

Jorge: It would be very different especially health-wise, if I was to look at family. We have had some health challenges because of the stress I think. I think that was because the people didn’t have good lifestyle, and that happened especially to my family.

 

 

Interviewer: Did any of them emigrate as well?

Adriana: In my family no, but in his yes, he has some nieces. My brothers and sisters are in Colombia but I have a niece in Argentina.

Jorge: I have a couple of nieces in Australia and in Japan.

Adriana: Niece and nephews but no brothers and sisters.  

Jorge: I think some left, because they saw us leave. When you are born in a small city, you think that there are no more options in life. That you need to live and die in the same suburb basically. What we did especially for our nieces, they saw that there was another way.

Adriana: It opened the way for the family.

 

Interviewer: What year did you leave Colombia?

Adriana: 2004. 1995 we got married.

 

Interviewer: What do you miss about your home country?

Adriana: The food

Jorge: The same, the same.

Adriana: The food and maybe dancing, because in Colombia we use to dance a lot. Here not so much.

Jorge:  You could say family but now with internet not so much. It is very easy to get in touch with family

Adriana: I see my mom every week.

Jorge: But however, if there is a family tragedy or loss, it’s very tough cause I lost my mum and two brothers.

Adriana: I lost my sister and father while I was here.

Jorge: It is very tough because its very hard to go. You realize how far away you are. Cause if you are in the United States its only 3-4 hours flight. But from here its like 40 hours.

Adriana: We couldn’t go to the funeral.

Interviewer: That’s it