Aurélien is engineer for DHI (Danish Hydrolic Institute). He modelises rivers, he studies river floods, river pollution, and data with models to know how rivers are represented (flow, level…). He analyses to find sensitive places of the rivers in order to know where to build protection walls… In New Zealand there is a high need in this area because many kiwis who have been studying it are leaving to work in Australia where they can get better pay and enjoy the sun more !. In his company, more than half of his colleagues are foreigners.

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Can you explain to me your work, how did you end up here ?

I was doing an internship in France. At the end of it, I’ve been looking for some work, but without wanting to stay in France. So I’ve send my resume to different fields in the same company, all over the world world, with the hope of going to South America, or Asia or Spain. But I have finally ended up here, a little bit randomless ! They were looking for someone with my profile, so I taught « why not ! », and after a month I was there !

… No time to think !

Mostly no time to really ponder. If I would have asked myself too many questions I think that I would actually have never come. That was like a reflex in me : « yes or no » !

… But were you also interrested by this job ?

Yes but I could have done it anywhere else. I think that if I would have tried to balance what was for and against, too many things would have kept me in France. I have gone thinking « I’m going there, trying, and I’ll see ! ». Now i think that it was a really good idea, I have no regrets.

And so you are leaving to Malaysia in a month ? (he told me before the the interview)

Yes because I’m currently growing in my job : I was looking after rivers but now I’ll take care the ocens (ports, beaches…). But the only qualified personn here is aver booked so he hasn’t had time to teach me. There are many qualified people over there that can train me.

Can you tell us your life here since you arrived : searching for an appartement and so on ?

The problem of my company is that it’s out of downtown. So I’ve fisrt been looking for a place close by, in the suburbs. But New Zealand is a quiet country. Although Auckland is dynamic city , out of town it’s really quiet. So, because I got bored of living in the suburbs, although I was sharing the flat, after 6 months I’ve decided to move on. Nothing happend in the evenings : tv, work… Since I’m living in the city centre, it’s getting better : I have a social life. I first moved in to a big house with 20 people, where I was hanging on more and more to see my friends, go out, until I finally moved on. And few months later I’ve moved again into a new and beautiful and cheap house, well-situated. But I’ll move again to another place beacause these two french friends are going to live in Canada soon.

I’ve noticed that compared to when I used to study abroad, it’s much more difficult to meet new people now that I’m working. As a student I was constently meeting new people, I had always activities going on, but now that I’m in front of my computer 8 to 10 hours per day, to meet people is requiering much more effort.

And so do you meet people while your are doing activities ?

Actually there is a huge turn over in New Zealand, I have very good friends for 6 months- 1 year, and then they are leaving. So I realize that many people are leaving and I’m wondering if I shouldn’t be leaving too ? The problem is that all the people I’ve met are meant to leave one day or another. Having talked about it to some friends who are living here for a while, it seems to be really common. They all told me that after a year, a year and a half living in New Zealand, everybody is leaving, but they have finally met more and more local people. The problem is that this relationship takes a while to build and I don’t really have a group of local good friends yet.

What are you missing from France ?

I’m missing three things : family and friends. But for that, when you are living abroad you know that you can’t avoid it. Then, the food, and… Social advantages ! It could seem to be silly but to work 35 hours per week, the retreat and so on are things that I don’t have here. And because I don’t have the citizenship here, my social situation is different. I have only 4 weeks per year of holidays…

Are there fundamental French things that you’ve kept in you ?

It’s difficult for me to see what is finally being « French »… Sometimes I meet Chinese people with who I havelots of things in common , and French people with who I’m feeling really far away in our way of thinking. It’s a little bit difficult to explain… But the more I meet new people, the more I’m wondering what being French means. When I meet French people, of course, I’m feeling closer to them because we are having the same references (films, music etc) but at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter, we all have the same values.

Do you feel that because you’ travellled quite a lot before ?

Yes maybe… I have actually been studying in England for two years, in London and then Newcastle. Between both, I have been studying for a year in Spain (ERASMUS – it’s the name of an european university exchange). I have also done a semester in Hongaria (Hungry?) and an internship period in India. All these experiences were really amazing.

And what’s in the futur ?

In a short term, I would like to go to Spain, but not now because of the ressession, there is not much work. It’s really nice, I had some great time overthere. To me Spain is like France, but better !

So you don’t plan to stay in New Zealand for a long time ?

Actually it’s 50-50… I’m giving myself until September, to see if I can feel like at home. And if in 6 months I’m not feeling well-integrated in the country, then it will mean that I’ll have to go. But New Zealand is a great country where it’s nice to live . It’s part of the culture to have a social and professionnal life well-balanced, and people are really more relaxed than other countries.

What make you say that you are not really integrated ?

I have more foreign friends than kiwi friends. Also I’m not feeling like living the kiwi way of life, which is manly based on sport (rugby, running, surfing…) and there green week-end in their countryside houses. But also what does « live like a kiwi » mean ? I don’t really have any answer to that either…
As a foreigner I’m not feeling really pat of this society, I don’t have enough kiwi friends to feel part of the New Zealand life.

Have you ever been victim of discrimination ?

Discrimination, not really. It’s a Western country, New zealand is a young country with lots of foreigners. Kiwi people are really open minded and opposite to France, which has 2000 years old of history, here everybody is more or less a foreigner. The funny thing is that they really like France but hate us as well ! It hasn’t been lots of excehanges between NZ and France, they are mainly the Rainbowwarrior, nuclear tests… And in these stories French people didn’t take kiwis seriously… So these subjects are often showng up during conversations.
In France discriminations are much more important than here, and I don’t miss it !
Kiwi people are really lovely and honnest. For instance when you are going in a shop it happens that the seller tells you not to buy the product here because it’s cheaper somewhere else !

How often do you go back to France ?

I’m trying to go back once a year for a month. But because I have only 4 weeks of holidays per year it doesn’t leave me enough time for travelling and to really enjoy New Zealand. But I’m taking one week of holidays in NZ, and there are some long week-ends as well…

How is the atmosphere at work ?

Here it’s really relax, kiwi people finish their daya t 4pm…
Photography in the gallery : We cannot display this gallery