Fitting in

When choosing a country for overseas study, it's wise to consider whether you'll happily fit into its culture. This third segment in Rookie's series on education in New Zealand considers the country's lifestyle, weather, food and prospects for part-time work. Five Thais give their impressions of life in New Zealand.

What's it like in New Zealand?

Quiet

" It's so quiet here that I can hear the crickets chirping," says Chanyah Dahsah, 26, a PhD candidate from Kasetsart University. " Most shops close at 5pm or 6pm, and there isn't much nightlife. I normally don't get lonely, but sometimes I feel so lonely here." Chanyah is spending a year in New Zealand, working on a project for her degree in science education.

Since there aren't many distractions, students tend to become more involved in constructive activities.

" The Kiwi students play sports after classes and then go home. They don't go to Internet cafes and play computer games like Thai kids," observes Supinya Dejnoprat, 21, a second- year biotechnology student at the university of Auckland in Auckland. " Kids here skip classes less because they've got no place to hang out."

Tida Polyudhapoom moved to New Zealand six years ago and found the lifestyle a bit mundane.

" Sometimes I feel that I'm missing something - the spice of life - but I'm quite happy with the simple life here," says the 22- year - old senior who's majoring in architecture at Victoria University in Wellington.

Weather

New Zealand's climate is mild, though a tad chilly for Thais. January and February are the warmest months with an average temperature of 17 degrees Celsius, although the mercury can push into the 30s. July is the coldest month with an average of 8 degrees Celsius. The north of the country is about five degrees warmer than in the south.

" The weather isn't too hot or too cold, although it can change a lot in a single day," Supinya says. " It's rainy, sunny and then suddenly cold. People always carry an umbrella and wear several layers of clothing. When they're hot they take something off, and when they're cold they put something on."

Food

" The food here has only one flavour - flat. Even the milk is tasteless," says Chanyah, who has been at the University of Waikato in Hamilton for eight months.

" People eat panini bread. That's a pressed sandwich filled with ham and cheese. It tastes like the hamburger at 7/Eleven - only worse."

Students staying with a family often discover that their home- stay parents will prepare sandwiches almost every day for lunch.

Dorm food? " Forget about it. There's no flavour. And it's creamy, buttery and milky," Chanyah says.

But there are Chinese take- away and fish - and - chips joints. A serving of rice with two entrees costs about NZ$7 to NZ$8 (Bt200 - Bt225). Fish and chips are a bit cheaper at $5.

Another alternative is Cooking for yourself. Thai grocery stores in New Zealand stock Asian ingredients.

Part-time jobs

Foreign students can work up to 15 hours a week, earning an average of $9 or $10 an hour, but taxes eat between 22 and 24 per cent of that income.

" If you aren't picky, it's quite easy to find a job," says Jerawala Huadmai, 30, a master's degree candidate in mechanical engineering at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch. On campus, students can get jobs as teaching assistants, research assistants, library staff and office administrators.

Off campus, students can find jobs in restaurants, department stores, and souvenir shops or as domestics, says Kloyjai Cheuylintase, 44, a PhD candidate in chemical engineering at the University of Canterbury.

ROJANA MANOWALAILAO

The Nation