Making friends when you move to a new place can be hard; it can be especially hard for anyone trying to make sense of the Kiwi language.

Cromwell residents from different parts of the globe are learning valuable skills in a relaxed and social setting, so they can more easily communicate with others in their community and make friends.

Talking to those in the group, a very similar theme emerges.

Hailing from the Philippines, Danny has been living and working in Cromwell for over a year now. He says he wants to make friends here, and practising with the group is definitely helping.

Jonah is one of our seasonal vineyard workers, having lived between Cromwell and his home in Vanuatu since 2007.

“Cromwell is a beautiful place,” he smiles. “I want to communicate better and make some new friends.

Peter also lives in Cromwell on a seasonal basis, and has done so since 2011.

“The same as Jonah, we work here for seven months and go back to Vanuatu for five months.

“I like Cromwell very much and I want to make new friends.”

Jonah adds he really enjoys the new Lake Dunstan trail, regularly biking from Cromwell to Clyde. It would be good to get to know some of the people he meets on his rides, he says.

“The people along the trail, they are very friendly – even though they don’t know your name they are just greeting you and smiling.”

Peter talks to Sharon; it’s all about practising Kiwi conversations in a supportive setting.

Danny says in the Philippines, they were taught American English, so the Kiwi accent and many Kiwi words can be extremely confusing.

He laughs as he recalls his first job here. 

“My foreman asked me, ‘Oh Danny, can you open the bonnet?’

“I couldn’t understand why he was talking about what I wear; why should I lift my hat?

“Now I understand some of those terms Kiwis use.”

Cromwell Newcomers’ group spokesperson Sharon Smid says the initiative has proved very successful for those taking part.

“It’s not about teaching English, it’s about helping people make connections in the community.

“Building the confidence to have conversations and meet new people.” 

Participants all hope the communication practice will help them make friends here.

Sharon says the newcomers’ group had begun to offer conversation evenings in six week blocks, back in 2019. They proved to be popular, however Covid hit just as they were due to start their third round of the valuable initiative last year.

The evenings had picked up again this year, were side-lined again by Covid, but had been able to re-start as we reached Alert Level 2.

Topics are practical each week: how to make an appointment, what to do in an emergency, how to converse in social settings such as the quintessential Kiwi barbeque.

“We explore social norms and have fun gaining an understanding of differences and similarities between cultures and countries.

“It’s good, they understand what to expect, they practice talking about themselves and their lives in a supportive setting, then gain the confidence and the language to converse outside of the group.”

To contact the Cromwell Newcomers Group, email Sharon at [email protected]

Images Mary Hinsen