Interviewees Introduction:

Yang Tianyu, male, 27 years old. A native of Chengdu, he studied at the University of
Canterbury in New Zealand for his undergraduate degree and decided to stay in New
Zealand to live and work after graduation. He is a web front-end developer. The role
of a web front-end developer involves translating design mockups into functional web
pages using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, optimizing for performance and usability,
and ensuring cross-browser compatibility and responsiveness to deliver high-quality
user experiences. He's been working for close to four years since he graduated from
undergrad.

Huang Le, female, 24 years old. She studied at the University of Canterbury in New
Zealand and decided to stay in New Zealand to live and work after graduation. She is
a Montessori preschool teacher in Christchurch, New Zealand, currently working with
the toddler age group, which includes children aged 2-3 years old. Her responsibility
is to prioritize the holistic development of each child, nurturing their academic, social,
emotional, and intellectual growth through the principles of Montessori education.

New Zealand Interview

In this interview, Yang Tianyu, a web front-end developer, and Huang Le share
their experience of moving to New Zealand to study and then work and the cultural
challenges, and cultural integrations he faced.
Four years of college life and dealing with local classmates and teachers have
enabled them to adapt to the local culture better, laying a certain foundation for them
to accept cultural differences in the workplace.
Tianyu discusses how he adapted to cultural differences in both his work and
daily life, including instances of culture shock he experienced. For instance, people in
New Zealand (at least in Christchurch) drink tap water directly, and the main meal in
New Zealand is dinner which they call “tea”. The different living habits caused by
New Zealand culture caused a lot of worries when he first came to study in
Christchurch.
Huang Le mentions unique customs and traditions in New Zealand that she had
to adapt to. New Zealand's indigenous people are the Māori, who have also had a
profound impact on New Zealand's culture. As ECE teacher, it is crucial for her to
educate the younger generation about the significance of the Treaty of Waitangi from
an early stage. As part of this commitment, they are obligated to recite Karakia
(prayers) before each meal, usually in Māori and occasionally in English.
They both share an experience of feeling a strong sense of cultural integration
and acceptance in New Zealand. Like teaching colleagues festive days blessing in
Chinese. The interviewees highlight the challenges they face in the work environment,
such as the prioritization of important tasks leading to delays and also the problems
caused by flexible and remote work. In New Zealand, there's often a clear separation
between work and personal life for most people. This means that during work hours, it
can be challenging to reach out to colleagues, and even discussing work during non-
work hours, even with close colleagues, can be frowned upon. A comparison is made
between business etiquette in New Zealand and China, for instance, negotiation styles
also differ, with China favoring extensive bargaining for win-win outcomes, while
New Zealand's negotiations are more straightforward. The interviewees explain how
cultural differences affect their decisions at work as well. In the end, they provide
advice on quickly integrating into New Zealand culture when developing business
operations in the country.