A “Better Life” : Diaspora Tales

Vikram Karve

10 min readOct 20, 2024

___________

NEW ZEALAND MEMORIES

___________

___________

A “BETTER LIFE”

Story By Vikram Karve

_________

Circa 2016

In the Lobby of a Hotel in Auckland — New Zealand

_________

“Good Morning, Uncle…” the young man said.

I recognized him at once.

He was my friend’s son.

“Oh — Hello…” I said, “it’s so nice to see you here…”

“Yes, Uncle…” he said.

“What are you doing out here…? Holidaying in New Zealand…?” I asked him.

“I live here…” he said.

“You live here…? In Auckland…?” I asked him.

“Yes, Uncle — I live in Auckland…” he said.

Then he looked at me and spoke.

“Uncle — have you come on a holiday to New Zealand…?” he asked me.

“Yes…” I said, “I reached Auckland 3 days ago — I saw the sights here — and now — I am going on a week’s tour of South Island — in fact — I am flying to Christchurch by the morning flight — the hotel has called a taxi to take me to the airport — I am waiting for the taxi to arrive…”

He smiled at me and spoke with a bit of excitement in his voice.

“Oh — I think I am the taxi…” he said.

“You…?” I asked him, surprised.

“Yes, Uncle — I will just check at the reception…” he said — and — he went to talk to the receptionist.

__________

He returned soon — and he said to me:

“Come, Uncle — I’ll drop you at the airport…”

__________

He picked up my bag and we walked to the taxi which was parked outside.

Soon — we were travelling to the airport — which was half-an-hour’s drive away.

“Uncle — I hope you are spending a few days in North Island too — there is a lot to see here too…” he said.

“Yes — after I return from South Island — I am spending a week here…” I said.

“That’s great — I’ll give you my number — you must have dinner with me — and — of course — I will drive you around whenever you want to hire a taxi…” he said to me.

__________

I was curious as to why he — such a well-qualified boy — why was he driving a taxi…?

I did not want to embarrass him — so — I decided to broach the topic in a roundabout way.

“When we met last — you were doing your MBA — weren’t you…?” I asked him.

“Yes, Uncle — around 5 years ago — in Mumbai — that’s the last time we met — you had come over to our place — I was finishing my MBA…” he said.

“Yes — it was more than 5 years ago — I lost contact with your Dad after that…” I said.

__________

Then — I decided to probe a bit more.

“When did you come to New Zealand…?” I asked him.

“I came here 3 years ago to seek a “Better Life” — yes Uncle — I wanted a “Better Life”…” he said.

“Better Life…?” I said, curious.

“Yes, Uncle — I got a job after my MBA — but — I was not happy in India — so — I decided to migrate to New Zealand — and — the best way to migrate to New Zealand was through the “student pathway”…” he said.

“Student Pathway…? What’s that…?” I asked him.

“All of us — we migrate using the “student pathway” — first “student visa” — then “work visa” — then “residency” — and finally — “citizenship” of New Zealand — and — once you get the coveted “New Zealand Passport” — the whole world is open to you…” he said.

“Oh — I thought Indian students come here for higher education…” I said.

“No one comes here for “genuine education” — we do these courses because — the “student pathway” is the easiest route to residency and citizenship…” he said.

“Oh…” I remarked.

“Here — even as a student — you are allowed to work part-time 20 hours a week and full-time on weekends. And then — you can easily get a “post study work visa” — and you can work full-time on any type of jobs you can manage to get. Compared to India — the minimum wage here is quite good — more than 15 New Zealand Dollars per hour — so you can make a decent amount of money — if are prepared to work long hours — at inconvenient times — and — if you are ready to do anything — any sort of work…” he said.

“And — there seems to be “dignity of labour” here too…” I said.

“That’s only on the surface. The ground reality is that we immigrants have to do those jobs that the locals don’t want to do…” he said, matter-of-factly.

“Really…?” I asked him, a bit surprised.

“It is simple — we migrants have to do the jobs that “Pakeha” Kiwis don’t want to do…” he said.

“Pakeha…? What does that mean…?” I asked him, curious.

“Pakeha means a “White New Zealander” — a New Zealander who is of “European descent”…” he explained to me.

“Oh…” I said.

“I think they do it purposely — they trick youngsters from developing countries like India to come here for education — by showing them a “rosy picture” — they make money from “international” students — and then — they make these “immigrants” do jobs that New Zealanders don’t want to do — but — we immigrants are ready to do any type of job — just for the sake of getting residency…” he said.

“We used to call these jobs “The 3 D’s”…” I joked.

“The 3 D’s”…” he asked.

“Yes — The 3 D’s” — Dirty — Difficult — Dangerous — “Dirty Difficult Dangerous Jobs”…” I said.

He smiled — and then he spoke.

“Yes, Uncle — you are right — those are the jobs most migrants do — especially those from countries like India — but it’s okay — but — as I told you — compared to India — the minimum wage here is quite high — so you can make good money if you work long hours at any time of the day or night and are ready to do anything…” he said.

“Oh — so are all Indian immigrants doing such jobs — even after doing Higher Education courses over here in New Zealand…?” I asked him.

“Yes, Uncle — most of us…” he said.

“That’s sad…” I remarked.

“Uncle — this whole “student pathway” migration business is a money-making racket — in which Education Agents back home in India, several Educational Institutions out here in New Zealand and some Kiwi Employers are all involved in exploiting and making money from Indian students…” he said.

“Really…?” I asked, surprised.

“Back home in India — the so-called “Education Consultants” painted a rosy picture of employment opportunities in New Zealand after doing a course in New Zealand — so — I landed in New Zealand as an international student and completed another Degree in Management. I thought I would be flooded by job offers — but — I didn’t get a job. The employment opportunities here are not as rosy as painted by the “education counsellors” in India — it is very difficult to get a job — especially if you are an immigrant — and that too from India. I experienced racism too…” he said.

“Racism…?” I asked him, a bit perturbed.

“Yes, Uncle — there is plenty of Xenophobia, racism, discrimination over here — but — they don’t do it openly — it is subtle. They prefer to employ “Kiwis” — or people from “developed” countries — someone even advised me to change my Indian first name to a foreign sounding one…” he said.

“Change your name…? Why…?” I asked him, curious.

Uncle — a “Kiwi” friend advised me:

“You change your name to an “English” sounding one — then — you will stand a better chance of getting a job…”

___________

I could not believe this — and — I told him so.

“I can’t believe this — if you change your name to an “English” sounding one — then — you stand a better chance of getting a job…” I said to him.

He smiled a bit — and then — he spoke to me in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

“Uncle — at first — I laughed at him — but later — I realized that he had a point — some of my Indian migrant friends with “English” sounding names were getting more calls for interviews — and jobs too….” he said to me.

“It’s unbelievable…” I said to him.

He looked at me and spoke with a hint of regret in this voice.

___________

Then — he explained his woes to me:

“It is funny — but very sad.

In India — we give preference to Foreign “expats” — but in foreign countries — especially here — it is exactly the opposite — they don’t care about Indian “migrants”.

In fact — my Indian degrees and work experience did not count much over here in New Zealand.

Out here — it was New Zealand educational qualifications and “Kiwi” work experience that mattered.

So — I enrolled here for the same course I had done in India — and — I got myself a New Zealand Degree — but — I didn’t have New Zealand work experience — so I just couldn’t get a good job…”

___________

On hearing his words — I felt sad for him — so — I tried to commiserate with him.

“That’s sad — you have a double MBA — one from India and one from New Zealand — but still you didn’t get a good job…?” I said to him.

He looked at me and spoke candidly:

“Uncle — my father spent 20 Lakh Rupees for sending me to New Zealand for Education.

I thought I will get a good job when I completed my course — but — I could not get a job.

Though I was well qualified — I found my Indian ethnicity a barrier to getting a good job — and — though not officially stated — it was clear that there was covert racial discrimination — and once in a while — I heard racist slurs as well — though they didn’t say it directly on my face…”

He said these words with a tinge of bitterness.

__________

“It must have been terrible…” I commiserated with him.

“Yes…” he said to me and he told me about his tough days of hardship in New Zealand.

He said to me:

“At that point of time — I should have gone back to India.

But — it would have been a terrible “loss of face” for me.

So — I kept applying for jobs — because — I was in need of money — and — I did not want to ask my father for more money — since he had already spent a huge amount of money for sending me to New Zealand and on my education over here.

So — I was ready to do whatever job was available — at one point — I was doing 3 part-time jobs at the same time — as a petrol pump attendant at night — washing taxis and tourist buses in the morning in bone chilling winter — and delivering pizzas during the day.

Then — I was lucky — the owner of the taxi company where I washed cars and buses — he offered me a job as a Taxi Driver — and — I am driving taxis ever since…”

___________

I felt sad seeing my friend’s son — such a well-qualified boy — driving a taxi — and enduring such a tough life.

So — I offered to help him — and — I spoke to him.

“Let me give you some advice. You forget about “loss of face” etc. Why don’t you return to India…? With your management qualifications — I am sure you will get a good job in India. I have some contacts in the industry — I will try and help you out…” I said to him.

“Thanks, Uncle — but there is no way I am going to return to India. I have made up my mind to to stay here in New Zealand — I will manage to get Permanent Residency — and then — I will become a citizen of New Zealand. I will never return back to India…” he said.

“But why…?” I asked him.

“It is a “Better Life” over here in New Zealand…” he said.

___________

The taxi reached the airport.

The young man — my friend’s son — he took out my bag from the taxi and placed it by my side on the walkway.

He gave me his mobile number — which I stored on my mobile phone.

“Uncle — please call me the moment you return to Auckland from your South Island Tour…” he said.

I said “Yes” — and — I paid him the taxi fare.

He took the money — he said “Good Bye” to me — he sat in his taxi — and he drove off.

___________

I watched him drive away.

And — I thought to myself:

“He was a highly qualified boy.

Had he remained in India — or even if he returned home to India now — he could easily get a good corporate job and work in a comfortable managerial position in India.

But here — in New Zealand — he was slogging hard as a Taxi Driver.

Despite this — he called it a “Better Life”…”

___________

VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:

This story is a fictional spoof, satire, pure fiction, just for fun and humor, no offence is meant to anyone, so take it with a pinch of salt and have a laugh.
This story is a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the story are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
E&OE

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Link to my original post in my Blog Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve:http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2017/07/migrant-tales-kiwi-indian-taxi-driver.html

____________

A “Better Life” : Diaspora Tales

Written by Vikram Karve

No responses yet