you might want to visit papatoetoe, South Auckland. There is an Edo woman selling african food and making hair there...you will see black people there. Jump on the train and get off at papatoetoe....ask around for african braids shop near the vegetable store or find your way to the shopping centre...its should be abt 7 min walk from train station.

generalbush:


Hello bro, I applied for a language(English) course of 20 weeks... My plan is extend it for another lengthy period so as to reach the threshold. Before thinking of applying for PR.

Will the proof of funding account be opened in my name? or can I show them my sponsor's acct?

How much does it take to process visa and how long!

What is the minimum amount to have in the account.

Since it is a language course,(English) I don't need much wahala. According to my Academic Advisor..

Please reply me pls...

You can apply for English but you will not be a bonafide student coming from an English speaking country...plus why waste all that money..your sponsor should mostly have your surname if not you might have to prove the relationship... Its up to you but you will always need to prove financial support whichever route you choose..

okesammie:
Hello Dinlin, solomon carter and whoever knows about PhD in Newzealand, My name is samuel and i need you to advise me on what to do regarding what i will be posting below.

I have a master's degree in mech. eng. from UI and with a CGPA of 5.61 of 7 (PhD grade). I got an offer of place at UoA in januray this year but there was no fund since i was not given a scholarship. I planned to get a job, save and reapply. I got a job and i got another offer few days ago but without scholarship again. See mail below.

Dear Samuel Okeleye,



Offer of Place: Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering



Your application for registration as a doctoral candidate at the University of Auckland has been reviewed by the Dean of Graduate Studies on behalf of the Board of Graduate Studies, and we are happy to inform you that your registration has been approved.



Your proposed thesis title is "Micro-compressor for an Ultra Micro Gas Turbine.".



You were considered for a University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship. However, as a result of a high number of exceptional candidates, we cannot offer you this particular scholarship.



We realise this is disappointing, and although we are unable to offer you this award, we very much encourage you to investigate the wide range of other scholarships available at the University of Auckland. For further information on scholarships, visit www.auckland.ac.nz\scholarships.

Having worked for couple of months, i lost my job but i have only been able to save 400k. I am married and my wife works with an IT firm.

My questions are, is there a way i can get a scholarship elsewhere? If not, Is it worth risking if i decide to get money for tuition and living within the first one month and believe that i would get a job to take care of subsequent expenses? How much is sufficient to take care of all expenses if i am thinking of entering with my wife considering the fall in naira value?

I dont want to discourage you but will tell you the bitter truth. With the fall of Naira, 400k would be about 1500nzd or thereabout and I doubt if its enough to show as evidence of financial support. The combined flight ticket for you and your wife is more than 3k dollars. Your wife may be able to get a work visa under your visa but it's hard getting anything as most employers will ask for local experience...she may find work but will take time I believe. Auckland is very expensive. You may need to use google to search for scholarships or unis that offer one in your field. A budget of 10k dollars after ticket fare should do and be aware with the current Nigerian government restrictions on overseas transactions. All the best.

Coming from Nigeria, your patience will be tested cos It's a minimum 23 hour flight minus stop overs. Pls declear all foods, leather materials on your passenger form. You can fly South African airways, qatar air or via emirate. You will need no transit visa if you fly emirate or qatar.

Melbourne is a multicultural, cosmopolitan and beautiful city. Very spread out with lots of suburbs. Racism is everywhere in the world but nothing too extraordinary in melbourne. Lots of jobs for students but competition for real full-time jobs are getting difficult. Dress warm for the winter at the moment and It's cold.

Having a positive attitude is the key to success here. Volunteers in your area of studies to get an Australian work experience. The airport is a bit far from the city so don't catch a taxi. If you have someone picking you up will be nice.

You will get along with people easily. It's more sociable than say Perth. There is a Nigerian association and they usually celebrate the nigerian independence party. The nightlife is amazing. .You can also visit the Luna park. public transportation in the city is very good. There is always something going on in the city. Concerts, sports...rugby is very popular..people here love sports generally.
Be cautious with money, the city is effing expensive. Accomodation is costly too but I can find flatmates to live with.
You may need to buy a car to help getting to work.
There are many international students..

Professor554:


Lol. So all the things America do say about Russia is true. I do use to think before its just politics because i know America to oppose anything Russia or China but now i can see the truth in their reports. Too bad. Although our nigerians too have a major problem because abroad alot are criminals which makes our embassies get tired of recieving their complaints. Some is stealing, some prostitution, drugs, cyber scam, contraband and so on. I am sure in a place like russia one can go shopping at night or even the club to have a drink, talkmore of say hi to a russian lady or group of guys . Thats bad, even though i now have my admission, i am seriously thinking of applying else where because my safety is all that matters

If you find yourself in Russia, find good friends that are genuine students and have good morals. Attend a good multinational church if you are xtian. Do not go out alone at night. It gets dark by 3pm in winter so go with friends. Keep a phone to contact friends. Avoid gatherings where you see a group of Russian men. Wear good shoes that is comfortable and hard on the snow as you might need to run incase of danger and the snow can get slippery. Always keep a photocopy of your visa, the police can stop you and ask at anytime. Avoid protests. Students will be tempted to go to nightclubs from time to time, go in a group if you will by catching a taxi. Avoid metros late night. Some Nigerians will borrow money and never return it. avoid unprotected sex as you need a medical clearance each time you renew your visa. Some illegals may steal your passport. Some may steal your money. Some may even harass you.
You study for years paying a lot of fees and You graduate with a piece of qualification without a pathway to being a permanent residency or at least work experience in your chosen field.

You can get a good education from there if that is the only thing taking you there. Some students did it. The question is if its a risk worth taking when there are other options....and better options at that. Life is what we make of it.

What's Your stake on Estonia/Finland?
[/quote]

Estonia is affordable. It's a member of the European union, which means your qualifications are recognised in all EU countries. Tallinn has many multinational companies. Skype was developed in Estonia. The language is very difficult but very similar to Finnish. Stay away from Narva as it's predominantly Russian speaking minority and has popular sentiments against outsiders. The have hardcore neonazi supporters in narva. But you wouldn't have to deal that much with them if you mind your own business. I wanted to buy a cheap apartment there a few years ago but changed my mind. Estonia is very mordern, safe and many people speak English in the cities. alot of ancient castles and empty churches. Tallin has the old city and new city close to the Baltic sea. people are quite friendly. Old town has unspoilt history at a closer look while new city has mordern buildings, shops and offices. university in tallin has quite a number of international students. Accommodation in tallin will cost you a bit less than you will pay in Moscow. I don't think you will earn much from working but it may help you pay some bills.
Finland borders st.Petersburg, Russia. had free education that is rated one of the best in the world. You will not pay tuition and you get to work. It's a beautiful country. Expect some racism as everywhere in the world but nothing out of the ordinary. you wiĺl find the northern lights of summer interesting as its day light till about 3am in the mornings...lots of outdoor sports at this time..They have tasty sausages. Helsinki is lovely. fins speak English but it will do you good to learn the language. You should not have any issues in this country. ..trust me. I have travelled Europe. I can tell you a lot of you ask..lol

Professor554:


Bros are you in Russia now?

No. I am not in Russia but been to Moscow and Petersburg. I still have a few friends there, some moved to western countries after their studies, some return back home, some married Russian women to remain in the country while some ran out their visas and became illegal(usually other Nigerians duped them when they arrived and took advantage of their finances in helping them get fake papers, accomodation and General necessities that a new migrant might need in a non-English speaking country). The illegals have someone to blame...agents etc..It's a hard life for Russians not to talk of Nigerians. Google "Nigerians/Africans in Russia " and you will find endless horrors stories of crime, homicide and lately prostitution. Abuse of human rights and injustice is common. Hence, you will be snubbed by the Nigerian embassy if you get into trouble with the law innocently or purposely. The cells are very cold and you can thank your luckily stars if you don't end up in underground prisons in Siberia where the temperature drops -50 degree centigrade. The economy is hurting and people there are desperate. You will burn out your cash from Nigeria and end up being a burden to family at home when you need more cash. You may earn a little while working but you'll barely survive on that and it's gonna be illegal if you are on a student visa. I am not trying to discourage but painting true pictures that most of our people learn the hard way. 15 guys living in 2bedroom apartments. .lol..Forget Facebook pictures that deceive people back home..grave reality bro..I think I have said too much already. It's for the wise to pick and choose.

Why a person will want to study in Ukraine is beyond my comprehension. First, it's politically unstable and torn between the pro-russian east vs pro-EU west. It's been a violent region in the past few years. Moreso the degrees are worthless outside its borders. The mention of Ukraine itself is a tragedy on your CV in the west at least. It remains a non-member of the European union and the economy is poor. You will be stared at like a hungry baby boy stares at his mother's breast. Occasional insults from local cos of your color. You can be attacked at night if not cautious. Many Ukrainians will ditch the comfort of their homes to get a chance work as cheap labourers in any European union members state..you can but cheap food and pay cheap tuition. You will meet a lot of Nigerians there studying or wasting away their future. You are unlikely to find a job. If it's just a paper saying that you completed university, then Ukraine is your best bet. better to learn Ukrainian or Russian.

Professor554:


I don they fear o. Although i intend to return to Nigeria after studies. I wanted poland but their school requirements are much and they don't respond on time. Are their girls blackmailers or what? What of their guys? And those skinheads don't they arrest them?

@ Professor554, I will advice you to be proactive with getting an admission Poland, as polish people are more friendly and most travel to UK to work. In the uk, they work in almost every sector of the economy but mostly in minimum wage jobs where they get to mix with people from around the world. They also have a good sense of humour and many Nigerian friends of mine that studied in Poland married polish women. we can say they are down to earth at most. However, I find Russian women less traditional. What I mean is that approach to sex is open and moral values are not reinforced. ..I hope am not stereotyping here but just my opinion. I find many Nigerian guys stuck with them in a weird marriage. .but it's just my opinion. The Russian guys hate you for dating their girls..they get jealous. I have heard of an African dude that was pushed in the river while walking with girlfriend in st.Petersburg. I wouldn't date a russian girl if not for sex but i wouldnt even cos of the high rate of stds in that country...many are promiscus maybe i have trust issues but you might get a good one..It's not uncommon for Africans to get into fights with Russian guys in the nightclubs or on the streets at night. Infact, when a final year student from Africa was shot by a skinhead in Russia, the police comment was that there is an average of 1 murder per day on Russians in st.petersburg, why should an African death be a big of a deal. Whatever your destination of tertiary education, Good luck.

I do agree that some Nigerians with most of the things OP listed but you have to understand that if we take a closer look at these people forming abroad..you will realise that most attitudes are empty illusions we call "tall poppy syndrome". Menial jobs in the cold only to act like they forgot where they are from...It's pathetic and disgusting. After 8 years of studying and working, I couldn't wait to eat point and kill at its basira joint and drink palmwine. I stated at my father's home eating my mother's home cooked meal. I prostrated when greeting elders as I did before I left. Some relatives where even shocked at my spoken Yoruba as I tried to catch up hilariously. I didn't buy a car to show off, I could if I wanted. I gave relatives cash that I could afford so that at least I could neutralize any hate towards me. Washed my father's car before he woke up just to remember how it felt again after all these years. Some people came to visit us if at all to show that they are well off and talk about what is great in their lives or someone's life......I didn't blame them as they stereotyped the abroad guy thought I was going to act a pompous "tall poppy". I visited the places that i wanted to visit before i left but couldnt such as ikogosi waterfall, oranmiyan staff, elegushi beach etc...wanted so much to buy bush meat at ikire but was warned about ebola..Unfortunately, my time in Nigeria was short I had to resume work again and visit some other countries on my way back. When I got to Auckland airport, the immigration official said "welcome back home". I smiled thinking "yeah right...Nigeria is home not here". I then remembered a Yoruba proverb " a journey can't be the same as home"

Russia is not a bad place to live and study...however it is not a good place either. It's not bad because it's cheap and the Russian rubble is falling due to economic sanctions on the country. Hence, your USD will go far. Also, what do you want to get from your degree? It's fine if you intend to return home to Nigeria cos wages in Russia is low. Most students return home after studies. If I were you I would consider other countries like Poland, Czech, Estonia, Norway, Finland etc. At least you have a chance to stay and work after your studies in these countries and possibly get citizenship. Russia is racist of I may advice you and a lot of bureaucracy and corruption in getting things done at the official level. While there are genuine students in Russia most NIgerians there are shady. The types you're not safe to associate with. It's a shithole and you could get trapped after spending some money. The ladies are amazing and very beautiful, the types we only could dream of in the western world. But they are traps too if you want to get something out of your life. Forget finding a good job with a decent wage, your chances are 1%. if get lucky you teach English. Your qualifications are not worth that much in western countries. Don't be desperate to go overseas. skinheads look for blacks to insult, kill, or attack. Look at the bigger picture.

iluvpomo:
Bros, my ID is I- love-Pomo .... as in Naija style "meat" ..... not pörno as you talk am .... abeg oh .... this your mind don spoil sef

haha...oh ok.....wetin u go con chop na...dis one wey Jonathan won ban Pomo for market...u go collet India visa go chop pomo wit Gurus ..

dada01:

Bros SHUT UP!
I even doubt d Phd tin.

U sku for almost 10 yrs for india and you re coming up with all those virtual lies.

India ke, having d best rail way in d world

Wetin u dey tink.

U go fear ph.d na....I tire sef...I wonder which local paraga/jedi the guy bin dey on...those overcrowded rails wey dey deril every now and then is one of the best in the world?...u r gonna make others with Ph.d from india look bad with your railway stori ooo...

SinghInLagos: ok brother, no problem. Is just I wonder how you call me "a curry". It's the same way some people who are racist in UK will say it.
Racism is everywhere, even in India. We are trying solve the problem. There was time all us commonwealth country complain of racism by UK but now many is became the same. Is a shame. But still I say is only a minority.
I am happy you enjoy the Indian food. I wish you to eat in my house one day.

Yes friend, I will be glad to lunch with you someday just that I am based in NZ but hope to visit Naija soon..You know we have a large Indian community in NZ and infact I love going to watch the diwali festival..Its all good brother..I like your spirit and mindset. We both know no ill will was intended for us both..cheers!

iluvpomo: when you make racist comments (ironically in a thread condemning the racist act that took place), it makes you no different than the racists them selves. Furthermore, when you do that under the notion that you are "hiding behind your PC" it makes you a GIANT WUSS.
Shame on you dude.

Look I lluvpomo/Indecency or wutever you call yourself..What is racist about my comment?
Is refering to a chinese as noodle racist? should I be called racist for disliking the fact that japanese people kill whales for food..Guess we are all racist to refer to a taiwanese that eat placenta, which is a dish for them. call me whatever u want "Mr.luvpomo/Indecency"
Yes I am a giant wuss...does that make you happy?

SinghInLagos:
If you look my post very well I say only some. I don't to judge everybody. I only tell you that as example why is just not degree that make you do good job and career.

Also you call me a curry. Maybe some will call that racist. I think is because you don't know. When I first came Nigeria I found the crayfish in market to have very strong smell that some who are note use to it don't like it. Then one day I try the cray fish soup and I really love it. Since then I don't to mind the cray fish aroma. Also you one day you may try curry and maybe you like it also. Same thing garlic. Actually is having many medical benefit.

my friend, there you go...you are judging me again..I love curry and butter chiken. I eat charparty& lamb Vindalo. I also put curry when I cook my fried and jollof rice. U already assumed racism. we both know indians love curry like a baby loves breast milk. Should I say u are racist if you try to describe me to someone as a dark skinned African?

DisGuy:

why dont you believe that part about racist remarks? Are nigerians in the slightest politically correct? Are they in the slightest respectful of other peoples opinions or ways of life even as guests?

doesnt in anyway justify the mob action but knowing my people insulting people/host with their religion or culture is not too hard to believe imo...you only have to look at this website itself!

Permit me to disrespect another culture at the slightest...I wish my little rants here is equal to the unjustified discrimination those Africans suffered in sight of Indian law enforcement.
While I personally wouldnt be rude if in India(God forbid), its my right to express my opinion and views about issues irrespective of how whoever feels about it @ least behind a PC screen.

@SinghInLagos,
This where I have a problem with you Curries, you'v just told me I am generalizing and judging India from a few incident, but u are sort of judging the Nigerian graduates as lacking practical engineering skills. All nigerian university gradutes plus the huge number of Nigerian graduates returning back from the US, UK e.t.c lack practical skills.?...really? Are u sure? U cant find? feed that to the chickens and chew me some garlic mate...Oh well, where you have been working in Nigeria needs to come in question?

SinghInLagos: Dear friend, ok my English not so good, but my electrical engineering skill is very valuable for my company and because that my company make million of Naira with my knowledge. I think you have to realize we can all work and live together. You don't have to upset with me just with no reason.

Lol..am not upset with u friend..infact, am happy for you that a company is making millions from the skills of an electrical engineer with poor spoken English when we both know that there are millions of employable Nigerian graduates with equal skills and excellent communication skills. What I quite dont understand is why my people flock to study in India of all English speaking countries? And why dont they enjoy equal treatment that u claim to be getting in Nigeria?
We need to respect ourselves to know that your country will never treat us with respect. Ce la ve !

SinghInLagos: I am Indian man living in Lagos past 10 years and I am feeling very much shame for this incident. I please beg all the Nigerian don't be upset about this. What those Indian boys did is evil and I pray the police to deal with them. I enjoy my stay here and Nigerian treat me like family and I am treat them like my brother and sister also. Please don't to take what these boys did as people of India. These are just the bad egg of India - criminal boys.any Nigerian travel to the India and have no problem and do schooling, shopping, medical, business and all enjoying themselves in India.
Long live Nigeria and India.

The Indian guy in 9ja has just spoken..Una see the kin english wen hin type? u still won study for hin yeye India? una no go study for UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, western european countries dem even ghana(u go enta plane get to accra frm lagos abi na)..una for enter syria and iraq go study..infact Afganistan go give you citizenship...mcheeeeww!

Hey guys...Dere is racism everywhere. Its time 4 we Nigerians to do a soul searching about d places we choose to visit..Is India worth it? light skin indians are racist to dark skin indians...why do u think bleaching cream business boom in south east asia? Its even the guys buyin dos cremes tryna look bollywood..lol...Have u seen the way foreigners are stared @ in India? gang raping tourist ladies. Their degrees are worthless in developed countries..but u guys kno what? d garlics munchers earn a fair share of racism in Australia & New Zealand..google check..An indian @ my work place once said "Hey bro..am not like other indians am different, I dont like indians". I laughed and said "every nation got its share of undesirables". I kept an open mind about him...but guess what..the curry always gossips to everyone abt somebody.
A Nigerian outside Nigeria is like being a jew in the middle east..Package urselves guys! Be exceptional, trust nobody but your instincts, stay away from the nights and abide by d law.

@solomoncater, UoA is a good choice for you. I personally wouldnt be really concerned as most NZ unis are top ranked anyway..I kinda look at what courses are on offer and how it fits my plans(work,study&family), logistics and long term goals...Its like wishing for Havard but fine getting into MIT or stanford..@ the end of the day it all depends on what we make of the qualifications that we struggle to attain..If not, professor would be the most successful and richest..

@solomoncater, there is a joke here that AUT students are UoAs reject..lol..yes but UoA is ranked very high and it would drop if they admit every applicants without standard merit. AUT is very good as well and theyv got standard and reputation with employers compared to some other ones. UoA got large classes, long lectures and much theory while AUTs classes aint as much and courses are mixed with practical placement..hence lots of experience on CV by the time you graduate...ph.d program for me is gonna be Victoria university wellington..

@solomoncater, you are aboslutely correct. I am hoping for the best as my results hasnt been impressive due to work reasons but good enough. I am banking on discretionary consideration from the program manager as well as providing refrence letters. At worst, I hope to get shortlisted via interview...there and then I"l get a chance to prove myself.
There are still several options to go by..

@solomoncater, Lucky you to have great supervisors..I once met a Nigerian dude that did phd civil or construction engineering...cant remember , He got his Bachelors from greece. He has since moved back home to work for a German construction company...was told I had to upgrade my bachelors to honours(1 yr) so that I can get into the program otherwise had to do Masters(2 yrs)..decided to choose the 1yr plus dont wanna have to pay more student loan abeg..Studying by distance with series of block classes at AUT university.

@solomoncater, yes phd is very challenging...Am still struggling with completing my Honours, a requirement for me getting an admission to enrol for Phd. Medicinal Psycology...Be ready to write assignments of 25000 words or more with as much as 50 refrences at the minimum..uve got 3 chances to fail an assignment and out...one has to proof read and spell check while correcting errors..supervisors can be very supportive in a mean way but who knows..A lot of hard work..I work full time and study night time...3.49am and still awake...I start work at 9am to 4pm..nothing comes easy I guess...it aint a piece of cake @ all...1s got to pay the price...

@cconcept, I applied from the london branch back then...however d 1st time my folks frm 9ja had to apply tru Pretoria,it took 3 months wif all der paparazzi processin..lol..it takes just abt a month after that to get subsequent visitors...They do too much checks from police, immigration to Medical.

@solomoncater...UoA is a very good uni..there is a UoA student job search centre that assist students to find jobs as well...you can also register with them online.
been here for 5 years...and the farthest ve traveld is Australia and US frm NZ..naija is a wish list for now...too far n costly for an entire family.

@solomoncater, Awesome u coming for ph.d...fingers crossed for ya and all the best with ur processing...can be daunting and tense having to wait for documentations and visa..
keep in touch wit things and keep ur head up..

@cconcept, I mean u fail to plan, u plan to fail...it could be tasking when one moves to anoda country..coping, adaptation, housing, and financial implications comes to heart...settling down quickly becomes a reality check vs euphoria&excitement of coming to NZ. Its good when one has @ least some type of support or network to backup.

@solomoncater, I work in Auckland and study by distance learning. I once met a guy that came here from Malaysia and another from Singapore(they were both students there)..but that was abt 5 yrs ago..are you coming for studies or work?

@mhalikbass, i fink they use st.nicolas frm wut i can remember. you can check for upate on the list of medical assessors for Nigeria on their website...