Former Kaikoura Star reporter Trevor Ayson and his wife, Marie, have been visiting his family and friends in New Zealand, having been away from Kaikoura for three years. Trevor spent five years as the Kaikoura Star reporter, from 2001 to 2006, but after meeting Marie in 2003 and finally bringing her back to New Zealand in 2005 he realised he hated leaving her to run around chasing stories and attend meetings at night. He decided then it was time for a change.
"I told Marie: you have spent time with me in my country, now the time has come for me to spend time in yours." The couple got married in New Zealand in March 2006, then returned to Marie's home country of the Czech Republic for another wedding in August of the same year.
No longer a journalist, Trevor is now teaching English in his new home which he has been enjoying for the past three years. He began working for a language school teaching adults, but has now changed direction and is teaching teenagers in two different schools, both conversation and general English.
"I enjoy teaching the children more," he says. "They are good kids on the whole, respond well and are more open. "Because of the country's history the adults tend to be quite reserved and shy." However he says in their own homes they are a very hospitable nation, always offering food and very welcoming and friendly.
But it is quite a different thing to living in South Bay, where he says he knew all his neighbours and it felt like a small community. When he and Marie moved in to their own place after staying with Marie's mother, Trevor says he realised it was not the done thing for neighbours to visit.
Once the ice was broken it was a different story but relationships take longer to foster than in small town New Zealand. He does say, however that Kiwis and Czechs have one thing in common the number eight wire mentality and ability to improvise.
Another striking difference is the buildings, which are a reminder of the Communism era, with prefab blocks of flats and wall to wall concrete, or "concrete box canyon" as Trevor puts it. Being a ground-dwelling Kiwi he says that took a bit of getting used to.
The school system is a different experience also. The students do not wear a uniform, although Trevor says this does not create a fashion show; the children dress for comfort and even have slippers which they wear at school.
School starts from the age of six and at 11 you can apply to go to either a grammar school for eight years, or start at the age of 15 for four years. There are a lot of subjects at grammar school and the students are encouraged to study hard sometimes even starting school at 7am.
If children are not as academic or opt to study for a trade, they have the option of attending a comprehensive school. Ad Feedback Trevor has the best of both worlds as he currently teaches at the Bishops Grammar Catholic state school with 840 students as well as at Integra, a small private school of only 150 students.
He says there is a humanistic quality to the school that he likes; able-bodied students study alongside those with physical or learning difficulties. This year Trevor will have even more variety as he is due to start at another school, giving him three part-time positions to keep him occupied.
"I find the job really interesting. It's like everything I have done before has built up to teaching. I started in radio, moved to journalism, where you have to ask questions, and now I'm teaching." The plan is to continue down the teaching road for another couple of years, then he may look at other options including possibly teaching in Austria as their home town of Brno is not far from Vienna. He and Marie intend to stay in the Czech Republic and build a home. And how is his spoken Czech coming along? Spatny in other words badly!