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HASSAN AND MARYNA ABU LABAN | Jordan | Study to Work Residence |
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Paradise On This Planet |
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A Jordanian electrical engineer, Hassan Abu Laban attained Bachelors and Masters degrees in Electrical Engineering and Electromechanical Engineering from the Kharkiv State Polytechnic University in the Ukraine. In Jordan he was a member of the Jordan Engineers Association and worked for a Jordanian engineering company before establishing his own registered construction contracting firms in Jordan. It was while working as a sub-contractor for a project for the construction of the new Australian Embassy in Amman that Hassan began to think seriously about emigrating with his family to the South Pacific. He engaged McLeod & Associates to bring him to New Zealand to study English in 2007, and successfully completed an Intermediate English Language course at the Crown Institute of Studies in Auckland. He quickly got a job offer in an Auckland construction company and successfully passed the New Zealand Registration requirements to be an Electrician. Snapped up quickly by a local electrician company, Hassan then brought his family to New Zealand and is now a fully registered New Zealand electrician – with permanent residence.
Anna Ulyanova used to live in Moscow where she finished studying English and German at the Moscow Academy of Natalya Nesterova. She worked as a sales manager in a sport club and after that as director of a family company.
As she had been to England before, Anna was thinking that New Zealand would be something like England. "When I came here, I found out that it was much better. People are very nice and friendly. The best thing I like here is the weather," she says. "I have made a lot of friends from different cultures and have found it very interesting talking with them and comparing our countries"
Anna entered the English Language Academy in Auckland to improve her English language and then began an Introduction Certificate in Business at Unitec in Auckland.
"The study part was different for me because, here it's mostly self-study but in Russia it's not," says Anna. "The culture and life style is very different. People in New Zealand prefer an active way of life. They spend a lot of time out, dine out and travel a lot within the country. That is when I decided to travel too."
Anna went to the South Island, to Queenstown, Christchurch, Picton, Kaikora and Wellington
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"McLeod & Associates provided me and my family with a "Five Star Service". Everything was clearly explained to us from the very beginning, including the process ahead and the costs. They always kept me up to date with their progress on our application, and even threw a celebration for us on the day our residence was approved (which was my birthday)." Hassan calls his new country a "paradise on this planet" and intends opening his own company here. The family has settled happily in the eastern Auckland suburb of St Heliers, where the boys attend school. "The one thing that I'm happiest about for our boys is that we no longer have to worry about their future. They love going to school here. The education in New Zealand is excellent, and the New Zealand Government spends a lot of money on education so as to help children enjoy their education. The boys love the variety in their school curriculum, and they love playing sports and swimming". Maryna has found similarities between New Zealand and her native land of Ukraine in terms of its natural beauty, although she says New Zealand is a lot safer and has a more comfortable climate. The family love travelling outside Auckland and exploring their new country together, and Hassan enjoys taking the boys fishing. "My advice to anyone thinking about moving to New Zealand is: it's a good choice, it's the right choice. If you want a nice, peaceful life in a beautiful country where people actually care about each other, New Zealand is the place".
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