Hi Masonchard.....hi guys!

I think your concerns are very sensible and indeed warranted!
We spent some time out there a few years back and my daughter still suffers from nightmares caused by the whole experience.
The bullying at her school was atrocious. At breaks they made her wear the head of a dead pig.....and that was just the teachers!

My wife suffered much the same fate. she could go to the local supermarket for a few pieces and end up getting pelted by handfuls of luncheon meat (which is quite popular a product out there) by the locals.

It ended up so bad that my wife and daughter were forced to dye their Ginger hair brown, which never really worked as it came out a sort of reddish green colour making things even worse.

In the end we had to leave. I was a bit disappointed as the locals had been terrific towards myself. They had been very friendly and had made me feel really welcome the whole time I was there. A few of the guys even through a surprise party for me the night before I was leaving, but the end of the day you can't have people treating your family like that....even if they are ginger!

Hope this is of help,

Ricardo Blue