Originally Posted by BEVS

Pop on over to the Italy forum and hit Lorna for help , hints and tips.

Originally Posted by Sugarmooma

Please don't take this the wrong way Spouse but I would love to be a fly on the wall and listen to you and scouse with your two different accents speaking Italian

Originally Posted by spouse of scouse

never thought of that, it'll be hilarious. Although you never know, I might understand him better if he speaks in Italian, because the scouse accent still catches me out!

Originally Posted by spouse of scouse

Great idea to converse in Italian - in two months we might be able to order a beer from each and direct each other to the nearest loo.

Originally Posted by spouse of scouse

Thanks very much for your very sensible, helpful and encouraging posts everyone.

I hauled Scouse off for dinner and drinks so we could have a proper talk about it all. I brought up the 'curse of the expats' subject and he was surprised - not because he hadn't heard of it before (he knows quite a few people who have been in the same boat), but because he didn't twig that this was what he was feeling.

We both felt so much better for having talked it through properly. No answers/solution of course, it's too early for that. What we've decided to focus on for now is doing some different things, instead of just following the same old daily routine that we did in Australia.

Not sure how we got from that to both of us enrolling at the University of Liverpool to study Italian, but we did and we're really enthusiastic about it!

Cheers again for the comments, it was a very useful starting point for our D&M. For someone who's never even looked at BE, he's quite a fan of it

Originally Posted by curleytops

Thank your lucky stars you didn't marry a Geordie

Originally Posted by michali

Only just seeing this, SOS! I am so glad you have talked it over with your husband. But it must have been a bit of a shock to find out he was not as settled as he hoped to be. How I look at life is that nothing is written in stone. Give it time and if, in a couple of years, you decide to go back, so be it. But I agree, get citizenship first! Who knows what the rules will be like in a few years!

Originally Posted by Moses2013

And why not just pop over to Italy for a weekend to use your Italian.
Certainly a pro to stay in Europe and every little helps.

Originally Posted by Perth

Louis' Deli in Norwich has language conversation days. Maybe somewhere in Liverpool may have the same. If not, when we are there you can come visit. Wednesday is Italian day I am a French speaker myself, so that's Mondays for me. OH speaks Turkish, but they don't have that - yet

Events held at Louis Deli, Café and Kitchen Norwich NR2.

Originally Posted by spouse of scouse

I like that idea Moses. We love Italy and would go at the drop of a hat, but our old golden retriever has first call on us for now

Originally Posted by Moses2013

Simple, take car ferry and bring the dog with you. Regular stops along the way to see some of France and the dog gets the walks. All possible these days, so another plus for being where you are.

Originally Posted by curleytops

Thank your lucky stars you didn't marry a Geordie

Originally Posted by spouse of scouse

I don't mean to sound like I'm pouring cold water on your excellent suggestions, but our old boy is terrified of riding in cars! In fact, he's terrified of almost everything - cats, the wind, not getting his dinner at exactly 4:30pm......