in2deep

I have to admit, it is 10 years since I was last in Gambia. Has the government returned to some semblence of normality now? When I was there last, the military seemed to be in charge.

I well remember crossing the border from Sengal inland, close to Tambacunda. The bush taxi ride from Georgetown to Banjul took from about 14:00 till midnight. The thing was stopped every 5-10km, everybody out, passports, papers. A couple of Senegalese were removed from the vehicle at one checkpoint and not allowed back on. Don't know what happened to them.

I stayed around the Serenera crossroads, and the military seemed to be patrolling the area all the time. The tourist hotels around the SeneGambia and whatever were fine, you'd never know anything was wrong, but out of town it was "interesting".

killie

the gambia west africa[english speaking warm weather allyear round and no forms at all just come in to the country and get passport stamped for 1 month then 3 and get it sorted out then, and even then its not an issue.
we have been here 5 months and life is good and only6 hrs from uk.so good luck wherever you end up




QUOTE=alkristensen]hi

i am in the process of applying to live in australia, but will probably fail on the fact that i have 2 drink driving convictions, so does anyone know of an english speaking place in the world that is warm and by the ocean where you dont need a visa or at least all the bloody checks to live(unlike america and australia), I dont care if its an island or a continent, and have heard of a SAINT something or other that is half french halfr brit where you just need a brit passport and a few other bits and bats to gain residency or at least work and live.
Its in the caribbean somewhere, but i cant remember what it6s called if anyone knows it would be a great help.

But more importantly is there anywhere out there that meets my criteria of
A. english speaking
B.warm climate.
C:by the sea
D: nowhere in the uk

any names or help wouold be mjuch appreciated after i have spent nearly 4 grand on maybe failiong trhe oz visa.

alk[/QUOTE]

Gill Palmer

Dear Elfintrot

I was born & brought up in Malaysia. My parents were the last generation of long term colonials out there. I was brought up speaking English and Malay because we had Malay servants. I came to boarding school in England when I was 8, though I went to Malaysia for every school & university holiday till Dad retired to the UK. I was born the year before Independence, so I have an automatic right to dual nationality, but Malaysian Law does not recognise the idea,so Dad opted for British on my behalf, which opens more doors.

I've been considering the Malaysia my second home option, but at the minute, I've got Malaysian-qualified solicitors looking into whether they can revive my citizenship rights without my having to abandon the Brit ticket in return. At the minute, my lawyers are saying, "Difficult but not impossible, we think," so I will see what they manage to come up with.

It is a beautiful country with a culture to die for. Whereabouts do you live? I'd love to hear more about what your own experience has been.

Send a PM, I suggest, so that we don't go too far from the original thread.

Cheers

Gill

JAJ

Are you sure that's not just the Malaysian way of saying "no chance"?

Malaysia is quite strict about not allowing dual citizenship.



Jeremy

Gill Palmer

JAJ

You may well be 100% right! The guy I've instructed is an old friend of my parents, though, so he should be reasonably trustworthy I feel. As far as I can gather, it has more to do with why they don't like dual nationality, rather than the fact that they don't. There may be a way round that conundrum, because I can't see why Malaysia should be difficult about dual nationality when other Commonwealth countries such as Australia are not. It isn't logical, and I suspect it is to do with the "new" sovereign state flexing its "new, independent" muscles 48 years ago now! If so, they've now had time to get used to Independence and to start adopting a more rational approach.

Also, whenever I go there, I do hear a stack of completely inaccurate activist rubbish about how downtrodden and exploited they supposedly were in colonial times. Oh yes? People like my father putting a firm stop to corruption within the local police force? People like Dad making sure that the Elections weren't rigged? People like Dad paying for our servants to have the best possible medical care, even though noblesse oblige - his own personal sense of the Right Thing - was his only obligation towards bothering about their health? This nonsense really does annoy me, especially when it is spouted by people who weren't even involved with it (if even born before it was over.)

However stupid the activists are, though, I reckon that the Government are a reasonable crowd with ears on the sides of their heads. We will see....! My lawyers are clear that I will not do a deal involving giving up the Brit ticket. It is now up to Malaysia to look at what 'birthright' means in other jurisdictions, instead of trying to maintain an anachronistic position, I feel. I think they are now grown up enough to be able to do that, in fact.

But we'll see. I might take another toddle out there sometime and bend a few ears, though I must admit I much prefer Batu Ferringhi to KL!

Lol

Gill

JAJ

But many Commonwealth countries still are "difficult" about it - India, Kenya, Singapore and the Bahamas to name but four.



Jeremy

AnnieB

Hi,

I’m newly registered on this board and have been reading this thread with great interest. I have visited St Martin 3 times in the last 3 years (and am about to go there again in 1 weeks time) and really love the place.

I am considering moving there, having long been attracted to the idea of living in the Caribbean, and after visiting a few islands, find St Martin the most appealing (so far)!

I hope that as a qualified chartered accountant I may be able to get a job with one of the big accountancy firms or banks on the island. However, my boyfriend works in retail and has no particular qualifications so has concerns about being able to get a work permit.

After reading this thread I have tried to find out more about St Martin and its ties with the EU, and found this definition of its status:

Saint-Martin is a French commune part of Guadeloupe, which is an overseas région and overseas département of France and is therefore in the European Union.
In 2003 the population of the French part voted in favour of secession from Guadeloupe to form a separate overseas collectivity of France; this has yet to be implemented.

Would anyone else be able to confirm that St Martin is definitely in the EU and what impact that would have on British subjects being able to work and live there?
Thank you so much for your help

Annie

Mary

Annie

I am an ACA but I live in the BVI. I too looked at St Martin (I have been there on numerous occasions, it is only 20 mns flight from here), however there are virtually no jobs for accountants, mainly as it is not really a financial centre, and I think they have a lot of dutch/french ones already..
You should try either Cayman, Bermuda and BVI, thy are all desperate for accountants (Heck, my firm will give you a job!)
Your boyfriend... If he is not bothered what he does there is opportunities for him too, depends also what areas of retail he is in...
Hope it helps!

Mary

TruBrit

hey alk....this is the place for you and fills your criteria except the english speaking bit... mainly spanish/mexican here lol but you'll get by with english and it's full of illegals so don't you worry about form filling..good exchange rate at the mo..so come on

paul161

Try Malta
People their speak English
surrounded by sea
Cheap rent/property
warm/hot must year round

Elvira

This thread is 18 months old FFS!!!

steve of 5-0

Seriously - The northern cost of Crete (Greece EU).

Other then the old locals, all speak the "Queens".

Loads of low paid sunny tourism work April to September.

Do a bit of construction or olive farming in the winter.

Did it the first year Greece joined EU.

Let me know how it works out?

alkristensen

just to update, i got the aussie visa.

Thanks for all the replies

good luck for the future everyone.

If you want it enough itll happen.

al

AnnieB

Hi Mary,

Thank you for your reply. I've been to Tortola once and really liked it, so that does give me something else to consider. I'll look into it.

Thanks for letting me know.

And congrats to Al!

kingfisher241049

The EU countries, mainly Spain I would think.