Originally Posted by Fish n Chips 56

Great posts Ladies...

When I first came to America there were two things that I noticed straight away.

#1 how clean this place is, no trash in streets etc.

#2 was great customer service in supermarkets, they packed your bags and insisted on taking them out to the car.

On the whole the place is still pretty clean and everyone picks up after their dogs, the supermarket service has taken a massive dive, not many sackers and rarely get an offer to have someone push out my groceries, not sure where Im going with this TBH, just saying...

The dirtiest place I've ever been was Spain, on the Med, it makes the UK look like a palace, dirt and paper all over the street, I was very surprised.

Originally Posted by islandwoman120

- if I live like this I will wither away to nothing from the sheer boredom of British retirement life.

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl

Islandwoman120...please do not cut and past your post as suggested above...as we do not allow duplicate posts.

I do not think your post belongs in the Back Home forum...but I do think it would be best in a thread of its own. If you wish I will move it and the subsequent replies into a new thread.

Originally Posted by islandwoman120

Hi Derrygal - Yes,you got the right person. I did start a U3A in Dawlish but don't belong to it and never have beyond the first year when I was getting it established, as it has a load of rules and regulations which don't sit well with everyone. It has about 100 members now and they seem happy enough. I mix with a small group of people here who are interested in fibers and textiles as I am. My general impression of the country is what I wrote - I don't understand the desire to be shut in individual homes and rarely mix because people have always done certain things on certain days e.g. laundry on a Monday, shopping on a Wednesday and Saturday, as though those days and events are carved in stone. It's the 7 year itch syndrome coming out in me - the rose coloured spectacles didn't last long! I was actually toying with the idea of visiting the Virgin islands a few weeks ago - good thing I didn't go! Now there is probably nothing left to visit there. I don't know what the next step will be for me - if I live like this I will wither away to nothing from the sheer boredom of British retirement life. I fill my days with service to others via work for Syrian refugees for a Plymouth based charity; I gave up a local charity where I had helped for 5 years as they no longer had need of all the volunteers and it was time to move on. Next step unknown. Watch this space.

Originally Posted by BEVS

TeHe. "Wither away". I love that.
It is exactly how I feel & I'm in NewZealand

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl

I hate having my groceries packed for me. They don't seem to have a clue. A hot rotisserie chicken placed on top of ice cream...heavy veg placed on top of a loaf of bread, tomatoes, berries. I always make sure I grab the items first and bag them myself.

Originally Posted by Derrygal

I get most of my groceries from Aldi so not only do I pack them myself, I also bring my own cloth bags. I also save a ton of money! I get my thriftiness from my Scottish mother

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl

I hate having my groceries packed for me. They don't seem to have a clue. A hot rotisserie chicken placed on top of ice cream...heavy veg placed on top of a loaf of bread, tomatoes, berries. I always make sure I grab the items first and bag them myself.

Originally Posted by Derrygal

I get most of my groceries from Aldi so not only do I pack them myself, I also bring my own cloth bags. I also save a ton of money! I get my thriftiness from my Scottish mother

Originally Posted by Editha

I had the same experience in 2010, of people not clearing snow from the pavement. That year I was still living in Canada, but my mum, living in Sussex had a bad case of shingles, so I came back to nurse her just before the big snow fall. In her large Sussex village almost nobody cleared the snow from their drive or the pavement in front of their house. I was baffled, not only because I was coming from Canada, but also because I remembered people clearing the snow during the big snowfalls during my childhood in SE London.

One factor seemed to be an urban myth that, if you cleared the snow from the pavement, you could be sued for damages if someone tripped and fell. This was nonsense. In fact, if you don't clear the snow and ice on the path to your front door, going over your own land, then you might be successfully sued if someone falls as a result.

Originally Posted by Editha

I had the same experience in 2010, of people not clearing snow from the pavement. That year I was still living in Canada, but my mum, living in Sussex had a bad case of shingles, so I came back to nurse her just before the big snow fall. In her large Sussex village almost nobody cleared the snow from their drive or the pavement in front of their house. I was baffled, not only because I was coming from Canada, but also because I remembered people clearing the snow during the big snowfalls during my childhood in SE London.

One factor seemed to be an urban myth that, if you cleared the snow from the pavement, you could be sued for damages if someone tripped and fell. This was nonsense. In fact, if you don't clear the snow and ice on the path to your front door, going over your own land, then you might be successfully sued if someone falls as a result.

Originally Posted by black swan

I am living in Western Australia. The check out ladies here have to stand & pack the plastic bags as part of their job. They do a very fine job.
We have had Aldi here for about a year now & there you have to take your own bags & pack them yourself. Some States have banned plastic bags but WA is still thinking about it.