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If you had the choice: Australia or USA

If you had the choice: Australia or USA

Old Feb 28th 2006, 10:28 am
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Default If you had the choice: Australia or USA

I know some of you have lived in both countries or one or t'other,so if you had the choice to live in either which would you choose and why?
My husband will be being moved to either one through work and my 4 month old son and i will be tagging along of course,so i'd be interested to hear the highs and lows of your experiences in OZ or the US of A. :scared:

Last edited by M J; Feb 28th 2006 at 11:21 am.
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Old Feb 28th 2006, 11:37 am
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Default Re: If you had the choice: Australia or USA

Do you know which areas of the US/Oz you would likely be moving to?
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Old Feb 28th 2006, 12:15 pm
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Default Re: If you had the choice: Australia or USA

Hi MJ,

we had the chance ten years ago, to go and live in both country, we first lived in USA, both were short time, only 3 months.
It was great to live in USA, but dead boring, we were living in a village type of place, it had everything in there, play area, gym, swimming pool. but no schools so you had to come out.
we knew loads of Americans so it was fine at first, but you couldn't do the simple things like walking on the pavements, and you had to have car, or you would be stuck, couldn't do shopping if you had no cars. they had loads of mall, its fine if you are into them.
then the year later we were send to Australia, we lived in Melbourne.
it was fantastic, I never needed the car, because I would just jump on the tramp, and do some many things on my own.
in both country people were friendly to us but I found Australian friendlier.
we still had choice this time to go to either to USA or Australia on our own.
it would have been easier to go to USA as my husband already works for American company.
but we are taking chance to go to Australia with no jobs but for a better life.
ofcourse you must check everything, to see to your advantage.

farideh
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Old Feb 28th 2006, 12:20 pm
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Default Re: If you had the choice: Australia or USA

Originally Posted by chris and farideh
I would just jump on the tramp, and do some many things on my own.
Some strange sport? Getting tough on crime and the causes of crime? Kicking a man when he's down? Helping the homeless to help themselves? I think we should be told
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Old Feb 28th 2006, 12:23 pm
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Default Re: If you had the choice: Australia or USA

Originally Posted by saraliz
Do you know which areas of the US/Oz you would likely be moving to?
I've lived in Orlando Florida (which was ok) and Greensboro North Carolina (which wasn't for me) but decided I wouldn't want to live in the states for good. Personally I found it a bit too status and money obsessed. I also found it next to impossible to get news from the rest of the world (even the CNN is different and focuses on local issues). I'll get back to you on Aus as we haven't got there yet

Martyn
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Old Feb 28th 2006, 12:37 pm
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Default Re: If you had the choice: Australia or USA

Originally Posted by chris and farideh
Hi MJ, I never needed the car, because I would just jump on the tramp, and do some many things on my own.
Talk about progressive society - employing the homeless as taxis, nifty
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Old Feb 28th 2006, 12:38 pm
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Default Re: If you had the choice: Australia or USA

Originally Posted by M J
I know some of you have lived in both countries or one or t'other,so if you had the choice to live in either which would you choose and why?
My husband will be being moved to either one through work and my 4 month old son and i will be tagging along of course,so i'd be interested to hear the highs and lows of your experiences in OZ or the US of A. :scared:
Firstly - you're asking in the Oz forum and so whilst you've asked for mixed responses, things are going to be a bit one-sided (haven't checked but I assume you've asked this same question in the yank forum where you'll probably get similarly biased views).

I've lived in both countries - up-state New York in the states and NSW in Australia. No comparison as far as I'm concerned. I found most of the Americans I met to be a friendly bunch (probably a small town thing), when they weren't firing high velocity munitions into mooses. And the countryside up that way was lovely - but I found it a fairly soul-less place and whilst the yanks were friendly they were never very big on socialising unless it was within precisely defined socio-economic groups. I've found Australians to be more welcoming and friendlier (having said that, they don't take any shit) and I vastly prefer the country. And whilst Mr Howard wouldn't be my first choice of PM, he's infinitely preferable to that chimp they stuck in a suit and voted into the White House.
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Old Feb 28th 2006, 2:13 pm
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Default Re: If you had the choice: Australia or USA

Originally Posted by Hutch
And whilst Mr Howard wouldn't be my first choice of PM, he's infinitely preferable to that chimp they stuck in a suit and voted into the White House???.
You sure about that?
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Old Feb 28th 2006, 2:40 pm
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Default Re: If you had the choice: Australia or USA

Originally Posted by Bella Donna
You sure about that?
Ermmm ... yes....
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Old Feb 28th 2006, 4:08 pm
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Default Re: If you had the choice: Australia or USA

Originally Posted by Bella Donna
You sure about that?


Yup.

America Pros: could double my salary
America cons: I'd have to put up with the yanks
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Old Feb 28th 2006, 4:20 pm
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Default Re: If you had the choice: Australia or USA

Have lived in USA, California for 4 years, but we were working with Oz military, so I can give my take on the 2 cultures.

The Americans we met in small desert town California were a lot friendlier and less brash than I had been expecting beforehand, but we did find some of their attitudes strange/different and sense of humour tends to be very different to ours. Whereas the Aussies were much more laidback and seemed to have similar opinions and attitudes to us. Of course Oz humour was much more our style too.

So whilst we has a great time in the US and visited some great places, we are choosing Oz as our next place live as we have liked the people we have met so far...
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Old Feb 28th 2006, 6:16 pm
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Default Re: If you had the choice: Australia or USA

Bit of a daft question,
Thats why everyone is on the Aus forum, cos they wanna go to the States
Oz is so laid back, and the warmer climate is great, even tho the next stop south is the Antarctic!
oz oz oz oz oz oz

Rachel & Paul.
ps. the top line was for fun only, not for an argument

Originally Posted by M J
I know some of you have lived in both countries or one or t'other,so if you had the choice to live in either which would you choose and why?
My husband will be being moved to either one through work and my 4 month old son and i will be tagging along of course,so i'd be interested to hear the highs and lows of your experiences in OZ or the US of A. :scared:
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Old Feb 28th 2006, 10:19 pm
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Default Re: If you had the choice: Australia or USA

Some good views guys. Its interesting to read that even on the USA forum( where i posted the same question) many people came back saying they would choose OZ. Mainly because aussies seem to be friendlier and it was a better choice for a long term "better lifestyle".On the down side there was probably a better opportunity for higher wage earning in the US.
If we moved to OZ then it would probably be Sydney outskirts/Melbourne bound and if it was the US it would be North/South Carolina border bound.
Another thing that came up was that UK schools were believed better in the UK to USA. How do OZ schools compare to the UK?
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Old Feb 28th 2006, 10:28 pm
  #14  
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Default Re: If you had the choice: Australia or USA

Lots of people have views on aussie schools - they are very varied. From state to state and city to city and school to school... some are excellent others are weaker. Overall through the whole system the children should end up with an excellent education in any country if they're motivated and have support - all the opportunities are pretty equal school/college/university etc as long as you dont go live in rural outback.

There is a big private sector here because the Govt subsidises Private sector schooling - it expects x% of kids to go private so it puts x% funding into private sector. This means - lots of choice , private schools that put emphasis on performance or others that put it on developing the individual, etc , etc.

The one thing aussie schools dont have that some american schools have is metal detectors on the doors and gun control policies.
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Old Feb 28th 2006, 10:42 pm
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Default Re: If you had the choice: Australia or USA

Are kids and guns an issue in OZ too then?
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