sackofspuds

Precisely, Grayling. We think the same way. Uneducated people always harp on about 'the university of life' etc when they feel challenged by anyone who admits to being educated. If it does nothing else, a higher education should teach you to analyse the world around you and not take everything at face value.

Your point about moving halfway around the world to be poorer is so true too. The migrants in Britain would look at you with absolute astonishment mingled with contempt if you told them that was your intention.

The thing is, it wouldn't really matter if I chose to downshift if I didn't have kids.

I've been singularly unsuccessful career wise; too much time travelling around the world when I was younger. I would have been far better off financially if I'd signed up with one of the big four accounting firms who were going around the Universities in the mid '80s recruiting anyone with a degree - even an Arts degree like me. My brother-in-law is very successful partly through personal qualities but partly because he didn't go backpacking but joined a multinational company straight out of Uni and stuck with them, working his way up the ranks to Vice President of the SE Asia region. He lives in a 5 bedroom, 5 bathroom house in Singapore currently and spends most of his time in China, the country that will be the dominant economic power of the next century.

Chinese parents tend to be very ambitious for their kids so watch out all you people who are opting out of the rat race to go live in the outer suburbs of Australia. Globalisation means your kids will be competing against the newly emerging economies of SE Asia. That's where all the half decent jobs will end up if you're not careful. I just hope the new Chinese middle classes get as decadent as we are as quickly as possible. It happened to the Japanese after all.

Thanks very much for your support.

scrawni

Just want to say how I respect your decision not come to Oz. You and your wife have thought it through are doing what is right for your own family. At the end of the day, isn't that what most of us on here are trying to do?

Good luck and all the best to you and yours.

Mandy

MikeStanton

And look what happened to Captain Cook...

MikeStanton

If posts on this forum are an indicator, your post is one of the very few, well thought-out approaches to the whole emigration thing. If more people followed your example - whatever their final decision - there would be far less heartache.

Quinkana

Cook had named Hawaii the Sandwich Islands, in honour of one of his patrons, John Montague, the Earl of Sandwich. On the return voyage, he spotted Maui on November 26, 1778. After eight weeks of seeking a suitable harbour the Discovery and Resolution finally found a safe anchorage at Kealakekua Bay on the Kona coast of the island of Hawaii.

After an uproarious welcome and generous hospitality for over a month, it became obvious that the newcomers were beginning to over stay their welcome. Finally, the ships sailed away on February 4, 1779. After plying terrible seas for only a week, the fore mast on the Resolution was badly damaged, and Cook sailed back into Kealakekua Bay, dragging the mast ashore on February 13th. The natives, now totally hostile, hurled rocks at the marines.

After a series of misunderstandings and skirmishes Cook went ashore. The crowd around Cook and his men reached an estimated 20,000. One bold warrior advanced on Cook and struck him. The Hawaiians went wild. Hopelessly surrounded, he was knocked on the head, then countless warriors passed a knife around and hacked and mutilated his lifeless body. Four of the marines where killed with him and three dangerously wounded A sad Lt. King lamented in his diary, " Thus fell our great and excellent commander ".

After negotiations with the Hawaiians, Clerke, now in command, was able to have parts of Cook's body returned. The entire long bones, thighs, legs, arms and the skull - though the jawbone was missing. All had been scraped clean for flesh and burned in a fire except some flesh from Cook's thigh, the scalp, and the hands. The hands were preserved with salt, and there were enough identifying marks (a scar between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand), that they were able to determine that it was Cook's body.

The remains were put into a coffin, and with great ceremony buried at sea in Kealakekua bay.



Hawaii State Flag

Go Banana's !!

Totally agree with you on this one Mike. Some people do come out here with unrealistic media fed expectations.

Having said that though we are finding so far that Perth suits us extremely well as a family. Imogen is having a fantastic time with all her clubs and we have lost count how many sleep overs she has been to. We have ended up with more TIME.

Judging by the Recruitment Agent feedback, the two jobs he is waiting for interview times on and two jobs Warren is at final interview stage with, we will actually be far better off financially than we planned. Mr B always airs on the side of caution! The key is we did plan this and we did number crunch daily. We also had the benefit of alot of family out here and some contacts from Warren's previous jobs.

So although I agree with you Mike, I"m on the other side of the fence.

Sackofspuds - Well done for making the brave descision. I could argue with you on everyone of your points, but it's your descision and no-one can tell you that it's wrong. Just now please make sure you don't keep looking back and saying "What if", regrets are a waste of time and energy.

Go forth and have a very happy life, knowing in your heart you made the right descision. Well done, couldn't have been an easy one.

Upmost respect and best wishes

Jill

MikeStanton

Spot on. Oz is full of people that have been to the University of Life - after finishing at the School of Hard Knocks bullsh*t.

Professionals that care about their careers should look elsewhere.

Oz has little to offer people that need more than the brain-dead pursuits of footy, BBQs, beaches and Tupperware parties.

Go Banana's !!

Just when I was beginning to agree with you

Jill

MikeStanton

Ahh, those were the days.

To get that sort of action nowadays requires a trip to Western Sydney...

mr mover

At least the people, i mentioned, did,nt die in an "old folks " home wondering "what if" , life is not a rehearsal, get out and enjoy it , you tried Australia and failed, ran back to the security of "the known" now you, sponser the cause of the failed,or play on the fears of the weak and insecure.... well done mike.............. mm

Quinkana

Swiped your monocle, did they ? UnManly retreat no doubt.

scrawni

Ooops! Sorry Sackofspuds! Been ill for a couple of days so my heads still a bit wobbly!


Best wishes once again

Mandy

tinaj

I'm sad because my plans to go into business on my own have taken a knock. I'm far more sad that my kids won't have grandparents they can see when they like. Kids who do have grandparents on tap have a real advantage. My wife sees it every day in the kids who do have this extra attention and, quite honestly, it makes us envious as hell.

Right, time to get on with it.[/QUOTE]

Most people on here, myself included are in this position AFTER emigrating! I don't feel it necessarily leaves your kids at a disadvantage, the lifestyle my kids have now more than makes up for the lack of Grandparental contact.

It seems like you have thought things through carefully and as long as you are happy with your decision all should be well, the problem is if doubts sink in.. Fortunately you have citizenship so at least you can come out if you change your mind in the future.

MikeStanton

There weren't too many "old folks' homes" around in the 18h century....

Sorry to burst your bubble, mate, but moving to Oz doesn't rank as one of life's most challenging tasks. Then again, perhaps it does for some.

As far as failure is concened, some of us aspire to higher things than being a removalist in the back of beyond - itself located on the far tip of nowhere..

Quinkana

Got past aspiring?