Seven Months
#46
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: West Sussex - did 3 years in the US...
Posts: 577
Re: Seven Months
Hi Sally
Congratulations on your move back - I'm glad you found the UK to be as you wanted it to be.
I'm still half-stuck in Santa Clara, CA, but I'm spending more and more time back in the UK/EU. We've booked the one-way flights for 11/7 and by the new school year, we WILL be back in the UK.
Frankly, had it been up-to-me (i.e. no school year restrictions), we would have left permanently months ago. The sheer arrogance, rudeness (more correctly, grin-*****ness of Californians), stunning levels of dis/mis-organisation (Scouts camping cancelled because people "forget" <read can't be ar*ed> to get the paperwork in on time, last minute scrabbles for car sharing, no public transport, no functioning health system, etc) and then the whole childish attitudes to religion, guns, money wasted on the military (but a school that can't afford a Spanish teacher -in California !) and the stupid patriotism has really got to me in the last few months.
I found myself reading Gove's latest bolloc*s in the Spectator and thinking "he's talking about me !" A pacifist/atheist/Socialist/modernist/European federalist in the US, even CA just doesn't work.....
Now the UK has it's issues (Farrage), but at least we talk about it and we have a "live and let live" attitde. The whole false bonhommie of the US really lightly covers the fact that it isn't really a country at all - just a loose collection of people that happen to live on the same piece of land - and if someone disagrees with you on one, small item, then you are socially ostracised.
Then, having spent the last 2 years studying an MSc by distance learning from a UK uni (and now moving onto a PhD), I've had the academic snobs here telling me that my qualification isn't really worth anythign cos it's not from a US "college."
So I don't know whether to say "congratulations" or "you lucky bugger...."
Congratulations on your move back - I'm glad you found the UK to be as you wanted it to be.
I'm still half-stuck in Santa Clara, CA, but I'm spending more and more time back in the UK/EU. We've booked the one-way flights for 11/7 and by the new school year, we WILL be back in the UK.
Frankly, had it been up-to-me (i.e. no school year restrictions), we would have left permanently months ago. The sheer arrogance, rudeness (more correctly, grin-*****ness of Californians), stunning levels of dis/mis-organisation (Scouts camping cancelled because people "forget" <read can't be ar*ed> to get the paperwork in on time, last minute scrabbles for car sharing, no public transport, no functioning health system, etc) and then the whole childish attitudes to religion, guns, money wasted on the military (but a school that can't afford a Spanish teacher -in California !) and the stupid patriotism has really got to me in the last few months.
I found myself reading Gove's latest bolloc*s in the Spectator and thinking "he's talking about me !" A pacifist/atheist/Socialist/modernist/European federalist in the US, even CA just doesn't work.....
Now the UK has it's issues (Farrage), but at least we talk about it and we have a "live and let live" attitde. The whole false bonhommie of the US really lightly covers the fact that it isn't really a country at all - just a loose collection of people that happen to live on the same piece of land - and if someone disagrees with you on one, small item, then you are socially ostracised.
Then, having spent the last 2 years studying an MSc by distance learning from a UK uni (and now moving onto a PhD), I've had the academic snobs here telling me that my qualification isn't really worth anythign cos it's not from a US "college."
So I don't know whether to say "congratulations" or "you lucky bugger...."
#47
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Seven Months
Hi Sally
Congratulations on your move back - I'm glad you found the UK to be as you wanted it to be.
I'm still half-stuck in Santa Clara, CA, but I'm spending more and more time back in the UK/EU. We've booked the one-way flights for 11/7 and by the new school year, we WILL be back in the UK.
Frankly, had it been up-to-me (i.e. no school year restrictions), we would have left permanently months ago. The sheer arrogance, rudeness (more correctly, grin-*****ness of Californians), stunning levels of dis/mis-organisation (Scouts camping cancelled because people "forget" <read can't be ar*ed> to get the paperwork in on time, last minute scrabbles for car sharing, no public transport, no functioning health system, etc) and then the whole childish attitudes to religion, guns, money wasted on the military (but a school that can't afford a Spanish teacher -in California !) and the stupid patriotism has really got to me in the last few months.
I found myself reading Gove's latest bolloc*s in the Spectator and thinking "he's talking about me !" A pacifist/atheist/Socialist/modernist/European federalist in the US, even CA just doesn't work.....
Now the UK has it's issues (Farrage), but at least we talk about it and we have a "live and let live" attitde. The whole false bonhommie of the US really lightly covers the fact that it isn't really a country at all - just a loose collection of people that happen to live on the same piece of land - and if someone disagrees with you on one, small item, then you are socially ostracised.
Then, having spent the last 2 years studying an MSc by distance learning from a UK uni (and now moving onto a PhD), I've had the academic snobs here telling me that my qualification isn't really worth anythign cos it's not from a US "college."
So I don't know whether to say "congratulations" or "you lucky bugger...."
Congratulations on your move back - I'm glad you found the UK to be as you wanted it to be.
I'm still half-stuck in Santa Clara, CA, but I'm spending more and more time back in the UK/EU. We've booked the one-way flights for 11/7 and by the new school year, we WILL be back in the UK.
Frankly, had it been up-to-me (i.e. no school year restrictions), we would have left permanently months ago. The sheer arrogance, rudeness (more correctly, grin-*****ness of Californians), stunning levels of dis/mis-organisation (Scouts camping cancelled because people "forget" <read can't be ar*ed> to get the paperwork in on time, last minute scrabbles for car sharing, no public transport, no functioning health system, etc) and then the whole childish attitudes to religion, guns, money wasted on the military (but a school that can't afford a Spanish teacher -in California !) and the stupid patriotism has really got to me in the last few months.
I found myself reading Gove's latest bolloc*s in the Spectator and thinking "he's talking about me !" A pacifist/atheist/Socialist/modernist/European federalist in the US, even CA just doesn't work.....
Now the UK has it's issues (Farrage), but at least we talk about it and we have a "live and let live" attitde. The whole false bonhommie of the US really lightly covers the fact that it isn't really a country at all - just a loose collection of people that happen to live on the same piece of land - and if someone disagrees with you on one, small item, then you are socially ostracised.
Then, having spent the last 2 years studying an MSc by distance learning from a UK uni (and now moving onto a PhD), I've had the academic snobs here telling me that my qualification isn't really worth anythign cos it's not from a US "college."
So I don't know whether to say "congratulations" or "you lucky bugger...."
Get back before your son gets a girlfriend. Both mine are romantically involved in the US and it means I still have to worry about guns and healthcare.
Good luck with your move back
#48
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2011
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 983
Re: Seven Months
OMG, SallyRedux, Lorry1,Mummy, Britwhore, Fulwood, etc, etc. it's like finding a club I used to belong to and having a catch up.
Here's mine. It doesn't merit a new thread. Back nearly three years now.
I turned 60 in Feb and a pension kicked in, to my great surprise! Mr J is about to "go solo" with his job. Younger son, who came to the States with us, and had lots of part time jobs on return has now got a full time job in IT, which seems to be his natural habitat, has a great social life, and is HAPPY!
We sold our house in the USA a year ago, thanks to having a great realtor. It wasn't that difficult after all.
So, a big virtual wave to all of you. To those just returning, I hope housing, jobs etc work out well. For those who came back around the same time as me, it's great to hear how you're doing. Sorry for hijacking, Sally! And Britwhore, I hope it all works out this time around!
Here's mine. It doesn't merit a new thread. Back nearly three years now.
I turned 60 in Feb and a pension kicked in, to my great surprise! Mr J is about to "go solo" with his job. Younger son, who came to the States with us, and had lots of part time jobs on return has now got a full time job in IT, which seems to be his natural habitat, has a great social life, and is HAPPY!
We sold our house in the USA a year ago, thanks to having a great realtor. It wasn't that difficult after all.
So, a big virtual wave to all of you. To those just returning, I hope housing, jobs etc work out well. For those who came back around the same time as me, it's great to hear how you're doing. Sorry for hijacking, Sally! And Britwhore, I hope it all works out this time around!
#49
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Seven Months
OMG, SallyRedux, Lorry1,Mummy, Britwhore, Fulwood, etc, etc. it's like finding a club I used to belong to and having a catch up.
Here's mine. It doesn't merit a new thread. Back nearly three years now.
I turned 60 in Feb and a pension kicked in, to my great surprise! Mr J is about to "go solo" with his job. Younger son, who came to the States with us, and had lots of part time jobs on return has now got a full time job in IT, which seems to be his natural habitat, has a great social life, and is HAPPY!
We sold our house in the USA a year ago, thanks to having a great realtor. It wasn't that difficult after all.
So, a big virtual wave to all of you. To those just returning, I hope housing, jobs etc work out well. For those who came back around the same time as me, it's great to hear how you're doing. Sorry for hijacking, Sally! And Britwhore, I hope it all works out this time around!
Here's mine. It doesn't merit a new thread. Back nearly three years now.
I turned 60 in Feb and a pension kicked in, to my great surprise! Mr J is about to "go solo" with his job. Younger son, who came to the States with us, and had lots of part time jobs on return has now got a full time job in IT, which seems to be his natural habitat, has a great social life, and is HAPPY!
We sold our house in the USA a year ago, thanks to having a great realtor. It wasn't that difficult after all.
So, a big virtual wave to all of you. To those just returning, I hope housing, jobs etc work out well. For those who came back around the same time as me, it's great to hear how you're doing. Sorry for hijacking, Sally! And Britwhore, I hope it all works out this time around!
#50
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2011
Location: HOME!!!!!!
Posts: 454
Re: Seven Months
Hi Sally
Congratulations on your move back - I'm glad you found the UK to be as you wanted it to be.
I'm still half-stuck in Santa Clara, CA, but I'm spending more and more time back in the UK/EU. We've booked the one-way flights for 11/7 and by the new school year, we WILL be back in the UK.
Frankly, had it been up-to-me (i.e. no school year restrictions), we would have left permanently months ago. The sheer arrogance, rudeness (more correctly, grin-*****ness of Californians), stunning levels of dis/mis-organisation (Scouts camping cancelled because people "forget" <read can't be ar*ed> to get the paperwork in on time, last minute scrabbles for car sharing, no public transport, no functioning health system, etc) and then the whole childish attitudes to religion, guns, money wasted on the military (but a school that can't afford a Spanish teacher -in California !) and the stupid patriotism has really got to me in the last few months.
I found myself reading Gove's latest bolloc*s in the Spectator and thinking "he's talking about me !" A pacifist/atheist/Socialist/modernist/European federalist in the US, even CA just doesn't work.....
Now the UK has it's issues (Farrage), but at least we talk about it and we have a "live and let live" attitde. The whole false bonhommie of the US really lightly covers the fact that it isn't really a country at all - just a loose collection of people that happen to live on the same piece of land - and if someone disagrees with you on one, small item, then you are socially ostracised.
Then, having spent the last 2 years studying an MSc by distance learning from a UK uni (and now moving onto a PhD), I've had the academic snobs here telling me that my qualification isn't really worth anythign cos it's not from a US "college."
So I don't know whether to say "congratulations" or "you lucky bugger...."
Congratulations on your move back - I'm glad you found the UK to be as you wanted it to be.
I'm still half-stuck in Santa Clara, CA, but I'm spending more and more time back in the UK/EU. We've booked the one-way flights for 11/7 and by the new school year, we WILL be back in the UK.
Frankly, had it been up-to-me (i.e. no school year restrictions), we would have left permanently months ago. The sheer arrogance, rudeness (more correctly, grin-*****ness of Californians), stunning levels of dis/mis-organisation (Scouts camping cancelled because people "forget" <read can't be ar*ed> to get the paperwork in on time, last minute scrabbles for car sharing, no public transport, no functioning health system, etc) and then the whole childish attitudes to religion, guns, money wasted on the military (but a school that can't afford a Spanish teacher -in California !) and the stupid patriotism has really got to me in the last few months.
I found myself reading Gove's latest bolloc*s in the Spectator and thinking "he's talking about me !" A pacifist/atheist/Socialist/modernist/European federalist in the US, even CA just doesn't work.....
Now the UK has it's issues (Farrage), but at least we talk about it and we have a "live and let live" attitde. The whole false bonhommie of the US really lightly covers the fact that it isn't really a country at all - just a loose collection of people that happen to live on the same piece of land - and if someone disagrees with you on one, small item, then you are socially ostracised.
Then, having spent the last 2 years studying an MSc by distance learning from a UK uni (and now moving onto a PhD), I've had the academic snobs here telling me that my qualification isn't really worth anythign cos it's not from a US "college."
So I don't know whether to say "congratulations" or "you lucky bugger...."
#51
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2011
Location: HOME!!!!!!
Posts: 454
Re: Seven Months
OMG, SallyRedux, Lorry1,Mummy, Britwhore, Fulwood, etc, etc. it's like finding a club I used to belong to and having a catch up.
Here's mine. It doesn't merit a new thread. Back nearly three years now.
I turned 60 in Feb and a pension kicked in, to my great surprise! Mr J is about to "go solo" with his job. Younger son, who came to the States with us, and had lots of part time jobs on return has now got a full time job in IT, which seems to be his natural habitat, has a great social life, and is HAPPY!
We sold our house in the USA a year ago, thanks to having a great realtor. It wasn't that difficult after all.
So, a big virtual wave to all of you. To those just returning, I hope housing, jobs etc work out well. For those who came back around the same time as me, it's great to hear how you're doing. Sorry for hijacking, Sally! And Britwhore, I hope it all works out this time around!
Here's mine. It doesn't merit a new thread. Back nearly three years now.
I turned 60 in Feb and a pension kicked in, to my great surprise! Mr J is about to "go solo" with his job. Younger son, who came to the States with us, and had lots of part time jobs on return has now got a full time job in IT, which seems to be his natural habitat, has a great social life, and is HAPPY!
We sold our house in the USA a year ago, thanks to having a great realtor. It wasn't that difficult after all.
So, a big virtual wave to all of you. To those just returning, I hope housing, jobs etc work out well. For those who came back around the same time as me, it's great to hear how you're doing. Sorry for hijacking, Sally! And Britwhore, I hope it all works out this time around!
#53
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2011
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 983
Re: Seven Months
Ha, ha! That didn't work, must master the art of smilies!
#55
Re: Seven Months
no public transport, no functioning health system, etc) and then the whole childish attitudes to religion, guns, money wasted on the military (but a school that can't afford a Spanish teacher -in California !) and the stupid patriotism has really got to me in the last few months.
I've had the academic snobs here telling me that my qualification isn't really worth anythign cos it's not from a US "college."
Anyhow - see you all on the other side
#56
The Brit is back
Joined: Apr 2010
Location: NS, Canada 2007-2013. Now....England!
Posts: 2,211
Re: Seven Months
OMG, SallyRedux, Lorry1,Mummy, Britwhore, Fulwood, etc, etc. it's like finding a club I used to belong to and having a catch up.
Here's mine. It doesn't merit a new thread. Back nearly three years now.
I turned 60 in Feb and a pension kicked in, to my great surprise! Mr J is about to "go solo" with his job. Younger son, who came to the States with us, and had lots of part time jobs on return has now got a full time job in IT, which seems to be his natural habitat, has a great social life, and is HAPPY!
We sold our house in the USA a year ago, thanks to having a great realtor. It wasn't that difficult after all.
So, a big virtual wave to all of you. To those just returning, I hope housing, jobs etc work out well. For those who came back around the same time as me, it's great to hear how you're doing. Sorry for hijacking, Sally! And Britwhore, I hope it all works out this time around!
Here's mine. It doesn't merit a new thread. Back nearly three years now.
I turned 60 in Feb and a pension kicked in, to my great surprise! Mr J is about to "go solo" with his job. Younger son, who came to the States with us, and had lots of part time jobs on return has now got a full time job in IT, which seems to be his natural habitat, has a great social life, and is HAPPY!
We sold our house in the USA a year ago, thanks to having a great realtor. It wasn't that difficult after all.
So, a big virtual wave to all of you. To those just returning, I hope housing, jobs etc work out well. For those who came back around the same time as me, it's great to hear how you're doing. Sorry for hijacking, Sally! And Britwhore, I hope it all works out this time around!
I come on here to browse mainly as I like to see how everyone is settling back, but do occasionaly post.
This weeks weather is fabulous. I really don't miss the snow that they are still having in Nova Scotia. Stuff that! I like my spring to be spring.
After nearly 2 years back, I don't really miss anything at all and am really happy with my life right now
Take care!
#57
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Seven Months
Hi Jemima, great to hear you are happily settled back home. It sounds like everything is coming together for you.
I come on here to browse mainly as I like to see how everyone is settling back, but do occasionaly post.
This weeks weather is fabulous. I really don't miss the snow that they are still having in Nova Scotia. Stuff that! I like my spring to be spring.
After nearly 2 years back, I don't really miss anything at all and am really happy with my life right now
Take care!
I come on here to browse mainly as I like to see how everyone is settling back, but do occasionaly post.
This weeks weather is fabulous. I really don't miss the snow that they are still having in Nova Scotia. Stuff that! I like my spring to be spring.
After nearly 2 years back, I don't really miss anything at all and am really happy with my life right now
Take care!
#58
The Brit is back
Joined: Apr 2010
Location: NS, Canada 2007-2013. Now....England!
Posts: 2,211
Re: Seven Months
It's just gorgeous today. I walked past this stunning garden glimpsed through a gate and tried to capture the spring feeling in the area. Didn't work but I'm sharing anyway.
Attachment 121352
Attachment 121352
#59
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2011
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 983
Re: Seven Months
Hi Lorry1,
Good to hear from you. You must have been back two years now.
I love this weather. We are renovating our garden, so I get to spend plenty of time out there. We are working towards making it low maintenance, for us, and for if we want to sell it in the future. It's not huge, but has lots of bits to it.
Are you still working in the same line of business? Travel, if I remember correctly!
Good to hear from you. You must have been back two years now.
I love this weather. We are renovating our garden, so I get to spend plenty of time out there. We are working towards making it low maintenance, for us, and for if we want to sell it in the future. It's not huge, but has lots of bits to it.
Are you still working in the same line of business? Travel, if I remember correctly!
#60
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 481
Re: Seven Months
Good to hear this, agreed Brits can definitely be a bit negative about things, but I think they do it in naiveté perceiving that things are so much better elsewhere, when in reality the Western world is fairly similar and has similar issues.
I guess you don't know what you have till its gone!!
I guess you don't know what you have till its gone!!