Oakvillian

How's it off-topic? My post was a direct reply to Rich's assertion that "You might get all the relocation $ and bling but you'll never be as happy as someone who really wants it, really works at it, and really makes it succeed for them." That's what I'm calling total claptrap.

dbd33

Actually I think moving to the colonies on the company dime, wreaking havoc on the landscape and then going home is the authentic British Expatriate Experience.

DaveLovesDee

Whether we've made it and are still here, or gone back elsewhere, we all came to Canada because we wanted to. Nobody put us on the plane forcibly to come here, and no-one is making us stay if it doesn't work out for our own individual situations.

It is what it is, and we give it our best shot. Those for whom it hasn't worked out as planned, did what they thought was right for them. So does everybody else.

Jingsamichty

That's my CV distilled into a single sentence.

Rich_007

The strings attached to you puppets (AKA muppets) are so easy to pull.

R.

MikeUK

I’d suggest that many who search out jobs from the UK and successfully arrange a TWP and expensed crossing are much more likely to be the happier immigrant

rather than the “I know I’m worse off, but really I’m much happier, Honestly I don’t mind doing a shitty job, its for the kids you know” Bullsh1t brigade because.... really I’d never want "that" type of happiness

I'm surprised so many do.........

Rich_007

You'd never recognise happiness if it smacked you across the head.

R.

dingbat

Ha! Not quite as simple as that for some, I am afraid.

MikeUK

That’s a wild and if I might add rather stupid assumption for somebody to make over the internet ?

But then isn’t it wild assumptions and ignorance along with a certain amount of stupidity that drives the misinformation in forums all around the internet

Rich_007

He that dare speak of stupidity and assumptions utters the following bile:

MikeUK

I thought

rather than the “I know I’m worse off, but really I’m much happier, Honestly I don’t mind doing a shitty job, its for the kids you know” Bullsh1t brigade because.... really I’d never want "that" type of happiness

was quite a suitable response for

You might get all the relocation $ and bling but you'll never be as happy as someone who really wants it, really works at it, and really makes it succeed for them. You'll never have "that" happiness

both rather simplistic........

Dave+Jules

My response, was to take it completely off-topic, it was nothing to do with your post.

joepublic

As much as I would like to read all 28 pages of this thread I only have time to add my response to the originator of the post.

I have travelled to many places in the world and the UK is a lovely place to visit in my opinion, however, I stress the point on visiting and not living. If indeed you are fortunate enough to live in the country it can be a lovely place, with many beautiful areas to visit. if however, you live on the outskirts of a large city (in my case Bristol) then there is little to write home about.

I think the defining factor which makes me want to leave my place of birth is the new breed of people which now live here. Quite what has changed to the British social structure I do not know but without wanting to generalise the majority seem to be evolving into disrespectful, self obsessed and egotistical individualists. Personally, I think it all started when credit was made freely available and every man on the street was offered (borrowed) money to spend. It created a breed of 'I can have what I want, when I want it' and in turn a social competition of keeping up with the Jones'. Food and shelter used to be the minimum requirements to keep us going, now if we haven't got the latest mobile, plasma TV and designer jeans then it's blatant injustice and the end of the world.

Closely following is the lack of policing and social justice which has eroded all respect for fellow man and authority. Deterrents are all but non-existent and those that do commit crime jump straight on the human rights band wagon prior to receiving a minimum sentence for fear of further aggravating the penal overcrowding. I know I won't forget the coffee I bought from McDonald's at 6.45am the other morning - I sat there in the car stirring in my milk only to watch 3 youths cross the car park and indiscriminately set about some poor bloke walking out the restaurant carrying his breakfast. I never want to see anyone get their head stamped on like that again in my lifetime.

Of course, you've got the satellite factors to add on top such as traffic. I live 5 miles from work and it takes over 40-minutes to drive there (yes that's just over 7 mph average). I've now resorted to riding a push bike which only takes 20 minutes. However, the government seem to have completely conflicting policies on this one. On one hand they keep piling the tax on fuel and the road fund license, in order to 'reduce the amount of traffic on the road.' In the next breath they're offering a £2,000 rebate on a new car purchase in order to save the ailing car manufacturers. One thing I do know is that my driving taxes don't get spent on the road though.

Then there's the social security bill. Apparently we need more children so we can have more tax payers to fund the crippling pension bill. That's great in theory but perhaps not in practice. My parents rent their house to the local Council who house a single unemployed mother and her child there. The irony is the single mother is the daughter of the next door neighbour. In the old days her parents would have looked after her, now she gets a house of her own paid for by the tax payer (£675 a month rent - not including the benefits she gets). I'm not a gambling man but is that young child going to grow up to be a hard working tax payer when he spends his life seeing his Mum living off state handouts in a rent free house? Perhaps the government see it as speculating to accumulate, I see it as financial suicide.

I could go on but I want this to be seen a constructive case rather than a whine. In short, I used to love this country and I was proud to call it my home. In the last 25 years it's become 'managed decline' - do I want to stay here and spend the rest of my life paying an over inflated mortgage on a house the size of a shoe box........I don't really think so.

dbd33

Why do you have a little picture of Demis Roussos next to your name? If you are him why do you not just use that name?

joepublic

My nan's Greek

I'll change it to something more appropriate if it makes you happy?