sile

Oh my goodness, this made me laugh out loud!
How lovely that you are home and happy. Congratulations!

jasper123

IFI ---- in reading this post of yours it made me think, you talk about the village your in and the lovely people who seem so happy and contented and even proud of there village, and as you say nobody questioned your sanity on wanting to move back home,
So it made me think of all this talk you hear of lots of Brits moaning and groaning about this and that,
I think most of those who moan about there lot in life are mostly people who live in large cities or towns, but people who live in villages out in the beautiful countryside seem to have a different mentality and approach to life,
Just an observation?
Anyway your post certainly got a few chuckles from me too,
Glad your settling in and loving being home.
Rodney.

lf1

Rodney, I think you may be onto something. IMO, regardless of where you are, cities can be very lonely places even although they are crowded with people. Unless you have an established group of friends or are particularly outgoing, it can be difficult to meet people. From my experience there is less of a sense of community in some cities (or parts of cities). I don't imagine village life will be perfect, but I intend to approach it with a positive attitude and make the most of it.

In the pub the other night, you could feel the pride that people felt in the Olympics. I am so glad we made it home to share in some of that.

jasper123

Me too IFI, Im so glad Im home and that I was able to watch the British Olympics in Britain, rather then still being in America and watching the American Olympics that just happen to be taking place in London.

You know I think the reason I was able to settle down quite quickly over here was not just that I still have some family left here, but because I came back to my home town, the town I was born and raised in, I walk around the streets and there all very special to me, I know all the areas that I used to go to as a kid, I feel comfortable here, Ive been away for the best part of my life but I feel a very warm welcome back from the town itself, not so much the people cause I have little contact with them, if that makes any sense to you, so coming back to a place that used to be your home can easily become your home again with little effort. people say Portsmouth has changed since Ive been away but I honestly dont see the changes at all, well nothing Major anyway, it still feels like it did when I was young, its like putting on an old comfy pair of slippers

mikelincs

I agree, when we came back to the ery small town we had left from some 4 years earlier it was just like we hadn't been away, we met many of the people we had known before we left, they just asked us how we had been in Spain, and it ws then back to the usual discussions of the weather, amazing just how many people recognised us.

jasper123

Yes I understand Mike but you must realize that 4 years away from your town in England is just like a short holiday compared to the 36 years that I was away from my town, and of course you would be bumping into people that you knew before you left, ----- I walk down the high street and Im sure I must pass people that I knew before I left when I was a young man of 29 but they wouldn't know me, and I wouldn't them either after so long away, people change in all that time,
Glad you are back home though, I bet you are pleased that you are no longer living in Spain at his time

cheers

Rod,
I've probably asked before but again, do you have a foreign accent???
When you talk to people do you get the look that you are not one of them???
Cheers

curleytops

I know exactly what you mean. I left South Shields in the northeast as a child in 1966. My only visits back were an 8-week stay back in 1970 and another 1-week visit when my Grandmother died in 1977. It would be 33 years before I returned at age 52 to a place I'd last seen as a teenager. Many of my family were gone by then but fortunately I was able to visit some. Walking around my old neighbourhood I was stunned at how easy and natural it felt even with all the changes, it was just like I'd been away on holiday for awhile and I felt more comfortable in myself than I had in a very long while. If that's not home I don't know what is.

sallysimmons

This is exactly how we felt. We're not from this particular part of Yorkshire (in fact my husband is from Lancashire ) but I spent all my holidays as a child in this part of the country, so coming back just felt like coming home. The stone walls, the hills, the friendly people, the cosy pubs ... all of it just as we left it and all of it so welcoming. We've both said several times that we feel as though we went on a long holiday and now we're back.

jasper123

Well cheers,
I never really got an American accent, but of course when I first started to live in the U.S. all the English slang I brought over with me I quickly through it all out the window ----- after I realized Americans would be staring at me and saying something like ehhhh do you mind running that by me again
You know like when your saying something is expensive Brits say its dear?
they use fortnight for two weeks, and if they have a light meal at night they call it tea? they go to the precinct instead of the mall, and you better ditch the boot and bonnet and use trunk and hood mighty fast other wise you will for sure get a few weird looks, when your drunk in UK your pissed, if your Pissed in the U.S. your angry, and if your really pissed off your freaking angry, well you know the list just goes on and on,


And then you got all the different pronouncing of words to change, OMG thats another kettle of fish ------ Cor Blimey!!!!!! what a to do!!!!

So Nope cheers never did get a U.S.accent, well maybe a little I suppose, lets just say this --- in America they all knew I was English when I talked ------ and over here ----- well I have been asked if I am Canadian, I have been asked if I come from somewhere in North America, and some ask where in the States I come from? ----- so go figure!!!!
OK now I have to go out with me Mum and do the shopping ------ so too-doo-loo for now ----- pip pip ----

cheers

Chip, Chip!

cheers

Are American banks above the law?

I closed my account at US Bank a week ago and today I got a call to tell me they processed a debit today and I have an overdraft. How can I have an overdraft if I closed my account? Why is my account open after I closed it?
The debit is for a automatic payment for my insurance. Why are they paying it. I already switched the payment to another bank.

Get this for American customer service.... Last Friday I go to the bank drive-up window and there is a car in front of me so I wait and when it moves I pull up and the drive up teller tells me sorry we close at 5:30. I look at my clock and it says 5:31??? I was there before 5:30! The little princess repeatedly says sorry to me. So I run to another branch that is open later and I close my account. So instead of making a deposit, I withdraw my balance to close my account. A week later this happens....
I was told there would be a $35 fee for insufficient funds. I said the account was closed a week ago. She said the $35 would go to collection if I didn't pay it.

Cheers

islandwoman120

No they are not above the law, just badly trained workers. I am guessing you already know what you will be doing next week: spending your free time in a branch demanding to see the manager, not the clerks. Hold your ground. I have been in similar situations more than once in the US banks, and got the mistakes (theirs) sorted by refusing to budge until I was satisfied. Good luck - keep us posted.

Mummy in the foothills

Cheers that is just crazy.
Have the insurance accepted the payment? Have them return it and see what happens next seeing you had transferred the payment to another bank they would have been payed twice!
I wouldn't accept the answers they are giving, take it higher up, go in in person and make a fuss.

Fish n Chips 56

I sure hope you got the name of the teller and the person you spoke with today... Just go to the offending bank, speak to the Manager and stand your ground, you need to get your message across.