Re: Would you still uproot?
 

Aren't we all ? ..... You just feel bad because you live in an even more back wood place than me.

You have yo look at it this way mate ..... a 100,000 pound pension is a $200,000 pension when I am here ;) ... and it's still growing !

Too many f**kin imigrants back there anyway !

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

Ah, you're stirring awake the 'adventurer' in me. I've travelled many times over many years but I have not hitherto ventured into becoming a 'settler' in a foreign land. My roots here in England are not so much family but perhaps, familiarity. And hell, there's no harm in that so long as it isn't too restrictive.

I see it that perhaps I will give America a 'try' but retain an open door. After all, the only reason I would be doing this is because I'm married to an American who recently returned to the States because she couldn't settle here away from... Hmmmm...well, family and the 'American way'.

What's that saying? ... 'Home is where your heart is'?

:confused:

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Re: Would you still uproot?
 

No we wouldn't

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

$200,000 pension wtf did you do?

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

My wife and I came to the US as as a recently married couple, I think I assimilated in about 3 days. I don't have many fond memories of the UK, I grew up in a s**thole of west London and went to a bog standard comp. school so what is there to miss. I have two boys born here and and only go back for a visit on my wife's insistence. I have no desire to ever go back even for a visit.
I've lived in Seattle and San Francisco, should I miss the Ealing, Hounslow area of London, I don't think so. I might add I tried to find a decent job outside of London but was given an opportunity to work in the US and never regretted coming here for a second.

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

That answers one of my questions! ;)

Nice sentiment... living and enjoying for the moment. I think folk 'think' too much ahead of time. Like me for example! On this matter, anyway .. :D

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

hell no.

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

What he said.

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

What both them said!

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

To Japan, yes
To America, no

And here's why:

America was full of loudmouths and braggarts. Oh, I forgot the in your face religious nuts as well. Puritanical attitudes to sex and alcohol were woven into the society and culture - what a bunch of boring feckers.

Too much mindless patriotism, idiocy masquerading as "tradition", lack of irony and humour, fake posturing and phoney friendship, macho culture, guns, fat feckers, arggghhh! the list could go on and on.

All of which is not to say there weren't a few individual Americans who were on my wave length, but as a whole that country was a major disappointment.

Japan is ****** weird too, but their weirdness is much more in sync with my own. One of the best things here is the zero influence of Old Testament morality and Puritanism. Liberal attitudes to drinking, sex, not boasting all the time, not stuffing your fat face full of crap "food', women who are women and keep their figures even after childbirth... I like it here!

Unfortunately they work insanely long hours, but then so do the puritanical yanks. At least the Japanese know how to enjoy themselves.

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

What's their secret?

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

Beats me. My Missus is a chink, and she eats twice as much as me, and is still only 100lb!
She has small hands as well, which makes me look good :rofl:

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

My husband is an only child and his parents are thinking of moving to the UK when they retire next year. They qualify for the retired persons of independent means visa, even with the crappy exchange rate, but they would have a much less affluent life than in the US. They are willing to try it because family is much more important. And this is even coming from FiL who, when we decided not to move back to the US last year, ranted at the husband that he was choosing to live in the poverty in a third world country :mad:

I always knew if the husband really really couldn't settle here then I would move back to the US with him. I had got used to it and was enjoying it by the end of my time there and though there would be sacrifices I would do it for my bloke, <insert gushy stuff about husband>, the place we live is less important than that we are together.

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

It was exactly that kind of arrogant ethno-centric attitude that I detested in America. So many yanks think America is the best country in the world and that other countries (even western European ones) don't have running water and indoor toilets.

There are plenty of places in America that are "Third World" as far as I'm concerned, so they should shut their mouths and think twice before they say cr@p like that.:curse:

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

Ditto

But 4 years

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

I just mention the exchange rate, tends to kill that conversation.

Or sometimes how low the wages are in the US.

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

I would have agreed with him about four hours ago when I waited nearly 30 minutes for an out of hours surgery to answer the phone, and then another hour for the GP to phone back and advise me on how to treat my 11 year old who was in agony with ear ache.

I was fuming, thinking of the hours I work and the taxes I pay - for what?

Generally though, I love England. I got into this site because I bought a bolt hole in Valencia.

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

Okay, I have to say this I am not going to argue with you over a majority of your comments, although I'm not keen on some of them, but this one is silly-"so many yanks think that America is the best country in the world." What do you expect an American to say? If a Brit comes on here and says the UK is best, I'm not going to say they are wrong for thinking that-it's their homeland FFS. :blink:

Believe me, I am all for people broadening their horizons and seeing as much of the world as possible in order not to make blanket judgments, which I detest.

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

Well come on now - every country has a FEW lunatics.

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

But the regional traits do actually vary here. I honestly never imagined that they could - America being such a new country. There are regions of the country where the local mentality is too "anti-English" in the ways you described, but there are places where you can strike a compromise.

America has never ceased to amaze and I really cannot see how anyone could be diappointed by the natural things on offer here. Not what people have done, but the things you have to break your routine to appreciate.

One thing is true, you cannot live here and be of the opinions you stated - you will go insane. No doubt.

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

Where are these "cool" regions of which you speak? Care to name them?

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

Meh.

Some people say things out of emotion that they don't really mean. Some people really don't have knowledge of the world. Some people are proud of their country even, and this is the important bit, while critical of issues within said country

These traits are not exclusive to Americans.

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

After living in a place without universal healthcare the husband and I are more than happy to have to wait if it means everyone has access to treatment. Certainly, this can be hard at times on a personal level, but beats the alternative.

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

NHS?

I was inthe UK for 3 weeks, the horror stories just seem to get worse.

I spoke to my Mother yesterday, most of the call was about problems she was having just getting a simple thing done, something to do with text message communication between the Hospital and Dentist.

One friend of mine who had what turned out to be a mild heart attack was told to go and see his Doctor, update him on his situation etc.

So he rings up for an appointment, engaged engaged engaged, when he finally gets through he is told they are all gone and to ring again the following day. This way they can meet targets on waiting times, if you can not make an appointment you can not be counted!

Ths was a bar conservation, but one of the guys there was a GP, his surgery does not work that way, but he was able to throw in a few more idiocies, stupid things they have to do to meet Gov targets. Mind you he is coining it. He bought the first round.

Not that the US system is any good.

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

May I ask, where in the US did you live and travel too? And how long have you been here?

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

The places of natural beauty are numerous. Grand Canyon, Northern California, the Mesa's in the desert, the Forests and mountains of the New England region to name but a few. As for places to live, if you like a small town/village feel there are places as obscure as Broadalbin NY, Hubberton VT, or as well known as Plimoth, MA. You cannot find an English village in America (duh), but you can find their cousins, esp. in the New England areas. There are still many towns (even still use the term Hamlets) scattered along county roads which were settled anywhere from the 1700's onwards. There are those with traditional main streets and white picket fences. Its not all perfection, as with anywhere, there are downsides. But its not all massive cities and endless surburbs. You just have to get out there and find them.

As is often said, it all depends on what you want. My point is, that despite the "WalMarts", America still has much to offer if what you are looking for is something other than garish opulence and flash. If you want that, there's always Vegas and Disneyland.

Personally, I have always shunned the LA's, Chicago's and NY's. They simply do not interest me.

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

What on earth is "Meh"?? :D;)

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

OI I like Wal-MART lol always a bargin ;)
I agree on the big city thing I don't like Chicago and NY is not on the list either, no wish no spend time in LA either.

I have been to Japan a few times and it was OK to shop, the Japanise are very hospitable, then get my butt out of there, but live.......... horrified no thanks.

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

NHS 'horror stories' are, perhaps, more prevalent in densely populated areas - the inter-cities. Where I live there is no such crisis. My wife, when in need of her GP and then surgery to her hand at the hospital, could not praise enough how well she had been treated, and how lucky she was (being a Texan) to be treated under the NHS.

Quite a different story entirely - yes?

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

I think that's the thing - stories vary, perhaps in different health trusts.

I'm not posting details here, but the problems I know of personally and mentioned to you (long waits with disastrous results) were not in densly populated areas, quite a small town in fact.

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

I vacationed in a town called Weaverville in the North of your state. Panned for gold in a stream and had a fantastic time dirtbiking all over the shop. Beautiful surroundings.

Its as easy to homogenize Americans as it is to lump the English into the same "type". But the truth is, Americans also view each other with curiosity if they are from 1,000 miles away, well that's what I've seen. Haven't yet figured out why they have more of a "national" sense which more frequently overrrides this than the English do. Its probably to do with the age of the place. :unsure: It'd be interesting to hear from the Americans here on that. ;)

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

We are a flag-waving lot. I'm not really sure why.

Perhaps having fought and won independence from Britain, makes for a tradition of being aware, and proud of that. Also, perhaps the pride the settlers had of conquering a new land... and all of that has carried on. But I'm just guessing honestly.

Most yanks do view America as the best and most powerful country in the world. National pride there too?

I'm not the best example, not a huge flag-waver myself. But I do think it's a good place to live. Goods and bads everywhere, but overall I could sure think of worse places.

I can, I suppose, feel some national pride in the American "can-do" and "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" attitude. Not that every American has that attitude, of course, it's slipping. But has been part of our historic attitude. The American Dream and all. We do have a lot of freedoms, and a person who is determined generally has the possibility of success.

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

Mmmm. Its the subtleties which interest me these days. The flash-bang differences are pretty obvious between our two cultures, but it seems the reasons why Americans are a certain way are often a bit intangible.
You mention the settlers and the revolution. The settlers were us tho ;), it was the English doggedness that hacked the forests away to make way for roads and villages. I wonder if the American spirit only had its full expression in the colonial rebellion (sorry, revolution :eek:) and the true evolution of that identity began at that point. Stating the obvious, true, but its odd that the events prior to 1776 rarely are connected to English history the way they should be. There is scant evidence of English culture present in America today, other than the language. Compared with the other immigrant nationalities, we are in the shadows, as it were.

Yet Americans, frequently claim a great affinity towards England.

Oh, bugger, that read back like a history o-level question. :zzz::zzz:

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

Yep. I hear this all the time. Mainly from Yanks who have never travelled!

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

lol well sure, it was "you-all" in the first place :) And I suspect our national identity was formed, in the "rebellion" :p. At that point, those here decided NOT to be English - but to be American.

I don't think there's much evidence of any culture here but American - or rather, there's bits of all sorts of cultures laying around here.

Feeling an affinity towards England - well not myself, not at all. It's a foreign country that I've never visited. My ancestry is German and Swedish (and I've visited Germany) so if I "relate" to any other cultures, it's those.

No criticism of the UK there - just that I don't identify with it any more than any other country personally.

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

You have met my ex husband then :D

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

What a combination! ... :lol:

I have travelled Sweden extensively, from Gothenburg to Malmo and Stockholm and farther north. It's as though a bloody great vacumm cleaner (likes yours!) sweeps daily across that country... it's so pristine - like the folk! ... :D

Germany, on the hand, retains greater character overall.

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Re: Would you still uproot?
 

Yes, but you know, as re the English settlers here, there were some of course who came to worship the way they wanted to, ones who came to escape political persecution, some who came to make a fortune and some folks who just had an itch. That itch thing I think is remarkable-there's no "cause" as such, just a bit of "oh well, what the hell, why not! " THAT is what is neat, not unlike the Brits going to Oz these days.

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

Well, the pockets of WHO settled WHERE here, kind of is what drives the train.

Re: Would you still uproot?
 

Well, this about sorts that then, doesn't it? ... :lol:

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