DC10

Must work with lots of expats

UK life expectancy must be really good with that wonderful NHS. Oh, wait, it isn't!

DC10

The gender realignment really does take the cake. Do they ever stop to think how many people's taxes it takes to pay for that?

I wonder if in a few decades they will pay to operate on people who believe they are a goat or a tree trapped in a human body.

Triumph3

I used to believe the BBC and the media too (don't forget they're still upset that Labour aren't still in power). I've had course to use the NHS twice in the last year (after 20 years of never using it), I found it to be great, couldn't have expected any better than the service I got. So when you say 'all', maybe you could exclude me?

Woodlea

Of course the NHS is great the amount of money that is ploughed into it. It is the largest employer in Europe, second only to the Red Army or the Indian Railways - I can't remember which!

Triumph3

I'm not saying it's good value for money.
I'd much rather keep my NI and get my own health insurance but being as though I'm tight, I'd probably not get any. So maybe NI is a good thing in my case.

Leither

I'll help you out on this one: the Indian railways don't operate in Europe.

Triumph3

Did you intend that pun ('operate')

Leither

No, it comes naturally.

ExKiwilass

ha hahahaha. I hear ya brother/sistah.

Kevin

Yeah, mine was a Belle (the ones made in Buxton), which as you may know are pretty much industry standard back home.

Had to laugh at your reference to “gravel”, but spot on. First time I mixed up a pile of “mud” here I couldn’t believe it…. All the water sank straight to the bottom! Called in Mitre 10 megga store and asked if they had any cement plasticiser, was told no, then went to the builders merchants at Kaiapoi, couldn’t see it on the shelf, asked them, they said “what’s that for?... never heard of it!....... this was not long after we had moved here, bells should have started to ring then!
I was using Pams washing up liquid for until I found a stockist.

On the plus side, I find that the concrete suppliers are somewhat relaxed about their time (unlike UK… turn up, dump, fek’ off!) and are quite helpful. Just gotta watch they don’t wash out the cement truck at the end of your drive, and leave you with a few hundredweight of “pig” in the culvert! (I kid you not).

As for Kiwi brickies… well, not real “brickies” are they bless em’. Ask em to throw down a english garden wall bond or a flemish, and they would look at you gone out. …Skinning up around a timber frame in stretcher isn’t exactly difficult would you say, but hey, horses for courses….

The pr-k that built our place is a “blocklayer” (it is about 18 years old), it was his own place until we bought it. What a rough arse job he made of everything! I can throw down better than that with my eyes shut, and I’m a sparky!... anyway, better not wind myself up again!

Found one decent brickie now, he’s been here for about 17 years I think he said… was from down the smoke, but apart from that he seems okay. Leaves his shit everywhere though (is that part of the apprenticeship training for brickies and chippies?)….

Cheers

Browner_

I have family sick days written into my contract.
Whilst accepting its a generous benefit, I dont think its pathetic.
It goes a whole long way to recognising work/life balance, and the fact that people have lots of responsibilities.
At the end of the day, employers that offer this are going to be seen as good employers, which is to their benefit.
Of course, there are people who will abuse it, but these people will most likely stand out in other ways too, and probably wont be around too long, or wont get anywhere.

Browner_

and the Red Army do???????

Browner_

Thanks, but I do think its horrible in NZ.
Yeah its not a warzone here or a hunger zone like Kenya or Somalia at the moment, so lets get it into perspective.

But it aint a place to fly half the way round the world for, with all the risks that entails and all the separations and isolations and stress it could cause. IMHO.

I may be different to many here cos I didnt leave cos I didnt like it where I was (quite the contrary, I loved where I came from and had a good life).

I married a kiwi, and for one reason or another 'gave it a try'.
All I can say is, that that was a mistake. It dont compare to where I come from.

Ive heard stories of people from Lanark, North Scotland, Middlesborough , Northampton (Genesis) and Sheffield, and I certainly wouldnt be going back to UK to live in those places.

But there are plenty of places down south that I would go to, and would much prefer to go to.

DC10

I agree: France.

Charismatic

Well if I was back in the UK I would be a billionaire married to a model with kids that where always quiet and well behaved. I’d be enjoying lunch with the queen, weekends jetting all over Europe and evenings basking in England’s glorious sun on the balcony of my country mansion as the butler made drinks for me. I would pay no taxes on my fortune and nothing bad would have ever happened to me.

Over here in New Zealand I live in a cardboard box.