Mummy in the foothills

OH god yes, the HOA and the PTA It makes your head spin, and the drama, I thought we all left high school years ago.

Dh is a union worker, 5 years now and I think it's really starting to do a number on his head. The ridiculous things that go on.

But health care (or lack thereof) has to be the worst, oh and the flags and the small children reciting the pledge each day and going on about how free they are and how lucky they are to be Americans.
And taxes, OMG the taxes, they call them fees, and add them to the cost of all my bills it seems, hell if it quacks like a duck I call it a duck.
Oh god get me outta here!! I'm stranded in California at the mercy of a broken state.

quoll

Good lord, well dont go to Australia then whatever you do.

Have been in UK nearly 3 weeks now (not long, I know) but done well over 1000 miles of travel and do you know, I cannot see the toilet state anywhere. But of course, I did avoid Bradford, maybe that is where it is.

I see people going about their daily business, happy and friendly (never had so many coincidental chats with some super folk). There are some who have lost jobs but this is a WORLD wide recession and they can be mirrored easily elsewhere in the developed world.

Police bear the brunt of dissatisfaction no matter where in the world you are and come to Aus if you like the "tut tut, slap on the wrist and be a good boy" form of sentencing especially for minor things like child murder and rape. You might get 20 years for calling someone a wog though.

I havent even noticed the street hanging gangs of youths. I have seen (gobsmack) young people give up their seats on a bus for an older person - that would never happen in UK, surely????!

I think perhaps you have perhaps never lived outside the UK for any length of time?

ezzie

Hello Quoll! How's the travels then...down the south again by now aren't you? Very envious of course....not sure what a 'toilet state' is - I saw a 'toilet in a state' once, that was in France; one of those hole in the floor jobs. The kids and I all crossed our legs till we got to Belgium!

I do see plenty of hideously depressing eyesores when I go back to the UK and always feel for the poor beggers who have to live there and very thankful that I get to drive on past to some beautifully quaint villages or even half-decent estates.

I know what you mean about the impromptu chats...you must be in seventh heaven. How much longer do you have over there now? Did son get off ok? Scary stuff, though sounds like he's got a good head on his shoulders.

If you get chatting to any teachers/uni admin types...you know the questions to ask for me!

Glad you're finding a way to get onto BE during your travels. Safe travels my dear. Did you have to go through one of those x-ray scanners that removes your clothes?!?!?

Ginblossom

Funny how the people bitching at me saying how broken America is and how great Britain is....actually... still live in the US.

If they think its some paradise here, come on over.

Mummy & Elvira, why don't you put your money where your mouth is?

<snip>

Fleaflyfloflum

Charming..

Well, like quite a few other posters on here, i DID return to the UK after 10yrs away, and guess what?? I'm loving it!! Just because your life is shite and you live in a place you dont like, doesnt mean the rest of us are.

Bevm

That's rather hostile, which generally indicates fear. Not entirely sure you're doing the right thing?

Some of the posters have family situations that make it impossible to return at this time. Others are working through the pros and cons. No one ever said coming or going was easy.

I just hope you truly have researched life in the US, all aspects, and are right that it's for you. It is for some, that's certain, and I have many American friends who think it's the best place on earth. One of the big questions is, will your job there provide decent health insurance?

I wish you well, but please don't attack people who aren't saying what you want to hear.

Bev

aes1

Bev, I agree. Good reply to Ginblossom. I have lived 26 years in the States, first in Delware, then South Carolina. I have travelled all over it and have a son living in Oregon and one who has lived in New Zealand. I also have visited the UK, other parts of Europe and Asia during my stay here. I hope the poster has some knowledge of other countries, particularly the US if that is where he/she intends emigrating to, otherwise he/she is due for a major culture shock! I will soon be relocating back to Europe (2 more weeks!!) and am going to see what Malta has to offer, as well as good ol' England. As someone else said on another thread, the grass may be greener in another country, but there are always brown spots too - and the bigger the country, the more brown spots!!!! Soooooo happy to be leaving the US!!!!!!!!!!

Mummy in the foothills

My money will be where my mouth is ASAP, the housing market is down, so unless we want to come back unable to buy a home we have to wait things out, and get the middle child out of high school.
I'll be where the kids are living. From what they say it won't be here and they were born here. They shockingly came to their own conclusions after all they may have been born here and have pretty much seen it all, but are by no means privileged, have seen us struggle financially, mostly due to health care (we once spent 20% of our gross income in a year on our share of bills and monthly payments for health care) That was a bad year Christmas was nearly canceled and we didn't see the grandparent for 5 years straight.
I don't really know how else to say it, but unless you are guaranteed an income exceeding $100,000 a year and live modestly, raising your family in a not so expensive area (here in CA) and fantastic health cover is part of the deal, the US is really a tough place to make it. Jobs just aren't safe, unemployment gets denied to many and is only short term. people are living in tent cities and these are people who have worked all their lives, they may not be accountants or lawyers, but hard worker non the less.
I don't have rose tinted glasses about living anywhere, but if life is going to be a struggle and times are tough I'd rather do it near the family and in a place I feel like is home.

Elvira

<<<sigh>>>

As soon as my lads finish college I'll be off. At the moment I'm splitting my time 75% US/25% UK but once the youngest graduates it'll be the reverse. So instead of visiting home I'll be visiting DH - hopefully he'll visit me a few times as well

What you are saying about health care is so true. When our oldest had to come off our insurance he went without for a while because there was no way he could afford a private policy. One of his brothers is graduating this summer and I reckon the chances of him finding a job that provides insurance is as good as nil. Youngest has a pre-existing condition which will preclude him getting insurance once he graduates (unless a miracle happens and Obama manages to push through some meaningful reform......... - I am not holding my breath...)..

And I wonder why it is that if you google "tent cities", the only non-USA page that comes up is Haiti?

http://www.oprah.com/showinfo/Tent-C...Special-Report

Scary stuff...

Mummy in the foothills

This one is a couple of hours from us, and still hits the news locally quite often. Most don't hit the news, we drive past one on the freeway about 45 mins from us when we go to the nearest big city to shop. they are between the trees and at the edge of the river, next to a freeway, a man was hit by a car wandering about there a few months back.

quoll

Thank goodness for iPhones with Little Chef wifi!
Am in Dorset at the mo having spent afternoon with long time friends. Somerset Levels tomorrow with more friends and deepest Cornwall for genealogy thereafter.

Can recommend sygic for iPhone for anyone venturing over - its been great for the final few miles of out of the way places.

Lots of infrastructure development going on here unlike our own stimulating activity in roof spaces.

My biggest beef is that several of the English Heritage sites I had my eye on are shut at this time of year! Bah humbug, will have to come back another time

Sally Redux

Exactly...we know what we're talking about. By all means try it for yourself, THEN lecture us.

We are going back ASAP.

Yours, 'a gutless wonder'

Elvira

Fleaflyfloflum

I was thinking you might be interested in this Quoll. Maybe not this trip as i dont know how long you are there, but for the future.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/tickets/

Most tickets are free if you get them and can be all over UK not just BBC centre in London.

Another one is Applause.com

You sign up for whatever interests you and if you are lucky enough to be picked you get free tickets.

Elvira

What is truly scary is that the people living in these tent cities aren't "down-and-outs" - just ordinary folk who lost their jobs and homes. There doesn't appear to be any coherent safety net once the unemployment benefit runs out.

I told a few of my friends back home about these places and most did not seem to believe me.