harrowwoman

Hi Sue, yes I do miss living there. There was such a great social life, we had fun and many different adventures. The war changed all that, people did not have the energy or will any more as the embargo gave them very little. Where we used to go and visit our friends and relatives regularly we now stayed at home. We knew that they were like us, very little food or money to even entertain visitors. If you wanted to bake a cake-why you had to save up your rations of sugar-eggs-flour-oil and of course use the precious gas to cook it with. The Iraqi people have a great sense of humour though, we always managed to laugh out way through those hard days.

Sue

Sounds like you truly enjoyed living there. I'm assuming from your location that you are in the UK now? I bet that's a different experience. Did find you suffered from reverse culture shock?

Kix

Really interesting.

So tell us, how did you get there, what was life like, why won't you write a book!

Poshy

Hiya Lisa, I am from your part of the Uk too, born in Moston, moved to Alkrington for a while then to Blackley then Dubai x

boyfrombangor

Hi.

Fresh meat for Doha, I'm coming over to Qatar on my own-i-o to PM ground investigations for a local firm. I hear you're building things there.

I'm from North Down, but in Norwich right now, single early thirties. So that should make relocation easier, right?

I have no idea what I'm letting myself in for, for example I'm meant to be flying out on Easter Thursday and I have still not:
- sent my personal effects
- received my legalised degree back from the Embassy
- received my visa details
- received my flight details
- legalised anything else, such as copy of my passport.

So, standard.

Still I see it as a step up from working in Great Yarmouth.

Andy

OleJanx

The only company with any gusto that I know operating from Great Yarmouth is Bristow Helicopters. So, have Gulf Helicopters offered you a job?

boyfrombangor

No. No gozhomie birds for me. I was working offshore in seabed survey then took a desk job, making the fatal mistake of having to be in the Yarmouth office.

I dunno about lack of gusto though, Yarmouth have Jesters, home of the 'Kidz breakfast' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-21287000

Blue Cat

Welcome to BE

boyfrombangor

Hi BC, look forward to getting to know you all. Have lurked here for the last two months while intelligence gathering, so (you guys don't know it yet but) you've been very helpful. I plan to stick around and contribute.

Meow

We've been helpful?! Quick everyone, about time we reverted to type...

Geordie1968

G'day All
Geordie here, currently in Brisbane, Oz but just about to be sent to Doha for a '5 week' secondment to dig some job out of the poo. Looks like i'm going to be busy while I'm there but want to make the most of any downtime time I get. Don't know where I'll be billeted or when exactly I get there (probably this weekend though) Any good tips on how to make the most of what I expect to be a relatively short time in country? I'm a Geordie so by making the most of my downtime I obviously mean where do I go for a good pint with a decent atmosphere?!
Cheers all
G

vontrapped

Hello, I joined BE just today.
We came to Dunedin, New Zealand in 2003 at the invitation of our son who had married a Kiwi. They had a son together so there was no way we would be thousands of miles apofrt if we could avoid it.

Anyhow, both my husband and I got jobs ( both of us were quite badly bullied) but my son ( who is highly qualified) couldn't find a job at all. He even did a PhD but, again, nothing. So, like many young folks in NZ they moved to Melbourne with their, now, 3 children.

Travelling from NZ is extremely expensive so we only get to see them at the most twice a year.

Retirement approaches. We can't stand the thought of staying NZ ( so incredibly boring, dull, and Dunedin is cold and damp) and considered shifting to OZ but property there is very expensive and I'm not mad for the climate.

We will miss the grandchildren terribly but have decided to shift back to Europe. We considered UK for a while but, having grown used to the quietness and space of NZ, we realised we couldn't afford anywhere suitable.

So, we have decided that we would like to move to France ( probably Brittany) despite family in UK throwing up their hands in horror but property is affordable and the health care recipricol (sp?!). We are also lucky enough to have occupational pensions.

From reading a few posts I see there are concerns about tax. If anyone can point me to a place to find out about that I'd be really grateful.

If any of you are doing something similar in France I would love to hear from you.

Kix

Welcome Geordie68. You'll find there are quite a few of us kicking around Doha (even though I'm just a frequent visitor), go to the Horizon Manor Hotel, Krossroads Bar on first bar - remember to take your passport. You'll find a good crowd in there while happy hour is on, 5-8pm.

Geordie1968

Cheers Kix, I think my office and accommodation is in the pearl building airport road and on Umm Ghuwailina St.... probably both miles from everything! Actually just looked and it's about 2.5 - 3K's away from the horizon... happy days. How easy is it to get a taxi in that neck of the woods?

Kix

Use a private driver mate, that's how things are done. try one of these two, +974 33 66 9241 or Siraj on +974 66 56 8725