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It's far better abroad
According to The Express anyway
About 15 per cent of those living overseas, or 825,000, have changed their mind about coming back in the past year, a survey found. And as many as 69 per cent have shelved plans to return at all – a 13 per cent increase in 12 months. Those abroad – an estimated 5.5 million – say their quality of life is better, finances healthier, living costs lower and neighbourhoods safer. |
Re: It's far better abroad
Yes, it's been in the Telegraph too. I think the sentiment has just changed a little after some recent news stories.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/p...o-Britain.html Gordon Maddock, a retired policeman living in AlmerÃa, Spain, said that he knew very few people who were returning to Britain from choice. “Some go for family, or financial reasons, but the majority of my friends prefer life where they are now… All we’ve seen about Britain recently has been very doom and gloom, and with things like the riots, there’s not really been any explanation offered. That makes people very paranoid about returning.†Mr Maddock said that something he had noticed in particular was that due to the tuition fees rise, many children of expats were cancelling plans to return home for university: “They're questioning why they would need to go back to Britain, as it’s so much cheaper to be educated abroad.†Overall, 68 per cent of expats surveyed said they were happier living away from Britain, with only seven per cent admitting they were less happy. |
Re: It's far better abroad
Of all the people I know living here in Spain, I would say there are 50-50 happy/unhappy but of course that is just a random selection.
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Re: It's far better abroad
Well, for me the only reason I am living in the UK is because I married a British guy, otherwise I would have left years ago. I quite like the weather (believe it or not!) because I like the green, I like living in a house and having the countryside 5 minutes from my door, and I like my British friends and in-laws. There will be plenty of things and people I will miss. I will never get into the drinking competition, though: 2 pints or 2 glasses with food (I do need food if I'm going to drink) are enough for me, I don't need 8 and end up throwing up and on the floor to call the night off. The: "what a great night out we had, I cannot remember a thing" is not my cup of tea. I know that not everybody is like that, but many of my British friends in their 30s and early 40s are.
But, as per quality of life and crime, which is what really matters... I do prefer Spain and will be happy to go back next year. Of course there are good and bad places everywhere, but I have been lucky to live in good areas in both countries, and I know what I prefer. Youngsters in Spain are becoming just as selfish and stupid as they are here, but I'm still far from being scared by a group of 5 years old in a normal area. And believe me, sometimes I have been here! Also most of Spanish people would think there's something wrong in a system where families who have never worked can keep all their children and get bigger houses and benefits so they make their living out of having children and not bothering to educate them, whilst childless working young couples cannot get their own house. That really annoys me as a tax payer here. How many grandmas at 35 are there in the UK??? And then, when I needed help after being made redundant I found out that after all the tax I paid for 10 years I was only getting less than 65 pounds per week precisely because we have been responsible and had no kids??? I now pay my taxes with grinded teeth because I know where a big chunk of the money goes to. :frown: I like the UK, but I definitely don't like the system, it seems that it hands prizes to social parasites and screws the good people. It's okay needing help now and then when things go bad and you are normally contributing to the system because you are conscientious of social duties as well as social rights, I have been there. Just as it is fine to help people who simply cannot work and not by choice. But there are too many disgusting cases to be the exception. It's no mystery that the UK have the highest number of pregnant teenagers in the EU: they get a prize per kid without the responsibility of educating it, and the rest of the society gets an uneducated, violent kid that normally will do no good at all. In Spain I had to travel to another city to get my condoms when I was young, here you have had access to them for many generations... what has happened??? People simply do not want responsibilities and the consequences to their acts, and we all pay for their stupidity (or their cleverness, depending on how you see it). I don't think it's a matter of labour or conservative; it's just a matter of people being educated to what living in a society means and accepting their responsibilities. If they don't want to accept them, then simply use a condom, don't make everybody pay for it!!! That I definitely won't miss. I know we are beginning to suffer from the same thing in Spain, but hopefully it won't go as bad as it has gone here. |
Re: It's far better abroad
I would really like to walk around in flip-flops and a table cloth all day, treading the Malayan beaches, but have settled for Spain so the OH can be nearer to the family if needed. And I hate flying, not something man was made for. |
Re: It's far better abroad
Originally Posted by Nichola Battye
(Post 9693961)
Of all the people I know living here in Spain, I would say there are 50-50 happy/unhappy but of course that is just a random selection.
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Re: It's far better abroad
has anyone on this forum been asked ? the local FCO cannot get people to register for postal vote letalone fill in such a questionnaire. probably asked 6 people and worked it out from there. such stupid statements should be qualified by the number of people polled. |
Re: It's far better abroad
Originally Posted by evamar
(Post 9694070)
That I definitely won't miss. I know we are beginning to suffer from the same thing in Spain, but hopefully it won't go as bad as it has gone here.
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Re: It's far better abroad
Originally Posted by evamar
(Post 9694070)
I like the UK, but I definitely don't like the system, No reduction on IBI for instance for lone occupiers or unemployed or elderly (and no not everyone pays a few euros and lives in the campo). |
Re: It's far better abroad
Originally Posted by whitelinen
(Post 9694113)
I like Spain but I definitely dont like a regime that gives no help whatsoever to people of little means.
No reduction on IBI for instance for lone occupiers or unemployed or elderly (and no not everyone pays a few euros and lives in the campo). Graham |
Re: It's far better abroad
Originally Posted by evamar
(Post 9694070)
Well, for me the only reason I am living in the UK is because I married a British guy, otherwise I would have left years ago. I quite like the weather (believe it or not!) because I like the green, I like living in a house and having the countryside 5 minutes from my door, and I like my British friends and in-laws. There will be plenty of things and people I will miss. I will never get into the drinking competition, though: 2 pints or 2 glasses with food (I do need food if I'm going to drink) are enough for me, I don't need 8 and end up throwing up and on the floor to call the night off. The: "what a great night out we had, I cannot remember a thing" is not my cup of tea. I know that not everybody is like that, but many of my British friends in their 30s and early 40s are.
But, as per quality of life and crime, which is what really matters... I do prefer Spain and will be happy to go back next year. Of course there are good and bad places everywhere, but I have been lucky to live in good areas in both countries, and I know what I prefer. Youngsters in Spain are becoming just as selfish and stupid as they are here, but I'm still far from being scared by a group of 5 years old in a normal area. And believe me, sometimes I have been here! Also most of Spanish people would think there's something wrong in a system where families who have never worked can keep all their children and get bigger houses and benefits so they make their living out of having children and not bothering to educate them, whilst childless working young couples cannot get their own house. That really annoys me as a tax payer here. How many grandmas at 35 are there in the UK??? And then, when I needed help after being made redundant I found out that after all the tax I paid for 10 years I was only getting less than 65 pounds per week precisely because we have been responsible and had no kids??? I now pay my taxes with grinded teeth because I know where a big chunk of the money goes to. :frown: I like the UK, but I definitely don't like the system, it seems that it hands prizes to social parasites and screws the good people. It's okay needing help now and then when things go bad and you are normally contributing to the system because you are conscientious of social duties as well as social rights, I have been there. Just as it is fine to help people who simply cannot work and not by choice. But there are too many disgusting cases to be the exception. It's no mystery that the UK have the highest number of pregnant teenagers in the EU: they get a prize per kid without the responsibility of educating it, and the rest of the society gets an uneducated, violent kid that normally will do no good at all. In Spain I had to travel to another city to get my condoms when I was young, here you have had access to them for many generations... what has happened??? People simply do not want responsibilities and the consequences to their acts, and we all pay for their stupidity (or their cleverness, depending on how you see it). I don't think it's a matter of labour or conservative; it's just a matter of people being educated to what living in a society means and accepting their responsibilities. If they don't want to accept them, then simply use a condom, don't make everybody pay for it!!! That I definitely won't miss. I know we are beginning to suffer from the same thing in Spain, but hopefully it won't go as bad as it has gone here. A thoughtful and intelligent post, I particularly liked the bit in red. I also agree about it not being the fault of either party. I think it is the failure of people to realise that with rights come responsibilities. Far too many people scream for the former who have no interest in complying with the latter. |
Re: It's far better abroad
Originally Posted by evamar
(Post 9694070)
Well, for me the only reason I am living in the UK is because I married a British guy, otherwise I would have left years ago. I quite like the weather (believe it or not!) because I like the green, I like living in a house and having the countryside 5 minutes from my door, and I like my British friends and in-laws. There will be plenty of things and people I will miss. I will never get into the drinking competition, though: 2 pints or 2 glasses with food (I do need food if I'm going to drink) are enough for me, I don't need 8 and end up throwing up and on the floor to call the night off. The: "what a great night out we had, I cannot remember a thing" is not my cup of tea. I know that not everybody is like that, but many of my British friends in their 30s and early 40s are.
But, as per quality of life and crime, which is what really matters... I do prefer Spain and will be happy to go back next year. Of course there are good and bad places everywhere, but I have been lucky to live in good areas in both countries, and I know what I prefer. Youngsters in Spain are becoming just as selfish and stupid as they are here, Not all kids are selfish and stupid but I'm still far from being scared by a group of 5 years old in a normal area. And believe me, sometimes I have been here! Also most of Spanish people would think there's something wrong in a system where families who have never worked can keep all their children and get bigger houses and benefits so they make their living out of having children and not bothering to educate them, whilst childless working young couples cannot get their own house. Working parents are also penalised. That really annoys me as a tax payer here. How many grandmas AND grandpas at 35 are there in the UK??? And then, when I needed help after being made redundant I found out that after all the tax I paid for 10 years I was only getting less than 65 pounds per week precisely because we have been responsible and had no kids??? I now pay my taxes with grinded teeth because I know where a big chunk of the money goes to. :frown: I like the UK, but I definitely don't like the system, it seems that it hands prizes to social parasites and screws the good people. I did not like it either It's okay needing help now and then when things go bad and you are normally contributing to the system because you are conscientious of social duties as well as social rights, I have been there. Just as it is fine to help people who simply cannot work and not by choice. But there are too many disgusting cases to be the exception. It's no mystery that the UK have the highest number of pregnant teenagers in the EU: they get a prize per kid without the responsibility of educating it, and the rest of the society gets an uneducated, violent kid that normally will do no good at all. That is another rather sweeping statement In Spain I had to travel to another city to get my condoms when I was young, People can always abstain and need to use them here you have had access to them for many generations... what has happened??? People simply do not want responsibilities and the consequences to their acts, and we all pay for their stupidity (or their cleverness, depending on how you see it). I don't think it's a matter of labour or conservative; it's just a matter of people being educated to what living in a society means and accepting their responsibilities. If they don't want to accept them, then simply use a condom, don't make everybody pay for it!!! That I definitely won't miss. I know we are beginning to suffer from the same thing in Spain, but hopefully it won't go as bad as it has gone here. There are a few sweeping statements in there but I agree with some of it and the system needs to be changed but won't hold my breath. |
Re: It's far better abroad
There is a long thread here that is similar, some of it made me chuckle. The poster Returnee strongly reminds me of a poster on here:rofl:
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...=734128&page=3 |
Re: It's far better abroad
We've had an avalanche of family from the UK visiting us this year, from all different parts and of all ages and walks of life. They all just came for a cheap holiday because we have room for them and don't charge them anything.
Not so! All of them came to Spain to look around and to consider leaving the UK to live in Spain permanently. It's uncanny, it has never happened before, at least not on this scale. I've been blue in the face telling them it's madness to buy a house in Spain at the moment because it will be 30% cheaper at the end of next year. But they don't listen; an earlier visitor has just bought a house on an unfinished urbanisation nearby, an urbanisation without electricity and water which will not be finished for another ten years, if ever. A current visitor asked to be shown a house nearby which has been finished and looks quite pretty from the outside. It was ever so cheap and I asked her of she wanted to live next door to a large family of violent gypsies. She accused me of being racist! What the hell is up with the UK to cause this mass exodus? |
Re: It's far better abroad
Originally Posted by jackytoo
(Post 9694818)
There is a long thread here that is similar, some of it made me chuckle. The poster Returnee strongly reminds me of a poster on here:rofl:
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...=734128&page=3 Seems incredible from a country where a BMW can be used as a mobility car...........paid for by the government. |
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