Originally Posted by bigmattE

No joke at all. I have experienced extreme racism against me here. I really have. Main reason i got out of the US Army. I live in a small German town in the middle of Minnesota. They do not like " outsiders ".
one comment made to my father in laws friend from a co worker was this " You think he is normal till you hear his accent ".

Ie : Cause I am white I look like a typical American till I speak.

I have had a horrid time in this country. I can not wait to get back to Belfast

Originally Posted by Mallory

Denise/DDL has been a member of this forum since June 2004. She has used the immigration forum, etc. for many years. She has a British husband, MIL, BIL, step-children, and step-grandchildren. She loves the UK, and writes the most interesting posts!

Originally Posted by Celticspirit

I'm surprised. I am also from Belfast and have been here in Texas 38 years. I have always been treated respectfully and people often comment on how they love my accent. Irish accents particularly from the North are very popular ( eg Liam Neeson) Just my experience......

Originally Posted by Menschlein

It's too bad that other peoples attitudes only too frequently influence our lifes to such an extend, but sadly they do, only too often. There have been times when I felt removed from the herd, my own herd (own kind) that is. Because there is safety in numbers, we, having gone off by ouselves have thereby forsaken the safety of such numbers. My mind reels back to 1961 when my new English husband went back to work after our wedding (in Yorkshire) only to find his workbench plasterd with Nazi graffiti, something which continued for several days. Even here in Canada, during my daughters High school days in 1980's Mississauga they were routinely called, (jokingly??) ....hey Nazi Woman , and that in a predominantly Croatian school.

Originally Posted by Menschlein

In Canada too we are repeatedly told that this is the Greatest country on Earth and that people the world over are seeking access. True, there are some great places, if you can afford to live in them, but considering the fact that one pays tripple Taxes, Federal, Provincial & Municipal as well as 60% Tax on all annual earnings above 60G's as well as an added 13% of HST (harmonised Sales Tax) on every added purchase, service, Medical etc. in order to maintain such perceived Greatness, said Greatness has become severely diluted. It is for that very reason that the mind turns back to the European way in order to escape, especially during ones last years, the appaling excess and continued exploitation of a so carelessly generated reproduction of cheap labour, source of all human energy .

Originally Posted by cliff1961

Last year 2010 my Fiance' living in Texas was due to receive treatment to cure her of Hepatitis C, but suffering from pain in her back she was diagnosed with kidney stones also.

her hepatologist stated we have to remove your kidney stones before we proceed with your chemotherapy as once we start we cannot/do not want to stop the course of treatment. She had a cat scan and found a stone in her right kidney, after receiving her lithotrypsy in which to break up the stone which sucessfully did break, two weeks later she started her treatment for her hepatitis C.

Approx 4 weeks later she still suffered pain in her back and after receiving an ultra sound her right kidney was blocked and the left one was draining.
She had to proceed and pay for another cat scan, once again they found another stone in the same kidney (Right).

I GUARNTEE YOU 100% HER UROLOGIST KNEW THE TWO STONES WERE THERE IN THE SAME KIDNEY KNOWING IF HE TAKES JUST ONE OUT IN A MONTH OR SO SHE WILL BE BACK AGAIN AND HE WILL HAVE MORE MONEY FROM MY FIANCE' AND INSURANCE COMPANY.

This time she had it removed via surgery utensil and eventually her body was too weak to recover after the kidney treatment as she was on chemotherapy therefore her hepatologist had to stop all her treatment for her Hepatitis C.
ALL GREED related and still to this day she suffers from day to day with her Hepatitis C.

THERE SHOULD BE A FIXED WAGE FOR ALL DOCTORS AND SPECIALISTS AND BY DOING THIS I GUARNTEE YOU 100% THERE WOULD BE A BIG IMPROVEMENT IN THE TREATMENT PATIENTS WOULD RECEIVE IN THE UNITED STATES AS ONCE YOU VISIT YOUR DOCTOR HE WILL TREAT YOU AS HE WOULD NOT WANT TO WASTE THEIR TIME BY TREATING YOU A SECOND TIME IF POSSIBLE.

Originally Posted by confusedenglishrose

Perhaps this now means posters with more than a certain amount of 'posts' now need to wear a 'big gong.' It seems you are suggesting that longevity and ardent contribution should mean an opinion is contented above others?

Moderators perhaps it is time to remove the number of posts someone has made from their profile if this attitude is going to pervade. Cuckoo

Originally Posted by sallysimmons

dunrovin, I think for now we'll continue to run our existing business from the UK. We already have clients in both the US and the UK, although mainly US, so nothing will really change except where we pay income tax. And we don't need employees in the UK as we have a virtual business (meaning our team can be anywhere). Our business is coaching and consulting.

Originally Posted by Fish n Chips 56

The NHS is getting worse, My sister in law took my Mother in law for a EKG last week, they were at the clinic for 40 minutes, My sister in law wasn't pleased, what's the world coming to ??? lol.

Originally Posted by dunroving

From having been on here for several years (no OBE yet!), I have to say that I've seen many situations where new members barge in and seem to almost immediately start picking a fight with, or being rude to, people who have been here a while.

I agree with you, the oldies certainly aren't any better than, or have better ideas than, the newbies. But look at it a little like the local pub - in these offline social situations, there is a certain degree of recognition of someone's longstanding patronage of, and contribution to, the "institution". You wouldn't walk into the Rovers Return (I mean the Corrie version) and tell Vera Duckworth if she doesn't like you slamming Manchester then she can stuff it.

I think this is why you sometimes see the oldies close ranks when someone who has been on here for al ong time is pretty much told by a relative newbie if they don't like it, then tough (or go somewhere else).

I know when I first joined, I watched and listened and got a feel for the place before I really got stuck in. I have to say that the level of civility on BE overall has got worse, and especially on MBTTUK. It used to be almost exclusively about how to move back, regulations and rules, procedures, experiences, etc., whereas now I find there is a lot more opinion-bashing and comparison of the UK to different countries (especially Australia - though I can understand why someone wouldn't want to complain about Oz on the Australia forums, from what I have seen and heard of them).

Originally Posted by dunroving

I have to say that the level of civility on BE overall has got worse, and especially on MBTTUK. It used to be almost exclusively about how to move back, regulations and rules, procedures, experiences, etc., whereas now I find there is a lot more opinion-bashing and comparison of the UK to different countries (especially Australia - though I can understand why someone wouldn't want to complain about Oz on the Australia forums, from what I have seen and heard of them).

Originally Posted by Beedubya

Funnily enough DR, from my perspective I thought there was a lot more US comparing going on than any other country.......

I will have to go back and read what I wrote about Australia maybe it was when I was still living there, strangely enough all those old feelings have disappeared into thin air.

Originally Posted by Pistolpete2

Don't you think that the healthcare issue in the US is one huge hot potato right now and has been for a couple of years.

1. It brings into perspective the huge disparity in medical treatment and its cost between the US and the UK NHS and is obviously a huge issue for older folks who may have been laid off and have had to downshift in the US and then been barely able to afford insurance.

2. The whole political issue surrounding healthcare in the US has made it extremely politically divisive and the politicians have alienated the electorate by using it to their supposed political advantage.

As a result, it comes up time and again as a cost issue and a reason to think of leaving the US for the UK. There is nothing comparable in other destinations such as Australia, on either score.