DebraJulia

I've been in the USA for 6 months now, time has just flown by! All the dreams and aspirations that I've heard of from my childhood of this wonderful country America, the so called land of dreams! Come here, live the "American dream", well hello ... the so called "American dream" can only be achieved if you are working and are in good health. Other than that, you can kiss the "American dream" goodbye! I've never known a health system like it, unbelieveable. One of the first things that shocked me was, hey nobody waiting in the doctor's surgery, not like at home, always packed. Well of course you won't see many here, it costs too much money! One visit with my child because he had an accident at school, it cost me $64 for a 2 minute consultation with the Dr. But I'm thinking maybe, just maybe if people had to pay to visit the GP in the UK then they wouldn't turn up at the surgery for minor ailments.

Well I guess we all complained about the NHS in the UK, but by my experience the service I've been getting here isn't any better than the UK, it averages about the same, but it costs me an arm and leg in medical bills. We pay a fortune for medical insurance, but like all insurance companies, they don't like to pay out, so we end up paying out of our own pockets. What sort of system is that? Crap, thats what!

So enough of my moaning and groaning. There are great sides to this country too. My kids love it, we're out in the country and the schools are great. So thats a plus, a major plus! There isn't any bad language either, like in the UK. The kids have total respect for all adults and children alike. We are in a truly lovely area where the crime rate is minimal and its a great community. One major problem though, I just wish they could understand me!!!! We've had great difficult with the folks understanding us but by the same token adoring our accents! lol

I upset a few people though on Thanksgiving. There we were with our new friends and I happened to make a comment. "Well if it weren't for the English Pilgrims coming over on the Mayflower, you Amercians wouldn't even be celebrating Thanksgiving." You can imagine that went down a treat! "Hooray for the English" I said.

Well yall have a nice day now!

Bob

plenty of that shite over here though, just all depends on where you are don't it, like anywhere I suppose

Anyway, this will be almost a year since I've been over, in a couple weeks, but been here a year before that prior to getting the visa, so not all bad, but getting a job is proving to be a major mare, doesn't help this is a summer town and most things are shut down or aren't hiring for the winter.

fatbrit

That's why the lawyers insisted they called it the "dream". It ain't real!

veryfunny

Happy New year, Over a yr now since I have been in this country and still learning and growing.

So far I have seen both extremes of life here in comparsion to the UK, either way I am grateful I am here with my wife and after years apart we have been together for over a year under the same roof.

I am surely grateful to be able to say that this years has been kind to us and hope everyone else here the best and good health for the new year.

USCIS, we await your call for and AOS interview!!!!!!

Bob

yeah, no kidding

Patrick

I was lured onto this thread under false pretenses, Moderator please change the title to Happy New Bitch and Moan to stop people opening it up in a festive mood only to read it and want to kick the cat.

Nowhere is perfect, the first two years here for me have truly sucked, quite possibly the most soul destroying years of my life. I know have a job and am earning money and have 2 beautiful daughters, I am hoping for an ugly one next.

Its a cliche, but life is what you make it and if you choose to let the bad, ugly and scary things get to you then you will be miserable - the trick is to turn it around and make it work to your advantage.

If America isn't the answer, then maybe you should change the question.

Patrick

BTW Happy New Year to you all, I hope all your thoughts are happy, all your deeds good, all your intentions followed through, all your hugs intended and all your bowel movements are regular

FlyergirlUK

Happy New Year Patrick!

Just Jenney

LOL, I was thinking the same thing about the "false pretense"!

Happy New Year, everyone! (And you, too, Patrick!)

~ Jenney

Lion in Winter

Morning Patrick. It's nice to know there are some constants in life.

Circus-of-Power

Happy New Year to you all as well ....

I found the same thing ...... the people of the Mid West are ill prepared for the Wigan accent .... good job my wife understands me and can act as interpreter. I never did work out why most people actually thought I was an Aussie.

As for the American Dream its as real as the streets of London being paved with gold.... everybody knows they are covered in dog shite and chewing gum.
I suffered from a bout of homesickness early on in my time in the USA..... now I look back and wonder why. I'm back in the UK sorting out a visa and I can not wait to leave the place with its dirty streets ...crime...and miserable people.


Paul

sibsie

Happy New Year fellow expatters. 2004 was full of ups and downs for me but I've started 2005 feeling very settled here and very at home.

CalgaryAMC

This is my New Year's bitch and moan:

I have to drive four hours from Virginia Beach to Chapel Hill for every half-arsed holiday there is. All right, New Year is perhaps not half-arsed, but anyway, this trip was my third in two weeks.

I listened to C-SPAN on my new satellite radio for two hours on the journey. It was crap but figuring out how to change the channels is so complex that every time I tried to change channels I had to take my eyes off the road long enough that I ended up either within half an inch of someone's crappy roadside mailbox (complete with reflectors) or facing oncoming traffic. So, in the interests of safety, it stayed at C-SPAN. And I learned something about democratic redistricting.

Anyway, to cut a long story short I spent my New Years Eve thus: fancy restaurant with in-laws. Father-in-law in bed at 8pm. Mother-in-law in bed by 9pm. I made it to 11pm (watching Bourne Supremacy) before calling it a night. Not since I was 5 have I had such a lame New Year. Americans are without joy.

Today, before leaving the house-of-the-joyless to return to funky Virginia Beach, I had to take my mother-in-law's Christmas tree down. My hands now have itchy red scrape marks all over them from some freakish tree-needle-poison.

NC Penguin

If it's any consoltion, for virtually any holiday, I'm shuttling between Cleveland and MD all the time which is where the spouse's parents and sister lives, respectively. If I made New Years Resolutions, mine would be to make sure the in-laws move out of CLE before next Christmas 'cos I'm not spending another Christmas in CLE (BE member Duncan Roberts knows exactly what I mean).

Where's your sense of adventure and fighting spirit? 2 hours on the road amongst drivers who probably don't know their left from their right is bound to keep you on your toes.

I think you need to spend next New Year's with people from your generation, not the in-laws.

<<snip>>

It's a New Year! Aim high and land on your feet, not your arse!




NC Penguin

Patrick

Maybe they won't be Miserable after you leave!

Franklin

While you are doing this shuttling between Cleveland and MD are you able to access the Internet? If not, please post on the USA forum when you are "shuttling" so that we have a chance of posting new threads that don't immediately get moved or squished. Cheers