Very low - what should we do ?
May 19th 2011, 11:34 pm
#181
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Very low - what should we do ?
I'm not saying bad news should be banned, just that there seems to be an overemphasis on crime, war, deprivation, and other gloom and doom. I'd just like a bit more balance.
I'm not looking for happy-clappy, just saying that the "real world" that most of us live in isn't as miserable as the news seems to want to portray.
I agree re: the Stephen Lawrence trial, but again, even this news piece is covered (on TV, anyway) in a way that, after briefly mentioning the positive headline focuses on the misery associated with the story.
I watch the British Pride Awards every year (I think that's what it's called) and it makes me wonder why we don't have more stories like that, about the positive side of humanity rather than titillation obsessed with humanity's underbelly.
I'm not looking for happy-clappy, just saying that the "real world" that most of us live in isn't as miserable as the news seems to want to portray.
I agree re: the Stephen Lawrence trial, but again, even this news piece is covered (on TV, anyway) in a way that, after briefly mentioning the positive headline focuses on the misery associated with the story.
I watch the British Pride Awards every year (I think that's what it's called) and it makes me wonder why we don't have more stories like that, about the positive side of humanity rather than titillation obsessed with humanity's underbelly.
That's not the same as a person saying they don't want to see/don't care about what's happening in the World, which is what some other posters seemed to be doing.
May 20th 2011, 1:05 am
#182
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Re: Very low - what should we do ?
I don't think that was the feeling I got from the other posters, Sally. I know I particularly said it can be depressing.
May 23rd 2011, 7:42 am
#185
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Location: Bay Area, CA
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Re: Very low - what should we do ?
Taking this thought further, I've found that any news worth knowing about can wait it's sweet time before being discovered. The only problem with this approach is, I'm not sure what formats / media outlets cover events other than on a daily or weekly basis ... so if you miss an event in a weekly summary, you may never know it happened ...
May 26th 2011, 10:25 pm
#186
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 45
Re: Very low - what should we do ?
That's definitely part of the answer. The rest is childhood indoctrination. Kids in US schools are taught (not blatantly, usually; more often in subtle ways) that the US is the most desired place to be and therefore the best. We're taught that millions of people risked their futures, families and lives to immigrate by slow boat in hazardous conditions, just for a chance at "the American dream" amid "streets paved with gold". We're shown flags waving proudly on the Fourth of July (and most of the rest of the year) and told the stories of people arriving with nothing and making fortunes for themselves. A college kid forming Dell computers in his dorm room. A high school dropout who creates a successful fast-food chain and names it after his daughter. Even right now in my local news they're talking about a couple of journalism students who are starting a successful peanut butter business, sort of by accident. (We conveniently ignore the stories of the millions who didn't make it big, because we are raised to believe that anyone can if they try hard enough, so the conclusion is those people just didn't try hard enough. And of course we won't be like them!)
Get twenty years of that sort of thinking under your belt, coupled with 3.7 million square miles of land to explore without even thinking about a passport, and nearly all of the types of terrain that there are, and it's very hard to shift most Americans out of the "Greatest Country" mindset.
Get twenty years of that sort of thinking under your belt, coupled with 3.7 million square miles of land to explore without even thinking about a passport, and nearly all of the types of terrain that there are, and it's very hard to shift most Americans out of the "Greatest Country" mindset.
May 28th 2011, 10:42 am
#187
Just Joined
Joined: Oct 2009
Location: Northants, UK
Posts: 22
Re: Very low - what should we do ?
Jackattack's reply was pretty good and one I'll be keeping.
We're looking to relocate to California hopefully next year. I have a son who will be 11 next week so will be looking for plenty do do ourselves. My partner has previously lived in LA and he say's there is loads to out there, just a bit less on the history than we have and the weather is better.
I would say look at what is going on in the UK. Politics are awful, the NHS going downhill and the judicial law gone potty! And to top it off it's raining here....lol, but then these are all familiar with you.
Jokes aside I would suggest making a list of things that you would normally do or think of doing in the UK. Can you apply those where you live i.e. swimming, zoo's etc. Make a list of things you want to do, are those facilities around, can you initiate or start a group up yourselves ie with friends and families of people you know or those that your children know? Is there a local expat group near you that can meet up once a month or every six weeks or so? Start a local group up highlight it on here and advertise locally, on the net and / or via your childrens schools or initiate an expat group to meet. I'm sure there are plenty of people and families that are in the same boat, it's finding them. The internet and / or expat sites could be a good way of meeting them.
As for work, we are over worked and under paid here. Jobs are rapidly being cut and we are still expected to do the same amount of work with less people.
Are you able to change your employer and look for something more amenable?
You have only been there for 5 months and it takes time to settle and find your way, especially with a different style of culture.
My son is due to start secondary school this year and I know he will be inundated with homework, I think it's the same where ever you go. Qualifications appear to be everything. My son had loads of homework recently before his SATS. I don''t recall it being like this before my 11+ ( I'm an older mum). Maybe you could speak to his teacher and ask for a schedule to be set up for his homework whilst your son settles in a bit more? there is far too much pressure on children at school now and I don't think it matters where you live. Have you looked at other schools in your area, are they the same?
We're looking to relocate to California hopefully next year. I have a son who will be 11 next week so will be looking for plenty do do ourselves. My partner has previously lived in LA and he say's there is loads to out there, just a bit less on the history than we have and the weather is better.
I would say look at what is going on in the UK. Politics are awful, the NHS going downhill and the judicial law gone potty! And to top it off it's raining here....lol, but then these are all familiar with you.
Jokes aside I would suggest making a list of things that you would normally do or think of doing in the UK. Can you apply those where you live i.e. swimming, zoo's etc. Make a list of things you want to do, are those facilities around, can you initiate or start a group up yourselves ie with friends and families of people you know or those that your children know? Is there a local expat group near you that can meet up once a month or every six weeks or so? Start a local group up highlight it on here and advertise locally, on the net and / or via your childrens schools or initiate an expat group to meet. I'm sure there are plenty of people and families that are in the same boat, it's finding them. The internet and / or expat sites could be a good way of meeting them.
As for work, we are over worked and under paid here. Jobs are rapidly being cut and we are still expected to do the same amount of work with less people.
Are you able to change your employer and look for something more amenable?
You have only been there for 5 months and it takes time to settle and find your way, especially with a different style of culture.
My son is due to start secondary school this year and I know he will be inundated with homework, I think it's the same where ever you go. Qualifications appear to be everything. My son had loads of homework recently before his SATS. I don''t recall it being like this before my 11+ ( I'm an older mum). Maybe you could speak to his teacher and ask for a schedule to be set up for his homework whilst your son settles in a bit more? there is far too much pressure on children at school now and I don't think it matters where you live. Have you looked at other schools in your area, are they the same?
Hello all
Well, I've been here nearly 5 months now and have 9 more until the minimum term on the house lease is up (both here and in the UK).
I'm not home-sick for the UK, but underwhelmed by the US and feeling pretty low.
Wife and kids are OK - they are settling in although making friends here seems to be very, very difficult. Compared to the UK, the provision of things to do that aren't educational but are fun seems very poor - we've joined the local YMCA, but there are very few kids of our son's age (9 1/2) that seem to do anything and so little is laid on for them. Cub Scouts is OK, but pretty lame, rather babyish and dis-organised.
The weather is nice, the food is OK, the TV and radio dire (so we listen to Radio 4 and watch BBC iPlayer !) but we really are not in a "normal" life at all.
Work is horrible - it's been like going back 25+ years to the way we used to work in the UK before we discovered nice buildings and telecommuting.
What to do ? Are we being unlucky, do we need to try harder, or should we just give up and go back to Europe ?
The biggest issues for us right now are:
- School - so much homework. Obsessed with qualifications. Poor sod hardly gets any time to do anything as a "normal" child.
- After school - related to above, no-one appears to get off their backsides and DO anything.
- Dis-organisation - no-one plans ahead for ANYTHING ! Getting responses from people even to meet for a coffee is all so last-minute.
- Don't care attitude. Americans seem very good at marketing their "Great Country" where underneath they know it's a pretty awful and broken place. But they don't try and do anything about it.
- Things to do - other than eat, go to cinema or rammed-down-your-throat educational or cheesily commercial....
Right now it feels like we've moved to a country with a substantially worse standard of living than we left....
Well, I've been here nearly 5 months now and have 9 more until the minimum term on the house lease is up (both here and in the UK).
I'm not home-sick for the UK, but underwhelmed by the US and feeling pretty low.
Wife and kids are OK - they are settling in although making friends here seems to be very, very difficult. Compared to the UK, the provision of things to do that aren't educational but are fun seems very poor - we've joined the local YMCA, but there are very few kids of our son's age (9 1/2) that seem to do anything and so little is laid on for them. Cub Scouts is OK, but pretty lame, rather babyish and dis-organised.
The weather is nice, the food is OK, the TV and radio dire (so we listen to Radio 4 and watch BBC iPlayer !) but we really are not in a "normal" life at all.
Work is horrible - it's been like going back 25+ years to the way we used to work in the UK before we discovered nice buildings and telecommuting.
What to do ? Are we being unlucky, do we need to try harder, or should we just give up and go back to Europe ?
The biggest issues for us right now are:
- School - so much homework. Obsessed with qualifications. Poor sod hardly gets any time to do anything as a "normal" child.
- After school - related to above, no-one appears to get off their backsides and DO anything.
- Dis-organisation - no-one plans ahead for ANYTHING ! Getting responses from people even to meet for a coffee is all so last-minute.
- Don't care attitude. Americans seem very good at marketing their "Great Country" where underneath they know it's a pretty awful and broken place. But they don't try and do anything about it.
- Things to do - other than eat, go to cinema or rammed-down-your-throat educational or cheesily commercial....
Right now it feels like we've moved to a country with a substantially worse standard of living than we left....
May 28th 2011, 2:19 pm
#189
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Oct 2007
Location: In a darkened room somewhere.............
Posts: 34,035
Re: Very low - what should we do ?
Most people complain about the long working hours and the 10 days holiday in the US, not the other way around!
May 28th 2011, 2:49 pm
#191
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 2008
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Posts: 4,913
Re: Very low - what should we do ?
If you substitute "California" for "the UK" and "the healthcare system" for "the NHS" then, yes, these issues (and more) are all painfully familiar to me
May 28th 2011, 2:51 pm
#192
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Very low - what should we do ?
'Judicial law gone potty' I suppose refers to the super injunctions.
Hardly going to massively affect your life is it.
Hardly going to massively affect your life is it.
May 28th 2011, 3:38 pm
#193
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Joined: Jan 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 12,865
Re: Very low - what should we do ?
My partner has previously lived in LA and he say's there is loads to out there, just a bit less on the history than we have and the weather is better.
May 28th 2011, 3:45 pm
#194
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Very low - what should we do ?
It never rains in California, but girl, don't they warn ya
It pours, man, it pours.
It pours, man, it pours.
May 28th 2011, 3:50 pm
#195
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Location: San Francisco
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