Mad ?
Posted by: anderson.council on 22 April 2009
Well that's what everyone tells us anyway. Last year I floated the possibility of returning to the UK and asked for the opinions of those who had actually done this (rather than just those who talk about how bad things are but never do anything about it).
Well we return next week and as the shippers are in tomorrow the system was packed up yesterday and now I'm decommissioning our main PC. We've got a netbook so will still be connected but it seems now that we really are going.
See you on the other side ...
Cheers
Scott
Posted on: 22 April 2009 by SC
Funny...When I left Blighty I really couldn't see my going back....Of late, I'm now thinking differently....Varying reasons and I do miss family more than I ever have done in the past...Not a great time to be going back, but I would value certain things, even if just for a short 'stop gap' and recharge the batteries ! Very tempted, though certainly a pain in the ass shifting all this stuff back...
Besides, Naim dealership totally sucks out here, so there's no choice but to go back to the mothership...!
Good luck with your move Scott.
Steve
Posted on: 22 April 2009 by kevj
I believe that there are many instances of migrants who return to the UK (missing all sorts of things), arrive home and think "what the bloody hell have I done" and then start the whole process of migrating again.
Scott - best of luck with it. I really hope you're making the right choice for you.
Kevin
Posted on: 22 April 2009 by SC
I think that's very true Kevin....and I'm more than expecting it should I indeed move back....For some of the things I have found that I miss, or value more than I once did, I know for sure there's x10 things that drive me up the wall about the place......
Perth hey ! My partner is originally from Perth, though has been in Thailand for near on 10 years now....It was (and is) on a short list of ours to shift to, but perhaps not yet....Besides, she insists to me it's boring, though I quite liked the little old city...!
Steve
Posted on: 22 April 2009 by winkyincanada
I grew up in OZ, but spent a few years in the UK. I'd choose the UK over OZ if I had to make a choice. Lots of reasons...
Easy to live without a car
Better climate (not turning into a desert)
More things going on - concerts, theatre, exhibitions etc
Better roads for cycling (outside London)
Better public transport (really!)
Better beer
Less "sense of entitlement" amongst the chattering classes
Closer to Europe (physically and culturally)
Further from the USA (culturally)
Better public spaces
More compact/local lifestyles
More history
Nicer architecture
Seasons!
etc
etc
Good luck with it Scott. Where are you planning to settle? I loved Bristol and the Southwest.
Posted on: 22 April 2009 by SC
More things going on - concerts, theatre, exhibitions etc
Better beer
Further from the USA (culturally)
More history
Seasons!Here's to that !! Although, compared to Thailand, Oz looks a paradise on these things...
Posted on: 22 April 2009 by QTT
Better not to return to the UK for the following reasons:
1) Horrible traffic congestion, nightmare to commute to work / travel. Underground, overground trains keep going out of service
2) Horrible weather most of the year
3) Bad roads for cyclists
3) Bad beer
4) Close to Europe!
5) Bad public places
6) Filthy places everywhere
7) Risk of being a mugging victim is everywhere
6) Extremely low salaries, high cost of living, almost non-existent appreciation for professionals
6) Homes are too expensive for what they are
7) Very hard to find good food, wine unless you are prepared to travel far and long.
6) No Lake Tahoe, no Yosemite, no Napa Valley.
7) More open-minded, cultural people in the US than anywhere else
6) And so on. A million other reasons.
Posted on: 22 April 2009 by SC
quote:
Originally posted by QTT:
7) More open-minded, cultural people in the US than anywhere else
OH MY GOD !
.....I think I've just spontaneously combusted !
Posted on: 22 April 2009 by QTT
quote:
Originally posted by SC:
quote:
Originally posted by QTT:
7) More open-minded, cultural people in the US than anywhere else
OH MY GOD !
.....I think I've just spontaneously combusted !
I am very serious, I really mean it if you live in SF or the Bay Area. The people here are much more civilized than lots of other places.
No comment if you live somewhere else. No offense intended.
Posted on: 22 April 2009 by SC
None taken, at all.
Ah I understand, you must be one of the 1 in 3 Americans who actually hold a passport...
And didn't vote Bush in...Twice.
Steve
Posted on: 22 April 2009 by QTT
quote:
Originally posted by SC:
None taken, at all.
Ah I understand, you must be one of the 1 in 3 Americans who actually hold a passport...
And didn't vote Bush in...Twice.
Steve
I still have my British passport. No intention of becoming an American but I like the American mindset, I have got fed up with the British (and European) mentality - Always lip service, always talk but no deed.
Posted on: 22 April 2009 by SC
I take your point...(and glad to hear you still have the red book, although I preferred the older big blue one
)....Although, interestingly, I always thought it was the US famed for it's 'lip service'...!
Posted on: 22 April 2009 by QTT
quote:
Originally posted by SC:
I take your point...(and glad to hear you still have the red book, although I preferred the older big blue one
)....Although, interestingly, I always thought it was the US famed for it's 'lip service'...!
Come and live here, land of the bears, for a while, man and see for yourself. I think the media and the movies paint a very distorted picture of the US.
Posted on: 23 April 2009 by tonym
i take it you're a "Townie" then QTT. Hate all towns, me.
Having just returned from a long walk with the dogs through glorious Suffolk countryside on a wonderful British spring morning, I really can't imagine a nicer place to be.
Posted on: 23 April 2009 by QTT
quote:
Originally posted by tonym:
i take it you're a "Townie" then QTT. Hate all towns, me.
Having just returned from a long walk with the dogs through glorious Suffolk countryside on a wonderful British spring morning, I really can't imagine a nicer place to be.
Yep, lived mostly in Brighton, London until migrated to CA 10+ years ago. Hate them both.
Posted on: 23 April 2009 by Lontano
Scott - good luck with the move back. You are coming back at a nice time of year. The bluebells are out and the countryside is looking glorious.
We have been back 9 months now and are not really missing Oz that much at this point, just our friends down under (although I would jump at a trip back to Sydney). The difficult part is that long period of limbo waiting for everything to arrive, re-establishing life and getting sorted.
Have fun and enjoy the move best you can.
Cheers
Posted on: 23 April 2009 by SC
avole - No, it's not bad at all, far from it ! There are many things I like....But there are just a few things that have increasingly worked away at me and now annoy me....All depends what you are looking for and what you like doing....I have a developing 'issue' with Thais and the way in which they think - which basically, being brief typing on a forum, translates as to not really thinking at all - and also with the fact it is getting seriously expensive compared to a few years ago - we're talking £10 for a cheap bottle of wine now, which is a serious issue, trust me ! The expat community seems 'small' here, in many ways, but then, they generally are....It all depends what circles you move in I guess...
Life outside of Bangkok could indeed be very nice, if you are ready for a certain thing....But, you would find yourself coming to Bangkok often I dare say, it's certainly a one town kinda country...
Politically, and economically, I think this place will get worse before it gets better, IMHO...I really think there is a big crash heading here, and they haven't 'seen' it yet, which is very Thai and 1997 all over again...They are building condos everywhere, right now, as if they are going out of fashion....Who is buying I have no clue....It, may, be a good time to grab a bargain in the not too distant future, though personally, I'm not sure I would be a part of the world I would invest in.....
It's probably just that here has turned out not to be where I should be rooted at this stage in my life...I've spent the last 10 years running around the world to far flung & sometimes crazy places, 3-6 weeks at a time, through work, and perhaps now that I'm not doing that so much and want/need something different, Bangkok/Thailand doesn't tick the boxes I want....It goes without saying, these things are highly personal and not generic.
quote:
Originally posted by QTT:
Yep, lived mostly in Brighton, London until migrated to CA 10+ years ago. Hate them both.
I know what you mean. I lived in London for 11 years. Loved it. Hated it. One thing I know, if I go back to the UK, it won't be to London....
Steve
Posted on: 23 April 2009 by DAVOhorn
Dear All,
I am having to give the RETURN TO UK some thought too.
I was going to return in July but as part 1 of my application for permanent residency has been approved, so am now going for part 2.
So if this fails then back to UK dec.
Which do i prefer UK or Aus.
I like bits of both.
I could happily live in both.
I will leave Sydney and go semi rural as i do not like large cities, so if i return to uk i would go semi rural again. Lived in Suffolk 20 years prior to moving to aus.
So both and or either are fine by me. politically tou have Gordon Brown and we have Kevin Rudd.
Both labour and champagne socialists to boot.
Many problems and also in UK.
So hhhhmmmmmm.
Best wishes
regards David
Posted on: 23 April 2009 by DAVOhorn
Dear All,
In addition the one thing that really worries me and to a degree frightens me is :
The cost of healthcare.
It can be bankrupting especially if you have a chronic long term condition eg Diabetes.
I have people who return to UK for this reason alone.
Many older people now are under medicated as they can no longer afford all of their medication so are only taking life saving and no longer life enhancing, this is tupid as they will end up in hospital.
KRUDD raised the medical benefits threshold and also the no of prescriptions before financial assistance is available. So you have to spend more before you get help.
This is stupid as more wil;l require hospitalisation and cost more.
Also many young people are leaving Private Healthcare as it is getting more expensive this leaves less people who are predominately older in the Private Sector. So private healthcare will become more expensive and unattainable.
I earn a reasonable living but cannot afford private Healthcare so pay the additional 1% os salary to Medicare so i pay 2.5% of my salary .
As i am not a permanent resident i only have a
Temporary Visitor Reciprocal Medicare card.
So cost of healthcare is a frightener.
Also Pensions is a real bummer here.
So great place to live as long as you are healthy and able to work till your funeral.
Many here on Superann are now broke and on Part Pensions.
regards david
Posted on: 23 April 2009 by SC
Good points on the healthcare David....
Yes, it's free in the UK, great....But have you ever sat in an A&E reception for 4 hours whilst your arm drops off or something...!?
One thing I will say about Thailand and it's top end hospitals - which in themselves have prompted medical tourism - is the care and service is excellent.....The dental services, which I can personally vouch for via root canal work, far surpasses anything I have seen in the UK, and far, far cheaper....!
Steve
Posted on: 23 April 2009 by Frank Abela
Hmm, I'm currently in Malta for a few weeks working remotely. Always wondered about coming back (my folks are all here) and now I'm here I still wonder.
Posted on: 23 April 2009 by DAVOhorn
Dear SC,
Here it is the same in the Govt hospitals.
Also Ambulances charge like a wounded BULL for a trip to A&E. So i have ambulance ins.
Also while i am screaming and writhing in agony i have to tell them to go to the Govt hosp A&E and not the private hospital.
The Private Hospital here is very good but boy do they know how to charge.
Also Medicare tell me as a temp visitor not to go to Private Hosp as i will be liable for ALL COSTS.
Dental here is erm well dear. Same as UK.
No hungry dentists here.
Opticians are comparable to UK.
regards David
Posted on: 23 April 2009 by tonym
I thought all the Australian dentists were over here?
Posted on: 23 April 2009 by winkyincanada
quote:
Originally posted by QTT:
Better not to return to the UK for the following reasons:
1) Horrible traffic congestion, nightmare to commute to work / travel. Underground, overground trains keep going out of service (Live close to where you work. Don't drive. Live locally. The tube attracts some criticism, but my experience with it has been very positive. Trains are expensive for travel in the country, but buses are fine. Just don't drive - that's the secret)
2) Horrible weather most of the year (No - much better than the reputation)
3) Bad roads for cyclists (The best place I have ever lived for cycling. Great back-roads and couteous drivers - mostly. Drivers in OZ are aggressive and threatening)
3) Bad beer (Opinion - but I do like a nice ale)
4) Close to Europe! (Yes - a major plus)
5) Bad public places (No. The best parks and gardens in the world - all within walking distance - like anywhere it depends where you CHOOSE to live)
6) Filthy places everywhere (Yes - agree - a downside)
7) Risk of being a mugging victim is everywhere (Rubbish)
6) Extremely low salaries, high cost of living, almost non-existent appreciation for professionals (Rubbish)
6) Homes are too expensive for what they are (Sort-of, but it isn't all about 5,000+ cheesy reproduction-style square feet in the middle of the desert with a 90 minute freeway drive/crawl to the office)
7) Very hard to find good food, wine unless you are prepared to travel far and long. (Rubbish)
6) No Lake Tahoe, no Yosemite, no Napa Valley. (These are great places, but what most people experience in them is overcrowded and overdeveloped)
7) More open-minded, cultural people in the US than anywhere else (True perhaps, but they are well-diluted)
6) And so on. A million other reasons.
Posted on: 23 April 2009 by Mike Dudley
quote:
Originally posted by ScottC:
Well we return next week and as the shippers are in tomorrow the system was packed up yesterday and now I'm decommissioning our main PC.
See you on the other side ...
Cheers
Scott
NO, NO!!! STAY WHERE YOU ARE (Oh I hope this gets to you in time...)
Our comedy Chancellor has just put us in hock to the tune of £650 BILLION over three years based on a "recovery" estimate worked out on the back of a fag packet.
When that doesn't work, he'll go to the IMF who'll turn him down because they won't want to pour more billions down the throat of a failed Banana Kingdom.
Posted on: 23 April 2009 by Mike Dudley
quote:
Originally posted by Mike Dudley:
quote:
Originally posted by ScottC:
Well we return next week and as the shippers are in tomorrow the system was packed up yesterday and now I'm decommissioning our main PC.
See you on the other side ...
Cheers
Scott
NO, NO!!! STAY WHERE YOU ARE (Oh I hope this gets to you in time...)
Our comedy Chancellor has just put us in hock to the tune of £650 BILLION over three years based on a "recovery" estimate worked out on the back of a fag packet.
When that doesn't work, he'll go to the IMF who'll turn him down because they won't want to pour more billions down the throat of a failed Banana Kingdom.
We're doomed, I tell 'e! Doomed!
