EU countries attracts Americans

[Jike Ichi]

Damn well said darklord.

Hmm, didn\'t want to lead that thread into a comparison of what place is better. Guess it will always end in there with such topics?

Seeing the article today it was just something new for me.
In fact I think its a nice thing that it changed from one way to an exchange of citizens. We can only profit from it. Hopefully politics pick it up and use the new ideas and energy immigrants can have on a country.

You\'re always welcome here, as simple tourists or as new citizens. I guess the same can be said for people leaving Europe to go to US, right!?

 

[Amazon warrior]

Originally posted by darklord
live anywhere long enough and you will find faults with it, but for all the faults with where i live there are a hell of a lot of worse places to live. there are millions if not billions of people in the world who would trade our worries about yobs or petrol prices for their own worries about how they will eat that day or not getting shot by some rebel faction

True, that. The thing is, after living in four different countries (UK, Japan, Aus and Germany), I\'m coming to the conclusion that there\'s no such thing as the perfect country to live in. I liked and disliked lots of things about the places I\'ve lived, but I have to say that Aus and Germany beat the UK hands down for a lot of things, especially living standards. And Japan was, well, different!

I pay swingeng amounts of taxes here in Germany (a solid 40%), but the food\'s and my flat are pretty cheap, and work covers pretty much all my local travel (I don\'t drive here, and I have a Jobticket). And it\'s pretty once you get towards the mountains. I realise that some of that\'s circumstantial, but still. Things I don\'t like about Germany are: my inability to communicate (my problem, and I\'m working on it) and the attitude of some (not all!) Germans. They can be fantastically rude at times. Lastly, my boyfriend lives in London, and it\'s quite a strain on the relationship. I miss him a lot, and will probably move back to the UK to be with him. Precious little else would make me move back there now!

 

[jahminis]

interestin\' topic...
i have to say, i have been to about 2/3 of the countries in the world, and it\'s the same bullshit where ever ya go...the main difference that i\'ve encountered is sounds, speech, and smells...other than that, it\'s the same shit, different day...we all have to get out of bed and start the day just the same...

personally, if i didn\'t have to some back and visit my family every few years, i would not have any interest in comin\' back to the states, but then i\'ve seen most of it already...no matter who is in office here, i\'m still a criminal...until ganja is decriminalized, i still have to do a little time every once in a while, just \'cause i was walkin\' down the street lookin\' like a weedman...at least in latin america, i can just give the cops a few bucks, and walk away with my stash intact...
i\'m movin\' back to mexico in a few months, where i can live the island life cheap...it\'s a rough trade off though...a good job for a labourer pays about $10 a day...thankfully i can make a good livin\' off my skills...
it\'s no suprise that a mexican wants to come here and make $10 an hour instead of workin\' the whole day in the hot sun for the same little $10 back home...

as for europe, i loved my years based in amsterdam, and travellin\' the continent, but it is no better or worse than the states, just a different flavor of life...as cool as the dutch are, they have the same problems as every other country in the world...yeah, i could walk down the street smokin\' my spliff, but i do that everyday here in america too...the only difference is that in holland, i don\'t have to watch out for the cops...

the point is, the grass is not greener on the other side...the grass is green wherever ya are...another day of livin\' is a beautiful thing...

cheers
jah

 

[Ebonbuddha]

The same thing happened years ago. There was a story in Canada about Americans flocking over the border a few years ago. This story came out after I did the same thing I might add.

I was looking at Australia before I met my wife. I just wanted something different. Honestly, if I could I would live in Hong Kong or Japan. I seem to be in love with Asia.

 

[freakinacage]

Originally posted by generulpoleaxe

so your paying for healthcare to get the same benefits as the people who live their entire life on benefits and see no reason in working (then their are the ones who abuse the incapaity benefits which not only pay more but take up more of the doctors time)

don\'t get me started!!

 

[Wombat85]

Because i\'m an aussy engaged to a yank, I have no choice but to move to the states. From what I have seen on my few visits there I like the place, People were for the most part rude and I found them to be self centered, but at the same time I never bought a beer while I was there as I sweetalked my way to free drinks every night.
I visited MN where my girl lives and goes to law school, which my girl tells me is one of the more \'friendly\' states, and to be honest I am in no rush to see anymore of it if that is true. I have come to realize that much of the rudeness is cultural ie. I was raised to not sit there and say \'what\' when I don\'t understand someone rather to say pardon, its probably just me and ill have to adjust, so heres to America.

 

[Dragonsreach]

Originally posted by Wombat85
Because I\'m an aussy engaged to a yank, I have no choice but to move to the states. ?

Of all the Americans I spoken to or met only I\'ve had \"Issues\" with two.
Both were the American Tourist , Check Trousers, Loud voice, Ignorant stereotyped character from movies. (Having said that I didn\'t endear myself to them by being less than polite to them in York Minister. )
It\'s a shame that the worst characteristics of a nation seem get picked on and examplified as the \"Norm\" when that clearly isn\'t the case.

 

[Jike Ichi]

What? Huh? lol lol lol

Yeah guess most things that can be annoying are just simple cultural differences.
I studied Japanese and had the plan to move to Japan to teach German at university. I really planed to spend the rest of my life there. After my first visit to Japan I knew I couldn\'t live there. Eventhough I knew more about Japanese culture than more Japanese people I met and my Japanese was quit good at that time (for a nihongaku no gakusei) I felt like an alien.

But what did I expect? I\'m white as a white can be (brasil people have a great sense of humor, they called me transparente =) ) and I\'m blonde (no jokes there plz =D ). It was just then that I realized that I had too high expectations and compared with Austria Japan has so much more problems and other problems I didn\'t even know about. I knew a lot of Japanese culture from university lessons, but knowing and seeing/living with it is different. I couldn\'t get along with all the social phrases (Keigo), allthough I used them so often... It seemed to me that all people behaved like robots and there wasn\'t a joke or laughing where I didn\'t ask myself if it was honest or just made out of courtneousness.

Here in Austria people are rude sometimes, but at least you know immediately in what mood they are. Theres more emotion going on and more spontaneity.

Other thing is that I missed nature in Japan. I always thought I\'m a city dweller, but there I realizied I need some green spaces, mountains to go hiking and stuff...There are great nature areas in Japan, but its much more difficult to get there if you have no car.

I had a real crash landing down from my image and dreams of Japan.
So I quit study and started to go to a school for my current job, laboratory scientist.

Still I like Japan, but just to visit as a tourist. And of course I really love the ancient Japanese culture, but in my opinion there\'s nothing left....

But I\'m building myself quit some sort of same bubble about Canada, as I want to make a trip to Vancouver and Queen Charlotte islands sometime...hopefully that bubble will not get crushed so easily. I\'m a little bit wiser after all.

 

[Evil Dave]

Originally posted by Wombat85
Because i\'m an aussy engaged to a yank, I have no choice but to move to the states. From what I have seen on my few visits there I like the place, People were for the most part rude and I found them to be self centered, but at the same time I never bought a beer while I was there as I sweetalked my way to free drinks every night.
I visited MN where my girl lives and goes to law school, which my girl tells me is one of the more \'friendly\' states, and to be honest I am in no rush to see anymore of it if that is true. I have come to realize that much of the rudeness is cultural ie. I was raised to not sit there and say \'what\' when I don\'t understand someone rather to say pardon, its probably just me and ill have to adjust, so heres to America.

As an American who has visited Australia a few times, I must say that the Aussies I\'ve met were all very friendly. So much so, that I looked into buying real estate in Australia at one time. Sad to say, I\'ve come to the same conclusion as you on the rude, self centeredness in my own country, but it really depends on where you are.
Aussies would probably be happier and feel a little more comfortable in our smaller southern towns. Be warned though, we don\'t seem to like bar brawls as much as you guys do. lol

 

[Sand Rat]

Originally posted by Wombat85
Because i\'m an aussy engaged to a yank, I have no choice but to move to the states. From what I have seen on my few visits there I like the place, People were for the most part rude and I found them to be self centered, but at the same time I never bought a beer while I was there as I sweetalked my way to free drinks every night.
I visited MN where my girl lives and goes to law school, which my girl tells me is one of the more \'friendly\' states, and to be honest I am in no rush to see anymore of it if that is true. I have come to realize that much of the rudeness is cultural ie. I was raised to not sit there and say \'what\' when I don\'t understand someone rather to say pardon, its probably just me and ill have to adjust, so heres to America.

Obviously your GF has never been outside the midwest.

While not as well travelled as Jahminis, I have done a bit of travelling, and have to say that arseholes are arseholes regaurdless of where they are from. And if you treat people with courtesy you get courtesy back. At least in my experience.


Course, people\'s perceptions of me might also affect how they respond. What do you think Mike?

 

[Dragonsreach]

Originally posted by steelcult
Course, people\'s perceptions of me might also affect how they respond. What do you think Mike?

I like Wilfred Brimley.

 

[Shawn R. L.]

Everywhere you go, there is going to be something you won\'t like. The standard of living here is good...........not perfect but there are A LOT worse places. Here where I live street gangs are becoming a BIG problem..........and they play hardball. Within about a 1/2 mile radius of where I live there have been 4 murders over the 12 years I have been here. Luckily the gangs tend to kill each other and don\'t seem to wanton about \'us others\'.

Apart from the gangs, which seem to keep to themselves for the most part, America isn\'t the rootin\'-tootin\' wild west shootout that seems to be such a popular stereotype. Sorry, us gun tot\'in Yanks just don\'t live up to that image. In my whole 46 years of living here I have only heard a gun fired \'in anger\' once - an officer overreacted to a neighbors dog coming at them and shot it. Dirty Harry was a movie character.

Health care always comes up and it is a problem but the whole universal health care thing seems to me to simply dig the hole even deeper. Free health care isn\'t free and high taxes are a serious drag on an economy. As mentioned above, you lose the incentive to work when so much of what you have earned is taken away. Our economy, at the moment is fairly good..........but I don\'t believe any economy has ever taxed it\'s way to prosperity. Taxs are a must but there is a point of diminishing returns. To me, the problem is way deeper. Greed - people who job the system by suing for everything. Lawyers who are amoral and add fuel to that fire. People who expect insurance to cover everything. And, I will probably take a lot of flack for this but SOME doctors are getting filthy rich off the misfortune of others. You\'re over the ultimate barrell. $200,000 or your life? I don\'t begrudge anyone making a living, even a good living but to me, there comes a point of reason....proportion.

All that would take work and cause pain to implement so I have no doubts that the usual government bandaid of more taxs will continue................:flame:

 

[evil tendencies]

Within about a 1/2 mile radius of where I live there have been 4 murders over the 12 years I have been here.

Seriously? When I was a police cadet we had about 40 murders a Year.

That being said, I\'m perfectly content to live here in California. I\'m a native son, and for my money there isn\'t anyplace as beautiful or interesting as home.

 

[MPJ]

I\'ve been to lots of places, and I\'ve been to lots of places that I\'d like to live. As was said earlier about the greenness of the grass it always stands. I\'ve even lived in other countries but I came back to \'home\'. Is Canada the best... hell no. Is there a lot worse out there... hell yes.

It\'s a quasi-interesting coincidence that I was giving a fair bit of thought into this type of topic this morning (during one of my daily thought spells) and I concluded that one of the things different about the American attitude (North American attitude to be a little more specific) is that this land was mostly populated by immigrants from Europe. These immigrants were the more \'adventuresome\' people of their time and the bigger \'risk takers\', I feel that this attitude prevails to this day which is what gives Americans more of the pushy do-or-die type attitude and why a disproportionate number of advancements/discoveries have been made here given our population. It\'s also what will likely hold us back in the next stages of world development as a more disciplined approach to science and discovery is becoming important and the wing-it attitude falls behind.

Anyway, I\'m not likely to ever move away again. Travel is nice but it\'s always good to return to the strong ocean air of home. :drunk:

 

[mud duck]

@Wombat85, Minnesota Nice is more a marketing techinque. We have the same amount of A$$holes as the rest of the world, so please don\'t judge the us on one bad trip.

[Jake Blues]You just catched us at that time of the month, ah we were in the middle of the winter dull-drums, ah lack of sunshine, vitiam D defisisey, it was a hot summer, lack of leffsa bread, the Vikings lost to the Packers, The Twins lost out in the first round of the play offs. It just wasn\'t our fault! [/Jake Blue]lol


@Amazon Warrior, Hows the weather? I was stationed up at Baumholder back in the 90\'s and it seem that it was raining every other day or so =) Oh, have you had a chance to head to the Eagles Nest in Berchtesgaden? Good skiing, wonderful scenry. Just remember that if you feel like walking up to the Nest, the road is to the right (round a hour walk), the path to the left is a goat trail that will get you to the top (4+ hours)

 

[Amazon warrior]

Originally posted by mud duck
@Amazon Warrior, Hows the weather? I was stationed up at Baumholder back in the 90\'s and it seem that it was raining every other day or so =) Oh, have you had a chance to head to the Eagles Nest in Berchtesgaden? Good skiing, wonderful scenry. Just remember that if you feel like walking up to the Nest, the road is to the right (round a hour walk), the path to the left is a goat trail that will get you to the top (4+ hours)

lol Your assessment of the weather here isn\'t so far out! It\'s generally very hot and humid (for a Brit!) for a couple of days, then we have a spectacular thunderstorm that rolls down off the hills the the west.

Thanks for the tip about the Eagle\'s Nest. I haven\'t been yet, but I may have to pop along. My boyfriend and I enjoy hiking, and I could do with the excercise!

 

[Dragonsreach]

Originally posted by Shawn R. L.
Within about a 1/2 mile radius of where I live there have been 4 murders over the 12 years I have been here.[/i]

In the last year there have been four murders in the Bolton area alone.
In fact since I moved here nine years ago there have been something close to 20 murders in the area.

As for the Liverpool/Birkenhead area I\'ve lost count, last one I heard of was only 200 yards from where I work. Beaten to death with a Snooker Cue.

 

[Avelorn]

Why would you loose incentive to work because of healthcare? Or high taxes in general? You can\'t bunch it all together in a heap. Certain taxes boost the economy, others don\'t. Even in general it depends on the redistributional system not to mention moral and work ethics.

If you can show me the argumentation how good and taxfunded healthcare would disrupt the economy and make people not want to work I would be thankful.

 

[Astonia]

Originally posted by Avelorn
Why would you loose incentive to work because of healthcare? Or high taxes in general? You can\'t bunch it all together in a heap. Certain taxes boost the economy, others don\'t. Even in general it depends on the redistributional system not to mention moral and work ethics.

If you can show me the argumentation how good and taxfunded healthcare would disrupt the economy and make people not want to work I would be thankful.

I agree with this. And is earning (lots of) money really the only incentive to work? I mean obviously everyone needs to be able to afford the basics, but a lot of people choose to have jobs that won\'t make you a millionaire, but offers great rewards in form of other things like creativity, passion for the job, emotional rewards etc.
I know that my job offers me more satisfaction than a new flatscreen TV would, although I realise I\'m quite lucky having a job like that.

 

[Legacy Account]

Originally posted by jahminis

the point is, the grass is not greener on the other side...the grass is green wherever ya are...

I would have to wholeheartedly disagree with that. Maybe I\'ve been lucky. Maybe I made my own luck by working my knackers off for years and taking a calculated gamble. Whatever, I\'ve found very real differences in the cost of living and the outlook and lifestyle of people over here. The place is just laidback and people are less uptight.

Just the fact that the media isn\'t completely saturated with doom and gloom makes a massive difference. Then there\'s the lack of people and wide open, unspoiled spaces. It\'s all good for the soul! I drive to work and count the amount of harriers and pukekos I see as I go past the local mountain range.....

I\'d have to take issue with Generalpoleaxe namedropping me in the same sentence as immigration. That\'s most definitely not why we took the plunge. We did it for a change of lifestyle and to see the real benefit of all the money/work we poured into our property in the UK. If we\'d stayed in the UK, I\'d have 18 years of a mortgage left to pay. Our house here is now very nearly paid for. It\'ll be ours in just a few months and I\'ll be able to try to make some money for myself doing stuff I really enjoy.

So in this case, the grass has definitely been greener! Saying that, all the Kiwis are buggering off to Oz because they can\'t afford to live here, so I guess economic migration is the order of the day across the world these days....