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Which country to live as an ex-pat?

135

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  • Moto2
    Moto2 Posts: 2,206 Forumite
    The trouble with those Thai brides is they keep leaving the toilet seat up ;)
    Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
  • Well, at one stage I was married to a filipina and although the marriage broke down she was consistently honest and faithful. True: there are a minority of gold-diggers but with a little patience and intelligence it is possible to avoid them.

    Were you ripped off like this?

    Yes, quite recently too. Her acting could make Meryl Streep look amateurish. We talked of marriage, having kids and after I paid off most of her debts she walked out with a hubble-hubble driver, leaving me and her two kids. The kids don't want to know her nor her mother because all the family liked me. I wish my spectacles were rose-tinted but experience has taught me otherwise. Prior to her (and with her she was so convincing I thought I'd found the perfect partner) there were eight other rip-off merchants. I have many British and US mates and therein lies the same tales.

    You must have been very lucky but how do you know she was faithful? Can I ask why the relationship broke down?

    If you're interested in how life really is in the Philippines this is my blog which I'll add more negatives to when I have some time: http://laurie-laz123.blogspot.com/
    “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can never live long enough to make them all yourself.”
    ― Groucho Marx
  • 814man
    814man Posts: 403 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts
    Well some interesting tales on here. Going back to your original post I'd have to say that they only support my view that if you are serious about relocating to a new country then you would be well advised to consider Belize a little closer than you appear to have done so far.
  • Voyager2002
    Voyager2002 Posts: 16,349 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Yes, quite recently too. Her acting could make Meryl Streep look amateurish. We talked of marriage, having kids and after I paid off most of her debts she walked out with a hubble-hubble driver, leaving me and her two kids. The kids don't want to know her nor her mother because all the family liked me. I wish my spectacles were rose-tinted but experience has taught me otherwise. Prior to her (and with her she was so convincing I thought I'd found the perfect partner) there were eight other rip-off merchants. I have many British and US mates and therein lies the same tales.

    You must have been very lucky but how do you know she was faithful? Can I ask why the relationship broke down?

    If you're interested in how life really is in the Philippines this is my blog which I'll add more negatives to when I have some time: http://laurie-laz123.blogspot.com/

    I don't think I was particularly lucky, but inter-cultural relationships must confront many different kinds of difficulties. Anyway: I don't think you will make the same mistake again! And you will have to agree that most costs in the Philippines are low, so long as you can avoid handing over large quantities of dosh to the local sirens.

    It is unlikely that you will find true love simply by changing country, although in most other countries the gold-diggers are less skilled in acting.
  • It's a glorious summer's day and England has on its best bib and tucker.I'll stroll down to the local pub which has been serving good English ale for 300 years and order a pint of Harveys Best.There's a gentle hubbub of conversation but most people are also keeping one ear on the radio commentary of the deciding Ashes Test match at the Oval where Joe Root has just cracked a perfect cover drive for four past a flailing Australian fielder.Peering outside the windows you can catch sight of the local cricket team engaged in similar endeavours on the village green outside.Pretty girls in flimsy dresses are watching the men in action,laughing and joking while they sip at their Pimms.It's July.And it's beautiful.

    Six month's later I'll step into the same pub on a bitterly cold winter's night.There's a couple of dogs stretched in front of a roaring log fire.The same gentle hubbub of conversation,the clinking of glasses and the occasional outburst of laughter from the game of darts in the back room.It's a friendly place where they chat to strangers and gently poke fun at each other.But I'll just take my pint over to the fire,nudge some space from the dogs at my feet and settle down in a comfortable chair to read a newspaper.And ponder that despite all its faults Blighty isn't a bad old place.Things work.People work.You can see a doctor and get treated in hospital for free.You get to vote your government in democratically and when corrupt politicians are caught out they do the decent thing and resign.The army don't patrol the streets,a postman still delivers your mail every day and there's a pint of milk on your doorstep every morning if you want it.

    I've lived all over the world and home is still the best place to be.

    I've also yet to meet an expat who secretly,deep down,wouldn't rather be there as well.
  • missbiggles1
    missbiggles1 Posts: 17,481 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 5 January 2016 at 10:51PM
    It's a glorious summer's day and England has on its best bib and tucker.I'll stroll down to the local pub which has been serving good English ale for 300 years and order a pint of Harveys Best.There's a gentle hubbub of conversation but most people are also keeping one ear on the radio commentary of the deciding Ashes Test match at the Oval where Joe Root has just cracked a perfect cover drive for four past a flailing Australian fielder.Peering outside the windows you can catch sight of the local cricket team engaged in similar endeavours on the village green outside.Pretty girls in flimsy dresses are watching the men in action,laughing and joking while they sip at their Pimms.It's July.And it's beautiful.

    Six month's later I'll step into the same pub on a bitterly cold winter's night.There's a couple of dogs stretched in front of a roaring log fire.The same gentle hubbub of conversation,the clinking of glasses and the occasional outburst of laughter from the game of darts in the back room.It's a friendly place where they chat to strangers and gently poke fun at each other.But I'll just take my pint over to the fire,nudge some space from the dogs at my feet and settle down in a comfortable chair to read a newspaper.And ponder that despite all its faults Blighty isn't a bad old place.Things work.People work.You can see a doctor and get treated in hospital for free.You get to vote your government in democratically and when corrupt politicians are caught out they do the decent thing and resign.The army don't patrol the streets,a postman still delivers your mail every day and there's a pint of milk on your doorstep every morning if you want it.

    I've lived all over the world and home is still the best place to be.

    I've also yet to meet an expat who secretly,deep down,wouldn't rather be there as well.

    You seem to have moved to the set of The Archers.:rotfl:
  • pendragon_arther
    pendragon_arther Posts: 1,304 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 6 January 2016 at 5:05AM
    It's a glorious summer's day and England has on its best bib and tucker.I'll stroll down to the local pub which has been serving good English ale for 300 years and order a pint of Harveys Best.There's a gentle hubbub of conversation but most people are also keeping one ear on the radio commentary of the deciding Ashes Test match at the Oval where Joe Root has just cracked a perfect cover drive for four past a flailing Australian fielder.Peering outside the windows you can catch sight of the local cricket team engaged in similar endeavours on the village green outside.Pretty girls in flimsy dresses are watching the men in action,laughing and joking while they sip at their Pimms.It's July.And it's beautiful.

    Six month's later I'll step into the same pub on a bitterly cold winter's night.There's a couple of dogs stretched in front of a roaring log fire.The same gentle hubbub of conversation,the clinking of glasses and the occasional outburst of laughter from the game of darts in the back room.It's a friendly place where they chat to strangers and gently poke fun at each other.But I'll just take my pint over to the fire,nudge some space from the dogs at my feet and settle down in a comfortable chair to read a newspaper.And ponder that despite all its faults Blighty isn't a bad old place.Things work.People work.You can see a doctor and get treated in hospital for free.You get to vote your government in democratically and when corrupt politicians are caught out they do the decent thing and resign.The army don't patrol the streets,a postman still delivers your mail every day and there's a pint of milk on your doorstep every morning if you want it.

    I've lived all over the world and home is still the best place to be.

    I've also yet to meet an expat who secretly,deep down,wouldn't rather be there as well.

    I couldn't agree more, mate. But, and here's the rub, when you consider everyone's budget is different, that a rent for a 2br house is about £1400 pm and in poorer countries it's £300 you'll understand why us pensioners have to forego the niceties of the UK. Anyway I've done the pub bit for 40 years and the price of a pint is silly money now. But you enjoy your smug life and have a pint for me ;)
    “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can never live long enough to make them all yourself.”
    ― Groucho Marx
  • 814man wrote: »
    Well some interesting tales on here. Going back to your original post I'd have to say that they only support my view that if you are serious about relocating to a new country then you would be well advised to consider Belize a little closer than you appear to have done so far.


    Will do. I'm looking at Belize, Colombia and Panama. I'll see which one is good for Airbnb bookings first. But another negative in Phils is the internet is totally crap.
    “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can never live long enough to make them all yourself.”
    ― Groucho Marx
  • Voyager2002
    Voyager2002 Posts: 16,349 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    It's a glorious summer's day and England has on its best bib and tucker.I'll stroll down to the local pub which has been serving good English ale for 300 years and order a pint of Harveys Best.There's a gentle hubbub of conversation but most people are also keeping one ear on the radio commentary of the deciding Ashes Test match at the Oval where Joe Root has just cracked a perfect cover drive for four past a flailing Australian fielder.Peering outside the windows you can catch sight of the local cricket team engaged in similar endeavours on the village green outside.Pretty girls in flimsy dresses are watching the men in action,laughing and joking while they sip at their Pimms.It's July.And it's beautiful.

    In that kind of setting I tend to feel frozen out and over-charged. Most of my time in the UK is spent longing to be abroad. Give me (say) a friendly salsa-party in Colombia, or a classical concert also in Cali (not just about listening to the music, but a great place to interact with musicians and fellow-listeners and feel part of something great.
  • Voyager2002
    Voyager2002 Posts: 16,349 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Blighty isn't a bad old place.Things work.People work.You can see a doctor and get treated in hospital for free.You get to vote your government in democratically and when corrupt politicians are caught out they do the decent thing and resign.The army don't patrol the streets,a postman still delivers your mail every day and there's a pint of milk on your doorstep every morning if you want it.

    I've also yet to meet an expat who secretly,deep down,wouldn't rather be there as well.

    In my experience things in the UK often do not work.

    The system operates in such a way that corrupt politicians do not get caught unless they are stupid as well as dishonest: even then they do not always resign, or may often come back at the next reshuffle.

    Over all, if you compare the UK with India (where I am now) in terms of the quality and efficiency of public service, the UK has nothing to be proud about.

    And of course, when I have been an expat I have longed for particular people, places and experiences that are uniquely British, but that is inevitable. The many downsides of life in the UK on an annual after-tax income of less than about 50,000 do rather over-shadow the delights of a mid-summer day.
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