PH Ex-Pats - Your Stories!
Discussion
So after spending a massive 18 months in the UK since my last major trip (travelling then working in Sydney for 6 months or so), I've decided to head overseas again. I'm currently applying for teaching English jobs in Seoul and Busan in South Korea, something very different. This time though I'm hoping it'll be a lot longer than 6 months before I move back to the UK full time!
Every time I see a thread about emigrating or holidaying somewhere amazing, it seems there is a PHer (or about 20 in the case of Vancouver and NZ) who has already moved there or used to live there!
I thought why not have a thread to share these experiences and fill in more than just the name of the city/country on the Wiki of who lives where. So who has left the UK behind for something different, exotic or downright crazy?
My experiences come from 6 months stuyding in Sydney and a further 6 travelling in Asia then working again in Sydney. I used to love hooning into Southern NSW with friends in crazy Jap rice rockets, going to work by train over the harbour bridge every morning and walking 20 minutes to the beach after work!
So over to you, where have you moved to and what was your experience?
Every time I see a thread about emigrating or holidaying somewhere amazing, it seems there is a PHer (or about 20 in the case of Vancouver and NZ) who has already moved there or used to live there!
I thought why not have a thread to share these experiences and fill in more than just the name of the city/country on the Wiki of who lives where. So who has left the UK behind for something different, exotic or downright crazy?
My experiences come from 6 months stuyding in Sydney and a further 6 travelling in Asia then working again in Sydney. I used to love hooning into Southern NSW with friends in crazy Jap rice rockets, going to work by train over the harbour bridge every morning and walking 20 minutes to the beach after work!
So over to you, where have you moved to and what was your experience?
Edited by v15ben on Wednesday 10th March 16:52
Moved to NE Italy in 2002 to work for a motorsport company, couldn't speak a word of Italian and it is still pretty bad...all my work was actually outside of Italy (my excuse). Met the girl of my dreams in Indianapolis while there for work, she was Miss Indiana at the time...ended up getting married, now have a little girl and a house in the hills, nothing fancy but we love life here. Good friends, location, food, wine, outdoor lifestyle but running cars is mighty expensive. I shall be here for a long while and can't wait to see my daughter growing up with 2/3 languages and mountains on her doorstep. Happy days....
I have a friend who retired to Southern France (near Beziers) and British couple he is friends with out there have been living very happily as unqualified tradies for 25 years! They both learned French and David has worked doing everything from odd jobs to large scale building projects for many years! Fantastic part of the world with great weather, scenery and of course fabulous wine at stupidly cheap prices
We moved to SW France about four years ago and have no regrets. Just fancied a different lifestyle and certainly got it. Moved from manic SE England to the middle of nowhere ,although we've got the Pyrenees an hour away and some great places around us. If ever we need a culture fix Toulouse is close enough. We don't work but know others that have made the move here and find it difficult to find jobs unless their language skills or good. A few others work in the building trade and find things a bit easier as there are plenty of ex-pats doing building/renovations and find it easier to work with English speakers.
One of the reasons we moved here was for the better weather - it's minus 8 tonight!
One of the reasons we moved here was for the better weather - it's minus 8 tonight!
Not yet an ex pat but it's on the cards for one day in the not so long future.
Did over 3 months working for a customer in the US last year. Was drinking with a load of expats in BKK (Cheap Charlies) back in Sept too. Both of these have given me a real taste for the idea of ex-patriate life. Plus It'll be somewhere where old Winky isn't in charge...
Did over 3 months working for a customer in the US last year. Was drinking with a load of expats in BKK (Cheap Charlies) back in Sept too. Both of these have given me a real taste for the idea of ex-patriate life. Plus It'll be somewhere where old Winky isn't in charge...
I moved to SE Spain 6 years ago. I finished my apprenticeship with Fords worked for another year. At the same time my nan died. So decided to spend some time with my grandad. 6 years later and i am still here.
I now have my own pool cleaning and gardening business after many different jobs.
Beats getting dirty and oily thats for sure
I now have my own pool cleaning and gardening business after many different jobs.
Beats getting dirty and oily thats for sure
Moved the whole family to Central America a couple of years ago. It has had its moments. Been through one mugging, one earthquake, four maids, slept in a hammock on a deserted tropical island, drunk local rum at four dollars a bottle and beer at thirty five cents a can, seen big cats, wild pigs and all manner of snakes and spiders in the wild, excavated ruins in the jungle, driven a 4x4 across rivers, searched for buried treasure, had worms, rented a flat, bought a flat, found a poisonous spider in my hat, had blazing rows with incompetent bureaucracy (yes, that's you, HSBC), discovered that a surprisingly large percentage of expats have 'interesting' backgrounds that often include convictions for fraud, seen shooting stars in the Caribbean sky, navigated through jungles with only a compass and a machete, eaten grubs and termites, been soaked by tropical rain and baked by tropical sun, been ripped-off by decorators, paid bribes to policemen. Then there's dealing with the local schools, doctors, dentists, banks, telephone companies and everything else that you take for granted in the UK. Fortunately my OH take care of all that side of things.
Edited by Ayahuasca on Wednesday 10th March 19:18
Ayahuasca said:
Moved the whole family to Central America a couple of years ago. It has had its moments. Been through one mugging, one earthquake, four maids, slept in a hammock on a deserted tropical island, drunk local rum at four dollars a bottle and beer and thirty five cents a can, seen big cats, wild pigs and all manner of snakes and spiders in the wild, excavated ruins in the jungle, driven a 4x4 across rivers, searched for buried treasure, had worms, rented a flat, bought a flat, found a poisonous spider in my hat, had blazing rows with incompetent bureaucracy (yes, that's you, HSBC), discovered that a surprisingly large percentage of expats have 'interesting' backgrounds that often include convictions for fraud, seen shooting stars in the Caribbean sky, navigated through jungles with only a compass and a machete, eaten grubs and termites, been soaked by tropical rain and baked by tropical sun, been ripped-off by decorators, paid bribes to policemen. Then there's dealing with the local schools, doctors, dentists, banks, telephone companies and everything else that you take for granted in the UK. Fortunately my OH take care of all that side of things.
All sounds a bit dull to me HCMH said:
Moved to NE Italy in 2002 to work for a motorsport company, couldn't speak a word of Italian and it is still pretty bad...all my work was actually outside of Italy (my excuse). Met the girl of my dreams in Indianapolis while there for work, she was Miss Indiana at the time...ended up getting married, now have a little girl and a house in the hills, nothing fancy but we love life here. Good friends, location, food, wine, outdoor lifestyle but running cars is mighty expensive. I shall be here for a long while and can't wait to see my daughter growing up with 2/3 languages and mountains on her doorstep. Happy days....
Miss Indiana eh? Custard or GTFO!ukwill said:
HCMH said:
Moved to NE Italy in 2002 to work for a motorsport company, couldn't speak a word of Italian and it is still pretty bad...all my work was actually outside of Italy (my excuse). Met the girl of my dreams in Indianapolis while there for work, she was Miss Indiana at the time...ended up getting married, now have a little girl and a house in the hills, nothing fancy but we love life here. Good friends, location, food, wine, outdoor lifestyle but running cars is mighty expensive. I shall be here for a long while and can't wait to see my daughter growing up with 2/3 languages and mountains on her doorstep. Happy days....
Miss Indiana eh? Custard or GTFO!HCMH said:
ukwill said:
HCMH said:
Moved to NE Italy in 2002 to work for a motorsport company, couldn't speak a word of Italian and it is still pretty bad...all my work was actually outside of Italy (my excuse). Met the girl of my dreams in Indianapolis while there for work, she was Miss Indiana at the time...ended up getting married, now have a little girl and a house in the hills, nothing fancy but we love life here. Good friends, location, food, wine, outdoor lifestyle but running cars is mighty expensive. I shall be here for a long while and can't wait to see my daughter growing up with 2/3 languages and mountains on her doorstep. Happy days....
Miss Indiana eh? Custard or GTFO!Rocksteadyeddie said:
HCMH said:
ukwill said:
HCMH said:
Moved to NE Italy in 2002 to work for a motorsport company, couldn't speak a word of Italian and it is still pretty bad...all my work was actually outside of Italy (my excuse). Met the girl of my dreams in Indianapolis while there for work, she was Miss Indiana at the time...ended up getting married, now have a little girl and a house in the hills, nothing fancy but we love life here. Good friends, location, food, wine, outdoor lifestyle but running cars is mighty expensive. I shall be here for a long while and can't wait to see my daughter growing up with 2/3 languages and mountains on her doorstep. Happy days....
Miss Indiana eh? Custard or GTFO!Pretty trivial really... it all started in 1991;
Ascension Island 3.5 years
UK 1 year
Singapore 1 year
UK 1 year
Ascension Island 2.5 years
Masirah - Oman 1.5 years
Asila - Oman 2 years
UK 2 years
New Zealand 4 years and counting
Just found I fit in less and less well each time I went back to the UK, so left. Having a great time here and no regrets for all the strange experiences in all the places on the way... and there has been some wierd stuff.
BTW - no military connection, mainly international steam radio for auntie.
Ascension Island 3.5 years
UK 1 year
Singapore 1 year
UK 1 year
Ascension Island 2.5 years
Masirah - Oman 1.5 years
Asila - Oman 2 years
UK 2 years
New Zealand 4 years and counting
Just found I fit in less and less well each time I went back to the UK, so left. Having a great time here and no regrets for all the strange experiences in all the places on the way... and there has been some wierd stuff.
BTW - no military connection, mainly international steam radio for auntie.
First taste of expat life was my first contract in Kazakhstan for 6months, from there i worked in Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Borneo and now currently living in Bangkok with my Philippino fiance. Thailand is beautiful but Im kind of had enough of Bangkok so the plan is for us to move to the Uk later this year so I can actually get a decent qualification and go back offshore. Iv so many stories more good than bad so I will use keywords in my next post as my phone will only do short replies.
ok keywords, eating cobra hearts, bar girls and mamasans, paying off the police, amazing scenery, russian women, forgetting I had spent 3hours in Moscow due to alchohol on my way to kz and having my suits held to ransom on Monday morning, BJ bars, spider bite, Lada's, the shiits, visa runs, robbing UK banks, tuktuk scams, office is poolside, all girls call me haaaandsum maaaaan mr want massage etc, having a haircut and after the woman wanting to get in a shower with me to wash my hair, protests
MrSpike said:
ok keywords, eating cobra hearts, bar girls and mamasans, paying off the police, amazing scenery, russian women, forgetting I had spent 3hours in Moscow due to alchohol on my way to kz and having my suits held to ransom on Monday morning, BJ bars, spider bite, Lada's, the shiits, visa runs, robbing UK banks, tuktuk scams, office is poolside, all girls call me haaaandsum maaaaan mr want massage etc, having a haircut and after the woman wanting to get in a shower with me to wash my hair, protests
Now that sounds like a life well lived (thus far). Good on you. And Im only 29!
In all fairness the expat lifestyle is great if you earn a decent western salary. Iv got to the point where I earn a decent crust but I hate my job, hence the wanting to do open uni course in something I feel I would enjoy then come back to Asia.
Speaking of random things last weekend I was in Kanchanburi staying on the banks of the River Kwai and found England Rd, down which there was a bar with 4 Baywindow campers and a Vespa meet taking place. Always amazes me.
In all fairness the expat lifestyle is great if you earn a decent western salary. Iv got to the point where I earn a decent crust but I hate my job, hence the wanting to do open uni course in something I feel I would enjoy then come back to Asia.
Speaking of random things last weekend I was in Kanchanburi staying on the banks of the River Kwai and found England Rd, down which there was a bar with 4 Baywindow campers and a Vespa meet taking place. Always amazes me.
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