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| Do you plan to return to your home country to live... |
| Within the next year |
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15% |
[ 11 ] |
| in 2-4 years |
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18% |
[ 13 ] |
| Maybe someday |
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39% |
[ 28 ] |
| Never! I'm perfectly happy where I am. |
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26% |
[ 19 ] |
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| Total Votes : 71 |
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sheeba
Joined: 17 Jun 2004
Posts: 1123
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 Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2006 2:10 pm Post subject: |
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| As for the environment and UK being a good place to live ..... Well, good luck anyway. |
Remember I'm comparing China to the UK . I have a feeling the pollution has finally got the better of me. Sure there are plenty of environmental friendly places all over and I hope to visit these places once I get better.
As for the UK a good place to live - OK you got me umming and erring a bit now  |
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Riddick
Joined: 20 Jul 2005
Posts: 48
Location: China
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| Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2006 2:35 pm Post subject: |
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| I would have to agree with "younggeorge" we all moan about the UK when we are living there but thinking about it!, where will you find most things free like NHS hospital, doctors surgery, schools, housing, family credit, ect. I have traveled many places in the world but everywhere I go nothing is free. Yes I will return to the UK maybe in two years time with my Chinese wife. |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2006 4:02 am Post subject: |
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| Riddick wrote: |
| I would have to agree with "younggeorge" we all moan about the UK when we are living there but thinking about it!, where will you find most things free like NHS hospital, doctors surgery, schools, housing, family credit, ect. I have traveled many places in the world but everywhere I go nothing is free. Yes I will return to the UK maybe in two years time with my Chinese wife. |
Canada, mind you the wait lists for surgeries usually kill off half the patients. |
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ls650
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 3484
Location: British Columbia
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| Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2006 1:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Gordon wrote: |
| Riddick wrote: |
| where will you find most things free like NHS hospital |
Canada, mind you the wait lists for surgeries usually kill off half the patients. |
Er, medical care is free in Canada, eh? Gosh, I sure do remember making payments into the medical plan - not to mention paying high taxes. |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2006 2:51 pm Post subject: |
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| ls650 wrote: |
| Gordon wrote: |
| Riddick wrote: |
| where will you find most things free like NHS hospital |
Canada, mind you the wait lists for surgeries usually kill off half the patients. |
Er, medical care is free in Canada, eh? Gosh, I sure do remember making payments into the medical plan - not to mention paying high taxes. |
Depending on your income, medical is free. Taxes, well at least it isn't Scandinavia. The Cdn gov't does let you keep a little bit, which is why there are so many Cdns abroad. |
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ls650
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 3484
Location: British Columbia
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| Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2006 9:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Depending on your income, medical is free. |
The last time I checked into medical coverage in Canada was about August 2003. At that time, anyone with an income of more than $27,000 CND (the sort of money you might make working at a Starbucks ... or as an ESL teacher) had to pay the full rate. At the time that was about $650 per year for a single male.
If you made less than $27,000 per year, you automatically paid half the rate, or could plead inability to pay on a case-by-case basis.
That's not expensive compared to other places, but not free either. |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2006 11:49 pm Post subject: |
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| I guess you know what my income bracket was. Shucks! |
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Surfdude18
Joined: 16 Nov 2004
Posts: 651
Location: China
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| Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 5:03 am Post subject: |
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| Almost definitely this year. Got a place on a PGCE course. Once we're done with that are about 80% likely to return to China though! |
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desultude
Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 614
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| Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 6:49 am Post subject: |
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| ls650 wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Depending on your income, medical is free. |
The last time I checked into medical coverage in Canada was about August 2003. At that time, anyone with an income of more than $27,000 CND (the sort of money you might make working at a Starbucks ... or as an ESL teacher) had to pay the full rate. At the time that was about $650 per year for a single male.
If you made less than $27,000 per year, you automatically paid half the rate, or could plead inability to pay on a case-by-case basis.
That's not expensive compared to other places, but not free either. |
My sister and her husband pay about $1000 a month in the US for insurance. Then they pay a "co-payment" when they go to the doctor. Her husband has undiagnosed asthma, but they get their meds in Mexico rather than have it on his medical records. If it did, they would not be able to get insurance at all. $650 a year is chump change for insurance!
By the way, many, many people live on Starbuck's, or, worse, McD's, incomes. They would be thrilled with the health care system in Canada. In fact, many "wetback" Americans cross the Canadian border every day to get health care and meds.
Taxation is high in the US, but it has to go to fighting wars, not to providing health care and decent education. |
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desultude
Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 614
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| Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 6:57 am Post subject: |
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To answer the question about returning, I have no plans to live in the US again.
I'm surely not retiring in Saudi Arabia,or Korea. I am considering Mexico or Thailand. My money goes further in Thailand, but in Mexico I can speak the language and be close to my family. Either place is beautiful and affordable.
I will resist the temptation to go on an anti-US rant- it seems to work for some people just fine. But I am happy to not be there. I spent a year there last year taking care of my father and working with a friend. There was nothing to convince me to want to return full time. |
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JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
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| Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 5:53 pm Post subject: |
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I will resist the temptation to go on an anti-US rant- it seems to work for some people just fine. But I am happy to not be there. I spent a year there last year taking care of my father and working with a friend. There was nothing to convince me to want to return full time. |
I will go back for two years to do an alternative certification program. After that I may never return to the US. I would like to teach at an international school in Central America, Taiwan, or the Philippines. |
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helmsman
Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 58
Location: GCC
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| Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 7:38 pm Post subject: |
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"Maybe someday." The bottom line is that my impractical education and over a decade of overseas work experience make me either overqualified or unsuitable for employment back home.
I have experienced poverty in my home country despite me having six years successful post secondary education. Even my worst teaching situation has been preferable to struggling at home.
Here in the UAE I drive an SUV (shamelessly), pay no taxes and can save a bit; however, the saving part is getting tougher due to crappy exchange rates and inflation.
Finally, when I do go home, briefly, I can rent nice cars, stay in hotels and eat out most of the time. So, all in all, I am in no hurry to give up the expat life! |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
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| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 12:50 am Post subject: |
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| Probably never. Peru's now my home. I apply for citiznehip this year, we bought a flat, I work at an international school. I'm more adjusted to life here than in the US, been gone so long, I couldn't even tell you how much milk costs. |
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fat_chris
Joined: 10 Sep 2003
Posts: 3198
Location: Beijing
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| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 2:51 am Post subject: |
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I agree with what helmsman, JZer, and desultude have all written.
I am a US citizen residing in Japan at the moment and I am loving it. For the first time in my life, I have more than enough $$$ to throw at my debts (hooray exchange rate!) and am living mostly stress-free and finally doing some of my hobbies that I have wanted to do for so long.
I may eventually return to my home country to enroll in a doctorate program but upon completion of that, I would probably want to up and out right back to Asia--maybe back here to Japan.
The bottom line is, I'm more into EFL than ESL. I tried ESL for three years in a high-needs public elementary school in New York City. I learned the hard way that "urban education" is just not for me. Waaaaaaaay too stressful. Some days it would have been less painful to bang my head against a brick wall. Never again!
Things are running fairly smoothly for me right now and I am enjoying a life that I have wanted for so long (a big knock on wood now). I agree with helmsman: I'm in no hurry to give up a charmed expat life.
Regards,
fat_chris |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
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| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 4:21 am Post subject: |
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| I'cve been involved in schools, primary and secondary in Peru for a bit, and it's pretty stressful and a bit disorganised. I always athought that the US would be better organised. |
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