You’re living overseas and enjoying life in a new country but then something happens in that country that changes everything. Not talking about war, but maybe a public debate, a new politician on the scene, a recession, or an election. Something that flipped how you see your new home. For better or worse.
For me, living in Malaysia all was going smoothly. An amazing country. But when COVID hit, non-Malaysians really became a target. You had vaccines prioritised for Malaysians and the government using the pandemic as an excuse to round up illegal migrants to deport them. Instilling more fear at a time of fear.
I have come to the conclusion that I will have negative things about every country I live in. The more you know, the more you see etc. England? still pretending past glory has anything left. housing is abysmal (often single glazing, separate hot/cold water, poor insulation, small rooms) and 15 years behind the rest of Europe. food is average, very beige. Salaries are depressed compared to other countries but housing cost is high so living quality is rather poor unless you really earn “good money”
And that’s me ingnoring the racist and anti-social government.
And that’s me ingnoring the racist and anti-social government.
Okay, the government is one thing, but you have to admit that the UK as a nation is probably the least racist country in Europe. Due to its extremely high immigration rate, people are forced to accept
The weather is also crap for 10 months of the year!
meh, I used to live in Canada, the weather here is so much better. But I don’t like when it’s too warm anyway, my favourite season is Fall.
Agreed, guesswhat8. I like England’s weather, too. For me, it’s a plus. Yes, better than Canada, or a hot country like Australia. I don’t like it when it’s too warm either and my favourite season is also Autumn. When it’s hot, ugh.
It’s not THAT bad, April, May, June, July, August and most of September are fairly pleasant.
2010-2020 mainland China.
Definitely not the place I thought it would be.
Stuff really changed when Xi came to power.
Interesting experience, not really missing it tbh. *Fine, I miss the food.
For me - Australia- it was the storms.
Scared the shit of me-
Hail the size of golf balls, 160km wind/mini tornados, 60,000 lightening strikes per hour in the supercells. The trees falling on your house!
Don’t come to BC Canada. We have a whole season for storms like that
I’ve lived in BC for all my 68 years and have never seen a storm like that. But it is still advisable to stay away as there are housing and healthcare crises going on.
Not all at once but back to back added up over weeks, absolutely. Storms can stretch over days and really do a shitload of damage. We just forget because nobody bothers to do seasonal tallies anymore
wildfires. Vancouver being unaffordable. Vancouverites main definition of Canadian being “not American”.
Gawd that sounds like fun!!! Wish I could go to Oz!
Do- it’s lovely… but only between May and September…LOL
Unfortunately I am not eligible to more than visit. No long term stay visas available that I qualify for
And snakes and spiders!
Don’t mind them.
The spiders are fury and cute.
And snakes mind their own business 😊
Australia but for a completely different reason, social support. A few friends got very ill, one seriously injured and another had a serious mental breakdown and all were not eligible for any help. They had to drain their supers, savings and lean on friends and family and most ended up going back home because as non citizens they get nothing.
Medical care was decent to excellent but insanely expensive due to non citizen status. We’re not talking 50$ here were talking up to 1000$ per appointment as health insurers are pretty adept at playing games.
Think I’ll yeet myself outta here in a few years as I see this beginning to happen around me to citizens as well and I’d rather get going before anything bad happens with my family and I.
Oz is great for a try for a couple of years but I wouldn’t recommend long term though. Especially with kids and the education systems. Early education seems to be ok but secondary and higher is a nightmare.
This is an extremely I’ll informed statement.
Citizens and PR receive Medicare. Everyone else has to maintain their own private health insurance (as it should be imo). Additionally PR is fairly reasonable to get as a skilled worker in Australia. You can apply effectively right away if you meet their points requirements for high skilled workers.
Not all PRs do and are still required to carry private health insurance. Most take out minimum coverage which only covers hospital admittance and not general medical care like GPs. My local cheapest GP just hit 120$ per appointment and all bulk billing is 100km away.
Depending on your visa you can be forced to stay in very regional areas for 4 years or more. This limits access so services, jobs, schools and healthcare. I do not agree with how Australia treats various visa holders as some of the restrictions are bonkers.
Citizens and permanent residents are struggling to get in with mental health providers even when you can afford them. I’m in Adelaide and the public health system is a coin toss on quality. The ambulance wait times here are shocking. If it weren’t for my daughter I probably wouldn’t stick around Australia. The housing situation is only going to get worse and it’s beyond dreadful now seeing dual income families going to food banks and homeless shelters.
I see this beginning to happen around me to citizens as well
I was going to say, it’s not a whole lot better for citizens. If you get really sick you will fight for years to get the disability pension which is still only $530/week. Most people on JobSeeker payment in Australia are sick, or, carers, or a combination and the payment is $375/week which is far below the poverty line.
Well aware. Im dual EU/AUS citizen so I’m eligible for full help and the comparison between me and my friends was noticable. Now its seems to be very little difference and I’m also astonished how badly New Zealanders were treated until recently and even now its not great.
I’ve got family in nearly every country around the world. In discussions, its those little things you never think of that concern us. I fully believe if you pay taxes you should be eligible for the same assistances and coverage as citizens but nope, not here.
The foundations are crumbling to the point a person (not a household) needs to be on 120k plus per year and rising to afford to be middle class. That is an insane bar and something is going to give.
Colorado does this also with the hail and wind, but the hail gets get bigger. Those lighting strikes sound scary af!
I prefer not to use rose-tinted glasses.
In any country, including my country of birth, unpredictable negatives events do happen. Such possibility is accepted as part of life.
Given that being trans is kinda severely dangerous in Malaysia there’s a lot more than just vaxes to be scared of. Countries are all friendly as long as they want your money, but you are not one of them ever. It’s kinda sick how xenophobic the world has become in the past 30 years. It never was a great place but it’s kinda been ramped up now that the uber rich own so much more and people are having to fight harder for scraps.
Funny thing to say considering most tourist visas are way more relaxed than even 10 years ago with more and more countries extending 30 to 90 days free tourist visas. It’s a different thing to live and work in a country, but it’s possible if you have a contract. I don’t know where do you get that the world has gone worse in the last 30 years, my experience is quite the opposite, but I am only 40.
After awhilein norway I realized how toxic the binge drinking culture is and the rampant covert racism.
Being grabbed by a man my first two weeks in Japan. Not just a boob squeeze, but a full body grab from behind. Being no stranger to travel in Asia, I was extra modestly dressed … and it still happened. Probably just bad luck in the apparent safest country, or so I’m told. The experience made me feel I’d never truly be safe here as a woman. I’m not a temporary expat. This is something I have to live with. I always look over my shoulder now and if I’m shopping alone I stay aisles away from any men shopping alone. Since that incident there have been other milder ones. Thank goodness I’m getting older and fatter , both should be a deterrent to creeps.
it’s not bad luck , sexual harrassment is very bad and common there and rarely reported. it is definitely something that happens
The modest dress thing was never accurate and I’m sorry someone lied to you. I hate the “Japan is the safest country” line because that’s largely not the case for if you’re a woman
I’m sorry you have to go through this crap. I hope you still find a lot of enjoyment travelling the world despite these assholes
Australia during COVID had some of the craziest things like when Scomo announced that there would be a 60k fine or up to 6 mths jail term for any Australians returning from India. It was the ultimate “you can have an Aussie passport but you’ll never be Aussie if your skin colour is X” moment. I had been living in Australia for more than 2 decades and that was the most my glasses ever tinted
Scomo announced
Funny that the only things he did during the pandemic was trott himself out to be racist.
Left the real work to the states with one big shrug.
In my experience, I could say living gay anywhere can be risky.
I am trying to get residency in Europe and the limitations on traveling were really hard on me. When COVID hit, I felt like the whole world stopped to support me in my wait.
You have to understand that I have been a nomad for 15 years, so staying in place is not in my DNA.
I would see it as a “privilege”. You are not stuck with whatever broke your rose-tinted glasses, you can pack and move since you are not as committed to the country the same as the locals. It’s like the joke “the chicken is involved in the breakfast, the pork is fully committed”. This is not a criticism, it is what it is.
I’m not sure this is relevant or that you know everyone’s personal situation but please do go on
I moved to a German speaking country. For years I was in an international bubble due to studies. Now that I actually work and live with natives, I hate it and can’t wait to move.
“An excuse to deport illegal immigrants” - they should always be deported immediately. Otherwise you get a situation like the US with millions of illegal immigrants, or the refugees across Europe.
I wish I saw things as black and white as you do. Really. Life would be so much simpler.
Yep, it’s simpler when you jump off your high horse and walk like everyone else
I walk alongside my fellow humans, my friend, not push them to the floor and walk all over them
The illegal immigrants you mean?
Why do you get sent to jail for theft but not for illegal immigration?
Personally, if someone is stealing to feed themselves or feed their kids, I got no problem with that. And if say, someone is fleeing death or persecution, and hoping for safe refuge in another country, I got no problem with that either. Ideally I’d expect my government to create the conditions where these actions weren’t necessary for survival. This probably makes me a do-gooder. Or empathetic.
I have a problem if they are stealing for their kids. The law does, too.
Well my guy, I’d personally die for my kid. So stealing a bag of chips or carton of milk for them doesn’t seem like a big deal
Based OP.
Cringe soyboy/soygirl OP. I bet they go to pro-Palestinian protests, too.
so you say that you are illegally in Malaysia?
That’s not what I wrote
Same thing happened to foreigners in Korea. But it didn’t change anything for me. Ironically, the pandemic quarantine years were the best years of my life. I would 100% go back to 2020 if I had the chance. The world suffered, but I truly had a great time.
On the flip side, being harassed to the point of needing to relocate was what did it for me. I now have strong prejudice towards people who look like my attackers. I will most likely need therapy to get over it. And I would feel awkward talking to any Korean therapists about it because I know I’ll come across as racist if I share my true feelings. It sucks. I love Korea, but my harassment experience tainted everything, and it made me realize I’ll never be welcome here.