The ahto relocation programme

[Pavlos]

United Kingdom

 

Pros:

 

- National Health Service (NHS). Free at the point of use and available to all. There are problems and with the 'Labour' government's obsession with putting the emphasis on choice rather than on equality of service, it ends up being a post-code lottery as to whether or not your area has a decent hospital. Luckily, my borough happens to have an excellent hospital and on the two occasions I have had to use our health insurance (to cut around the sometimes ridiculous waiting lists) I didn't see any difference between the private and the NHS hospitals - aside from the fact that the private one had leather waiting chairs .

- Civil Partnerships (gay marriage). Perfectly legal up and down the country, gay couples can share the same legal rights as straight couples. And if you're offended by that sort of thing well... you can just ignore it can't you?

- We finally have a minimum wage.

- Best student benefits in Europe.

- Best benefits for working mothers in Europe.

- Some of the best universities in the world (Cambridge, Oxford, Durham, Edinburgh... a long list).

- Unemployment is low... very low.

- Beautiful National Parks.

- Multiculturalism has succeeded. Britain is far more liberal and tolerant than it once was.

 

Cons:

 

- No difference between the main political parties and an electoral system that means a vote for a party outside of the main two is entirely wasted.

- Public transport has been falling apart at the seams since it was privatised. Very few people, even on the right, think that the privatisation of rail and bus services was a good thing. Make them regular and cheap - like they used to be - and people will use them. Right now we're paying taxes so companies can use the money to give dividends to their shareholders.

- The government is afraid of what the Daily Mail will say to any scheme that doesn't have the words "tax" and "cut" in it.

- The gap of wealth is absurd. We're all crossing the desert - getting richer - but some people happen to be driving BMWs at 90mph while others are walking. The rich are leaving the rest of us behind and it is not a fair society we are creating.

- Why do students now have to pay for education beyond 18?! More importantly, why is it only Scotland that has the sense to abolish university fees?

- Terrorism laws. These are the death of liberty - John S. Mill would be rolling in his grave. Imprisonment without trial for 28 days... and they tried to extend it to 90? Isn't that a violation of the Magna Carta? Historians, help me out here because if it is then there's something sick about that.

- Devolution of power is a mess. They should have devolved power to all the parts of the union, federalising it. Right now, anti-Scottish sentiment is rife among the members of Middle England.

- The majority of the nation has a knee-jerk reaction toward Europe. If it involves the term "Euro-" then it is automatically evil and bad for Britain. Don't you just love rationality?

- Our capital is a city of contradictions. We have council estates across the street from gated communities for high-powered business men. Name me one nice street in London and I'll name you a thousand others that are run down and have been completely ignored.

- Rubbish weather. Our winters have been replaced by cool rain-storms and our summers with mild rain-storms. Ain't climate change great? I'm to gather that Norway is in a similar situation?

- We rely on fossil fuels far too much and the government's attempts at changing it are pathetic.

 

If you can put up with that then come on over!

[mur'phon]

Rubbish weather. Our winters have been replaced by cool rain-storms and our summers with mild rain-storms. Ain't climate change great? I'm to gather that Norway is in a similar situation?

 

We are, though we still have some "propper winter", we are getting a lot of polished ice with a layer of water on top, makes flying into streetlights not uncommon.

 

edit: and Rev7 and the others talking about gay marriage, I just made a thread for such talk

[Bee Hoon]

@mur'phon, lol, point well made. I think quite a lot of expats pick up a few words here and there though. As long as you learn enough to order food, we reckon that's enough;)

 

Even if you just come for a holiday, do visit the National Park (a.k.a. Taman Negara) and the Mount Kinabalu. Absolutely beautiful~!

 

Ooh, Cape Town. How would you rate it?

[mur'phon]

Ooh, Cape Town. How would you rate it?

 

I only lived there for 6 months, so I might get something wrong

 

Pros

BEAUTIFULL suroundings, the city is located around a couple of mountains including the great table mountain and lions head, google cape town to see what I mean.

wealthiest city in SA, dosen't say much but still.

Many different cultures, especially in the mixed neighborhoods like Observatory

Two oceans, making diving/surfing great

SURFING

Paragliding rocks there, and they have/had the longest abseil-thing in the world

A bit out of town the longest bungee in the world

Many national parks/game reserves, and in a lot of them you can walk around

people are very friendly, but if you value your privacy, you might disagre. People ask personal questions, and any subject is up for debate. I loved it, but I have seen people break down when faced with it, each to their own I guess.

Reasonable prices, not sure about the taxes

around 11 ofical languages

The only non ANC controlled city

Excelent food

The vine is great I'm told

 

Cons

crime is very high, wanabe heroes die fast, the rest tend to just get robbed

Huge wage gap, whites still king of the cash, though corruption has sent a lot of black politicans to extreme wealth

Corruption

Only one party matters, elections are currently a formality

Poverty, being the best in subsaharan Africa dosen't mean much to the milions of poor

Aids, Manto the witch doctor errrr healthminister, and Mbeki the denialist/president isn't helping things.

A gay hating corruption and rape charged aids-denialist is the most likely to win the presidental race

schools aren't much good

 

 

Despite this, I really miss the mother city, it's what made me want to live in different parts of the world

[Quanon]

Ooh, ooh, I know!

 

You guys also have castles and speak like 10 languages (exaggeration).

 

Lol : someone of the outside has heard of us .

 

Castles ? Brugge is full of medieval buildings , Gent has a castel , well each big city has some great monuments from the past Dark Ages .

 

10 languages , is almost correct .

 

The Flamish has many dialects , I'm from the West .

Nobody understands when we talk FLAT .

 

So we have West Flamish , East Flamish , Antwerp , Limburg ( slow motion talkers ) and their're all quite differant => So bad even they place texts in the news when some one is talking to much in his dialect . Because the rest of the country would be clueless what the other just said .

 

But life is pretty good around here , no guns and such ... allthough we have had some bad , bad experiences these last years with violance .

 

And if you like to fiddle with Taxess and back-door laws to escape fiscus stuff, you"re in tha right spot

 

One of the extra Cons : High Taxes ( about 40 % to 50 % of what you earn )

 

But then again , we have a good social-net , its damn hard to fall low , so low youre considered a bump . Its almost impossible .

 

Get Sick for months , still get paid fully like you where working ( just for few years , then it drops a bit . )

 

Fall without work , no problem , you still get money and whenever you start working you start with the wager you had the last time . But only when you where forced to leave your previous job .

 

Like I said its hard to be a totall "loser" here .

[Ztalker]

Talking about language things in Belgium...I heared some people voted for splitting the country up in two parts?

 

Anyways, some of you brought up the gap between rich and poor. That's not a big issue here in Holland. Sure, there are some people living below the poverty 'line' and others a bit above the rest.

 

And this is mainly the case in the western parts of the country. The northern part where I live is far better for this matter. For example, my dad never studied for a specific job or sector. So he started working from the age of 16.

All I can say is, we got two cars here, a relatively big house and a happy life. He did good.

 

Of course, if you do continue your study, you'll benefit more. But I just wanted to show that everyone can manage here. From the age of 0-death, you can manage.

[Quanon]

Talking about language things in Belgium...I heared some people voted for splitting the country up in two parts?

 

Oh , thats about BHV , Brussels is a bit of a problem area , considering certain laws about the voting .

 

In that respect the french politicians indeed crossed the line and a solution is needed to avoid abuse .

 

But splitting is just a step to far , way to far .

 

We have certain people who belief the French talking community is sucking up all the money : today they're indeed poorer then Flamish community .

 

But not to long ago this was the other way around , then the Frenchy's didn't quit on us .

[Salzella]

thats a good thing?!

Indeed. Shows tolerance and the ideal of equality, lack of discrimination...

[Ctrl Alt Del]

So far it seems like Malaysia and Brazil are best suited for me' date=' guess I'm just sick of the west.[/quote']

 

I couldn't help but, you're sick of the west and you would choose Brazil?

 

Take a tour here: Google maps, lol.

[Miltiades]

- chocalate , BEER , BEER , BEER , BEER !!!( forget holland beer Ztalker => kidding )

 

Once you've tasted Belgian beer (Jupiler, best beer in the world!!!), you don't want to try anything else ever again!

 

Oh yeah, and "french fries" are Belgian. If you ever want to eat the best french fries, Belgium's the place to be!

 

And, uh, just ignore the "we still don't have a government" bit. We'll have one soon! And (at the moment, that is) we have one of the best Ministers of Foreign Affairs: Karel De Gucht. (Go Karel!)

 

Proud to be Belgian!

[El Sitherino]

Once you've tasted Belgian beer , you don't want to try anything else ever again!

Actually, I think this might have some weight to it. Last time I can remember enjoying a beer was a Belgian one I picked up at the local world market.

Then again, drinking 40's of Bud Ice for a while can probably kill anyones possibility of liking/enjoying beer.

[mur'phon]

I couldn't help but, you're sick of the west and you would choose Brazil?

 

I'm more sick of the way people stay in their little groups not letting anyone else join. In South-Africa I became friends with everyone in my house by the end of the first day, back in Norway I spent half a year before people even talked to me. I enjoy meeting/become part of different cultures, besides, you mentioning women three times kinda got me interested

 

Take a tour here: Google maps, lol.

 

Anything in particular you wanted me to see?

[HappyMojo]

Actually, I think this might have some weight to it. Last time I can remember enjoying a beer was a Belgian one I picked up at the local world market.

Then again, drinking 40's of Bud Ice for a while can probably kill anyones possibility of liking/enjoying beer.

Actually the best "Beer Country" is in fact the US. believe it or not. Though many people think that American beer equals Budweiser, the US does have a huge concentration of Micro and Mini Breweries. And among brewers today, USA is called "the land of beer".

Still, Belgian beer kicks backside. They are great yum yum...

 

 

Well, about countries...

 

I've travelled most of Europe, and my favourite place in Europe must be Scotland or Ireland.'

 

Scotland:

Great People

A lot of history

They've got Edinburgh - my favourite city

Beer sux though

 

Ireland:

Really great and friendly people. Very talkative!

Guinness !

Ireland really is very green.

A lot is happening atm in Ireland.

Somehow, I always woke up with a hangover...

 

Denmark: <- Well, better name my own country

Great beer

Informal people (That properly why we unintentionally keeps offending people)

Good enough country to live in, yet slightly boring.'

Got a fetich for windmills.. well, this country is properly numero uno.

Free health care

Weather sux

[Serpentine Cougar]

I'm more sick of the way people stay in their little groups not letting anyone else join. In South-Africa I became friends with everyone in my house by the end of the first day' date=' back in Norway I spent half a year before people even talked to me. I enjoy meeting/become part of different cultures....[/quote']

You're a TCK, I take it? Yeah, it's hard to go back to one's home country. I can sympathize with you there.

 

Actually the best "Beer Country" is in fact the US. believe it or not. Though many people think that American beer equals Budweiser, the US does have a huge concentration of Micro and Mini Breweries. And among brewers today, USA is called "the land of beer".

Belgium would still get the award for 'Largest Variety of Beers,' I think....

[Ctrl Alt Del]

I'm more sick of the way people stay in their little groups not letting anyone else join. In South-Africa I became friends with everyone in my house by the end of the first day' date=' back in Norway I spent half a year before people even talked to me. I enjoy meeting/become part of different cultures[...']

I meant that because Brazil is on the west.

besides' date=' you mentioning women three times kinda got me interested [/quote']

QFT. Can't blame ya.

[Miltiades]

By the way, Quanon, if you're in a café in Bruges, you really need to try a "Brugse Zot" (if you haven't already).

[Quanon]

By the way, Quanon, if you're in a café in Bruges, you really need to try a "Brugse Zot" (if you haven't already).

 

Not tried it yet , but looking forward to it

[mur'phon]

You're a TCK, I take it?

 

Thank you, I learnt something today. No, I'm not a TCK as I only spent 6 months in ZA, and I was 16 at the time. I do however seem to have quite alot in comon with them.

 

I meant that because Brazil is on the west.

 

you know what I meant