# Does anybody live in a foreign country?



## R. Paradon

Shortly after I retired about six years ago I moved to Thailand.  It is a country that I have visited about twice a year since 1987 and decided years ago I would move here.  For me with not much income than SS it was a great move financially as well safety reasons.  The people are great, the food is delicious and with the exception of the monsoon season the weather if always warm.

Are there anybody else on the forum living in a foreign country?


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## Steve

Is Canada considered foreign ???


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## R. Paradon

I guess it is foreign if you were not born there...but in all honesty I was looking for a bit more distant places!  But yes, you have different laws and culture there as well so it does qualify! How long have you lived there?  Any particular differences than the States as far as culture?


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## SifuPhil

I used to live in a foreign country for 7 years - it was called New York City. When the day came that I finally moved out I could only understand the language of my old NYU English professors. The taxi ride to the train station produced a lot of Pakistani chatter, the train offered Spanish-language advertising and "street" language conversations and the bathroom at the airport offered toilet-usage instructions in 12 languages, none of which I was fluent in.

*Now* I live in a country that ignores basic human rights unless they're one of the currently-popular "causes", my government has enacted laws that allow them to confiscate all of my belongings and put me in a concentration camp whenever they declare an "emergency" and what little money I have is forcefully taken from me in the name of something called "taxes". When I chose to defend myself against three muggers I was put in jail for "using excessive force" and had no legal representation (I had too much money to have a court-appointed lawyer but I couldn't afford a private one), so I sat in a cell for three months. My government tells me it's illegal to use medicinal herbs although it's what I've been trained to do. I cannot open a business without paying off the appropriate agencies. I cannot vote unless I have state-issued identification, nor can I ever _leave_ this country unless I manage to either get some or forge some. If I DO manage to get some ID and leave, I'll be strip-searched first and my pocketknife taken from me, along with my shaving cream, my razorblades and my metal comb.

Nor has the language improved much - now at least I understand the _words_ that are used, but it turns out they never mean what I _think_ they mean. Most of the time it's a case of "say one thing, do another".

Seems I've lived in a "foreign" country my entire life ...


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## Knightofalbion

I'm from England, which is a bit of an ethnic melting-pot these days due to the high levels of immigration.

But by and large, people get along together. Which I hope can be a model for the rest of the world. After all, we are all brothers and sisters, irrespective of colour, race or creed.


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## R. Paradon

SifuPhil said:


> I used to live in a foreign country for 7 years - it was called New York City. When the day came that I finally moved out I could only understand the language of my old NYU English professors. The taxi ride to the train station produced a lot of Pakistani chatter, the train offered Spanish-language advertising and "street" language conversations and the bathroom at the airport offered toilet-usage instructions in 12 languages, none of which I was fluent in.
> 
> *Now* I live in a country that ignores basic human rights unless they're one of the currently-popular "causes", my government has enacted laws that allow them to confiscate all of my belongings and put me in a concentration camp whenever they declare an "emergency" and what little money I have is forcefully taken from me in the name of something called "taxes". When I chose to defend myself against three muggers I was put in jail for "using excessive force" and had no legal representation (I had too much money to have a court-appointed lawyer but I couldn't afford a private one), so I sat in a cell for three months. My government tells me it's illegal to use medicinal herbs although it's what I've been trained to do. I cannot open a business without paying off the appropriate agencies. I cannot vote unless I have state-issued identification, nor can I ever _leave_ this country unless I manage to either get some or forge some. If I DO manage to get some ID and leave, I'll be strip-searched first and my pocketknife taken from me, along with my shaving cream, my razorblades and my metal comb.
> 
> Nor has the language improved much - now at least I understand the _words_ that are used, but it turns out they never mean what I _think_ they mean. Most of the time it's a case of "say one thing, do another".
> 
> Seems I've lived in a "foreign" country my entire life ...



I was born in Brooklyn and went for a year to Erasmus Hall High School.  At that time while it did look like a castle/dungeon it was in good shape.  Some years ago I saw a picture of it and it was a mess.  I want to use a different work to express it but that will do.  So i am familiar with that country!


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## R. Paradon

Knightofalbion said:


> I'm from England, which is a bit of an ethnic melting-pot these days due to the high levels of immigration.
> 
> But by and large, people get along together. Which I hope can be a model for the rest of the world. After all, we are all brothers and sisters, irrespective of colour, race or creed.



I agree we are all brothers and sisters.  An English friend of mine - definitely old school in his thinking tells me that in England the immigrants are getting everything, houses, cars, allowance etc. for free.  And I read on online that a young guy (English) was fined because he had the English flag on the back of his car.  According to the Judge, it was insulting to immigrants, however they could do pretty damn much what they want!

Are these infrequent events or is England giving the principles that made her a great country away?


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## SifuPhil

R. Paradon said:
			
		

> I was born in Brooklyn and went for a year to Erasmus Hall High School.   At that time while it did look like a castle/dungeon it was in good  shape.  Some years ago I saw a picture of it and it was a mess.  I want  to use a different work to express it but that will do.  So i am  familiar with that country!



Just to bring a tear to your eye ...


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## R. Paradon

Cool! Thank you.  They seem to have rebuilt it and that is good.  Many famous people have gone there in the past!  Did I ever tell you how I had to walk all the way from Hawthone St. in the 4 foot snow with only shoes ~ and they had cardboard in them because my parents could not afford to get them resoled?  Well.....it goes.......


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## Pearl

We live partly in the UK and partly in France. I was a university lecturer here in the UK before retirement - my husband is a mulit-linguistic interpreter at the UN in Strasbourg. We have family homes in both countries and, although technically, France is "foreign" to our nationality, it doesn't really feel foreign. We're both fluent French speakers and have spent so much time in France.

I actually describe myself firstly as "european" before "British" as I do relate more to a wider, generally european, lifestyle and attitude.

We are in the process of selling up in the UK and moving permanently to France. We are looking to sell our French flat in the centre of Strasbourg and buy somewhere between Strasbourg and Paris.

It will also be much better for our dog and house rabbit - we can travel to-and-from with them (since 2004) but it is a bit of a palaver, especially the France to UK paperwork needed for the dog. we have good support networks in both places and often, for short trips, we leave our pets with friends, which is not ideal.

We will be living in the heart of champagne country  . . . . .


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## R. Zimm

I live in SE Florida and between the influx of New Yorkers (we are known as the "sixth borough"), Latinos, and Islanders it feels like a foreign county to me sometimes.

I don't have any issues with immigrants, my parents came to SE Florida from Canada and I have always respected all cultures. The real problem comes from people "escaping" somewhere else because of corrupt government, gangs, high taxes, etc and then when they move here they vote the same people into office that got them what they say they "escaped" from.


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## SifuPhil

R. Zimm said:


> I live in SE Florida and between the influx of New Yorkers (we are known as the "sixth borough"), Latinos, and Islanders it feels like a foreign county to me sometimes.



Heh ... I was just looking at rentals on Craigslist for Broward County and environs ... can't afford my first choice, Key West. 



> I don't have any issues with immigrants, my parents came to SE Florida from Canada and I have always respected all cultures. The real problem comes from people "escaping" somewhere else because of corrupt government, gangs, high taxes, etc and then when they move here they vote the same people into office that got them what they say they "escaped" from.



... and the people themselves continue to expect to live as they did in the "Old Country" and expect the U.S. to accommodate them, instead of the other way around.

... and the nasty thing is, we usually DO accommodate them. To the point where native-born citizens are ignored.


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## R. Zimm

Yes, you had better have my spare room prepared when I arrive!


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## Lon

For 23 years we spent half of each year living in New Zealand and the other six months in California. At my age now, the 12.5 hour non stop flight from California is burdensome. But it was a super 23 years. Traveled all of NZ, Australia, Fiji, Cook Islands, Tahiti.


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## Ameriscot

It's too bad the OP is no longer here.  I'd like to ask him how he likes living in Thailand permanently.


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## hollydolly

Goodness, this is an old thread resurrected..


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## SifuPhil

hollydolly said:


> Goodness, this is an old thread resurrected..



Sometimes they're the best ones ...


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## AZ Jim

Yeah Phil........................sometimes!


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## SifuPhil

AZ Jim said:


> Yeah Phil........................sometimes!



I know, I know ... sometimes the dead are best left buried!


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## jujube

I lived in Turkey when I was first married.  It probably saved my marriage......it was too far to go home to Mama when we'd have an argument.  We spent 2 1/2 years there.  I'm looking forward to next month when I go back.   Can't go back to where we lived, though, as the town was essentially destroyed several years ago by an earthquake and then rebuilt as a holiday town for 'Bulis.


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## Ameriscot

Well, if we're listing our countries 1952-2000 - USA, 2000-2007 - Scotland (with a few months in England), 2007-2009 - Uganda, 2009 to current and final -  Scotland.


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## Butterfly

SifuPhil said:


> Heh ... I was just looking at rentals on Craigslist for Broward County and environs ... can't afford my first choice, Key West.
> 
> 
> 
> ... and the people themselves continue to expect to live as they did in the "Old Country" and expect the U.S. to accommodate them, instead of the other way around.
> 
> ... and the nasty thing is, we usually DO accommodate them. To the point where native-born citizens are ignored.



I couldn't agree more!  What about if we took care of the poor of our own citizenry first???!!


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## SifuPhil

Butterfly said:


> I couldn't agree more!  What about if we took care of the poor of our own citizenry first???!!



That would be great. I just don't see it happening any time soon ...


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## oakapple

Some people live in the past......... That can be another country(they do things differently there.)nthego:


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## Linda

We live in the US but our son who, who has lived in Sweden for the last 30 + years has tried to talk us into moving to an apartment over his garage.  I love Sweden but I just wouldn't be happy living out of the U.S.  I am a visitor when I go there and I'm sure that's always how I would feel.


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## Ameriscot

Linda said:


> We live in the US but our son who, who has lived in Sweden for the last 30 + years has tried to talk us into moving to an apartment over his garage.  I love Sweden but I just wouldn't be happy living out of the U.S.  I am a visitor when I go there and I'm sure that's always how I would feel.



I felt like a foreigner when I moved to the UK for many months even though I loved living here. But it's felt like home for many years. Been here 15 in April.


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## Pappy

Nope. We did go to Niagara Falls, Canada side once,but never left the USA since.


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## Cookie

I lived in a small village in northern India for two years - shopped in their outdoor stalls and markets, cooked food in an Indian floor kitchen and had my clothes made by a local tailor. I was sad and at the same time glad to return to the west.


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## Ameriscot

Cookie said:


> I lived in a small village in northern India for two years - shopped in their outdoor stalls and markets, cooked food in an Indian floor kitchen and had my clothes made by a local tailor. I was sad and at the same time glad to return to the west.



I was really torn when we left Uganda after two years.  I was homesick for Scotland but knew I'd really miss Uganda and the people.  Burst into tears several times during our last week or so.


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## Cookie

I understand that completely AS, I cried all the way to the airport when I was leaving, but I could have kissed the ground when I returned to Canada.


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## Shalimar

SifuPhil, standing invitation to stay with the Canadian mermaids on S. Vancouver Island.


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## Ameriscot

Cookie said:


> I understand that completely AS, I cried all the way to the airport when I was leaving, but I could have kissed the ground when I returned to Canada.



After we arrived at the airport and were being driven along a country road I saw a field of sheep and I nearly burst into tears!  I did have a strong desire to kiss my washing machine, my hot shower, and the clean tap water.


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## Ameriscot

I think the final post on my blog before leaving Uganda sums up my feelings well:

http://volunteersabroad.blogspot.co.uk/2009/01/bye-ugandaturebane-bwanyima-see-ya.html

And this one I wrote six months before we left and what I'd miss/not miss and what I was looking forward to:

http://volunteersabroad.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/what-i-willwont-miss-when-we-leave.html


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## Cookie

Thanks for sharing your blog, AS, I can really relate to what's in there.


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## Ameriscot

Cookie said:


> Thanks for sharing your blog, AS, I can really relate to what's in there.



I'm really glad I kept a blog the entire 2 years.  It's nice to go back and read sometimes.  

How did you feel on your arrival in India?  When we arrived in Uganda I was scared to death and on the ride from the airport I was thinking 'oh sh*t, what have I agreed to????'.  Much different on the way home.


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## Cookie

It was late at night when we arrived and I was exhausted, hungry and dirty, but relieved to finally get there after a very long trip. I think I was in some kind of shock -- I just couldn't believe I was there and the whole thing seemed very unreal. 

I might write about it sometime in a journal -- Your blog is a good idea.


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## Ameriscot

Cookie said:


> It was late at night when we arrived and I was exhausted, hungry and dirty, but relieved to finally get there after a very long trip. I think I was in some kind of shock -- I just couldn't believe I was there and the whole thing seemed very unreal.
> 
> I might write about it sometime in a journal -- Your blog is a good idea.



I had regretted not keeping a journal or blog when I moved to Scotland, so decided that wouldn't happen with Uganda.  We had dead slow internet using a mobile phone signal on my laptop, so uploading photos took forever.  Had to reduce the size on them a lot to get them to load.


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## Lon

For the past 23 years I have spent 5 to 6 months living in New Zealand and the other 5 to six months in a age restricted active adult retirement communityin  Roseville Ca.  Now except for some travel I am permanately in California.


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## Ameriscot

Lon said:


> For the past 23 years I have spent 5 to 6 months living in New Zealand and the other 5 to six months in a age restricted active adult retirement communityin  Roseville Ca.  Now except for some travel I am permanately in California.



That sounds wonderful, Lon.  I have yet to visit NZ as we keep going other places first. 

I guess you could say we are living in two countries now since we spent 2 months in Thailand last winter and will spend 3 months this coming winter.  A few people asked if we'd thought about living in Thailand permanently but I'd miss Scotland too much even with it's less than perfect climate.  So, no.


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## Glinda

Lon said:


> For the past 23 years I have spent 5 to 6 months living in New Zealand and the other 5 to six months in a age restricted active adult retirement communityin  Roseville Ca.  Now except for some travel I am permanately in California.



I live in the same foreign country as Lon does - California.  :bigwink:


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## Butterfly

I lived in Germany for almost ten years from the early 70s to the early 80s.  My husband was military and instead of being transferred back and  forth to the US every 2 or 3 years, we elected to just stay for an  extended time.  I loved every minute of it.  I went everywhere and saw and did everything I possibly could.  I felt quite at home there.  One of the high points was when my mother came over on a visit and she and I spent a week in Italy.  It was wonderful!


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## Ameriscot

Butterfly said:


> I lived in Germany for almost ten years from the early 70s to the early 80s.  My husband was military and instead of being transferred back and  forth to the US every 2 or 3 years, we elected to just stay for an  extended time.  I loved every minute of it.  I went everywhere and saw and did everything I possibly could.  I felt quite at home there.  One of the high points was when my mother came over on a visit and she and I spent a week in Italy.  It was wonderful!



I've known several people who have lived in Germany and loved it.  Except for going down the motorway, I haven't visited Germany.


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## Susie

R. Paradon said:


> Shortly after I retired about six years ago I moved to Thailand.  It is a country that I have visited about twice a year since 1987 and decided years ago I would move here.  For me with not much income than SS it was a great move financially as well safety reasons.  The people are great, the food is delicious and with the exception of the monsoon season the weather if always warm.
> 
> Are there anybody else on the forum living in a foreign country?


Yes, moved to Australia in 1972 on a 2 year working contract.
At first I felt we'd landed on the moon-so different from what we were used to in San Jose, Calif.
Middle daughter adjusted quickly, was treated well by other immigrant families, but not so the youngest daughter (then 11).
The "last straw" when kids encircled her chanting: "Yankee Doodle Dandy" or some such!
From then on I took her to work with me and placed her in the adjoining primary school.
The beginning was both harsh and exciting.   :jumelles:


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## Ameriscot

Susie said:


> Yes, moved to Australia in 1972 on a 2 year working contract.
> At first I felt we'd landed on the moon-so different from what we were used to in San Jose, Calif.
> Middle daughter adjusted quickly, was treated well by other immigrant families, but not so the youngest daughter (then 11).
> The "last straw" when kids encircled her chanting: "Yankee Doodle Dandy" or some such!
> From then on I took her to work with me and placed her in the adjoining primary school.
> The beginning was both harsh and exciting.   :jumelles:




My husband's brother went about 1975 or 76.  Married an Aussie and has two beautiful daughters.  Two daughters of another brother moved there much later and their uncle sponsored them.  Husband's cousins moved there in the 1950's.


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## PanamaJackie

I moved to Panama about 5 years ago.  It is the best decision I ever made.  The weather is perfect and my living costs are about 60% less than staying in Texas.  Health care is super affordable and Panamanian doctors (who usually speak English) put CARE back in to healtcare.


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## ndynt

I was born in the states, Mother hated it here, took me back to Italy when I was a few months old.  Lived there until I was five.
Do not know if I lived in a foreign country then or if I am living in a foreign country now. :bigwink:


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## oakapple

Yes, you all ( or most of you) live in a foreign country!


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## ndynt

oakapple said:


> Yes, you all ( or most of you) live in a foreign country!


    :clap:


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