What country would you like to move to? - Page 3

commandlinegamer · 5th November 2009, 07:14 AM

Originally Posted by The Drain

I think that might belong in the Non Sequiter thread.

There's a non sequiter thread?!

I prefer blue baize on pool tables and red on snooker.

Damien Evans · 5th November 2009, 08:20 PM

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

Melbourne is overrated.

What?

Damien Evans · 5th November 2009, 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by Akhenaten

Queensland.

I LOL'd.

whatthebutlersaw · 6th November 2009, 06:07 AM

Originally Posted by Eddie Dane

I gave a lecture at the local business school there.
Went and got drunk with the students.
Then we went up north into the wild to look for cute animals, and shoot them.

Had a great time, really.

Ok, so you spent a night on a pissup with the Handels-crowd and then left the county to go up north? Or did I missunderstand something there?

There are a few things that the lucky tourist may be unaware of after a short visit. Things like the miserable infrastructure, the casual racism and misogyny spouted by 80% of the inhabitants, the horrible weather, the perpetual gang violence, the burning cars, the exploding restaurants, the fact that if you spend enough time there your car _will_ be broken into, your dog or cat _will_ be attacked and possibly killed by a psycho, the local's missapprehension that they are "funny" when they spout their racist crap.

Just imagine en entire city populated by 40% archetypal "taxi drivers" (the "I'm no racist, but..." kind) 40% gangster wannabees, 15% advertising company employees or "mediatypes" on the dole (hard to tell them apart, they look the same) and 5% poor schmucks trying to make an honest living while dodging stray explosives, offensive jokes and braying laughs.

Add to this neo brutalist architecture, a dodgy police force and a sense of abject boredom as only conveyed by old super 8 films from East Berlin before 1989.

If you haven't killed yourself by now. Then you may venture a walk in Haga, a kind of "old town" part of the city aspiring to Notting Hill status, with cobbled streets and media students. Galleries (where they saw you coming), or one of the fifty to the power of a gazilion woo shops provide ample shopping for the terminally rich and stupid. In Gothenburg, you are never more than three feet from a joss stick. If you don't like patchouli... ...it's not your city.

Try to think of it as a city populated almost entirely by Vinnie Jones and Daily Mail Readers.

Oh, and the housing is crap. If you are not either loaded or connected or both, it's off to the projects with you (Millionprogrammet, as we call it) where you will be knifed for your iPod on the tram. One girl I knew didn't want to be knifed on the tram, so she lived centrally in a shared house, with a basement loo (earthen floor), no lock, you climbed down a ladder through a hatch in the floor to get there, and you flushed with a garden hose, and an uncovered outdoor shower - with cold water only - where the builders working on the house next door would watch her shower. (She got herself a special shower t-shirt to avoid that.)

And you have never seen so much yellow brick in your life.

(I bet it looked good through beer goggles though. Even Greenock would look inviting with beer goggles.

Thick beer goggles.)

Rolfe · 6th November 2009, 06:41 AM

Hey, Greenock's not so bad! (Cousin married to a minister in Greenock, lovely house with decorative cornicing finer than I've seen in stately homes. Talked to her on the phone last night, her Cambridge-educated medical student daughter has just got engaged.) Distinct absence of earth-floored toilets, explosions and yellow brick last time I looked.

Rolfe.

JJM 777 · 6th November 2009, 12:53 PM

I would love to move around the globe every now and then.
Yep that would be the best possible option. Variety.
But it's not gonna happen because I am not rich enough to live and earn a decent living wherever I please and whenever I please.

Toke · 6th November 2009, 02:00 PM

Strange, as a kid we would go on assorted trips by the ferry from Frederikshavn to Göteborg. It was quite exiting, not only was it a big city but it was also foreign.

There were Liseberg the amusement park, the gamla stan, and Nordstan a real shopping centre with a role playing store in the basement.

The ferry were also known as Göteborg's biggest disco, the swedes would take the 3 hour trip in the evening, stay on-board and return to Sweden. There were and are major difference in the price and availability of alcohol in Denmark and Sweden.

ProbeX · 6th November 2009, 03:11 PM

I'd love to spend a few years in the Caribbean. Love the island life and ocean, plus the spicy food. It's beautiful in Nassau. Africa and India also appeal. Africa is beautiful and the idea of all that animal life is great (as long as I don't become a main course), plus all the photography opportunities there. India ... well, again, I'm a sucker for spicy food!

Have heavy Eastern European ancestry but pretty much no real desire to visit Eastern Europe at this point. Other parts of Europe? Not so much. Am also Scottish but the UK is too dreary and cold and the food is too bland for my taste. Spain and Italy hold some appeal. Not interested in living in Asia.

Comsat Angel · 6th November 2009, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by Delvo

My reasoning is not cultural but environmental. I want to be where as much of the year as possible is cool, cloud-covered, foggy, and rainy during the warmer seasons or icy & snowy in winter. (snip)

Welcome to England! How on Earth can 45 million people want to move to a country which has Such Crap Weather?

For me - Finland.

It's very cold for a lot of the time, which is great as I much prefer the cold. The locals are insular and tight-lipped, which is great as I am not Mr Chatty. They like their drink, which is great as so do I. They have wonderful architecture and unspoilt rural hinterland, which is great as I can appreciate both. And anywhere that produces Aki Kaurismaki gets my vote.

BTMO · 6th November 2009, 03:46 PM

I probably wouldn't live anywhere permanently, given the choice. A couple of years here, a couple of years there.

That said, I am Australian and live in NZ...

Tricky · 6th November 2009, 03:49 PM

Originally Posted by SezMe

Costa Rica.

I was gonna say Costa Rica too, though it is far from perfect. Still, they have a very open government, no real enemies to speak of (They don't even have an army) and it is very eco-friendly. True, there is abject poverty, like in many Central and South American countries, but it is far better than many, and other nearby countries actually send people to Costa Rica to work. Also some of the greatest natural settings in the world. And they absolutely love Americans, and not just in a "we'll love you if you give us money" way.

JJM 777 · 7th November 2009, 01:22 AM

Originally Posted by ProbeX

Have heavy Eastern European ancestry but pretty much no real desire to visit Eastern Europe at this point.

The Eastern Bloc is a very interesting place to visit nowadays, the commercial city centers are at least as luxurious, if not even more luxurious, than in Western Europe. Then come the suburbs varying from Soviet era tall grey cubes to chic residential areas of richer people. A lot of variety.

rockinkt · 7th November 2009, 01:56 AM

I would stay in the Vancouver area of British Columbia, Canada.
Vancouver consistently places high in the rankings of the most desirable places in the world to live.
The Economist ranked Vancouver 1st in quality of living in 2009.

The scenery is spectacular, the women are gorgeous, and a couple of hours drive takes you to North America's best ski resort - Whistler. (Home of the 2010 Winter Olympics).

Foolmewunz · 7th November 2009, 02:27 AM

None of those globetrotting ways for me, no siree! I like it just fine here in the good old You Ess of .....

Oh, wait.

Seriously, I've had the good fortune to live all over the USA and spent ten years in Montreal, two in Taiwan, have been in Hong Kong now for more than seven. Next stop - probably in somewhere between 2 and 5 years - is semi-retirement in Thailand. (Semi because I'd intended to buy a grass hut bar on a beach and waste away, but now I need to set up a cash-based business for my son and mate, as I realize I'm not going to live forever.)

Other places I'd dream of moving to?
Zurich - I like it there. Damned expensive, though.
Vancouver.
Capetown.
Melbourne.
San Francisco.
If I was filthy rich and could afford to airlift in books and have my own satellite to maintain contact? Someplace on the edges of the Atacama in Chile - I just loved the place.

ETA: 9700 posts!

Akhenaten · 7th November 2009, 03:44 AM

I almost agree with SezMe and Tricky in their choice of Costa Rica. I believe there's a friendly rivalry between CR and my lifelong dream destination, Panama.

The whole place fascinates me. From the Canal to the clouds. I sponsor a Coati at the Melbourne Zoo in my late wife's name, in recognition of her wish to see the Canal Zone as well.

I like jnugles.

armageddonman · 7th November 2009, 05:31 AM

Originally Posted by timhau

Melbourne? Sounds good to me.

Personally, I'd prefer Sydney but that's only because I've been living the high life there on company expenses for 6 months.

lionking · 7th November 2009, 06:11 AM

Australia's a hole with absolutely no redeeming features and wildlife sure to injure or kill you.

Don't bother coming. I really can't work out what I'm still doing here.

Damien Evans · 7th November 2009, 07:13 AM

Originally Posted by armageddonman

Personally, I'd prefer Sydney but that's only because I've been living the high life there on company expenses for 6 months.

Haven't visited Redfern yet I see.

applecorped · 7th November 2009, 10:58 AM

Originally Posted by lionking

Australia's a hole with absolutely no redeeming features and wildlife sure to injure or kill you.

Don't bother coming. I really can't work out what I'm still doing here.

But, you've got Yahoo Serious!!!!!!

Comsat Angel · 7th November 2009, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by lionking

Australia's a hole with absolutely no redeeming features and wildlife sure to injure or kill you.

Don't bother coming. I really can't work out what I'm still doing here.

Don't talk such utter nonsense, sir! You have i) Sunshine and ii) More sunshine and iii) Seashores uncontaminated by fecal matter or plutonium.
Plus you deify lager, speak English and revere HM Betty Windsor.

Oh - that wildlife issue. We here in the UK are more used to relentlessly hunting down and killing our wildlife. Wildlife that fights back would probably be an interesting challenge.

If all else fails, you can probably come to the UK as a bar tender or cricket coach. Don't forget to bring an umbrella and thick sweaters!

GlennB · 7th November 2009, 03:27 PM

Originally Posted by applecorped

"Some 700 million people worldwide, or more than all the adults of North and South America combined, think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence and want to permanently move to another country, a poll showed Tuesday.

700 million people want to emigrate on Tuesday?

davefoc · 7th November 2009, 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by The Shrike

I'm surprised Ireland isn't faring better here. Something negative I've overlooked about the Emerald Isle?

I've been lucky enough to travel to quite a few countries in my lifetime. I've thought about what it might be like to live in each one of them and which one I'd choose. Ireland would be way up there for me. It was the friendliest place that I visited. The people have genuinely mastered the art of graciousness. We greatly enjoyed the food. I think it was the best I've had in Europe, although the Pizza in Italy was awesome.

In our limited stay of about a week we never had a sunny day. It did occasionally clear to the point that the clouds only covered about half the sky but those were brief moments. But the rain was pleasant. We rarely get that kind of rain in California. At times it couldn't be distinguished from a heavy mist. The rain was common enough that it created bogs on the sides of hills which was certainly a different landscape than this California boy was used to.

I think there are a few things that might knock it down for me:
1. It's not close to any major Metropolitan areas. I haven't seen Dublin but I occasionally like to visit the attractions of a big city and I don't think Dublin would quite measure up.
2. I enjoy the varied environment of California. There are alpine areas, beach areas, desert areas, rural, urban and suburban areas all within reasonable driving distances.
3. The weather. I enjoyed the climate as something interesting to experience, but I'm not sure I'd be real happy with it on a full time basis.

I have also traveled quite a bit in the US. The only state that I've been in that I wasn't at least somewhat attracted to as a place to live was Texas. I've visited Dallas and Houston numerous times and I wasn't enthused.

So assuming unlimited wealth where would I want to live? I don't know, maybe in a Beach House in Laguna. We live in Fullerton, California which is pretty much one more mundane suburb in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, but it's still a pretty nice place to live. The city seems well run. Crime is fairly low. There are a number of interesting attractions nearby including the hills that I like to hike through in Santiago Canyon and a mountain bike trail that I enjoy. There are plenty of readily accessible services nearby. And my immediate family is sprinkled around not too far from us. The weather is very good, although probably a bit warm for some.

Still, I hope to have the chance to live a year or so in Europe within the next few years. I'd like to visit the home of my ancestors in Sweden and Norway and see the fjords. I'd like to have a chance to spend more time in Paris and London and maybe see some more of England and France and the rest of Europe that I've never had a chance to see.

arthwollipot · 7th November 2009, 07:18 PM

Originally Posted by Akhenaten

Would you recommend Canberra? I would. Loved it to bits when I lived there. (Kaleen)

I absolutely would. Unless you like bustling, busy cosmopolitan cities. Canberra only has a population of about 400,000, so if you like places like Hong Kong or New York it'll be pretty boring for you.

Canberra's kinda partway between big-city and small-town. And the best part is that nothing's very far from anything else. It only takes 45min to drive from Gunghalin (far north) to Tuggeranong (far south).

No, that's not the best part. This is.

Prometheus · 7th November 2009, 09:57 PM

I have a cousin who spends half the year studying Tango with girls in Argentina, and the other half teaching Tango to girls in Iceland. I think I might have liked that lifestyle had I thought of it when I was younger.

Akhenaten · 8th November 2009, 02:17 AM

Originally Posted by lionking

Australia's a hole with absolutely no redeeming features and wildlife sure to injure or kill you.

Don't bother coming. I really can't work out what I'm still doing here.

This helps

Originally Posted by Damien Evans

Haven't visited Redfern yet I see.

Or Frankston.

BTW, I didn't mean to rag Melbourne back up there ^, it's a great place and way up the list, but I think they guild the lily a bit sometimes.

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

I absolutely would. Unless you like bustling, busy cosmopolitan cities. Canberra only has a population of about 400,000, so if you like places like Hong Kong or New York it'll be pretty boring for you.

Canberra's kinda partway between big-city and small-town. And the best part is that nothing's very far from anything else. It only takes 45min to drive from Gunghalin (far north) to Tuggeranong (far south).

No, that's not the best part. This is.

We share very similar views about Canberra. I want to visit New York City, but I couldn't keep up the pace of living there.

Those pictures are magnificent. I'll post a request to you in the Australia thread to "host 'n' post" them there.

Akhenaten · 8th November 2009, 02:25 AM

Originally Posted by Prometheus

I have a cousin who spends half the year studying Tango with girls in Argentina, and the other half teaching Tango to girls in Iceland. I think I might have liked that lifestyle had I thought of it when I was younger.

I encounter a lot of top-halfers who work as ski instructors in Australia during the Northern Summer.

You'll never convince me that living year-round in a ski resort could be all bad.

learner · 8th November 2009, 07:54 AM

Well im going to Ireland, march/april 2010. I shall have my largest rucksack and will be walking with the sea to my left all the way around. I may take detours, may not, see how it goes. If im not back home in a year, il be staying. Maybe.
Its a beautiful country sparsley populated with beautiful people.

Until I get there of course.

Antiquehunter · 8th November 2009, 11:29 AM

I am a Canadian, working in Afghanistan for a company based in the UK. I could work in a variety of charming places - opportunities for me in Sudan, Palestine and Nigeria at the moment - if I chose to leave Afghanistan.

Anyways - we recently sold our properties in Canada, liquidated all investments and bought a home in Chile, after spending 10 days there house hunting and doing some research. A practical decision based on treatment of globally earned income, quality of life and cost of living.

5 bedrooms, 3 baths 2500 sq ft beachfront an hour from Santiago for $165k. Western property ownership, relatively stable 'normal' government (if somewhat lefty), low crime, and no particularly wacky laws to cramp our style. Fair taxation based primarily on consumption.

-AH.

Ryokan · 8th November 2009, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by Comsat Angel

Welcome to England! How on Earth can 45 million people want to move to a country which has Such Crap Weather?

For me - Finland.

Love the irony!!

Akhenaten · 8th November 2009, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by JJM 777

I would love to move around the globe every now and then.
Yep that would be the best possible option. Variety.
But it's not gonna happen because I am not rich enough to live and earn a decent living wherever I please and whenever I please.

Originally Posted by Comsat Angel

Welcome to England! How on Earth can 45 million people want to move to a country which has Such Crap Weather?

For me - Finland.

It's very cold for a lot of the time, which is great as I much prefer the cold. The locals are insular and tight-lipped, which is great as I am not Mr Chatty. They like their drink, which is great as so do I. They have wonderful architecture and unspoilt rural hinterland, which is great as I can appreciate both. And anywhere that produces Aki Kaurismaki gets my vote.

You guys need to set up a time-share deal between yourselves.

ProbeX · 8th November 2009, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by JJM 777

The Eastern Bloc is a very interesting place to visit nowadays, the commercial city centers are at least as luxurious, if not even more luxurious, than in Western Europe.

I'd visit almost any place for a minute provided someone paid my way, including room and board plus meals. But truth is this area just doesn't interest me. And I say without sarcasm that I'm glad you find it enjoyable

parky76 · 8th November 2009, 01:51 PM

I would like to move to an America that has a social-market economy, Universal Health coverage, free college tuition, a small but strong military, and a foreign policy that values freedom WITH American values.

applecorped · 8th November 2009, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by parky76

I would like to move to an America that has a social-market economy, Universal Health coverage, free college tuition, a small but strong military, and a foreign policy that values freedom WITH American values.

What are American Values anymore?

Darat · 8th November 2009, 01:59 PM

I always thought the phrase referred to "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"

Foolmewunz · 8th November 2009, 03:32 PM

Originally Posted by Antiquehunter

I am a Canadian, working in Afghanistan for a company based in the UK. I could work in a variety of charming places - opportunities for me in Sudan, Palestine and Nigeria at the moment - if I chose to leave Afghanistan.

Anyways - we recently sold our properties in Canada, liquidated all investments and bought a home in Chile, after spending 10 days there house hunting and doing some research. A practical decision based on treatment of globally earned income, quality of life and cost of living.

5 bedrooms, 3 baths 2500 sq ft beachfront an hour from Santiago for $165k. Western property ownership, relatively stable 'normal' government (if somewhat lefty), low crime, and no particularly wacky laws to cramp our style. Fair taxation based primarily on consumption.

-AH.

Vina?

Polaris · 8th November 2009, 03:55 PM

Assuming money isn't an object, I'd love to have a lot of land and a decent-sized house in Tuscany or Lombardy. Failing that, Costa Rica or Uruguay.

I'd want to live where the Anglo-Saxon population is low, the food is good, the women are brown, the most recent immigrants don't blow themselves up and/or kill their daughters for batting their eyelashes at me, and the government won't up and decide one day to take all my money for the "good of the state".

Hindmost · 8th November 2009, 05:57 PM

Sometimes, I would like to live on another planet...I have to stop watching the news.

I haven't been to Europe, but I believe I would enjoy living in quite a few places. Money would be an issue. However, if I had a choice right now, I would move to New Zealand.

glenn

bookitty · 8th November 2009, 06:05 PM

Scotland. Mainly Edinburgh. I could keep the same job, have some nice cold weather, and be well-situated for exploring Europe and Africa. I even looked into UK citizenship but my grandfather got himself born in South Africa.

Antiquehunter · 8th November 2009, 08:23 PM

Close to Vina - small town called Algorrobo. 60-70 minutes out of Santiago, 45 mins from Vina/Valpo and 30 -40 mins from San Antonio.

Foolmewunz · 9th November 2009, 02:30 AM

Originally Posted by Antiquehunter

Close to Vina - small town called Algorrobo. 60-70 minutes out of Santiago, 45 mins from Vina/Valpo and 30 -40 mins from San Antonio.

Quite nice! I loved driving from Santiago out to the coast, particularly coming through the pass into Valparaiso (but would never dream of living in Valpo - much too congested even if it's picaresque as hell). But the coastlines north and south from there are pretty awesome. Congratulations!

5th November 2009, 08:20 PM	#82
Damien Evans Up The Irons Tagger Join Date: May 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 10,783	Originally Posted by arthwollipot Melbourne is overrated. What?
	__________________ Avatar is a picture of Private Bruce Steel Kingsbury VC. http://www.kokodahistorical.com.au/i...gsbury-VC.html They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. Lest We Forget.

5th November 2009, 08:22 PM	#83
Damien Evans Up The Irons Tagger Join Date: May 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 10,783	Originally Posted by Akhenaten Queensland. I LOL'd.
	__________________ Avatar is a picture of Private Bruce Steel Kingsbury VC. http://www.kokodahistorical.com.au/i...gsbury-VC.html They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. Lest We Forget.

6th November 2009, 06:41 AM	#85
Rolfe Anti-homeopathy illuminati member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NT 150 511 Posts: 18,447	Hey, Greenock's not so bad! (Cousin married to a minister in Greenock, lovely house with decorative cornicing finer than I've seen in stately homes. Talked to her on the phone last night, her Cambridge-educated medical student daughter has just got engaged.) Distinct absence of earth-floored toilets, explosions and yellow brick last time I looked. Rolfe.
	__________________ "The thing about medicine is, that it all comes down to the numbers." - Dr. Stephen Franklin, Interludes and Examinations. "To give Rolfe his due, I think this is a good example to everyone of what can happen if we fail to get a proper diagnosis and begin treating on symptoms alone--a big mistake, as shown here." - "Snoopy" on H'pathy Forums, apparently abjuring the very fundamentals of homoeopathy after she'd just allowed a young mother with Addison's disease to die.

6th November 2009, 02:00 PM	#87
Toke Godless Socialist Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Denmark Posts: 3,758	Strange, as a kid we would go on assorted trips by the ferry from Frederikshavn to Göteborg. It was quite exiting, not only was it a big city but it was also foreign. There were Liseberg the amusement park, the gamla stan, and Nordstan a real shopping centre with a role playing store in the basement. The ferry were also known as Göteborg's biggest disco, the swedes would take the 3 hour trip in the evening, stay on-board and return to Sweden. There were and are major difference in the price and availability of alcohol in Denmark and Sweden.
	__________________ From each according to his ability, to each according to his need. -K. Marx

6th November 2009, 03:11 PM	#88
ProbeX Graduate Poster Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 1,184	I'd love to spend a few years in the Caribbean. Love the island life and ocean, plus the spicy food. It's beautiful in Nassau. Africa and India also appeal. Africa is beautiful and the idea of all that animal life is great (as long as I don't become a main course), plus all the photography opportunities there. India ... well, again, I'm a sucker for spicy food! Have heavy Eastern European ancestry but pretty much no real desire to visit Eastern Europe at this point. Other parts of Europe? Not so much. Am also Scottish but the UK is too dreary and cold and the food is too bland for my taste. Spain and Italy hold some appeal. Not interested in living in Asia.
ProbeX Graduate Poster Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 1,184	__________________ I promise to have faith. Just show me the evidence first.

5th November 2009, 07:14 AM	#81
commandlinegamer Thinker Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Scotland Posts: 194	Originally Posted by The Drain I think that might belong in the Non Sequiter thread. There's a non sequiter thread?! I prefer blue baize on pool tables and red on snooker.

6th November 2009, 06:07 AM	#84
whatthebutlersaw Critical Thinker Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Kent, UK Posts: 417	Originally Posted by Eddie Dane I gave a lecture at the local business school there. Went and got drunk with the students. Then we went up north into the wild to look for cute animals, and shoot them. Had a great time, really. Ok, so you spent a night on a pissup with the Handels-crowd and then left the county to go up north? Or did I missunderstand something there? There are a few things that the lucky tourist may be unaware of after a short visit. Things like the miserable infrastructure, the casual racism and misogyny spouted by 80% of the inhabitants, the horrible weather, the perpetual gang violence, the burning cars, the exploding restaurants, the fact that if you spend enough time there your car _will_ be broken into, your dog or cat _will_ be attacked and possibly killed by a psycho, the local's missapprehension that they are "funny" when they spout their racist crap. Just imagine en entire city populated by 40% archetypal "taxi drivers" (the "I'm no racist, but..." kind) 40% gangster wannabees, 15% advertising company employees or "mediatypes" on the dole (hard to tell them apart, they look the same) and 5% poor schmucks trying to make an honest living while dodging stray explosives, offensive jokes and braying laughs. Add to this neo brutalist architecture, a dodgy police force and a sense of abject boredom as only conveyed by old super 8 films from East Berlin before 1989. If you haven't killed yourself by now. Then you may venture a walk in Haga, a kind of "old town" part of the city aspiring to Notting Hill status, with cobbled streets and media students. Galleries (where they saw you coming), or one of the fifty to the power of a gazilion woo shops provide ample shopping for the terminally rich and stupid. In Gothenburg, you are never more than three feet from a joss stick. If you don't like patchouli... ...it's not your city. Try to think of it as a city populated almost entirely by Vinnie Jones and Daily Mail Readers. Oh, and the housing is crap. If you are not either loaded or connected or both, it's off to the projects with you (Millionprogrammet, as we call it) where you will be knifed for your iPod on the tram. One girl I knew didn't want to be knifed on the tram, so she lived centrally in a shared house, with a basement loo (earthen floor), no lock, you climbed down a ladder through a hatch in the floor to get there, and you flushed with a garden hose, and an uncovered outdoor shower - with cold water only - where the builders working on the house next door would watch her shower. (She got herself a special shower t-shirt to avoid that.) And you have never seen so much yellow brick in your life. (I bet it looked good through beer goggles though. Even Greenock would look inviting with beer goggles. Thick beer goggles.)

6th November 2009, 12:53 PM	#86
JJM 777 Muse Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Finland Posts: 741	I would love to move around the globe every now and then. Yep that would be the best possible option. Variety. But it's not gonna happen because I am not rich enough to live and earn a decent living wherever I please and whenever I please.

6th November 2009, 03:38 PM	#89
Comsat Angel Muse Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 648	Originally Posted by Delvo My reasoning is not cultural but environmental. I want to be where as much of the year as possible is cool, cloud-covered, foggy, and rainy during the warmer seasons or icy & snowy in winter. (snip) Welcome to England! How on Earth can 45 million people want to move to a country which has Such Crap Weather? For me - Finland. It's very cold for a lot of the time, which is great as I much prefer the cold. The locals are insular and tight-lipped, which is great as I am not Mr Chatty. They like their drink, which is great as so do I. They have wonderful architecture and unspoilt rural hinterland, which is great as I can appreciate both. And anywhere that produces Aki Kaurismaki gets my vote.
Comsat Angel Muse Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 648

6th November 2009, 03:46 PM	#90
BTMO Overlord of the Underthings Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Wellington, New Zealand. Posts: 1,220	I probably wouldn't live anywhere permanently, given the choice. A couple of years here, a couple of years there. That said, I am Australian and live in NZ...
	__________________ Insert pithy saying here

6th November 2009, 03:49 PM	#91
Tricky Radical centrist Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: The Group W bench Posts: 25,978	Originally Posted by SezMe Costa Rica. I was gonna say Costa Rica too, though it is far from perfect. Still, they have a very open government, no real enemies to speak of (They don't even have an army) and it is very eco-friendly. True, there is abject poverty, like in many Central and South American countries, but it is far better than many, and other nearby countries actually send people to Costa Rica to work. Also some of the greatest natural settings in the world. And they absolutely love Americans, and not just in a "we'll love you if you give us money" way.

7th November 2009, 01:22 AM	#92
JJM 777 Muse Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Finland Posts: 741	Originally Posted by ProbeX Have heavy Eastern European ancestry but pretty much no real desire to visit Eastern Europe at this point. The Eastern Bloc is a very interesting place to visit nowadays, the commercial city centers are at least as luxurious, if not even more luxurious, than in Western Europe. Then come the suburbs varying from Soviet era tall grey cubes to chic residential areas of richer people. A lot of variety.

7th November 2009, 01:56 AM	#93
rockinkt Critical Thinker Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 270	I would stay in the Vancouver area of British Columbia, Canada. Vancouver consistently places high in the rankings of the most desirable places in the world to live. The Economist ranked Vancouver 1st in quality of living in 2009. The scenery is spectacular, the women are gorgeous, and a couple of hours drive takes you to North America's best ski resort - Whistler. (Home of the 2010 Winter Olympics).
rockinkt Critical Thinker Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 270	__________________ All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. Edmund Burke Non plaudite. Modo pecuniam jacite

7th November 2009, 02:27 AM	#94
Foolmewunz Grammar Resistance Leader Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 9,825	None of those globetrotting ways for me, no siree! I like it just fine here in the good old You Ess of ..... Oh, wait. Seriously, I've had the good fortune to live all over the USA and spent ten years in Montreal, two in Taiwan, have been in Hong Kong now for more than seven. Next stop - probably in somewhere between 2 and 5 years - is semi-retirement in Thailand. (Semi because I'd intended to buy a grass hut bar on a beach and waste away, but now I need to set up a cash-based business for my son and mate, as I realize I'm not going to live forever.) Other places I'd dream of moving to? Zurich - I like it there. Damned expensive, though. Vancouver. Capetown. Melbourne. San Francisco. If I was filthy rich and could afford to airlift in books and have my own satellite to maintain contact? Someplace on the edges of the Atacama in Chile - I just loved the place. ETA: 9700 posts!
	__________________ Ha! Foolmewunz has just been added to the list of people who aren't complete idiots. Hokulele Microsoft is NOT the Borg Collective... the Borg have better tech support. Eleri

7th November 2009, 03:44 AM	#95
Akhenaten Heretic Pharaoh Pither Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Pi-Broadford Australia Posts: 3,784	I almost agree with SezMe and Tricky in their choice of Costa Rica. I believe there's a friendly rivalry between CR and my lifelong dream destination, Panama. The whole place fascinates me. From the Canal to the clouds. I sponsor a Coati at the Melbourne Zoo in my late wife's name, in recognition of her wish to see the Canal Zone as well. I like jnugles.
	__________________ Life is mostly Froth and Bubble - Adam Lindsay Gordon

7th November 2009, 05:31 AM	#96
armageddonman Critical Thinker Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 374	Originally Posted by timhau Melbourne? Sounds good to me. Personally, I'd prefer Sydney but that's only because I've been living the high life there on company expenses for 6 months.
	__________________ Hail Eris! All Hail Discordia!

7th November 2009, 06:11 AM	#97
lionking Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Melbourne Posts: 10,859	Australia's a hole with absolutely no redeeming features and wildlife sure to injure or kill you. Don't bother coming. I really can't work out what I'm still doing here.
	__________________ You must believe in free will; there is no choice. Isaac Bashevis Singer

7th November 2009, 07:13 AM	#98
Damien Evans Up The Irons Tagger Join Date: May 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 10,783	Originally Posted by armageddonman Personally, I'd prefer Sydney but that's only because I've been living the high life there on company expenses for 6 months. Haven't visited Redfern yet I see.
	__________________ Avatar is a picture of Private Bruce Steel Kingsbury VC. http://www.kokodahistorical.com.au/i...gsbury-VC.html They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. Lest We Forget.

7th November 2009, 10:58 AM	#99
applecorped Rotten to the core Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 5,487	Originally Posted by lionking Australia's a hole with absolutely no redeeming features and wildlife sure to injure or kill you. Don't bother coming. I really can't work out what I'm still doing here. But, you've got Yahoo Serious!!!!!!
	__________________ It's all in the mind.

7th November 2009, 01:48 PM	#100
Comsat Angel Muse Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 648	Originally Posted by lionking Australia's a hole with absolutely no redeeming features and wildlife sure to injure or kill you. Don't bother coming. I really can't work out what I'm still doing here. Don't talk such utter nonsense, sir! You have i) Sunshine and ii) More sunshine and iii) Seashores uncontaminated by fecal matter or plutonium. Plus you deify lager, speak English and revere HM Betty Windsor. Oh - that wildlife issue. We here in the UK are more used to relentlessly hunting down and killing our wildlife. Wildlife that fights back would probably be an interesting challenge. If all else fails, you can probably come to the UK as a bar tender or cricket coach. Don't forget to bring an umbrella and thick sweaters!
Comsat Angel Muse Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 648

7th November 2009, 03:27 PM	#101
GlennB Li'l darlin' Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arkadia Posts: 2,165	Originally Posted by applecorped "Some 700 million people worldwide, or more than all the adults of North and South America combined, think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence and want to permanently move to another country, a poll showed Tuesday. 700 million people want to emigrate on Tuesday?

7th November 2009, 06:37 PM	#102
davefoc Philosopher Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: orange country, california Posts: 5,517	Originally Posted by The Shrike I'm surprised Ireland isn't faring better here. Something negative I've overlooked about the Emerald Isle? I've been lucky enough to travel to quite a few countries in my lifetime. I've thought about what it might be like to live in each one of them and which one I'd choose. Ireland would be way up there for me. It was the friendliest place that I visited. The people have genuinely mastered the art of graciousness. We greatly enjoyed the food. I think it was the best I've had in Europe, although the Pizza in Italy was awesome. In our limited stay of about a week we never had a sunny day. It did occasionally clear to the point that the clouds only covered about half the sky but those were brief moments. But the rain was pleasant. We rarely get that kind of rain in California. At times it couldn't be distinguished from a heavy mist. The rain was common enough that it created bogs on the sides of hills which was certainly a different landscape than this California boy was used to. I think there are a few things that might knock it down for me: 1. It's not close to any major Metropolitan areas. I haven't seen Dublin but I occasionally like to visit the attractions of a big city and I don't think Dublin would quite measure up. 2. I enjoy the varied environment of California. There are alpine areas, beach areas, desert areas, rural, urban and suburban areas all within reasonable driving distances. 3. The weather. I enjoyed the climate as something interesting to experience, but I'm not sure I'd be real happy with it on a full time basis. I have also traveled quite a bit in the US. The only state that I've been in that I wasn't at least somewhat attracted to as a place to live was Texas. I've visited Dallas and Houston numerous times and I wasn't enthused. So assuming unlimited wealth where would I want to live? I don't know, maybe in a Beach House in Laguna. We live in Fullerton, California which is pretty much one more mundane suburb in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, but it's still a pretty nice place to live. The city seems well run. Crime is fairly low. There are a number of interesting attractions nearby including the hills that I like to hike through in Santiago Canyon and a mountain bike trail that I enjoy. There are plenty of readily accessible services nearby. And my immediate family is sprinkled around not too far from us. The weather is very good, although probably a bit warm for some. Still, I hope to have the chance to live a year or so in Europe within the next few years. I'd like to visit the home of my ancestors in Sweden and Norway and see the fjords. I'd like to have a chance to spend more time in Paris and London and maybe see some more of England and France and the rest of Europe that I've never had a chance to see.
	__________________ The way of truth is along the path of intellectual sincerity. -- Henry S. Pritchett Perfection is the enemy of good enough -- Russian proverb

7th November 2009, 07:18 PM	#103
arthwollipot The Accidental Podcaster Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: On the other side of your screen. Posts: 25,283	Originally Posted by Akhenaten Would you recommend Canberra? I would. Loved it to bits when I lived there. (Kaleen) I absolutely would. Unless you like bustling, busy cosmopolitan cities. Canberra only has a population of about 400,000, so if you like places like Hong Kong or New York it'll be pretty boring for you. Canberra's kinda partway between big-city and small-town. And the best part is that nothing's very far from anything else. It only takes 45min to drive from Gunghalin (far north) to Tuggeranong (far south). No, that's not the best part. This is.
	__________________ The Nonsense Podcast Features the LHC and multi-dimensional portals, The wonder herb Tribulus, the Catholic church and homosexuals, John Edward visits, some information on Wilhelm Reich and Orgone, we get to know Dave the Happy Singer plus more! What's an "arthwollipot"?

7th November 2009, 09:57 PM	#104
Prometheus Liver Donor Emeritus Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: North of Reality Posts: 24,698	I have a cousin who spends half the year studying Tango with girls in Argentina, and the other half teaching Tango to girls in Iceland. I think I might have liked that lifestyle had I thought of it when I was younger.
	__________________ "But then, I'm not a big one for signatures anyway. I can't think of many things that are so clever that they bear repeating in every single post I make." -- Tricky

8th November 2009, 02:17 AM	#105
Akhenaten Heretic Pharaoh Pither Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Pi-Broadford Australia Posts: 3,784	Originally Posted by lionking Australia's a hole with absolutely no redeeming features and wildlife sure to injure or kill you. Don't bother coming. I really can't work out what I'm still doing here. This helps Originally Posted by Damien Evans Haven't visited Redfern yet I see. Or Frankston. BTW, I didn't mean to rag Melbourne back up there ^, it's a great place and way up the list, but I think they guild the lily a bit sometimes. Originally Posted by arthwollipot I absolutely would. Unless you like bustling, busy cosmopolitan cities. Canberra only has a population of about 400,000, so if you like places like Hong Kong or New York it'll be pretty boring for you. Canberra's kinda partway between big-city and small-town. And the best part is that nothing's very far from anything else. It only takes 45min to drive from Gunghalin (far north) to Tuggeranong (far south). No, that's not the best part. This is. We share very similar views about Canberra. I want to visit New York City, but I couldn't keep up the pace of living there. Those pictures are magnificent. I'll post a request to you in the Australia thread to "host 'n' post" them there.
	__________________ Life is mostly Froth and Bubble - Adam Lindsay Gordon Last edited by Akhenaten; 8th November 2009 at 02:23 AM.

8th November 2009, 02:25 AM	#106
Akhenaten Heretic Pharaoh Pither Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Pi-Broadford Australia Posts: 3,784	Originally Posted by Prometheus I have a cousin who spends half the year studying Tango with girls in Argentina, and the other half teaching Tango to girls in Iceland. I think I might have liked that lifestyle had I thought of it when I was younger. I encounter a lot of top-halfers who work as ski instructors in Australia during the Northern Summer. You'll never convince me that living year-round in a ski resort could be all bad.
	__________________ Life is mostly Froth and Bubble - Adam Lindsay Gordon

8th November 2009, 07:54 AM	#107
learner Muse Join Date: May 2008 Location: A strange land Posts: 574	Well im going to Ireland, march/april 2010. I shall have my largest rucksack and will be walking with the sea to my left all the way around. I may take detours, may not, see how it goes. If im not back home in a year, il be staying. Maybe. Its a beautiful country sparsley populated with beautiful people. Until I get there of course.
	__________________ "I would give my right arm to be ambidextrous" - My Mate Dave " How do you expect me to use my initiative if you wont tell me what to do?" - Dave again

8th November 2009, 11:29 AM	#108
Antiquehunter Degenerate Gambler Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Usually, Vancouver BC; Currently Kabul, Afghanistan Posts: 2,527	I am a Canadian, working in Afghanistan for a company based in the UK. I could work in a variety of charming places - opportunities for me in Sudan, Palestine and Nigeria at the moment - if I chose to leave Afghanistan. Anyways - we recently sold our properties in Canada, liquidated all investments and bought a home in Chile, after spending 10 days there house hunting and doing some research. A practical decision based on treatment of globally earned income, quality of life and cost of living. 5 bedrooms, 3 baths 2500 sq ft beachfront an hour from Santiago for $165k. Western property ownership, relatively stable 'normal' government (if somewhat lefty), low crime, and no particularly wacky laws to cramp our style. Fair taxation based primarily on consumption. -AH.
	__________________ "If ignorance is bliss, why aren't there more happy people in the world?" -Stephen Fry, 2006 Last edited by Antiquehunter; 8th November 2009 at 11:38 AM. Reason: minor typo.

8th November 2009, 11:48 AM	#109
Ryokan Insert something funny here Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Norway Posts: 3,873	Originally Posted by Comsat Angel Welcome to England! How on Earth can 45 million people want to move to a country which has Such Crap Weather? For me - Finland. Love the irony!!
	__________________ Ryokan is an ex Resident Buddhist here, but I changed him. - yrreg I wouldnt blame dustin or Yrreg. You guys have demonised them enough because you cant counter their very valid arguments. - onemind You heard it here first, people! Ryokan admits to being a pedophile! - shemp

8th November 2009, 01:17 PM	#110
Akhenaten Heretic Pharaoh Pither Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Pi-Broadford Australia Posts: 3,784	Originally Posted by JJM 777 I would love to move around the globe every now and then. Yep that would be the best possible option. Variety. But it's not gonna happen because I am not rich enough to live and earn a decent living wherever I please and whenever I please. Originally Posted by Comsat Angel Welcome to England! How on Earth can 45 million people want to move to a country which has Such Crap Weather? For me - Finland. It's very cold for a lot of the time, which is great as I much prefer the cold. The locals are insular and tight-lipped, which is great as I am not Mr Chatty. They like their drink, which is great as so do I. They have wonderful architecture and unspoilt rural hinterland, which is great as I can appreciate both. And anywhere that produces Aki Kaurismaki gets my vote. You guys need to set up a time-share deal between yourselves.
	__________________ Life is mostly Froth and Bubble - Adam Lindsay Gordon

8th November 2009, 01:44 PM	#111
ProbeX Graduate Poster Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 1,184	Originally Posted by JJM 777 The Eastern Bloc is a very interesting place to visit nowadays, the commercial city centers are at least as luxurious, if not even more luxurious, than in Western Europe. I'd visit almost any place for a minute provided someone paid my way, including room and board plus meals. But truth is this area just doesn't interest me. And I say without sarcasm that I'm glad you find it enjoyable
ProbeX Graduate Poster Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 1,184	__________________ I promise to have faith. Just show me the evidence first.

8th November 2009, 01:51 PM	#112
parky76 Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 11,748	I would like to move to an America that has a social-market economy, Universal Health coverage, free college tuition, a small but strong military, and a foreign policy that values freedom WITH American values.
	__________________ "To doubt everything and to believe everything are two equally convenient solutions, both dispense with the need for thought" -Henri Poincare

8th November 2009, 01:52 PM	#113
applecorped Rotten to the core Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 5,487	Originally Posted by parky76 I would like to move to an America that has a social-market economy, Universal Health coverage, free college tuition, a small but strong military, and a foreign policy that values freedom WITH American values. What are American Values anymore?
	__________________ It's all in the mind.

8th November 2009, 01:59 PM	#114
Darat Lackey Administrator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: South East, UK Posts: 45,885	I always thought the phrase referred to "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"
	__________________ If it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart? - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 1918-2008

8th November 2009, 03:32 PM	#115
Foolmewunz Grammar Resistance Leader Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 9,825	Originally Posted by Antiquehunter I am a Canadian, working in Afghanistan for a company based in the UK. I could work in a variety of charming places - opportunities for me in Sudan, Palestine and Nigeria at the moment - if I chose to leave Afghanistan. Anyways - we recently sold our properties in Canada, liquidated all investments and bought a home in Chile, after spending 10 days there house hunting and doing some research. A practical decision based on treatment of globally earned income, quality of life and cost of living. 5 bedrooms, 3 baths 2500 sq ft beachfront an hour from Santiago for $165k. Western property ownership, relatively stable 'normal' government (if somewhat lefty), low crime, and no particularly wacky laws to cramp our style. Fair taxation based primarily on consumption. -AH. Vina?
	__________________ Ha! Foolmewunz has just been added to the list of people who aren't complete idiots. Hokulele Microsoft is NOT the Borg Collective... the Borg have better tech support. Eleri