Guest Fraser Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 I don't feel Australian, I don't understand their mentality and never really have but have really tried. I took out citizenship in an effort to feel more connected, but it didn't work. I simply don't understand what everyone else sees here. When I look around all the suburbs look the same, some cities are greener than others and that's about it. I suppose I may just have landed lucky. I got a good job when I landed, and got befriended pretty quickly by an ex-pat pom, a second generation Scot and a second generation italian... I have a long connection with the Scouts, and made contact with the local Scout Group, and after 7 years became group president.... throug which I made other friends and contacts (including the local Police Sargeant!) The place I work is also really multinational We have 1 ex-pat Scot (me) two English, 1 French, 2 Phillipinos, 1 Singaporean, 1 second generation German, 1 Second generation Macedonian, ..and a bunch of mongrel Australians decended from who knows where... but all in all a happy bunch. I miss the feeling of belonging to something. I feel I belong and connect to England. In my mind when I go back England (Somerset) the country says 'welcome back' but Australia says to me 'you still here?' Somerset is magnificent country. I spent a short while around Yatton way back in the early 80s.... ....mind you... that I saw through a haze of beer and cider.... and local bread & cheese but strangely enough, Somerset was a place where (for me at least) it was easy to be an outsider. I lived in the West Midlands for a while (Stourbridge, just south of Dudley & Wolverhampton) and worked for a while in Liverpool and in Wales...all of which I took to better... or maybe took to me better, I dunno. Anyway...I hope things work out for you in the fullness of time, either here, there, or wherever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SuzieQ Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 Fraser, thanks for all your positive input, its good to hear how you have settled but you are realistic at the same time. Please keep posting. IanL - seems like you have had some bad times. Cities are lonely places at the best of times, even beautiful Sydney. Before you move on why not try another city. Feeling like you don't belong is very unsettling but are you sure England really offers what you think it does. How long did you stay earlier this year? Was it really enough for you to get a flavour of what is going on here. Globalisation has affected all westernised countries, nowhere is eutopia, including OZ. I guess it depends on what you are looking for. Good Luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest IanL Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 IanL - seems like you have had some bad times. Cities are lonely places at the best of times, even beautiful Sydney. Before you move on why not try another city. Feeling like you don't belong is very unsettling but are you sure England really offers what you think it does. How long did you stay earlier this year? Was it really enough for you to get a flavour of what is going on here. Globalisation has affected all westernised countries, nowhere is eutopia, including OZ. I guess it depends on what you are looking for. Hi Suzie, Trying another city has been suggested, and is something we'll consider. I think England offers 'me' what I'm looking for but it doesn't suit my wife We stayed 3 mths in England, which is not enough I know. My wife thinks that a great life can be had in the UK by either living in London, say Embankment or having a nice country cottage, but as she said 'who can afford that'? It's like thinking you'll buy a house on Sydney's northern beaches, you won't unless you're well heeled. She can't see where the benefit is in having an 'ordinary' life in England. And I can understand that as she has no emotional attachment to England at all. So we move on together. I guess we came back to Sydney because I have so many work contacts here and have a pretty good reputation for what I do so I knew I could get work fairly easily. Plus we knew this would be the quickest way to recoup what we lost on the move (approx $30k in shipping and 'lost' savings due to not earning). We've done that and more now, so we'll evaluate in the next year after our Canadian trip and see where we want to be. If it was Oz, I guess Melbourne as it feels much more European down there. We're like a couple of orphans rattling around in Sydney, no family at all. Sad thing is there are loads of couples like us in Sydney . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spray21 Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Ian - sorry to hear you are so down. I'm in Somserset at the moment, and it is pretty miserable! Chucking it down, as it was last night, and the day before, and probaby tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest IanL Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Thanks Spray. Maybe I'm in the wrong site :lol: , all my posts seem to be negative, but I've been here a long time and have been through a pretty full range of circumstances. I try and be straight down the line about what it's like here, but of course we can only speak of our own experiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Missiemo Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 Thanks Spray. Maybe I'm in the wrong site :lol: , all my posts seem to be negative, but I've been here a long time and have been through a pretty full range of circumstances. I try and be straight down the line about what it's like here, but of course we can only speak of our own experiences. Hi Ian Maybe you should come and try Melbourne, they call Mornington little Devon, becaues of the british element, maybe you would feel more at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest IanL Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 Maybe you should come and try Melbourne, they call Mornington little Devon, becaues of the british element, maybe you would feel more at home. Hi Mo, This option will loom larger on our radar next year I think because even if we loke Canada as far as I can understand it can take 4yrs or so to get a visa, so we'll have to do something in the mean time :wink: We like Melbourne quite a bit. Especially the little side streets and 'Euro' feel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Missiemo Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 Maybe you should come and try Melbourne, they call Mornington little Devon, becaues of the british element, maybe you would feel more at home. Hi Mo, This option will loom larger on our radar next year I think because even if we loke Canada as far as I can understand it can take 4yrs or so to get a visa, so we'll have to do something in the mean time :wink: We like Melbourne quite a bit. Especially the little side streets and 'Euro' feel. Hi Ian All my family live in Canada, it is beautiful. We applied to migrant to Canada in November 2002, we heard from Australia first so decided to come here, we left the visa application running for Canada and to date (two years next month) have heard nothing, we have friends who applied three years ago and also have not heard anything, so yes the waiting time is very long. Chin up Ian, I really hope things get better for you, I an sure there will be light at the end of that tunnel. Take Care Mo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hayley Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 Hello all, Just thought I would join on this post. I have moved out with my hubby. We waited for our visa for what felt like ages and kept thinking of what a wonderful life we were coming to, and yes it is great down here, weather is fab, people friendly, houses big, things cheaper but nothing can replace the family you have left behind and once youv'e got over the initial sight seeing your life gets into the same routine as it would at home. I am glad that i have come here and am going to have a great time whilst i'm here but I don't think I will settle here permenantely. Maybe i will get over being homesick soon!! :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SuzieQ Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 Hayley, You haven't even been there a month, you're bound to feel homesick!!! Anyone expecting to feel right at home after such a short time will be very disappointed. If after a couple of years you still feel the same then maybe its not right for you but don't forget why you left and what you have come to. Your new friends will become your new family and that will develop over time. Its early days. I sincerely hope you give it your best shot. All the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spray21 Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 Hayley - my suggestion would be that you make every effort to get your favourite family members to move out too! Or if that is not realistic (!) then make some plans to have them visit after six months or a year. That way you know you will not lose touch, you can talk to them regularly to plan the visit, and when they have seen your new home first hand it will not seem as far away to them either. Glad to hear that everything else is going well for you though! (Ian - it's p*ssing it down again in Somerset, it's already dark, and the clocks haven't even gone back yet!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest IanL Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 Ian - it's p*ssing it down again in Somerset, it's already dark, and the clocks haven't even gone back yet!) Ahh perfect. I pray for cool temps and rain 8) Although last weekend here was very cool, perfect for me, I said to my wife 'why can't it be like this all the time'? and she said 'because you live in Australia'! For which I didn't have an answer :lol: (told you she was logical :wink: ) Here's one thing I really miss, I don't know why, just do. But I miss the shimmer of the streetlights reflected in the wet ground in the mornings or evenings, we never seem to get that here. Which seems a strange thing to miss, especially when you're a cyclist! :shock: I met a woman today who's husband is from Wiveliscombe (sp) but I can't remember where that is, nr Taunton? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spray21 Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 I know Wivvy! It's sort of indirectly inbetween Taunton & Tiverton. Lovely little place. Probably under water at the moment - they've been issuing weather warnings and everything this morning! I was just saying to someone how one of the things I want from the future is to live somewhere warm! I suppose I might live to regret it, but I'm sure looking forward to giving it a go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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