Have You Ever Lived Abroad?
If so, where? Sometimes I daydream about living in Southeast Asia where its warm and the cost of living is cheap.
shareIf so, where? Sometimes I daydream about living in Southeast Asia where its warm and the cost of living is cheap.
shareYes.. Been to Europe 5 times (once for 4-5 months)... Asia for one month.. And Australia twice (6 months and 3 months)... Many trips across North America.
If you are thinking about it - do it! Before it's too late.. You only live once, and there might be a time you are too old, or too busy with a career, family, or not having the money anymore.. Max out credit cards, take student loans and never pay them back.
Lived Abroad? No. Been Abroad? Yes.
I have been to New Zealand, Greece and Turkey. I live in Australia BTW.
the continent is called Oceania.
shareThe Greek Islands sound good about now. And I love octopus! All Mediterranean cuisine is appealing to me.
shareI've tried octopus. It's fantastic!
shareDone right, it is truly a delicious piece of seafood. The Portuguese restaurant I get it at, they lightly boil it and then finish it off on the grill with olive oil and other spices. I've tried this method using squid which is plentiful and cheap around here, but it always comes out tough.
shareAegina is nice, and very close!
(Rent a motorbike or a 4-wheeler and ride around!)
I was born in ireland but grew up in australia, so had no memory of ireland. I went back for 8 months at 23 years of age. It was actually a bit of a culture shock, living in a country that does things differently, and the weather, etc. I grew to like it by springtime but boy was winter depressing.
I've lived also in Argentina. About 8 months. My spanish was advanced enough to understand and converse with people. It was a great experience. After that I moved to Los Angeles for about a year. It was strange at first because english was the language I spoke to people I knew but in public I was so used to speaking spanish. So I'd bump into people and say 'permiso'. I even got on a bus and said 'hasta hollywood', meaning 'I'm travelling until Hollywood Boulevard'. My brain had sort of rewired itself. It took about a week to snap out of that but I could converse in spanish with all the locals. I was talking to one and said I'd just arrived from argentina and he asked how I crossed the border! LOL I took that as a compliment that my spanish was good enough to fool someone that I'm actually latino.
Could you tell me about the cultural shock? Specifically?
shareWell I had this nice image of Ireland in my head but I stayed with my gran in downtown dublin, and the people there were scum. They yell out at strangers. The kids run amuck. They throw their trash on the streets. It really was a degenerate area where my family came from, which was sad.
Then there was my extended family. Lots of cousins but only two uncles really did anything for me and my brother. The rest were cold. Unwelcoming.
Then the retail experience. People aren't friendly in stores. In supermarkets the cashier has a seat and they scan without asking how you are.
So I had this idea of Ireland and it was really shocking how it didn't match up.
Me and my brother eventually moved to a seaside village about 30 minutes away from Dublin city. It was the "south side" where it is more upperclass. People were a lot friendlier and more mannered.
That move changed my perception. There are nice parts. But the city centre of dublin really is a low class place.
Thanks for your response.. As a fellow traveler, I always want to hear more stories to have a more solid perspective.
Why do you think the south side of Dublin was friendlier? Have you heard from other people (not including your brother) about Ireland?
I spent 6 months and then again 3 months in Australia, and it's funny when you mentioned experiences in retail, I actually thought Australians were a little more closed off, didn't smile as much, but in the US, the first thing you are told is how smiles brings in more $$$, but I guess I'd rather have a fake smile than a frown, but my experiences in Australia were good, but as I'm typing I'm remembering this one time me and a guy kinda bumped as I was walking down to the train platform (he was walking up), and the first thing he said was "Go back to your own country you illegal!" and i thought "He hasn't even heard my voice, I could be Australian".
I have been to the UK, but only London, and it wasn't as friendly as Melbourne, but I also keep in mind how fast-paced London was, while Melbourne isn't such a big city... I liked it more than Sydney, but some of that had to do with the people, or being a lot more familiar.... I always wanted to go to Scotland or Ireland after seeing all those amazing photos of green. I imagined myself all alone in one of those pictures, feeling like I was in my own world.
I also think there is more dehumanization all over the world with these things you describe -- scanners, technology that separates people.. I went to a fast food place, and there were 4 machines between the entrance and the counter (2 steps) where you could order your food if you have a credit card. Of course, there's already problems with retail with so many people purchasing online.... In a span over more than a decade, I could tell the differences everywhere I went -- less interaction among strangers, which can be frustrating if you traveled thousands of miles to talk to random people and trying to learn and underst
American retail and dining customer service is much better. Like subway USA they say "welcome to subway!" as you enter. That doesn't happen here.
South side Dublin is a different culture. More upper class. More mannered. If I had to live in Dublin I'd love south side. Towns like Dun lagohaire and Dalkey are very beautiful. Very expensive however.
Do you think it is natural, or are they well-mannered because it is an expensive restaurant and people demand the best.
share"Then the retail experience. People aren't friendly in stores. In supermarkets the cashier has a seat and they scan without asking how you are."
So do you tell the truth when they do ask you?
Reminds me of my dad. Born in Sicily, moved to America and went back in his early 20's.
I've got a little bit of Irish blood, along with English, Scottish and Italian. I guess that makes me a pure American mess.
I watch a lot of Italian movies (I also have some Italian blood, as well as close relatives who were born in Italy) and I notice prejudice towards people from Sicily, calling them Arabs (or worse)... I also notice the use of the term "Abyssinian".. In another movie, there was a man from Sicily traveling north, and when they were organizing the strike, this poor man from Sicily kept going to work, and every new work day, the name kept becoming worse...
I find it odd, because they don't seem to say this towards people from Spain, who all have Arab blood.. There's been SO much war, rape, etc., throughout millions of years, this race baloney means nothing (inside).
Ya I've always heard that people from the mainland have always thumbed their nose at Sicilians. Bastards. You don't really see it with the Italian population here in in America, or at least not that I've seen. And I agree, this race crap is simply tiring in this day and age. Where someone is from seriously means nothing to me.
I agree -- for me, actions define a person. Past that, I guess someone's taste in movies and music, and their sense of humor..
A few days ago, I was reading a Cassavetes biography, and he said how Italians in Italy are divided by many things, but in the US, in Little Italy for example, they share a common bond in the US and get along by language and traditions.
yea i been to 6 continents so far. applied for a job in antartica to hopefully knock out that 7th
shareYou scientist or something or did you apply for a support position. Desolate places have always intrigued me.
sharenaw i wish i was a scientist. they get the coolest jobs down there. i signed up for a room coordinator job and a janitor position. hope i get the job
shareHere's a book I read that might interest you.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/368563.Alone
Looks interesting, thanks for the recommendation
shareWow, that's great! I wish you all the best, and can't wait to hear about your story in Antarctica!
P.S. I (and many others) would probably love to hear about all your stories. If someone was to ask about each continent, what would you say about them? Any stories you wish to share? I don't know anyone who travels, so your first-hand information you give us is more valuable than anything you can search online.
Australia, Africa, and Europe are all pretty awesome but my favorite continent is South America. Columbia, Peru, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, Panama, and Bolivia are the countries i managed to visit down there after i dropped out of college in 2016. Made three trips down there since 2016. Every country is very unique and beautiful in its own way. its kinda dangerous over there but very lively. I feel South America is the opposite of Asia. I spend 4 months in South Korea and although i never felt scared for my safely I found myself very bored with all the rules. South Koreans are very nice and friendly people but the culture is not very cool. People follow the rules of law by the books and care very much what society thinks of them. Drugs like weed cost 100 bucks a gram and can land u 2 years in jail for just a small amount. People drink like fish and smoke like chimneys but wouldnt ever dare break the law and do anything illegal. South America is the polar oppisite of places like South Korea and other asian countries. Its a wild world down there where rules are meant to be ignored and broken. Much more fun but much more chaotic and dangerous. I spend 2 weeks in Philippines and enjoyed it there much more than South Korea but it had many aspects of asian culture that where the same. I visited my moms cousin in South Africa when i was 8 years old in 2003 before it went downhill over there. That is probably my favorite country. Very magical place with all the wildlife but like may places in South America also very dangerous. My favorite travel experience would have to be South Africa because of the age i was at the time made it so cool. One day i want to go back there. Such a amazing place. One of the greatest gifts my mom gave me was taking me to cool places as a kid. Never appreciated it that much when i was young but now that i am older and wiser i realized that travel is the best thing to spend money on. Rest in peace mom, thanks for all the great adventures
shareI lived on the island of Okinawa for awhile when I was young. I remember weed being openly smoked by taxi drivers while transporting passengers. I used to attend habu/mongoose fights (which are now banned) for entertainment. The habu is a large, poisonous snake abundant there and an integral part of the culture.
sharehahaha Okinawa sounds a lot more awesome than South Korea
shareVery interesting and thanks... There's this one American guy who moved to China, and uploads videos regularly. He said no one in China follows the rules (while those in Japan did).
(I don't like rules, either... except for rules of the road)
Lived on her ? I barley knew her .
shareWhen I was 20 I quit my awful job. I only had £500 savings but I went and booked the first flight to Europe I could get. Ended up in crete, working in a bar and living in a room In the basement of a hotel right on the beach. It was amazing 🤗. Stayed for 6 months then went home, I had met so many great people and when I got back everyone was the same old boring 🙄
shareI've never even been abroad. Sheltered life, I guess. And no courage; although, to be fair, finances are part of it, and the US is so big that there's plenty of places to visit right here. But I love hearing from folks who have stepped out of their comfort zone and lived in a foreign country.
shareYour right about there being an endless amount of places to visit in the US. I'd like to visit either the Rocky Mountains or the Sierra Nevadas in the Summer.
I've driven through the Rockies several times. I'll never forget the first time I saw them. I was driving from Minnesota to Arizona to visit my sister. I couldn't believe the dramatic change in the geography as I left Nebraska and got into Colorado. It was awesome!
shareI've actually skied at Vail, which was amazing, but I didn't really get to experience the mountains outside of the one location. We mostly stayed in the resort area. My brother actually lives in the Boulder, so I have no excuse not to visit!
shareLucky you! I skied in my youth, but never got to ski Colorado. I did some places in Upper Michigan, western Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Snowbowl in Flagstaff, AZ.
share