[wagurto]

Hi friends, As you know things are not very well in USA. I am thinking to relocate my family and me to another country. Since you are all over the world I would like to ask you how is your city? is the economy up and strong? are there work opportunities? How is the construction industry? active and growing? are the average salary enough to pay for living espenses?
Thanks for your information it is really appreciated.

[Hervé]

... for Europe... I'd say... Ireland (maybe), Luxembourg... but if you're American, you'll need a special visa... the rest of the world.. no idea..

one thing I do know... forget France... low low low for now...

[mverta]

All I can say is if you were born and raised here, you're going to learn real quick just how good you had it. The only American ex-patriots I know who are just as happy are billionaires; they can basically re-create America wherever they go.

_Mike

[Hervé]

Right... that's one thing to consider.. you'll need a pile of cash to relocate... the more the better.. Billionaires..?. he he... Millionaire is ok... I think..

BTW, you can only re-create America around you IF you're a Hollywood Star... if you're not.. don't... you'll get in trouble..

[hyltom]

As Mverta say it, if you can accept to forget the american standard living, and then if you are happy to live where there is nothing to do, where you face new and unknow disease every year, where you can't be understood by other, where there is earthquake (sometime) or flood...so come to china

At least, life is cheap, you can win good money, restaurant every day, cheap massage, cheap beer, copy of everything for 1/10 of the price (DVD cost $1 (copy one) but you can't find real one anyway ), easy girl (for who is interested)...so come to china

oh and i forget....i'm looking to relocated too

[Hervé]

ahaha.. esay girls... hehe.. La fermière... hehe

[hyltom]

ahaha.. esay girls... hehe.. La fermière... hehe

Don't say to my wife that i have said this, she will beat me and as all chinese she knows kung fu...i can't compete

[Hervé]

Glad to know there is a "Madame Hyltom"...

so tell me.. where do you plan to relocate..? back to Europe..?

[hyltom]

Glad to know there is a "Madame Hyltom"...

so tell me.. where do you plan to relocate..? back to Europe..?

Do you ask this to me or to Wagurto?

Personnaly, i'm aware of all proposal. Now i'm looking for some job in Europe (UK, Spain, Italy, Holland, Germany) but i'm also interested to go to Australia, Japan can be a possibility as well as Korea. But i think i mostly want to be more close to my familly. They are living in south of France (montpellier) so Barcelona, Lyon can be some good location for me as an industrial designer. Anyway, it's not an easy case. I have a two year old son and i want him to have a good education (know to speak Chinese, French, English at least) so finding school where he can learn all that is not easy. So now even if we want to relocated, we are stick to China...maybe i will just relocated to the neighbor street .

[Hervé]

was asking to you... hehe..

Hey Montpellier... ! Mihai's town too.. and my son is in Montpellier at University... very cool city !

Japan sounds good.. I am working for a Japanese Co. right now... very nice people.. !

[hyltom]

Before moving to China 8 year ago, i was living in Montpellier (form 8 to 19 year old) then i move to Paris for my studies during 3 years, then Lyon for one year, then back to Montpellier for one year. And as i couldn't find a good job in France, so i accept a proposal in China. China is a good place, but it's hard to find some activities (leisures)...week end are often boring and i miss a little bit the south of France, the sun, the beach, the sea, the food, the warbling of the cicada during hot summer. Now it's just some nice souvenir. I haven't see all that in 8 years (chinese company only allow you to take long vacation during chinese new year...not the best time of the year to go back to montpellier).

[Hervé]

I can feel you're really missing the good things here...

... so 8 years full in China.... well.. I'm sure $ is good...

well..; welcome back if it's your plan... (but in your head it is already right..?) ..... the sun, the beach, the sea, the food, the warbling of the cicada during hot summer...

@+


BTW, my son says the city rocks, and plenty of things to do.. he's also an occasional DJ now in Montpellier.. hehe..

[hyltom]

The money i make is good for living in China, for sure my life here is really pleasant. To give you and to wagurto (if he is thinking about coming here) an idea, i easily can save 2/3 of my salary every month. I can afford stuff 5 time faster then in France. But as Mike said, living in a less "developed" country and culturally different is not easy.

[Thomas An.]

Wagurto,

If one is to relocate, they should do it on the basis of ideology *not* on the basis of the economy. Being in an environment of like mindedness contributes more to a long term well being than dry wealth.

I know people that can never be happy in the US for reasons they feel it is too conservative overall and a bit ideologically shallow. From my personal experience I felt Greece was religiously suffocating and so moved 20 years ago only to find myself in a puritanical society of a different kind. Promoting wasteful and unsustainable methods of life with policies governed by shallow corporate interests.

The financial matter is merely an idea. Your size of wealth is only a variable of the size of your perception of "need" ... and perceptions are alterable and fickle. To prove how wasteful this society really is I have personally contacted a test and have been able to sustain on $12k a year (saving over 70% of income) and then watch others around make as much or more and live paycheck to paycheck ... they scale their income but they also scale their expenses only to live in perpetual misery ...

... it is baffling ... have we just become so spoiled ?

[kami]

If one is to relocate, they should do it on the basis of ideology *not* on the basis of the economy. Being in an environment of like mindedness contributes more to a long term well being than dry wealth.

I can totally agree with Thomas. I wouldn't move only because economy isn't good at the moment. then you'd find yourself moving around every five years ... it's more a question of where you feel yourself at home. it has also a lot to do with the people, the mentality, the culture etc. of the country.