A question for all you who made the big decision to live abroad.
Where did you go?
Why did you go?
What profession are you involved in?
What is your standard of living?
What do you miss about home the most?
What do you love about being away?
Anything else you'd like to add?
Sorry for all the questions....just find it fascinating
A question for all you who made the big decision to live abroad.
Where did you go? UK, Egypt, India, Switzerland
Why did you go? Thought there was more out there and was sick talking to Evening Herald readers . Dja know that sort of way? but I learnt later that it wasn't a Dublin thing because there are EH readers everywhere even at home.
What profession are you involved in? Finance
What is your standard of living? OK
What do you miss about home the most? The chilled out nature of the people, the light, not being around for big family events , missing out on championship matches. I would know far less about GAA 2002 to 2010 than 1992 to 2000
What do you love about being away? The languages and reading magazines in French or German, discovering other societies, ideas , food, talking to foreigners in their own language, seeing how things differ between Ireland and there.
A question for all you who made the big decision to live abroad.
Where did you go? America - Georgia and Florida for the most part, with a few years in Tennessee.
Why did you go? I Won a Green Card in the Diversity Lottery, shortly after leaving college. I was in a rubbishy job, with no qualifications that were worth a damm & little prospects....so why not?
What profession are you involved in? Retail store manager, wholesale gift sales, then 10 years as a restaurant manager.
What is your standard of living? When I was a restaurant manager, it wasn't great. I stayed in the industry as long as I did, as the craic & the friends I made, were only mighty. I regret staying in it as long as I did, as over all it had shit prospects, pensions, prospects for advancement etc etc. You don't think about it at the beginning, but you sure do after 10 years.
What do you miss about home the most? My family
What do you love about being away? This is going to sound really shallow, but it was the weather. Living in a hot weather climate for 9/10 months of the year makes such an amazing difference to your overall quality of life. Also loved the "can do" attitude of Americans. The petty begrudgery of the Irish really pisses me off.
Anything else you'd like to add? I moved back to Ireland in 2011. I was away for 17 years in total.
A question for all you who made the big decision to live abroad.
Where did you go? I moved to New York City first and then onto Florida 8 years later.
Why did you go? Ireland in the mid 80's, need I say more!
What profession are you involved in? Firefighter/Paramedic
What is your standard of living? Pretty good.
What do you miss about home the most? Family, friends and the community spirit. Ireland is home and always has been.
What do you love about being away? I love the winters in Florida, also the opportunities that exist here.
Anything else you'd like to add? We plan to move back to Ireland in a couple of years.
Good topic.
Where did you go? - England first, America later.
Why did you go? - England for University, intended to go back when I was done but then I didn't. Too many career opportunities in Manchester. Made the switch to America when I was hired by a California-based company who made me an offer I couldn't refuse.
What profession are you involved in? - Technology.
What is your standard of living? - Not wealthy, but comfortable.
What do you miss about home the most? - Family, and not much else TBH.
What do you love about being away? - Lifestyle. Freedom to wear what you like or take up any hobby you want without people looking at you like you're not wise.
Eammon I presume you mean software?
Not sure why the nerds where allowed to hijack a term that encompassed so much more than their own narrow field.
All great responses so far.......
Have always been massively impressed by those that have managed to carve out a life in a different part of the world....
The amount of successful Irish people in other parts of the world from as close as England to the USA or Australia is incredible......
A question for all you who made the big decision to live abroad.
Where did you go? Phoenix Arizona, from 1997 to 2001
Why did you go? Got an opportunity with work, and was offered Phoenix or Omaha. Took Phoenix :)
What profession are you involved in? IT. Was a developer at that time.
What is your standard of living? My standard of living over there was brilliant. Not rich, but good salary, renting with a pool, gym etc in the complex, and the weather, sports and golf were brilliant.
What do you miss about home the most? Family, friends, the GAA and the Irish people in general.
What do you love about being away? I loved seeing and experiencing the US. Played a bit of GAA over there too and got to experience DC, San Francisco, Chicago, Hawaii, Vegas etc. A great country. I also loved being Irish over in Arizona. It was like being a minor celebrity :)
Anything else you'd like to add? I'm home since 2001, and I miss Arizona a lot, however I'm delighted to be home as well and I wouldn't go back to live. I love this country and it's people.
Sorry for all the questions....just find it fascinating
Where did you go? Barcelona, Spain. 2015 -
Why did you go? Spoke a good bit of the language and always regretted not keeping it up after school where I was very good at it. Have family in the country. Opportunity came up within work and they footed the cost of the relocation. Girlfriend and I figured that if we didn't do it now, we never would.
What profession are you involved in? Finance.
What is your standard of living? Pretty good. My girlfriend is a solicitor at home and is able to do contracted freelance work from here. Once that picks up, we'll hopefully be laughing. Plan is that we live over here off my salary and anything she makes from teaching English (which is more than enough to get us by) and anything from her legal work will stay in a savings account at home. You also can't overestimate how much easier a warmer, drier climate encourages you to get out of the house and do things. Infrastructure over here in terms of transport is top notch which enables a lot. There are supermarkets everywhere and food is significantly cheaper than at home.
What do you miss about home the most? Family, friends, Irish sense of humour, people respecting personal space.
What do you love about being away? So far, everything. Particularly how cheap booze is compared to home.
Anything else you'd like to add? Don't have a defined plan for coming home but have said we'll suss things out after a couple of years and see what's next.
Quote from: gallsman on January 15, 2016, 10:01:57 AM
What do you miss about home the most? .........people respecting personal space.
This seems interesting and possibly annoying.
Can you give some examples of how it takes place?
Where did you go? England from 2001 to 2007.
Why did you go? To follow Liverpool.
What profession were you involved in? None. Ended up doing admin stuff which suited me fine.
What was your standard of living? I was living a studenty life for the first year but I was better off than when I met my wife from the second year onwards and acquired her staggering student debts then a mortgage we could ill afford. As per gallsman on another thread, home ownership is overrated.
What did you miss about home the most? I know it sounds corny, but it was hurling. I managed to get to quite a few Championship matches in my time away, but I missed going to League matches in front of a few hundred in Walsh Park.
What did you love about being away? I'm almost embarrassed to say it for fear of people scoffing at the notions I might hold of being some kind of latter-day Tom Crean, but I enjoyed being a foreigner. The little flickers of recognition of your accent, the lame attempts to ingratiate themselves ("my grandmudder was from May-oo, so I'm Iwish too!"), the gap between what they know about us and what we know about them . . . it was an everyday thing and I enjoyed (almost) all of it.
Anything else you'd like to add? If we won the lotto, England would be home.
Great topic and highly interesting.
I have never actually lived abroad for any sustained period of time and that is my one BIG regret in life. A really big regret I might add. Through work I have travelled extensively all over the world and I mean extensively and have visited all parts of the world so have experience of different cultures, languages and way of life in various other places. Travelled with work since early 90's and now 25 years later I really wish I would have taken up one of the offers to re-locate and give it a go somewhere else but I didn't take it.
Really like the west coast USA, Mid west USA, Queensland, The Florida region or even Middle east. Those places offer a great lifestyle, great weather, no language barriers as such and easy enough access back home if required.
All of Asia fascinates me but although I travelled there quite a lot it was in the 90's and it has only really blossomed as a continent in the last 15-20 years and would appear to be a great option in todays world.
Now I have family and the risk of change is too high and although it is something that the missus and I have discussed at numerous times I just feel that with teen children involved the risk is too high - we should have done it when they were nippers and taken the chance then as people always say that the younger they are the easier they will settle - maybe I am wrong and would be interested to hear from someone who moved with children who all were at school here before the emigration.
Moving is not easy, be it from here to abroad or from abroad back home again and I admire anyone who has taken that opportunity and made a good life for themselves - well done! I envy you big time.
Does Dublin count?
Is Laois not now part of Dublin?
Quote from: deiseach on January 15, 2016, 10:35:18 AM
Where did you go? England from 2001 to 2007.
Why did you go? To follow Liverpool.
What profession were you involved in? None. Ended up doing admin stuff which suited me fine.
What was your standard of living? I was living a studenty life for the first year but I was better off than when I met my wife from the second year onwards and acquired her staggering student debts then a mortgage we could ill afford. As per gallsman on another thread, home ownership is overrated.
What did you miss about home the most? I know it sounds corny, but it was hurling. I managed to get to quite a few Championship matches in my time away, but I missed going to League matches in front of a few hundred in Walsh Park.
What did you love about being away? I'm almost embarrassed to say it for fear of people scoffing at the notions I might hold of being some kind of latter-day Tom Crean, but I enjoyed being a foreigner. The little flickers of recognition of your accent, the lame attempts to ingratiate themselves ("my grandmudder was from May-oo, so I'm Iwish too!"), the gap between what they know about us and what we know about them . . . it was an everyday thing and I enjoyed (almost) all of it.
Anything else you'd like to add? If we won the lotto, England would be home.
Is you from novin island o suvin island?
I bet you drink Guinness duntcha
Quote from: seafoid on January 15, 2016, 11:58:26 AM
Is you from novin island o suvin island?
I bet you drink Guinness duntcha
;D
Quote from: deiseach on January 15, 2016, 11:59:46 AM
Quote from: seafoid on January 15, 2016, 11:58:26 AM
Is you from novin island o suvin island?
I bet you drink Guinness duntcha
;D
(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01417/AliG_1417588i.jpg)
I was always fascinated by other places as a child and when we went to France when I was 14 it like being in paradise.Everything was different and it seemed to be much more sophisticated. there was a big gap in living standards between Ireland and France then. I also though the people were of a higher standard, far away from the humdrum of Easht Galway.
And going to London at first was fabulous. There is a process of settling in that is a bit like falling in love. But it doesn't last.
Living abroad means you can do different stuff. Could be skiing or eating ut more or barbecuing 6 moments out of the year.
Now with kids I look at abroad a bit differently. What kind of values does the place have?
This is a big thing at the moment for me regarding Switzerland.
2 things. First is the attitude to handicapped people. There are none. They are all aborted. A friend of ours who was trying for a baby mid 40s had 3 abortions before the Wunschkind came along, And that really disturbs me. Because life is not about being perfect. It is about something else. And this board is closer to it.
Second is about refugees. CH wants them to pay to be safe in Switzerland.
One other thing about Ireland I would miss about being away is having the kids learning Irish. I want to give them the de Bhaldraithe dictionary when they are 21 so they know where they come from.
Quote from: seafoid on January 15, 2016, 12:12:33 PM
life is not about being perfect. It is about something else. And this board is closer to it.
Tony Fearon takes care of that for the board, fair play to him.
I suppose anywhere I've lived/worked more than 3 months.
Where did you go?
England
France
Netherlands
Italy
Switzerland
Germany
Japan
Australia
New Zealand
Mexico
Canada
USA
Venezuela
Brazil
Argentina
Cayman Islands
South Africa
Why did you go?
Study and work. My decision rather than necessity too.
What profession are you involved in?
IT
What is your standard of living?
Excellent as work either paid the living expenses or I earned a good rate. Even the standard of living was good at College compared to my friends at home.
What do you miss about home the most?
Not having the same network of friends to hang out and routine (although I could say the opposite now).
What do you love about being away?
Not having the same network of friends to hang out and being forced to meet people. Easy way to make new friends is to ask random girls out on dates; so it was a lot of fun.
Anything else you'd like to add?
If you are single with zero commitments, never turn down an opportunity to work abroad; and especially if someone else is paying. I know too many people my age who have never traveled and turned down various opportunities. I find it a bit depressing as there is way more to life than togging out on the bench to not play junior football ;)
Where did you go?England since 1989
Why did you go?Had been at QUB for 5 years and wanted to get out of Belfast - applied UK and Ireland and took the first job offered
What profession are you involved in?IT - analyst programmer
What is your standard of living?comfortable
What do you miss about home the most?Not having to repeat myself twice - ease of conversation and the shorthand we have with each other when you're brought up in the same culture
What do you love about being away?I've made good friends and have enjoyed myself - lived in London and Manchester so have enjoyed the opportunities that big cities give you.
Anything else you'd like to add?Was transferred to Dundalk 2000-2003 but work brought me back to England. The time in Dundalk crystallised what I missed when I went back to England. We're moving back this summer probably to Kildare where my wife has family.
A lot of people involved in I.T so far.....
Quote from: STREET FIGHTER on January 15, 2016, 02:05:49 PM
A lot of people involved in I.T so far.....
Yeah thats why most of them are on the GAA Board ;)
Quote from: illdecide on January 15, 2016, 02:10:14 PM
Quote from: STREET FIGHTER on January 15, 2016, 02:05:49 PM
A lot of people involved in I.T so far.....
Yeah thats why most of them are on the GAA Board ;)
Funny was going to say the same but didn't want to ruffle feathers lol....
Certainly offers a good opportunity to travel/relocate alright
Quote from: STREET FIGHTER on January 15, 2016, 02:12:07 PM
Funny was going to say the same but didn't want to ruffle feathers lol....
(http://www.quickmeme.com/img/5b/5b4905bb6ff5cefa4df953a7126e004c4d1702553634a6ee5432579b37c11073.jpg)
Quote from: Clinker on January 15, 2016, 10:17:33 AM
Quote from: gallsman on January 15, 2016, 10:01:57 AM
What do you miss about home the most? .........people respecting personal space.
This seems interesting and possibly annoying.
Can you give some examples of how it takes place?
It's pretty simple. Spanish people don't look where they're going, they don't make the same level of effort not to bump into you. Come to think of it, they have no concept of space at all, never mind personal space. They'll walk down an aisle in a shopping centre with a big trolley, leave it there and then walk three aisles away to find what they're chasing etc.
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on January 15, 2016, 04:26:10 AM
What do you love about being away? - Lifestyle. Freedom to wear what you like or take up any hobby you want without people looking at you like you're not wise.
The freedom to wear your leather hotpants or chaps while you're out shopping in San Francisco I presume
A question for all you who made the big decision to live abroad.
Where did you go? Reno, Nevada. Left home in 2002. Came back for to graduate in 2003 and returned to Reno in 2004. Been here since
Why did you go? Came for a year for college. Then there was a girl...
What profession are you involved in? Business Management/Development for Biotech and Pharma outsourcing
What is your standard of living? Solid, but we can't be reckless. There's college to pay for down the line. Cars are paid off. Falling apart, but paid off. Mortgage is slightly less than 1/4th of our monthly income for a 4 bedroom house, 1900 square feet.
What do you miss about home the most?
The cosyness of Irish life. No matter what time day or night I could just walk through my parents front door at home. People are a little more guarded here in that regards. There's no "dropping in for a cup of tea". Need to call etc..., even my wife's parents. I miss good stout. I miss good sausages and bacon and vegetable soup and toasties from the pub. I miss only having to pay 700-800 quid a year to play golf. Miss the football, club and county. I've missed pretty much every family wedding (and we have a big family), and the weddings of so many friends. I miss the Ulster Herald and the Irish News (but I am not going to pay for them)! I miss the middle of the road politics. Imagine that, missing Irish politics.
What do you love about being away?
I love the general positive attitudes of almost everyone I have met. The generosity of people has been overwhelming at times. Folks from all walks of life would open their doors to you here, the only requirement seems to be as long as you're a good spud - you're welcome. I love happy hour:-) and the weather. Reno is an amazing place, growing monthly. Cost of living is very reasonable, weather is phenomenal and the women are pretty.
Anything else you'd like to add?
Raising a child in America is daunting, but I have little choice, I can't abscond with her and take her home, although I'd love to and her stepmother (my wife) would move to Ireland in a "New York Minute". Having gone through both systems and been here since i was 21 I firmly believe that Irish kids are smarter leaving high school/grammar school but American kids are generally more dialed in in their college years. Maybe it was only me that f-ed around in college but the college kids here are driven and focused on post graduate degrees/courses/career paths from their first year in college and very rarely are letting the ball drop on their goals. Often times I regret being stuck here, but you have to let that go pretty quick. It's a great place to be stuck. From a travel home perspective, I wish I was geographically on the east coast, but all in all I am in a great place that I think is my home. Home Home will always be Ireland, but when you've spent the majority of your adult years somewhere with no plans to return you kind of have to think of it as home.
I'd encourage anyone to take the leap - just beware of the black velvet band.
Sorry for all the questions....just find it fascinating
Quote from: Puckoon on January 15, 2016, 04:43:09 PM
A question for all you who made the big decision to live abroad.
Where did you go? Reno, Nevada. Left home in 2002. Came back for to graduate in 2003 and returned to Reno in 2004. Been here since
Why did you go? Came for a year for college. Then there was a girl...
What profession are you involved in? Business Management/Development for Biotech and Pharma outsourcing
What is your standard of living? Solid, but we can't be reckless. There's college to pay for down the line. Cars are paid off. Falling apart, but paid off. Mortgage is slightly less than 1/4th of our monthly income for a 4 bedroom house, 1900 square feet.
What do you miss about home the most?
The cosyness of Irish life. No matter what time day or night I could just walk through my parents front door at home. People are a little more guarded here in that regards. There's no "dropping in for a cup of tea". Need to call etc..., even my wife's parents. I miss good stout. I miss good sausages and bacon and vegetable soup and toasties from the pub. I miss only having to pay 700-800 quid a year to play golf. Miss the football, club and county. I've missed pretty much every family wedding (and we have a big family), and the weddings of so many friends. I miss the Ulster Herald and the Irish News (but I am not going to pay for them)! I miss the middle of the road politics. Imagine that, missing Irish politics.
What do you love about being away?
I love the general positive attitudes of almost everyone I have met. The generosity of people has been overwhelming at times. Folks from all walks of life would open their doors to you here, the only requirement seems to be as long as you're a good spud - you're welcome. I love happy hour:-) and the weather. Reno is an amazing place, growing monthly. Cost of living is very reasonable, weather is phenomenal and the women are pretty.
Anything else you'd like to add?
Raising a child in America is daunting, but I have little choice, I can't abscond with her and take her home, although I'd love to and her stepmother (my wife) would move to Ireland in a "New York Minute". Having gone through both systems and been here since i was 21 I firmly believe that Irish kids are smarter leaving high school/grammar school but American kids are generally more dialed in in their college years. Maybe it was only me that f-ed around in college but the college kids here are driven and focused on post graduate degrees/courses/career paths from their first year in college and very rarely are letting the ball drop on their goals. Often times I regret being stuck here, but you have to let that go pretty quick. It's a great place to be stuck. From a travel home perspective, I wish I was geographically on the east coast, but all in all I am in a great place that I think is my home. Home Home will always be Ireland, but when you've spent the majority of your adult years somewhere with no plans to return you kind of have to think of it as home.
I'd encourage anyone to take the leap - just beware of the black velvet band.
Sorry for all the questions....just find it fascinating
Puckoon, was in Reno about 17-18 years and thought it was a great spot. Short stop over but was impressed. Appeared like a nice spot even then, obviously much better now I assume.
By the way, are you from Tyrone ??
Great Spot with a tremendous amount of outdoor activities. Lot of work going into tidying up the downtown "Strip" area which has been deteriorating since the 70s/80s.
From Omagh, Yup.
Quote from: Puckoon on January 15, 2016, 05:07:18 PM
Great Spot with a tremendous amount of outdoor activities. Lot of work going into tidying up the downtown "Strip" area which has been deteriorating since the 70s/80s.
From Omagh, Yup.
Did you say you played club & county...trying to work out who you are here ??
Club and Country. As in music :)
No, not even close to playing club and county (or country) I just miss the football. I'm just a regular guy, saving Gotham one day at a time.
That's right. I'm Batman.
Quote from: gallsman on January 15, 2016, 10:01:57 AM
You also can't overestimate how much easier a warmer, drier climate encourages you to get out of the house and do things. Infrastructure over here in terms of transport is top notch which enables a lot.
I second that. When you live in a warm weather climate, your life and lifestyle is so different. You just get out more and do more. After work in the US, I'd go to the pool, or go to a pool party, or have others over for a pool party, or go to a BBQ, or have a BBQ, or go to a Braves game or a Hawks game, or go out on a friends boat on the lake, or go for hike near the river, or meet friends for dinner. Eating is so cheap there, you could do it 3-4 times without much bother financially. Eating out is not just for special occasions the way it is here.
Now that I'm back, I find it depressing that for 9 months of the year, people just come home from work and settle in for the evening and watch telly, or go to the pub to watch the Man U game coz you don't have Sky. I love a typical Irish pub as much as the next person, but there's more to life than just going to the pub, or sitting home and watching Eastenders every night. I've become a terrible couch potato since I've been back and I resent that. :-[
Quote from: gallsman on January 15, 2016, 10:01:57 AM
Barcelona, Spain. 2015 - Infrastructure over here in terms of transport is top notch which enables a lot. There are supermarkets everywhere and food is significantly cheaper than at home.
Barcelona- the opposite of America
p.s. Barcelona is in Catalonia, not Spain. ask Gary Lineker
Don't even start.
I'm a bit unusual in that I traveled the world and drunk in Irish bars. Mixed with Irish people only pretty much.not deliberate but just the way it panned out. I could be mistaken and I know its cool to say u tried all three different things. The fact for me is that the craic is hard to bate. Walk into a bar where u don't know anyone and walk out with 5 best mates. Could only happen in an Irish bar.
Quote from: Beffs on January 16, 2016, 01:53:01 AM
Quote from: gallsman on January 15, 2016, 10:01:57 AM
You also can't overestimate how much easier a warmer, drier climate encourages you to get out of the house and do things. Infrastructure over here in terms of transport is top notch which enables a lot.
I second that. When you live in a warm weather climate, your life and lifestyle is so different. You just get out more and do more. After work in the US, I'd go to the pool, or go to a pool party, or have others over for a pool party, or go to a BBQ, or have a BBQ, or go to a Braves game or a Hawks game, or go out on a friends boat on the lake, or go for hike near the river, or meet friends for dinner. Eating is so cheap there, you could do it 3-4 times without much bother financially. Eating out is not just for special occasions the way it is here.
Now that I'm back, I find it depressing that for 9 months of the year, people just come home from work and settle in for the evening and watch telly, or go to the pub to watch the Man U game coz you don't have Sky. I love a typical Irish pub as much as the next person, but there's more to life than just going to the pub, or sitting home and watching Eastenders every night. I've become a terrible couch potato since I've been back and I resent that. :-[
Problem is tho, that because the food is cheap as chips in America the most of it is pure shite. You can get decent food but its pricey same as Ireland. I like to eat well, not even necessarily "healthy" (as in according to modern nutritionism) and find the best way to do that is eat at home.
Quote from: Mickey Linden on January 16, 2016, 08:18:22 PM
I'm a bit unusual in that I traveled the world and drunk in Irish bars. Mixed with Irish people only pretty much.not deliberate but just the way it panned out. I could be mistaken and I know its cool to say u tried all three different things. The fact for me is that the craic is hard to bate. Walk into a bar where u don't know anyone and walk out with 5 best mates. Could only happen in an Irish bar.
Regularly frequent Irish bars myself abroad but most that Ive been in have had no Irish people in them.
Quote from: foxcommander on January 15, 2016, 04:10:00 PM
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on January 15, 2016, 04:26:10 AM
What do you love about being away? - Lifestyle. Freedom to wear what you like or take up any hobby you want without people looking at you like you're not wise.
The freedom to wear your leather hotpants or chaps while you're out shopping in San Francisco I presume
;D
Socal not a pile better tho. But then in turn I can go to the shop looking like a hobo and nobody looks sideways.
Then again, arent the lady residents of Ireland's cities going to the shop in their pyjamas these days?
I wonder tho Eamonn if you started a Bay area road bowling club would you get much strange looks if you where shooting bullets down Lombard St? You'd probably need bigger hedges on it tho for a fair game
Sometimes I think that's it easy to forget what we have at home. In my local u see some random acts of kindness which are considered normal. Fellas delivering Sunday dinners, sponsoring an underage team, and a gang of lads going to visit someone in hospital with a hip flask full of brandy under their coats. Not sure u get it anywhere but home
Quote from: omaghjoe on January 16, 2016, 08:45:17 PM
Problem is tho, that because the food is cheap as chips in America the most of it is pure shite. You can get decent food but its pricey same as Ireland. I like to eat well, not even necessarily "healthy" (as in according to modern nutritionism) and find the best way to do that is eat at home.
That's not strictly true. It depends on what you eat. If you are stuffing burgers and fries, rich pasta dishes and pizza into your gob 3-4 times a week, you'll find yourself in trouble health and weight wise. I could eat great seafood & chicken dishes and great salads for very reasonable prices.
Quote from: Beffs on January 16, 2016, 11:59:55 PM
Quote from: omaghjoe on January 16, 2016, 08:45:17 PM
Problem is tho, that because the food is cheap as chips in America the most of it is pure shite. You can get decent food but its pricey same as Ireland. I like to eat well, not even necessarily "healthy" (as in according to modern nutritionism) and find the best way to do that is eat at home.
That's not strictly true. It depends on what you eat. If you are stuffing burgers and fries, rich pasta dishes and pizza into your gob 3-4 times a week, you'll find yourself in trouble health and weight wise. I could eat great seafood & chicken dishes and great salads for very reasonable prices.
As I said I wasnt necessarily talking about healthy, mainly that it is processed with artificial flavours and tastes like it. Your typical causal dining place in america is like this and that includes the salads with their shitty lettuce and their crappy dressing.
That's not saying there is no great cheap food in America because there is, usually genuinely ethnic stuff, but the more they try to cater to mainstream tastes the worse they usually get.
Food is fantastic in NYC. All budgets, all ethnicities, just great. Like a tour of the world within an hour of your gaff.
Quote from: omaghjoe on January 17, 2016, 12:18:13 AM
Quote from: Beffs on January 16, 2016, 11:59:55 PM
Quote from: omaghjoe on January 16, 2016, 08:45:17 PM
Problem is tho, that because the food is cheap as chips in America the most of it is pure shite. You can get decent food but its pricey same as Ireland. I like to eat well, not even necessarily "healthy" (as in according to modern nutritionism) and find the best way to do that is eat at home.
That's not strictly true. It depends on what you eat. If you are stuffing burgers and fries, rich pasta dishes and pizza into your gob 3-4 times a week, you'll find yourself in trouble health and weight wise. I could eat great seafood & chicken dishes and great salads for very reasonable prices.
As I said I wasnt necessarily talking about healthy, mainly that it is processed with artificial flavours and tastes like it. Your typical causal dining place in america is like this and that includes the salads with their shitty lettuce and their crappy dressing.
That's not saying there is no great cheap food in America because there is, usually genuinely ethnic stuff, but the more they try to cater to mainstream tastes the worse they usually get.
that is a problem everywhere imo. Cheap food gets flavor from sugar and salt. Decent food gets flavour from ingredients. Punters often go for the cheap because it is what they are used to.
Quote from: omaghjoe on January 15, 2016, 06:49:14 AM
Eammon I presume you mean software?
Not sure why the nerds where allowed to hijack a term that encompassed so much more than their own narrow field.
Good point. I think it's because Silicon Valley has evolved from being all about computer hardware (in the days when semiconductors were actually fabricated in the valley, nowadays it's all in Taiwan), to being all about software and the web (dot-com bubble times), and now it's moving into hardware with the likes of the Internet of Things, drones, wearables, autonomous cars, electric cars and so on. "Technology" is just a nice catch-all term for any engineering that has a big computing component.
Quote from: Beffs on January 16, 2016, 11:59:55 PM
Quote from: omaghjoe on January 16, 2016, 08:45:17 PM
Problem is tho, that because the food is cheap as chips in America the most of it is pure shite. You can get decent food but its pricey same as Ireland. I like to eat well, not even necessarily "healthy" (as in according to modern nutritionism) and find the best way to do that is eat at home.
That's not strictly true. It depends on what you eat. If you are stuffing burgers and fries, rich pasta dishes and pizza into your gob 3-4 times a week, you'll find yourself in trouble health and weight wise. I could eat great seafood & chicken dishes and great salads for very reasonable prices.
Yup, absolutely depends where you eat. I could eat out every day here and I could be more healthy or less healthy for it depending on where I go. Frankly these days I do a lot of my own cooking so at least I know what exactly's going into it. When I first landed here I was living in a motel for a month and ate an awful amount of garbage as well as the good stuff. My guts soon protested.
Quote from: tc_manchester on January 15, 2016, 02:00:54 PM
What do you miss about home the most? - Not having to repeat myself twice - ease of conversation and the shorthand we have with each other when you're brought up in the same culture
I found that fierce annoying when I got here. I'd gotten used to slowing down to make myself understood in England, but in the states I had to slow down again and change the vowel sounds just to make myself understood. I now find myself speaking in three tongues: one for when I'm talking to other Irish (full speed and accent), one for when I'm talking to yanks who know me and are used to me (bit slower), and one for total strangers (dead slow with adjusted vowels).
Quote from: foxcommander on January 15, 2016, 04:10:00 PM
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on January 15, 2016, 04:26:10 AM
What do you love about being away? - Lifestyle. Freedom to wear what you like or take up any hobby you want without people looking at you like you're not wise.
The freedom to wear your leather hotpants or chaps while you're out shopping in San Francisco I presume
Yes, quite.
How's Beavis these days?
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on January 17, 2016, 09:16:14 PM
Quote from: tc_manchester on January 15, 2016, 02:00:54 PM
What do you miss about home the most? - Not having to repeat myself twice - ease of conversation and the shorthand we have with each other when you're brought up in the same culture
I found that fierce annoying when I got here. I'd gotten used to slowing down to make myself understood in England, but in the states I had to slow down again and change the vowel sounds just to make myself understood. I now find myself speaking in three tongues: one for when I'm talking to other Irish (full speed and accent), one for when I'm talking to yanks who know me and are used to me (bit slower), and one for total strangers (dead slow with adjusted vowels).
:)
Like a big thick Tyrone monkey I persist like a gud un with my accent. When asked to repeat something I do so in the same voice, maybe slower, if we hit a brick wall with a certain word I pronouce it in as nasally of an American accent I can muster ;D All good craic the yanks take it well.
I dont think half the people understand word for word what I am saying but they can generally get the concept I am trying to project to them.
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on January 17, 2016, 08:58:15 PM
Quote from: omaghjoe on January 15, 2016, 06:49:14 AM
Eammon I presume you mean software?
Not sure why the nerds where allowed to hijack a term that encompassed so much more than their own narrow field.
Good point. I think it's because Silicon Valley has evolved from being all about computer hardware (in the days when semiconductors were actually fabricated in the valley, nowadays it's all in Taiwan), to being all about software and the web (dot-com bubble times), and now it's moving into hardware with the likes of the Internet of Things, drones, wearables, autonomous cars, electric cars and so on. "Technology" is just a nice catch-all term for any engineering that has a big computing component.
>:( One of my pet hates Eamonn that anything computer based is called "technology", there is other feckin technologies!!!!
Just as bad in Socal with anything movie based called "the industry", there's other feckin industries!
>:(
Arggh cringe when I hear it!
Rant over ;)
Quote from: STREET FIGHTER on January 14, 2016, 09:08:11 PM
A question for all you who made the big decision to live abroad.
Where did you go? LONDON
Why did you go? JOB OFFER
What profession are you involved in? THEN FINANCE NOW CIVIL ENGINEERING
What is your standard of living? COMFORTABLE
What do you miss about home the most? GUINNESS WAS SHITE WHEN I FIRST MOVED. (1988) SPOT ON NOW
What do you love about being away? PEOPLE MINDING THEIR OWN BUSINESS, GREATER OPPORTUNITIES
Anything else you'd like to add?
Moved back in 2003 (been commuting since) so kids could be schooled in Ireland. Once they're off our hands we'll be away again. On the language thing the worst for me was on the phone, had to slow way down and remember every other word doesn't have to be a profanity.
Sorry for all the questions....just find it fascinating