australia/usa - where would you live? (credit card, unemployment benefits)

[xavierob82]

The USA.

It is the far more interesting country of the two.

[oz in SC]

I would say the USA is a lot more varied in geography than Australia,however it is also home to 300 million people.

Australia has a population of around 20 million and an area almost the same size as the continental US....

Australia would be a great place to lose yourself if you wanted to.

[DDevil]

Originally Posted by tropical87

The concept of professionals from overseas working in blue - collar jobs in Australia has to do with the fact that many overseas qualifications are not recognised in Oz and it is a painfully long process to get overseas qualifications certified in Oz.

Correct, but it does not make sense at all.
Example: HR industry and IT industry.
A lot of Indians get their qualification recognized for both these industries and work in the US, but Australia just doesn't want to recognize them.

We knew geologists from The Philippines and Dentists from China working as waiters and guards, but they earn more money that way and/or the pay-offs are better to live in Oz working blue collar jobs that white collar jobs in the third world.

Wrong.
The reason why they stick around with the blue collar job in Oz is because they have already sold all their assets in their home country and made significant expenditures in getting to Oz and setting up home all over again.

If they were to again relocate back to their home country, it would be another significant expenditure.
Plus, there is always hope of finding a job based on their qualifications, because it is hard to believe that a "developed 1st world country" would have this kind of red tape.

[fourx]

Originally Posted by oz in SC

I would say the USA is a lot more varied in geography than Australia,however it is also home to 300 million people.

Australia has a population of around 20 million and an area almost the same size as the continental US....

Australia would be a great place to lose yourself if you wanted to.

You would have to be freinds with an expert forger to do it...everything, from something as basic as renting a post office box, requires multiple ID- driving license, medicare card, to open a bank account, take out a lease...as well as the obvious ones like welfare and enroling your child in school.
And voting is compulsary, even for local government- with a fine if you don't.

[oz in SC]

I meant to not be involved.

I looked at a property in Australia online,it was 40 miles from a town of 4000,it was up a road into the mountains and you had to cross several fords to get there....

In other words,you could not be seen if you didn't want to be.

By the way,I like your name...

I know it is compulsory to vote,I remember my father got in trouble once for not.

[billsaintkilda]

Originally Posted by Audrey Ann

Off topic billsaintkilda, but we we spent 5 fantastic days in London!! What an easy city to get around, imo.

Yeah the tube is fantastic. I got rid of my car because I wasn't driving it anywhere. London's a great city. I find living here a little hectic though. I like to get out and see some of the beautiful countryside.

[Mariaa65]

I search dauguhter my aunti teresa wrobel.joan m.young of oueensland,australia

[moonshadow]

So anyways, having thoroughly enjoyed my North American trip, now that I'm fully informed and experienced I'd say either or.

I wouldn't live in LA, but then I knew that anyway, but I really enjoyed Washington state and Seattle is a very liveable city. I found it very comparable to Melbourne, although thankfully it's not become as rabid....yet.

Vancouver was great, very pretty but I'm not sure I'd want to live there.

So far Washington state looks very nice for relocating, supposing I ever did. I doubt it would be very much different to living here in Melbourne.

I'm looking forward to seeing a little of the east coast US now and comparing that to home.

[§AB]

Originally Posted by moonshadow

So anyways, having thoroughly enjoyed my North American trip, now that I'm fully informed and experienced I'd say either or.

I wouldn't live in LA, but then I knew that anyway, but I really enjoyed Washington state and Seattle is a very liveable city. I found it very comparable to Melbourne, although thankfully it's not become as rabid....yet.

It might be because both cities have the same climate.

[tigerlillydownunder]

Wow, this is a tough one.

As an American who lived in USA for 30 years, and now having lived in a few spots in Oz, I don't think I could possibly decide without weighing up the pro's and con's first (all in good humour, of course!) :

USA--in particular, KY, since that's where I'm from!
Pro's--in no certain order
1. Non-compulsary voting
2. 24/7 shopping practically everywhere! lol
3. Cheaper costs of goods
4. Free refills on drinks at most family restaraunts
5. Much better selection of clothing for full figured women
6. The mail runs 6 days a week
7. Noticeable differences in the change of seasons (if you're from say, the Midwest/Northeast USA; probably not so much if you're from S-west/S-east...)
8. You can have a cold weather Christmas, if you so desire
9. Appears to be somewhat easier to enroll in higher education as an adult student
10. Cable/satelite tv is more easily attainable and a lot cheaper with more channels (hey, I'm in rural WA....)
11. If you're on an hourly wage, you get paid extra for over time, regardless.
12. You can earn your drivers license at 16

Con's--no certain order
1. No general public health care--thank God for benefits packages!
2. Schools spend the first 6 weeks of each new school year reviewing what they learned the year before because their summer break is too long--kids forget everything! Pointless......
3. Wages for unskilled labour is significantly lower.
4. Unemployment benefits are finite, and for a relatively short time period
5. The IRS is bloody ruthless--don't pay your tax bill first thing on Tuesday morning, and by Tuesday afternoon, you'll be sitting on your box of personal (and obviously worthless!) affects at the nearest Christian mission waiting for a bed
6. Debt collectors are ruthless as well and seem to have more rights than you do--(they are obviously a branch of the IRS!)
7. Americans don't travel as much outside the USA, so they are a little less "worldly", for lack of a better term.
8. Even if you do vote, your vote kind of doesn't really count...not directly....so what's the point?

Australia--just a general view--sorry!
Pro's--no certain order
1. Free public health care for everyone
2. Education systems seem to be somewhat better, as in more quality (I personally attribute it to having a better school year set up and heavier ciriculum [sp?])
3. Meat pies--need I say more? (from a proper bakery though--I no not like Four n Twenty )
4. Lots of public holidays
5. "She'll be right, mate!" or a somewhat more laid back attitude about things that won't matter in 2 days time (could vary region to region....)
6. People generally call a spade a spade; you usually know where you stand (again, could vary region to region...)
7. As an island nation, you can (eventually) hit a beach in any direction, from any direction!
8. Any time is a great time for a BBQ--and beer!
9. The barter system is still in play--the amount of services I've attained via payment of a slab......
10. Really awesome wildlife
11. Aussies seem to be equally concerned about world news/issues, as they are about Aussie news/issues.
12. 99% of retail establishments and fast food restaraunts have EFTPOS, which totally ROCKS!

Con's--no certain order
1. One night of the week you can do late night shopping--all the way up to a whopping 8pm! Woo hoo!!! (not ) Every other day of the week, sidewalks/footpaths roll up at 5pm on the dot--and forget about Saturdays after 12, and Sundays altogether!
2. Can't earn your license until you're 18 and even then you have to put a stupid "L" or "P" in your front and back windows so that you can be profoundly abused by other motorists!
3. No. Cold. Christmas's. EVER. Seriously--Christmas Day was like, 120 degrees F. WTF?!?!?
4. A lot of the really awesome wildlife is venomous and deadly --if you have a death wish, come to Australia! We can help you achieve it!
5. It's practically unlawful to refuse a cuppa or a cold drink--regardless of the fact that you are NOT thirsty.
6. Water restrictions, all the time--because there isn't any water. Period.
7. "Oh my goodness--you've just cut your legs off!!!" "ah yeah, she'll be right, mate!" Sometimes Aussies are just TOO laid back.
8. Apparently there are no full figured women in Australia, because there are no full figured clothing choices, and apparently full figured women in Australia(the ones that do exist!) don't/shouldn't have babies, because there aren't any full figured maternity clothes, either!

So there you have it--I have weighed it up quickly and it's 50/50 either way! I supposed I will have to spend 1/2 the year in USA and the other 1/2 in Oz. Only problem is, which half where? Better weigh it up.....