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I have just returned to my home country of Australia after 20 years in the US. I bought my american hubby with me. He took a VERY brave plunge and immersed himself down here, without even having visited before.
We were victims of the economic crisis in the US. He managed car dealerships-well ya know how that goes, Most of them have gone bankrupt, and so we took the huge step of leaving California and coming back to Australia.
What can I say? It is like a breath of fresh air being home, coming back to a country that has actually respects it's people, and treats them with humanity and dignity. Ooooooooh. yes, that scary socialist health care does work!! and my overworked American hubby had to slap himself when on the SECOND day off his arrival he landed a big dealership management position. Unlike the American dealerships, Australian car dealers are not going broke. The underpinnings of the Aussie economy are not made of sticks , Like America but mortar!
He also had to ask his boss to repeat himself when he was told he would get 4 weeks paid vacation! In America there is no such thing as a vacation unless you plan on having your job handed over to somebody else while you are away.
He cannot believe the quality of life, he asked me "where are the homeless folks in the tent cities?, the ugly Walmarts and those trashy trailer parks?
Äs for me, wow, all my health problems from breathing filthy California air and drinking water contaminated with Rocket fuel and prescription medicine, cleared up immediately.
I loved how I was not bombarded with 'Viagra ads"24 -7, and how the drug companies, the Military industrial complex and puppet presidents did not pervade my world anymore.
No more overzealous patriotism and blind flag waving, with big meat heads crýing 'GO USA', even after they have wiped out another innocent Iraq family, stole more oil, and let banksters scam and steal from the public.
So here I sit In my cottage with a beach in front of me, and a vineyard behind me, in The stunning state of Victoria with it's myriad of scenic beauty to fulfil me.
No more High fructose corn syrup food, No GMO crap, big waddling obese miserable people, and endless propaganda being spouted from some bimbo news readers mouth, about how USA still rules, even though they are behind Third world countries in healthcare, longetivity and quality of life.
I rejoice as my waitress at my favorite Italian bistro balks as I tell her how American waitresses live off TIPS only. "Wow"!! She excalims I get $20 an hour, I guess Australia, REALLY is the lucky country-yes indeed it is!!
People have different experiences. What made me go back to the US was career. I make heck of a lot more money here and have better career options. I have private coverage for insurance (medical/dental/eye care) and the cost of living is less than Oz. But this is my situation. If I was a car salesman, any country aside from the US may work out better.. heck the car bus is booming in China. But for professional MBA type careers - the US is much better.
People have different experiences. What made me go back to the US was career. I make heck of a lot more money here and have better career options. I have private coverage for insurance (medical/dental/eye care) and the cost of living is less than Oz. But this is my situation. If I was a car salesman, any country aside from the US may work out better.. heck the car bus is booming in China. But for professional MBA type careers - the US is much better.
With any country you have positive and negative attributes and I think it all decides what you want in life and what works for you at the time.
I personally would choose Australia over the US... just because from what I can gather, it seems like a more laid back lifestyle and I like the fact that most of Australia has a relatively nice climate without brutally cold winters and snow.......although of course as many posters have presented.. many different factors come into play....
I personally would choose Australia over the US... just because from what I can gather, it seems like a more laid back lifestyle
Yes and no. As a rule, you get 4 weeks vacation in Oz, versus two weeks in many cases in the US. So you've got more downtime if you're a worker. And that's a good thing, I think.
There's a "She'll be right" attitude towards a lot of things in life here, which can be frustrating sometimes. Sort of a Catch-22 in that it's good not to be frantic and frenetic and hyper about everything, but not so good if the "She'll be right" attitude means a crap job or service. Then you're not about to be feeling very laid-back if you have to put up with that I notice at my workplace that there's a definite laid back attitude a lot of times. Some people are very laid back about their attendance at work.
I suppose having most of the population having good access to beaches adds to a "laid back" lifestyle too. Just having that open space of a beach does wonders for your soul, even if you're not swimming or bodyboarding. I often walk or run along the coast and there's something almost Zen about that.
But get us behind the wheels of our cars !! and hoo-boy! we ain't laid back at all! And then you get some Aussies full of drink, and they're definitely not laid back. Lots more beligerent drunks here, it seems, than happy ones.
Quote:
Originally Posted by deneb78
and I like the fact that most of Australia has a relatively nice climate without brutally cold winters and snow
Right you are there. I have to say the weather's great in a lot of places. No brutal cold and the snow happens only in a small part of the country but not the amount North Americans suffer with.
Quote:
Originally Posted by deneb78
.......although of course as many posters have presented.. many different factors come into play....
Exactly. Probably the main thing that we don't like is the isolation and the distance from the rest of the world. For many here, that is not an issue at all. For us, we've realised it is quite an issue. Not just the distance but the mindset that comes with isolation, i.e., aversion to change, which if you don't share that aversion can be very aggravating. Different strokes for different folks.
We should consider ourselves lucky when we have the option and/or wherewithall to move to different places if where we're at doesn't suit.
I notice at my workplace that there's a definite laid back attitude a lot of times. Some people are very laid back about their attendance at work.
I hear that in the Jamaican Red Stripe brewery,
to get enough man-power they needed to calculate how many workers Guiness (owners of Red Stripe) they would require for a similar operation in Ireland, and then hire three times as many workers in Jamaica... This is because many people will work enough that they have enough money to live on and party, stop showing up for work, later to return to work only when all their money has run out.
I hear that in the Jamaican Red Stripe brewery,
to get enough man-power they needed to calculate how many workers Guiness (owners of Red Stripe) they would require for a similar operation in Ireland, and then hire three times as many workers in Jamaica... This is because many people will work enough that they have enough money to live on and party, stop showing up for work, later to return to work only when all their money has run out.
Australia isn't like that, is it?
LOL! No, not quite. Where I work there are some people who don't even pretend to be busy when they're not. They're so obviously not busy, it's not funny. Lots of chatting. I've never had the courage to be so obvious. Besides, I always manage to find something to do because I hate being bored and really don't have all that much to gab about. Some people do go on! Blah blah blah blah ...
And then "chucking a sickie" (taking a sick day) is an Australian institution. The norm is 10 days off a year and many people use up every single day regardless. There's the attitude that it's an "entitlement". I'd never heard of that in Canada but that's the way it is here. At my workplace they don't limit you to 10 days sick leave so there are employees who must be very sickly and feeble people because they're off at least 2 days a month. Particularly around the time of cricket season There's a lot of nudge nudge wink wink about it when certain people call in sick, again. They walk in the next day or day after looking quite sprightly and healthy. But it's that "laid back" attitude towards the whole thing that lets them get away with it.
LOL! No, not quite. Where I work there are some people who don't even pretend to be busy when they're not. They're so obviously not busy, it's not funny. Lots of chatting. I've never had the courage to be so obvious. Besides, I always manage to find something to do because I hate being bored and really don't have all that much to gab about. Some people do go on! Blah blah blah blah ...
And then "chucking a sickie" (taking a sick day) is an Australian institution. The norm is 10 days off a year and many people use up every single day regardless. There's the attitude that it's an "entitlement". I'd never heard of that in Canada but that's the way it is here. At my workplace they don't limit you to 10 days sick leave so there are employees who must be very sickly and feeble people because they're off at least 2 days a month. Particularly around the time of cricket season There's a lot of nudge nudge wink wink about it when certain people call in sick, again. They walk in the next day or day after looking quite sprightly and healthy. But it's that "laid back" attitude towards the whole thing that lets them get away with it.
I probably tend to fall into the other category; I have a lot of courage (or sometimes naively believe that other workers attitudes are accepted, so I follow) and I have plenty to talk about... more than most other people. I have to work at wanting to talk less and "pretending" to be productive when there's nothing to do.
I've never had called in sick, but I get paid hourly not salary; the less I work, the less I'm paid.
I don't think I'd want to use or abuse any "sick days," unless for exceptional circumstances...
*Then again, I'm only going from personal experience living in Canada,
where the weather is "unimpressive" or worse 80% of the year.
The one thing that struck me about Australia that was different vis-a-vis the US, is how welfare bennies are much more generous. I was listening to a radio show and the announcer was asking people who are on the dole to call in and announce how long they have been on the dole.. several did, including one guy has been on it for over 9 years (if he were to be believed). And proud of it. The US is not that generous and I'm glad it isn't. If I heard that on the radio here, I'd be very upset that someone is using my tax dollars in such a manner and bragging about it on the air. I know people have rough patches and have no problem with supporting people until they get back on their feet, but to enable people like that for an extended period.. is repugnant. Made me happy that the Gouvernment of Australia does not tax overseas citizens on income earned overseas (which the US does).
Unlike the American dealerships, Australian car dealers are not going broke.
The underpinnings of the Aussie economy are not made of sticks , Like America but mortar!
He cannot believe the quality of life, he asked me "where are the homeless folks in the tent cities?, the ugly Walmarts and those trashy trailer parks?
I loved how I was not bombarded with 'Viagra ads"24 -7, and how the drug companies,
No more overzealous patriotism and blind flag waving, with big meat heads crýing 'GO USA',
No more High fructose corn syrup food, No GMO crap, big waddling obese miserable people,
about how USA still rules, even though they are behind Third world countries in healthcare, longetivity and quality of life.
HA HA HA HA.. Nah.. I'll leave it be... but HA HA HA HA HA
I'd like whatever you're having and where can I buy those rose coloured glasses that you're wearing?
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I notice at my workplace that there's a definite laid back attitude a lot of times. Some people are very laid back about their attendance at work. 
and hoo-boy! we ain't laid back at all! 
And then you get some Aussies full of drink, and they're definitely not laid back. Lots more beligerent drunks here, it seems, than happy ones.
This is because many people will work enough that they have enough money to live on and party, stop showing up for work, later to return to work only when all their money has run out.
