International Mamas share with us what freedoms you have! - Page 5

[Piglet68]

steph: Visa requirements vary from country to country and depend on your citizenship. You may be eligible for passports if one of your parents was born in that country. For example, I'm eligible for a british passport since my father was born there. That gets me into the EU.

Thanks to NAFTA, it is very easy for Canadians and Americans to live and work in each others' countries, if you are a professional of some sort it is simple paperwork upon crossing the border.

ocean: housing prices in Canada vary just like they do here. In some small towns prices are very low, in places like Montreal and Vancouver (fabulous places to live!!) prices are comparable to major US cities (not quite as high as Boston or San Fran, but getting there!). As with any country, the more beautiful, diverse and populated an area, the higher the prices of housing.

[mimim]

What a great thread!!
I've been trying to talk DH into a move to Canada lately. I don't think he's going for it though.

[behr]

Freedom...

I feel I have lots of freedom here, as I did when we lived in the States (not under Bush jr. though, I can't even look at his face anymore). Both dh and I did 'feel freer' in the US though, and we kind of relax whenever we step off the plane over there. It's hard to put in words, just a deep-down feeling that is definitely not based on policies some of which I find pretty scary. I can now understand that someone is happy upon returning home and feels prowd to be an X-national, a concept pretty foreign to most Germans of my generation (of course there are some that feel very different).

I can only speak for Germany, but some freedoms are pretty unnerving to me even here. For example the tobacco and liquor industry is free to advertise to kids and sell small packages of these addictive toxins flavored and priced especially for kids. The result is that most 11 year olds smoke and some drink regularly. Old ladies also have the freedom to say anything to my kids or myself in the street. So does the neighbor constantly nag about my dd walking around 'her' side of the house or build a snowman, or play in the yard (very annoying habit indeed). This is not a unique case. I've been told to wear a bra (as I did), to treat my dog better, to put more cloths on my baby etc., etc. etc. Seems like anyone is free to voice their opinion here (or dump their frustrations on me?).
I don't really want to trash my country, just want to show that there are good and bad things in every country, and everyone needs to figure out what their favorite place is. I do like the fact that my kids can run around naked on the beach (although they put the nudie beach right next to the playground and I've seen creepy strangers peak through the bushes from that side), that oddly-colored beverages and sweets are not the rule in lunch bags, that I can get homeopathic remedies when I need them and so on, but there is likely a downside to even the most perfect place. Of course that shouldn't deter anyone from searching for their personal paradise. I'm for one am still looking!!

Housing prices are pretty high, most everyone lives in appartments (2br from the $200,000) and houses you either inherit, move out in the country, or have a really (!) good income. I soooo wish I had a little piece of soil to garden in.
Money rules the Western World!!

[dado]

Re: Freedom...

Originally posted by behr
...we kind of relax whenever we step off the plane over there.

i completely understand this, i get the exact same feeling whenever i step off the plane in Schipol (Amsterdam's airport). and i'm not even Dutch, lol!

[PumpkinSeeds]

Well we will be moving to the Netherlands this summer so I guess I will find out how living in the USA compares to living in Europe.

I'm glad to read from NM that the Dutch have a good tolerance to immigrants, that's one thing that weighs heavily on my mind. My own hubby is an immigrant to the USA and I know second hand how horrible the transition can be when people are intolerant.

Simonee, you said the Netherlands was the second most densely populated country? I didn't know that. Wow. Oh, oh, I'm used to space. We live in a pretty small town now. Now that I think about it, the pictures we got from the welcoming package did show pretty citified living.

I guess I've been so focused on this impending birth, I haven't been able to think about the move.....

[dado]

my best friend from childhood days is dutch. we're partners in a business in holland and have zero trouble with regulations, beaurocracy, etc etc etc. what kind of business is your family in, maybe we can help?

[punkprincessmama]

dado, pumpkinseeds, others,

Maybe you can help us out?? My family is very much interested in moving abroad. It would be in about five years when dh finishes dental school. We have been learning about the Netherlands lately and love everything we are reading. I called the Dutch Consolate last week and asked how one becomes a resident and then a citizen.

The lady said that its quite complicated and that the Netherlands aren't in need of dentists, perhaps we should try the U.K. She wasn't rude but she was quite discouraging.

:

PumpkinSeeds I was hoping maybe you would share with us more of your story. Or give me some resources for moving. I do understand that the process is lengthy but I don't mind that. How did you go about learning about the country and customs and initiating the process?

Any help would be great! TIA.

[PumpkinSeeds]

I pm'ed you punkprincessmama .

[dado]

emmigrating to an EU country without solid familial connections is difficult, but some are easier than others. best first step is to build your family trees going back at least to your great-grandparents.

this should give you an idea of what you're looking for...

http://workabroad.monster.com/articles/dual/

Originally posted by punkprincessmama
The lady said that its quite complicated and that the Netherlands aren't in need of dentists, perhaps we should try the U.K.

[aussiemum]

The lady said that its quite complicated and that the Netherlands aren't in need of dentists, perhaps we should try the U.K. She wasn't rude but she was quite discouraging.

Dado, maybe you were going to respond to that ..... my response is AHAHAHAHAHA. ROFL. Maybe the UK does need dentists, but don't expect to get anything polite out of anybody in an immigration office, esp. there. Don't expect anything polite from the UK actually.

Perhaps we just had a bad experience & didn't have the 'right' qualifications. My experience of living in the UK for two years was a pretty negative one- DH can't even get me to go back for a holiday yet. Being in the UK was a huge culture shock, much more so than Aus. Sorry to be such a grump, but that's the honest truth of my experience there.

[mollyeilis]

**somewhat OFF topic***

Hmm, reading NM's bit about the immigrants being deported has me confused. Well, I'm confused if they are booting out LEGAL immigrants. I'm not confused, and I'm all for it, if they are sending ILlegal immigrants home.

From the bit of research I did in the mid-90s while absolutely pining to live in Ireland, and the bit I've done recently about moving to Australia or NZ, countries seem to have financial restrictions on moving.

When I was researching Ireland, along with a bunch of other requirements, you had to prove that you had access to something like 30,000 in a savings account, and that you had a job lined up. They wanted to make dang sure you weren't going to go on their public assistance. I seem to remember similar info for "down under" as well.

So those immigrants they are deporting must either be illegal or are violating at least one of the requirements of their legal emigration, so...it doesn't really bother me that they are being sent to their home countries. Not that much at least.

While in Ireland I met lots of illegals from America, working under the table at restaurants. I just couldn't do that. So I went back home and researched. At the wage I anticipated making the tax rate at that time would have been something like 60% so I decided to stay put (not realizing that perhaps their health care system would be alternative-friendly). I also didn't have the chunk of change needed, and I was self-employed in the alternative health industry (chiropractic, which at the time was completely out of pocket, not sure how it is now) and didn't really anticipate being easily able to get there legally.

If only my grandmother had applied for the passport mentioned earlier; her parents were from Ireland. Or if my mom had somehow managed it, but she passed away (as have all of my grandparents). I don't think I'll have much luck in the generational aspect of moving to Ireland.

Anyone have any ideas for me?

*******
I've noticed that most people here are talking about Europe.

My hubby lived in Asia for much of his life and is half Korean, and has both good and bad things to say about it. Would anyone like to talk about Asia?

[Gitti]

Austria -

We can buy a beer any day of the week! Any hour of the day! No friggin religious right telling us it's 11 a.m. Sunday and beer sale on this side of the road starts at noon.

Condoms are free in high schools and sold in most public rest rooms. Sex education is real and teenagers use prevention and are not ashamed of it. The president don't act like he never did it! Nor do the parents.

Naked babies are not considered sexy. Boys are intact and foreskins are not looked at as a source of income.

NO Vaccinations are mandatory and many doctors openly advise against them. Schools nor day care require a vaccination passport. No one is scared the CS will come after them for not choosing to vaccinate.

Homosexuals are considered normal people and have the same rights.

Everyone has a "living wage", even someone on welfare.

But most importantly: Every mom can stay at home with her newborn for three years and have job guarantee and 1st year 80% - 2nd yr. 70%- 3rd yr. 60% of her income. That gives time for real bonding. And the three years count toward retirement.

We can go anywhere any time of day or night single or whatever, without fear. Dark alleys, river banks, moonlit meadows, anywhere. The worst that might happen is that some drunk makes a smart aleck remark.

You can still buy unaltered and unprocessed food. Even pure soy beans which do not exist any longer in the US.

We don't need to go to specialty stors to buy formaldehyde and flame-retardent free baby or other mattesses and furniture. It is against the law to include those cancer causing chemicals in our every day surroundings.

Women have much fewer chemicals in their breast milk.

Oh, what I really appreciate after driving in the US: In Austria trucks on most highways must leave the far left lane open for cars. In other words, if there is a two lane highway, they can not pass. If the highway has three lanes they can use two.
In the US so often cars get held up by one truck passing another going up hill.

T

Sorry for getting off track a bit. And now I am sooooooo home sick.......

[Gitti]

Originally posted by CrunchyTamara


Noone pays more than 350$ a month for kindergarden.

By Kindergarten I suppose you mean day care, right?

In the US Kindergarten is the first school year.

In Germany/ Austria Kindergarten is day care.

[lilmiss'mama]

Thanks so much to all of the mamas around the world! It is interesting to hear about other places.
Maybe it is a case of the grass is always greener... but after hearing what you have to say i am ready to pack my bags!

ETA: I think my biggest fear would be a language barrier.

[Linda in OZ]

This tends to be a touchy subject here. They are illegal. Sending them back home is one thing, sticking them in a cage in the middle of the dessert for a couple of years is another entirely

I love my country. I have the room to walk around my yard naked without fear of being spied on :LOL :LOL
We are a fairly easy going bunch of people, you can generally get a conversation out of someone walking down the street.
The health system sux and the education system sux oh and so does transport but I don't get hassled because we don't vax, some states require registration for hsing, but it isn't that hard to get. It is relatively easy to fall through the cracks if you want to.
We have fantastic beaches, beautiful bush, what's left of it anyway :
And we make some ripper movies :LOL

Originally posted by mollyeilis
**somewhat OFF topic***

Hmm, reading NM's bit about the immigrants being deported has me confused. Well, I'm confused if they are booting out LEGAL immigrants. I'm not confused, and I'm all for it, if they are sending ILlegal immigrants home.

...

So those immigrants they are deporting must either be illegal or are violating at least one of the requirements of their legal emigration, so...it doesn't really bother me that they are being sent to their home countries. Not that much at least.

While in Ireland I met lots of illegals from America, working under the table at restaurants. I just couldn't do that. So I went back home and researched. At the wage I anticipated making the tax rate at that time would have been something like 60% so I decided to stay put (not realizing that perhaps their health care system would be alternative-friendly). I also didn't have the chunk of change needed, and I was self-employed in the alternative health industry (chiropractic, which at the time was completely out of pocket, not sure how it is now) and didn't really anticipate being easily able to get there legally.

If only my grandmother had applied for the passport mentioned earlier; her parents were from Ireland. Or if my mom had somehow managed it, but she passed away (as have all of my grandparents). I don't think I'll have much luck in the generational aspect of moving to Ireland.

Anyone have any ideas for me?

*******
I've noticed that most people here are talking about Europe.

My hubby lived in Asia for much of his life and is half Korean, and has both good and bad things to say about it. Would anyone like to talk about Asia?

[Leonor]

This is a curious thread.

I am Portuguese but living in the UK for one essencial freedom: home-education. I'm currently on single-mother benefits, but it wasn't intended, although I'm glad there is this help here.

The crime is scary here. I feel very unsafe. Criminals raping mothers in front of their babies, babies stabbed in front of their mothers, people being shot everyday. More than once, when coming back from my shopping, I saw a house or shop vandalised, surrounded by tape, and police inside, in those white suits taking evidence. God!

If someone can help me find a better country I would appreciate it.

Leo

[the_girl_from _oz]

Wow i can't believe some of you are complaining about health care in Australia.. sure by OUR standards things are not doing too great at the moment (gotta love the current government : ) but look at it this way..
We can go to a hospital when we need care and not have to worry about "how will i pay for this?" "will they treat me, i dont have insurance?" "i dont think i can afford to get my apendix removed", we can give birth for free in clean, well set up and SAFE hospitals without worrying about any costs, because every australian has the right to 100% FREE health care for medical essentials (and a lot of non-essenitals too)- what more could we want!? I hear about the health set up in america and it makes me cringe.

[aussiemum]

The only trouble I've had with the health care system in Aus is trying to get them to let me give birth in my clean & safe HOME!!!! That was a bureaucratic nightmare! And I only 'won' by default. But that is pretty much the only brickbat I can think of to throw at Medicare. Australia is a wonderful place IMO.