Post
by Archive » June 28th, 2019, 7:05 am
posted by Parris on Jun 22, 2007:
Ahhh, the grass is greener on the other side! I've lived abroad for several years and travelled extensively in Europe. I've never been to the Far East or the Americas and would love to. High on my agenda (when I can afford to travel again) is visiting Canada, New Zealand & Japan.
As for Europe, it's a beautiful continent with some amazing countries. Well worth a visit if you've never been.
Having lived in France I would seriously recommend it. It's an incredibly diverse country, but like everywhere else has it's problems. In general I tend to think that due to language barriers, the newness of a place and all sorts of psychological mind tricks you play on yourself practically anywhere can seem far better if you are unhappy with home.
A bit of sunshine, fine foreign food, new women to look at (or guys if that's your thing) and some new scenery does you a power of good however I don't think it would take people long (a few months) to start realising that no matter where they go around Europe we are all faced with social ills. When we travel, they all seem to disappear into the background, but as you get to know people, the language, their circumstances etc you see more of what lies behind the nice scenery.
Eventually you'll wake up one morning and think "home isn't so bad" even if you never go back.
I lived in several parts of France and have travelled back & forth for many years. In Paris I was unlucky enough to be there in 1980 when 4 people were killed in an anti-Semitic bomb attack on the central Synagogue. In both Paris & London I've had the horrible sensation of travelling the Underground & Metro after bombing threats. Two serious suburban riots have occured in Paris whilst I was living & visiting. Concorde came crashing down in Gonesse killing everyone onboard in 2000. Last year there was also a major siege when 21 students were taken hostage in Sable-sur-Sarthe.
The worst for me was in 1999 when the Mont-Blanc disaster occured. I lived relatively close to the tunnel and had just been through the tunnel from Italy after a couple of days off work. 41 people were killed when a lorry carrying margarine & flour ignited in the tunnel.
Although it's not France (and any French people would be cursing me no doubt), I still can't get over the Belgian paedophile Marc Dutroux.
France has been on something of a decline in the last decade or so and it could be argued that it is a very different nation to the one portayed in the glossy brochures. There are major immigration issues, devistating unemployment, a drop in France's traditional industries such as wine making and rise in far right political ideology. In some ways I respect the French for their fervent beliefs, on the other I always get the impression that they live on a hair-trigger ready to riot & strike over anything. Unlike in the UK where we don't even seem to care when things go badly wrong. Britain seems to be sleeping walking!
Shit happens where ever you go. It just seems that being abroad that these things are not related to you and because you don't know the social climate, the economical climate, the politics & necessarily all the required geography to realise events are almost on your doorstep you feel relaxed and on perminant holiday!
Don't get me wrong, I loved living abroad, but when you've been away for several years you realise that the main problem isn't where you are, it's who is there with you!
On that note we can agree. Britian is a beautiful country, but the people vary from area to area and the UK youf (sic) culture seems to be all about getting smashed, stoned, laid and battered.
Once a month I travel 1000 miles to see my daughter. I get home pretty late at night (early the next day). No matter where else I have ever been in my life I have never encountered so many drunken, vomit covered, staggering idiots anywhere! It's not like these people have the excuse of being on holiday and it's not confined to one area of the UK. It's everywhere. Years ago drunkeness in public would have seen you immediately locked up or escorted home by the Police.
Anywhere else in Europe like this? Other than of course holiday destinations for Brits?
It seems to be every weekend and people I've worked beside in the past tended to come in on Monday morning and rely stories of how amazing their boring weekends were. They'd go to the same pubs, clubs, bars, get drunk, pull some bird (sic) and then go home. They'd feel crap on Sunday, watch TV and come to work on Monday knackered. What a life! What a bore!
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:rambo: