Bgg

[jenever]

What happened to your plans to go to NZ? I'm having my annual lifestyle versus money crisis and would be interested in what you are up to.

And to everyone else, where do you think is the best place to live?

I can recommend Brussels for its food, beer, expat culture, and generally laid back work atmosphere, but the weather sucks ....

[Francko]

What happened to your plans to go to NZ? I'm having my annual lifestyle versus money crisis and would be interested in what you are up to.

And to everyone else, where do you think is the best place to live?

I can recommend Brussels for its food, beer, expat culture, and generally laid back work atmosphere, but the weather sucks ....

Not enough money compared to UK and Switzerland I think. I am considering Switzerland as an option for the future (biased by the fact that it's close to Italy and makes the occasional trip to see family/friends easier). I do however agree that Belgium/Holland are a good compromise between quality of life and work. When UK starts to be seriously expensive, I reckon, is when you have children of 10 and over... you can't seriously think to send them to public schools in London and private schools would amount to 15k a year for each child on average. That's where you salary seriously drops in terms of value for money.

[Troll]

The Rape of Europe

A bleak prognosis from Paul Belien in The Brussels Journal

The German author Henryk M. Broder recently told the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant (12 October) that young Europeans who love freedom, better emigrate. Europe as we know it will no longer exist 20 years from now. Whilst sitting on a terrace in Berlin, Broder pointed to the other customers and the passers-by and said melancholically: “We are watching the world of yesterday.”
Europe is turning Muslim. As Broder is sixty years old he is not going to emigrate himself. “I am too old,” he said. However, he urged young people to get out and “move to Australia or New Zealand. That is the only option they have if they want to avoid the plagues that will turn the old continent uninhabitable.”

Many Germans and Dutch, apparently, did not wait for Broder’s advice. The number of emigrants leaving the Netherlands and Germany has already surpassed the number of immigrants moving in. One does not have to be prophetic to predict, like Henryk Broder, that Europe is becoming Islamic. Just consider the demographics. The number of Muslims in contemporary Europe is estimated to be 50 million. It is expected to double in twenty years. By 2025, one third of all European children will be born to Muslim families. Today Mohammed is already the most popular name for new-born boys in Brussels, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and other major European cities.

Broder is convinced that the Europeans are not willing to oppose islamization. “The dominant ethos,” he told De Volkskrant, “is perfectly voiced by the stupid blonde woman author with whom I recently debated. She said that it is sometimes better to let yourself be raped than to risk serious injuries while resisting. She said it is sometimes better to avoid fighting than run the risk of death.”

In a recent op-ed piece in the Brussels newspaper De Standaard (23 October) the Dutch (gay and self-declared “humanist”) author Oscar Van den Boogaard refers to Broder’s interview. Van den Boogaard says that to him coping with the islamization of Europe is like “a process of mourning.” He is overwhelmed by a “feeling of sadness.” “I am not a warrior,” he says, “but who is? I have never learned to fight for my freedom. I was only good at enjoying it.”

[Board Game Geek]

Well, the plans are still there, having been somewhat refined.

I found out that my MS certifications are not considered when being assessed for points.

If I had a degree in some computer science, like robotics, then they'd welcome me with open arms.

However, having real work experience of how to set up a complete IT solution for a global business is not important. They want the theory, not the real world skills.

However, it now looks like Mrs BGG will be the main applicant, since she is studying to be a Chartered Quantity Surveyor, and that is one of the priority occupations needed in NZ for the long term future.

So, another 5 years here I guess before we go.

[SandyDown]

Has anyone worked on a contract in Australia? do we require special applications etc?
I've never been there - but thinking of applying to try out the lifestyle, also which towns are best for IT related work + having a good beach close?

[Troll]

Has anyone worked on a contract in Australia? do we require special applications etc?
I've never been there - but thinking of applying to try out the lifestyle, also which towns are best for IT related work + having a good beach close?

"do we require special applications etc?"I think the 'we' does not include you....hopefully you will find that Oz is less welcoming to whiney ethnics with chips on their shoulders....why don't you try returning to your country of origin....oh sorry forgot - it's a third world tulip-hole isn't it
HTH

[SandyDown]

"do we require special applications etc?"I think the 'we' does not include you....hopefully you will find that Oz is less welcoming to whiney ethnics with chips on their shoulders....why don't you try returning to your country of origin....oh sorry forgot - it's a third world tulip-hole isn't it
HTH

my country of origin does not exist any longer - I am British so we does apply to me whatever racist people like you say. I will always speak up agains racism if you don't like it then tough

[Rantor]

What happened to your plans to go to NZ? I'm having my annual lifestyle versus money crisis and would be interested in what you are up to.

And to everyone else, where do you think is the best place to live?

I can recommend Brussels for its food, beer, expat culture, and generally laid back work atmosphere, but the weather sucks ....

Jenever - when your say expat culture, do you mean the expat boozers or other clubs/sports stuff?

I've ended up probably knowing more locals (mixed blessing!) as I don't hit the xpat bars so much. Total contrast to 3.5 yrs in Bermuda in the 90's where I became a complete xpat steamer with loads of equally pished-up british mates.

For us, we live on the edge of the forest, 14k from town centre in a big massive place that I could never afford in britain. Generally services (health, pre-school and other grown up stuff) are good plus food. Downside is my wee guy is starting to speak dutch and we can only manage french and the utter mind-numbing awfulness of the bureaucracy. Oh, and there is nowhere decent to go diving.

I also need to talk to some more anglophones, starting to think in business english and stunted french.

[jenever]

Jenever - when your say expat culture, do you mean the expat boozers or other clubs/sports stuff?

I've ended up probably knowing more locals (mixed blessing!) as I don't hit the xpat bars so much. Total contrast to 3.5 yrs in Bermuda in the 90's where I became a complete xpat steamer with loads of equally pished-up british mates.

For us, we live on the edge of the forest, 14k from town centre in a big massive place that I could never afford in britain. Generally services (health, pre-school and other grown up stuff) are good plus food. Downside is my wee guy is starting to speak dutch and we can only manage french and the utter mind-numbing awfulness of the bureaucracy. Oh, and there is nowhere decent to go diving.

I also need to talk to some more anglophones, starting to think in business english and stunted french.

Yes I'm mainly thinking of the pubs etc, but in Brussels that means expat in the loosest sense as you also meet a lot of locals and non-Anglo foreigners. The downside is that my French is stagnant as I work and socialise in English.

[jenever]

Well, the plans are still there, having been somewhat refined.

I found out that my MS certifications are not considered when being assessed for points.

If I had a degree in some computer science, like robotics, then they'd welcome me with open arms.

However, having real work experience of how to set up a complete IT solution for a global business is not important. They want the theory, not the real world skills.

However, it now looks like Mrs BGG will be the main applicant, since she is studying to be a Chartered Quantity Surveyor, and that is one of the priority occupations needed in NZ for the long term future.

So, another 5 years here I guess before we go.

Sorry to hear the move is so far out, but it's good to have something to work towards. I'm looking at 3 years maybe.

I was looking at the house prices in Wellington last night ... nice places, but the prices are like Europe - I have no idea how people afford it on local pay scales.