Australia has a six month working holiday visa that allows you to live there and hold a job for the duration. It's pretty easy to get; it used to be a once-in-a-lifetime thing, but now your employer can write you a recommendation for future renewal so you can get one again in the future.
You can even do certain seasonal work like fruit-picking that can guarantee at least one renewal.
Really? would you need work lined up before hand or can you get it and then look for work? Is it student only, Im looking at a gov website and thats what it seems like.
5) Easy access to goods and services from around the world. (for example Australia lacks video games at reasonable prices).
"Lacks" is a little too strong of a word. You just can't get them from the vast majority of brick and mortar retailers or Steam, though JB Hi-Fi have started to pull prices down, along with prices dropping generally. You can still get your video games for quite decent prices, if you know where to go - it's just that most people don't, and the MSRP is still high, even though the places I go don't follow the MSRP. I haven't mentioned them much around here, since it's of no use for 99% of people here.
For example, I can buy Saint's row 3 for 40 bucks and pre-order the upcoming Aliens game for fifty from OzGameShop, which is better than the American prices. As is many of the preorders and prices there, and I can get Mass Effect 3 on pre-order cheaper than most American sites. Alongside them, you've also got Dungeon crawl, or if you're lazy, Games Cafe, which does a meta-search for the games among about seventy or so reputable retailers, and finds the cheapest.
Apart from free internet(You can have fast nowdays, but free, not so much. Unless you mean Free-as-in-speech, rather than free-as-in-beer, in which case you'll get that, since we've practically no internet censorship here - in fact, the US is worse than us for internet censorship, as it stands), you're winning, I can think of at least three cities here that you'd be satisfying pretty much all of your requirements easily.
Really? would you need work lined up before hand or can you get it and then look for work? Is it student only, Im looking at a gov website and thats what it seems like.
Nope, you can come on down and get work once you're here, and it's not student only - My ex had neither of those qualifiers when she was here, and she still had a work/holiday visa. In reality, you can stay for 12 months, it's just that you can only work for six(In total, though, it doesn't have to be all at once) unless you get an extension to that half of your visa.
Apart from free internet(You can have fast nowdays, but free, not so much. Unless you mean Free-as-in-speech, rather than free-as-in-beer, in which case you'll get that, since we've practically no internet censorship here - in fact, the US is worse than us for internet censorship, as it stands), you're winning, I can think of at least three cities here that you'd be satisfying pretty much all of your requirements easily.
I thought I remembered something about porn with small boobs being censored? And don't they cripple and/or ban some violent vidjigames as well?
I thought I remembered something about porn with small boobs being censored? And don't they cripple and/or ban some violent vidjigames as well?
No, that was just the internet - Mostly Americans, I might add, the story was debunked here very quickly - freaking out once again over something that doesn't and never did exist. What it actually is, is that there is a set of guidelines for the ratings boards, and it's a single guideline point for if a pornographic film will be or won't be allowed in the country, under the section about determining if a particular film is trying to portray or pretend to be underage sex. It's not enough on it's own to do anything, it's not even an official rule - but it might come into play, IF you're a pornographer who is trying to pander to Hebephiles or Ephebophiles or, but without making actual underage pornography. So, basically, it's only something to worry about unless one is into underage porn, which the vast, vast majority of us are not.
As for video game censorship, that's changing as we speak. Well, sort of, not literally as we speak - All states have already agreed on it, and now we just have to wait, since unlike the US, our classifications are not done voluntarily by the industry, but are actual law, therefore, we actually have to introduce legislation to provide the new rating. However, we don't have to wait long - the legislation will be introduced when parliament resumes on the 7th of February, and is expected to pass easily though both houses.
That said - So? Just do what the rest of us do, and purchase from overseas. That's part of what drove the parliamentary decision, because people were buying overseas rather than buying censored titles, so they were getting them anyway, and sending Australian money overseas while doing so. We made our voices heard, we voted with our dollars, and now we're seeing changes. It's coming now, It's just a matter of time - frankly, I'd be surprised if it wasn't done and dusted by the time any of you were able to pull stakes and shift down here.
Speaking of censoring child porn. I have twice seen a "This website is banned in da Norways yo" site with a police logo on it.
I'm not sure what was on those sites, but given that I followed 4chan or reddit links (Actually, this was many years ago, so probably not so much Reddit...) (Might also have been accidental adclicking. That's taken me to scary places before =P), I'll assume child porn. But what I noticed was that there's a "I know the contents of this website are illegal, but I'd like to view them anyway" button. So there is internet censorship (But I'm certain it's more than justified. Piracy isn't illegal here, so it can't have been a shady filesharing site), but you can simply bypass it without doing any trickery.
Or maybe that button would lead you to a page that was like "Yo feds coming over for a visit. Sorry mate" =P
The Netherlands is looking pretty hot right now. They have fiber with gigabits even in the sticks at a low price. Also, they just passed a law enforcing net neutrality.
Also the overabundance of Uncle Scrooge and the ducks is a huge positive, at least in my book.
I thought I remembered something about porn with small boobs being censored? And don't they cripple and/or ban some violent vidjigames as well?
[why I'm wrong]
Oh, thanks. I didn't know that (obviously). Yeah, Australia's not looking too bad, guys. Well, except for the whole "EVERYTHING IS POISONOUS AND IS GOING TO KILL YOU" thing.
They have the blue-ringed octopus. I'm not going anywhere that has those motherfuckers.
But they're fucking adorable, and it's not like you can't survive a bite from them. It's just Tetrodotoxin, ya big wuss, and three or four days on life support won't kill you. In fact, that's rather the point.
But seriously, don't touch them. Not everything needs to be pet or hugged.
I do as well. But Canada seems like it has more going for it than the cold is a minus. And I'm willing to deal with some cold. Compared to Norway, it doesn't really get cold there.
I do as well. But Canada seems like it has more going for it than the cold is a minus. And I'm willing to deal with some cold. Compared to Norway, it doesn't really get cold there.
Just so you know, New York is on about the same latitude as Amsterdam. Canada is about the same as Norway, and they have the whole pacific going counter-clockwise thing going on. It is colder in America then it is in Europe. (depending, of course, what part of the country you live in).
It's just Tetrodotoxin, ya big wuss, and three or four days on life support won't kill you. In fact, that's rather the point.
a potent neurotoxin with no known antidote
I agree with Bronzdragon, but I'm going to stick with possibly lethal activities that have a cure.
Well, there's a cure for TTX poisoning, but it's nasty, crude, and not always effective (read: you've got to survive 24 hours for it to work, but TTX can kill you in four to six). Basically, they hook you up to a respirator, catheterize and NG tube you, and run a gastric emptying tube down your throat (if you've swallowed it). They proceed to empty your stomach every once in a while, flood you with activated charcoal and saline, and shoot you full of huge doses of anticholinesterase. Hopefully enough of the toxin is inactivated that you'll survive after having a while to metabolize it. If you stay alive for 24 hours, you can look forward to another several days of life support while your system clears.
Some people keep Blue-Ringed as tank octopuses. I think that's fucking crazy, but there are people that do it.
I can understand them, though - Blue-rings are really pretty animals, they've got interesting looking camouflage, and show brilliant blue rings and wave around in patterns when disturbed. You'd definitely want that tank lid to be held down tight, though, FUCK having one of them escape.
It's just Tetrodotoxin, ya big wuss, and three or four days on life support won't kill you. In fact, that's rather the point.
a potent neurotoxin with no known antidote
I agree with Bronzdragon, but I'm going to stick with possibly lethal activities that have a cure.
(treatment for Tetrodotoxin)
Yep. It's not an antidote, but it is a treatment, and it does work. That's pretty much what they're going to do to you if you eat dodgy fugu, and it's a well-known technique down here, most hospitals in places that have a beach will have everything on hand, and know the details of the procedure. Tourists, they're good at touching things that don't like being touched.
I'd say Canada, but... god damn, so cold. There's always a catch, eh?
Ya big Wuss-baby! Canada is not so bad. I mean, I grew up on the great lakes, so I guess I am not so unused to the climate of Ontario. B.C. is like a colder Seattle, from what I hear. Also, I want a real winter, so I can ski and have blizzards. Not having a car makes snow fun again.
Canada because it's right there. I've been there several times and have enjoyed my stay there. Vancouver, Richmond, and Victoria, British Columbia are great places. Similar weather, so it's fairly perfect.
Thankfully Berlin can pass as an English speaking part of the world, if not a country.
Don't you speak German anyway?
In The Hauge and Amsterdam I have never succeeded in talking Dutch to someone for more than 5 words before they realise I am English and they switch to English.
Also, for Americans, beware moving to the UK as quite a few of the natives take an instant dislike of Americans. I know this because my international school accent makes English people think I am American. Just watch out for people who are socialisty/trade unionised/ members of the Labour Party, they are the worst in this respect.
That's crap. I could be an American socialist for all they know. Anyone who hates someone based purely on their country of origin is a bigoted fool. It's like, yeah, I really hate Iran's government. That doesn't mean I hate Iranian people.
That's crap. I could be an American socialist for all they know. Anyone who hates someone based purely on their country of origin is a bigoted fool.
That's a quaint notion that belies a misunderstanding of thoroughly-entrenched UK social mores. They're not universal, but this is a country where even among my uni mates, things smacking of classism are still whispered. Just be obsequiously polite and it'll usually override any flak you might catch for being American. It tends to boil down to the fact that the way 99% of Americans expect things to work is not how they work here, and most visitors don't know how to cope with that.
In The Hauge and Amsterdam I have never succeeded in talking Dutch to someone for more than 5 words before they realise I am English and they switch to English.
To be fair, have you ever heard an English speaker struggle their way through Dutch? Trust me, it's more for the benefit of the Dutchman then the Englishman. =P
Comments
For example, I can buy Saint's row 3 for 40 bucks and pre-order the upcoming Aliens game for fifty from OzGameShop, which is better than the American prices. As is many of the preorders and prices there, and I can get Mass Effect 3 on pre-order cheaper than most American sites. Alongside them, you've also got Dungeon crawl, or if you're lazy, Games Cafe, which does a meta-search for the games among about seventy or so reputable retailers, and finds the cheapest.
Apart from free internet(You can have fast nowdays, but free, not so much. Unless you mean Free-as-in-speech, rather than free-as-in-beer, in which case you'll get that, since we've practically no internet censorship here - in fact, the US is worse than us for internet censorship, as it stands), you're winning, I can think of at least three cities here that you'd be satisfying pretty much all of your requirements easily. Nope, you can come on down and get work once you're here, and it's not student only - My ex had neither of those qualifiers when she was here, and she still had a work/holiday visa. In reality, you can stay for 12 months, it's just that you can only work for six(In total, though, it doesn't have to be all at once) unless you get an extension to that half of your visa.
As for video game censorship, that's changing as we speak. Well, sort of, not literally as we speak - All states have already agreed on it, and now we just have to wait, since unlike the US, our classifications are not done voluntarily by the industry, but are actual law, therefore, we actually have to introduce legislation to provide the new rating. However, we don't have to wait long - the legislation will be introduced when parliament resumes on the 7th of February, and is expected to pass easily though both houses.
That said - So? Just do what the rest of us do, and purchase from overseas. That's part of what drove the parliamentary decision, because people were buying overseas rather than buying censored titles, so they were getting them anyway, and sending Australian money overseas while doing so. We made our voices heard, we voted with our dollars, and now we're seeing changes. It's coming now, It's just a matter of time - frankly, I'd be surprised if it wasn't done and dusted by the time any of you were able to pull stakes and shift down here.
I'm not sure what was on those sites, but given that I followed 4chan or reddit links (Actually, this was many years ago, so probably not so much Reddit...) (Might also have been accidental adclicking. That's taken me to scary places before =P), I'll assume child porn. But what I noticed was that there's a "I know the contents of this website are illegal, but I'd like to view them anyway" button. So there is internet censorship (But I'm certain it's more than justified. Piracy isn't illegal here, so it can't have been a shady filesharing site), but you can simply bypass it without doing any trickery.
Or maybe that button would lead you to a page that was like "Yo feds coming over for a visit. Sorry mate" =P
EDIT: Also, gigantic spiders. Fuck that.
But seriously, don't touch them. Not everything needs to be pet or hugged.
Though I am happy that Winter forgot to come this year.
Also, I want a real winter, so I can ski and have blizzards. Not having a car makes snow fun again.
Also, for Americans, beware moving to the UK as quite a few of the natives take an instant dislike of Americans. I know this because my international school accent makes English people think I am American. Just watch out for people who are socialisty/trade unionised/ members of the Labour Party, they are the worst in this respect.
It's like, yeah, I really hate Iran's government. That doesn't mean I hate Iranian people.