This forum is in permanent archive mode. Our new active community can be found here.

What English speaking country would you most like to live in?

edited January 2012 in Flamewars
In short, all other things being equal, what country would you like to live in? Forget family ties, job security and all that jazz.

Personally, I'd probably either pick Canada or Australia. Australia is beautiful, and I really like the culture from what I've seen, but I don't do well with heat. Canada would fix that problem. Besides that, I've heard it has a pretty good Internet infrastructure, especially compared to Australia. On top of that, I'd be relatively close to the US, so visits and/or contraband are more feasible.
«13

Comments

  • What's so wrong with learning another language?
  • What's so wrong with learning another language?
    Pfft, like I'm gonna learn Norwegian!

    For the record, I considering moving to another country, and that includes Norway, but I was most curious what the views of the forum was on English speaking countries specifically.
  • Asking on internet forums is obviously the best way to handle important life decisions that have a lot to do with preference and personal values!

    PS I love you =3
  • Personally, I'd probably either pick Canada or Australia. Australia is beautiful, and I really like the culture from what I've seen, but I don't do well with heat. Canada would fix that problem. Besides that, I've heard it has a pretty good Internet infrastructure, especially compared to Australia. On top of that, I'd be relatively close to the US, so visits and/or contraband are more feasible.
    To be fair, there are areas you can go where the heat isn't so bad - basically, it's gets hotter and more tropical the further north you go. Melbourne as a climate somewhat like a slightly colder California.

    As for internet infrastructure, we're working on it. We have a national fibre optic network rolling out - but it might take a while to get wherever you're aiming at living.

    Canada is lovely, and the things you list as positives are all correct. Personally, I'd pick somewhere warmer if I could, I'm not built to deal with that much cold.
  • What's so wrong with learning another language?
    Pfft, like I'm gonna learn Norwegian!

    For the record, I considering moving to another country, and that includes Norway, but I was most curious what the views of the forum was on English speaking countries specifically.
    I'd like to move to England and join their fire department but it's not easy getting regular work Visas from what I hear I imagine it's way harder for civil jobs.
  • edited January 2012
    Australia. And I'd have a little microhouse on New Zealand, just for the hell of it.

    Language aside, probably still Australia, then the Netherlands, then Spain.
    What's so wrong with learning another language?
    Pfft, like I'm gonna learn Norwegian!

    For the record, I considering moving to another country, and that includes Norway, but I was most curious what the views of the forum was on English speaking countries specifically.
    I'd like to move to England and join their fire department but it's not easy getting regular work Visas from what I hear I imagine it's way harder for civil jobs.
    The UK Tiered Immigration System is a bureaucratic nightmare right out of Terry Gilliam's Brazil. Since they couldn't rightly go, "No immigrants allowed," they just made it as obfuscated, difficult, and soul-crushing to get any visa imaginable. To wit: I had to submit the dates of any trip I'd taken in the last ten years and on my last three passports, and provide any remaining copies of voided passports that hadn't been destroyed (I had three of them), and then prove that my family had over $25000 in assets somewhere to cover the duration of my stay.
    Post edited by WindUpBird on
  • Let me check.

    Yup, still Norway. I mean, it's got problems, but fuck it.
  • edited January 2012
    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.
    Post edited by Apreche on
  • 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 courts made ISP's block the pirate bay, and some other less important sites.
  • 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.
    You could move in with Nine, we could film it, and then make a hajillion dollars after creating the most ridiculous reality show of all-time.

  • I'd pay money to watch that.
    Nerds on your forum want to pay money to watch reality TV. That means it's gotta be a gold mine.
  • 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 courts made ISP's block the pirate bay, and some other less important sites.
    I thought that was Denmark.
  • edited January 2012
    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 courts made ISP's block the pirate bay, and some other less important sites.
    I thought that was Denmark.
    No, that was the netherlands, but the ISP's refused, last I heard.

    Correction: Some ISPs refused.

    Post edited by Churba on
  • Out of the English speaking countries, I think I would live in the UK. It's close to more places than any of my other options. The US actually is my second, because from the passing of the Civil Rights Act up until the Patriot act, we actually had freedom and we could still win it back, but we're pretty far away from everything I want to see in the world.

    Outside of the English world, I've narrowed it down to Sweden, Finland, or Denmark. Forum, do you have any reasons I shouldn't move to any one of these?
  • Depends on where in the UK you want to live and what you want to do really. If you have a skill that is in demand then your application is a hell of a lot easier. If you are from a European state and a student then Erasmus is your best bet. The long and short of it is the UK immigration scheme is pretty hard.
  • I know about them, I was wondering more about the Nordics that I listed.
  • The only other country I've been in so far is Canada. I wouldn't mind living there expect I'd like to know where the secret screaming room is. I mean, they can't really be that polite ALL the time?
  • edited January 2012
    Canada, perhaps? I am a Northern girl at heart, and all my experiences in Canada have been very positive. Not only does the country have a great level of multicultural diversity (which I think they handle better than the US), but they have a nice balance of socialism that sits well with me. Two examples that spring to mind are the health system and the animation grants. I would not at all mind living in Vancouver or Toronto. I like Hockey, I like to ski, I like learning French. Good times in Canada!
    I like the US okay. There are many things that are nice about living in such a big and diverse country. I like that I can go to the desert or the redwood forest, into the subtropics and up in the mountains without needing a passport. I am proud that Americans made NASA, and proud of our free speech. There are many things that make me very happy at my country, but I am often ashamed at the anti-intellectualism and racism that you encounter sprinkled throughout the culture. Canada has a problem with such groups too, but I think in general they are less aggressive.
    Nothing against Australia, but I would have a hard time living there merely because rabbit ownership is difficult and outright illegal in some places. Also, I don't want my darling boys to get the Myxi, or Rabbit Hemorrhagic Fever.
    Man, I want to go back in time and punch the git who let those first rabbits loose. Punch him right in the face. And then explain how he made life suck for the farmers, the other animals, and rabbits as a species.
    UK is good. I like the UK, but I have never been there, thus Canada appeals to me because I know it is fairly awesome. I would like to visit the British Isles sometime.
    Post edited by gomidog on
  • edited January 2012
    I know about them, I was wondering more about the Nordics that I listed.
    Immigration schemes to almost all of the non-Schengen Nordics are incredibly, incredibly difficult. Double-check requirements, and if any of your potential places are in the Schengen Area, see if you can apply for ancestral EU citizenship and then use it to move to your desired destination. I have Spanish citizenship, but am considering learning Dutch upon my return to the States so that I can spend some time in the Netherlands if I so choose (I know the Netherlands isn't a Nordic nation, but I'm just using that as an example of using the Schengen Area to one's advantage).

    EDIT: I'm just curious, out of the people who are reading this thread, how many are actively considering leaving the United States?
    Post edited by WindUpBird on
  • WuB, the only thing Google tells me Schengen is is a town in Luxembourg. Elaborate?
  • Nothing against Australia, but I would have a hard time living there merely because rabbit ownership is difficult and outright illegal in some places. Also, I don't want my darling boys to get the Myxi, or Rabbit Hemorrhagic Fever.
    Man, I want to go back in time and punch the git who let those first rabbits loose. Punch him right in the face. And then explain how he made life suck for the farmers, the other animals, and rabbits as a species.
    That's fair - while our rabbit population is now getting quite resistant to Myxi, American rabbits most likely wouldn't be - We're seeing a 35-45% survival rate for it now, and rising. Though, stupidly, the vaccine is not allowed to be used on pet rabbits, because they don't want the immunity to spread to the wild rabbit population - a stupid move that pisses me off severely. You can get a vaccine for RHD, though.

    It's become so common, though, that even when I managed to take a rabbit over in England to eat, I checked it over for Myxi and RHD, even though you don't get the former in England, and the latter is rather more rare than it is here.

    Yeah, the farmer who bought over rabbits was an idiot. Bought them over - much like our fox population - because he thought they'd be good to hunt, and ended up screwing with the ecosystem terribly, not to mention destroying billions of dollars of agriculture, and ruining the ability of people to have pet rabbits in many places, along with many people's pet rabbits being condemned to die because the government bans the vaccine that could help with myxi, just because they're afraid it will spread - despite that the rabbits are building up a natural immunity anyway.

  • The only other country I've been in so far is Canada. I wouldn't mind living there expect I'd like to know where the secret screaming room is. I mean, they can't really be that polite ALL the time?
    A good Canadian politeness story is the time I was driving through Ontario with my family last year and we stopped at a Tim Horton's. My younger sister is really into hockey and she roots for the Buffalo Sabers, since she is from Rochester. We were in the restaurant and while we were waiting for our food, she started to stare over at a newspaper lying next to these two old guys trays because she was trying to make out the hockey scores. They caught her glancing at the paper, and they were like "Checking the scores, eh? Here, take the whole paper! We're done with it! Keep it! The Leafs lost, though! Dang Sabers!" and my sister was like "Aww, you don't want to give me your paper, I'm a Sabers fan" and they were like "Hey, no hard feelings! We'll beat you next time!" and then they all talked hockey. I find that kind of friendly good will to be typical of my interaction with Canadians.
  • edited January 2012
    WuB, the only thing Google tells me Schengen is is a town in Luxembourg. Elaborate?
    The Schengen Area dictates free movement within a 26 nation block of European/Nordic nations. This allows you to move freely within the zone, and to work and live in any nation you wish, provided you have a valid passport from a member state. It's often easier to seek EU citizenship from another country (I have right of return citizenship to Spain, and thus to the area, thanks to being the son of an immigrant and having two Spanish citizen grandparents) and then to move to your nation of choice. Be aware that paperwork upon arrival might be complex when seeking a job (one of the ways they ensure the right of movement isn't abused by foreign nationals unwilling to make the effort to properly assimilate into a nation), so you should know the language beforehand.

    You should look into Right of Return citizenship if any of your grandparents were EU nationals, especially if they were from Ireland, Spain, Italy, Greece, or most of the Central/Eastern EU nations. Expect difficulty in Germany and Austria, as well as most Western European nations; ease of RoR is seemingly inversely proportional to the economic status of the nation at present. Most are still pretty lenient, but Germany is buttoning up to try and avoid a refugee crisis if the Euro collapses (luckily, it appears to have moved away from total dissolution).
    Post edited by WindUpBird on
  • edited January 2012
    It's become so common, though, that even when I managed to take a rabbit over in England to eat, I checked it over for Myxi and RHD, even though you don't get the former in England, and the latter is rather more rare than it is here.
    Wait, They have totally have Myxomatosis in England, I thought? It was a huge plot point in Watership Down and I remember reading a thing about how many hunters would mercy-kill afflicted rabbits.

    On a different note, I have said in other threads the countries I would consider moving to. We shall see.
    Post edited by gomidog on
  • It's become so common, though, that even when I managed to take a rabbit over in England to eat, I checked it over for Myxi and RHD, even though you don't get the former in England, and the latter is rather more rare than it is here.
    Wait, They have totally have Myxomatosis in England, I thought? It was a huge plot point in Watership Down and I remember reading a thing about how many hunters would mercy-kill afflicted rabbits.

    On a different note, I have said in other threads the countries I would consider moving to. We shall see.

    There are myxies here, but they're on the decline. Latest studies show that rabbit populations are booming massively because of genetic resistance. It's a good thing those lagomorphs have a short generation time.

  • edited January 2012
    @Shadoworc01 If you plan on learning the local language Swedish or Danish would likely be easier to pick up. They're in the same language family as English, and it would be easier to reason your way to the meaning of words. If you speak Swedish/Danish/Norwegian you'll also be able to understand the other two with relative ease. The rest of the germanic languages (like German) will also be easier to understand. Also, Finnish isn't based on Norse. You want to sound like a viking, don't you? http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f7/Human_Language_Families_Map.PNG

    Other than that I suppose you could prioritize based on how much snow you want. You're going to get more snow in Sweden and Finland than in Denmark, because of how much coastline each of them have.
    Post edited by Agnara on
  • On this same topic does anyone know of any developed countries that don't have over bearing immigration policies? I've always wanted to see other countries but not as a tourist.
  • Well, what are you looking for in a country? Any area of the world you're interested in?

    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.
  • edited January 2012
    Wait, They have totally have Myxomatosis in England, I thought? It was a huge plot point in Watership Down and I remember reading a thing about how many hunters would mercy-kill afflicted rabbits.

    On a different note, I have said in other threads the countries I would consider moving to. We shall see.
    My mistake - They do have it, but as WUB said, it's on a heavy decline, I didn't see a single rabbit with any signs or symptoms, dead or no, and never heard much about it. When I asked farmers about it on the odd occasion I'd buy rabbit meat, they told me that it's not something you really ever saw - so I assumed that it wasn't present, my mistake.
    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.
    Post edited by Churba on
  • edited January 2012
    On this same topic does anyone know of any developed countries that don't have over bearing immigration policies? I've always wanted to see other countries but not as a tourist.
    Does anyone know if there is any country on earth that does not have any major flaws?

    1) People have protected civil liberties like free speech.
    2) Good education, health care, etc.
    3) Nice weather.
    4) Internet is fast and free.
    5) Easy access to goods and services from around the world. (for example Australia lacks video games at reasonable prices).
    6) There are geeks there.
    7) There is a city with jobs that is bicycle friendly.

    The US has plenty of big fucking problems, but when you really get down to it, it's about the same as everywhere else. Every country has some big problems. If there were a perfect country, all the nerds would already be moving there in massive numbers, and it would become nerdtopia.
    Post edited by Apreche on
Sign In or Register to comment.