Why or how did you decide to emigrate?

otnomart

zweton wrote: »

Can I ask what country you relocated to?

Sorry, don't want to say it, but it is in Western Europe.

I would move again, but still only within Western Europe:
lifestyle is consistently similar and it is also easy to travel home on a regular basis.

Tell me how

otnomart wrote: »

Sorry, don't want to say it, but it is in Western Europe.

I would move again, but still only within Western Europe:
lifestyle is consistently similar and it is also easy to travel home on a regular basis.

Do you find your frame of mind influences possible relationships or decision making?

i.e. "I won't date that person because they are looking for something serious and I think I might be moving in 6 months."

or "there's no point renting a nice apartment or buying a nice car as I am only here for a while."

otnomart

Tell me how wrote: »

Do you find your frame of mind influences possible relationships or decision making?

i.e. "I won't date that person because they are looking for something serious and I think I might be moving in 6 months."

or "there's no point renting a nice apartment or buying a nice car as I am only here for a while."

Relationship-wise: Yes.

So far, I did not want to date anyone who is due to move to another Continent.

No problem at all if the person has to move to another W.E. Country, I would have no issue moving with them.


Housing-wise, No
I believe in being as comfortable as one can afford.

Tell me how

otnomart wrote: »

Relationship-wise: Yes.

So far, I did not want to date anyone who is due to move to another Continent.

That's something which is on my mind. Would like a relationship but most (I know not all) potential partners are looking for long term focus. Part of me thinks that at least the next 2 years, the longest I will spend in a place is 6 months or so and part of me thinks am I putting potential for a family (whatever the chances) on hold even more.

As I said previously, I tend to think about things a bit too much maybe...

Dr.Sanchez

I moved back to Ireland after living in the UK for eight years. I'm considering moving away again some time in the new year. I'd like to try Netherlands or Scandinavian, been to all countries in Scandinavia with work and really liked Denmark and Norway.

annamosullivan

Hello, did anyone go to the Isle of Man? I saw a stall for living and working in the Isle of Man earlier on this year at a careers expo in Dublin. Was wondering what that place might be like to live and work in, if I ever wanted to take a career break. Don't know anyone working there though, though I do have family and friends in England. Thanks in advance

Tell me how

annamosullivan wrote: »

Hello, did anyone go to the Isle of Man? I saw a stall for living and working in the Isle of Man earlier on this year at a careers expo in Dublin. Was wondering what that place might be like to live and work in, if I ever wanted to take a career break. Don't know anyone working there though, though I do have family and friends in England. Thanks in advance

I've never been but my two cents. I had a cousin who spent years there. Found the people friendly and welcoming but said it is really a very small place. Everyone knows everyone kind of thing and some struggle with that.

Personally, unless that is the environment you are looking for, I would probably look more closely at mainland UK than the Isle of Man.

zweton

Tell me how wrote: »

I've never been but my two cents. I had a cousin who spent years there. Found the people friendly and welcoming but said it is really a very small place. Everyone knows everyone kind of thing and some struggle with that.

Personally, unless that is the environment you are looking for, I would probably look more closely at mainland UK than the Isle of Man.

tell me how, where do you think you will go? If you do.

Tell me how

zweton wrote: »

tell me how, where do you think you will go? If you do.

US visa option is graduate visa which I must avail of before next summer should I wish to use it. I think that is something I might regret not doing if I pass it up so that's high on the list.

Went to university in England so would be comfortable with living/working there and could do that at very short notice and for a trial period if I wanted.

Other than that, am drawn to Nordic countries also as well as other countries in central/northern Europe so.........

Part of me is also thinking of staying in Ireland but looking for a company which would be happy to have someone being willing to travel for 4-8 weeks at a time to various locations and try to scratch this itch that way.

As I wrote these 4 lines, I had sensations of excitement and worry nearly at the same time. That's why I'm interested in others thoughts on their motivations and experiences.

mazwell

Apologies if someone has already addressed this but I noticed in the op That you were going to have children in the next few years and both of you are around 35. I'm a few years younger and just had my 2nd child and I actually moved job between no 1 and 2 for better maternity benefits. Just something to be aware of

airportgirl83

mazwell wrote: »

Apologies if someone has already addressed this but I noticed in the op That you were going to have children in the next few years and both of you are around 35. I'm a few years younger and just had my 2nd child and I actually moved job between no 1 and 2 for better maternity benefits. Just something to be aware of

Do you mean to make sure you have a good maternity benefit?

mazwell

airportgirl83 wrote: »

Do you mean to make sure you have a good maternity benefit?

Yes

annamosullivan

If you moved away and came back to Ireland after living and working abroad, how did you fare career and job wise when you came back? Am trying to decide if a career break living and working in the Isle of Man/UK/Europe would be of benefit to my IT career, or whether I'd be better off staying in Ireland to get more experience. Have never studied or lived or worked outside of Ireland, and am trying to weigh up my options and getting the facts before I decide whether or not to go. Thanks

gerogerigegege

single and beginning my 30s. Ireland is a broken country. no interest in living here any longer.

Tell me how

gerogerigegege wrote: »

single and beginning my 30s. Ireland is a broken country. no interest in living here any longer.

There are several threads where this topic comes up.
Personally I don't agree with this statement. There are issues with housing and healthcare could always be better, but, in comparison to most of the 200 odd countries in the world, I think we measure up quite favourably. All things considered.

I'm not saying "You're wrong" or trying to derail this thread in debating it but I wonder if there is a specific reason why you think this and where you might go that is better.

engiweirdo

Tell me how wrote: »

gerogerigegege wrote: »

single and beginning my 30s. Ireland is a broken country. no interest in living here any longer.

There are several threads where this topic comes up.
Personally I don't agree with this statement. There are issues with housing and healthcare could always be better, but, in comparison to most of the 200 odd countries in the world, I think we measure up quite favourably. All things considered.

I'm not saying "You're wrong" or trying to derail this thread in debating it but I wonder if there is a specific reason why you think this and where you might go that is better.

We should not be compared to 200 countries however. We all know that. We should compare ourselves to our peer nations ie; similar size countries in North Western Europe: The Netherlands, Belgium, Scandinavia in comparison to which for the average professional we are indeed a VERY broken country.

gerogerigegege

we sold out our oil and gas, have trillion dollar companies here that pay feck all tax, part of a failed currency, failed economy, low wage jobs, poorly paid teachers and nurses fleeing the country, in debt up to our eyeballs, paying billions a year in debt interest while children are waiting on treatment for basic health services, rip off motor insurance etc.

there must be better than this.

Jim2007

gerogerigegege wrote: »

we sold out our oil and gas, have trillion dollar companies here that pay feck all tax, part of a failed currency, failed economy, low wage jobs, poorly paid teachers and nurses fleeing the country, in debt up to our eyeballs, paying billions a year in debt interest while children are waiting on treatment for basic health services, rip off motor insurance etc.

there must be better than this.

You need to get out and experience the world if you actually think that BS is real.

- Every country that has oil or gas resources do exactly the same. Companies that extract the resources pay taxes and royalties.

- How exactly is the Euro a failed currency? It is the currency of one of major trading blocks in the world, with a well financed central bank and to top it off it is a reserve for many other major economies.

- The Irish economy is most any thing but a failed economy, you just have never experienced what a failed economy is. Ireland is one of the leading exporters in Europe, right up there with Germany, Austria and so on. Exports are in the region of 45 - 50% of GDP, which is why it is actually in a position to be bale to pay down national debts, compare that to the UK were exports are just about 12%. Ireland enjoys the same advantage as German and Austria - the ability to trade in an under valued currency at no cost to the exchequer. Now just to put that into perspective for you, when Switzerland tried to peg it's Franc to the Euro it ended up owning the deficit of the 7 biggest Euro group economies and still could not do it. The SNB has resources 5000 times that of the Irish Central Bank, so good luck trying to manage an currency outside the Euro.

And as for your other complaints that is the same the world over, you just don't have any real experience to compare it with.

Now I know this will make no difference to you because your sense of entitlement and whining will always win out.

You want to experience what it really like outside the safety nets of Ireland? Come to Switzerland:

- We don't do employment law here. You can work for 30 years for a company and they can simply terminate you on a month's notice without a reason and replace you with someone younger and cheaper for example. It is also OK for example to advertise for a native speaking male between 20 -35 on ad - meaning only Swiss males should apply.

- Unemployment benefits: Yes, but only for two years and only after you have proved that loosing your job was in no way your fault. During the period you will be closely supervised to ensure that you are genuinely searching for a job and if the officer is not happy with you the can impose a penalty of up to 3 months loss of benefits. You must accept jobs within a 2 hour radius of your home and as time goes by the type of job you must accept is expanded until you get to the point were you are doing casual manual work for the local council - digging latrines for local events, cleaning the public toilets and gardening for old people are regular assignments

- Social Welfare: Yes but only after you have disposed of all your stuff - car, flatbed TV, etc and begged or borrowed from you family, who are legally required to support you by the way. And then once you get back on your feet, you are required to pay it back.

- We don't do public healthcare over here. You must pay your own health insurance or if you are on welfare it will be paid for you. And yes there are still waiting lists for non essential treatments, even though you have private health insurance. A shortage of GPs is a common issue in parts of the country, to the point where some people who cannot get on a list are left having to attend the ER instead.

- The state pension: Yes, the annual pension would only cover say 3 months of living expense, so you better have a good private pension or you will end up on social welfare.

You have not got a clue how the rest of the world lives.

rosmoke

Why don't you compare transport, salaries, weather or the overall quality of life?
What made you emigrate, or why are you on this forum for?

Brian?

Jim2007 wrote: »

You need to get out and experience the world if you actually think that BS is real.

- Every country that has oil or gas resources do exactly the same. Companies that extract the resources pay taxes and royalties.

- How exactly is the Euro a failed currency? It is the currency of one of major trading blocks in the world, with a well financed central bank and to top it off it is a reserve for many other major economies.

- The Irish economy is most any thing but a failed economy, you just have never experienced what a failed economy is. Ireland is one of the leading exporters in Europe, right up there with Germany, Austria and so on. Exports are in the region of 45 - 50% of GDP, which is why it is actually in a position to be bale to pay down national debts, compare that to the UK were exports are just about 12%. Ireland enjoys the same advantage as German and Austria - the ability to trade in an under valued currency at no cost to the exchequer. Now just to put that into perspective for you, when Switzerland tried to peg it's Franc to the Euro it ended up owning the deficit of the 7 biggest Euro group economies and still could not do it. The SNB has resources 5000 times that of the Irish Central Bank, so good luck trying to manage an currency outside the Euro.

And as for your other complaints that is the same the world over, you just don't have any real experience to compare it with.

Now I know this will make no difference to you because your sense of entitlement and whining will always win out.

You want to experience what it really like outside the safety nets of Ireland? Come to Switzerland:

- We don't do employment law here. You can work for 30 years for a company and they can simply terminate you on a month's notice without a reason and replace you with someone younger and cheaper for example. It is also OK for example to advertise for a native speaking male between 20 -35 on ad - meaning only Swiss males should apply.

- Unemployment benefits: Yes, but only for two years and only after you have proved that loosing your job was in no way your fault. During the period you will be closely supervised to ensure that you are genuinely searching for a job and if the officer is not happy with you the can impose a penalty of up to 3 months loss of benefits. You must accept jobs within a 2 hour radius of your home and as time goes by the type of job you must accept is expanded until you get to the point were you are doing casual manual work for the local council - digging latrines for local events, cleaning the public toilets and gardening for old people are regular assignments

- Social Welfare: Yes but only after you have disposed of all your stuff - car, flatbed TV, etc and begged or borrowed from you family, who are legally required to support you by the way. And then once you get back on your feet, you are required to pay it back.

- We don't do public healthcare over here. You must pay your own health insurance or if you are on welfare it will be paid for you. And yes there are still waiting lists for non essential treatments, even though you have private health insurance. A shortage of GPs is a common issue in parts of the country, to the point where some people who cannot get on a list are left having to attend the ER instead.

- The state pension: Yes, the annual pension would only cover say 3 months of living expense, so you better have a good private pension or you will end up on social welfare.

You have not got a clue how the rest of the world lives.

I didn’t realise Switzerland was quite that bad. No wonder the anarcho capitalist “libertarians” hold it up as the perfect model.

Brian?

rosmoke wrote: »

Why don't you compare transport, salaries, weather or the overall quality of life?
What made you emigrate, or why are you on this forum for?

I live in Eindhoven:

Salary to property price ratio is better than Ireland. I’m on more money here, but that money goes a lot further than Ireland as well. The only things more expensive are cars and beef. I can deal with that.

Public transport is widespread and dirt cheap. I cycle 14km to work and I share the road with cars for about 200m. The roads are still great though. If I drive to work it takes 10 minutes.

Weather is the same as Ireland. But you can’t have everything.

rosmoke

Now for example wind goes with 3km/h in Zurich, don't think I ever seen that in Ireland. 2 days ago a trampuline landed in my back yard ... again.
You can ski in the winter, have more hours of sunshine, less rain, less wind and temperatures a few degrees hotter I think.

Brian? wrote: »

I live in Eindhoven:

Salary to property price ratio is better than Ireland. I’m on more money here, but that money goes a lot further than Ireland as well. The only things more expensive are cars and beef. I can deal with that.

Public transport is widespread and dirt cheap. I cycle 14km to work and I share the road with cars for about 200m. The roads are still great though. If I drive to work it takes 10 minutes.

Weather is the same as Ireland. But you can’t have everything.

gerogerigegege

Jim2007 wrote: »

You need to get out and experience the world if you actually think that BS is real.

- Every country that has oil or gas resources do exactly the same. Companies that extract the resources pay taxes and royalties.

- How exactly is the Euro a failed currency? It is the currency of one of major trading blocks in the world, with a well financed central bank and to top it off it is a reserve for many other major economies.

- The Irish economy is most any thing but a failed economy, you just have never experienced what a failed economy is. Ireland is one of the leading exporters in Europe, right up there with Germany, Austria and so on. Exports are in the region of 45 - 50% of GDP, which is why it is actually in a position to be bale to pay down national debts, compare that to the UK were exports are just about 12%. Ireland enjoys the same advantage as German and Austria - the ability to trade in an under valued currency at no cost to the exchequer. Now just to put that into perspective for you, when Switzerland tried to peg it's Franc to the Euro it ended up owning the deficit of the 7 biggest Euro group economies and still could not do it. The SNB has resources 5000 times that of the Irish Central Bank, so good luck trying to manage an currency outside the Euro.

And as for your other complaints that is the same the world over, you just don't have any real experience to compare it with.

Now I know this will make no difference to you because your sense of entitlement and whining will always win out.

You want to experience what it really like outside the safety nets of Ireland? Come to Switzerland:

- We don't do employment law here. You can work for 30 years for a company and they can simply terminate you on a month's notice without a reason and replace you with someone younger and cheaper for example. It is also OK for example to advertise for a native speaking male between 20 -35 on ad - meaning only Swiss males should apply.

- Unemployment benefits: Yes, but only for two years and only after you have proved that loosing your job was in no way your fault. During the period you will be closely supervised to ensure that you are genuinely searching for a job and if the officer is not happy with you the can impose a penalty of up to 3 months loss of benefits. You must accept jobs within a 2 hour radius of your home and as time goes by the type of job you must accept is expanded until you get to the point were you are doing casual manual work for the local council - digging latrines for local events, cleaning the public toilets and gardening for old people are regular assignments

- Social Welfare: Yes but only after you have disposed of all your stuff - car, flatbed TV, etc and begged or borrowed from you family, who are legally required to support you by the way. And then once you get back on your feet, you are required to pay it back.

- We don't do public healthcare over here. You must pay your own health insurance or if you are on welfare it will be paid for you. And yes there are still waiting lists for non essential treatments, even though you have private health insurance. A shortage of GPs is a common issue in parts of the country, to the point where some people who cannot get on a list are left having to attend the ER instead.

- The state pension: Yes, the annual pension would only cover say 3 months of living expense, so you better have a good private pension or you will end up on social welfare.

You have not got a clue how the rest of the world lives.

Why live in Switzerland if Ireland is so great.
You've completely gone off on a tangent going on about eelfare. We are far too generous especially to non Irish Nationals.
A million people in work are on a welfare payment in this country to keep them afloat. The majority of jobs are poor and short term minimum wage roles.
Explain to me how Ireland and Norway for example differ when you say we own our oil, gas etc.
Again failed heslth system, massive housing crisis, 3rd most indebted country in the world.
We train nurses and teachers and they run from here.
A thriving economy means NOTHING when you have the disasters we have in this kip.

Tell me how

There is a podcast on the Doc on One site of a guy who went to America on a graduate visa and the trouble he had in securing a job within the 3 month window. At least, that is what I think it is about but i have not listened to it yet. It's on the list.

Doc on One

Did anyone here use such a visa? What was your experience of it?

This is one of the options I am considering for next year and am very interested in experiences.

gerogerigegege

Tell me how wrote: »

There is a podcast on the Doc on One site of a guy who went to America on a graduate visa and the trouble he had in securing a job within the 3 month window. At least, that is what I think it is about but i have not listened to it yet. It's on the list.

Doc on One

Did anyone here use such a visa? What was your experience of it?

This is one of the options I am considering for next year and am very interested in experiences.

I heard it. That guy was dead determined! We need similar style visa here to slow ip the growth in our population. Freedom of movement of cheap labour is a mess. 1000 people coming here a week is not working.

NSAman

Tell me how wrote: »

There is a podcast on the Doc on One site of a guy who went to America on a graduate visa and the trouble he had in securing a job within the 3 month window. At least, that is what I think it is about but i have not listened to it yet. It's on the list.

Did anyone here use such a visa? What was your experience of it?

This is one of the options I am considering for next year and am very interested in experiences.

I didn't use the Visa, but I am surprised that he couldn't find employment here. Where I am in the MidWest, there is almost full employment, they are crying out for workers and tempting people with large pay promises.

America is not a cheap place to live though. Costs of daily living can be rather on the high side, but cities make up for this with larger paypackets.

I personally love where I am here and have the best of both worlds by having one of those larger paypackets but in a rural setting which gives me good spending power (although I save and do not spend).

Employment is not the same as in Europe. Holidays are 7 days a year for the first year (maybe two) and there is no such thing as job security. The norm here is 2 weeks per yer unless you are in a job which specifies differently and they DO exist. Healthcare is paid for most good jobs by the employer even so, be prepared to have a deductible. If you rent, its easy. If you own factor in Property Tax and insurance into your mortgage, which can add significantly to repayments based on location.

America is an easy society to live in most of the time. Being Irish STILL helps in some respects (depending where you are). However, if you are a culture vulture, large cities tend to be the only places for a cultural experience.

redcup342

Brian? wrote: »

I live in Eindhoven:

Salary to property price ratio is better than Ireland. I’m on more money here, but that money goes a lot further than Ireland as well. The only things more expensive are cars and beef. I can deal with that.

Public transport is widespread and dirt cheap. I cycle 14km to work and I share the road with cars for about 200m. The roads are still great though. If I drive to work it takes 10 minutes.

Weather is the same as Ireland. But you can’t have everything.

I wouldn't say Eindhoven has "great" Public Transport, only has buses, no Tram or underground.

For the size of it though it does have a good setup, especially for cycling

Hope you are doing GLOW this weekend

Brian?

redcup342 wrote: »

I wouldn't say Eindhoven has "great" Public Transport, only has buses, no Tram or underground.

For the size of it though it does have a good setup, especially for cycling

Hope you are doing GLOW this weekend

The buses are great though. No need for a team the way the bus lanes are set up. Way too small for an underground IMO. The way buses get priority is great and where room allows completely separate bus lanes. I do think it’s great, very well laid out.

Going to Glow tomorrow, thanks. You in Eindhoven yourself?

BK92

Tell me how wrote: »

There are several threads where this topic comes up.
Personally I don't agree with this statement. There are issues with housing and healthcare could always be better, but, in comparison to most of the 200 odd countries in the world, I think we measure up quite favourably. All things considered.

I'm not saying "You're wrong" or trying to derail this thread in debating it but I wonder if there is a specific reason why you think this and where you might go that is better.

gerogerigegege wrote: »

single and beginning my 30s. Ireland is a broken country. no interest in living here any longer.

engiweirdo wrote: »

We should not be compared to 200 countries however. We all know that. We should compare ourselves to our peer nations ie; similar size countries in North Western Europe: The Netherlands, Belgium, Scandinavia in comparison to which for the average professional we are indeed a VERY broken country.

I rarely post on boards but these posts got me thinking.



In absolute terms, yes, Ireland is *one of* the best countries in the world to live in and I say that as a person who couldn't wait to get out of the place and is now living abroad
I think Jim2007 is right to use Switzerland as an example of why the grass isn't always greener on the other side, IMO Irish people tend to have the view that healthcare is mostly government funded or heavily subisdised in continental Europe and that social policies and worker protection are a million times better than back home. Not always so ...


If you want an example of a properly broken country you should look at Brazil and especially the North/North-East. This is where I call home with my fiancée and two kids at the moment. I've only been here 5 months so far but already 'bleak' is one of the more positive adjectives I could use to describe it :rolleyes: I came here to try out family life in Brazil. Most people start in Brazil on holidays, they do the carnivals, Rio, Foz de Iguaçu, party, beach etc., like we all would on holidays and rightly enjoy all the great things this country has to offer.


Then maybe you decide you want to come to live and work .... and then the Potemkin village that is Brazil crumbles before you. There are things like:

- Bureaucracy: in Ireland we tend to think that for example, organisations like the HSE are full of pencil pushers and that nurses and other healthcare staff are lacking. In Brazil the bureaucracy starts even before you get into the country and experience the genuinely shocking level of public healthcare. Want to buy a flight with a Brazilian airline to come here ? All good, you fill in your details, get credit card details ready etc. Now for your CPF. What ? It's similar to the TIN in the US and shares some similarities with our PPS except they ask for it everywhere here. Why do you need to have a tax number to book a flight ? you're a tourist right ? you can't even obtain a CPF. Brazilians couldn't care less. Want to buy something on Amazon to send in advance to your home ? Sorry, no can do, you must have a CPF number for that too. Apparently it's needed for cross-checking against the credit card you use, that it's really you. It's a wonder Amazon in the UK and US aren't being used to max out stolen credit cards left, right and centre :rolleyes:
You will also need it to get a phone plan or tv subscription. In shops they will sometimes ask for your CPF when you buy stuff. Not just with credit cards, with cash too (it's not mandatory to give one though). Even when you want to use free wifi in shops you're asked for your CPF. I couldn't imagine giving out my PPS to buy a pair of shoes or use Aldi's wifi back in Ireland, the poor people looking after the GDPR would be having convulsions :P I understand using the PPS for state services, driving test/licenses but throwing it out like confetti is hard to get used to ...


Which brings me to my next point ... a bit of bureaucracy is to be expected, brings up employment where there aren't a whole pile of other options, other countries do things differently and that's their choice. But Brazil's a developing country and money really does talk here, things are probably that little bit cheaper, Ireland's a rip off compared to the continent for things like insurance, right ?


- Prices & Taxes: insurance in Ireland is a massive bugbear for all of us. But with the absurd taxes, fees and whatever else Brazilians slap on anything that changes hands here, the high Irish insurance prices won't seem that bad. Brazil has horrendous import taxes. It justifies them in part by saying that they encourage and protect Brazilian jobs. My 9 year old, she wants one of the Lol Surprise sets for Christmas. On Amazon UK it's €193.63 inc. delivery, delivered on the 13th of December, well in time for Christmas. On MercadoLivre in Brazil the same set + delivery will set you back €231.39. It could be worse right ? Yes it could, it'll only arrive on the 2nd or 3rd of January. I'll have a tall order getting her to celebrate the Orthodox Christmas :rolleyes: Calling the Brazilian postal service abysmal is doing it a favour, any parcel sent to Brazil from abroad will take months to get here. If customs decide to rustle through it in their quest to extract every last cent out of everyone, it might even take another month or two after you pay the duties or whatever new charge they've cobbled together to finally receive it. This happened to some Irish mammy that unwittingly tried to send me some Cadbury's chocolate. In October. :rolleyes:
But surely BK92 this doesn't apply to products made in Brazil ? Since there's no import taxes it must be cheaper ? Again, nope, a 750g jar of Nutella in an Irish Tesco will cost €4.89. 4 650g jars of Nutella here will cost R$141.99 on Mercado Livre or €31.98. Working it out by kg the Irish Nutella ends up costing €6.50. The Brazilian Nutella €12.30. Only in Brazil can something be nearly twice as expensive when you take import taxes out of the equation :rolleyes: I won't even touch on the Brazilian owned/made substitutes ...

These prices would be poor enough on the average Irish salary. The average salary in Brazil is taken $16,112 and despite Irish city rents, car and health insurance, ordinary Brazilian purchases make up a lot more of their salary than back home. Energy bills are terrible here too, just got a bill for about €300 for October's electricity. There's no breeze here and even locals aren't keen on the heat, they just tolerate it better than us. With the price of everything it's sadly not a mystery why people turn to 'alternative methods' to fund a modest existence.


There are lots of other things in this part of Brazil that make living here difficult but they can become fairly subjective, such as crime, corruption, the way foreigners are viewed/treated by 'official Brazil', the blind 'ame-o ou deixe-o'/'love it or get out of here' attitude towards any critcism, no matter how justified or objective, by a foreigner about Brazil and the bottomless driving standards.
I'm sorry for being so negative but no matter how 'bad' a country is, it always has redeeming features. But here, low incomes ? yes, low prices no, high taxes yes, bang for your buck in public services ? complete opposite. Okay, but at least things are quiet and peaceful ? No. Okay! But living in a gated community/condominium can fix that ? Yes, but at times it can feel more like an open prison, cut off from the rest of the population. At the very least, having a warm climate means that shopping for food in general is easy and food plentiful, exotic and cheap ? Again, nope.


This post has its fair bit of subjectivity. If you live in Brazil and enjoy it, fair play, you've got a lot thicker skin than me! If you're Brazilian and don't agree with me, by all means call me out on it, impressions can be misleading!


So there you go, some essential things in life can be disproportionately expensive in Ireland - namely health insurance, buying/running a car and renting. Just next time you walk down a street, on your phone, having money in your pocket, being able to go into a shop and buy decent quality food at a recent price, stop into a pub without having to wonder if there's a risk of getting attacked or robbed and then salute your neighbour when you arrive back home at the front door, no 12ft high walls or lashings of electric fence and barbed wire, having seen no drug dealing, underage prostitution or large crowds turning a blind eye to petty crime, then Ireland won't seem that broken.

airportgirl83

BK92 wrote: »

I rarely post on boards but these posts got me thinking.



In absolute terms, yes, Ireland is *one of* the best countries in the world to live in and I say that as a person who couldn't wait to get out of the place and is now living abroad
I think Jim2007 is right to use Switzerland as an example of why the grass isn't always greener on the other side, IMO Irish people tend to have the view that healthcare is mostly government funded or heavily subisdised in continental Europe and that social policies and worker protection are a million times better than back home. Not always so ...


If you want an example of a properly broken country you should look at Brazil and especially the North/North-East. This is where I call home with my fiancée and two kids at the moment. I've only been here 5 months so far but already 'bleak' is one of the more positive adjectives I could use to describe it :rolleyes: I came here to try out family life in Brazil. Most people start in Brazil on holidays, they do the carnivals, Rio, Foz de Iguaçu, party, beach etc., like we all would on holidays and rightly enjoy all the great things this country has to offer.


Then maybe you decide you want to come to live and work .... and then the Potemkin village that is Brazil crumbles before you. There are things like:

- Bureaucracy: in Ireland we tend to think that for example, organisations like the HSE are full of pencil pushers and that nurses and other healthcare staff are lacking. In Brazil the bureaucracy starts even before you get into the country and experience the genuinely shocking level of public healthcare. Want to buy a flight with a Brazilian airline to come here ? All good, you fill in your details, get credit card details ready etc. Now for your CPF. What ? It's similar to the TIN in the US and shares some similarities with our PPS except they ask for it everywhere here. Why do you need to have a tax number to book a flight ? you're a tourist right ? you can't even obtain a CPF. Brazilians couldn't care less. Want to buy something on Amazon to send in advance to your home ? Sorry, no can do, you must have a CPF number for that too. Apparently it's needed for cross-checking against the credit card you use, that it's really you. It's a wonder Amazon in the UK and US aren't being used to max out stolen credit cards left, right and centre :rolleyes:
You will also need it to get a phone plan or tv subscription. In shops they will sometimes ask for your CPF when you buy stuff. Not just with credit cards, with cash too (it's not mandatory to give one though). Even when you want to use free wifi in shops you're asked for your CPF. I couldn't imagine giving out my PPS to buy a pair of shoes or use Aldi's wifi back in Ireland, the poor people looking after the GDPR would be having convulsions :P I understand using the PPS for state services, driving test/licenses but throwing it out like confetti is hard to get used to ...


Which brings me to my next point ... a bit of bureaucracy is to be expected, brings up employment where there aren't a whole pile of other options, other countries do things differently and that's their choice. But Brazil's a developing country and money really does talk here, things are probably that little bit cheaper, Ireland's a rip off compared to the continent for things like insurance, right ?


- Prices & Taxes: insurance in Ireland is a massive bugbear for all of us. But with the absurd taxes, fees and whatever else Brazilians slap on anything that changes hands here, the high Irish insurance prices won't seem that bad. Brazil has horrendous import taxes. It justifies them in part by saying that they encourage and protect Brazilian jobs. My 9 year old, she wants one of the Lol Surprise sets for Christmas. On Amazon UK it's €193.63 inc. delivery, delivered on the 13th of December, well in time for Christmas. On MercadoLivre in Brazil the same set + delivery will set you back €231.39. It could be worse right ? Yes it could, it'll only arrive on the 2nd or 3rd of January. I'll have a tall order getting her to celebrate the Orthodox Christmas :rolleyes: Calling the Brazilian postal service abysmal is doing it a favour, any parcel sent to Brazil from abroad will take months to get here. If customs decide to rustle through it in their quest to extract every last cent out of everyone, it might even take another month or two after you pay the duties or whatever new charge they've cobbled together to finally receive it. This happened to some Irish mammy that unwittingly tried to send me some Cadbury's chocolate. In October. :rolleyes:
But surely BK92 this doesn't apply to products made in Brazil ? Since there's no import taxes it must be cheaper ? Again, nope, a 750g jar of Nutella in an Irish Tesco will cost €4.89. 4 650g jars of Nutella here will cost R$141.99 on Mercado Livre or €31.98. Working it out by kg the Irish Nutella ends up costing €6.50. The Brazilian Nutella €12.30. Only in Brazil can something be nearly twice as expensive when you take import taxes out of the equation :rolleyes: I won't even touch on the Brazilian owned/made substitutes ...

These prices would be poor enough on the average Irish salary. The average salary in Brazil is taken $16,112 and despite Irish city rents, car and health insurance, ordinary Brazilian purchases make up a lot more of their salary than back home. Energy bills are terrible here too, just got a bill for about €300 for October's electricity. There's no breeze here and even locals aren't keen on the heat, they just tolerate it better than us. With the price of everything it's sadly not a mystery why people turn to 'alternative methods' to fund a modest existence.


There are lots of other things in this part of Brazil that make living here difficult but they can become fairly subjective, such as crime, corruption, the way foreigners are viewed/treated by 'official Brazil', the blind 'ame-o ou deixe-o'/'love it or get out of here' attitude towards any critcism, no matter how justified or objective, by a foreigner about Brazil and the bottomless driving standards.
I'm sorry for being so negative but no matter how 'bad' a country is, it always has redeeming features. But here, low incomes ? yes, low prices no, high taxes yes, bang for your buck in public services ? complete opposite. Okay, but at least things are quiet and peaceful ? No. Okay! But living in a gated community/condominium can fix that ? Yes, but at times it can feel more like an open prison, cut off from the rest of the population. At the very least, having a warm climate means that shopping for food in general is easy and food plentiful, exotic and cheap ? Again, nope.


This post has its fair bit of subjectivity. If you live in Brazil and enjoy it, fair play, you've got a lot thicker skin than me! If you're Brazilian and don't agree with me, by all means call me out on it, impressions can be misleading!


So there you go, some essential things in life can be disproportionately expensive in Ireland - namely health insurance, buying/running a car and renting. Just next time you walk down a street, on your phone, having money in your pocket, being able to go into a shop and buy decent quality food at a recent price, stop into a pub without having to wonder if there's a risk of getting attacked or robbed and then salute your neighbour when you arrive back home at the front door, no 12ft high walls or lashings of electric fence and barbed wire, having seen no drug dealing, underage prostitution or large crowds turning a blind eye to petty crime, then Ireland won't seem that broken.

This thread is about reasons why people choose to emigrate and not about comparing Ireland to Brazil which in fairness is not even a developed country so I'm not sure what you were expecting moving over there. Also, it's always a good idea to do loads of research before moving.