| Author |  Topic  |
Osceola
27 Posts
Joined: 23 Oct 2006
Status: offline |  Posted - 29 Jun 2007 : 20:02:10  
| Oh, please do give this a great deal of thought. Life in the US is no where near the "holiday experience". Just some things to think about:
1. The US is a crazy work environment. Americans live to work. It is simply not a healthy approach to life. One US attorney I know has not had a vacation since 2005. Taking more than a week off at a time is frowned upon. It is not surprising that tens of millions of Americans are on various medications for anxiety/stress/depression.
2. In many parts of the US and in Florida there is little sense of community.
3. There are huge cultural issues that are not apparent on the surface and may actually be masked by common language. For example, you may be stunned by the extent to which religion and faith permeate life in the US. The country is far more conservative than appears from a holiday.
4. Despite the work ethic, finding good employees in Florida is a fool's errand. They may also resent the "rich Brits".
5. Health insurance issue is obscene. A simple broken leg and trip to hospital could set you back tens of thousands of dollars.
And many more.....Please give it the closest consideration. | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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anorak
 265 Posts
Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Status: offline | Posted - 30 Jun 2007 : 07:57:01
| Osceola, I agree with you, what you have posted tallies with my experience.
If you don't belong to a Church then you won't get on socially or meet people.
Most American workers work many more hours than we do in UK and often have a long drive as well, and think its normal but they get very tired. On their odd day off they just recover from the week.
I have found many Americans (with notable exceptions, as some are totally brilliant) are pretty dumb and most don't even have a passport and have never travelled like Brits do all over the world. They are remarkably uninformed about anything outside the US.How much foreign news do you ever see on regular US TV compared to the amount of foreign news on British TV?
Big business is often very efficient in the US, small businesses are often old fashioned and inefficient but they don't realise it.
Yes I think many Americans do resent Brits who appear to be well off. They always mention that it must be cheap for us here as we get 2 dollars to a pound. Bit of a simplistic attitude. This ignores the fact that previously and during WW2 there were 4 dollars to the pound for example.
I dread getting ill in the US for the reason you mention, its a nightmare.
Being a tourist is one thing, being resident is quite another. |
Edited by - anorak on 30 Jun 2007 09:00:42 | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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floridadreamvilla.co.uk
 United Kingdom
17537 Posts
Joined: 21 Jan 2002
Status: offline | |
anorak
265 Posts
Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Status: offline | Posted - 30 Jun 2007 : 08:58:49
| | I have edited my post a bit, but have to stand by it, its my experience and opinion. I won't say any more though as I don't want to offend anyone further, regardless of free speech. | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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floridadreamvilla.co.uk
United Kingdom
17537 Posts
Joined: 21 Jan 2002
Status: offline | |
esprit
 USA
6888 Posts
Joined: 11 Feb 2002
Status: offline | Posted - 30 Jun 2007 : 13:48:32
| Everone who emigrates anywhere has to be aware that there are good and bad in all places. A lot of what Osceola says is true. Yes the Americans do work hard and if you move there you will need to too but i dont see anything wrong with having a work ethic.
As to little sense of community, I would agree it can be hard to make real friends with Americans though we did have some good acquaintances and my son, starting at a younger age, is well integrated and only has American friends. There is however a very good expat network you can tap into in certain parts of America which acts as a safety net.
Cultutal issues, yes those too, yet we ourselves represent a different culture. The church is stronger than in the UK, I wont disagree there.
Health issues, yes everyone knows about them. You have to factor in the cost of insurance.
But there are other things too. The ability to buy a nice house at a price you can afford, low income taxes compared to the UK, and the ability to earn a really good living if you are willing to work hard and keep a good proportion of it and not hand it over to the tax man. Good service is another plus. And a vaste country to explore, I will agree with Flyrr, the Carolinas are wonderful. Some say the Americans dont travel abroad because they dont need to. |
Julie | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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flyrr100
 USA
734 Posts
Joined: 06 Jun 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 30 Jun 2007 : 17:27:05
| Osceola, you are correct about there being little or no community in American neighborhoods. Most folks here rely on the church, or to a smaller extent, school activities to meet people. Most of my friends are through work, or through soccer coaching that I do. But to say Americans live to work is not really fair. Americans are rewarded for the work they do. The vast majority are hourly paid. So the more they work, the more they earn. I'm an airline pilot and am paid by the hour.
Religion plays a huge part in our society. From what's written on the penny, to the traffic cops that have to direct traffic when church is done. Most americans belong to a church of some kind.
As to finding employees here in Florida. There is a strong work ethic here. But Florida is a whats called a transient society. People move in, stay for a year or two, and move on. And the 'rich Brit' comment is ridiculous. The boss is always seen as rich. Be him/her a Brit or not.
Anorak, I showed your post to my wife. Born in Montana, raised in Ohio, now in Florida. She has a normal US education. Graduated with a four year college degree. She said "for us to travel to Paris, or London, isn't like getting in a car and being there in four hours. And we have a vast country of our own to explore." My take is that America is an isolationist society. Just look at our history, (I say our because I became a US citizen in 1994). The majority of Americans would like to close the borders, and withdraw all US troops and other interests back to home. Unfortunately Mr Bush is still in power!
British news, I agree, tells more international news than ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, FOX......... but remember that Britain is part of Europe. And has interests all over the globe. What happens directly effects Britain more than America.
I see many Brits in Florida and don't see how they can appear 'well off'. They look the same as most Americans. (except for the plastic bags and soccer shirts!) If a person owns a business, his/her employees naturally see him as well off. Be him a Brit or an American.
American life is different. Some say it's better, some say it's worse. Thinking that after a vacation in Florida you are ready to enter the American Dream is misguided. I truly hope our immigration laws are changed so Brits can get here without having to invest every cent of their savings on a crazy business. But I also hope anyone looking to relocate here looks at the big picture. Remember, living here doesnt mean you'll be at Disney every day. So look out there. Florida is really what I call a Third World State. After living in Ohio, and even Texas, I wonder how Florida survives!
But we do have the Fox Soccer Channel! |
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florida4sun
 United Kingdom
6905 Posts
Joined: 16 Feb 2002
Status: offline | Posted - 30 Jun 2007 : 19:59:38
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Very different from our experience, we wre not church going but made many friends in our community. We always had people round, every other day day various home made food parcels were delivered and we are made very welcome. The americans are fascinated by us brits and gievn half a chance will show a great interest in you. You just have to be approachable. We lived in short term rental area which are by there nature very transient locations, yet still we had many nieghbours whom we would spend time with. If I remember correctly we had 9 different nationalities in our street alone, its was great. To say 'If you don't belong to a Church then you won't get on socially or meet people' is simply not true. We avoided the expat brigade as best we could.....
Americans do like to work and they do like to play too, I never met an american who did not have quality time.
As for the resentment comment, I saw no evidence of this at, we often had a Bentley and top end Mustang park outside the home and this just created interest and chat.
If you realy feel this way, it must not be much fun for you if you live there, that is a shame.
quote:
Originally posted by anorak
Osceola, I agree with you, what you have posted tallies with my experience.
If you don't belong to a Church then you won't get on socially or meet people.
Most American workers work many more hours than we do in UK and often have a long drive as well, and think its normal but they get very tired. On their odd day off they just recover from the week.
I have found many Americans (with notable exceptions, as some are totally brilliant) are pretty dumb and most don't even have a passport and have never travelled like Brits do all over the world. They are remarkably uninformed about anything outside the US.How much foreign news do you ever see on regular US TV compared to the amount of foreign news on British TV?
Big business is often very efficient in the US, small businesses are often old fashioned and inefficient but they don't realise it.
Yes I think many Americans do resent Brits who appear to be well off. They always mention that it must be cheap for us here as we get 2 dollars to a pound. Bit of a simplistic attitude. This ignores the fact that previously and during WW2 there were 4 dollars to the pound for example.
I dread getting ill in the US for the reason you mention, its a nightmare.
Being a tourist is one thing, being resident is quite another.
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Martin
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Robert5988
United Kingdom
1494 Posts
Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 30 Jun 2007 : 20:07:44
| I do think it is somewhat ironic – not to say insulting - to portray the British as world travelled sophisticates when measured against their ‘dumb’ American cousins - on a website devoted to people who visit Orlando primarily for the cultural delights of Disney.
I have to say I cringe at the dress and antics of a lot of Brits – particularly on the aircraft to and from Orlando – Little Britain clones or ‘wotever’ come to mind.
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chrizzy100
 USA
7204 Posts
Joined: 26 May 2003
Status: offline | Posted - 30 Jun 2007 : 20:19:37
| I agree Robert...getting drunk and sunburned in Spain does not a world traveler make...
Every day I see people who go against good advice and come to the USA to live when they have not done enough planning ..have enough money to bring over ...or look into the terms of their visa..they just have to live the dream today....they then find it harder than they thought...and then they blame the country or the American people for what is really their mistake...
I have to agree with the posts made by Martin Julie and Jeff or Amy...all very good posts..
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Edited by - chrizzy100 on 30 Jun 2007 20:25:47 | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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flyrr100
USA
734 Posts
Joined: 06 Jun 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 30 Jun 2007 : 23:30:13
| quote:
Originally posted by Robert5988
I do think it is somewhat ironic – not to say insulting - to portray the British as world travelled sophisticates when measured against their ‘dumb’ American cousins - on a website devoted to people who visit Orlando primarily for the cultural delights of Disney.
I have to say I cringe at the dress and antics of a lot of Brits – particularly on the aircraft to and from Orlando – Little Britain clones or ‘wotever’ come to mind.
Robert... You are right, to an extent. The vast majority of Brits who visit Central Florida do so to experience Disney, Universal, NASA, and whatever else we offer for that 'quick fix' of excitement. But we do get that small minority of Brits that just make me cringe, remembering why I left! I've seen fist figthts at Magic Kingdom between guys wearing conflicting soccer shirts! I've seen a family complain, to the extent of using four letter words, because the Christmas dinner they had at EPCOT wasn't like 'mum's at home'.
If anyone wants to relocate here, look long and hard into what you really want. If it's that 'quick fix' then think again. Living here is, like they say about being a US Citizen, it's not easy. You have to really want it.
But we do have the Fox Soccer Channel!
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esprit
USA
6888 Posts
Joined: 11 Feb 2002
Status: offline | Posted - 01 Jul 2007 : 10:58:33
| | It is also easy for Brits living in the US to run it down, while I appreciate it isnt all milk and roses and the need to highlight potential problems for incomers and yes there are some, I never realised how much I enjoyed living there or the very real advantages it can offer to you until I had to leave and went to live elsewhere. I think Martin would be in agreement. |
Julie | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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mfairhurst
 United Kingdom
2183 Posts
Joined: 07 May 2005
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florida4sun
United Kingdom
6905 Posts
Joined: 16 Feb 2002
Status: offline | Posted - 01 Jul 2007 : 14:07:41
| Totally agree, although I think I could managing slumming in in Portugal . Once you live in the sun you do miss it.
The main problem is that becuase we speak the same langauge many brits expect it to be the same as the UK. It is is totally different country and why should we expect it not to be different. It is no different to moving to France, Spain or Italy (from basic experience they can very frustrating places to get yourself set up).
How many times have do you hear 'cant wait to get back home for decent cup of tea' or 'cant buy decent bacon' the brits like to travel but they like to take their home with them.
What was the first thing we did when we arrived - put a fence around the garden. This was totally alien to our neighbours, they simply could not see the point.
You aint lived till you have tried 'local' turtle soup or aligator tail freshly jerked on your neighbours BBQ....
quote:
Originally posted by esprit
It is also easy for Brits living in the US to run it down, while I appreciate it isnt all milk and roses and the need to highlight potential problems for incomers and yes there are some, I never realised how much I enjoyed living there or the very real advantages it can offer to you until I had to leave and went to live elsewhere. I think Martin would be in agreement.
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Martin
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esprit
USA
6888 Posts
Joined: 11 Feb 2002
Status: offline | Posted - 01 Jul 2007 : 15:24:28
| Portugal is beautiful but a bit of a backwater, Martin, it is a lovely place for a couple of weeks holiday but the infrastructure you need to live permanently, run a business etc just isnt there and the language is really difficult which adds to this. It is also quite cold in winter and the homes, mainly concrete built, are chilly and damp, and boiling in summer and most buildings aint air conditioned. Also it has a very short holiday season. most everything was shut till April and will shut again at the end of Sept. While it aint exactly slumming, it is quite different as an environment to Florida. Mind you we get English TV!!
If you did fancy it however, and yes we do get the sun, I am sure there would be opportunities here for a good Brit electrician, there are loads of Brits building and converting homes as well as maintenance work and there is a sort of primitive NHS once you have residence, we pay just 3 euros 50 cents to see a doctor and all prescriptions are at 80 percent discount so quite cheap, the biggest cost for brit expats is schooling as if you want your kids educated in English you have to pay for international school. |
Julie |
Edited by - esprit on 01 Jul 2007 15:33:27 | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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florida4sun
United Kingdom
6905 Posts
Joined: 16 Feb 2002
Status: offline | Posted - 01 Jul 2007 : 15:48:24
| We have friends in Spain who say similar things. We are quite happy in teh uk but miss the sun and it so much arder to keep your money in your pocket here. We will buy in either France or Italy, I have a broiehr who wants to goi shares on a big run down place which we are more than capable of renovating. We want something to use as a vacation spot for now and later we will split it up so we can spend more time there. We have just missed a dream of place in france 6000 square feet, 11 acres and lovely location for £78000. Needs loads of work but that is what we are looking for. Sorry going off topic now.
quote:
Originally posted by esprit
Portugal is beautiful but a bit of a backwater, Martin, it is a lovely place for a couple of weeks holiday but the infrastructure you need to live permanently, run a business etc just isnt there and the language is really difficult which adds to this. It is also quite cold in winter and the homes, mainly concrete built, are chilly and damp, and boiling in summer and most buildings aint air conditioned. Also it has a very short holiday season. most everything was shut till April and will shut again at the end of Sept. While it aint exactly slumming, it is quite different as an environment to Florida. Mind you we get English TV!!
If you did fancy it however, and yes we do get the sun, I am sure there would be opportunities here for a good Brit electrician, there are loads of Brits building and converting homes as well as maintenance work and there is a sort of primitive NHS once you have residence, we pay just 3 euros 50 cents to see a doctor and all prescriptions are at 80 percent discount so quite cheap, the biggest cost for brit expats is schooling as if you want your kids educated in English you have to pay for international school.
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Martin
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esprit
USA
6888 Posts
Joined: 11 Feb 2002
Status: offline | Posted - 01 Jul 2007 : 15:52:08
| | Both of us are! Spain has a great health service and i know that is important for you but lots of problems with building work which we dont have in Portugal so best stick with France perhaps and good luck with that. Now back to the topic.... |
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Osceola
27 Posts
Joined: 23 Oct 2006
Status: offline | Posted - 09 Jul 2007 : 22:22:22
| | Jeff, my comment about the attitude toward "rich Brits" is based on comments I have actually heard. Most Americans are barely able to afford their own home - not considering a holiday villa across the Atlantic. These views were also conveyed to me by an English couple, now in New Jersey, who owned a florist shop in Orlando and encountered all sorts of problems from their resentful American employees. But I agree that we should hope they are not widely held by the locals. However, I think genuine caution needs to be given to anyone thinking of just popping across the pond for a bit of business "in the sun". | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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chrizzy100
USA
7204 Posts
Joined: 26 May 2003
Status: offline | Posted - 09 Jul 2007 : 23:19:19
| | Can't say I've found any resentful American's.. I live in an area where its common for people to have more than one or two homes...I would say I know more people in the USA in my 8 years here who have a few homes... then back in the UK... |
Edited by - chrizzy100 on 09 Jul 2007 23:22:13 | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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flyrr100
USA
734 Posts
Joined: 06 Jun 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 14 Jul 2007 : 13:13:25
| I could easily afford a second home, but I choose not to. And I think thats the case with most Americans. I dont want to be stuck with a house on the beach in Florida when I have the whole USA to go explore. And with hotel rooms across the USA avaraging at around $45 a night!
I'm sorry for your friends with their florist shop. They had bad luck. I still stand by my post. Americans, on the whole, have a great work ethic. Also most arent stuck to that 9-5 thing. They have no problems working at 6am, or going home at 10pm.
Oh, did I mention we have the Fox Soccer Channel? |
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Moving to Florida
. Apart from which it's totally untrue.
.