Settling back in the UK

[Sangoma]

Neither mysedlf or my daughter are managing.

Moved back here 6 1/2 years ago after living in SA for 30 years, and were happy and settled, and in fact loved the place. It really didn't change much.

But since coming back from the Philippines, we can't settle.

Everything here now seem so dead and sterile. You ride on a bus and it's like being with a load of zombies.
Can't find things we want in the shops (not new, but after the variety and ease of finding things in CdO, it is more noticeable)

If you see someone in town smile, you are likely to fall over in surprise.

The traffic doesn't move. OK there are pretty lights changing colours, and you have lots of time sitting still to watch them.

Can't buy normal medicines in the shops, you have to do a risk assesment when you do anything, but it is a waste of time because whatever it is there will be a rule against it.

I just get the feeling that our "first world society" has missed the plot somewhere.

But I guess that if the Philippines had the UKs average wealth, or the UK had the Philippine peoples outlook on life, they wouldn't be the places they are, or anything better.

Anybody else had these or similar feelings?

[Scouse]

I know what you mean.

Risk assessments due to society becoming more litigous. If they make a mistake they want somebody to blame and pay them for it. Organisations like government and local councils are just trying to cover themselves to try to prevent it. People need to take responsibility for their own actions.

There is too much greed and people want things now instead of having to wait.

Sorry if this sounds like a rant but it is something I feel strongly about.

[5olidsnake]

yes Filipinos have a great outlook on life

[PeterB]

Anybody else had these or similar feelings?

Yep, I got out of UK to come and live in Phils!

[andypaul]

I guess its horses for courses.

The wife misses the family and her friends foods etc. But she loves the fact she goes to hospital shes not going to a counter to pay on the way out.
same with a visit to the doctors.

We pay hefty taxes but the infrastructure even if not perfect beats the hell out of her city. I also like the social safety net we have even if it is abused.

People smile and joke in phill but most areas of the UK we dont feel we have to be at code red if in a nice car.

I simply cant remeber the last time we had a power cut here in the UK in my area.
The water is nearly always perfectly fit to drink by all.

The wife had problems at work where she felt discrimated agaisnt and her bosses behaving incorrectly. The rules and regs that do sometimes suffocate us helped her out. In phill it would have been like it or lump it.

Food wise yes the Wife has to go to special stores to buy some of the Items she wants but in general it seems far cheaper to buy a wider range of foods at least in my area. Foods that the Wife never could obtain with out going to special stores in manila paying a far higher premium than we do here in the Uk.

Some of the electrical equipment supplied in Phill is of a slightly lower in quality, i know this from personal experience and knowledge. Although our standards for electrical safety have gone almost overboard, i know which system i would prefer in my house and around children.
If one industry does it im sure others do. In fact my wife noticed that in certain stores based in the Uk that the clothes were last years season.
Those things on their own may not affect many here but does make you wonder in what other markets they dump goods on poorer nations?

I would have no problems if i found myself moving to phill I have a lovely family out there, but for me its just for holidays.

[Scouse]

I know what you are saying andypaul, infrastructure, health care, safety etc is more developed here in the UK than in the Philippines but at the end of the day there is a lot more aggression here in general.

Hardly anybody smiles and if things go wrong people won't accept responsibility for their own actions.

I guess it's a case of what's more important, being surrounded by friendly people or having easy access to material things and services.

Everything comes at a price though and the price we are paying is much more control via surveillance cameras etc.

[joebloggs]

but at the end of the day there is a lot more aggression here in general.

when was the last time you read about a bank robbery where 9 people were shot dead at point blank range, or when did you see armed security guards outside banks and shopping malls, or here about some terrorist group murdering nuns,women and child ... not in the uk, but the Philippines, a beautiful country but it has bigger problems than the uk, poverty and the number of drug addicts being just 2