Sal-ittihad

[localny]

Well… as of about now - I’ve spent more time living in Melbourne than Larne - few more years and I’ll be able to discount the UK in total.

However… I’m still a resident, not taken citizenship despite being here for over 20 years.

Any plans to become an Aussie Amigo?. In the states, at least you have quite a few less rights as a resident alien, than as a citizen. I had a friend who was an immigration lawyer and she had tons of clients being deported for small offenses. But Australia is another country.

 

[Farkmaster]

I almost got deported. I'm still not a US citizen... it wasn't a great sales pitch, being detained for half a day at the airport and interrogated.

 

[Shay_K]

I always considered that an Ex-Pat was an English Brexiteer who hated foreigners and who didn't live in the UK for tax reasons.

 

[tomasjj]

Let us not kid ourselves
Salah wanted The move

 

[localny]

I almost got deported. I'm still not a US citizen... it wasn't a great sales pitch, being detained for half a day at the airport and interrogated.

yeah. But they are not the kindest at the airport. Where are you based out of.

 

[Gerry_A_Trick]

Ex-Pats are mostly Irish emigrants that are ashamed of where they're from.

 

[Hansern]

Let us not kid ourselves
Salah wanted The move

No, there is nothing that points to that.

 

[Farkmaster]

yeah. But they are not the kindest at the airport. Where are you based out of.

I'm in the US, that happened in LAX when I lived on the west coast, due to minor drug offenses that occured 15 years previous. I had to seek the services of an immigration lawyer ultimately, who, in exchange for thousands of dollars skipped past a bunch of guatemalans in line, schmoozed with a secretary that they knew well, and got a bunch of things rubber stamped. That's how I bought my justice.

 

[Dreambeliever]

Ex-Pats are mostly Irish emigrants that are ashamed of where they're from.

I always associated the term with English people. Have never heard an Irish person (until Steve today) call themselves one. In fact I’d go as far to say most Irish people abroad continue say they are Irish and from Ireland no matter the time abroad.

 

[Farkmaster]

Ex-Pats are mostly Irish emigrants that are ashamed of where they're from.

There's a cemetary opposite my house that is 100% irish potato-famine immigrants.

The hierarchy of inscription, paying by the letter is:

Surname
Where you came from in Ireland
Last Name
Dates of Birth/Death

 

[Farkmaster]

I always associated the term with English people. Have never heard an Irish person (until Steve today) call themselves one. In fact I’d go as far to say most Irish people abroad continue say they are Irish and from Ireland no matter the time abroad.

I've almost exclusively heard English people use it.

 

[localny]

I'm in the US, that happened in LAX when I lived on the west coast, due to minor drug offenses that occured 15 years previous. I had to seek the services of an immigration lawyer ultimately, who, in exchange for thousands of dollars skipped past a bunch of guatemalans in line, schmoozed with a secretary that they knew well, and got a bunch of things rubber stamped. That's how I bought my justice.

Sounds like traffic court. Where are you stateside nowadays?

 

[Richey]

Whenever I heard the term ex-pat I always thought of middle class, retired English people in Spain.

 

[Woland]

This is exactly what I mean when I hear people spouting off about something they know SFA about as if it is fact. Come on Woland.

Moving a family from what is a classified as a Grade A country to a Grade C country (in terms of adjustment to a new way of life, culture, food, schooling etc.) involves a massive increase in salary just to persuade a family to take the chance on a move. For Shanghai there are a lot of factors to consider (all of the above plus ethnic background of the assignee, marital status, number of children if any, whether the spouse will be working or not, how it will affect their career path, etc.). For Shanghai the salary increase could be anywhere from x2 to x5 based on those factors and the specialisation of the assignee.

It isn't just about the difficulty of life there, it's about the upheaval and change in everything that the assignee (and family) took for granted. It's why most MNC's have psychologists on hand to help with the adjustment. Culture shock to a family is massive, and so is reverse culture shock when the time comes to be repatriated.

It seems you are looking more at the difference in culture/lifestyle between Shanghai and Saudi whereas that is only a small part of the picture.

So you're saying you'd be looking at 2 to 5 times your salary to move from UK to Shanghai? I'd do it for the change of scenery at the minute. My bezzy mate who lives over there did it for a cut.

 

[Whaddapie]

I'm an ex pat in a 3rd world country (County Clare) so my opinion is most important. I just need to understand what you are all on about, then form an opinion. At some point I will share it

What part, mate? My sister lives in Meelick for the past 25+ years or so. 'Tis an interesting place.

 

[Gerry_A_Trick]

I always associated the term with English people. Have never heard an Irish person (until Steve today) call themselves one. In fact I’d go as far to say most Irish people abroad continue say they are Irish and from Ireland no matter the time abroad.

Mine was a joke. Hint: the capital P was intentional!

 

[Whaddapie]

I've been here for almost 31 years now. Became a naturalized citizen as soon as my eldest was on the way, so as I could never be deported, once there was a reason that I have to be here.

But, as somebody else has said earlier, dual citizenship is the way to go, if possible... My two girls now also have Irish passports, so that they can live and work in Europe if they want to (f#$! me, I hope that they do) someday. I'm getting very tired of Texas (think StevieM's description of Larne, but in 45 degrees heat and where every fucker is armed to the teeth and paranoid), and hope to move back to Europe in the next few years, once both girls are established in college and out of the home anyway. We'll see if that ends up happening...

 

[Farkmaster]

Sounds like traffic court. Where are you stateside nowadays?

I live in Newport, Rhode Island.

 

[singlerider]

Oh you know 2 sets of expats ? Wonderful. Moving expat families in and out of foreign countries was my job (and my own company for 13 of those years) for 20 years. I definitely know a few more than 2 'sets of expats'.

International schools are 'colonial institutions'?! Fuck me that just highlights how very very little you know. Most IS will have pupils and teachers from many different countries, it's a wonderful environment for children to grow up in, especially compared to the racist institutions many children experience in the UK or USA. I'd choose an IS virtually every time.

I could go on and pick the rest of your essay apart with multiple counterpoints to each of your 'examples' but really what's the point.

You should just stop here because your knowledge of expat life is frankly something you'd read in a 2 page pullout in the Guardian. It's been my life for the past 45 years.

Oh, do you work in relocation?

 

[Frogfish]

So you're saying you'd be looking at 2 to 5 times your salary to move from UK to Shanghai? I'd do it for the change of scenery at the minute. My bezzy mate who lives over there did it for a cut.

Yep. That's what you're looking at for a MNC relocation. I've friends who moved here without a job (not legal but easy to do) but if you're teaching then pay is crap anyway - outside of working for an Int. School. But those aren't your typical MNC family relocation.

 

[Frogfish]

Oh, do you work in relocation?

For 20 years yes. Retired now.

 

[Farkmaster]

Can someone explain to me how a multinational corporation in a less developed country is not neo-colonialism?

It's a genuine question. Obviously there are outliers, but most of these companies in one way or another exist in locales to exploit their resources or their cheaper labor, and using managerial expertise from richer countries. They facilitate this management by attempting to build accomodations and infrastructure that more resembles their standards, and the lionshare of the most lucrative payroll is foreign. The money generated isn't largely reinvested in these states.

I mean, you could argue that they do likewise wherever they are, but every colonial empire colonized their own first.

 

[singlerider]

Ex-Pats are mostly Irish emigrants that are ashamed of where they're from.

If there's one thing I can't stand, it's emigrants

 

[Woland]

Yep. That's what you're looking at for a MNC relocation. I've friends who moved here without a job (not legal but easy to do) but if you're teaching then pay is crap anyway - outside of working for an Int. School. But those aren't your typical MNC family relocation.

Fair nuff. I'm working for an MNC for the first time in my life and I can't handle the bullshit. I don't want to get used to the layers of bureaucracy. It's weird cos I always thought it would be comforting, to have a big corp making sure my bills were paid, and I suppose it was for a few months.

 

[singlerider]

For 20 years yes. Retired now.

Ahhh, my gf used to work for a relo company, then switched sides, works for Equus who seemingly have the tech side nailed down in a near-monopoly

 

[Atlas]

I'm in the US, that happened in LAX when I lived on the west coast, due to minor drug offenses that occured 15 years previous. I had to seek the services of an immigration lawyer ultimately, who, in exchange for thousands of dollars skipped past a bunch of guatemalans in line, schmoozed with a secretary that they knew well, and got a bunch of things rubber stamped. That's how I bought my justice.

Had to bribe corrupt officials in backwards hellhole

 

[Atlas]

So you're saying you'd be looking at 2 to 5 times your salary to move from UK to Shanghai? I'd do it for the change of scenery at the minute. My bezzy mate who lives over there did it for a cut.

Lolz! Woland being the c&&t he accuses Hendo of being.

 

[Woland]

I've applied to be an executioner in a Uyghur death camp cos you get free Xbox one and Netflix.

 

[Atlas]

Can someone explain to me how a multinational corporation in a less developed country is not neo-colonialism?

It's a genuine question. Obviously there are outliers, but most of these companies in one way or another exist in locales to exploit their resources or their cheaper labor, and using managerial expertise from richer countries. They facilitate this management by attempting to build accomodations and infrastructure that more resembles their standards, and the lionshare of the most lucrative payroll is foreign. The money generated isn't largely reinvested in these states.

I mean, you could argue that they do likewise wherever they are, but every colonial empire colonized their own first.

When you mention Multi nationals then yes I'd agree re neo colonialism, no doubt.

I didn't really think similar when you mentioned the schools initially, tbh not really anything I've given much thought to before but I think you've convinced me on your argument and reasoning.

 

[Frogfish]

Fair nuff. I'm working for an MNC for the first time in my life and I can't handle the bullshit. I don't want to get used to the layers of bureaucracy. It's weird cos I always thought it would be comforting, to have a big corp making sure my bills were paid, and I suppose it was for a few months.

You're not wrong ! The bureaucracy in most MNCs is mind numbing.