Have you moved to a completely foreign country?

JasAbyG
JasAbyG Posts: 39 Member
in Chit-Chat
Just seeing if anyone else has moved to another country where their whole lifestyle has changed?

I was born and brought in New Zealand (with an English dad and a Fijian mum) and then made the move to India :smile:
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Replies

  • grggmrtn
    grggmrtn Posts: 171 Member
    Canadian here, grew up in northern Maine, now living in Denmark, after several years in France, Poland, Switzerland, Ukraine, and Italy...
  • lhourin
    lhourin Posts: 144 Member
    We are American, live in Hawaii, and are about to move to Germany (but we did just spent the summer there). That's a pretty big lifestyle change, mostly in terms of weather (Hawaii to very cold winters!) and also in terms of public transportation and walking (much more of both in Germany).
    When I was 10, my family moved to Indonesia from the U.S. for 2 years, so that was a huge change (bigger than US --> GER). We love living overseas, and think it's especially great for kids to experience something totally different. It certainly opened my eyes and world as a child.
  • willandjaye
    willandjaye Posts: 37 Member
    American currently living in Germany.
  • bernicesmission
    bernicesmission Posts: 100
    I am from uk and i have live on a tropical island in the south china sea called Hainan i have lived in China for seven years and will be here indefinately, completely different culture, lifestyle, food everything it takes time to really get adjusted into a normal life. Can be quite difficult with dieting as access to foods i like iis difficult!
  • JasAbyG
    JasAbyG Posts: 39 Member
    I'd like to see someone with the greatest change. Who has changed their clothes, eating habits, language, cultural values/ethics, living standard etc...

    Thanks for the responses
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    Born in England and moved to Oz 8 years ago.

    I've had to have my sense of irony, humour and subtlety surgically removed in order to fit in.

    The language barrier hasn't been too bad.

    Mate. ;)
  • jillomahony
    jillomahony Posts: 23 Member
    I am from the states and moved to Zurich after finishing UNI, then to London, then to Geneva, then to Australia and now in Belgium for the past three years. Belgium is still proving the most difficult to settle in, I don't love it here much, and am looking forward to another move!
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Yeah, I'm British... moved to Saudi 6 years ago, then Bahrain last year.
  • PhatAv8r
    PhatAv8r Posts: 150 Member
    USA, lived in China for 13 of the last 16 years, in the military, lived in Germany, visited for different lengths of time Saudi Arabia, Iraq
  • db34fit69
    db34fit69 Posts: 189 Member
    American currently living in Germany.

    Me too. By the way isn't *every* other country "completely foreign" by definition?
  • RaggedyPond
    RaggedyPond Posts: 1,487 Member
    Minnesotan in Japan.
  • andiebaco
    andiebaco Posts: 211 Member
    Mexican here.. I've lived in Edinburgh, New Zealand and Sweden. Right now I'm living in Switzerland but I'll be moving to Singapore in a month..
  • podgeford123
    podgeford123 Posts: 29
    Yes. 7 countries, mostly english speaking. As long as it is not too oppressive and you see it as an adventure, and you keep in touch with your friends whereever they are, it can be a great experience. Kiwis travel, you always will, get used to it ;-) I lived in NZ too :)
  • bregalad5
    bregalad5 Posts: 3,965 Member
    American who moves around a bit as an ESL teacher. I've taught in Italy and Korea and am moving to Russia next week.
  • iron_jj
    iron_jj Posts: 446 Member
    My parents moved from the US to Switzerland when I was 4. Lived there for about 10 years, then we moved back. Now I can confuse people with a funny language!
  • podgeford123
    podgeford123 Posts: 29
    Hmm I can see what you mean, however the EU countries are becoming more like states, so moving from Ireland to England or to Belgium may not be considered that foreign, or to anywhere English speaking like Canada or Aus...I think in common use it would be reserved for more exotic moves like China, Japan, Egypt etc...I think the American perspective may be different to the EU or commonwealth view. (source: I lived in NZ and the US as well as EU)
    American currently living in Germany.

    Me too. By the way isn't *every* other country "completely foreign" by definition?
  • CollieFit
    CollieFit Posts: 1,683 Member
    I was born and educated in Germany.

    Moved to London at 18 and lived in various places in the UK (moved for University, jobs etc).

    Lived and worked in the Middle East for a couple of years in my early twenties (Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Syria).

    Spent a couple of months in the very south of India working with a charity supporting a village of "untouchables" in my 30s.

    It's good to get around and broaden cultural horizons.
  • annakow
    annakow Posts: 385 Member
    Austrian Jew ( from my grandparents) born in Poland, left in 1992 for south UK
  • VBnotbitter
    VBnotbitter Posts: 820 Member
    I'd like to see someone with the greatest change. Who has changed their clothes, eating habits, language, cultural values/ethics, living standard etc...

    Thanks for the responses

    From UK to Australia. I had to change clothes and now no longer own a fleece or anorak. I also had to learn to catch a ball and like sport.

    Also lived in the USA for a year which was much weirder and a huge cultural change.
  • waipepe
    waipepe Posts: 110 Member
    Lived in Poland, Germany, France, Austria, Canada, Japan and Australia now, all for extended periods of time (at least 2 years minimum)

    Several passports holder:) I love picking and choosing which passport to use when going through immigration when I travel.
  • HealthyVitamins
    HealthyVitamins Posts: 432 Member
    From UK to South Africa
  • Eastern_Echo23
    Eastern_Echo23 Posts: 198 Member
    I was born and raised until I was 23 in the US (Michigan) and now I live in Germany..

    the main difference is that there is not as much fast food, they don't like soft drinks as much and offer way less options and flavors, the bread is better quality, the cheese is better quality, they have public transit so I can walk instead of drive everywhere I go, they have fancy bakeries in almost every town, the beer is better and you can drink more of it....

    now that I think about it, I like it here :D

    really though I walk to the store almost everyday or two to buy fresh produce and I walk to the Uni almost everyday for class... So the long term health benefits of not owning a car are amazing... Cheers!
  • JasAbyG
    JasAbyG Posts: 39 Member
    Hmm I can see what you mean, however the EU countries are becoming more like states, so moving from Ireland to England or to Belgium may not be considered that foreign, or to anywhere English speaking like Canada or Aus...I think in common use it would be reserved for more exotic moves like China, Japan, Egypt etc...I think the American perspective may be different to the EU or commonwealth view. (source: I lived in NZ and the US as well as EU)


    Me too. By the way isn't *every* other country "completely foreign" by definition?
    [/quote]

    Yeh I don't think I made myself clear. Is there anyone that made a permanent change? To not only an "exotic country" but, a small town/city/village, wheres there are no other "westerner/foreigner" other than your self?

    Idea of "Completely foreign": to change one's clothes, language, living standard, cultural vales/ethcs etc.... than what they were brought up with. To something you haven't seen/heard or even imagned before
  • Alpina483
    Alpina483 Posts: 246 Member
    American who moves around a bit as an ESL teacher. I've taught in Italy and Korea and am moving to Russia next week.

    Next week! Hope you'll like it here ))
  • grggmrtn
    grggmrtn Posts: 171 Member
    I'd like to see someone with the greatest change. Who has changed their clothes, eating habits, language, cultural values/ethics, living standard etc...

    Thanks for the responses

    Well, I became an expat 24 years ago, and haven't spoken either of my mother tongues very much since then (except for my years living in France).

    Clothing has changed since, well, it's been 24 years.
    Eating habits - no mac and cheese since I was 18. Not the boxed kind, at least. It's been hell.
    Language - I've always spoken the language of the country I've lived in. I'm now fluent in 7. 10 if you count the ancient languages I studied in university.
    Cultural values - I've become MUCH more Acadian since I moved away, rediscovering "my" food and traditions
    Living standard - was tough living in Eastern/Central Europe immediately after the fall of the Berlin Wall, other than that, I was 18 - I'm hoping my standard of living has improved since then ;)
  • SwitzEngine
    SwitzEngine Posts: 3,418 Member
    Was born in Switzerland, lived in Paris and now New Zealand
  • Tinyfigure
    Tinyfigure Posts: 575 Member
    Yeah. Born in Britain, lived in Germany, Argentina and Italy.
  • araviel
    araviel Posts: 19
    Norwegian here, went to Hong Kong at 17 to go to a boarding school for 2 years, then moved to London, then Beijing, then London again, then Edinburgh and now I've been back in Hong Kong for a year, before returning to Edinburgh for some time and then who knows... I certainly don't rule out making a permanent change at some point, possibly Hong Kong? I do love it here, but have to consider my fiancee in 'permanent' choices. Moving around has all to do with schools, of course. Now I'm in anthropology which is rife with folks moving to new places and 'immersing themselves in the local culture', so to speak.

    I do speak Mandarin, would consider myself semi-literate in Chinese, and I'm working on my Cantonese. Nothing beats Chinese foods, though it's good to be in a place that has the world's cuisines at your hands for whatever you feel like. I can, and usually do, eat anything with chopsticks. Anything. I usually end up cooking Chinese, too. For clothing the biggest change for returning to Hong Kong is having to upgrade my wardrobe to include fancy shirts and business attire, this is the city where you will look underdressed and out of place otherwise. I definitely have a life here, I've joined a local dragon boat team and I sing in a local rock band consisting of me and 4 local dudes. I don't know if this is 'extreme enough', and I can't say I care as I'm very, very happy, haha!
  • bregalad5
    bregalad5 Posts: 3,965 Member
    American who moves around a bit as an ESL teacher. I've taught in Italy and Korea and am moving to Russia next week.

    Next week! Hope you'll like it here ))

    Thanks! I was supposed to leave tomorrow, but there was a delay with my visa so I'm stuck visiting Australia for an extra week. Poor me ;)
  • wesleycneill
    wesleycneill Posts: 64 Member
    I live in Bahrain now, and will be here for roughly a year.

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