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rebbel's avatar

Which country would you like to emigrate to?

Asked by rebbel (35553points) August 23rd, 2009

Maybe you have already (realistic) plans on leaving your native land and moving abroad.
If not, imagine you have to (for one or another reason) think about going elsewhere.
Which country has your preference to act as your new homeland?
Why would you desire to live there?
What are the pros and cons of that country over the one you reside in now?

I am currently living in the Netherlands, but i would love to (and planning to do so) be living in Greece.
The big reason being my girlfriend living there, but there are more of course.
The Meditereanean climate suits me much better, there is a much greater sense of social control, you can have things done/do things (i am talking about small services like fixing someone’s elec. wiring, paint a window, etc.) without necessarily pulling your purse, the Greek kitchen that i enjoy better then the Dutch one.

What is/would be your choice?

Edit: I’ve just been reminded of something by Darwin which i forgot to put in my pros; i really love the mentality of (most) Greeks.

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26 Answers

Darwin's avatar

I have lived in several different countries other than my home country, and I would have to say that I might consider relocating to Canada (at least in the summer) because the people I have met there have all been such very nice folks.

Otherwise, I find that wherever my family is, that is home.

ragingloli's avatar

not sure.
if circumstances are ideal, japan i guess.

jeffgoldblumsprivatefacilities's avatar

Without a doubt it would have to be New Zealand. All the people I met there were kind and welcoming. The scenery was amazing, a great mix of many types of ecosystems. The activities you can do there are practically endless (Surfing, Wildlife watching, Camping, Mountain climbing, Snowboarding, and my favorite activity ever – Scuba Diving).

It’s an amazing place, and given the right circumstances I would love to live emigrate there.

OpryLeigh's avatar

Italy (preferably somewhere that isn’t to touristy), I love the place, the people and the language.

Judi's avatar

I’ve thought about retiring to Italy, but I don’t think I could handle leaving my grand kids behind.

googlybear's avatar

I’d be fine with Canada (Ottawa or Toronto area would be nice)...

marinelife's avatar

Jinx, rebbel, I read the question and thought “Greece,” and then I read your details! We have also thought about Mediterranean France.

deni's avatar

@Marina ‘s first sentence exactly :)

jrpowell's avatar

USA BABY… WE ARE NUMBER 1!!!!

Actually, it would take me about ten seconds to pack if someone told me they had a ticket to New Zealand and I would have a job and a place to live.

Jack79's avatar

I’d love to move (back) to Australia, but part of the reason is that I am Australian, which would make things a lot easier for me. I’m also thinking of Germany (lived there in the past and loved it) and Poland (also liked it, but mainly because my daughter did, and would me moving alone this time). Funnily enough, I live in Greece now, and would much rather live in the Netherlands, though for me it’s not a realistic option, as I’m sure I couldn’t find a job there in a million years (the skills I have are useful everywhere else except Holland).

So, since you are thinking of moving to Greece, here’s some tips:
1) Mediterranean climate sucks. Mark my words. You’ll love the sun…for about 3 weeks. Then you’ll spend the rest of the summer in an air-conditioned room writing emails in Dutch to all your friends back home.
2) The problem with writing e-mails to your friends is of course that internet lines in Greece also such, unless you’re willing to pay >100 euros/month for the service (which in my case only works because I live a block away from the OTE building). Thinking of a nice romantic Greek island? Think again. Most islands don’t even have DSL yet.
3) So you’ve finally found a way around all this. An expensive wireless line, which works through the mobile phone network. Luckily there is pretty good coverage, though connections are slow. Just make sure you have a laptop, because electricity cannot be taken for granted here in Greece. Sure, it’s up most of the time, but power surges are “normal” and complete black-outs happen as often as rain in Amsterdam.
4) Water? What water? Ok you’re lucky, you can get it fairly cheap, for about 1e/lt, but unlike most N.European countries, the tap water is not as good, and extremely expensive.
5) If you thought traffic on the Rotterdam-Vlaardingen route was bad, try Athens. And Salonika is even worse. As for parking, forget it. There’s no such thing as legal parking spaces anywhere in Greece. You just park illegally on the pavement, hoping the cops are too lazy to write you a ticket.
6) If you like Greek people, then you obviously haven’t met many. You’ll adore them for the first few months, then start getting bored after a year or so, and miss all them stommer Kaaskops you left behind. By the third year you’ll hate every single Greek there is, and join the “burn Attica” movement (as you may have heard on the news, half the country is on fire once again).
7) Speaking of which, you don’t like plants and stuff like that, right? Cause there aren’t any. If you’re lucky you’ll be stuck on a natural rock with a few dry thyme bushes, and not a block of cement, or a burnt-down forest.
8) The food is great. That’s one thing that might make it all worthwhile, especially if your dream in life is to become fat.
9) The music is crap. The favourite instrument, used in almost any song, is the “bouzouki” which in Turkish means “out-of-tune instrument”. This says it all. I personally cover my ears when they start playing.
10) Last but not least, the amazing Greek organisation, a beaurocracy built on chaos itself, an intricate Kafakesque web of rules, laws, regulations and public officials that never work, only to be de facto replaced by routine procedures that do, but are only apparent to the most corrupt of politicians. Luckily you don’t need a stay permit (there are immigrants that have come here in 1989, after the fall of the Berlin wall. They bore children who have since become adults, and their countries have since joined the EU, but their passports still haven’t been stamped). The lack of organisation is enough to drive even the average Greek crazy, let alone a foreigner. So, unless you have survived a spell in some African dictatorship, I doubt you’d put up with Greece for more than a couple of years.

Yes, I know there are all these people who come here with all these romantic ideas, thinking they’ll be sipping ouzo under the Acropolis (5 euros per glass if you really want to do that), or tanning on some sandy Myconean beach (5 euros for the sunbed, water polluted and make sure you don’t stay over 10 mins or you’ll fry). In reality most people have a hard time getting through the day, give up and leave. I have only met one foreigner who actually stayed here long and enjoyed it (a Danish fisherman, he just got a job as a fisherman here instead).

rebbel's avatar

@Jack79 I’m currently on Msn with my Greek morakimou, but i’ll get back to you, Jack.
Let’s say, between now and tomorrow (i’m not the greatset and fastest writer).
But i can tell you that you really put a smile on my face already, since i recognised most of your points made.
So, meta, file!

Great answer, by the way. Long too.

Jack79's avatar

Yeah I bet if she’s Greek she’ll know for sure what I’m talking about ;)

PerryDolia's avatar

Bormeo, Italy.

Italian Alps, other side of the mountain from Switzerland. Snows in the winter, great skiing. Gorgeous in the summer. Excellent fungi hunting. Stunningly beautiful. Isolated.

Nially_Bob's avatar

There’s far too many to choose from but given that i’m young I feel inclined to answer with somewhere that I would enjoy visiting for a prolonged period of time, but not somewhere I would like to settle down. Perhaps the US or South Africa.

gnsagar27's avatar

may be newzealand

teh_kvlt_liberal's avatar

Either Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, or Finland.

rebbel's avatar

Thanks all, for your answers.

wundayatta's avatar

New Orleans Zealand. Norway. Sweden.

ragingloli's avatar

@mattbrowne
the holiday planet from star trek?

markyy's avatar

@mattbrowne @ragingloli
Ugh I feel like such a nerd for even understanding what you two are talking about.~

@rebbel
Deserters will be shot. If I do ever have to leave Holland I can’t think of a better reason to do so than for love. But if I get to choose it will be NYC, or herding sheep in New Zealand
(Yes I do understand the contradiction, and no I do not want to live my life like the first 2 seasons of the Flight of the Conchords).

mattbrowne's avatar

@ragingloli – Yeah, I think you deserve a vacation.

disenchanted_poisongirl's avatar

@rebbel I live in Greece, and I think it sucks but if I ever leave, I’m sure that I’ll miss the city I live in now. There are some great things about Greece, and some other awful things too. Do you live here now?

Anyway, I’ll probably go to Finland in some years. Or Sweden.

abcbill's avatar

Canada, Australia and Scotland. I scored 405 on the Canada “test” so that is pretty much out, I suppose.

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