Living abroad, What do you miss the most.

rinkal26783 · 04-04-2013 12:44pm

I miss Guinness, Bulmer and beautiful Irish girls.

sparklyEyes111 · 04-04-2013 9:23pm

I miss lucozade and taytos. BIG time!!

and a proper Irish dinner.. food is so different here!!

munchkin_utd · 05-04-2013 8:16am

folks who have no location info on your accounts:
please give us a hint on where "food is so different" or "weather much better" or whatever as theres people here from Germany to Guatamala here and everywhere has its own interesting differences and stuff you can or cannot get !!

Curious Obsever · 06-04-2013 6:13pm

I've been living in Riyadh for a few years and as alcohol and pork products are strictly prohibited here, I miss the odd pint and the rasher. I also miss being able to go to restaurants/cafes to meet up with a female friend or colleague - this is not allowed here because the Muttawa (religious police) can cause you serious grief if you are seen in public with a woman who is not your wife, sister or mother. I miss gossiping and bitching about work with colleagues - I'm the only westerner in the company where I work and it's not really the same with people who are not native English speakers.

But most of all, I miss the rain and the mist you always get in Ireland, especially when the temperature outside is hovering near the 50 degree Celsius mark from June to August and the wind is blowing sand and dust in from the desert (the dust is really bad today).

Apart from that, it's grand here! But after eight months, getting home is sheer bliss.

sparklyEyes111 · 06-04-2013 6:47pm

Curious Obsever wrote: »

I've been living in Riyadh for a few years and as alcohol and pork products are strictly prohibited here, I miss the odd pint and the rasher. I also miss being able to go to restaurants/cafes to meet up with a female friend or colleague - this is not allowed here because the Muttawa (religious police) can cause you serious grief if you are seen in public with a woman who are not your wife, sister or mother. I miss gossiping and bitching about work with colleagues - I'm the only westerner in the company where I work and it's not really the same with people who are not native English speakers.

But most of all, I miss the rain and the mist you always get in Ireland, especially when the temperature outside is hovering near the 50 degree Celsius mark from June to August and the wind is blowing sand and dust in from the desert (the dust is really bad today).

Apart from that, it's grand here! But after eight months, getting home is sheer bliss.

I know how you feel, I'm living in Dubai. . I love it here but even though it is quite modernized, some things still get to me.I live in a quieter area of Dubai city, not Jumeirah or any of them really busy places lets say, and the staring after nearly a year still gets to me. Still, I'd say it's very different here compared to Saudi. . I couldn't live there id say. It's much too strict, expecially for women!! 3 if us were at the beach today when the sandstorm hit actualk, of all places to be. . Awful here today too! I don't know how you go without alcohol for so long. . I couldn't! ! Atleast that's not a problem here!

Curious Obsever · 06-04-2013 7:22pm

sparklyEyes111 wrote: »

I know how you feel, I'm living in Dubai. . I love it here but even though it is quite modernized, some things still get to me.I live in a quieter area of Dubai city, not Jumeirah or any of them really busy places lets say, and the staring after nearly a year still gets to me. Still, I'd say it's very different here compared to Saudi. . I couldn't live there id say. It's much too strict, expecially for women!! 3 if us were at the beach today when the sandstorm hit actualk, of all places to be. . Awful here today too! I don't know how you go without alcohol for so long. . I couldn't! ! Atleast that's not a problem here!

Good to hear from you!

Actually, not being able to have alcohol is not the worst - when I worked in Ireland, I rarely drank except at the weekends and then not much - in a strange way the real irritant is the knowledge that you just cannot get it. I do not live in a western compound so even the bootleg home brew stuff is out - it's probably pretty awful anyway.

The real issue here is the strangeness, the cultural differences and the completely different mentality. But having said that, I am in a position where I am starting to learn fair bit of Arabic and you get to have a better insight into the way of thinking - also the money here is very attractive!

You're right about it being strict for women - in the company I work for, the women work on a different floor with a different entrance and I never see them. I suspect that single western women find it really hard to adjust here and I imagine that not many of them stay for very long.

Do keep out of the dust and sand storms - they say it's bad for your health!

Keep well.

Norwesterner · 06-04-2013 7:44pm

Posting from Latin America.
Here's my big list.
Sense of security. Being able to walk home alone at night. Not having metal bars on all your windows.
The nice gardens and the pride people take in their homes (in general).
Civic pride and duty, good manners (yes, Ireland has it in spades compared to most countries).
Irelands Atlantic coast. We take it's beauty for granted.
Cosy, snug bars with sofas and real fires, as opposed to hard seats, fluorescent lights and formica tables in canteens.
Being able to visit family and friends for a cuppa tea and maybe blag a sandwich or two. Especially Mammy.
Reading the Sunday papers in my local cafe, sipping a latte (yes, I'm bourgeoiuse). Papers abroad are very dumbed down and not very challenging.
Watching Irish current affairs programmes/debates etc and shouting at the TV.
The fact that most Irish people are aware of worldly matters and able to maintain a conversation or debate on issues in other countries (Palestine, Syria etc).
The 4 seasons. All of them.
Sipping a hot whisky by a turf fire.
Long Summer evenings.
No mosquitoes or cockroaches. (though Irish midgees are worse than any mosquito)
The free museums and galleries.
It's old buildings and range of architecture.
So much more.

Now start a thread on what I DON'T miss.

InTheTrees · 06-04-2013 11:29pm

Here's one...

I was sititing in my car in Seattle waiting for my better half to come out of Subway with our lunch and as I was sitting in the car with the rain pounding on the roof I got this incredible feeling of Comfort, calmness or Homeness...

I realized it was the sound of rain on the roof of a car.

Its a sound I've known since childhood, and there's a great feeling of familiarity in it.

InTheTrees · 06-04-2013 11:32pm

Curious Obsever wrote: »

The real issue here is the strangeness,

Do you get those sudden "how the hell did I get here??" feelings?

Curious Obsever · 07-04-2013 3:08pm

InTheTrees wrote: »

Do you got those sudden "how the hell did I get here??" feelings?

Absolutely! The exact phrase that flashes through my head every now and again is "what the hell am I doing here?"!

catrionanic · 07-04-2013 6:01pm

the Angelus on RTE

No really, you don't realise how quaint Ireland is even in this day and age until you live elsewhere. The thought of the BBC or equivalent stopping all programs at certain times of the day to encourage a prayer to Mary... well, there'd be outcry

there are many many other things that the mere thought of made me weep with woe during my six years in Britain, but I've always found the Angelus the most hilarious one

Gosub · 07-04-2013 6:25pm

12 years in Southern Spain. We've been back to Ireland a lot since last October and have now bought a house to go back to. I miss the friendly banter and sense of humour. The Spanish look at you funny if you try to lighten the mood in any way.

A standard for my family when the kids were small was to jump in the car and go out to Howth (Cafe Ciara) and return with a sh¡tload of chips and curry sauce. When we got back to the house there was always a pile of buttered batch loaf and tomato sauce. I miss that!

I miss people who smile and say hello... just strangers. I miss beautiful Irish women. The Spanish have their own beauty, but it's just not in the same class as the Irish.

Raspberry jam! The sh¡t that passes for jam here is truly terrible.

Manners... sadly lacking here.

The sunny weather only compensates for so much. I can't wait to move back to our new home.

Norwesterner · 07-04-2013 6:31pm

Gosub wrote: »

12 years in Southern Spain. We've been back to Ireland a lot since last October and have now bought a house to go back to. I miss the friendly banter and sense of humour. The Spanish look at you funny if you try to lighten the mood in any way.

A standard for my family when the kids were small was to jump in the car and go out to Howth (Cafe Ciara) and return with a sh¡tload of chips and curry sauce. When we got back to the house there was always a pile of buttered batch loaf and tomato sauce. I miss that!

I miss people who smile and say hello... just strangers. I miss beautiful Irish women. The Spanish have their own beauty, but it's just not in the same class as the Irish.

Raspberry jam! The sh¡t that passes for jam here is truly terrible.

Manners... sadly lacking here.

The sunny weather only compensates for so much. I can't wait to move back to our new home.

Similar background to me.
I left in Ireland during the Celtic Tiger (when things were booming ) as I found it crass and pretentious.
High house prices and high cost of living drove me away.
With he recession..(and it's humbling of Ireland) and the drop in house prices and cost of living, I've decided to return.
People seem more grounded now and the obnoxious Irish Yuppie is all but extinct in most parts.

Da Shins Kelly · 07-04-2013 6:44pm

Gosub wrote: »

12 years in Southern Spain. We've been back to Ireland a lot since last October and have now bought a house to go back to. I miss the friendly banter and sense of humour. The Spanish look at you funny if you try to lighten the mood in any way.

A standard for my family when the kids were small was to jump in the car and go out to Howth (Cafe Ciara) and return with a sh¡tload of chips and curry sauce. When we got back to the house there was always a pile of buttered batch loaf and tomato sauce. I miss that!

I miss people who smile and say hello... just strangers. I miss beautiful Irish women. The Spanish have their own beauty, but it's just not in the same class as the Irish.

Raspberry jam! The sh¡t that passes for jam here is truly terrible.

Manners... sadly lacking here.

The sunny weather only compensates for so much. I can't wait to move back to our new home.

Seriously, I find Spanish people so rude. The simple 'thanks' that you get from an Irish person if you hold a door for them or the 'sorry' if you accidentally walk into someone is something I really miss.

keithclancy · 07-04-2013 9:14pm

Da Shins Kelly wrote: »

Seriously, I find Spanish people so rude. The simple 'thanks' that you get from an Irish person if you hold a door for them or the 'sorry' if you accidentally walk into someone is something I really miss.

My experience of this is generally Big City vs Small City

Living here for 5 years, in the Randstad it's more crowded, neighbors don't really talk to each other that much and people don't make any new friends beyond the ones they make in school and college.

On the other side we moved to the south and its totally different, in a lot of ways the Dutch here are very similar to the South of Ireland.

E.G. I'd be out fixing the car and a Neighbor would stop and ask if I needed a hand or some tools. Holding a door for a person behind you is quite normal and people wait until your off the bus until you get on (this really annoyed me in the Hague, so much so that once or twice i missed my stop trying to be polite and eventually just joined in and pushed my way off)

Also I find that UK/Irish people can mistake directness for rudeness a Dutch/German person will just say it the way it is rather than skip around the topic.

When I go back to Ireland these days I find myself slightly irked by the "Ah no your grand" that really means "Yes I want you to do that" and the "Erra sure we'll see what happens" meaning "I have no idea what to do so lets just bury our heads in the sand and hope it works out"

:D

Da Shins Kelly · 07-04-2013 10:40pm

keithclancy wrote: »

My experience of this is generally Big City vs Small City

Living here for 5 years, in the Randstad it's more crowded, neighbors don't really talk to each other that much and people don't make any new friends beyond the ones they make in school and college.

On the other side we moved to the south and its totally different, in a lot of ways the Dutch here are very similar to the South of Ireland.

E.G. I'd be out fixing the car and a Neighbor would stop and ask if I needed a hand or some tools. Holding a door for a person behind you is quite normal and people wait until your off the bus until you get on (this really annoyed me in the Hague, so much so that once or twice i missed my stop trying to be polite and eventually just joined in and pushed my way off)

Also I find that UK/Irish people can mistake directness for rudeness a Dutch/German person will just say it the way it is rather than skip around the topic.

When I go back to Ireland these days I find myself slightly irked by the "Ah no your grand" that really means "Yes I want you to do that" and the "Erra sure we'll see what happens" meaning "I have no idea what to do so lets just bury our heads in the sand and hope it works out" :D

I'm not living in a particularly big city. Where I live is not that much bigger than Galway, which is where I live at home. I do think it's a difference in mentality. I do find that Irish people can be a little difficult to get a straight answer out of and we're sometimes over apologetic, I find, but I far prefer that to the kind of stuff you get here in Spain. Walking down the street, people just walk right through you or walk you off the sidewalk into the road and don't even acknowledge it, nevermind apologise. I don't think I've ever experienced that in Ireland, people tend to have the courtesy to a least attempt to give others a bit of space. Or the amount of times coming out of my apartment block that I've held the door for people and there's only one aul fella who ever acknowledges it, the rest of them just walk through the open door, without even looking or so much as muttering a thanks. It's little things like that that really just piss me off.

I've never lived in Holland or Germany, so I don't have much experience of that, but I know I'm not the only one who finds the Spanish people where I'm living pretty rude. They're not smug exactly or anything like that, it's just a basic lack of manners - simple 'please' and 'thank you' stuff.

Norwesterner · 07-04-2013 10:57pm

I bought a small house in Spain shortly after the euro conversion.
Even though we had euro currency for 2 years they continually referred to the price in pesetas.
At the Notario to do the signing (cash sale), and the secretary pulled out a calculator to do the conversion from pesetas to euro.
I'd already done the conversion and brought the cash with me, but realised I was 7 euros out.
Bit of an awkward silence, as I waited for the seller or someone to say, "ah sure forget about it haha"....but no, they all stood there waiting for me to produce 7 euros, despite handing over 28k ish in a big bundle of notes..
I had to ask my partner to lend me 7 feckin' euros.
Another little cultural difference.
Miserable feckers.

IzzyWizzy · 08-04-2013 12:23pm

Da Shins Kelly wrote: »

I'm not living in a particularly big city. Where I live is not that much bigger than Galway, which is where I live at home. I do think it's a difference in mentality. I do find that Irish people can be a little difficult to get a straight answer out of and we're sometimes over apologetic, I find, but I far prefer that to the kind of stuff you get here in Spain. Walking down the street, people just walk right through you or walk you off the sidewalk into the road and don't even acknowledge it, nevermind apologise. I don't think I've ever experienced that in Ireland, people tend to have the courtesy to a least attempt to give others a bit of space. Or the amount of times coming out of my apartment block that I've held the door for people and there's only one aul fella who ever acknowledges it, the rest of them just walk through the open door, without even looking or so much as muttering a thanks. It's little things like that that really just piss me off.

I've never lived in Holland or Germany, so I don't have much experience of that, but I know I'm not the only one who finds the Spanish people where I'm living pretty rude. They're not smug exactly or anything like that, it's just a basic lack of manners - simple 'please' and 'thank you' stuff.

The Spanish just do not consider other people (as in strangers). It's not explicit rudeness or badness, it's that you just don't exist for them and it doesn't occur to them to think about you at all. I was walking down my street the other day having flown back from London with a massive wheely suitcase. You know the kind that make loads of noise. I got stuck behind two Spanish women who were taking up the entire pavement and waddling along at crawling pace. Anywhere else in the world, they'd have heard my suitcase behind them and moved aside, but in Spain? Nah. I kind of angrily huffed and said 'muchas gracias, eh?' as I walked out onto the main road to get around them and they looked at me in total confusion, like 'what's her problem?', still completely oblivious. They just have no concept of spacial awareness or 'being in the way'. They don't thank you for holding the door open because they haven't even see you. They're too wrapped up in themselves.

InTheTrees · 08-04-2013 3:09pm

Da Shins Kelly wrote: »

It's little things like that that really just piss me off.

American drivers....grrrrr.....

:mad:

Da Shins Kelly · 08-04-2013 9:39pm

IzzyWizzy wrote: »

The Spanish just do not consider other people (as in strangers). It's not explicit rudeness or badness, it's that you just don't exist for them and it doesn't occur to them to think about you at all. I was walking down my street the other day having flown back from London with a massive wheely suitcase. You know the kind that make loads of noise. I got stuck behind two Spanish women who were taking up the entire pavement and waddling along at crawling pace. Anywhere else in the world, they'd have heard my suitcase behind them and moved aside, but in Spain? Nah. I kind of angrily huffed and said 'muchas gracias, eh?' as I walked out onto the main road to get around them and they looked at me in total confusion, like 'what's her problem?', still completely oblivious. They just have no concept of spacial awareness or 'being in the way'. They don't thank you for holding the door open because they haven't even see you. They're too wrapped up in themselves.

It's a weird that they lack these basic manners, because whenever I'm actually talking to Spanish people, they're incredibly nice. Just this evening I was in a bit of a jam and asked my neighbour to do me a favour and she went above and beyond to help me out and was really very nice about it. It's odd, because the same woman probably wouldn't have so much as acknowledged me if I'd held the elevator for her yesterday or something. It does seem to be simple lack of awareness.

Alun · 09-04-2013 12:56pm

IzzyWizzy wrote: »

The Spanish just do not consider other people (as in strangers). It's not explicit rudeness or badness, it's that you just don't exist for them and it doesn't occur to them to think about you at all. I was walking down my street the other day having flown back from London with a massive wheely suitcase. You know the kind that make loads of noise. I got stuck behind two Spanish women who were taking up the entire pavement and waddling along at crawling pace. Anywhere else in the world, they'd have heard my suitcase behind them and moved aside, but in Spain? Nah. I kind of angrily huffed and said 'muchas gracias, eh?' as I walked out onto the main road to get around them and they looked at me in total confusion, like 'what's her problem?', still completely oblivious. They just have no concept of spacial awareness or 'being in the way'. They don't thank you for holding the door open because they haven't even see you. They're too wrapped up in themselves.

That's exactly the same behaviour you see here with the hordes of Spanish language students in the summer. I've seen them block the entire width of the promenade along Bray seafront and just ignore people telling them to move aside and make room.

IzzyWizzy · 09-04-2013 4:58pm

Da Shins Kelly wrote: »

It's a weird that they lack these basic manners, because whenever I'm actually talking to Spanish people, they're incredibly nice. Just this evening I was in a bit of a jam and asked my neighbour to do me a favour and she went above and beyond to help me out and was really very nice about it. It's odd, because the same woman probably wouldn't have so much as acknowledged me if I'd held the elevator for her yesterday or something. It does seem to be simple lack of awareness.

They are nice (generalisation, of course!) Manners and niceness are not the same thing. The English women I work with are 'polite' as in they say please and thank you, hold the door open and say 'pardon?' instead of 'ehhh?' like the Spanish do, but they're still horrible people. I think the Spanish aren't really taught the concept of manners and considering other people the way we are. I don't think there's any malice in it at all, most of the time.

Gosub · 09-04-2013 5:13pm

It's a form of ignorance with the Spanish. The way they park in a shopping centre car park speaks volumes. They pull up beside your car, open the door and kick it against your car. They don't do this if you're in the car though. Next time you're in Spain, have a look at the side of most cars.... door dings all along the side.

The fact that they don't do it if you're sitting in your car means they know it's wrong and don't give a sh¡t. Pure ignorance and, normally, arrogance along with it. They justify their bad behaviour with the general term "because I can". A horrible attitude. I think it stems from their upbringing. The males are treated like little princes and grow up to believe it.

Don't get me wrong, in the 12 years I have lived in Spain I have met some fantastic, warm and caring people, but they are in a very small minority. The nastiest person I have ever met in my entire life is a Spanish GP... but that's a whole other tale.

keithclancy · 10-04-2013 9:27am

Gosub wrote: »

It's a form of ignorance with the Spanish. The way they park in a shopping centre car park speaks volumes. They pull up beside your car, open the door and kick it against your car. They don't do this if you're in the car though. Next time you're in Spain, have a look at the side of most cars.... door dings all along the side.

The fact that they don't do it if you're sitting in your car means they know it's wrong and don't give a sh¡t. Pure ignorance and, normally, arrogance along with it. They justify their bad behaviour with the general term "because I can". A horrible attitude. I think it stems from their upbringing. The males are treated like little princes and grow up to believe it.

Don't get me wrong, in the 12 years I have lived in Spain I have met some fantastic, warm and caring people, but they are in a very small minority. The nastiest person I have ever met in my entire life is a Spanish GP... but that's a whole other tale.

In fairness I thought Ireland was the worst for this, I haven't visited any other country were random car damage occurs so frequently.

We were back last week and a Dutch friend who came with us commented that he had never seen so many cars with random dents in them.

When living in Ireland I can't count home many wing mirrors I 'lost'

Lingua Franca · 10-04-2013 9:34am

keithclancy wrote: »

We were back last week and a Dutch friend who came with us commented that he had never seen so many cars with random dents in them.

They should see the cars in London, I know I'm shocked by how many shite beaters there are in that city!

You'd think there would be more cars with dents in them here given how tiny the parking spaces are. I rarely seen any battered cars. The pillars in the car park at the AH near my old house were covered in streaks of sheared off paint and have chunks missing out of them because they've taken so many whacks. We were once in there waiting for a car to reverse out of a tiny spot next to a pillar and they came out at such a speed and at such a terrible angle that when they inevitably whacked the pillar and stoved the side of their front bumper in, all we could do was laugh.

Gosub · 10-04-2013 10:14am

keithclancy wrote: »

In fairness I thought Ireland was the worst for this, I haven't visited any other country were random car damage occurs so frequently.

We were back last week and a Dutch friend who came with us commented that he had never seen so many cars with random dents in them.

When living in Ireland I can't count home many wing mirrors I 'lost'

I know what you're saying about cars with lumps out of them. You get that here as well. It's the well minded cars with humdreds of door dings down the side that sickens me most.

There is a 2 year old car near where I live and there isn't a straight panel on it, even the roof! The done thing here is not to give a sh¡t about the car you drive and then get a full repair and respray every couple of years. But, if you want to have a car that looks well, as I do, then here is a nightmare.

La_Gordy · 10-04-2013 10:29am

I've lived in a few different countries over the last few years and the one thing I have consistently missed from home is the way we acknowledge each other. Be it the eye contact, a nod, lifting your index finger while driving, ye don't really get that in foreign!

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 10-04-2013 10:46am

La_Gordy wrote: »

I've lived in a few different countries over the last few years and the one thing I have consistently missed from home is the wage acknowledge each other. Be it the eye contact, a nod, lifting your index finger while driving, ye don't really get that in foreign!

ah, you do - you just have to be persistant

La_Gordy · 10-04-2013 11:11am

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

ah, you do - you just have to be persistant

Haha! In Russia they have this saying that's like Whoever smiles on the street is a fool at home. So the more persistent you are, the more mental you'll appear!!

InTheTrees · 10-04-2013 2:16pm

La_Gordy wrote: »

Haha! In Russia they have this saying that's like Whoever smiles on the street is a fool at home. So the more persistent you are, the more mental you'll appear!!

Thats interesting. A hangover from the old communist times I suppose?

Living abroad, What do you miss the most.

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