Move abroad - What do you miss, find strange in your new country?

Ray37

I've been living abroad for the past year, I'd be curious to see what people miss most from home, or don't miss at all!!

athtrasna

Ray37 wrote: »

I've been living abroad for the past year, I'd be curious to see what people miss most from home, or don't miss at all!!

When I lived in the UK I missed Tayto crisps, Irish Cadbury bars, knorr sauces and Barrys Tea.

I also missed pubs that stayed open past closing time, and neighbours who watch out for you.

donkeykong5

athtrasna wrote: »

Ray37 wrote: »

I've been living abroad for the past year, I'd be curious to see what people miss most from home, or don't miss at all!!

When I lived in the UK I missed Tayto crisps, Irish Cadbury bars, knorr sauces and Barrys Tea.

I also missed pubs that stayed open past closing time, and neighbours who watch out for you.

Were you in London ?

jacksie66

This post has been deleted.

athtrasna

donkeykong5 wrote: »

Were you in London ?

Nope, in Herefordshire. I lived alone for a while and for some reason one night I wondered how long it would take someone to work out I'd died. Reckon it would have been about 5 days and even then alarm would have been raised by family in Ireland rather than neighbours or colleagues

Jack the Stripper

That's an awful scenario, did you not get friends with locals, work mates?

Lyle Lanley

Living abroad for almost three years. I miss pub culture, ironically one of the things I was most happy to leave behind.

There's nothing quite like walking into a pub where you know everyone and just having a few pints and talking ****e. Where I am currently it's quiet beers at home or madness in a nightclub, no in between.

Miss the food too. You can't get decent meat as easily everywhere else.

And of course my family.

donkeykong5

athtrasna wrote: »

donkeykong5 wrote: »

Were you in London ?

Nope, in Herefordshire. I lived alone for a while and for some reason one night I wondered how long it would take someone to work out I'd died. Reckon it would have been about 5 days and even then alarm would have been raised by family in Ireland rather than neighbours or colleagues

It's just in london the foodstuffs you mentioned would have been on sale. ( tesco Clapham South ). And also there are many irish people in wetherspoon pubs especially ( fir some reason.). Who would have befriended you. The post about 5 days was depressing right enough. I find london a very friendly place. Don't really know Hertfordshire.

athtrasna

donkeykong5 wrote: »

It's just in london the foodstuffs you mentioned would have been on sale. ( tesco Clapham South ). And also there are many irish people in wetherspoon pubs especially ( fir some reason.). Who would have befriended you. The post about 5 days was depressing right enough. I find london a very friendly place. Don't really know Hertfordshire.

Don't get me wrong I had friends but we didn't do stuff every weekend. It was a small town but very insular, all about locals and I was an outsider.

redcup342

Just people, that's about it really.

All the other stuff, Taytos, Barrys Tea, Cadburys.

Kind of gone off them.

I could never go back now, too used to getting places by public transport

Tom Dunne

You know what I missed? Pub Grub. Living in the Middle East, I could get low-end, cheap and nasty muck (I'd add the likes of McDonald's into that) or I could get high-end, five star food in 5 star restaurants. But nothing in the middle when you wouldn't mind a pint and a bit of good pub grub, nothing fancy.

Ray37

I'd say what I miss most is the general craic and having the chats at the bar waiting for your drinks, without the locals thinking you have ten heads. I'm living in Vancouver and it's definitely not as friendly as people make out (I'm generalizing here, I've heard other cities are more friendly etc). Going to buy the bits for dinner and coming back $50 poorer is a big one, the price of the basics here are outrageous. Also the food, proper rashers, a dirty chipper..... Tatyo sambo.. Shouldn't be thinking of this now, I am starved

cactusgal

I'm American, living in Ireland for a long time, but lived NZ for 18 long months! (I wasn't a fan).

In NZ, I missed (about Ireland):

Central heating in houses and apartments (used to spend the weekends in NZ at home in a hat and gloves)

Cheap flights to nearby places (You don't appreciate Ryanair til it's gone!)

Cozy pubs, traditional culture

Friendly locals who were curious about you and interested in where you came from.

Reasonably priced books and magazines (a magazine in NZ would set you back $5-8, a paperback $20-25; this was in 2008)

Penneys!

Back in Ireland, what I miss about the USA:

Family and friends

The weather, having four distinct seasons.

Good, reasonably priced BBQ and Mexican food

Shopping malls and outlets (materialistic but true)

American-style Halloween, Thanksgiving, and 4th of July

Christmas decorations not going up til after Thanksgiving (this year in Dublin, Debenhams Christmas window display was up before Halloween!!)

wuffly

Tom Dunne wrote: »

You know what I missed? Pub Grub. Living in the Middle East, I could get low-end, cheap and nasty muck (I'd add the likes of McDonald's into that) or I could get high-end, five star food in 5 star restaurants. But nothing in the middle when you wouldn't mind a pint and a bit of good pub grub, nothing fancy.

This (although Fibbers in Dubai? until the portk kitchen problem)! and just a regular deli sandwich! a nice ham sambo or hot chicken baguette!! Mmmm..

I miss enjoying driving, i loved a decent car journey at home. The lack of lunatics and general beauty of the countryside. On that note abundant petrol stations... for a place originally built on oil wealth there is a serious shortage of petrol stations!

Other than that....just the usuals, which besides family...I miss less after 6yrs away.