Wrong Location..

[att]

...That would be the Western World.
For severel years, I have had fantasies of living in other parts of the world, you would call them fantasies, I would call it being self aware of my position and true feelings.
Each time I have outlined my desires, I have gone or been to the respective countries and have done extensive research and explored possibilities, each time I have not been 100% assured, this is because I have still been clinging onto the securities of the West.
My wife feels exactly the same.

My predicament is.
I do not enjoy the Western lifestyle, the consumerism, the selfishness, the shallowness, just the whole way it is lived.

Now as I have become more knowledgeble of the political system both local and national and also international, I feel I am unable to live in the West for much longer, it goes deep against the grain for myslef and my wife and we feel outcasts in the system, the country etc.

We have been to a lot of countries in the last 12 months, not to mention the last 20 years, the only one that resonates with us has made it nigh on impossible to settle there now (Thailand)

Australia I am led to believe is just the same as here, but I have not yet been to this country, I plan to go this year, but I fear I will be dissapointed.

I feel as though there is not a place in this world for me, I am sure there is, but right now it doesn`t feel like it.

I want to lead a very simple life, I want to go out and catch, grow my own food and do a little job that will contribute a certain way to my existence and to the existence of those around me, I don`t want a bigger house, a bigger car, a bigger telly a bigger belly, I want to live amongst people who value people and their surroundings and more importantly, life itself.

The question is...............Where is this place?

[thermidorthelobster]

This sounds bizarre, but you could check out Iceland.  In many ways it's the least consumerist society I've visited out of 42 countries in every continent apart from Antarctica, from the richest to the poorest.

[att]

Sorry, I forgot to mention in detail the love of life, it has to be tropical, the growth and abundance of life is pivotal to our happiness.

[bezzabsa]

also one of the most expensive isnt it???
have you thought about New Zealand? more laid back than OZ - gorgeous scenery..
 or even Goa? we have friends that go there Every year and are completely in love with the place= only problem is so are the developers!
Or as a complete odd ball - Ireland?? try visiting and take in the atmosphere!!!

[Bulli]

Strange but i had the same thought. The people in Iceland seem genuinly intrested and are very well educated on the whole. The landmass is large with a population of just over 300,000..... Rotherham is about the same!

Is Thailand difficult to emigrate to?

The beauty with Australia is that you can escape from everything. There are people living a very simple life but i dont know if the culture would suit you.

what is it about western society that is so out of kilter with you?

[Rich_P]

att, are you saying you prefer the communist way? (We're talking about the basic principles)  Where people work together and aren't so 'selfish' in concept?

[Mudlark]

I did a lot of research last year and decided that Amazonia did it for me. I know what you mean this part of the world is not........(period)


As far as I know it has little to do with communism - at least in my case :lol:

[Lord Shagg-Pyle]

dear chap!
Can I suggest Italy? The country is amazing, the wine and  food are outstanding, and the Government is 100% corrupt, a bit like ours but the Italians admit it.
Off roading in the Alps? Oh yeah, baby! Bring it on!

[att]

It is not communism, that is exactly the same as capitalism in it`s extreme, where we are at right now.

Western World, what is wrong with it.....I could bore you for a long time, as I have mentioned it is the greed and consumption of all things bigger and better, but it is the political systems that I just do not agree with in any way shape or form and it is these systems that lay down the social principles, laws and everything that affect my and our lives.

I hate all the PC rubbish, the protecting of human life at any cost, it curtails my life via safety, rules and regs etc, it takes the fun out of life, too many rules and regs to live completely as a human being, how can you experience many things if they are against the law?

The international situation, enforcing democracy on the whole world, what if people don`t want it?

Oil and the lives it has cost, the corrupt actions and policies of the Western world have to come to a stop, it is wrong to enforce a way of life onto people who don`t want it, I don`t want a multicultural britain.
I don`t want to pay to line somebody elses pocket everytime I need to go for a pooh, drink a glass of water, watch the TV, I want to be free of all this crap, capitalism etc.

 I am completely fed up with being told what to do, how to do it, and why I should do it.............I want to make up my own mind, to experience the world as we have the right to.......Bored yet????????

[Bob696]

Have you thought of volenteer work?
http://www.vso.org.uk/
springs to mind

[Mudlark]

Have you thought of volenteer work?
http://www.vso.org.uk/
springs to mind

But all that is - is

The international situation, enforcing democracy on the whole world, what if people don`t want it?

Doing what the government wants for free


att I'm with you 100%

[att]

Have you thought of volenteer work?
http://www.vso.org.uk/
springs to mind

Yup, looked at all that, apparently 20 years as a manager and five of running my own successful INTERNATIONAL business count for [!Expletive Deleted!] all because.......I don`t have a degree for the work that I feel I am qualified to do............The class/education system is WRONG again, another reason for wanting to get out of this pox ridden nightmare of life.

[att]

I have international clients, large multi national corporations who depend on my business to supply them, I am an approved UK and other countries Govt. supplier.........I don`t understand where the VSO get off?

[Drift]

What about Chile or Canada, even the Falklands, all places whee you can get back to earth without too much goverment and social intervention.
Ste

[tomarse]

Yup, looked at all that, apparently 20 years as a manager and five of running my own successful INTERNATIONAL business count for !Expletive Deleted! all because.......I don`t have a degree for the work that I feel I am qualified to do............The class/education system is WRONG again, another reason for wanting to get out of this pox ridden nightmare of life.

Ive just looked at the VSO site and also cant understand why they seem to want a degree for everything. I did a computer science degree and since leaving uni have been self employed doing IT stuff. I learnt more valuble knowledge working for myself over the first few months than i did over the whole of my 3 years of uni and i have trouble finding any of the stuff i was taught that is any use!

[thermidorthelobster]

the Government is 100% corrupt, a bit like ours but the Italians admit it.

 :lol:

[Boggert]

I have a place in Czech republic, in a village about 45mins from Prague, that is where I will retire and throw out the TV!
Lots of off roading with out hassle!

[waveydavey]

If you really want to go abroad looka  the Phillapines, the rural areas not the cities.

Mind you that goes for the UK as well? try getting out of the South East and see how life changes.

[bezzabsa]

china? mongolia?
or talk to R Branson nicely and use his island :D:D:D:D:D

[beast5680]

What about Chile or Canada, even the Falklands, all places whee you can get back to earth without too much goverment and social intervention.
Ste

I,m looking at Canada as a prospective move just have to go and have a look and see whats its like

[bigfatsi]

What about Chile or Canada, even the Falklands, all places whee you can get back to earth without too much goverment and social intervention.
Ste

I,m looking at Canada as a prospective move just have to go and have a look and see whats its like

I've never been to Canada, (well actually I have but I was 18 months old!) but everyone I've ever met has said they want to move there. Must be something in that. I watched a fishing (Don't start...) program with a guy in Canada and the scenery and such was just stunning. Definitely worth a look what it's all aboot. (Sorry. Couldn't resist)

Simon.

[Sheddy]

I sympathise with att.  I packed in my business after 20 years earlier this year.  Yes i was earning good money but I wasn't working to live, I was living to work.  Work HAD to come before everything, kids, wife, family .... the lot.  This Christmas I have spent more time with my family than I ever have.  Now I know for definate that I don't like them.  I don't mean the wife and kids, I mean the extended family.

I did a charity trip to Croatia earlier this year ... I reckon I might have to spend more time there.  I found something in Croatia that went missing when I was a lad.

The thing I found is very special.  It is the sort of thing that money can't buy, it is priceless.  
Its all about caring about the people around you.  
Its about taking the time to stop and have a natter with your neighbours.  Its about talking to a stranger in a pub.  Its about stopping to help someone who's car has broken down.  
Its about being glad for your friend because he has bough a new (to him) car, not being jealous because he has and you can't afford one.
Its haveing a bill come in that you weren't expecting and the people around you assisting, whether it be by lending you a couple of sheckles or giving you some home grown produce to halp you out.  Doing this knowing that you wont be too proud to accept it because you helped them in the same way last month.
Its about working long enough to feed your family and provide for them but not so long that they no longer recognise you.

There is a word for all this.  Its a word that had real meaning when I was a kid.  The word still exists but the meaning has been lost.  I don't know when it got lost but I would guess that it was around the time colour televisions became the most important thing to have.  
It went missing around the time that nights around the piano in the pub stopped happening.
 When the next consumer must have became more important than spending the day in the park with the kids - play with the kids or do some overtime so we can have a video player?  I know what my parents chose to do.
It went missing around the time when a holiday in Spain was more important than sharing a static with the grandparents.

I'm not going to carry on as I'm getting a lump in my throat thinking about all that has been lost to consumerism and keeping up with the Jones's.

I no longer want a big house and new cars on the drive.  I don't want to spend two of my kids six week holidays with them in Florida - I want to spend the whole six weeks with them in a tent somewhere.  Above all, what I really want is to live in a real community, like I did when I was a kid and like they still do in Croatia.

So endeth my pointless diatribe.

[att]

I sympathise with att.  I packed in my business after 20 years earlier this year.  Yes i was earning good money but I wasn't working to live, I was living to work.  Work HAD to come before everything, kids, wife, family .... the lot.  This Christmas I have spent more time with my family than I ever have.  Now I know for definate that I don't like them.  I don't mean the wife and kids, I mean the extended family.

I did a charity trip to Croatia earlier this year ... I reckon I might have to spend more time there.  I found something in Croatia that went missing when I was a lad.

The thing I found is very special.  It is the sort of thing that money can't buy, it is priceless.  
Its all about caring about the people around you.  
Its about taking the time to stop and have a natter with your neighbours.  Its about talking to a stranger in a pub.  Its about stopping to help someone who's car has broken down.  
Its about being glad for your friend because he has bough a new (to him) car, not being jealous because he has and you can't afford one.
Its haveing a bill come in that you weren't expecting and the people around you assisting, whether it be by lending you a couple of sheckles or giving you some home grown produce to halp you out.  Doing this knowing that you wont be too proud to accept it because you helped them in the same way last month.
Its about working long enough to feed your family and provide for them but not so long that they no longer recognise you.

There is a word for all this.  Its a word that had real meaning when I was a kid.  The word still exists but the meaning has been lost.  I don't know when it got lost but I would guess that it was around the time colour televisions became the most important thing to have.  
It went missing around the time that nights around the piano in the pub stopped happening.
 When the next consumer must have became more important than spending the day in the park with the kids - play with the kids or do some overtime so we can have a video player?  I know what my parents chose to do.
It went missing around the time when a holiday in Spain was more important than sharing a static with the grandparents.

I'm not going to carry on as I'm getting a lump in my throat thinking about all that has been lost to consumerism and keeping up with the Jones's.

I no longer want a big house and new cars on the drive.  I don't want to spend two of my kids six week holidays with them in Florida - I want to spend the whole six weeks with them in a tent somewhere.  Above all, what I really want is to live in a real community, like I did when I was a kid and like they still do in Croatia.

So endeth my pointless diatribe.

Very eloquently put. :D

It is about reclaiming ones life.