Wealthy Countries Citizens

[Niels Bohr 72]

Well, I think it's better to live in a third world country if you're rich. You have alot of power over the government.

[_Simpson_ 250]

Well, I think it's better to live in a third world country if you're rich. You have alot of power over the government.

true but its hard to find a gas guzzling hummer in a third world country.

Edited February 9, 2010 by _Simpson_

[Lancelotte25 1]

Thank you very much to all of you guys who answered my questions and I was really surprised that most of the people who answered in this topic are open minded, educated and intelligent.

However, I was a bit disappointed for some who are obviously defensive when it comes to answering the question.

My intention wasn't intended to offend those people who are marrying US citizen in order to have a better life in the US. I am just confused, as you can see even the citizens of countries who happened to be a member of G-8 are moving to the US and because I have no idea of their purpose for as far as I know they have better lives back to their homelands.

On the other hand I know there will be some people who will misunderstand my question, perhaps because I mentioned specific countries, like mine who happen to have most of the people needs to fulfill their dreams and have a better life in the US.

Great opportunities are all around the US, compare to my country, our rights and priviliges as citizens are being neglected because of our vicious and corrupt government. If someone from the Philippines will disagree about this, answer this question?

Why the Philippines is the number one country of having a Brain Drain problem?

Once again, thank you guys!!

[skidivawannabe 2]

I've been in this forum for quite a while now and I've been observing the people who are seeking to immigrate to the US.

If we are talking about China, The Philippines, India and other countries mostly Asian is normal. But, I wonder why citizens from Canada, UK, Australia, and other EU countries which are no doubt has comfortable and better lives in their home country.

Why do they choose to move in the US anyway?

Hello Kabayan! :-) Kamusta? (how are you?)

To answer your question, why did we choose to live in the U.S...

I will answer for my husband and I.

At the risk of sounding boastful and arrogant. My husband (now I) decided to relocate to the U.S because we have a better chance of being independent here than in the Philippines.

To many of us and our peers, everything is spoon fed. Inherited. A lot of people will work their souls off in some other country just to give their children the lives we had in the Philippines. "Charmed Life" as people may say. But we chose to simplify our lives here in the U.S. Goodbye yayas (nannies), goodbye drivers. Goodbye weekly pairs of shoes or new clothes. Thing is, it's not all about that. Where's the sense of fulfillment if we can't be 100% independent?

It will be very hard for us to grow up and be our own selves in the Philippines. You are very well aware of how Filipino families work. Everyone is most likely minding your business even if they shouldn't. We don't want to have to deal with that.

I miss everything about the Philippines. My whole life was there - - friends, family, etc. But now that I am here, I realize the beauty of having to raise my own (future) family here. Diversity. I must admit, if you live in such an isolated country like the Philippines, it takes a while for you to get used to dealing with people of various nationalities (unless you're a travel bug). Sometimes it's downright unhealthy to grow up surrounded by the same kind of people your whole life. I am happy that I will give my future children the opportunity to go to school and work with different nationalities. I am happy he will grow up seeing different faces - - asian, european, african, etc. :-)

So yes, there are varied answers as to why people choose to migrate from one country to another...One is to seek greener pastures, others just happen to fall in love with someone who lives miles (and timezones!).

[dakay ♥ 10]

I am just confused, as you can see even the citizens of countries who happened to be a member of G-8 are moving to the US and because I have no idea of their purpose for as far as I know they have better lives back to their homelands.

live in a country of the G-8 doesn't mean have a high standard of living, many people must have 2 jobs to live well.

mostly motivation is pursuit of happiness of the heart

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

live in a country of the G-8 doesn't mean have a high standard of living, many people must have 2 jobs to live well.

That's a very good point.

[Lancelotte25 1]

Hello Kabayan! :-) Kamusta? (how are you?)

To answer your question, why did we choose to live in the U.S...

I will answer for my husband and I.

At the risk of sounding boastful and arrogant. My husband (now I) decided to relocate to the U.S because we have a better chance of being independent here than in the Philippines.

To many of us and our peers, everything is spoon fed. Inherited. A lot of people will work their souls off in some other country just to give their children the lives we had in the Philippines. "Charmed Life" as people may say. But we chose to simplify our lives here in the U.S. Goodbye yayas (nannies), goodbye drivers. Goodbye weekly pairs of shoes or new clothes. Thing is, it's not all about that. Where's the sense of fulfillment if we can't be 100% independent?

It will be very hard for us to grow up and be our own selves in the Philippines. You are very well aware of how Filipino families work. Everyone is most likely minding your business even if they shouldn't. We don't want to have to deal with that.

I miss everything about the Philippines. My whole life was there - - friends, family, etc. But now that I am here, I realize the beauty of having to raise my own (future) family here. Diversity. I must admit, if you live in such an isolated country like the Philippines, it takes a while for you to get used to dealing with people of various nationalities (unless you're a travel bug). Sometimes it's downright unhealthy to grow up surrounded by the same kind of people your whole life. I am happy that I will give my future children the opportunity to go to school and work with different nationalities. I am happy he will grow up seeing different faces - - asian, european, african, etc. :-)

So yes, there are varied answers as to why people choose to migrate from one country to another...One is to seek greener pastures, others just happen to fall in love with someone who lives miles (and timezones!).

Nice one Kabayan, well explained.

[SunDrop 59]

I was really surprised that most of the people who answered in this topic are open minded, educated and intelligent.

However, I was a bit disappointed for some who are obviously defensive when it comes to answering the question.

Whoa, easy tiger! You were surprised to get open-minded, educated and intelligent answers? I'm sure, again, that you weren't intending to be offensive but that is an offensive way of summarizing your expectations of 'wealthy nationals' who choose to immigrate to the US. You could well have said "I could only assume that anyone moving here from a G-8 country must be totally stupid."

If you were surprised by the answers, why were you also disappointed by those who found it offensive?

My intention wasn't intended to offend those people who are marrying US citizen in order to have a better life in the US. I am just confused, as you can see even the citizens of countries who happened to be a member of G-8 are moving to the US and because I have no idea of their purpose for as far as I know they have better lives back to their homelands.

This is a fairly common mindset of someone who has little to no experience of the actual cost of capitalism and a stable economy. When Germany was still split between East and West, Western relatives were often sent lists of items that were in scarce supply or extortionately expensive for their Eastern families to bring as gifts. They could include things like 'Washing Machine with Turbo Spin' '4 new Pirelli tyres' and would end up being hurt and upset if their 'wealthy' Western relatives didn't bring them the items. They looked at what they were earning and compared it to what similiar items at home cost, and figured that they shouldn't have any issues about affording big ticket items. They didn't factor in higher costs of living when salaries are higher.

Same goes for England. Most London based jobs with national corporations or public services/ local government have 'London Weighting'. This is because the cost of living in and around London is significantly higher than in other areas of the country. Yes, we have more bankers and fewer steel workers but that's not the issue. My North Eastern relatives look at the salaries that we can command and go 'I'd get much less for doing exactly the same job! That's not fair." But they can buy a 3bed house on what it costs me to get a 1 bed apartment 12 miles outside of the city centre. The end result is they're paid less for the same job but can afford a lifestyle that I couldn't.

I mentioned specific countries, like mine who happen to have most of the people needs to fulfill their dreams and have a better life in the US.

Depends what your dream is, surely? Mine is to work to live, not live to work. To have a happy marriage and not feel claustrophobic because we're packed like sardines in this city. And to afford to be able to buy my own home. I can buy a 3bed house with a pool in Tucson for less than I could buy a basement studio in London...

But the honest answer is we're moving for love and out of respect for the individuals involved in this relationship. My fiance spent 6 months in England and was miserable. He's close to his family and friends, likes good mexican food, gets cold easily (he's hypothyroid) whereas my family are used to living in different parts of the world from each other, I dont mind American food, and I love the fact that the sun shines even on the colder winter days. The constant cloudy grey from October to March is oppressive. But most importantly I want us all to be happy. My daughter thrives in a family environment, adores my fiance and has more opportunities educationally than she'd have here. No marriage can succeed if one is perpetually utterly miserable, no family can grow if any is stifled.

[GabiandVi 34]

My husband comes from a third world country. He was a bit hesitant to immigrate to the US at first, but he is ready and willing now. I don't know how long we will stay here, though. We met in a third country, not here, not his country.

One of the reasons we decided to do this was so that it would be easier for us to go abroad and travel abroad. When you come from West Africa, you need a visa to go to the bathroom in another country. Our plan was for him to come long enough to get naturalized and then live abroad again. Of course, once we are settled here, especially with a child, I don't know if we will ever leave.

[DanielParul 50]

true but its hard to find a gas guzzling hummer in a third world country.

Won't be too long till China starts mass producing them.

Edited February 9, 2010 by DanielParul

[Calypso 464]

SunDrop, you have been sharing brilliant ideas around OT. Keep going.

Whoa, easy tiger! You were surprised to get open-minded, educated and intelligent answers? I'm sure, again, that you weren't intending to be offensive but that is an offensive way of summarizing your expectations of 'wealthy nationals' who choose to immigrate to the US. You could well have said "I could only assume that anyone moving here from a G-8 country must be totally stupid."

If you were surprised by the answers, why were you also disappointed by those who found it offensive?

This is a fairly common mindset of someone who has little to no experience of the actual cost of capitalism and a stable economy. When Germany was still split between East and West, Western relatives were often sent lists of items that were in scarce supply or extortionately expensive for their Eastern families to bring as gifts. They could include things like 'Washing Machine with Turbo Spin' '4 new Pirelli tyres' and would end up being hurt and upset if their 'wealthy' Western relatives didn't bring them the items. They looked at what they were earning and compared it to what similiar items at home cost, and figured that they shouldn't have any issues about affording big ticket items. They didn't factor in higher costs of living when salaries are higher.

Same goes for England. Most London based jobs with national corporations or public services/ local government have 'London Weighting'. This is because the cost of living in and around London is significantly higher than in other areas of the country. Yes, we have more bankers and fewer steel workers but that's not the issue. My North Eastern relatives look at the salaries that we can command and go 'I'd get much less for doing exactly the same job! That's not fair." But they can buy a 3bed house on what it costs me to get a 1 bed apartment 12 miles outside of the city centre. The end result is they're paid less for the same job but can afford a lifestyle that I couldn't.

Depends what your dream is, surely? Mine is to work to live, not live to work. To have a happy marriage and not feel claustrophobic because we're packed like sardines in this city. And to afford to be able to buy my own home. I can buy a 3bed house with a pool in Tucson for less than I could buy a basement studio in London...

But the honest answer is we're moving for love and out of respect for the individuals involved in this relationship. My fiance spent 6 months in England and was miserable. He's close to his family and friends, likes good mexican food, gets cold easily (he's hypothyroid) whereas my family are used to living in different parts of the world from each other, I dont mind American food, and I love the fact that the sun shines even on the colder winter days. The constant cloudy grey from October to March is oppressive. But most importantly I want us all to be happy. My daughter thrives in a family environment, adores my fiance and has more opportunities educationally than she'd have here. No marriage can succeed if one is perpetually utterly miserable, no family can grow if any is stifled.

[Nessa 23]

this thread has so much potential

[loveaboo 0]

I've been in this forum for quite a while now and I've been observing the people who are seeking to immigrate to the US.

If we are talking about China, The Philippines, India and other countries mostly Asian is normal. But, I wonder why citizens from Canada, UK, Australia, and other EU countries which are no doubt has comfortable and better lives in their home country.

Why do they choose to move in the US anyway?

Just because someone lives in a poor country doesn't necessarily mean that he doesn't live comfortably in his home country and just because someone lives in a rich country doesn't necessarily mean that he's living a comfortable and better life in his home country.

At the risk of sounding boastful and arrogant. My husband (now I) decided to relocate to the U.S because we have a better chance of being independent here than in the Philippines.

To many of us and our peers, everything is spoon fed. Inherited. A lot of people will work their souls off in some other country just to give their children the lives we had in the Philippines. "Charmed Life" as people may say. But we chose to simplify our lives here in the U.S. Goodbye yayas (nannies), goodbye drivers. Goodbye weekly pairs of shoes or new clothes. Thing is, it's not all about that. Where's the sense of fulfillment if we can't be 100% independent?

It will be very hard for us to grow up and be our own selves in the Philippines. You are very well aware of how Filipino families work. Everyone is most likely minding your business even if they shouldn't. We don't want to have to deal with that.

I miss everything about the Philippines. My whole life was there - - friends, family, etc. But now that I am here, I realize the beauty of having to raise my own (future) family here. Diversity. I must admit, if you live in such an isolated country like the Philippines, it takes a while for you to get used to dealing with people of various nationalities (unless you're a travel bug). Sometimes it's downright unhealthy to grow up surrounded by the same kind of people your whole life. I am happy that I will give my future children the opportunity to go to school and work with different nationalities. I am happy he will grow up seeing different faces - - asian, european, african, etc. :-)

Why do you have to move thousands of miles just to be independent? If you want to simplify your life and not have nannies and drivers or buy new things every week, you can do it without moving to US. Show them that you can stand on your own.

You don't need to deal with what everyone is saying. Otherwise you will go crazy. Only you can make the decision for yourself. If you let them decide for you, regardless where you are, you will never learn and you will never be independent.

Philippines is not that isolated. If you want your children to be exposed to different nationalities, you can still do that. As you've said, you're living a charmed life there, surely you can afford to send your children to international schools where they will be able to see different faces...

Anyways...

My husband would be happy to live with me in the Philippines instead but I know it won't be practical. My husband has a stable job here and his salary is more than 100% of what I was earning in there. Surely if we'll move there, there's a chance that he could get a good job also but the salary would be much lower. Granted that the cost of living here is so much higher than in the Philippines, it will still be easier for us to save enough money here to be able to retire in the Philippines someday soon.

Also, even before we got married, I already knew about his parents wish for him to live nearby so he can look after his younger siblings since the parents are not getting any younger anymore. They are good parents-in-law to me and for that I'm very happy to respect that wish.

Edited February 9, 2010 by loveaboo

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

My dad is Swedish, my mom German. I lived in 7 countries and visited 32, always looking for the perfect place to live and to work. The combination of living and working is the key here. A white sand beach with turqouise-colored water is great for living, or, better, relaxing, but not ideal for making money. Well, I found the place, actually the two places I love most on planet Earth. I would live there if I had a yearly income of 100 million Dollars:

1) Santa Barbara/Montecito, the Southern California neighborhood where Oprah Winfrey brought her 6th home for 55 million Dollars, a few miles south of Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch.

2) Monaco, the second smallest country in the World.

Monaco requires an annual income of a Million for foreigners to become residents, so Santa Barbara is the next best thing. Since I'm not that rich, I live a few minutes south from the perfect spot, in the beach town of San Buenaventura, still almost perfect, as my house is 4 minutes away from the Pacific Ocean.

Both, Santa Barbara and Monaco are breathtakingly beautiful. Both are in close proximity to the beach, have ideal climate with all year temperatures between 68 and 90 degrees (never cold, never too hot), and are rich. Rich not as a merit of wasting money, but because it attracts people who can afford the best and demand the best in regard to cuisine, clothing, entertainment, etc. Everything I desire is here, and there's perhaps 2 or 3 weeks of rain the whole year. I can ride my bicycles and motorcycles whenever I want, drive my classic cars and fill them up with cheap gas, go eat whatever my heart desires. I live in paradise, and wouldn't move to another location for all the money in the World.

Often I read that people move because they got a great job somewhere else. I wouldn't move for a million Dollars guaranteed annual income. I live in paradise and I'm here to stay. That's why I moved from a rich country to the US.

Edited February 9, 2010 by Just Bob

[jundp 191]

I am just confused, as you can see even the citizens of countries who happened to be a member of G-8 are moving to the US and because I have no idea of their purpose for as far as I know they have better lives back to their homelands.

I am still somewhat baffled by your inability to understand why on a FAMILY IMMIGRATION FORUM people would choose to leave their countries and move to the USA. Seriously?

this thread has so much potential