Would you go back ?

[Marilyn. 340]

is mushy peas similar to pea soup? I know you use dried peas to make it...

[Nessa 23]

if I didn't have a child I'd definitely move back to Brazil. But with a baby and a steady job and military benefits, healthcare, I doubt I'd move back to a country where jobs are so scarce, not with a child.

[MelissaJulian 30]

I'm the USC but I know what my fiance would do. I know without a doubt he would go back to England. He isn't even that excited about coming here now on the K1!

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I'd probably stay. Oh wait, I did. Wasn't an easy decision at the time but my career was going really well and that is what tipped the scale in favor of staying here.

Edited June 18, 2010 by Mr. Big Dog

[Amby 490]

I dislike british "bacon" and mushy peas. I am in England now and you guys can have it all!

[Gemmie 142]

Blasphemous!

The bacon bit anyway, not a fan of mushy peas.

I did have marmite on toast for lunch though.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

marmite - yech!

I make my husband use a separate knife for marmite so I never have to taste the devil's own spread ever again

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

I'm a marmite lover. My mate, Marmite!

[Captain Oates 911]

I'm the USC but I know what my fiance would do. I know without a doubt he would go back to England. He isn't even that excited about coming here now on the K1!

I wasn't too keen either way. In the end she came to england and worked - but the only place she could get a job was in a horrible part of the country (Darwen.Lancs).

Christmas holidays 2006 I saw a program on houses in Florida so it was my idea to say lets go there. She still couldn't get a job.

It's nice to know England is there in case of probs here. For instance if she couldn't work then health care would be insanely expensive (the type that pays up anyway). In that eventuality we could go to England and have free health care on landing. Even with health care , it's easy to land a 300k bill here if you get a really bad condition. Her brother works as a claims refuser in a big health care company and told me some of the tactics he uses. There are huge departments devoted to refusing claims by fair or foul means.

Were you sad when your cat got run over 5 years ago ? yes ? Pre existing ! means we can't pay for depression treatment !

If I couldn't get PROPER GROUP health care insurance I would be out of here same week. The individual stuff is worthless.

The USA is for capitalists and winners and people who watch their backs all the time. The rest are just lucky to keep going and are one incident away from bankruptcy.

I don't know if there are any foreigners on here who are in their fifties and have come here to marry a waitress etc, but that's a very scary scenario. I won't scare you with what can go wrong in the future and what is up ahead generally, but I am sure people enter the US without an appreciation of what it takes to survive here.

Luckily I am pretty fire proof but I sure didn't know all the pitfalls when I arrived.

I retired at just 54 but doing that here requires a LOT of money in most circumstances.

Edited June 18, 2010 by saywhat

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

I currently have no health insurance as I'm self-employed with some pre-existing conditions. I was in a group plan for a while over here at a reasonable rate, then they jacked it up with no warning so I had to drop it. It's part of the reason I'm considering moving back. It scares me that I could lose everything just because I had the misfortune to fall ill. I think we were a little naive when we decided to jump ship to the US and assumed bad things wouldn't happen to us. He had a slip and fall that ended up in a dislocated shoulder -- we're still paying that one off 2 years+ later.

[Captain Oates 911]

I currently have no health insurance as I'm self-employed with some pre-existing conditions. I was in a group plan for a while over here at a reasonable rate, then they jacked it up with no warning so I had to drop it. It's part of the reason I'm considering moving back. It scares me that I could lose everything just because I had the misfortune to fall ill. I think we were a little naive when we decided to jump ship to the US and assumed bad things wouldn't happen to us. He had a slip and fall that ended up in a dislocated shoulder -- we're still paying that one off 2 years+ later.

As usual we see eye to eye

The NHS is very good IF and only IF you choose a rich area well out of the inner cities. Harrogate in North Yorkshire is as comfy and smart as hospitals here. Actually I went there when I didnt live in that area and I walked in and they said no problem we will bring a doctor to you, please sit in the lounge and we will get you some coffee ! Not many people know that.

Unlimited free health care forever irrespective of pre existing conditions ? All this junk you hear in the US about they give you an aspirin and send you home and death panels etc is a straight lie. I know old ladies in their 90's who get enormous and expensive treatments automatically.

Having said that, the inner city hospitals are pretty bad and overwhelmed. It's the rich that get the pleasure and the poor that gets the blame - even in a socialist country.

But jeez I am so lucky to have the NHS as my backstop. No street collections to allow me to live.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

As usual we see eye to eye

The NHS is very good IF and only IF you choose a rich area well out of the inner cities. Harrogate in North Yorkshire is as comfy and smart as hospitals here. Actually I went there when I didnt live in that area and I walked in and they said no problem we will bring a doctor to you, please sit in the lounge and we will get you some coffee ! Not many people know that.

Unlimited free health care forever irrespective of pre existing conditions ? All this junk you hear in the US about they give you an aspirin and send you home and death panels etc is a straight lie. I know old ladies in their 90's who get enormous and expensive treatments automatically.

Having said that, the inner city hospitals are pretty bad and overwhelmed. It's the rich that get the pleasure and the poor that gets the blame - even in a socialist country.

But jeez I am so lucky to have the NHS as my backstop. No street collections to allow me to live.

Well, of COURSE we see eye to eye, Alan. I am your No 1 Internet Girlfriend after all.

Harrogate -- interesting. I shall add it to my list of possible relocation locations. I know a lot of people have horror stories about the NHS, but I'm not one of them. The worst treatment I ever got over there was through the student health service at Bristol University, where I was accused of faking it when I showed up with a 103F fever, unable to climb stairs to the doctor's office due to weakness. I had to be carried up there and she still was offended by my presence. No clue what that was about. In retrospect, I should have gone straight to hospital. I also had some amazing private care (BUPA) over there too, and the private hospitals are nice. I wanted to stay forever!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

is mushy peas similar to pea soup? I know you use dried peas to make it...

Two different animals - mushy peas are the rehydrated marrowfat peas all softened by cooking until they become mushy but still very thick and have a little bit of seasoning but not a lot - and yes, I like them! Pea soup is made from different types of dried pies but not generally marrowfat peas, has more liquid and the peas tend to be split or whole with different seasonings and often some meat like ham added. I like pea soup as well - especially Habitant brand from Canada.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

I always thought you just boiled regular peas until they got mushy

[Brad and Vika 129]

I did have marmite on toast for lunch though.

OK - what is marmite? We are leaving for the UK in a week, and it sounds like one of those things you have to try once. My wife's favorite dish (Ukrainian salty fish) makes me want to puke on my shoes, although the kind they serve up in Ukraine is more palateable. She feels exactly the same about peanut butter.