expatsonthemove

Deidre Dare, (see link) is an American lawyer and who had a very lucrative expat position in Moscow. She was fired from her job for publishing a kiss & tell online blog diary of her sexual adventures (legal case pending). She recently wrote in her agony aunt column in a Moscow publication called ‘Passport‘ (see link) on her thoughts of returning home from Russia and to the US. This agony column seems to be her new career since it all went viral and her expat legal career ended. Her writing made me think, which I think is the sign of a good article, about how I would feel on returning to live in England. If you are an expat you may long to return to your home country or like me, you may dread it.

When I am abroad, I feel English but I feel ‘English’ from a better time in the past, to an England of my youth or to a romanticized view of England seen through rose coloured glasses. When I am in England, I feel like just another face in the crowd. Deidre Dare, suggested that she would not like to return to her country as life would be ‘boring’ back home and although my life here is fairy boring in my SAHD role, I do totally agree with her. Living abroad as an expat, is far more interesting. To experience different climates and cultures, enriches our minds and spirits. It makes us fuller and alive. On our last living breath, we will remember so many adventures good and bad of our travels and experiences. Living away from home has its positives and negatives which are different to every person. I may have different positives and negatives to life abroad than you do, that’s what makes me, me and you, you. If I had to return to my country tomorrow, I would feel horrified and very depressed, while you would be filled with joy.

No country is perfect, we all know this, but England seems to have been slipping further down a path into a dark abyss of no return in recent years. I try not to be openly political but sometimes its impossible not to be when talking about your home country. If you are political you run the risk of being labeled and branded as this or that. You can be labeled as an ‘ist’ when talking about immigration when you are not an ‘ist’. The ‘ists’ cover racist, sexist (racism and sexism). The UK has become so politically correct (PC) that the country seems to be suffocating itself. The ‘Human Rights Act’, seems to be dictating almost everything now, making the country seem like the mad hatters tea party from ‘Alison Wonderland’ in its bizarre legal rulings.  Criminals, in our jails, may get the right to vote while in prison, while Pedophiles (child abusers) may get the right to have their names removed form the ‘sex offenders register’ as it ‘goes against their human rights’ as suggested in a British newspaper recently. As an expat abroad, its important to keep update to date with events in your home country. I believe about 80% of what I read in the papers, depressing as some of it can be, I am addicted to the news. My heart bleeds for England while I watch it sinking.

Immigration, (see link) has gone unchecked (see link) for over a decade and the country is still seen as the land of milk and honey. Benefits have been given out to all who arrive, from cheap or free housing, to unemployment benefits. I do believe in a fair welfare state, (since we pay taxes for such needs), however I dont like like how it is now, I believe there are plans to make the system tougher. The United Kingdoms is a lot better than Russia’s, welfare system but I don’t believe in unchecked immigration or in a welfare system that is so open to abuse, as it is in the UK. Lets just say, I am not ‘left wing’ but nor am I right wing. I was once very left wing when I was a student, when I believed the earth was flat and that fairness could be achieved for all, then I grew up. I threw away my Guardian Newspaper along with my old teddy bear and drank form the glass of reality.  We read about children murdering children, we read about a hooded and a young binge drinking culture, we read about politicians stealing from the tax payer in their expense claims. Perhaps the UK is not so unlike Russia in that respect with its corruption and irregularities within the state system. Some things are universal.

I would not want to return to my country to live in London as the city is over crowded and bursting with people. Some people say they love the ‘multicultural mix’. They say they love the ‘diversity’. In my opinion, diversity is fine when integrated and getting along, however in England, as established research has now shown, first and second generation Muslims and other immigrants, are not integrating and are as are as Trevor Philips suggested “sleepwalking towards segregation”. Often these people foster hate and resentment to the very country that welcomed them or their parents. Its really rather ironic and very sad.

London is OK to visit but not to live. If I had to return to England I would only do so if I could live in the countryside and if I had a lot of money. London is very expensive, not yet as expensive as Moscow but almost. London has become a horrible place to live but a great place to live if you have millions in your bank account like an ‘A list’ celebrity or a lottery winner. Like everywhere nowadays, the UK has become a twenty four seven ‘fuck you’ society, where the individual is king to the detriment of the collective society. The British have a special personality more so in big cities. The British are rather tolerant, reserved, cold and suspicious of others. They carry this attitude abroad as expats. I have tended to avoid my fellow Brits like the plague while living abroad for this very reason, although if you want to meet others, avoidance of these types is not always possible. There are exceptions to these ‘types’ like everything, and I have met some lovely fellow Brits, but I have noticed this trait in many Brits abroad. I can’t explain it or understand it. Its one of those things that’s annoying but you just accept it and get on with it, like a bad cold.

The British are not at all patriotic, I think their national pride has slowly been eroded over the last few decades by crazy political decisions and due to immigration and multiculturalism, the death of traditional religion, the almost total decline in home manufacturing and cultural changes that have ripped out the fabric of British society. The rise of the TV celebrity, reality shows, the popular gutter press, a declining health and education system and EU laws have all added to salt to this gaping raw wound. I can see no way out of this abyss, short of a miracle, although I am trying to find a solution in my own small way by writing about it here.

I love my country based on how I think of it in my imagination and how it used to be. I have no illusions as to how it is now and I certainly don’t tell any non native people who ask me about England what they want to hear, I tell them the truth as I see it. I tell other nationalities, the UK has a wonderful history some great cities, villages and towns and a great traditional cuisine. I tell them to visit the UK with a friend or family, I promote it with a small pinch of reserved pride. The countryside can be beautiful and the further away you get from London, the more friendly the people are and the better life is. I am not looking for the perfect place to live, as I know such a place my not exist, but I know my home country is not the place I want to be. I would like to visit Tokyo but I would not want to live there, if you get my meaning?

I love to return to England for short visits but am always glad to leave, I am not necessarily pleased to get back to my current country, Russia but just pleased to get out and away. Sorry if my opinion is a depressing one but its my opinion and you are very welcome to disagree or agree. The choice is yours and I respect it.

Here are some nice quotes on travel.

Note: We should not fail to recognize the minority of people who are genuine immigrants fleeing and escaping repression and death in their own countries.Where genuine, they should be offered sanctuary and citizenship in any country, not just the UK.