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Living overseas

Whether you're considering emigrating or an expat abroad, you'll find likeminds on this forum.

Original poster

Checklist - who lived abroad pre-kids?

95 replies

MissChief · 16/05/2006 10:12

..if so where was it and what were you doing?
Seeing this new subject is making me feel all nostalgic for the excitement & smells of pastures new - a sense of feeling really alive...[yeah, very corny, I know, but worked for me every time! Well, for a while anyway...]

Personally, several yrs on, I'm still mighty surprised that I ever came back to the UK! I now seem to be stuck here I suppose what with kids and dh's job..Have occasional fantasy of taking off to Australia/S America/Africa...

Anyway, my years abroad took in Central Africa,
Hong Kong, Spain and Middle East mainly teaching but some of it with the family. How about others?

OP posts:
foxinsocks · 16/05/2006 11:10

rooibos is red bush tea - it's lovely and is natural

I've tried making a melktert but it just didn't taste as nice as some of the ones I've had. I should probably try again really. Will dig out the recipe.

Original poster
MissChief · 16/05/2006 11:10

tea but dodgy spelling..

OP posts:
SSSandy · 16/05/2006 11:16

Not big on tea myself but boerewors - hmm yum yum

Ks yes, for part of the time, but initially I went to work for a friend of my sisters' who had a company there. Did you have kids when you were in Venezuela?

Frenchgirl · 16/05/2006 11:17

me me me!!!! lived in France before Grin

RTKangaMummy · 16/05/2006 11:28

Thanks Jimjams will forward on that info Smile

cardy · 16/05/2006 12:09

KS and SSS - did you/do you work for the British Council? in the UK or overseas? My sister does.

foundintranslation · 16/05/2006 12:24

My years in Germany began pre-kids.

Original poster
MissChief · 16/05/2006 12:27

cardy, is yr sister a teacher with them? I taught with them for a while - mixed bag to say the least..

OP posts:
cardy · 16/05/2006 12:29

No not a teacher she works in London at the HQ has done for a long time now....

geogteach · 16/05/2006 12:35

Lived in Oz for a year pre kids while DH was a flying DR.

Original poster
MissChief · 16/05/2006 12:39

wow, flying doc! That;s a good one!
Cardy, she must have been better paid than the teachers then! Many places they pay relative peanuts...

OP posts:
cardy · 16/05/2006 12:47

I know the pay isn't great for TEFL teachers is it. She doesn't get paid a great deal, civil service salaries. Although I think she enjoys the work and the ethos of their work etc..

whiffy · 16/05/2006 12:48

boerwors, biltong ???? eugh. Lived in Joburg for three years but spent most of time camped in Woolworths hunting down food from the UK. Though fell in love with pepperdew and roobois

By the way, I heard a story that when M&S set up in SA, they deliberately called the chain Woolworths in an attempt to ensure that flak about exploitation & apartheid went to the real Woolworths and not to them... no idea if true or not.

Also had stints in Japan, Hong Kong, New York, Stockholm working in banking. Had many run-ins with the ex-pat wives who thought I was on the wrong side of the fence to be working in these places when I should have been with them on the tennis circuit. Believe me, would have given my right arm to have done so, though did have some fab experiences anyway and learnt to fly planes and race formula fords, and stuff, so can't complain.

My oh my how life expands, and shrinks, when you have kids.

dinosaure · 16/05/2006 12:50

I spent a year back-packing in India, Nepal, South-East Asia, Australia and New Zealand. That, and when I was on maternity leave with DS1, are easily the happiest bits of my life. I think I'm just not cut out for working!

KateF · 16/05/2006 12:55

Lived in Berlin, Cyprus and W.Germany with parents, short stints working in Zambia and Zimbabwe pre-dh and kids. Was all set to move to Zim permanently but got married instead.

foxinsocks · 16/05/2006 13:10

whiffy, Woolworths has been around in SA since the '30s

zazas · 16/05/2006 13:31

This thread made me think.... pre kids lived 5 years in USA, then in Austria, Japan (teaching English), Nepal, Switzerland now in UK but as I am from New Zealand am I still living abroad????? Have very itchy feet though....

sassy · 16/05/2006 13:46

Lived in Mass, USA for a year, studying.

Liked it, but was dreadfully homesick. Surprised myself totally, I didn't expect to be.

eidsvold · 16/05/2006 13:54

living and teaching in the UK where I met dh, got married and had dd1 and was 1/2 pregnant with dd2 when I moved back and dd1 and dh emigrated to Aus.

4months living in Florida - just living and deciding whether I wanted to move and teach there.

ssd · 16/05/2006 13:55

I sent a year and a half living in Montreal as a nanny.

Albert · 16/05/2006 18:36

I'd spent 2 years in Australia, 2 years in Brazil and had been in Denmark when DS was born. Continued to live in Denmark for another 3 years then 3 years in Italy and now clocking up time in Brazil again. I have no idea where 'home' is now and that makes me a bit sad!

Pruni · 16/05/2006 19:05

Germany (forces kid)
Short time in SW France
Poland

LilacBump · 16/05/2006 19:07

i lived in belgium until i met DP. day i moved to the UK i got pregnant with DD!

skerriesmum · 16/05/2006 19:11

Lived in France for a year during college, then later on two years in Japan, then eight years in Dublin (where ds was born), and just came home to Canada!

hana · 16/05/2006 19:16

I met my hubby on the JET programme 13 years ago, beware your DN RTKM!! Was in Japan for 2 years
I am still living abroad - am from Canada and would love to move home again. Have been in UK for 10 years.

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