Anyone NOT in NZ, Oz or Europe???

[Salbertina]

Just saying... Feels a little lonely, thats all!

Fecking hell my grammar is appalling

I phone and putting the children to sleep while replying has really let me down.

I still don't see why I was attacked? ! I work in NY, I pay $40 an hour for child care. When was the last tine any of YOU worked in Manhattan?

Don't worry, Barbie, sounds tough, no wonder you're shellshocked.

Feel quite emotional myself, especially if supportive thread suddenly becomes less so . All in v different places.. And yes, far from home.

Just been battling bureaucracy & potential huge worry/cost of dc medical bill, violent break-ins all over the place. Feel we do a LOT to help - charity work and supporting workers families in a country i can't fathom, which wont let me work and which is getting increasingly unaffordable, even unbearable. We came here due to dhs work also and because we naively had hope in the rainbow nation. Its isolating, its scary, it hardens you to outsiders. But yes the one thing we can afford is some help, ironic really after years of struggling and struggling in London with practically no help with SN dc as 2 working parents, now we have more than we "need" because we feel we should, to bloody help someone have a living!

Mixxie- no one attacked you! You made a sweeping attack with your "line of shite" comment to, let me think, most of us in Africa/asia/ME who dare to have helpers!!! An apology might be nice.. As for the cost of living on Manhattan, i imagine its worth your while on terms of your salary. Unaffordable to us on our present/former salary.

To move the thread on and onwards towards a happier note...

Imagine my dh confusion when returning to his hotel in London yesterday to be confronted by the concierge carrying two massive parcels.

I might of failed to mention I had done a m&s order and a gltc company order too

Enjoy your parcels Amazon's the business in our house.

I lived in Africa without help. Maybe I deserve an apology? No?

Is it wrong that im more excited about the duty free makeup and stacks of magazines he is bringing back then having him home

Only kidding but it will be like christmas come saturday!

Mixxy- you seem to be a competitive person and i guess you thrive in Manhattan. Fine, takes all sorts, but not necessary to judge strangers' very different life-choices. I have a friend who worked for the UN in NYC and had an extremely generous salary, accom, baggage, leave allowance. Different perks/downsides with different lifestyles.

Barbie, i'd be the same, enjoy! Hows it going in S Korea, are you picking up any of the language? Looks tough to me. Good on you all, must be quite a challenge.

You know nothing about my life in Mamhattan.

The island is very small and hugely populated by the shipyard workers. Dh like many others are currently working on a massive three year project so the island has had to cope with a mass influx of westerners over the last 6 months.

This has worked in our favor, the only international school on the island has been doubled in size due to the projects generous donation. although its not been finished in time so the parking is a nightmare not to mention the building works

Starbucks has arrived on the island as has McDonald's. more western brands are available, if not on the shelves plenty of company's have set up online stores to ship the product in.

Netaporter even deliver here £13 international delivery cost don't you know

In all it seems ok, the island is breathtakingly beautiful of you can look past the neon signs and high rises.

It's dirty and it smells though, food shopping is expensive and inconsistent.

I miss seeing livestock in the fields and animals on the whole are treated appallingly.

Everybody seems to know each other which I'm struggling with a bit, I guess it's only natural in such a small, concentrated community.

Hope you get to travel round the country, fascinating culture. Have know quite a few Koreans over the years, very proud people, fab food. A unique place to live, am sure!

Because living in Africa was thrown in my face. No wonder these threads die. Enjoy your slave labor!

Mixxy, your post was rude. And so was the above one. I asked about when you were last in Africa as you gave the impression that you weren't aware of what its like in a 3rd world country. The fact that you do, know amazes me even more as to why you make such comments.

Wow, a "helper" sounds depressing. Essential for working parents, but guilt a-plenty. Would make me feel super uncomfortable.

I pay $35 an hour.

So you have a cleaner yourself who you pay hourly. I don't understand then why you are making such a big deal about this.

Just been battling bureaucracy & potential huge worry/cost of dc medical bill, violent break-ins all over the place. Feel we do a LOT to help - charity work and supporting workers families in a country i can't fathom, which wont let me work and which is getting increasingly unaffordable, even unbearable. We came here due to dhs work also and because we naively had hope in the rainbow nation. Its isolating, its scary, it hardens you to outsiders. But yes the one thing we can afford is some help, ironic really after years of struggling and struggling in London with practically no help with SN dc as 2 working parents, now we have more than we "need" because we feel we should, to bloody help someone have a living!

I'm sorry this is how you feel Salbertina. How long have you been here?

Africa was "thrown in your face"? ?.yet a little bit upthread you wear your UN worker status as a badge of honor to pontificate?
you know nothing of other posters life either Mixy.
Hope you enjoy the perks of being in NY close to the starship of failed promises.

small highjack if I may?
Barbie thinking about a 5 day holiday in Korea. can you help recommend an itinerary?
We were scheduled to go to northern China/Tibet border but an earthquake just struck and am backing off!
October mid term.
We loved Japan and am sure Korea is just as delicate. So thinking Seoul with daytrip/walks in neighboring countryside?
any suggestion welcome. Have you been to Jeju? ( I guess you are in Busan?)

We have only just arrived and have only ventured as far as busan our island is considered the holiday destination of choice by the Koreans. Google geoje island.

We have family working on jeju their pictures look amazing, they are having a blast. We are planning a trip there within the coming months.

I'm sorry I can't be of more help.

Barbie1 I have a friend who has been in Seoul for a year now, she works for the FCO and her DH is SAHD to their 22mo - we're hopefully visiting in the spring. I know it's not that close but if you needed a friendly face I'd be happy to pass your details onto them, they're awesome.

I'm jealous - so weird being an expat in a western world. Nowhere is without its challenges of course but I wonder if I'd be so frustrated by not being able to work if I were somewhere more (for want of a better word) exotic. Living in USA is obviously much easier to navigate than Nigeria where I was brought up or Malawi where I lived pre DC. Would love to live in Asia or India for a while.

Although we are visiting our friends in SK in the spring, can't wait!

FWIW I pay for my children to go to preschool run by Americans, daycare run by a Guatemalan woman, our Gardner (paid for by landlord) is Mexican and my cleaner is from El Salvador. They're all fine and dandy ta muchly!

Are most of you ongoing expats now, moving from country to country?

Not ongoing expats, probably no. How about you?

Think am weary of it now!

Lolly- god that cut & paste post did me in! Well, yep, rather a lot going on and high cost of living/crime rather pushing us to go. Too isolated and hard right now. It's a fab country for travelling round, but for me not for longterm family living. I know many love it.

Am agog at the extremely ignorant comments about helpers!

Where I live (big city in a developing country), unemployment is high and food prices are rising. There is no welfare. Parents cannot afford to support their families and children as young as five are living on the streets or in the sewers. That's right - in the sewers.

If by employing someone to help me I can ease effects of not having family or friends nearby while helping to make someone's life slightly better then that makes me happy.

And fwiw, 'helpers' earn twice the minimum wage here.

Hope Im not too late? Checking in from Dubai. Working full time as DS in yr 13! Crikey how time flies. We have a helper 2 hours a day 5 days a week. She is happy I am happy. I pay more than other people do to her because I can and she is very good at what she does. I hate cleaning, its a thankless task IMHO and have had a cleaner for the last 20 plus years, so I see no reason why I shouldnt have one here. Yes I also have a gardener, no I will not water when the temp is rising 50 degrees with 80% humidity but he will and he has a bigger home in Pakistan than I do in the UK. I tip the lovely men who clean and fill my car, why because I dont have to get out and get yucky hair. I didnt employ them but I am very grateful for their service and I'm happy to pay for it, because I'm fortunate I can. Gosh Mixxy has made me a bit stabby, I dont think I have ever felt the need to justify myself before. Sorry didnt mean to keep saying I can afford it but Expats in ME and Asia will know what I mean regarding affordability. My lovely helper has a daughter a year younger than my son and every year I send all the books he has finished with and I buy her school uniform at the same time as DS.

Actually I've thought this over - its a job, most people work, most people are paid for their services.

What's the problem?

I think it's the title that bothers me the most. "Helper". Not exactly descriptive of the major duties this woman performs.

And the colonial attitude.