on immigration

[Sage]

My personal experience was pretty 'loose-footed'.

Of course, I didn't manage to sample the entire population, so you can take my experience as an outlier.

but, remember, you're an American. Women in any country tend to think foreigners are hot. It's the accents.

 

[Leto]

If you can move to Sweden get years worth of higher education, monthly student support (6-700€ pr month(in Denmark)) then that sure is a bargain.

How does the Swedish government trust you to not move back to USA?

 

[RussSchultz]

It's the accents.

Heh. I was always told by the Swedes that the American accent sounds like people with peanut butter in their mouth.

 

[Sage]

If you can move to Sweden get years worth of higher education, monthly student support (6-700€ pr month(in Denmark)) then that sure is a bargain.

How does the Swedish government trust you to not move back to USA?

i dont think you get monthly student support. I think they are assuming you're going to be working.... and paying taxes. probably not enough in taxes to pay for your education, but some.

 

[Guden Oden]

I was always told by the Swedes that the American accent sounds like people with peanut butter in their mouth.

WHAT?! I've never heard anyone describe it like that... Considering we hardly eat pb at all here I'm surprised even one person would come up with that analogy, much less several. Besides, I don't think it's even one bit accurate.

As there are a bunch of very distinctly different accents (that me as a foreigner can differentiate between and place on a map; I'm sure you natives are better in this regard), I don't think it's possible to make such a sweeping statement anyway. I mean, a southern twang is very different from nasal New York for example...

 

[The549]

...you would be shocked how many church-going daddy's girls are total whores. sometimes literally. We're talking 13 year old girls that come from very upscale and religious homes with strong moral values. Total whores. And when I say that I mean like 10+ guys. At 13.

How vivid.

Sage, what the hell are you doing? I understand that

...I've been lied to both about America itself, and America's role in the world, for my entire life through the television, school, and the work-sleep-die culture that persists there, and I'm angry about it.

and that

our president is an idiot and ruining our country

but I'm not going to give up. Ever. The laws and documents of our country are all living, and as much as every vote counts, I'm firmly of a belief that every effort to change our counry for the better is just as important.

Sweden makes a lot more sense than america politically and socially in almost any way I can think of, but I'm staying here. Why don't you move to Ohio instead? That would do more good for a country that needs it.

 

[Sage]

because I'm terrified for my safety here. I don't feel safe from the government and religious fundies anymore. Besides, I never have been all that big on this country. It's not like i say with pride "I'm an American!" I usually tell people on the internet that are from other countries that I'm Canadian.

 

[InkSpot]

Leto:

Tax levels suck here, I'm giving the country about 45% of my money. But the payment is good, so it doesn't hurt that much

Sweden is great, but don't even ask about alcohol prices... It is VERY expensive to get drunk there!

Another Alternative: Denmark

Pros: Cheap alcohol
Cons: instead of 45% you pay 50-62% in taxes. (Doesn't matter really at all - lots money left for fun)

i dont think you get monthly student support. I think they are assuming you're going to be working.... and paying taxes. probably not enough in taxes to pay for your education, but some.

The system is universal, even if you work and earn enough to support your living while studying you are still entitled to student support. Only when you earn above a certain amout of money per yer you ahve to pay back to the state.

 

[Sage]

hmmm okay i dont know anything about this student support thing. someone gives you money to be a student? here it goes the other way round- you pay a LOT to be a student. usually have to get a loan AND a job.


and as far as alcohol goes- i dont really care about the price of alcohol. I'm quite surprised to see people talking about it as though it were an issue. But I don't drink so I guess I just dont think about that.

 

[Leto]

You get money so you don't have to work while studying (a lot of ppl still do though) and you can live near the university.

 

[Sage]

so... someone just GIVES you money? This whole concept is so entirely strange to someone like me who has lived their whole life in a society where everything you do someone is trying to find a way to charge you for it.

 

[Guden Oden]

hmmm okay i dont know anything about this student support thing. someone gives you money to be a student? here it goes the other way round- you pay a LOT to be a student.

Ummmm, well, yes. Sort of. We're communists you see, and communism = bad. Just remember that and you'll do fine in life, shop til you drop is life.

No, seriously... I dunno bout Denmark, but here there's an economic student benefit which is free (and comparatively small, pretty much impossible to survive on unless you live with your parents, girl/boyfriend etc), and a student loan which has to be paid back. There's some gotchas too if one is working in parallel and if you don't make it in your studies too I believe, but it's not overly complicated. I don't think foreigners can enjoy these advantages though...

and as far as alcohol goes- i dont really care about the price of alcohol. I'm quite surprised to see people talking about it as though it were an issue.

I'd say it's more a case of people having an issue if the price of alcohol is an issue...

 

[Mariner]

and as far as alcohol goes- i dont really care about the price of alcohol. I'm quite surprised to see people talking about it as though it were an issue. But I don't drink so I guess I just dont think about that.

You have to remember that Northern European countries tend to have somewhat of a drinking culture. Very much a social thing really although we do tend to take it too far often!

I visited Gothenburg in the summer and quite liked the place, even though the weather was cruddy at the time. Spent an absolute fortune over the course of the weekend, unfortunately, but then we were on a Stag Weekend!

The ladies were, indeed, pretty spectacular but I must say that I was beginning to suffer from Blonde fatigue by the time I left.

 

[Sage]

hmmm I'm leaning a bit towards Oz and NZ at the moment. Don't think I could get into school in Sweden which is too bad but acceptable.

 

[oi]

You get ~700€ per month of which 1/3 is 'free' and the other 2/3 is a loan that you're expected to start paying back with 5% of your salary 6 months after you graduate. This is then obviously not meant to pay for school (which often is assumed by you crazy ol' yankees), but to pay for food, apartment, beer and so on.

Edit: How much money you can apply for depends on how much you plan to study though (700€ for full time studies), and you can also chose to skip the loans and only take the 'free' part.

Edit2: And you can only take loans for 6 years. This was different before though, and you could basically study your entire life. My mom for instance managed to get herself quite the debt (which she most likely won't ever pay off)

 

[_xxx_]

The ladies were, indeed, pretty spectacular but I must say that I was beginning to suffer from Blonde fatigue by the time I left.

Blonde fatigue? NO WAY! How should that be possible?

Dear Swedes, if you ever get bored with your blondes, just send them all over here to daddy...

 

[Leto]

In Denmark it's 6-700€ pr month for free, then you can apply for a loan on top if you need more, which is paid back in a similar way.

How about Switzerland? It's a beautiful and rich country, I especially like the Geneva area. If I had to move I'd definitly consider Switzerland.

 

[Smurfie]

You might want to consider Singapore. I moved here about 3 years ago.

Pros
- Tax is the lowest I have ever seen. My last tax assessment put my taxes at approximately 6-7%. Imagine how my eyes boggled out when I paid my first taxes.
- Sales tax is 5%.
- Lowest crime I have ever seen. You can walk safely in the streets at 3am.
- English speaking
- Best public transport network I have ever seen
- People here aren't anti-American
- Multi-racial and multi-religious
- Stable government, strong rule of law
- Definite separation of state and religion, something our beloved land is losing grasp of

Cons
- Privacy is questionable, your ID and information is shared among the government agencies
- Densely populated
- Expensive cars, I paid US$75k for a simple Honda Civic.
- Expensive housing
- Strict censorship, although I see it loosening up
- Hot weather, and very humid

Standard of living here is generally very high. It's almost impossible to find poverty here in this island, and almost everyone here is tech savvy. Singapore also has 1 entire mall dedicated to electronics and computer peripherals, which is a huge plus for me. There's quite a sizeable american population here too, so if you do miss home, there's always the community here, an american supermarket and the american club.

 

[Sage]

hmm that's awesome about singapore. there are so many wonderful places to go... and I have (get) to choose! Kinda sucks that cars are that expensive- I've been kinda planning on getting a Porsche.... which would be a lot harder to do there it seems.


A friend told me that the women to men ration in Oz was like 3:1. Is he full of it? 'cause if not... baby there aint NOWHERE else for me but Oz!

 

[nutball]

A friend told me that the women to men ration in Oz was like 3:1. Is he full of it? 'cause if not... baby there aint NOWHERE else for me but Oz!

Have you seen Australian women? Scary people