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Ask HN: What is your story of immigrating to another country?

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Re: Ask HN: What is your story of immigrating to another country?

#91
post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why? It could be it just doesn't suit your personality. If you a 'rise and grind' type of person, I can see it being hell.

Well I could enumerate all the material things that are worse in Europe and better in the US (I have lived in the US enough time to have an informed opinion), but that would get old, and in the end it would miss the point, as I could just as well enumerate countless things which are better in Europe compared to US. The real issue (which causes all the above differences anyway) is cultural. What matters is not compari…

There's a lot of anecdotal and subjective content here, but I have no idea why you're being downvoted. It's a legitimate opinion.

It's interesting to see a counterpoint.

Re: Ask HN: What is your story of immigrating to another country?

#92

Moved to Germany from the UK. In practical terms, Germany is so far ahead it's not comparable. The quality of life here is better making minimum wage here than it is if you're on a decent wage in the UK. A lot of the difference is housing - in the UK, you're usually paying a lot of money to live in a shithole. Also, as other commentators have noted, everything is falling apart in the UK, so even if you have money, yo…

In your third paragraph you say Germans don't like foreigners, but then in your fifth paragraph you say they're very welcoming to foreigners.

What's the context here?

Re: Ask HN: What is your story of immigrating to another country?

#93
post #81
post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So do you confirm the availability of "horror stories", as mentioned? Kindly share why you consider Austria a nightmare. I got mixed signals from the place. While some people are extremely friendly, I also perceived quite a defensive atmosphere. Something solid on the surface but struggling below it, like a defence of daily routine - not really lively or happy. But it could also depend on the region, I guess.

There are many horror stories indeed. Xenofobia is a big thing here, but unlike the US where racism is direct and in your face, here it is subtle. People are polite, but that won't help you get that raise that native Austrians colleagues would get. While all these things are important, my main issue is far deeper, see my reply to alangibson.

I live in village so small the streets don't have names, but today I talked to an Ethiopian guy living around here and said Servus to a couple of kids adopted from Tanzania walking down the street. The chances of them getting shot by a police officer rounds off to 0%. Austria has racism, but the US has Racism.

Re: Ask HN: What is your story of immigrating to another country?

#94

Moved to Germany from the UK. In practical terms, Germany is so far ahead it's not comparable. The quality of life here is better making minimum wage here than it is if you're on a decent wage in the UK. A lot of the difference is housing - in the UK, you're usually paying a lot of money to live in a shithole. Also, as other commentators have noted, everything is falling apart in the UK, so even if you have money, yo…

In your third paragraph you say Germans don't like foreigners, but then in your fifth paragraph you say they're very welcoming to foreigners. What's the context here?

Depends on the Germans? It's just more polarized here than where I've lived in the UK. The closest reference point I can think of is the UK in the 80s. There's an active far-right (the AfD got 27% of the vote in Saschen recently) but there's also a lot of people who will bend over backwards to make foreigners feel welcome.

Re: Ask HN: What is your story of immigrating to another country?

#95
post #50
post #28

Swiss living in Colombia for a bit over 5 years. There is not that much of a path or sophisticated plan to it. I was tired of Switzerland/Europe and wanted to try different things for at least a while. I have travelled Latin America extensively before and had a short list of potential countries/cities. After that it was basically a couple of months for finding a job I'm exited about and winding down obligations and c…

>some things are quite exhausting. Mind giving some examples?

So compared to Switzerland many day to day things you want get done are just less convenient, less straight forward, less predictable. Getting from A to B, buying exactly what you want vs. what is available, making contracts, lack of consumer/renter protection, etc. But those are mostly balanced out by other day to day things that are nicer here, like the friendliness of the people.

The big things that are mentally taxing for me are the gross income gap, inequality, classism and their effects on society. A somewhat benign example. Couple of years ago I went to a small alternative rock club in Switzerland while staying there for vacation. Through the night I met a plumber, an investment banker, an electrician and a physics phd student. They were all there, just because they shared the same interest in music. You never see this here. Classes don’t mix. And this goes trough everything. From pre-school to careers to leisure. Social mobility is very tough.

On the other hand, this is big part of the reason I moved, to have more meaningful work and at least try to have a positive impact on the aforementioned problems.

Re: Ask HN: What is your story of immigrating to another country?

#96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't disagree with the vibes you picked up on. I get that same feeling in most cold weather counties though. Maybe Nietzsche was right about that. I wouldn't say people are overtly happy at all. Something like 'jolly on occasion' is a better fit. They kind of store it up for parties and festivals. This isn't a negative for me though. It's rather have honesty that the sickly sweet fake nice you get in the US. At le…

>It's rather have honesty that the sickly sweet fake nice you get in the US. Or maybe people are genuinely nice in the US and there's just an subconscious anxiety and depression in Austria? >At least where I live, people like to complain a lot. Idle grousing is sort of a pass time. Honestly I'm not sure why. Perhaps a subconscious anxiety and depression? Seems like Austria is a failing society to be honest.

Are you OK bro/ma'am?

Re: Ask HN: What is your story of immigrating to another country?

#97
post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well I could enumerate all the material things that are worse in Europe and better in the US (I have lived in the US enough time to have an informed opinion), but that would get old, and in the end it would miss the point, as I could just as well enumerate countless things which are better in Europe compared to US. The real issue (which causes all the above differences anyway) is cultural. What matters is not compari…

There's a lot of anecdotal and subjective content here, but I have no idea why you're being downvoted. It's a legitimate opinion. It's interesting to see a counterpoint.

Agreed. Downvotes on this comment are BS. It's a legit point of view that I've heard many times from locals.

Re: Ask HN: What is your story of immigrating to another country?

#98
post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are many horror stories indeed. Xenofobia is a big thing here, but unlike the US where racism is direct and in your face, here it is subtle. People are polite, but that won't help you get that raise that native Austrians colleagues would get. While all these things are important, my main issue is far deeper, see my reply to alangibson.

I live in village so small the streets don't have names, but today I talked to an Ethiopian guy living around here and said Servus to a couple of kids adopted from Tanzania walking down the street. The chances of them getting shot by a police officer rounds off to 0%. Austria has racism, but the US has Racism.

Very few people are racist, although you will find that if immigrants come from eastern europe instead of exotic countries like Ethiopia and Tanzania, the percentage of racist people towards them increases dramatically. Even so, few are overtly racist, yet somehow the society behaves in a way that precludes true integration.

My friends from Romania are paid significantly less than their native Austrian collegues. Are their bosses racist? I don't know, I don't necessarily think so, yet the society somehow converged to this state.

Re: Ask HN: What is your story of immigrating to another country?

#99
post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So do you confirm the availability of "horror stories", as mentioned? Kindly share why you consider Austria a nightmare. I got mixed signals from the place. While some people are extremely friendly, I also perceived quite a defensive atmosphere. Something solid on the surface but struggling below it, like a defence of daily routine - not really lively or happy. But it could also depend on the region, I guess.

I don't disagree with the vibes you picked up on. I get that same feeling in most cold weather counties though. Maybe Nietzsche was right about that. I wouldn't say people are overtly happy at all. Something like 'jolly on occasion' is a better fit. They kind of store it up for parties and festivals. This isn't a negative for me though. It's rather have honesty that the sickly sweet fake nice you get in the US. At le…

Although I complained about europeans in my other comment, I could as well complain about americans, and the fake american smile would be at the top of my list.

Re: Ask HN: What is your story of immigrating to another country?

#100
post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why? It could be it just doesn't suit your personality. If you a 'rise and grind' type of person, I can see it being hell.

Well I could enumerate all the material things that are worse in Europe and better in the US (I have lived in the US enough time to have an informed opinion), but that would get old, and in the end it would miss the point, as I could just as well enumerate countless things which are better in Europe compared to US. The real issue (which causes all the above differences anyway) is cultural. What matters is not compari…

> On average, americans eat far worse cheese then europeans, but if cheese is your thing you will easily (!!) find better cheese in the US compared to the best cheese I can find here in Europe.

I take offense to that. You can find great cheese in the US. In fact, i found a small producer in WV that produced exceptionnally good goat cheese, and could compete with the best in Europe, but you can't find this on the market, you have to be part of (or invited to) his community to sample it.

I also happen to really like cheese and to have sampled the best producers in Europe. And i have a sister who worked in different starred kitchen, and got to try their products (sometime paid for it, sometime it was just not eaten soon enough for the chef) (and especially when the pandemic hit and they had to empty their fridges, great few days for me). They have cheese from all over Europe, NZ and Japan. None from the US.

US good cheese is really expensive, and even then, only compete against some categories of cheese (Brie, Goat cheese -goat here for chèvre, not brebis- and some pasteurized hard cheese). They are definitely lacking in diversity, and most cheese plate had four kind of cheese on it, sometime as high as six.

Idem for wine, a 60$ quality-bottle in California would be as good as a 15€ Sicillian or Cote-du-Rhone (We blind tested with same cepages). I don't drink anymore, but my stay in the US was interesting on this point. In US wine, enough diversity exist, so i think they will be competing soon on the global market, but right now?

Also, general aviation: Lycée Alfred Kastler (school i went to) proposed a 200€ course to get a pilot license (i'm dumbing down the terms, don't really remember th license name: we would be able to fly small planes). 40 students took this course in 2007 (year i was in), 26 finished it (i bailed, so did not get the license, worst mistake of my life tbh). So i guess you might not have researched enough, it was in one of the poor area of France, and i know another Highschool offered this license near Bordeaux. If i had to guess at least two dozen highschool offer the same in France, as we have a lot of small aerodroms everywhere, and there is no beach where i never saw personnal airplanes flying around in the summer.

Also parachutism is a thing too.

> where people don't have a passion for much, no hobbies, and no aspirations.

I'm only hiking/canyoning/rafting every summer, and kitesurfing/windsufing in fall/spring, ever year since 2015 i take lessons in a new sport (paragliding last summer) to see if it's interesting and i could add it to my list of "things i do when i'm not working". 35h work week and 7 weeks of paid leave leave me with a lot of time on my hand.

I spend a month in WV, hiking, kayaking/rafting and playing music, i can tell you one thing: West virginia might be one of the most beautifull, interesting place on earth, but no working american who did not work there was present. None. I saw more people biking in the Madrenas desert for a day than i saw hiking/kayaking in Pocahontas county and surrounding forests for the best part of a month.

Other point are kinda political and better left to each and everyone own feelings, but i guess you're quite young and did not see much of europe.

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