Live data from Hacker News

Films that made people emigrate

theguardian.com

11–20 of 72 posts

Re: Films that made people emigrate

#11

Those who can should try living in different parts of the world. It really broadens your appreciation for life and other cultures. Of course, how you feel during and after the period depends greatly on where you are and whom you meet along the way. I'm always amazed at how many people from my home country (US) I talk to who say, "oh I can't afford to go there". For less than $1500, usually, you can go to the opposite…

Frankly world travel has made me happier to live where I am. I think the Americans also deserve some slack for lack of international travel. I really think its out of touch. The rest of the world is far away and its not cheap to travel. $1500 isnt going to pay for many nights in a hotel either. Its a lot to ask for your average person, and very difficult if you have a family. Of course this is less true for your typi…

Same, that is the one thing traveling did for me. After seeing and living in different countries i just have a new found appreciation and calmness to where from now. It’s like something i can’t describe but i just feel so comfortable and don't take things for granted anymore. You spend enough time in other countries and you realize how frustrating just simple daily things can be. There is really nowhere in the world like America.

Re: Films that made people emigrate

#12

Those who can should try living in different parts of the world. It really broadens your appreciation for life and other cultures. Of course, how you feel during and after the period depends greatly on where you are and whom you meet along the way. I'm always amazed at how many people from my home country (US) I talk to who say, "oh I can't afford to go there". For less than $1500, usually, you can go to the opposite…

> Naturally there is an adjustment period ... but ... [a new region] can ... become your favorite place to be

On one hand, when I immigrated, it took ~2 years to learn the language and ~5 years to feel at home in the culture.

On the other hand, by "voting with my feet" I gained the benefit of not having to die waiting for the glacial pace of political progress in the Old Country.

On the gripping hand, now that I'm married with a house and pets I'm very glad I had the opportunity to "see the world" (including a few ~24 hour travel legs) when I was younger and far less anchored.

Edit: wow, voting with one's feet has an interesting etymology; see senatores pedarii in https://acoup.blog/2023/09/22/collections-how-to-roman-repub...

Re: Films that made people emigrate

#13

Those who can should try living in different parts of the world. It really broadens your appreciation for life and other cultures. Of course, how you feel during and after the period depends greatly on where you are and whom you meet along the way. I'm always amazed at how many people from my home country (US) I talk to who say, "oh I can't afford to go there". For less than $1500, usually, you can go to the opposite…

Frankly world travel has made me happier to live where I am. I think the Americans also deserve some slack for lack of international travel. I really think its out of touch. The rest of the world is far away and its not cheap to travel. $1500 isnt going to pay for many nights in a hotel either. Its a lot to ask for your average person, and very difficult if you have a family. Of course this is less true for your typi…

Not flying is one thing, but so many US-Americans are scared of going into an actually different culture - somewhere where they speak a different language and watch different TV. A lot of people - not everyone, but a lot - could easily reach somewhere like that on that 8 hour road trip, but they won't, and they'll all try and talk about how it's "oh there's so much variety in the US I don't need to" which is just such a transparent lie.

Re: Films that made people emigrate

#14

The thing I’m always missing from these pieces is how . How do the rest of us emigrate, without being anglophone and teaching English, or a “digital content creator”? Or for example, “Scott” moving to Japan with his Chinese wife. How do the visas even wok out? Moving to the (rich part of) EU from the non-Western world is certainly not easy. I don’t know if I should read these pieces as “I can transfer freely with ful…

As with most travel and retirement articles in a US/UK newspaper, the target audience for this piece is white people with a US/UK or other rich-country passport.

Which is fine. Just recognize these articles for what they are - part of the entertaining filler that makes up most of the paper - and not some hard-hitting analytical piece on emerging global migration patterns!

Re: Films that made people emigrate

#16

The thing I’m always missing from these pieces is how . How do the rest of us emigrate, without being anglophone and teaching English, or a “digital content creator”? Or for example, “Scott” moving to Japan with his Chinese wife. How do the visas even wok out? Moving to the (rich part of) EU from the non-Western world is certainly not easy. I don’t know if I should read these pieces as “I can transfer freely with ful…

It's a UK newspaper, you're not the target audience.

Re: Films that made people emigrate

#17
post #6

Those who can should try living in different parts of the world. It really broadens your appreciation for life and other cultures. Of course, how you feel during and after the period depends greatly on where you are and whom you meet along the way. I'm always amazed at how many people from my home country (US) I talk to who say, "oh I can't afford to go there". For less than $1500, usually, you can go to the opposite…

And where does Visa factor in all of this? I have lived and worked in 5 different countries in my adult life and I can attest that some countries make it much easier than others to move in (I'm looking at you USA). Visa, immigration status, taxes and such are quite a big factor for people to consider, particularly when they are more established in their lifes.

In The World of Yesterday Stefan Zweig laments the loss (among other things) of a world (at the dawn of the last century) in which passports* and visa requirements were not yet a major thing.

I guess I'm lucky that my birth country's passport offered visa-free travel to 150+ countries: https://www.henleyglobal.com/passport-index/ranking

* Zweig also mentions how in the late 1930's people whose conversation was normally on a much more intellectual plane —books, opera, art, etc.— were reduced to concrete discussions centred around rumours of which countries it was still relatively easy to get visas for.

Re: Films that made people emigrate

#18
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Frankly world travel has made me happier to live where I am. I think the Americans also deserve some slack for lack of international travel. I really think its out of touch. The rest of the world is far away and its not cheap to travel. $1500 isnt going to pay for many nights in a hotel either. Its a lot to ask for your average person, and very difficult if you have a family. Of course this is less true for your typi…

Not flying is one thing, but so many US-Americans are scared of going into an actually different culture - somewhere where they speak a different language and watch different TV. A lot of people - not everyone, but a lot - could easily reach somewhere like that on that 8 hour road trip, but they won't, and they'll all try and talk about how it's "oh there's so much variety in the US I don't need to" which is just suc…

> somewhere where they speak a different language and watch different TV

It is possible to get a little taste of this, gratis, merely by surfing YouTube in languages (and especially scripts) different from one's own.

Re: Films that made people emigrate

#19
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And where does Visa factor in all of this? I have lived and worked in 5 different countries in my adult life and I can attest that some countries make it much easier than others to move in (I'm looking at you USA). Visa, immigration status, taxes and such are quite a big factor for people to consider, particularly when they are more established in their lifes.

In The World of Yesterday Stefan Zweig laments the loss (among other things) of a world (at the dawn of the last century) in which passports* and visa requirements were not yet a major thing. I guess I'm lucky that my birth country's passport offered visa-free travel to 150+ countries: https://www.henleyglobal.com/passport-index/ranking * Zweig also mentions how in the late 1930's people whose conversation was normal…

But visa-free travel is not the same as visa-free emigration. Very, very few countries let people from other countries just buy a house or setup shop (pretty much just the Schengen zone).

Re: Films that made people emigrate

#20

The thing I’m always missing from these pieces is how . How do the rest of us emigrate, without being anglophone and teaching English, or a “digital content creator”? Or for example, “Scott” moving to Japan with his Chinese wife. How do the visas even wok out? Moving to the (rich part of) EU from the non-Western world is certainly not easy. I don’t know if I should read these pieces as “I can transfer freely with ful…

When I was in (USA) college there were a few opportunities to co-op overseas. I regret not taking the chance now but the pay was lower (in London and not the concentration I wanted) and I was barely scraping by back then. This was in late 1980s so dunno what it’s like now. I was in a pretty privileged position to have the option and I still could not take it.
Post reply on HN