What shoul SA do when their ENG exports come running back to SA?

[Briony]

The high crime rate, people living behind burglar bars etc., discrimination against white people.

 

[longtom]

The high crime rate, people living behind burglar bars etc., discrimination against white people.

Were I live the crime rate is lower than anywhere in London, I do not live behind burglar bars, my kids get to school on their bikes and I am white and not discriminated against.

Correct me if you are not, but you Sound to me like an expac trying to justify leaving. You don't need to do that. In doing so you give my country a bad name. Refrain from generalising your experiences please.

Regards

Longtom

 

[Magrat Garlick]

FIFA's requirements aren't loose. FIFA requires players to be citizens of the country they're representing.

Really?

 

[Briony]

Were I live the crime rate is lower than anywhere in London, I do not live behind burglar bars, my kids get to school on their bikes and I am white and not discriminated against.

Correct me if you are not, but you Sound to me like an expac trying to justify leaving. You don't need to do that. In doing so you give my country a bad name. Refrain from generalising your experiences please.

Regards

Longtom

I'm an Aussie who's visited there and just going by what I read and what people who've emigrated have told me.

 

[longtom]

I'm an Aussie who's visited there and just going by what I read and what people who've emigrated have told me.

I understand. I am sorry, you did sound like an expad. My bad.

Maybe you should not make up your mind about a country from what expads tell you (for reasons I explained to in my last post) or a newspaper, which has to sell sensations.

Look me up when you come over - I'll show you what it's really like.

 

[GIMH]

I honestly don't believe it's possible. Some forces you cannot fight regardless of how hard you try. It's the same reason cricket is never, barring something quite extraordinary (and totally out of the hands of the cricket fraturnity) going to be anything other than a minority sport in the UK.

You can only control the controllables, and England being a better place to play cricket than SA currently is not something SA have any power at all to change the way I see it.

Cricket isn't a minority sport here

 

[Langeveldt]

Were I live the crime rate is lower than anywhere in London, I do not live behind burglar bars, my kids get to school on their bikes and I am white and not discriminated against.

Correct me if you are not, but you Sound to me like an expac trying to justify leaving. You don't need to do that. In doing so you give my country a bad name. Refrain from generalising your experiences please.

Regards

Longtom

Oudtshoorn is a fantastic place, well it was when I worked there.. I'd take it over London in a heartbeat..

 

[Langeveldt]

I'm an Aussie who's visited there and just going by what I read and what people who've emigrated have told me.

The Perth expat population from SA strike me as being a very bitter and negative bunch.. If you hated it when you visited here, then fair enough, but I've never met anyone who has come here and not liked it, most return as well..

I live behind burglar bars, unfortunatly my parent's neighbours in the UK dont, and when one of them was murdered a few weeks ago, it made me wonder if perhaps her street should start investing in some.. Nowhere is without its problems, and generalizing is the mother of all ****ups..

You won't find me defending the appaling crime rate here, but there are so many positives to living here as opposed to northern Europe...

 

[Goughy]

I beg to differ - strongly!!! Also I haven't lived in England before I lived in Central Europe and visited the UK regularly.

What would one possibly find better in England than in South Africa?

Well - if quality of life is depended on how much money you earn, you might have a point. Apart from that....way of the mark.

Interesting point though not much to back it up. I enjoyed living in South Africa but of the 4 countires I have lived in for a long time it is the one I would be least likely to return to.

Weather, combination of 1st and 3rd world (ie help is cheap but roads still good), sports culture, wildlife and natural beauty and a sense independance are five great reasons to be there.

Apart from the terrifying crime, the lack of equity in the system, the failed attempts to build a cohesive society, 20% HIV infection rates, 40% unemployment, the lack of requisite skills across industries, the divided sectors in society, heavily corrupt political system, worsening judiciary, the lack of service skills, my main issue is something that will sound controversial but it is what a lot of people take away.
The people (across all groups) are the least likable I have ever encountered. On the face of it very friendly, with great manners but scratch the surface and often become very different and people you would not want to cross. Possibly a product of a harsh environment and history but with South Africans I would smile at their politeness but find it hard to trust them. Hard people forged in a hard country but everyone seems to have some form of bitterness and anger that once the surface is scratched, or after a few beers, seems pretty ugly to an outsider. This is not a race issue. I can honestly say I didnt like the attitudes of most black and white people.

South Africa offers the strange situation where it offers both easy and hard life. It is easy due to the cheap help and great infrastructure but life is far more stressful as everyday is an adventure, and everyday is a headache for survival.

Simply, I would not be a good father if I took my family back to SA right now. There are far better alternatives available. The reward is not close to being worth the risk. It is not a society I would want my children to be brought up in to think is normal.

EDIT- I will point out that I never had a problem living living behind burglar bars. It was never a big deal and I know it is a country people can fall in love with (though not for rational reasons), as I almost did.

For someone moving to SA, I think it is a good place to start a new life, get a 2nd chance and offers opportunities as there is a shortage of skills and ideas. Its a little like the Wild West still. However, I cant imagine why anyone who was already stable elsewhere would move there and there are no easy answers to the myriad of serious issues the country has and will continue to face in the future.

EDIT 2- I should probably point out for those that may not know that both my kids were born in South Africa and I was never a direct victim of crime during my time there.

 

[wpdavid]

The people (across all groups) are the least likable I have ever encountered. On the face of it very friendly, with great manners but scratch the surface and often become very different and people you would not want to cross. Possibly a product of a harsh environment and history but with South Africans I would smile at their politeness but find it hard to trust them.

Never thought I'd have an excuse to post this here.

YouTube - youtube - spitting image never met a nice south african.mp4

Apparently written by a Saffer.


And, being honest, I've yet to meet one that I didn't like.

 

[Richard]

Cricket isn't a minority sport here

How not so? The proportion of viewership is tiny compared to football and smaller than any number of other sports who, like cricket, are dwarfed by football.

 

[zaremba]

I'm a tiny bit worried by the direction in which this thread is heading. I'd say there's an evens chance it will end it tears. That said, some pretty interesting posts here.

 

[Furball]

How not so? The proportion of viewership is tiny compared to football and smaller than any number of other sports who, like cricket, are dwarfed by football.

Not sure what the case is in England, but certainly in Scotland, cricket is the 2nd most played sport after football.

 

[longtom]

How not so? The proportion of viewership is tiny compared to football and smaller than any number of other sports who, like cricket, are dwarfed by football.

On what facts are you basing this? Probably by TV quotas? Do you have numbers?
It can't certainly be by attendance in the stadions. I reckon rugby would take it there if you take Super 14, Currie Cup as well as Internationals in account.

Club games in soccer are notoriously poorly attended. Nothing worse than seeing 1200 souls getting lost at Loftus for a ABSA Premiership game....

That said - the attendance for provincial cricket is poor as well!

 

[zaremba]

On what facts are you basing this? Probably by TV quotas? Do you have numbers?
It can't certainly be by attendance in the stadions. I reckon rugby would take it there if you take Super 14, Currie Cup as well as Internationals in account.

Club games in soccer are notoriously poorly attended. Nothing worse than seeing 1200 souls getting lost at Loftus for a ABSA Premiership game....

That said - the attendance for provincial cricket is poor as well!

Richard was talking about cricket in England not South Africa.

 

[longtom]

Richard was talking about cricket in England not South Africa.

Got that wrong - thanks for pointing it out.

 

[GIMH]

How not so? The proportion of viewership is tiny compared to football and smaller than any number of other sports who, like cricket, are dwarfed by football.

The viewership is certainly not smaller than many sports. Being dwarfed by football doesn't make it a minority sport. Minority sports don't make the front pages, cricket regularly does.

 

[Richard]

Not sure what the case is in England, but certainly in Scotland, cricket is the 2nd most played sport after football.

Wow, really? I'm frankly astonished at that.

 

[zaremba]

Caber fondling doesn't technically count as a sport for these purposes.

 

[Richard]

The viewership is certainly not smaller than many sports.

It's possible to look at whichever figures you want depending on whether you want to take an optimistic or pessimistic view of cricket's fortunes - there are figures which can potentially paint either picture, and convincingly too. Me tending to be more cautious I tend to do the latter more often. There's certainly no absolute way to assess cricket's "viewership".

Being dwarfed by football doesn't make it a minority sport. Minority sports don't make the front pages, cricket regularly does.

I guess it depends on what you look at. Cricket will never be a sport that takes constant permeance in the nation's consciousness. It will always be something that only a small percentage of the population have any interest in, even if it will make the front pages of the newspapers on really big days.