08 Dec 2011 3:30 AM:

Hi Meggie, I'm considering Spain becuause I sadly lost my mother in July of this year and I've felt emotionally pulled towards La Madre Patria. I have family there still and have never visited my mothers home town "Galicia".   In terms of leaving the US, well, it has it's challenges as many countries do at the moment.  Medical care is a big, BIG business here and that is very sad.  Capitalism & Democracy  is what this country was based on and yet Capitalism is what continues to drive our society here while democracy takes a back seat.  Dont' want to get on a political soap-box and risk re-offending those who don't care to look at politics so I'll leave it at that.  

Meggie, this is very interesting and may have not made it too Europe:

A 103 year old woman who was going to be evicted by the banks from her Alabama home of 50+ years. The sherrif upon arriving found this lady and her daughter (83 years old or so) and made the MORAL decision to NOT evict her.  It was such a rare intervention that it made the news. 

 

Anyway, I understand that Spain has it's challenges as well, what if any changes are effecting you the most at present?  I read that lights on coastal roads are not being run in the evening, sounds like Cuba, yes?

 

Have a lovely Spanish day,

 

 

 

 

Thread: Newbie from USA

--------------------------------------

06 Dec 2011 11:55 PM:

 

 

Please reread my post....."  since we  [ALL]  have a tendency to have a myopic vision of the world".   Defensiveness, and duality ARE  the problems, we won't find solutions there.

 

My initial assumtption is that WE ARE ALL  fine human beings with good intentions.  I expect the best from everyone and only if and when I'm given reason to, do I change my view,

 

I decided to log on because I feel I had an interesting perspective to contribute considering I have experienced living in both America and Spain.  If I'm unable to express my opinions about global issues, then this i not the place for me.  

 

 I was under the inpression that this forum was  a place to share, learn and inspire.

 

You decide.

Thread: Newbie from USA

--------------------------------------

05 Dec 2011 2:07 AM:

 

How's that?  That's the last thing I want to do.  Au contraire.

 

Thread: Newbie from USA

--------------------------------------

04 Dec 2011 12:00 AM:

HELLO EVERYONE

Ive been reading the forums and at last decided perhaps having an American perspective here could be beneficial to all of us. More to the point, I'm technically American however, mum and her side all from Galicia, I've lived in Spain on and off: San Sebastian & Barcelona , so I am pulled towards both cultures as well as Caribbean since dad was Cuban and I grew up largely in Miami. Phew! Very long sentence. Recently, since my mum passed, I've been entertaining the option of getting my Spanish residency and moving there.

These forums are helpful but also disturbing since we ALL have a tendency to have a myopic vision of the world. When I read that OZ, NZ, UAE are not having issues it concerns me. The vision of individual countries will not facilitate solutions. UAE may have resources today, however , if they do not have countries to sell to, that society will be affected as well.

I knew coming into this forum as an American that I'll be likely to take some hard knocks. That's ok. Let me share with you that I'm part of the 99%, I've particapated with the strikes that are going on here in the US. I am interested in Global dialog particularly European-US.

Thread: Newbie from USA

--------------------------------------