South Africans living abroad

Ireland 'better than SA'
by Melony Pinto

I have been living in Ireland for over 2 years.

The attitude I have found towards us is diverse.

My children have had only joy in their school environment and have never once had the misfortune of bullies as they had in SA. The children are open and accepting to all people.

The school system is far superior to that of SA. The teachers are far superior to SA and they are doing the jobs they get paid to.

Not once have the boys complained about teachers who refuse to help as was the case there. Their marks went from average to outstanding. Their work is far superior and harder too.

I have had trouble with the government’s policies in getting residency, but they have not been shy in helping our finances when we were on hard times. SA refuses to help one live and eat, but here, we are foreigners, hardly contributed, but they help us.

So keep your South Africa. I don't want to be part of the hatred and lie.

I will take rain and cold any day over the life that we were forced to live, in our own prisons.

I ride my bike at 21:00 in winter. I walk at 23:00. No one can understand what a horrible place that is until you don't have to put up with it anymore.

Loving life in Australia
by Chris

I have been here for almost three years now and South Africa remains forever in my heart.

Yes, it has been really difficult having to re-learn everything from getting a drivers licence to opening a bank account, the weather, the people just to name a few changes.

I know this sounds cheesy by now but I really do not have a fence at all and we have decided not to get a fence as it reminds us of the way we grew up as kids. None of my neighbours have fences either.

Given I live in smallish town of 60 000 people but have to add that I have everything that we need here including public and private schools, University, Tafe, all the main shops, and all the government departments that we need should we require anything. Post comes in a day.

Government departments, licencing departments all work remarkably well. I have yet to find any department to be slack.

Australia may not be everyone’s cup of tea. The gum trees grow on you and so do all the beautiful parrots, kangaroos and unusual animals and landscape.

Public schooling: well to be honest, I have given it a try and in the beginning found children to have longer hair, scruffier uniforms and it was quite an eye opener.

But what really was the real eye opener was the fantastic resources the school has and the learning environment, the teaching and the happiness of the kids.

At $250 per year I can tell you it is an absolute bargain and I do not regret it for one minute.

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