I have also had to become 'discerning'
due to TAX
and the fact that despite the TAX I have to pay huge sums for my kids education.....
I could always work harder but with the TAX
the way it is there is no point - at least I now have time to enjoy the collection.....
Well, I don't know if this was written somewhat tongue in cheek, but there is another way to look at the entire TAX issue, such as, and in no particular order;
Pension scheme which has to be financed by ex-pats themselves
Only allowed to visit your home country for a set amount of time. In this case 90 days/year for Brits
Health scheme which has to be financed by ex-pats themselves
High costs of visits to your home country
The pleasures of constant diarrhoea though having no choice but to eat dodgy food. Ever fancied eating boiled chicken & rice at EVERY meal for 40-days straight (Yemen)? Or eating a goat that's been sickeningly slaughtered according to Halal ritual? - when the ONLY alternative is sour mashed some-kind-of bean (Sudan)? or fish-head soup cos there's nuthin else on the menu (Thailand) or dog that's been beaten to death cos it makes the meat more tender (S. Korea)? or some kind of mystery meat cos the only alternative is fried bugs (Bohai Bay, North China). or Yak head and feet soup (Tibet)?
The 3-yearly offshore survival training which let's face it, doesn't get any easier cos you're 3 years older every time you do it
Extortionate cost of dental treatment
The excruciating heat working during Summer in for example, Oman, Libya, Yemen, Syria, etc
The excruciating heat & humidity working during Summer in for example, South China Sea, Thailand, Nigeria, The Congo, Equatorial Guinea, etc
The excruciating cold working during Winter in for example, Siberia, Syria (colder than Siberia at times), North China, Turkey, South Korea, etc
Dangers not faced by stay-at-homes such as for example, high likelihood of being kidnapped in Nigeria or Yemen
The extortionately high costs of having your kids educated
Diseases such as Malaria or Yellow Fever if you've forgotten to take your anti-malarials or forget to update your shots
High costs of updating your shots
Language difficulties
The whole "life on the ocean wave" thing if you're assigned offshore
The whole Angry-Arab thing if you're assigned to the Middle East
Civil war if you're assigned to the Sudan, Nigeria or Yemen at the wrong time
Bad housing compared to western standards
Working with and putting your life in the hands of 3rd world nationals who only have some hazy concept of the principles of Health & Safety At Work
High divorce rates much in excess of average
Stress
Visa problems - Like having an AK-47 pointed at you for 4 hours solid cos the agent forgot to apply for the entry visa (Yemen)
Keeping in touch with the family back home - not so bad nowadays but can still be difficult obtaining internet access or a signal for your mobile phone
Skin problems due to sweat rash
Constant flying with all the delights of modern airport security
Constant flying in helicopters with their depressing habit of falling out of the sky with monotonous regularity
Dangers represented by wild animals, snakes, scorpions, etc
I could drone on and on, but you get my drift, and if your only experience of being abroad is with the Armed Forces or an annual Jolly Boys Outing to Benidorm with British pubs and fish & chip shops on every corner, then sorry, but the experience of living and working in essentially 3rd or 4th or 5th world countries is somewhat DIFFERENT....
Cheers
H
