Top Ten Livable Countries

Darn -- I apologize that I didn't read far enough down in the article to pick up on the list. Thanks. There's some discrepancies between the two (journalists are never inaccurate!) lists. I can see Honolulu on the top of major cities in the U.S. (despite Hotel Street!) It puts us in their among all the other above average cities that are livable. Interesting to see what cities are close in the survey.

Laguna Beach -- I live their from 1971 to 1978 and many of my friends are in the area. Since it's a small town, you were probably in a house which was a stone's throw from either one I lived in or someone I know. My business was established there at the same time frame. Previous to that, I live in Dana Point for five years.

It does fit in somewhat better with the UN list of countries.

i can't believe Setanta hasn't posted this here yet

That certainly sums up one of the points I was getting at -- it isn't just our being proud of our country, it's the extent of the xenophobia still at work.

it's interesting looking at it from 'outside'. it really is how many of us 'see' the u.s. looking out.

Interesting discussion, people!

One of the things not discussed from fishin's (& Lightwizard's) list, is in the definition - these cities are the most livable for EXPATRIATES. This does skew the picture a bit - no-one is talking about his own home. I guess the nationality of those most likely to be expatriates makes a difference, too.

(it's the only way they could vote for Melbourne - they've been lead to believe that the river running upside down is the norm, because they're downunder! ) [small Sydney joke because the river through Melbourne, the Yarra, is quite muddy!] {compare with Sydney Harbour }

The ex-pat thing is funny, isn't it, Margo? I mean, who wants all those brits? I know we don't.

Bethie
You must have the Brits - we've got Yanks and Asians!

I'm sure they are using the term "expatriates" in its meaning of someone leaving a country to move to another country (or city).
It's not meant to address just Brits, or Americans, or Iraqis for that matter. It's anyone deciding they are looking for greener pastures. Perhaps this will stem the tide of all those millions of people who want to come to the U.S. to realize they have a choice.

I read expatriates as people moving from one country to another, usually to work. This is not the local population. They are generally better paid, better educated and have a higher standard of living. I don't see it as a "looking for a greener pastures" thing.

So, they're saying "If we have to live somewhere other than our own home or country - this is where we'd like to live". This does skew the list.

Lightwizard - you should see the crowds of people sitting in Buffalo trying to get into Canada. Ever since Canada stopped letting people in, as refugees, who already had refugee status in the U.S., it's been just wild there. There was a last dash for the Canadian border there and near Montreal in the summer, just as the changes were coming in. I have to admit it was quite a shock. I didn't realize that many people were trying to get into Canada from the States. The immigration stream the other way, has always been easier, but the difference is becoming more obvious.

Ex-pats, here, means Brits. Nothing else. It could mean something else, elsewhere, but in central Canada, when you say ex-pats, you're saying Brits.

With-in a four week Period... I plan on living the road (Tractor/Trailor style) and it should go a long way toward ending my woes of miserable winters or other. I will be able to choose the destination of my loads and I am just fine with seeing and staying in the USA.

but if I have to live in other country....

hard choice... but I think possibly Austrailia. I love the wildlife and warm weather.

Actually, the term "Ex-Patriates" seems to be exclusevly connected to British subjects, worldwide, I suppose.

Walter - love your Christmas avatar!

I don't think ex-pat is now a particularly British description, although it may have started that way.

In Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea, Australians are ex-pats! In a lot of these places there are established ex-pat communities.

For instance, in Sydney, there is a small American football competition. Now, we already have four active football codes, but there are enough North American ex-pats to start a small league here.

My friend Neil, a Kiwi who lives in Sweden, has played cricket for Sweden. For some reason, probably related to losing the ball in the snow, cricket is not big in Sweden, but there are enough ex-pat Brits, Aussies and Kiwis, among others, to make a small competitiion. There is even a sort of ex-pat cricket league in Europe, and they have tournaments. Neil has played in Greece a couple of times, representing Sweden!

Cricket in Sweden? I'd never believed that, but really, there is a "svenska cricketförbundet".

The journal reporting the EIU findings is using "expatriates," not EIU so there is no skewing of the actual survery in that regard (if your meaning is English speaking countries.)

Besides, the word is in the American Heritage Dictionary:

ex·pa·tri·ate v. ex·pa·tri·at·ed, ex·pa·tri·at·ing, ex·pa·tri·ates. v. -tr. 1. To send into exile. See Synonyms at banish. 2. To remove (oneself) from residence in one's native land. v. -intr. 1. To give up residence in one's homeland. 2. To renounce allegiance to one's homeland. n. 1. One who has taken up residence in a foreign country. 2. One who has renounced one's native land. adj. Residing in a foreign country; expatriated. -ex·patri·ation n.

(no mention of Britain, hmmm?)

As I said, they are using the No. 2 definition -- I don't believe they are using No. 1

Share your amazement Walter at an ex pat New Zealander playing cricket for Sweden against Greece.

Just shows what us ex pats are capable of, except of course if we end up in central Canada.

Neil is one of those great clowns - he could start a cricket match anywhere.

A couple of years back, we were in Sweden, and just happened to be somewhere where the Swedish ski-jump team was practising. There was Neil, a Brit friend and me, just watching this jumping (I'd never seen it before!). Then Neil turned to the coaches, pointed to me, and said, with a perfectly straight face - "What about her? - can you teach her ?- we were thinking of waxing her bum and pushing her down the slope - what do you think?"

The looks on those fellows' faces were just a delight. I don't think they'd ever come across anyone quite like Neil - they can be a bit straight, these Swedes. Jeez they were good looking, though!