I have relatives from a certain country in the Global South. The economy has vastly improved over the last couple of decades, no doubt due to tourism, which the country is heavily dependent on. (Covid-19 has no doubt upended the country's finances over the last year.) However, it's a place that many are still trying to get out of. Low wages and lack of opportunity are huge reasons why. Government corruption is rampant. Human rights abuses are common (and there was a rather sobering report from the U.S. State Department that I read a while back that put a lot of those abuses into perspective).
People sent out their warnings after Redditor bboserman51 asked the online community,
"What are some reasons to NOT move to your country?"
Japan
"Even if you live the rest of your life here, speak the language fluently, and never ever reference your former country, you will still be treated as an outsider in every single interaction you have. Or you'll be assumed to be a tourist and treated accordingly."
The stories I have heard of isolation in Japan are quite something.
A place I'd feel so grateful to visit. To live? Probably not my first choice.
South Africa
"Power outages are common and unpredictable because our current provider was until very recently the only provider legally allowed to provide commercial power generation because of monopolistic greed. They have relaxed the laws to allow others to generate power up to a certain amount but it only took effect as of today, and there are still many obstacles before other suppliers are a reality."
Portugal
" Portugal here. Absurd taxation, when you consider the average income, gas prices, and the fact every single politician is a crook. Just yesterday, for example, we found out the mayor of Lisbon has been giving/selling information to Putin and Maduro on their political opponents among the respective immigrant populations. Lovely."
For those of you curious about the scandal, it's linked HERE. It frankly deserves much bigger press.
Lebanon
"Hezbollah, no gas, no electricity, no money, sh*tty president, corrupt government... I could go on and on. Please don't come to Lebanon if you value basic necessities in life."
It's a shame, because it seems to be an astounding country with a rich history (and amazing people). Sadly, the political instability has colored the world's perceptions.
Italy
"I'm from Italy. Italy is a great country if you watch it from outside or as a tourist, but living here is totally different. Finding a job is very hard and young people are often underpaid. Big cities are dirty, especially Rome and Naples, people don't know how to drive and there's a lot of traffic. If you don't know Italian you would probably not be able to communicate with a good 60% of the population. It's pretty rare for people over 50 to speak English. On the other hand, the seaside and the countryside are gorgeous, folks are very welcoming and the food is delicious. But again, it's a nice destination for traveling but not a good place to live. I would say it's more like a one-night stand than someone you would want to settle with."
Crazy Historical Events That Sound Fake But Are 100% True | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
United Kingdom
"The weather sucks, the cost of living is horrendous, the housing market is f****, our political system is a joke, and we are being led by absolute morons."
Of course this is the United Kingdom––once you heard that complaint about the weather from the top, it was a dead giveaway.
Yeah... when is something going to be done about that?
Belgium
"I live in Belgium. You pay a lot of taxes
I live in Belgium. The state of the roads is poor.
I live in Belgium. If you speak another language than the region speaks, you will get yelled at.
I live in Belgium. It has a divisive political climate
I live in Belgium. It is hostile to immigrants
I live in Belgium. I love it. Wouldn't recommend it to others as their first choice of a new country though."
Bulgaria
"Elder people come here on vacation. They see good weather, low prices, beautiful nature, friendly people. They decide to move in. They buy a house in a quiet village. Become a target for the local gypsy clan. Get constantly robbed/harassed. Police say they can't do anything about it. Foreigners pack what's left and go back to their country.
Welcome to Bulgaria!"
Travel if and when you can––it will change your life. But listen and observe, most of all, and get an idea of how people live. You'll learn a lot that you wouldn't have learned had you stayed in a resort––and you'd be able to understand a lot about why these concerns exist.
Have some experiences of your own? Feel free to tell us about them in the comments below!
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