Circumstances conspire to force a hard decision

subseastu · Jun 7, 2014

The OIM on took his wife and 2 kids to see santa this last xmas, cost him about £6000!!!! That salt mine looks spectacular.

As a slight aside our plan is now to return to the UK in feb next year. Before then we will build a 2 bed, single storey holiday home from concrete block in the province in Western Samar. I'll see if I can knock out the basic design and post it. It maybe useful for others.

Markham · Jun 7, 2014

JohnAsh said: ↑

For a while I had been thinking of taking my wife (and little girl) to Lapland to show her "proper snow" in a wonderland type setting. But maybe Poland might offer that as an alternative.....I know she would love it (and the photo opportunities it would bring).
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This might be closer to what you're seeking, John:

The first six photos are of Zakopane and its environs. The bottom two are of the Mazowsze Dance Troupe which is based in that area. Zakopane is about two and a half hours' drive south from Krakow:

which is where that salt mine is and also:

Auschwitz-Berkernau.

Anon220806 · Jun 7, 2014

Yes. The christmassy type snow scenes. Wont be this christmas as we are going to the Canaries. Maybe christmas 2015.

Anon220806 · Oct 28, 2014

Markham said: ↑

When I came to the Philippines in July 2007, I had absolutely no intention of upping sticks again. I'd made a month long recce visit the previous November and had come to the conclusion that the Philippines was where I wanted to be, living in the UK held no further attraction for me. Visits, yes and I've made three over the years, but as a permanent residence, no.

Before meeting Mae, I dated a number of Filipinas but sooner or later it became all-too apparent that their real interest in me lay in my ability to provide them with a visa and a life in the UK. Not where I wanted to be. Mae, however, was completely different. She had spent time abroad and had travelled around the Philippines - neither of which my earlier love interests had done - and she made it very clear to me right at the outset of our relationship that she wanted to continue living in the Philippines and not move abroad. Mae didn't fancy a big wedding, she wanted us to get married quietly; it was, as she argued, "our day". So we married in Hong Kong with two very close friends as witnesses - they'd secretly married a week earlier in a Cebu Judge's Chambers - and had a few day's honeymoon there. A few months later and by which time we'd moved from Cebu to Davao, our first child was born.

Life for us was going swimmingly. We bought a 1,500 square metre plot of land just outside the built-up conurbation and were having a house constructed by Mike, an American expat builder from San Francisco, and his Filipino workforce. And we had first option on a further 4,000 square metres immediately adjoining our land. Unfortunately we discovered to our horror that not only had he'd failed to obtain a building permit but that he was stealing money and materials - and there remains suspicion that much of the timber he used in its construction was illegally logged. Work on the project had to cease immediately. But we remained undaunted and fully intended to have the house finished by a pair of Filipino brothers whose standard workmanship was very high.

But the rot set-in at the end of last year. We were both horrified - and Mae distraught - by the Philippine governments' lack of action following the Bohol earthquake and the super-typhoon that struck a month later. We found it truly sickening to watch TV reports of visits to the affected area being made by the great and the good but hundreds of thousands of Filipinos received little - and those who either didn't vote for the local mayor or Barangay Captain or had some known foreigner connection were denied any aid. That, coupled with concerns about our childrens' education, made Mae uneasy about life here but she kept her thoughts to herself. For possibly the first time in her life, she has seen politicians and government officials for what they really are - corruption and greed writ large before her eyes.

For my part, I was becoming increasingly concerned about the cost of living here. In 2007, I was getting 95 Pesos to the Pound, today the exchange rate is closer to 70 and may well fall again. Just the other day, I was comparing the prices of electricity and gas with my daughter who lives in London and we came to the conclusion that I'm now paying almost five times more per year than she is and that's a situation that's likely to worsen.

But what tipped the balance for us was the news that our younger son has extremely sensitive skin and any exposure to strong sunlight brings him out in painful rashes. Strong sunlight in the Philippines is a given and the doctors can not give us any indication of whether he's likely to grow out of that; a case of wait and see. As the heat can also bring on the rashes, but not quite to the same extent, we've been advised to keep him in an air-conditioned room 24/7.

Over the last few weeks, we've been considering our options and researching other countries to move to. For our son's sake, our options aren't that many, basically somewhere in northern Europe.

We've decided on Poland but we won't be moving there by dint of the EU's freedom of movement laws but rather by virtue of the fact that I'm half-Polish. That decison has been helped, to a certain extent, by correspondence with another forum member, Brock, who's currently living there with Nesa, his wife. They do intend to move to the UK eventually but he tells me that they may well move back to Poland after a spell in the UK. They are living in a fully-furnished and equipped apartment in Bielsko Biala, about 40 km southwest of Krakow and close to the Czech border, and he tells me he pays £200 in rent which includes all services (electricity, water etc). That's somewhat less than I'm paying for an unfurnished place here. Property prices there are highly affordable as is the cost of food and we'd be more than halving our monthly expenditure. Everything except imported electronics is cheaper in Poland than either the UK or the Philippines.

We are both saddened by the inevitability of the situation but at the same time excited by the prospect of a completely new chapter in our lives. Our sons should certainly benefit from an education there: for one thing, they should become truly multi-lingual by being able to communicate in Visayan, English, Polish and be taught German and possibly French or Spanish. That should stand them in good stead.
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So you learned eventually. Took you a while, though. Boots on the ground worked for you then. How many pairs?

Anon220806 · Oct 28, 2014

So. Given the thrust of your thread. Does your settling in Davao and the almost rabid posts on why everyone should do likewise, demonstrate your originality of thought or gullibility on your part?

Markham · Oct 28, 2014

So. Given the thrust of your thread. Does your settling in Davao and the almost rabid posts on why everyone should do likewise, demonstrate your originality of thought or gullibility on your part?
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Anon220806 · Jun 9, 2015

JohnAsh said: ↑

Taken from our balcony window by the wife this evening. It was like the Farnborough Airshow outside our window, with dirt track racing on the beach below.
Why go to Bondi when you can go to Bridlington?

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Just had the Red Arrows outside once again. 9 of them. They were at the same height above sea level as us (4 floors up). Quite impressive. The planes look a bit different this year.

aposhark · Jun 10, 2015

Any news on when you will be heading off for Poland with your family, Mark?

Markham · Jun 10, 2015

aposhark said: ↑

Any news on when you will be heading off for Poland with your family, Mark?
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No .... still waiting on being able to get the children their passports. Thank you Mrs May.

aposhark · Jun 10, 2015

Markham said: ↑

No .... still waiting on being able to get the children their passports. Thank you Mrs May.
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Hope it's not too long.

KeithAngel · Aug 15, 2015

Just noticed this Mark why dont you apply for the free EU schengan visa for the family ? since you will presumably qualify as self sufficient all you would need is health insurance for your family nothing to stop you getting Polish Citizenship at the same time if thats what you want plus easier to deal with the HO re passports from Europe

Markham · Aug 15, 2015

KeithAngel said: ↑

Just noticed this Mark why dont you apply for the free EU schengan visa for the family ? since you will presumably qualify as self sufficient all you would need is health insurance for your family nothing to stop you getting Polish Citizenship at the same time if thats what you want plus easier to deal with the HO re passports from Europe
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Thanks, Keith! Due to Embassy delays, I'm applying for the boys' Passports direct with the PO in Liverpool. Once they're through, we may well decide to move to Eire, rather than Poland for family reasons (Ireland is much closer to Bristol where my daughter lives and my sons would be educated in English language schools). Are you aware of any hindrances we might encounter?

Howerd · Aug 15, 2015

I had not seen this thread before, as I was less than well when you started it Markham. Good luck to you and your family.

KeithAngel · Aug 15, 2015

No Mark and there is no reason to wait unless you want to there filipines passports are just fine

this is a good read

http://www.scribd.com/doc/231192464/Surinder-Singh-for-Newbies

Markham · Aug 15, 2015

KeithAngel said: ↑

No Mark and there is no reason to wait unless you want to there filipines passports are just fine

this is a good read

http://www.scribd.com/doc/231192464/Surinder-Singh-for-Newbies
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That's good to know, many thanks, Keith! Some information I have picked-up on the way suggests that it would be better for Hugh and Mark to be in possession of British Passports - thus also being EU nationals - as it should mean they're not discriminated against with regards to their medical and educational needs. Also we have about six months to complete our rental contract and that should tie-in nicely with getting them their Passports.

KeithAngel · Aug 15, 2015

there is no discrimination allowed to family members they must be treated the same as the EU Citizen regarding medical unless your working you would need medical insurance as a self sufficient family normally as a retired person health care is picked up for you by your birth country in your case I dont know what would happen your missus would be allowed to work in Ireland and that might then cover you all

Markham · Aug 15, 2015

KeithAngel said: ↑

as a retired person health care is picked up for you by your birth country
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That is my understanding of situation currently in Ireland. France, Spain and others require non-citizens to take out private health insurance even if one or more have EHIC cards. What's bad about all this is that Britain adopts EU laws and directives assiduously but the almost every other EU nation ignores those bits of legislation its law-makers don't like.

KeithAngel · Aug 15, 2015

Markham said: ↑

That is my understanding of situation currently in Ireland. France, Spain and others require non-citizens to take out private health insurance even if one or more have EHIC cards. What's bad about all this is that Britain adopts EU laws and directives assiduously but the almost every other EU nation ignores those bits of legislation its law-makers don't like.
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You are only required to do this if you are not a worker, self sufficient and students require health cover its the same here in the UK EHIC only covers non residents ,holidays , business travel ect I got excellent health care in Portugal as did the family as we qualified through self employment equal to any national. To say that the UK adopts EU Directives assiduously, is Im afraid you displaying lack of knowledge, what the HO is doing is dragging its feet wherever possible

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-12-417_en.htm?locale=en

http://www.ein.org.uk/news/ecj-advo...uk-visa-legislation-breaches-eu-free-movement

https://www.freemovement.org.uk/eu-to-investigate-uk-interpretation-of-surinder-singh/

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