Thank you, John. I am sure that we will experience some surprises in spite of having made frequent visits, one never really sees the true life in a place when you are just a visitor. We experienced the many illusions of life that prevail there and wondered how such a high perentage of the population were eating out, driving big cars and taking overseas holidays. Well, now we know, it was all done with money lent by banks who did not have any to people who could not pay it back!!You are right about info on the internet, there is an absolute overload although it is particularly non-definitive and we are always told that we will be given all the help that we need when we arrive. One gets the sense that everything has come full circle since the 60's, there were no jobs and no money then either.
For me the sttrangest paradox is that of the "minimum wage" whereby one works for a fiver an our thus earning 830 a month. You then deduct 100 or so for tax, another 100 for Council Tax, pay 500 for rent, cycle to work and that then leaves you 130 to pay lights and water, feed and clothe your family and entertain yourself.
That there are services at all is wonderful, we have no public transport, the police are either scared to come out or have smashed all their cars and you cannot get an ambulance because they are all in the townships dealing with stabbings, rapes and gunshot wounds. Oh yes, private health care only!! Wee are quite looking forward to "civilisation" again.
Happy days!!
John & Jacqui
