What would make our lives easier?

[pst]

My grandson is doing a project at Uni on the aging society and looking into designs that (without us realising we actually need them?!) would make our day to day lives easier....whether that be connected to communication, shopping, bathing...basically anything that would assist 'a certain age group' .................anyone out there have any problems that they think are not already being addresses or have problems with basic adaptations that just dont do what they are supposed to??

[Chrisjay]

Hi pst and welcome

One of the reasons you have had no responses to this post I think is we often get people coming here professing to be doing research when they actually want to either get our email address or want to sell us something.

Maybe if you told us something about yourself and your grandson, where is he studying and for what degree you might get a better response.

I for one can never get the bottle tops off without using the door frame.

[avalonmpk2]

What would make my life easier stop wasting money on idiotic so called research and being pestered on so-called rag days by half drunk layabouts who in many cases are not studying anything sensible other than how to scam as much as possible from hardworking taxpayers - just compare their lives with those of the young men and women who serve in our armed forces BRING BACK NATIONAL SERVICE & THE ELEVEN PLUS!!!

[Chrisjay]

BRING BACK NATIONAL SERVICE & THE ELEVEN PLUS!!!

This is becoming a habit as I agree with you again    but I would add BORSTALS/REFORM SCHOOLS

Only after all of the above were brought back would we have a society who understood respect and work ethics and strangely if you follow that thought I wonder how many EU or other immigrants would think this country so attractive if they had to complete three years National Service?

[avalonmpk2]

The trouble is the Brits abroad in the last two centuries have been arrogant and boasted how wonderful the 'Mother Country' is and how the empire was always welcomed there, yet we did not want them living next door to us and when like fools they believed us we get annoyed. . . . .

[Chrisjay]

As someone who is not a native Brit I shall tell you my philosophy of living abroad.

It goes when in Rome do as the Romans.

When I lived in Wales I supported the Welsh rugby team now in England (I've lost interest) I would support England.

I believe you chose where to live therefore you should want to embrace the traditions and language of that country, if you don't want to do that don't move there.

If I moved to Hong Kong or anywhere else I would embrace their traditions as I do when I visit.  In HK it is considered rude to hand someone their 'name card' (our business card) with one hand.  It is passed with two hands and a bow, being a lady with usually a handbag this presented a problem so I make sure I always have a shoulder bag rather than a clutch or short straps.  I also have English printed on one side and the equivalent in Chinese on the other. 
Also when you are invited for a meal including a working lunch it is considered bad manners to leave food so the meal can take five hours to get through.  When shopping you go up the street one way and down the other, if you want to take you do it in the middle, if you have a cold it is a legal requirement to wear a surgical mask.  I love being in HK as they are so clean and polite we could learn a lot from them.

If people chose to live in the UK then they should expect to embrace the customs of this country allowing for their right to follow their own religion but for everything else including English being the first language either embrace it or leave.

[caminito]

I totally agree with you Chris.
I was a consultant to a Japanese company .  I was aware of the two handed  business card procedure.
It was work , work & work hard until finished .
Then it was drink , eat and talk about women & cars 
Singapore is very similar . We loved the orderly way the public goes about life . No jay walking .No chewing gum stuck to the pavements no fag ends littering the road  .Queue for taxis quietly and in line.
Masses of food outlets and bars but no louts ruining an evening out.  ...Wonderful!

When I lived in Spain , I was very annoyed at the way the Brits wanted to create  "little England" . Food, bars ,fish and chips etc.
Full english breakfast is always a discussion point on the forums .

The problem in the Uk is that we did not set out the rules in the beginning . Now we have to "shut the gate after the horse has bolted "

Get rid of the expensive translated paperwork and the free tranlaters .
If the immigrants can't speak or read English ...then tough !
They can pay !
That's what happens in Spain ! Why not in the UK ? 
 

[pst]

Hi pst and welcome

One of the reasons you have had no responses to this post I think is we often get people coming here professing to be doing research when they actually want to either get our email address or want to sell us something.

Maybe if you told us something about yourself and your grandson, where is he studying and for what degree you might get a better response.

I for one can never get the bottle tops off without using the door frame.

Many thanks for that.He is studying Product Design at Brighton and takes his course very seriously When I joined this forum I didnt expect to get abuse  I have to be honest!

[Chrisjay]

I agree if you watch the relocation programme about families deciding whether they want to remain here or move abroad they always make a point of highlighting the language issue and advise either to learn before you go or take lessons once there and you pay for it.

Unfortunately we have too many jobsworth whose only function and ethos is to facilitate everyone who comes here to the detriment of those who are here.
 
If as you say we did away with forms being in any other language than English and doing away with translators unless they pay for it integration would be financially cost effective and better.  In the USA they have to master English and American history before they are allowed permanent residency.

The ability to speak the language would also ease the financial burdon on education, health and law all of whom spend vast amounts of money accommodating people who don't or won't speak English.

[Chrisjay]

Hi PST

I don't think there was any offence meant as we do tend to get threads crossed over with other topics and it can seem so.

Please bear with us as there is a lot of topics that really do get addressed here and many quite heatedly as the frustration of not being able to do anything because of general apathy spills over, we all have bad days

I think we should have more of an introduction topic here where we all write a short bio which would help getting to know each other as we have only just learnt how to post our photo's - we are after all the silver surfers 

Please stick around as we are short of women (having said that I don't know if you are a man or woman) so maybe you could introduce yourself and post a pic

[avalonmpk2]

Oh! to be a little englander we deserve all we get In our small village we get visitors from all over the globe they are polite considerate and can at least say please and thank you in English

[Hugh]

Many thanks for that.He is studying Product Design at Brighton and takes his course very seriously When I joined this forum I didn't expect to get abuse  I have to be honest!

Hello and PST and welcome. I don't think the abuse was aimed at you just at Students in his own views with them.
I am one of the oldest active member of the forum at 71 years young and the craziest in some members books I enjoy scuba diving with sharks. Off again in May back to South Africa. I started scuba diving at the age of 66 and love it.
May be you could tell us a little about your self at the moment we don't even know if you are a Ms or Mr 

[avalonmpk2]

Hugh you know me better than that. My children went to uni. One is a doctor the other is a physicist they both speak three languages fluently my daughter actually took one of her degrees in Germany where there is indeed a very serious approach to education. No studying popstars lives or overpaid prima donna footballers there for a Phd!

[Chrisjay]

We know what you meant but as pst was a newbie she did not know what you said had come over the wrong way as the moderator said it is very difficult sometimes to actually know what people mean when we only have the written text

[avalonmpk2]

Well I left school at 14 and started work, was taught to read and write and a modicum of common sense and there fore my prose might not always convey the exactitude one would like - when I'M IN WRONG I WILL ADMIT IT.
But I do really hate to see resource wasted and I firmly believe in educating free of charge those with the highest intellect and thefore the best return for taxpayers.