# Welcome to the world



## Big Ben (31 January 2013)

And Canada leads the way


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## Enfys (31 January 2013)

Big Ben said:



			And Canada leads the way






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That would be because only you and I are awake  

How's your weather? 
Have you been hit with the really cold stuff I have been reading about?  
11C and flooding here in Norfolk County today, now heading to sub-zero with snow for the next week   

I came on here just now and thought I was on Horsetopia for a moment, had to check!


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## Big Ben (31 January 2013)

Hows the weather you ask?

Fecking cold I answer, currently we have windchills at -48*C, seriously if young Eddie the Beagle is outside much longer for his evening run around I wont need to take him the vet in the morning, they will have dropped off on their own


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## JustMe22 (31 January 2013)

South Africa close behind  would post a flag but I'm on my phone!


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## Kat (31 January 2013)

*nips in for a nosey, realises it is full of foreigners and runs away*


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## MrsMozart (31 January 2013)

Not sure about the food in here...


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## ribbons (31 January 2013)

Oh lovely, can pop in for a little holiday abroad whenever I have a minute. 
I love hearing the experiences of our overseas members. All easy to find now. Brilliant. 
Lots of posts please guys.


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## JCWHITE (31 January 2013)

Hi from France !!


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## Armas (31 January 2013)

Another from France


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## Circe (31 January 2013)

G'day from Australia. 
Hot and humid here, but finally stopped raining, after 46degrees the other week.
I'm an expat, originally from bucks... Are we all expats in here?
Kx


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## Fools Motto (31 January 2013)

*Waves* to one and all. Slightly shocked at B-B's weather... brrrrrr...
*waves* cheerio for now.


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## freckles22uk (31 January 2013)

And Im in Spain.... (originally from Nottingham UK)


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## jokadoka (31 January 2013)

Another one in France here!!


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## RealityCheck (31 January 2013)

Shall I lead the USA in our usual domination and destruction of all that is good and innocent?


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## RichardRider (31 January 2013)

Normandy, France...rr


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## Alec Swan (31 January 2013)

I hope that all you foreigners have got visas,  we've got quite enough illegal immigrants,  as it is! 
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Welcome all! 

Dunno about this new system,  I came home last night,  under the affluence of incahol,  and got the most awful fright.  I thought that I'd got myself lost! 

Alec.


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## lucemoose (31 January 2013)

HELLOOOOOO Is anyone there? Im a Brit, stuck in NZ!!!


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## KSR (31 January 2013)

Lol @Kat 

Devon is foreign to a Scottish person, especially with the new Sea of Midland from all the recent flooding :/


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## VickyP (31 January 2013)

Hello from Italy, origianally from lovely Leicestershire!!


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## Kat (31 January 2013)

KSR said:



			Lol @Kat 

Devon is foreign to a Scottish person, especially with the new Sea of Midland from all the recent flooding :/
		
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Ha ha yes, overseas is taking on a whole new meaning. I'm planning to swap my car for a boat to enable me to navigate my way from the small island that is the peak district to work in Nottingham-on-Sea.


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## Mince Pie (31 January 2013)

KSR said:



			Lol @Kat 

Devon is foreign to a Scottish person, especially with the new Sea of Midland from all the recent flooding :/
		
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If the SNP and Mr Salmond get their way then Scotland will be foreign to the rest of the UK :/


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## La Fiaba (31 January 2013)

VickyP said:



			Hello from Italy, origianally from lovely Leicestershire!!
		
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Another one in Italy over here, although I'm orignially from Liverpool


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## Enfys (31 January 2013)

Kat said:



			*nips in for a nosey, realises it is full of foreigners and runs away*
		
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## Enfys (31 January 2013)

Alec Swan said:



			I hope that all you foreigners have got visas,  we've got quite enough illegal immigrants,  as it is!  

 A lot of us have fled the crowded shores of Blighty  
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 .........


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## Mrs B (31 January 2013)

*waves* What ho Johnny Foreigners! A bit dashed nippy in the wind here in Blighty today but the snowdrops are keeping a stiff upper lip...

We could always do swaps around the world for a change of scene/horse/housework!


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## KSR (31 January 2013)

We need smell/taste-o-vision if we see all these new countries....

BBH - I'm out of touch with Scottish affairs since moving south..

I'd like to nominate myself for stupid, but genuine, question of forever - does that mean if we get devolution passed that we will have new passport systems and dual nationality children etc??


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## Big Ben (31 January 2013)

'ere, who are you calling Johnny foreigner? Essex girl here born and bred, but still had enough sense to move from the UK before the flood

It's a very pleasant -35*C here today, shame the windchill is taking it down to -47*C, now why did we choose to move to Canada again,we set off to move to Spain, warm weather cheap red wine, nice horses............




Yeah why didn't we move there


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## HopeforMe (31 January 2013)

Canadian here! 

On the East coast, so just an ocean away.

Wind, rain and +12*C here today, was sunny and -20*C two days ago.


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## Fairynuff (31 January 2013)

Ciao from another one living in Italy! Beautiful cloudfree blue sky and 13 degrees here. originally from Scotland but been in Italy for the grand total of 27 years= half of my life :O


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## Enfys (31 January 2013)

Fairynuff said:



			Ciao from another one living in Italy! Beautiful cloudfree blue sky and 13 degrees here. originally from Scotland but been in Italy for the grand total of 27 years= half of my life :O
		
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Fairy, have you taken Italian Citizenship or anything like that? Or did you just move and stay as a Scot?


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## PapaFrita (31 January 2013)

Hello from Argentina


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## DoesDressage (31 January 2013)

Not quite the rest of the world yet but am moving to the US with the horses and family so any tips greatly recieved!!!


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## Native Speaker (31 January 2013)

Guten Tag! 








Germany calling! 

Currently dark, wet and windy, with the occasional clap of thunder here! 

Ex-pat Brit, born and bred, but moved somewhere more interesting - France and Spain didn't 'do' it for me, but here is well-good, yer knows!


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## Four Seasons (31 January 2013)

Groeten uit Nederland! Greetings from Holland! Can you see me waving over the little pond??


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## E13 (31 January 2013)

^ reminds me of Eurovision  Just me?


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## JCWHITE (31 January 2013)

This new section of the forum has put a smile on my face already !
Bonjour!!
Originally Warwickshire!!


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## Hemirjtm (31 January 2013)

Another in France! Been here 8 1/2yrs..originally from Bucks ! I'm in the process of hopefully taking French nationality...just taken test and got only 3 mistakes on it...next step is to fill in all the forms...eep  Actually quite excited

Wouldn't move back to the UK now!


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## micramadam (31 January 2013)

Another hello from the land of windmills, clogs and tulips.


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## Big Ben (31 January 2013)

E13 said:



			^ reminds me of Eurovision  Just me?
		
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Only if they give the scores


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## joosie (31 January 2013)

Hi all! I'm in France too (Normandy) - didn't know there was a whole gang of us here  I've lived here for 2 years. Before that I lived in Portugal for 18 months and before that 2 years in Italy. Proper globetrotter lol!


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## heresannie (31 January 2013)

Big Ben, is still nill points to china, hungary and japan (im crap at geogeaphy, but not seen anyone from there yet?!) france seems to be in the lead, followed by canada ?


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## freckles22uk (31 January 2013)

Big Ben said:



			'ere, who are you calling Johnny foreigner? Essex girl here born and bred, but still had enough sense to move from the UK before the flood

It's a very pleasant -35*C here today, shame the windchill is taking it down to -47*C, now why did we choose to move to Canada again,we set off to move to Spain, warm weather cheap red wine, nice horses............




Yeah why didn't we move there

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WARM!!  haha... ok it was actually warm today, in the 30's now is 5'c Brrr (-35!! s*d that, thats arctic) and Ive got me electric blanket on!  and forecast snow soon,  but hey thats what living in up a mountain does!....   but yes the vino is cheap.. nice decent stuff for 5 for 5 litres  

but as for the horses... hmmm, seen one PRE horse, seen them all....   haha


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## TarrSteps (1 February 2013)

Well, I have one passport that says I can be in here and one that doesn't. Technically I am "overseas" . . .depending on how you define you terms.

I'll just go with Interntional Spy and join all the available groups.


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## Big Ben (1 February 2013)




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## harvgj19 (1 February 2013)

"Well, I have one passport that says I can be in here and one that doesn't. Technically I am "overseas" . . .depending on how you define you terms."

Me too! Currently living in the USA. Can't see us returning to the UK though. Unfortunately left my horse in the UK and haven't ridden here for 4 yrs now.


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## Fairynuff (1 February 2013)

Enfys said:



			Fairy, have you taken Italian Citizenship or anything like that? Or did you just move and stay as a Scot?
		
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I moved and stayed a Scot  No way would I take Italian Citizenship, even the embassy in Rome advised me not to! I do like to have an escape hatch if needed


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## Fairynuff (1 February 2013)

joosie said:



			Hi all! I'm in France too (Normandy) - didn't know there was a whole gang of us here  I've lived here for 2 years. Before that I lived in Portugal for 18 months and before that 2 years in Italy. Proper globetrotter lol!
		
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 Where did you live in Italy?


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## j1ffy (1 February 2013)

heresannie said:



			Big Ben, is still nill points to china, hungary and japan (im crap at geogeaphy, but not seen anyone from there yet?!) france seems to be in the lead, followed by canada ? 

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China checking in!!  I'm in Hong Kong, originally from London / Oxon / Berks (not sure what counts as 'originally'!!) and I have horses in Spain...talk about confused (should I mention that my OH is from Denmark and his children are in France...?!).

Anyway, great to see lots of other expats, repats and nonpats in here!!  It's been a balmy 27 degrees and clear blue skies in HK today


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## Big Ben (1 February 2013)

DoesDressage said:



			Not quite the rest of the world yet but am moving to the US with the horses and family so any tips greatly recieved!!!
		
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Learn to shoot straight 

Where are you heading for?

Dam weather, they were calling for a heatwave this weekend, all the way to -8*C and now it is going to be -20*C and snowing....still hoping to take a couple of the guys to my friends indoor and have a play


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## Enfys (1 February 2013)

Jiffy sssssssssshhhhhhhhhh, 27C   that's about 39C warmer than me, and even more than BB  

Currently, this is the view from my back door


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## Enfys (1 February 2013)

Fairynuff said:



			I moved and stayed a Scot  No way would I take Italian Citizenship, even the embassy in Rome advised me not to! I do like to have an escape hatch if needed 

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Oh er, not a good idea then?


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## joosie (1 February 2013)

Fairynuff said:



			Where did you live in Italy?
		
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Emilia Romagna, nearest city was Reggio Emilia. Incidentally my boss there was a Scot! I also did a 3-month stint up in the Appenine Mountains near a little village called Piandelagotti. I adored Italy!


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## La Fiaba (1 February 2013)

Wow joosie, you have really itchy feet


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## Festive_Felicitations (2 February 2013)

Another confused nationality!


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## Festive_Felicitations (2 February 2013)

I seem to like blue, red and white countries...must branch out and live somwhere with more colour!


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## Enfys (2 February 2013)

Festive_Felicitations said:



			I seem to like blue, red and white countries...must branch out and live somwhere with more colour!
		
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Now I have to go and find out what the 2nd flag is, I am not too good on those.

The Canadian flag wouldn't do it for you.

In Australia, do the different States (is that what they are called - it is  Provinces here)  have different flags as well? Ontarios' is fairly boring.


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## Big Ben (2 February 2013)

The Saskatchewan flag







no accident in colours I think


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## Nicnac (2 February 2013)

I'm also a hybrid.  Now in South East UK but hail from across the pond (the very small pond to the right of the UK); sweet little place with excellent food   OK it's Belgium and have rather a lot of Welsh blood 

BUT have lived in Minnesota so understand COLD winters and Nassau where it's hot, hot, hot.

Hope to move to Normandy in 5 years times when I stop the rat race.

Can I be here too or is it only for peeps who are O/S right now?


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## TarrSteps (2 February 2013)

We are defining "overseas" as "not where you are originally from", I think.  Very inclusive, seeing as we are all citizens of the world.


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## PapaFrita (2 February 2013)

Enfys said:



			Now I have to go and find out what the 2nd flag is, I am not too good on those.
		
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Chile


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## FinnishLapphund (3 February 2013)

Circe said:



			Are we all expats in here?
Kx
		
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 *whispers* No, you are infiltrated... * 

























 Hello from Sweden!


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## _Phoenix_ (3 February 2013)

Im not sure where us Manxies fit in.  

Are we classed as the North West or the rest of the world!!


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## j1ffy (3 February 2013)

Enfys said:



			Jiffy sssssssssshhhhhhhhhh, 27C   that's about 39C warmer than me, and even more than BB  

Currently, this is the view from my back door 






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Lol, don't worry I'll soon be complaining when it's mid-30s and 95% humidity!!!  My poor loan-horse is dry-coat and doesn't sweat once the weather gets humid


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## Festive_Felicitations (3 February 2013)

Enfys said:



			Now I have to go and find out what the 2nd flag is, I am not too good on those.

In Australia, do the different States (is that what they are called - it is  Provinces here)  have different flags as well? Ontarios' is fairly boring.
		
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Chile! 

They do! NSW = 






and the whole bloody lot =





(Go NT being different! More than Tassie they deserve to be their own country they are well special up there!  )


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## Festive_Felicitations (3 February 2013)

Does everyone know what the different colours on their flags stand for? Or their origins?

ETS - NO GOOGLING!


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## La Fiaba (3 February 2013)

Best guess for Italy:

Basilico - Mozzarella - Pomodoro

Can I google now to see if I'm right?


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## j1ffy (3 February 2013)

La Fiaba said:



			Best guess for Italy:

Basilico - Mozzarella - Pomodoro

Can I google now to see if I'm right? 

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***Like!***


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## Festive_Felicitations (3 February 2013)

La Fiaba said:



			Best guess for Italy:

Basilico - Mozzarella - Pomodoro

Can I google now to see if I'm right? 

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  Yes! I hope it is right!


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## Vindaloo (12 February 2013)

Checking in from India, been ages since I was last on Hho for more than a lurk.  Nice surprise to see everything had changed (well apart from the usual bitching, which does make me chuckle at times) and that there is an ex-pat section!

Sunny here today, temp approx 27 with thunderstorms this evening.  Next week it is getting hot, hot, hot.

So, hellooooo all from me in the stink city.


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## E13 (12 February 2013)

Vindaloo, how did you end up in India, if you don't mind me asking?


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## Vindaloo (1 March 2013)

God, I'd forgotten id posted on here.... We are in India because the bank OH works for have opened a back office function here.  He had to come out to help recruit and set up pretty much.  We were supposed to be here for two years, it has been three and now it's looking likely we will be here for a further two but moving down south.  One day we will move back to the UK but I have to say that we are enjoying life in a different country.

There are some god awful things to love with here but on the whole, a positive experience.


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## Enfys (1 March 2013)

Vindaloo said:



			There are some god awful things to love with here but on the whole, a positive experience.
		
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As you say you have to take the bad with the good, such a vastly different culture from Europe I imagine, but still, an experience that few of us will have, and probably nothing at all like it would be just to visit the country.  

My brother visits that part of the world often and says that "the good is very good, and the bad is very bad" and working for an Aid Agency all over the world he tends to see the worst of things.

Canada is just normal in comparison to the UK, bigger, colder, hotter but easy to adjust to. 

Is there a large ex-pat community where you are? 
How do you manage with communication, do you speak the language?


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## Vindaloo (1 March 2013)

Hi Enfys, there are ex pats here but are few and far between, for some reason not many are willing to relocate here... There are none at all within OH's company.

So I socialise with local people, tbh it's good since you really do get a feel for the place that way but it does get lonely. The culture, as you say is incredibly different.

I speak enough Hindi to get by but am no way conversational.

I would love to relocate to Canada.  It is a beautiful country, then again pretty much any English speaking country would be nice.


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## Rollin (3 March 2013)

Hi Vindaloo,

A surprise to see your post.  Do you have horses in India?  My grandparents loved India and my father spent his childhood there.  On his way to S'pore when it fell to the Japanese so he was diverted to Ceylon and then spent most of the war in Benares.  He loved India.

Grandfather was an Army riding instructor and Champion Tent Pegger.

Myhusband and I planned to spend our retirement globe trotting then started breeding horses, so that put paid to the cruising and 5* hotels!!!


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## Vindaloo (5 March 2013)

Hi Rollin,

I did have a horse (the one in my sig) but tragically lost him to colic September last year.  I kep him with an ex cavalry officer funnily enough, the cavalry are still alive and kicking and it's a real old boys network.

Back in the day, I would think that India would have been an amazing way of life.  I would think your grandparents would be shocked to the core at the changes.

I actually watched a tent pegging display at the polo last month.  My god, the skill was just breathtaking.

Globe trotting is great fun and such a life experience but would far rather be breeding horses


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## Rollin (5 March 2013)

What is the climate like in Jaipur?  I think that is an area with beautiful palaces - James Bond Octopussy?

India certainly was different when father and grandfather lived there.  My father would never have come back to England except he was worried (with just cause) about partitionment.  He loved to tell me about life spent in the foot hills of the Himalayas in what is now Pakistan.

My husband has been to India many times on business but it is still on my bucket list - must stop breeding horses!!


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## Captain Bridget (9 March 2013)

I'm currently in Oz, but only until May, do I count?!


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## j1ffy (9 March 2013)

CB - we'll let you in as long as you share some picture now and then


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## Captain Bridget (10 March 2013)

Does this help?! 






This is the beach, about 5 minutes walk from the house! Spent an hour there yesterday afternoon and today. And the sky looked pretty similar too!


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## Enfys (10 March 2013)

Bridget,  actually you can keep your phots   I still have 6" of snow and am well and truly fed up with winter,  so am very jealous.  Do you live near the beach?


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## Captain Bridget (12 March 2013)

Haha, I thought that might be the reaction! Everyone at home is feeling the same! Yes, we're a five minute walk from the beach, it's pretty awesome! I had my first riding lesson today, they didn't need a surface for the arena, it was just sand! And also stupidly hot...


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