wrote in message news
On Tue, 10 Jan 2017 20:38:36 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 16:53:40 on Tue, 10 Jan
2017, d remarked:
They always have the option of going native and getting a passport of
their
country of residence. Since they seem to believe life is better than
in the
UK
one has to wonder why they don't just do that anyway unless its simply
to
be
able to fly back and get free NHS treatment or some equally cynical
reason.

Why would they fly back to the UK for NHS treatment? They're entitled
to
use the local health services, which are often better than the NHS, on
the
same terms as the locals.

Maybe, but I can't think of many other reasons not to get a local
passport.

Because currently *any* EU passport is equally as good.

Not if you want to vote. And if you live in a country I'd assume you'd
want
to take part in the political process. Or maybe thats just me.

I got to vote in local elections

Germany is (I think) quite unique here in that, for sizable towns, they will
have a constituency of "foreign" residents who get to vote for their own
special choice of councilor who targets their manifesto at that minority
interest.

I also got a vote in EU elections. But I decided that it was pointless
using it.

I had so little knowledge of the leanings of German political parties that I
didn't have a clue which one comes closest to representing my specific
Political ideal - and I didn't believe that they would be prepared to spend
the effort to give me the information if I asked them (I actually had this
conversation with one of the canvassers in the town centre, and he agreed
with me - that they wouldn't find it worth their while to translate all
their literate into English for the small number of voters in the
constituency)

I suspect voting for a party at national elections has the same problem

There's probably
state pension issues too.

No, that's purely qualified for by years of contribution

tim

On Wed, 11 Jan 2017 11:55:46 -0000
"tim..." wrote:
Political ideal - and I didn't believe that they would be prepared to spend
the effort to give me the information if I asked them (I actually had this
conversation with one of the canvassers in the town centre, and he agreed
with me - that they wouldn't find it worth their while to translate all
their literate into English for the small number of voters in the
constituency)

If you're living in a foreign country you should learn the language and not
expect the locals to translate their literature into your language because
you're too lazy to learn theirs. Something councils in this country should
consider instead of wasting council tax translating documents into whatever
3rd world languages the local immigrants speak.

--
Spud

wrote in message news
On Wed, 11 Jan 2017 11:55:46 -0000
"tim..." wrote:
Political ideal - and I didn't believe that they would be prepared to
spend
the effort to give me the information if I asked them (I actually had this
conversation with one of the canvassers in the town centre, and he agreed
with me - that they wouldn't find it worth their while to translate all
their literate into English for the small number of voters in the
constituency)

If you're living in a foreign country you should learn the language and
not
expect the locals to translate their literature into your language because
you're too lazy to learn theirs.

Some people are just no good at learning foreign languages

after 200 hours (and that is a lot) of lessons I was still finding spoken
German incomprehensible

tim

On 2017\01\11 13:34, tim... wrote:


wrote in message news
On Wed, 11 Jan 2017 11:55:46 -0000
"tim..." wrote:
Political ideal - and I didn't believe that they would be prepared to
spend
the effort to give me the information if I asked them (I actually had
this
conversation with one of the canvassers in the town centre, and he
agreed
with me - that they wouldn't find it worth their while to translate all
their literate into English for the small number of voters in the
constituency)

If you're living in a foreign country you should learn the language
and not
expect the locals to translate their literature into your language
because
you're too lazy to learn theirs.

Some people are just no good at learning foreign languages

after 200 hours (and that is a lot) of lessons I was still finding
spoken German incomprehensible

Zay heff vays off mecking you tock,
but zay heff no vay off mecking you understand.

On Wed, 11 Jan 2017 13:34:25 -0000
"tim..." wrote:
wrote in message news
On Wed, 11 Jan 2017 11:55:46 -0000
"tim..." wrote:
Political ideal - and I didn't believe that they would be prepared to
spend
the effort to give me the information if I asked them (I actually had this
conversation with one of the canvassers in the town centre, and he agreed
with me - that they wouldn't find it worth their while to translate all
their literate into English for the small number of voters in the
constituency)

If you're living in a foreign country you should learn the language and
not
expect the locals to translate their literature into your language because
you're too lazy to learn theirs.

Some people are just no good at learning foreign languages

after 200 hours (and that is a lot) of lessons I was still finding spoken
German incomprehensible

To be fair I found german hard too. French was a lot easier and I managed to
get myself up to a basic conversational level just by teaching myself on the
tube ride in the mornings. Perhaps you should have picked a different country
to live in?

--
Spud

On 2017\01\11 15:24, d wrote:
On Wed, 11 Jan 2017 13:34:25 -0000
"tim..." wrote:
wrote in message news
On Wed, 11 Jan 2017 11:55:46 -0000
"tim..." wrote:
Political ideal - and I didn't believe that they would be prepared to
spend
the effort to give me the information if I asked them (I actually had this
conversation with one of the canvassers in the town centre, and he agreed
with me - that they wouldn't find it worth their while to translate all
their literate into English for the small number of voters in the
constituency)

If you're living in a foreign country you should learn the language and
not
expect the locals to translate their literature into your language because
you're too lazy to learn theirs.

Some people are just no good at learning foreign languages

after 200 hours (and that is a lot) of lessons I was still finding spoken
German incomprehensible

To be fair I found german hard too. French was a lot easier and I managed to
get myself up to a basic conversational level just by teaching myself on the
tube ride in the mornings. Perhaps you should have picked a different country
to live in?

Amazing. I loved German but hated French. French isn't even a language,
its just a load of nasal sounds blurred into each other. French
keyboards have a big apostrophe bar where the space bar should be.

In message , at 15:24:11 on Wed, 11 Jan
2017, d remarked:

Some people are just no good at learning foreign languages

after 200 hours (and that is a lot) of lessons I was still finding spoken
German incomprehensible

To be fair I found german hard too. French was a lot easier and I managed to
get myself up to a basic conversational level just by teaching myself on the
tube ride in the mornings. Perhaps you should have picked a different country
to live in?

Difficulty in picking up foreign languages (or even English when an
infant) is one of the classic symptoms of even high-functioning autism
sufferers.
--
Roland Perry

On Wed, 11 Jan 2017 15:50:46 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 15:24:11 on Wed, 11 Jan
2017, d remarked:

Some people are just no good at learning foreign languages

after 200 hours (and that is a lot) of lessons I was still finding spoken
German incomprehensible

To be fair I found german hard too. French was a lot easier and I managed to
get myself up to a basic conversational level just by teaching myself on the
tube ride in the mornings. Perhaps you should have picked a different country
to live in?

Difficulty in picking up foreign languages (or even English when an
infant) is one of the classic symptoms of even high-functioning autism
sufferers.

I think thats a bit unfair. Some people are just bad at languages in the way
that others just don't get maths no matter how much effort they put in.

--
Spud

In message , at 16:11:57 on Wed, 11 Jan
2017, d remarked:
Some people are just no good at learning foreign languages

after 200 hours (and that is a lot) of lessons I was still finding spoken
German incomprehensible

To be fair I found german hard too. French was a lot easier and I managed to
get myself up to a basic conversational level just by teaching myself on the
tube ride in the mornings. Perhaps you should have picked a different country
to live in?

Difficulty in picking up foreign languages (or even English when an
infant) is one of the classic symptoms of even high-functioning autism
sufferers.

I think thats a bit unfair. Some people are just bad at languages in the way
that others just don't get maths no matter how much effort they put in.

It' not "unfair", it's a condition with symptoms, just like colour
blindness, dyslexia or dyspraxia. Not everyone can be good at
everything, nor should we blame them, it's just the way they are.

Understanding disability[1] is a fundamental part of a caring society.

The other side of the coin is that like blind piano tuners having
enhanced audio skills, high-functioning autism sufferers can be amazing
talented at certain tasks.

[1] Again, that's a word with unnecessary baggage.
--
Roland Perry