Europe - the cost of having the Euro

[fgray1]

This thread has had way to much life. Alot more than it deserved.
Your allowed to be unhappy in What ever country you live.
Don't need to explain yourself to me. If your Italian. You have a great grasp of English. I wish you the best. In the imortal words of Cassi Kassum (not sure of the spelling) "keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars"

 

[watersprite]

I haven't been here for a while and am surprised to see discussions on the euro
I noticed some other Dutchies around too! Hallo!!

I agree with you all that life has become way more expensive now. Unfortunately our salaries aren't rising as much as the prices are. I don't think we can blame it all on the euro though... Remember we are also in an economic recession. I don't think life is just a bit tougher right now ONLY because of the euro!

I believe that in the long term, prices have to drop. I think the euro is great if you want to compare prices of say.... scuba diving gear! If for instance an entire scuba set turns out to be much cheaper in Belgium or Germany, then you just order it there or drive down to those places to buy it!

So come on, folks... give this currency another chance I also LOVED travelling through a few countries this summer without having to go to the bank to change currencies all the time. I used to lose LOTS of money because of all the fees I had to pay to exchange currencies. Also, if you get money out of a bank in another EURO country, you no longer have to pay an extra charge of 5 euro...

And, Sheck.... I don't know if you were kidding, but I don't think this currency has been introduced to "unite" Europe!! It's all about economic advantages, IMO (why are you complaing about democracy in NL? Do you vote in the USA?).

Regards,
Watersprite

 

[clive francis]

Tanto once bubbled...


If you wanted to keep the cheap holiday option you should have joined the Euro in time, now the pound went down (good for your exports) and we italians we'll be spending more time in London!

We really need to think long term and beyond "national" to judge the Euro.
I told you, italians moan and complain all the time, but we're having a good life. Salaries, it's supply and demand there too, you make what you deserve based on the competition available.

Interesting that you were in Bologna, one of the best cities in Italy in terms of fun and good life (food, dance, culture, art, women ect).
Did you have a chance to discover what women from Bologna are famous for?

the pound has not gone that much to make Italy 30% more expensive than the UK, so I am not too sure where you are coming from with that argument.

salaries is a case of supply and demand, and we were in demand, we were working on the Roma - Napoli high speed line which is a make or break for the Italian government and Alstom who were supplying it. We had 5 years experience in the systems compared to the couple that the Italians had and they still wanted to drop our salaries to E21,000 (which for your information you can earn straight out of school with no experience in McDonalds) so that argument doesn't wash either.

Bologna is something like the third most expensive city in italy and house prices are unreal for what they had to offer in space and layout so that is out as well.

if you want to see stunning women then i suggest you do what you said and go to London as they beat Bologna hands down and blind folded.

the women on italian tv were stunning, but we never saw a woman who looked anything near to the quality of them anywhere we went (Venice, Napoli, Milan, Ravena, Marina D'maritima, ravena d'maritima etc etc)

as for Bologna women, we sort of figured out they had an attitude

 

[Arnaud]

clive francis once bubbled...
...if you want to see stunning women then i suggest you do what you said and go to London as they beat Bologna hands down and blind folded...

Well, if you were to take the blind fold off, you might have a different perspective...

 

[clive francis]

fgray1 once bubbled...
I lived there( not in Italy ) for 6 years. It use to be a place I hoped to retire to but in recent years it's gotten so bad. The point is that if you worked together instead of everyone thinking they are better than the country next door you may prosper more.
I think the main problem is the most ambishous people have moved to the United States. When you think about the size and population of the US its mind blowing how we manage to stay together. People from all over the world want to either live here work here or be like us. I have yet to see anyone that said "you know I think I'll move to Italy cause my chances for a better life are there" At least no one in America. But I do know my family got on a boat about 100 years ago and came to America for a better life and found it.America is what it is because previous generation
sacrificed to make it this way. Todays Europeans know no sacrifice. They think not being able to go on holiday is a sacifice. Having to work overtime is a sacifice. Just look at what you play in taxes so the government will take care of you. There is no reason to sacifice, if I become unemployed the government will be there. If I get a cold I will still get paid no need to hurry back to work. If I just want to take some time off that's fine I got all kinds of vacation coming. All this stuff is not free. You pay for it in taxes.
That's why your gas is so exspesive. That's why your cost of living keeps going UP AND UP AND UP. The eastern European contries will end up being the ones that will prosper because they know what it's like to have nothing and are very hungry. They will do whatever it takes to make it. Western european have lost that concept.

so if the eastern european countries are going to be the winners, why are they beating at our doors and our borders trying to get into the EU and take from the governments all the taxes that we have paid and claim asylum.

in 99% of cases they are no more disadvantaged than some in the host countries, all they want is something for nothing without putting in.

I have worked all across europe (sometimes several countries in one week), spent time in the US (california) and ottowa.

so i know what i am talking about when i say one place is more expensive than others.

the US was good but i enjoyed canada better as i didn't have to keep explaining everything i said (say what must be your favorite saying over there!)

the US was cheaper, but if you have any troubles, ilness or financial then you are stuffed. regardless of how rich you were at one point

 

[clive francis]

Arnaud once bubbled...


Well, if you were to take the blind fold off, you might have a different perspective...

if you knew me, then you would know that comment came from the opposite end to your mouth.

because i never have a blind fold when it comes to noticing fit women, as any of my friends would tell you.

we looked every where we went and the best lloking woman i saw the whole time there worked in the tourist office at ravena.

but we did not see any women like the ones on the man o man game show or any of the other quiz shows come to that!

 

[clive francis]

watersprite once bubbled...
And, Sheck.... I don't know if you were kidding, but I don't think this currency has been introduced to "unite" Europe!! It's all about economic advantages, IMO (why are you complaing about democracy in NL? Do you vote in the USA?).

Regards,
Watersprite

it is funny that the two countries trying to bully every one else in to the euro, who also set all the rules have done nothing but break them since the start.

perhaps if they stuck to the rules and let it settle then other countries might reconsider.

another would be for the government to pull its finger out of its a*** and say when we go to the euro it will be a direct conversion, none of this double it and add a little crap like has happened in nearly every other country!!

 

[iphiclides]

it costs 30 euros with own euipment for a guided boat dive here on elba in italy...40 euros with hired equip...

 

[clive francis]

havent been for a while, but last time i went in it was £10 to £20 (can't remember exactly) for a boat dive at portland

 

[Tanto]

clive francis once bubbled...


the pound has not gone that much to make Italy 30% more expensive than the UK, so I am not too sure where you are coming from with that argument.

salaries is a case of supply and demand, and we were in demand, we were working on the Roma - Napoli high speed line which is a make or break for the Italian government and Alstom who were supplying it. We had 5 years experience in the systems compared to the couple that the Italians had and they still wanted to drop our salaries to E21,000 (which for your information you can earn straight out of school with no experience in McDonalds) so that argument doesn't wash either.

Bologna is something like the third most expensive city in italy and house prices are unreal for what they had to offer in space and layout so that is out as well.

if you want to see stunning women then i suggest you do what you said and go to London as they beat Bologna hands down and blind folded.

the women on italian tv were stunning, but we never saw a woman who looked anything near to the quality of them anywhere we went (Venice, Napoli, Milan, Ravena, Marina D'maritima, ravena d'maritima etc etc)

as for Bologna women, we sort of figured out they had an attitude

Well, if you hang out at one of the bars around the towers at 8 PM you'll see some specimens, or walk by via Zamboni in the morning, when the students pass by, and you'll know what I mean. Actually, people from Bologna are famous throughout Italy for oral sex, I just didn't know if this type of comment was somewhat an infringment of forum rules. And you're absolutely right about London, albeit the same is true for all major international cities, be them Paris, New York or Rio; it ends there though.

Regarding salaries and lifestyle, what can I say? I make enough money, I have a good life, I'm not spending more since the Euro became the currency, I see more nice houses, nice cars and nice boats than ever before, even the expensive helium is so popular now... ;-)
Housing in Bologna appears to be expensive because of the oldest university in Italy attracting so many students, but again it's just supply and demand, so those prices are actually fair.

I am sorry but my point was just that despite the moaning, we're having a good life. Just that.