@babaibadan

baba meguard u na well don o!

I hear my brother, , oops! my oyibo oga de blow horn make I go open gate for am. talk to una later.

LMAO. Man i like your attitude and originality.

how was your trip to nigeria?

Oh, sorry was that meant for me? I completely missed that.

Well my trip to Nigeria was awesome, I mean all my family is back there (except immediate family). So it was great to see everyone, and they were all welcoming. So it was an great experience.

@PTBnaija
so wat was ur comparison with life over there .

I am loving it every mile of the drive.

There is nothing as good as driving in ur sweet car whenever u want at 2am on the highway without the fear of armed robbers, spoilt lorrys that have been in the middle of the road 4 weeks and sudden gullys in the middle of the road.

Boy,the dream life abroad is possible but it depends your status.if u actually schooled there and have a work permit,you can afford such dream life,but broda,if you dare waka enter uk without as an illegal immigrant,u will find yourself in this status
1. hide and seek game
2. you will be collecting western union for yahoo yahoo boys out here.{erand boy}
3. you will be selling igbo and coco {i mean cocaine in the club houses}
4. different odds jobs
5. involved in all crimes.
6. and many others
7. call girls {i.e for chicks}
Look i have two of my friends we just sent about 600 euro to from nirja.imagine we initially were expecting from them but we are sending to them.mind you to barb you hair in liverpool is 9pds{i.e about N2,500},for every income,you pay a tax of 40%
For america,fair but you will leave so much on credit{fake life}.Not discouraging anybody but watch out and plan it critically
One love and good luck to all.

bucknor

Well it depends sha, Right about now. The way i see it is like everyone’s struggling to make ends meet things are expensive like for instance. v mobile is 500 naira right(Naija network) which is equivalent to £2.50 while we buy our Tmobile credit which is £5.00 which is equivalent to 1,200 naira. Can u jus imagine? A friend of mines wants to come over and I feel so sorry for him because he doesn’t really know what his in for. Obviously when he comes he'll have to work, go to school, by bus pass which equivalent to 3250000naira(plz correct me if i wrong) cuz obviously he or she cant walk everywhere by foot. And another thing is he or she would wanna look good which involves money, Then pay for were they are leaving and play bills like electricity or gas and so and so. So my advice is yall that stay in Naija are betta off there. And as for me I don’t have any problems cuz I live with my parents but those I do feel sorry for our my friends that come over to London and get stuck here, on those six months visa. Which is a pity cuz that means they gotta do some horrible jobs and at they end of the day they are still not satisfied because of all the bills they gotta pay and all the money they gotta send back home. They can't get a bank account that easily, their uni fee's start from as lil as 10 thousand pounds and they can't even get n9.which is a shame.

@achinu

Your right about the vacation thingy o.I kno some guy that lives out there in the state's his been livin there for the last 10 years. Currently his not working sha, so basically I asked him one day while i was in naija, that when was the last time he ever travelled. He couldnt even give me answer.It was kinda funny now that I think bout it.Cuz it jus goes to show how naija ppl live there lifes in the states.No job but yet his using a contract phone which his parents are paying for,partying from thursday to sunday and driving across country like crazy.Its hilarious.And yet now he finding it very hard to get up from his lazy ass and find a job so that he can start preparing to work to come over here and Naija next yr summer 07

@PTBnaija
so what was your comparison with life over there .

My comparison is that Nigeria is more relaxed. I mean, it's a well known fact that American's work a lot. They are probably #2 or #1 in people who work the most hours per week. And if it's not there, well then American's are surely at least #3. Honestly, there is only soo much that money can do for you. But I just feel that it's great to have the support of family. I mean, if I had a lot of cousins or even just a couple cousins here, I might not be thinking all this. But the fact that I have really no one is what makes it lonely. Like when your friend's talk about how they go out all the time with their cousins, and not just one cousin, but multiple cousins, it's something that you envy.

But even if I do get cousins here, I will still want a house in Nigeria just because people are less uptight and more open and friendly. And if I do stay in the US and decide to have a family here, I can assure you that my kids will spend at least 3/4 years schooling in Nigeria because there you learn respect and gain other values. And I feel that I might be at a slight disadvantage to teach my kids that kind of stuff when I was born and raised here.

LOL Old Glory,

We go c. To tell u the truth, na next yr, after elections, man been wan touch dia, but if wazo drop as expected, I no go lie, I go land dia sharp sharp.

Wow, wen u go, u dey really go - BA - ABJ - Johanesburg. Where is next? Hong Kong?

Don't be fooled. We struggle more here because living costs are extortionate and we still support family at home who ase disillusioned and believe that we are all rich as hell.

@ topic,

I can say half are living the dream while the other half isn't. Like some people clearly pointed out you have to have the right papers to be able to work. If you dont then you will be working more than one job to pay bills and have barely anyhing left to really live the dream life

@classiqkid

i don't think it will do you any good coverting pound to naira it's rather odd! you are spending pounds not naira so there no point always converting pounds to naira when you are buying things

This is a tough one,

I have been in UK now for over 16 years and will still prefer Nigeria to here any day. I have a very good job (Oracle Applications DBA), but I will still tell u that for half of what I am making here,  Nigeria is still better. For every progress you make here, you will really sweat for it as nothing comes easy, and be prepared that you will face so many obstacles and silent and open discrimination.
Dreams - most guys will never tell you what they do only to show you the blings they claimed to have, most people here do live a life of lies, and this they will never tell u,
Another advice here is , don't plan coming abroad with an illegal status, you will surely hate yourself and it can be demoralising, and if u do get in here, do not loose focus on why you are here, years go very fast here without you knowing, set proper goals for yourself, goals are not clothes and cars. Finally believe in yourself, and do not compare yourself with your mates, 'cos u never know what anyone does down here,

Finally, life abroad do get lonely, and it can never be like living in Nigeria,
U will make money here, but my God nothing comes free here, absolutely no kickbacks or contract deals,

Oloks

I am shocked you have not relocated back home by now. You should go back home on the next flight. 16 Years?!!!

why don't u try and keep this real,
and grow up,

lol

Oloks

I am keeping it real. 16YRS AND COUNTING, You need to change your environment. If it is better in Nigeria, then why are you there for so long? I do not care if you are Prime Minister. You say it is better back home right? Then pack your $hit and hit the road. Now that is an adult statement i just made there.

Old Glory, ,

I won't come here and start bragging about the car I drive or the material things I have achieved, which is what people like u will do when they are on vacations in Nigeria, but I know I have done good for myself, and I will not just pack and go 'cos I do have commitments here, which in my case I will not stoop so low to refer to as $hit,

At times it will be proper to keep to the topic that is been discussed and avoid the issue of moving it to personality issue. It is on this basis I am telling u to grow up, contribute objectively and stop been a brat, saying how big his house is or which car he drives,

Oloks

If you know you have commitments, then stop complaining. I am not bragging, i am actually replying to the topic. I am living the dream, and i am glad to be a Nigerian Living well abroad. I will not be here 16yrs later and still be whining how Nigeria is better. But Oh by the way i have been here 16yrs. What a whiner! You should have raised your family in Nigeria and relocate to your village about say 10yrs ago. Let someone else come and take your place. Hypocrites are a menace to society. If it is better in Nigeria, head on down there, if you have done good for yourself in the UK, then put up and shut up.

@ OldGlory i just lost a ton of respect for you, there really is no need to hassle the guy.

I have been in UK now for over 16 years and will still prefer Nigeria to here any day. I have a very good job (Oracle Applications DBA), but I will still tell u that for half of what I am making here,  Nigeria is still better. For every progress you make here, you will really sweat for it as nothing comes easy, and be prepared that you will face so many obstacles and silent and open discrimination.

i am not getting into this war above but i must say why do we think everything should be on a plate of gold? are u basically saying you do not need to work for things in nigeria and things come easy, are u aso saying there is no discrimination in nigeria (tribalism)?

Oloks to be honest if you were saying this to your workmates don't you think their reply would be "why don't you live in the Nigeria?"

It is absolutely disturbing people would live in a country they don't like  especially when they are not forced to do so!!

Loverbwoy

U Absolutely hit the nail on it's head. Oloks you are "NOT FORCED TO LIVE IN THE UK" I did not even remember that point. U know that Heathrow and Gatwick have direct flights to Abuja,Lagos,Kano and PHC. Pick one!! Make something happen. You are a "Grown Up" bust a move.

All in all, the mere fact that those of us who are in the diaspora is enough to say we are living "the dream". After all, what would be the alternative?

Having said that, as I tell pple there, those of us abroad, spking for america, probably put more time into making $1 than they do making N1. The difference is that when we bring the $$ home, it is worth more than Naira. In other words, I can buy stuff in Nigeria for $1 that wouldn't even pay sales tax in the states.

Is the dream alive? sure. However, one must realize that for some, it will remain just that - a dream. So humility and patience is to be exercised. Most importantly, as is typical of a naija person (come on now, u know what I am abt to say is true ), we want instant wealth. If you are one of those who have or plan to sell your property, visit ofala/ikeji shrine, forsake your family, etc because you are certain of making it better abroad, you may want to think over your line of thought more then twice. Cos, as we say here in the states, life aint what is seems.

'nuff said

LoverBwoy:

@classiqkid

i don't think it will do you any good coverting pound to naira it's rather odd! you are spending pounds not naira so there no point always converting pounds to naira when you are buying things

Actually it does.Maybe not to you,but it actually does and theres nothing odd about it.

classiqkid:

There may b nothing wrong with it, or odd with it, but in my opinion, it doesn't make sense. You will only end up with unnecessary headache. You are comparing apples and oranges my friend I was like that when I first arrived in the states. To the point where when I visited, I would buy stuff like toothpaste, etc from naija and bring back to the states cos it was cheaper LOL

My2cents,

When you just fall in, it is always that way. I remember the first taxi I entered from the train station to my bros house when i just came to the UK. It was like 10-15 min ride, I won die when the taxi guy tell me say my bill na £18 pounds my hand dey shake when I dey give am the money.

But with time men, guy grow up. I done tire to convert man. The only time when i dey convert now na when the money dey go naijja.

hum, can't stop laughing at this thread. Very interesting topic.


But to be realistic, not every one in yankee is living the american dream but as long as you are in school, focused and hardworking. You would definately get to leave the american dream. its all about patience, hardwork and sacrifice. So no one should please be discouraged in the nairaland house because we are all getting there.

Well, from a female point of view, l would say yankee is kind of better sha as in coming to think of it, you can be independent without having to go and sell you body for money as in most naija campus chicks have to depend on sugar daddies just to be able to buy pancake or sanitary towel. you feeling me ladies in the house. Well, also when it comes to clothes, hair extensions, and all the sweet sexy things we ladies enjoy here, yankee 100%.  ladies with blemishes can use certain products and get to look really well and even medical care has helped a lot of nigerian women to have safe delivery. l know am going out of point but na fact l de yarn.Also, naija can be very frustrating as in u would have to be a graduate/ rich child  just to have a pako car. Excuse me, that era don pass for yankee o.




Cheers.

lets call a spade a spade, most or if not all of the fantasies we in the diaporsa use to have about the usa aint that true, it aint that easy my people, but trust me on this one, my move from africa to the us was worth it

MP007:

lets call a spade a spade, most or if not all of the fantasies we in the diaporsa use to have about the usa aint that true, it aint that easy my people, but trust me on this one, my move from africa to the us was worth it

really funny. LMAO

We are living in Germany and Life is very hard.