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Snakes in the grass – and under the piano, by the pool and in prison

Jeffrey Bailey — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 04:51:04 +0000

The phone rings. It’s the local jail. There’s a snake in a cell. Within a few hours, snakes have also been spotted at a school, under a piano in a private garage and near a lagoon-like swimming pool at a retirement home. Customers want them gone.

Business has never been better for Stuart McKenzie, who runs a snake-trapping service on the Sunshine Coast, a leafy enclave along miles of pristine beach in the vast Australian state of Queensland. On the busiest days, he can receive more than 35 calls about troublesome snakes.

Queensland is home to the largest number of snake species in Australia: about 120. Of these, two-thirds are venomous and a handful are fatal. Across Australia, fatalities from snakebites remain extremely rare – around two per year – and in Queensland the reptiles are simply a part of life.

In the cooler months of the year – historically April to September – snakes become sluggish and may not eat, drink, defecate or even move for weeks. But as the world warms and southern Queensland’s climate shifts from subtropical to tropical, this hibernation period is shortening, meaning increasing conflict between humans and animals.

“Not only do snakes become more active earlier in the year and stay active longer into the year, but it also means they stay active longer into the night,” says Bryan Fry, professor of biology at New York University. Queensland. On nights with temperatures above 28 or 29 degrees Celsius, or 82 degrees Fahrenheit, snakes will remain active all night, he added.

Mr McKenzie, 35, of Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7, says his winter break is getting shorter.

On a recent job, a four-foot brown snake (the second most venomous snake species in the world, despite its understated name) was wedged between a screen and a window and had to be removed. Simpler was the request to remove a non-venomous carpet python, the body of which had intricate patterns with whorls and whorls, curled up in the depths of a shed. (The cost of snake removal starts at 154 Australian dollars, or about $100.)

Snake catchers travel light. In normal work they may not carry much more than a metal hook, used to gently poke a snake out from under furniture or push it into place, and a large cotton bag used to house snakes. With any job, the idea is to cause as little damage or disruption to the snake as possible – and then take it somewhere where it is less likely to get into trouble.

With the Sunshine Coast’s population expected to increase by more than 50 percent to around half a million people in the 25 years to 2041, deforestation is a major threat. happens with speed. More and more houses are being built, and many snakes that once lived in native bushland are finding refuge – and a reliable source of food and water – in houses intended for humans.

Most collisions occur without incident. But fear and misinformation are still on the rise, Mr McKenzie said, as is the persistent perception among older generations of Australians that “the only good snake is a dead snake.”

Mr. McKenzie can catch highly venomous reptiles with his bare hands and a balletic fluidity. But he also has to be almost as dexterous to confuse people. Customers can be extremely afraid of snakes, and when passersby see him release a healthy specimen into the wild after it has been removed from a home, they may react with fear, anger or tears.

Like kangaroos, koalas and other Australian wildlife, snakes are protected by law and play a vital role in the ecosystem by keeping pests at bay. Researchers from Macquarie University found that by eating mice and rats, the benefits of snakes to farmers far outweigh the potential costs of having a venomous creature on site.

When a small and harmless tree snake was removed from her bedroom, Doris Hyde, 96, explained how she panicked and instinctively hit the animal with a blast of fly spray. “I thought it might get sick,” she said.

“You can’t do that,” Mr. McKenzie said, because it could injure the animal. “Call us next time,” he added, as he rinsed the creature under the kitchen tap.

For every snake that can be peacefully bagged and taken far away, there are many more that disappear before a snake catcher can even arrive. During one such fruitless job, Mr. McKenzie walked through some bushes at a retirement home, pushing aside leaves and looking deep into an outbuilding near the pool. The sun was setting and he raised an arm to wipe his forehead.

“Just long, sweaty days,” he said, “hunting extremely dangerous snakes.”

Unwell snakes are being cared for at the nearby Australia Zoo, established by the conservationist Steve Irwin. Last Thursday, Mr McKenzie brought three injured pythons to the clinic. Two accepted an inspection with relative grace, but the third skipped across the floor and jerked its head as if to bite Mr. McKenzie’s left knee, while holding the tail firmly in his hand.

“He’s grumpy pants,” says Katie Whittle, the vet.

Mr McKenzie’s company has been featured on local television and has a large social media following TikTok, Instagram And Facebookwith posts showing videos and photos of snakes eating impossibly large possums, hanging out in places they shouldn’t be and generally getting into ophidian mischief.

Mr. McKenzie, who employs a social media manager to maintain a strict posting schedule, tries to strike a balance between “nice, easy catches of carpet pythons,” he said, “and defensive scary catches of brown snakes” to keep people off discourage you from handling snakes yourself without proper training.

In his current job for the past seven years, Mr McKenzie previously worked as a reptile keeper at Australia Zoo. He has had blue-tongued lizards as pets since childhood, but was initially wary of snakes and had little interest in handling them. It was only after working with them at the zoo every day, he said, that he thought, “Gosh, these things are actually really cool.”

In recent years his business has expanded to include seven snake catchers and dozens of subcontractors in Queensland. Still, the hours can be brutal.

“It’s one of those jobs that can take its toll,” he said.

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Splendor in the Grass 2024: Incredible Lineup Revealed with Powerful Headliners Kylie Minogue and Future alongside G Flip, Yung Gravy and Tones and I

Sabir Ansary — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 12:11:53 +0000

Splendor in the Grass returns to North Byron Parklands in July for three fun-filled days packed with great musicians.

Australian pop princess Kylie Minogue will kick off as a major headliner on Friday, July 19, in a triumphant return home after her Grammy win.

Her latest album Tension marks the beginning of a new chapter in the Australian artist’s career, which has included multiple awards and a historic lifetime residency in Las Vegas.

The Padam Padam hitmaker, 55, further cemented her legacy as pop royalty when she performed a duet with Madonna during her Celebration Tour for International Women’s Day.

Exciting mumble rap pioneer Future will take to the big stage on Saturday, July 20 as the second headliner, having also scooped two Grammys last month.

Australian pop princess Kylie Minogue, 55, (pictured) will kick off as the big headliner for Splendor in the Grass 2024 on Friday, July 19 in a triumphant return home after her Grammy win

With multiple platinum-selling albums and singles, the American rapper, 40, has cemented his status as one of the most influential artists of his generation.

His recent hit Stand On It, featuring fellow #SITG24 artist Yeat, has made waves around the world, further cementing his groundbreaking reputation.

The headliners end on Sunday evening, July 21, with Canadian sensation Arcade Fire, closing out the annual festival.

They make their long-awaited return to Australia, taking to the stage for their first performance Down Under in 10 years.

Arcade Fire has headlined some of the world’s most renowned music festivals, including Coachella, Glastonbury and Primavera Sound.

Exciting mumble rap pioneer Future, 40, (pictured) will take to the big stage as the second headliner on Saturday, July 20, after also scooping two Grammys last month

The headliners conclude on Sunday evening, July 21, with Canadian sensation Arcade Fire (pictured), bringing the annual festival to a close

These massive headliners will be supported by names that are just as popular, with G Flip taking to the stage on Friday, while Tones and I support Future on Saturday.

Meanwhile, hip-hop superduo Baby Gravy (Yung Gravy and BBNO$) will make their Australian debut on Sunday in support of Arcade Fire.

Norwegian alt-pop phenomenon Girl in Red will also take to the stage after successfully opening Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour in the US.

Californian breakout rapper Yeat joins the lineup alongside hardcore groundbreakers Turnstile for an exclusive Australian performance.

Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Omar Apollo brings his aching, soulful tunes to the festival after opening for SZA on her SOS Tour.

These massive headliners are supported by names just as popular, with G Flip taking to the stage on Friday, while Tones and I support Future on Saturday

In the photo: Tones and me

Meanwhile, hip-hop superduo Baby Gravy (Yung Gravy and BBNO$ – both pictured) will make their Australian debut in support of Arcade Fire on Sunday

Acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Tash Sultana brings their musical talent to the stage after receiving the 2023 Rolling Stone Global Award.

Meanwhile, festival king and multiple award winner Hayden James is set to deliver an unforgettable performance, endorsed by BBC Radio 1’s Zane Lowe.

Irish renegades Fontaines DC, crowned Best Band in the World at the 2022 NME Awards, bring their explosive live show Down Under.

Hotter than hot pop trio TV Girl is coming to Australia for the first time, after performances at Reading and Leeds Festivals and Pukkelpop last year.

DJ Seinfeld, one of electronic music’s most in-demand names, will also set the festival on fire with an exclusive Australian set.

Finally, gothic-romantic revivalists The Last Dinner Party premiere in Australia following their Triple J Feature Album, Prelude To Ecstasy.

Splendor in the Grass returns to North Byron Parklands in July for three fun-filled days packed with great musicians

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Monty Don warns against common lawn tasks – otherwise you risk ‘bad’ grass this summer

Jeffrey Bailey — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 13:49:04 +0000

Now that winter is almost over, many enthusiastic garden enthusiasts have already started preparing their outdoor space for the coming summer.

But before you run outside to work on your garden, find out what common task could potentially destroy the grass, as explained by the gardener, the one and only Monty Don.

Gardeners’ World Winter Specials 2022,02-12-2022,1, Monty Don, Monty Don in Longmeadow, BBC, BBCCredit: BBC

Although the lawns need to be mowed in March, there is a crucial mistake to avoid, Monty shared with fans on his website.

According to the expert – who recently confirmed the return of iconic BBC series – fellow garden enthusiasts should not mow their lawn ‘too short’.

“Just give it a light trim for the rest of this month,” the whiz kid explained the mail.

“This promotes good root growth and the grass will therefore be a lot healthier and better able to withstand summer drought.”

The 68-year-old, who has been dubbed a ‘sex siren’ by admirers, also urged gardeners to take a different approach when working on their outdoor space.

‘Put your efforts into healthy grass rather than fighting perceived ‘problems’ such as daisies, moss, ants, worms, moles, plantains, dandelions and fairy rings.

“If the grass is healthy, nine times out of ten everything will take care of itself.”

According to the whizz, you can also tell a lot about the health of your lawn just by looking at the grass – and it’s bad news if your garden is covered in moss.

”The best grass likes very well-drained soil. For example, moss is always a symptom of poor drainage, exacerbated by shade.

“Unfortunately, even the best prepared soil becomes compacted by felted roots, rain and especially normal family use.”

You are watering your plants incorrectly. Eliminate a common mistake that prevents H20 from moving through potting soil

The answer here, he noted, was to work on it at least once a year – simply by sticking a fork in the soil and then wiggling it back and forth; a process you will need to repeat approximately every 6 inches.

You can then mix together equal portions of sieved topsoil, sharp sand and sieved leaf mold or compost.

For those who don’t have these things, Monty said sharp or silver sand works fine too.

”Spread it over the puncture site and brush it with a stiff broom, filling the holes with the mixture.

“This will improve drainage and nourish the grass,” the guru told his superfans.

When it comes to preparing your lawn for the upcoming warmer season, Monty also urged giving the area ”a good scratch” with a wire rake.

This simple but effective step removes any overwintering thatch and moss, while also allowing light and water into the soil and grass roots.

”Put the debris on the compost and then mow. It will look a little bare for about a week, but will grow back thicker than ever.”

Expert garden advice

Garden tips and hacks

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I transformed my depressing, brown grass with an easy spray, it lasts all winter

Jeffrey Bailey — Sun, 18 Feb 2024 21:30:56 +0000

A lawn care expert has revealed how she transformed her brown grass with a simple solution.

Her favorite spray solution not only gave her lawn life, but lasted the entire winter season.

A lawn expert transformed her depressing, brown grass with a simple recipeCredit: TikTok/kellybossman

She explained that it bothered her all winter last seasonCredit: TikTok/kellybossman

Kelly (@kellybossman) shared the garden trick with her TikTok followers.

“I'm going to show you how I transformed this depressing, dormant Bermuda grass in our backyard using Lawn Star grass paint I got from Amazon,” she said.

In a garden sprayer she mixed half a bottle of the Grass paint €25 with two liters of water.

“It's quite simple… then you start watering and transform your garden,” she said.

After mixing the paint and water thoroughly, she tested the solution on a piece of plywood, making sure to avoid getting the paint on surfaces she didn't want to expose it to.

She laid out the plywood as a cover and began spraying her lawn with the paint.

“That color is quite natural. I have small dogs and once it dries it doesn't get on the paws in the house, it doesn't bleed when it rains,” she added.

“I tried this in our backyard last year, it lasted all winter. It may fade a little, but… it's so much better.”

People were impressed by the simple but effective green hack.

“It looks great!! It definitely brightens it up for the winter months ahead,” said one commenter.

Gardener hits back at 'bullying' critics over 'disastrous' makeover after family lawn was cleared for artificial grass and new patio – but do they have a point?

“Grass isn't always greener on the other side. The neighbors might just have grass paint,” joked another.

Some were initially hesitant about the hack, but eventually warmed up to it.

“I want to rate this so badly, but it looks really nice and would boost your mood all winter long,” said one viewer.

Some thought it was also a great solution for seasonal depression.

“It's amazing how it helps with your winter blues,” said one viewer.

She mixed half a bottle of grass paint with five liters of waterCredit: TikTok/kellybossman

She sprayed her brown grass with the non-transmitting green solution that was safe for petsCredit: TikTok/kellybossman

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Unique ‘HOBBIT’ home in Pennsylvania, complete with a MOW grass roof, goes on sale for $425,000 as it hits the market for the first time since it was built in 1988

Albert Elence — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 09:16:19 +0000

Tolkien fans can live out their Lord of the Rings fantasies thanks to a Hobbit-esque house that has hit the market in Pennsylvania for $425,000.

Described by real estate agents as an “arch tech” home, the home features a curved grass roof that “keeps heating and cooling costs low.”

The unique home was built in 1988 on a four-hectare site and it is the first time that it has been put up for sale since it was built.

Photos of the home’s clean, whitewashed interior show how the second-floor rooms—including the master bedroom—have vaulted ceilings, while the main-floor rooms have a more traditional format.

Tolkien fans can live out their Lord of the Rings fantasies thanks to a Hobbit-esque house that has hit the market in Pennsylvania for $425,000

Described by real estate agents as an “arch tech” home, the home features a curved grass roof that reportedly “keeps heating and cooling costs down.”

. Photos of the home’s clean, whitewashed interior show how the second floor rooms (including the master bedroom) have vaulted ceilings, while the ground floor rooms are a more traditional format

When entering the home, the listing reveals that a ‘beautiful wooden spiral staircase’ runs through the foyer

The unique residence was built in 1988 on a site of four hectares and it is the first time that it has been put up for sale since its construction.

Unlike the Hobbit houses in Lord of the Rings, the Pennsylvania property at 180 Grove Road has a standard glass front door instead of a circular entryway

When photos of the house appeared on Facebook, many commenters compared it to the Hobbit houses in Lord of the Rings.

One person said: ‘I’d love to live in the Shire!’

While another fan said it looked like ‘a big Hobbit hole!’

The original houses used in the film adaptations of JRR Tolkien’s books are located in New Zealand’s Waikato region on a 2,500-acre farm and the film set is open for tours seven days a week.

Unlike the original Hobbit houses, the Pennsylvania property at 180 Grove Road has a standard glass front door instead of a circular entryway and an airier interior.

When entering the home, the listing reveals that a ‘beautiful wooden spiral staircase’ runs through the foyer.

Other rooms on the main floor include a kitchen with “great views” of the backyard, a dining room with sliding glass doors, two bedrooms, a full bathroom and a laundry room.

Up the spiral staircase to the second floor you will find an ‘extensive’ living room that opens onto an outdoor terrace, and a master bedroom with a walk-in closet and a full bathroom.

When photos of the house appeared on Facebook, many commenters compared it to the Hobbit houses in Lord of the Rings

While the agents note that the house ‘needs TLC’, they say it has ‘huge potential’

Location-wise, the property is close to French Creek State Park, Ludwig’s Corner Show Grounds and in a desirable school district.

The home is currently available for $425,000 after a $25,000 price reduction with Scott Gullaksen of Keller Williams Realty

Other benefits of the property include a large three-car garage which is described as ‘perfect for someone who has a few cars, or enjoys working on cars, or has an oversized vehicle such as a camper/motorhome’

The house is accessed via an unpaved driveway with beautiful views as far as the eye can see

While the agents note that the house “needs TLC,” they say it has “huge potential.”

Location-wise, the property is close to French Creek State Park, Ludwig’s Corner Show Grounds and in a desirable school district.

The house is currently available for $425,000 after a $25,000 price reduction Scott Gullaksen from Keller Williams Realty.

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‘I hadn’t gone far when I had to flop down in the grass’

Sabir Ansary — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 10:47:55 +0000

Fort Tryon Park

Dear Diary:

It was a spring weekend morning, about twenty years ago, and I was jogging in Fort Tryon Park.

Looking to my right as I ran toward the Cloisters museum along the path overlooking the Hudson River, I noticed a commotion near a parked van. I decided to take a closer look.

I jogged over and saw a man waving his arms as if gesturing for help, and a woman exiting the van who appeared to be in distress.

Somehow I knew she was choking.

The man shouted frantically in Spanish. Not speaking the language, I shouted back “Heimlich” and pantomimed the maneuver.

He didn’t seem to understand, so when I told him to call 911, I stepped behind the woman, stretched out my arms and pulled her closer. (I had never done the Heimlich maneuver before.)

After a few tries I heard a popping sound. Something had come loose. The emergency was over.

As I caught my breath, the man and woman held theirs in between and thanked me with big smiles on their faces.

I wished them well and headed out. I hadn’t gone far when I had to flop down in the grass. My legs were like jelly.

When I got home, I told my wife and children what had happened. Later I told some friends and colleagues. Quite a story, everyone said.

About a year later I started jogging again. It was Mother’s Day, the weather was nice and the park was full of families.

Looking to my left as I passed the back of the monasteries, I saw a man and a woman with a stroller walking towards me.

They started waving and quickened their pace towards me. Confused, I stopped and they came closer. The child in the stroller was a baby.

We were here last year, the man said in broken English. My wife was in trouble. You helped her.

I was amazed.

She was pregnant, he continued. This is our baby.

I was speechless.

As editor of Metropolitan Diary, I spend a lot of time checking the facts as carefully as possible to ensure the accuracy and authenticity of what we publish.

Some stories, like the ones I’ve told here and some included in this year’s “best of” contest, are almost impossible to verify. For that, we have to trust the authors to vouch for them by answering three standard questions: Has your article been published before? Is it original? Is it all true?

Now it’s my turn, so let me just say: No. Yes. And absolutely. Sometimes, I’ve learned, the serendipity of living in New York City isn’t too good to be true.

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Freedom for queen of the jungle after life behind bars: Starving tiger, reduced to skin and bones, is among 53 giant cats who ‘feel grass on their paws for the first time’ after rescue from Thai breeding farm

Albert Elence — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 14:19:10 +0000

A starving tiger reduced to skin and bones is among 53 big cats who will ‘feel grass on their paws for the first time’ after being rescued from a Thai breeding farm.

The emaciated female tiger Salamas found it difficult to stand or walk after losing so much weight in a cage in a dilapidated facility in Mukdahan, northern Thailand.

Harrowing photos show Salamas with chunks of fur missing from her skeleton as she lies exhausted and emaciated on the dirty concrete.

Salamas is one of 53 tigers and leopards rescued from breeding who faced bankruptcy and prosecution for alleged illegal wildlife trade by veterinarians and experts from the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT).

The big cats, who have spent their lives in captivity, will now enjoy ‘sunlight and grass’ for the first time in a vast forest reserve some 880 kilometers away in the south of the country.

Harrowing photos show Salamas with chunks of fur missing from her skeleton as she lies exhausted and emaciated on the dirty concrete

The emaciated female tiger Salamas struggled to stand or walk after losing so much weight in a cage in a dilapidated facility in Mukdahan, northern Thailand

Distressing photos show Salamas with pieces of fur missing from her skeleton

The big cats, who have spent their lives in captivity, will now enjoy ‘sunlight and grass’ for the first time in a vast forest reserve some 880 kilometers away in the south of the country.

When the experts found Salamas, she was so weak she could barely walk and they decided not to sedate her for fear that she would not wake up from the anesthesia due to her poor health.

With chunks of fur missing from her skeleton, Salamas eventually mustered enough energy to stagger into a waiting transport cage after being lured in with food.

WFFT founder Edwin Wiek said: ‘It was feared she was too weak to walk, but she eventually gathered her strength and hobbled to the cage.

‘She could then be taken to the specialist wildlife ambulance that made the twelve-hour overnight journey to the nature rescue reserve.

‘Although she is alarmingly thin and has large chunks of fur missing from her body, rescuers are hopeful that Salamas will now begin to recover.’

The other rescued animals included a timid female tiger named ‘A-1’ and a male tiger named ‘Rambo’, 20 years old, who had breathing problems.

The animals were locked up in cramped and dirty enclosures their entire lives.

Officials said a total of 35 tigers and 18 leopards will be rescued from the farm, with the first 15 chosen based on urgent medical needs.

Twelve elderly tigers and three sick leopards were the first to be rescued. They were anesthetized and underwent health checks before being loaded into cages into wildlife ambulances.

The rest – another 23 tigers and 15 leopards – will be removed in the coming days.

The emaciated female tiger Salamas struggled to stand or walk after losing so much weight in a cage in a dilapidated facility in Mukdahan, northern Thailand

A vet calms a tiger in a dilapidated hospital in Thailand

A tranquilized tiger is carried out of its cage by veterinarians and wildlife experts

Officials said a total of 35 tigers and 18 leopards will be rescued from the farm, with the first 15 chosen based on urgent medical needs

Wildlife experts transport a tiger in a crate before loading it onto a truck bound for the wildlife sanctuary

Wildlife experts load a tiger onto a truck on the way to the nature reserve

Wiek said: ‘This was an incredible save. It is the largest of all NGOs in Thailand. The tigers, leopards and other animals will finally see freedom for the first time in their lives.

‘They experience direct sunlight and the feeling of grass on their feet. They get the freedom that every animal deserves.’

The reserve, located in the Phetchaburi province in the south of the country, is a special Tiger Rescue Center spread over more than seventeen hectares of almost natural habitat.

Edwin Wiek added: ‘After months of planning the largest tiger rescue by an NGO in Thailand’s history, we are pleased to finally be able to give these beautiful animals a new life at the WFFT Tiger Rescue Centre.

‘Unfortunately they will never be able to return to the wild, but we can offer them the next best thing: a safe haven where they can roam through forested areas, socialize with other tigers and even swim in the lake.

“We are grateful to the Thai government’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNP) for taking action against the illegal wildlife trade and for working with WFFT to give these tigers the second chance they deserve.

“The first twelve tigers and three leopards have been rescued, but there are many more still at the farm waiting to be rescued.

“We would like to return as soon as possible to rescue them, but as an NGO without government funding, we rely solely on donations to make these rescue missions a reality.”

The big cats, who have spent their lives in captivity, will now enjoy ‘sunlight and grass’ for the first time in a vast forest reserve some 880 kilometers away in the south of the country.

Officials said a total of 35 tigers and 18 leopards will be rescued from the farm, with the first 15 chosen based on urgent medical needs

The infamous tiger farm has been the subject of long-running legal disputes with government conservationists.

Local media have reported that the facility has faced numerous government inspections, including one in 2020 when the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation (DNP) found evidence of alleged illegal wildlife trade, such as a severed tiger head and other parts of the tiger.

The farm is located in the north of Thailand, close to the border with communist Laos. The area, which lies on the Mekong River and has several unofficial piers, is considered a hub for illegal wildlife transport.

WFFT said there are an estimated 1,700 tigers in captivity in Thailand.

Many of them are said to have been bred on tiger farms to be bred and shipped to neighboring countries as exotic pets. Their body parts – including eyes, bones and whiskers – are also used in controversial traditional Chinese medicine.

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Dreaming of a life abroad? British expats in France, Spain, Vietnam and Indonesia reveal if the grass really IS greener on the other side – and what they miss about the UK (spoiler… not the weather!)

Albert Elence — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 09:42:51 +0000

Is life for Britons actually greener away from the Motherland?

MailOnline Travel speaks with four British expats who certainly think so.

From a young couple who have tripled their spendable earnings in Vietnam to a builder who now enjoys lounging by his outdoor pool in Spain, they each reveal what they love about living abroad and what they miss most about the UK.

Spoiler… it’s not the weather!

Eilidh McGinness, a lawyer turned estate agent, moved from Inverness, Scotland, to the Dordogne region of France in 2006.

Eilidh McGinness chose Menesplet in France using a ‘pin-on-the-map method’. She said: ‘This seemed like a really good choice near Saint-Emilion’ (pictured)

LEFT: Eilidh, pictured, moved from Scotland to France in 2006. RIGHT: The garden and pool at her home in Menesplet

What inspired you to move to Dordogne?

I wanted a change of lifestyle and a warmer climate. Having four young children at the time, I thought the move would be better for them too.

We chose the village of Menesplet, in Dordogne, with a pin-on-the-map method. It wasn’t the best-planned move in history but we wanted a rural place with a reasonable climate that was well-placed for airports back and forth to the UK.

I’d spent some time before in France – a month in Paris, a month in the north, and a month in the south. Having spent time in these different regions, this seemed like a really good choice near Saint-Émilion and the city of Bordeaux.

I was brought up on a farm in Scotland, and the wildlife and large nearby forest are some of the other things that drew us to this area. Now, we have a four-bedroom house in grounds of two hectares with a small lake and woodland area. There are a couple of palm trees too.

What are the biggest differences?

‘I was brought up on a farm in Scotland, and the wildlife and large nearby forest are some of the other things that drew us to this area,’ Eilidh said. Pictured: Her house in Menesplet

Nearly everything is shut on a Sunday. Also, people like to have their lunch between 12 and 2pm every day, so lots of businesses close during those times too. I’ve been here so long now so I’m used to it, but it does take time to adjust. I quite like it because it slows down the pace of life when you’re not at 100 miles per hour all the time.

Another big difference is the level of hunting. I live near one of the largest privately owned forests in France where we have fox, deer and wild boar in the garden quite regularly.

A couple of weeks ago, I had a couple of wild boar shoot across the garden followed by a number of men in orange waistcoats with dogs following them. This type of hunting isn’t allowed in the UK.

What do you love most about where you live?

The warmer climate. The lifestyle here is automatically more relaxed because of that. Being from Inverness, you can go a whole summer without a sunny day. Whereas here you can take it as read that you can sit outside whenever you want.

What do you miss most about home?

Living by the sea and the changing landscapes that go with it. When it’s stormy in Inverness, it’s wild and savage and other times it’s quite calm. Sometimes the waves come roaring over the wall along the seafront and it looks amazing. Then when it’s calm, there is a beautiful beach. Whatever the weather, you can walk to the sea and find calm.

The best thing about life as an expat?

It’s great to experience another country, to learn another language, and to have a whole different experience. The children have enjoyed it too and they’ve all learnt to speak French.

Lilley Loudon halved her working hours and tripled her money after bills when she moved from Bournemouth to Vietnam with her husband Jonny and their two children Elias and Clara in 2023. Lilley has set up a virtual assistant recruitment business in Vietnam

Lilley Loudon had ‘fantasised about moving away for years’ and seized the opportunity to do so when her husband left the military. Pictured: Their home in Da Nang, Vietnam

Lilley, pictured on the beach with her daughter Clara, said hundreds of locals head to the ocean to swim every morning

What inspired you to move to Vietnam?

To an outsider, we were ticking every box with our UK life – two kids, a mortgage on a nice house, a good car, great careers – but the reality was somewhat different.

Our day-to-day saw us both working up to 50 hours a week to be able to afford our £1,500 mortgage while being simultaneously crippled by £2,300 monthly nursery fees. We spent limited time with our kids and were stuck in a rut of trying to keep all the bills paid.

We absolutely craved a more relaxed pace of life, and of course better weather. We had fantasised about moving away for years, but when my husband decided to leave the military, this gave us an opportunity to really consider making a change to our lives.

After a bottle of wine, we weighed up the pros and cons. With the backdrop of the latest mortgage rate hike and the spiralling cost of living, it became a no brainer. We booked flights that night to give us a timeline to aim for and didn’t look back.

There is a quote that says if you look around yourself day to day and there is no-one’s life that you truly aspire to, then you need to make a change. That really stuck with us and I suppose was the ultimate motivation for us to become expats.

We chose Da Nang in Vietnam as we had visited the country for a three-week holiday in 2019 and had absolutely loved the culture, climate and people. Now we work around 24 hours per week and have £3,100 available to spend each month after rent and bills, compared to £1,100 in the UK.

What are the biggest differences?

Lilley said Vietnamese people ‘seem to enjoy life without the social pressure’ of the UK. Pictured: My Khe Beach in Da Nang

Pictured: Lilley with her daughter Clara and her son Elias (right), enjoying a spot of swimming at the Airbnb where they stayed when they first arrived in Da Nang

There are huge differences between Vietnam and the UK. The pace of living is incredibly slow here, the traffic and motorbikes can be crazy, the people are generally happier, the weather is infinitely better even in the rainy season, and of course there are the expected differences in language and social norms.

For us, the subtle differences are the things we love. For example, in the morning hundreds of local people head to the ocean to swim at 5.30am to 7am. Everyone is up, about, and making the most of the day.

Vietnamese people seem to enjoy life without the social pressure we have in the UK. It is usual to see groups of people meeting up in local parks to exercise and ballroom dance together without a care in the world for what they look like or who is watching. An unlikely sight in the UK.

What do you love most about where you live?

‘In Vietnam, children are an integral part of the culture,’ says Lilley. Pictured: Her son Elias

Alongside the lower cost of living, the thing we love the most is how child orientated the culture here is. In the UK, you can be vilified for taking small children to a restaurant or on an aeroplane. There is an unspoken expectation in the UK that you attempt to keep them quiet and try to keep them calm. Easier said than done!

Here in Vietnam, children are an integral part of the culture. They are allowed to just be kids and there is very much a sense of community around parenting. It is normal to see the children of a nail salon owner running around or doing their homework in the corner.

In restaurants the waitresses will help wipe your children’s mouths when needed so you can carry on with your food uninterrupted, and taxi drivers will physically help your children out of the car to give you a hand.

These are all situations that would be totally frowned upon in the UK but make trips with toddlers infinitely easier. You never feel like you are parenting alone in Vietnam. The ‘village’ that we are told as mothers we need genuinely exists here!

What do you miss most about home?

THE UK VS VIETNAM

Bournemouth UK

Mortgage: £1,500 per month

Childcare: £2,300

Food shop: £560

Working hours per week: 50

Da Nang Vietnam

Rent: £900 per month

Childcare: £340

Food shop: £150

Working hours per week: 24

Source: Lilley Loudon

We miss our family and friends enormously, but aside from the people there isn’t much we miss.

Another thing we definitely do miss, though, is the ease of knowing how to do things such as sending parcels and paying electricity bills.

When you have grown up in one country, you by default know how to do these things.

But moving to a different country that has a notoriously complex approach to paperwork, you have to figure everything out from scratch, which is not always easy.

The best thing about life as an expat?

For us, the best thing is the financial freedom and endless possibilities of where we could move to next.

Living abroad in a lower cost area of the world means we can work part-time and still have a great standard of living while, most importantly, spending quality time with our children.

Electrical engineer James Wood, 52, moved with his wife in January from Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, to Java, Indonesia, and plans to open a business.

Behold James Wood’s modern-style Javanese house, which looks out across ‘rice paddy fields, a forest and mountains in the distance’

James, pictured, and his wife relocated to her home country Indonesia in January and nearby Bali is now their ‘local holiday hotspot’

What inspired you to move to Indonesia?

After a one-month visit to my wife’s hometown in Indonesia, in May 2022, it convinced both myself and my wife that we should bring our future plans forward to relocate here.

The visit had opened my eyes to a slower pace of life, with far less stress and pressure compared to our life in the UK.

My wife was able to be reunited with her family who she had been apart from for nearly 18 years. We would both be able to give up our day jobs and live a far more comfortable life financially, with far more time to ourselves along with the idea of starting a small business down the line.

So by December 2022, we had sold our house, left our jobs, acquired the required visa and jetted off in January. We relocated to the island of Java, in the small rural village of Nglayang. Our local holiday hotspot is the beautiful island of Bali, which is around one hour away by plane.

What are the biggest differences?

The biggest noticeable difference between Indonesia and the UK is religion. Religion plays a big part of most people’s daily lives here and is very important to them. Mosques are everywhere, even small villages sometimes have three or four and cities seem to have them on almost every street.

The other big differences are the people. They are extremely friendly and helpful, the sense of community is fantastic. Everyone helps everyone.

Although a lot of people, including children, have very little here compared to the western world, they don’t seem to want for material things in life. If they have food and water and a roof over their heads, then this is enough from what I have experienced so far.

What do you love most about where you live?

When asked what he loves most about Java, James said it’s the ‘relaxed simple way of life’ and the ‘super friendly and super helpful people’

James shared details of his new life on the island of Java in Indonesia. ‘We have fantastic views,’ he said, like the one of a nearby lake, pictured here

The relaxed simple way of life, super friendly and super helpful people, the fantastic tropical climate all year round and the amazing scenery almost everywhere. Well, apart from in the cities of course.

Also for me, I enjoy not being under pressure to have to work anymore. This is only afforded because what we brought with us financially goes a long, long way here. We live in a modern style Javanese single-storey three-bedroom house with fantastic views of rice paddy fields, a forest and mountains in the distance. And we are thinking about starting a small business in the near future to keep our brains active.

What do you miss most about home?

I have three grown-up children and two grandchildren, with a third on the way, and despite the modern technology of video calling and social media, I still miss seeing them and friends in the flesh.

Although I said that it’s nice not to have the pressure and commitment of a job, I have found it quite difficult at times adjusting to that too.

The best thing about life as an expat?

It has been a lifetime ambition for me to emigrate and, until now, life never presented me with the opportunity. I will now make the very most of it.

Harry Vaughan, 66, a retired builder originally from Somerset, and his wife Susan, 68, swapped their four-bedroom home in Wales for a six-bed villa with a pool in Murcia, Spain, using YourOverseasHome.com in 2023.

Harry Vaughan and his wife Susan swapped their four-bedroom home in Wales for a six-bed villa with a pool, pictured, in Murcia, Spain

Harry and Susan, pictured, said they love the weather and the friendly people of Murcia

What inspired you to move to Murcia?

We decided to leave the UK as we felt it had little to offer us other than rising fuel costs and long winters.

And we also decided to seize the day whilst we still had our health and fitness.

We didn’t want the Spanish coast – these areas can turn into ghost towns in the winter.

Instead, we wanted to experience true Spain and the people, which led us here to Murcia.

What are the biggest differences?

Obviously the weather. In late November, the temperature is still in the twenties (between 68F and 84F) here, although the evenings and mornings become cooler.

Language is an obstacle. We’re trying to learn Spanish, and there’s a local dialect, which doesn’t help, but most people are very helpful and a lot of the younger generation here are taught English at school.

Virtually all of the Spanish residents don’t go out to eat until 9pm or 10pm, so it’s no good going out at 6pm expecting to find food. Nothing opens before 8pm.

What do you love most about where you live?

Harry and Susan wanted to experience ‘true Spain and the people’, which led them to Murcia. Pictured: Plaza de Las Flores in Murcia’s old town

The weather and the people, who are very friendly and always seem to be very happy. It’s a beautiful location and we’re surrounded by olive, almond and peach groves. Generally we’re very, very happy here and it really feels like home.

What do you miss most about home?

Immediate family and the ability to go out and buy virtually anything, with deliveries coming to your door. As we live in the campo (countryside), we don’t get deliveries. Instead, we have a mailbox at the local post office and have to go to pick up hubs for anything else, if you can get it.

The best thing about life as an expat?

You can guarantee the sun every morning, which is so uplifting. It’s so cheap you can eat out every night if you wish to.

The post Dreaming of a life abroad? British expats in France, Spain, Vietnam and Indonesia reveal if the grass really IS greener on the other side – and what they miss about the UK (spoiler… not the weather!) appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.

Kiwi expat laughed as he mentioned the things New Zealand has better than Australia: green grass and beaches

Albert Elence — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 11:58:31 +0000

By Louise Allingham for Daily Mail Australia

Published: 06:52 EST, December 11, 2023 | Updated: 06:52 EST, December 11, 2023

A Kiwi woman living in Australia has reignited the age-old debate over which country is better: Australia or New Zealand.

Radio producer Luisa Dal Din listed the things she thinks her home country of New Zealand is better than Australia, including the friendly people, the scenery, the green grass and even the beaches.

Australian Jack Archdale hit back at Luisa, saying New Zealand has nothing to offer other than Lord of the Rings and that the beaches Down Under are the best in the world.

The pair had a playful debate about it The inspired unemployed podcast and divided Kiwi and Aussie listeners.

“When I came from New Zealand I noticed that everyone in New Zealand is so much friendlier,” Luisa said.

Luisa Dal Din is from New Zealand, but lives in Australia. She listed the things she thinks are better in New Zealand, from the people to the green grass and even the beaches

‘Also the scenery, have you seen Queenstown and Wanaka? Beautiful green, really good grass. Have you seen the grass in New Zealand? It’s very green.’

She added that New Zealand has icons like musicians Ben Lummis and Dave Dobbyn, who none of the podcast hosts or guests had ever heard of.

‘Allow me to refute a few points, you have Lord of the Rings, that’s all. One of your arguments is that you have green grass. Hey boy, we have lawns here too,” Jack argued with a laugh.

He also refuted her previous statement that New Zealand’s beaches are similar to those of Australia

“You said the beaches are good, oh yeah, everyone likes to go on a beach holiday to New Zealand, you wouldn’t dare come to Australia for a beach holiday,” Jack joked sarcastically.

‘We have the best beaches in the world.’

Luisa and Jack Archdale (right) debated whether New Zealand or Australia was better. Jack dismissed Luisa’s claim that Kiwi beaches are superior and laughed at her love for Kiwi green grass

Jack also said he always looks at how many ‘hot’ people are around when he walks around Australia, compared to New Zealand where he says he doesn’t see any attractive locals.

Kiwis and Australians alike agreed with Luisa’s claim that the grass is literally greener in New Zealand.

‘GRASS IS VALID. Moved from Australia to NZ and the grass is so soft AND the Coromandels are so beautiful!’ said a woman.

‘All family members who move to Australia talk about how much they miss the grass at home. Lou is on to something,” one New Zealander replied.

“Aussie grass is rough and fades about ten shades to almost yellow if you water it regularly every day, so VALID,” wrote a third.

Even more Kiwis jumped on board to defend their beloved country.

‘New Zealand is so much better than Australia. The only thing Australia has better is wages,” said one.

‘Australia is boring and brown. Come on,” another commented.

“Sorry but I also thought a beach holiday would be perfect in Aussie, mate couldn’t last 20 minutes, had to go back to hotel for some air con,” a third commented.

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Wimbledon grass makes some players feel ‘bad at tennis’

Jeffrey Bailey — Sat, 08 Jul 2023 09:13:06 +0000

Three-time Grand Slam tournament finalist Casper Ruud took a non-traditional approach to preparing for Wimbledon, widely regarded as the most prestigious tennis tournament.

It included attending more concerts with his favorite singer, The Weeknd, than playing actual tennis matches on grass.

It is not surprising that Liam Broady, a 29-year-old journeyman from Great Britain who is ranked 142 in the world, knocked Ruud out in the second round on Thursday. Ruud, number 4 in the world, thought that was fine. “He’s a much better grass-field player than I am,” Ruud said of Broady.

There was a time when many of the best tennis players made success at Wimbledon the focus of their season, and some considered their careers incomplete unless they had won in the sport’s birthplace. Everyone from Rod Laver to Martina Navratilova has said they came to Wimbledon to connect with the sport’s roots.

Today, with the growing prominence of the other three Grand Slam tournaments and the grass season evolving into a quirky detour of about a month from the rest of the tennis calendar, many top players can’t find the time or space to enjoy being good on grass to make it a priority. If it costs them tennis immortality, so be it.

As blasphemous as it is to say, for many players, even great ones, Wimbledon has become just another Grand Slam tournament.

“I don’t know if winning Wimbledon is bigger in my opinion than winning the US Open or winning the Australian Open,” said Victoria Azarenka, the former world No. 1. “They are all very important tournaments.”

Wimbledon is partly to blame. In the early 2000s, with better racket and string technology helping players hit the ball with renewed vigor, Wimbledon began seeding its courts entirely with perennial ryegrass instead of the mix of ryegrass and red fescue it had been using. The switch made the courts more durable and yielded cleaner, higher bounces, making the surfaces look much more like a hard court than a ruddy rink.

Around the same time, the French Open made its courts harder and faster, effectively causing the extinction of the clay court specialist who won in Paris but nowhere else. Within a few years, the game at the four Grand Slam tournaments had become more similar than usual. The same players started winning almost all of them, and the accumulation of Grand Slam tournament titles over the course of a career became the dominant tennis narrative, rather than who could win that August title in front of members of the British royal family in their court box.

Still, it remains true that grass tennis is unlike any other tennis, and the All England Club still has many fans.

Among them are nearly all British players, many of whom grew up chasing tennis balls on grass at their local clubs, and Novak Djokovic, now regarded as the greatest player of the Open Era, which began in 1968. He marks the beginning of his tennis career. living watching Wimbledon on television as a little boy. Frances Tiafoe and Sebastian Korda, both top Americans, said they wish the turf season was longer because it suited their style and was pure.

Bob Bryan, the U.S. Davis Cup captain and winner of four Wimbledon doubles titles, said nothing was more goosebumps than walking through the wrought-iron gates of the All England Club.

“It’s the holy grail of the sport,” said Bryan. “There’s nothing like it.”

Yes, but damn grass – that classic surface that used to be the venue for three of the four Grand Slam tournaments – has all but disappeared from the sport.

Daniil Medvedev from Russia said he had always loved Wimbledon – the flowers, all perfect in color and in just the right place; the food; the luxury dressing rooms. But then you have to play on grass, which can make even the best feel like they are bad at tennis.

“You lose, you go crazy,” Medvedev said. “You’re like, ‘No, I played so bad.'”

Stefanos Tsitsipas spent much of the interregnum between the French Open and Wimbledon posting to social media from luxurious venues with his new “soulmate,” Paula Badosa of Spain, a star of the women’s tour, instead of practicing on grass.

He said a win on clay, especially at the French Open, left him feeling rough and dirty and spent in the best way. On grass, he said, it can feel clean and a little empty, though he looked far from it on that Friday after beating Andy Murray, one of the game’s greatest grass-court players, on Center Court.

There is another problem for men. Djokovic has been so good here for so long, winning the last four Wimbledon men’s singles titles, seven overall and 31 consecutive matches – that the rest of the field sometimes comes into play, what’s the point?

“It looks like he’s getting better,” said Lorenzo Musetti, the up-and-coming Italian who only recently started winning on grass – somewhat to his surprise. He said he struggled there because he could stand anywhere else and whale away on the ball. At Wimbledon, even with the new grass, the ball remains low enough to allow players to essentially squat for three hours using their feet and their calf and thigh muscles to power their movements, like ski racers descending a slope. That may be one of the reasons Djokovic excels – he was an excellent skier before going all-in on tennis – and many tall players can’t handle the demands of grass.

Women struggle too. Iga Swiatek – the world No. 1, who has never progressed past the fourth round at Wimbledon – said her deep runs at the French Open, which she won over the past two years, prevented her from having enough time to rest and enough games to play to get used to the unpredictable bounces on grass. She said she had considered training on grass in the off-season in November and December, but decided that would leave her unprepared for the Australian Open in January.

“Throughout the year, I don’t really think about that,” she said of turf prep.

Alexander Davidovich Fokina, a Spaniard who is promising and dangerous on clay and hard courts, said he struggled with his confidence as soon as he stepped onto grass.

“Only very, very loudly,” he said.

Then there’s Andrey Rublev, another Russian, who described grass as a maddening, terrifying form of tennis, with short rallies and results that could seem illogical.

“You feel so confident, and then you go out on the court and man, he makes four aces, twice back, unreal – out of the blue he breaks you, and the set is over,” said Rublev. And maybe sometimes you feel super tight, like: I can’t move, I can’t put a ball in the court. And then that man makes two double faults, and the ball hits the frame of your racket and goes in, you break it, and you win a set.”

Medvedev doesn’t even think playing the preliminary grass tournaments will make much of a difference, because grass is different in Germany, the Netherlands and the different locations in England. He said the All England Club field courts played extremely fast and the stadium courts were slow.

Will he ever feel at home on the grass? After his second-round win on Friday, he said he might be getting closer.

“Maybe at the door,” he said. “Not inside, but at the door.”

As for Ruud, he said after his loss that he would keep trying, but winning Wimbledon might not be in the cards. Every time he lets loose on his deadly forehand, he feels like he’s going to tumble and get hurt by the way he lands and then have to push off to chase the next shot.

He did participate in the men’s doubles tournament, allowing him to stay on for a while before returning to clay tennis in Europe later this month.

He may have a motivation outside of tennis. The Weeknd was due to play in London this coming weekend.

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Dreaming of a life abroad? British expats in France, Spain, Vietnam and Indonesia reveal if the grass really IS greener on the other side – and what they miss about the UK (spoiler… not the weather!)

What inspired you to move to Dordogne?

What are the biggest differences?

What do you love most about where you live?

What do you miss most about home?

The best thing about life as an expat?

What inspired you to move to Vietnam?

What are the biggest differences?

What do you love most about where you live?

What do you miss most about home?

THE UK VS VIETNAM

The best thing about life as an expat?

What inspired you to move to Indonesia?

What are the biggest differences?

What do you love most about where you live?

What do you miss most about home?

The best thing about life as an expat?

What inspired you to move to Murcia?

What are the biggest differences?

What do you love most about where you live?

What do you miss most about home?

The best thing about life as an expat?

Kiwi expat laughed as he mentioned the things New Zealand has better than Australia: green grass and beaches

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Wimbledon grass makes some players feel ‘bad at tennis’