What is your name?Irv Fisher (Urufish)
Please enter the name of your Blog
Learning Uruguay
What is your current age or age range?
Old enough to know better
What country are you native to?
Canada
What area of Uruguay do you current live (Providence, City, general area etc.)
Pocitos y Piriapolis, Montevideo y Maldonado respectively
How long have you lived in Uruguay?
Temporarily for 25 years. Full time since 12/05
When you moved to Uruguay, did you bring your family? What do they think?
Yes. It's OK.
What made you decide to relocate to a different country?
Wife's from here. Had always intended to move here some day. 12/05 was the someday.
Why did you choose Uruguay, or what factors helped you to decide to choose Uruguay?
Familiarity from years of visits. Wife's family. Cost of living. Cost of housing. Climate. Local people.
What other countries did you consider? Why didn't you choose those?
Florida, US. Cost of living too high compared to Uruguay. Wanted to leave North American mentality behind.
Was it difficult to get the documents you needed to live and/or work there? (residency and/or working permit)
No.
What was the most difficult part of the transition?
Language. Still is.
What was the biggest mistake you made in the transition to living in Uruguay?
Didn't (couldn't) stop using English long enough to force myself to learn Spanish.
What was the easiest part of making the transition?
My wife's family and friends.
Do you plan on returning to your home country? Why or why not?
Not permanently. Burned all old bridges. Have to build new ones.
Do you miss your family, friends or old home and habits?
Sometimes, but not often. Too much to learn here. No time to dwell on the past.
What do you miss the most about your home country?
Certain foods like peanut butter, raspberry jam. My closest friends and relatives. Being able to ride my motorcycle.
Are there the same recreational activities in Uruguay?
Pretty much.
How easy has it been to make new friends in Uruguay?
I have lots of friends, but because of language, we dont talk much. The expat community is a great help.. made lots of friends, but now my spanish is getting worse, if that's possible.
Do you have many friends from your home country in Uruguay?
None yet.
What are your favorite activities that are available?
Most of my activities involve my immediate family or the internet. No problem there.
What are the top ten things you miss about the place you left behind?
I miss my old job. I miss my coworkers. I miss some friends. I miss Best Buys. I miss the huge selection of english DVD's.
What are the top ten things you DON'T miss about the place you left behind?
The CRA (IRS). Freezing rain. Overpriced car repairs.
Do you speak the language of Uruguay?
What's that Uruguayish? If it's spanish, poco.
Do you think it is crucial to know the language in Uruguay, or can you get by with a handheld translation dictionary for a while?
It is not crucial. It is important, but everything in life is a compromise--a trade-off. I rely on my wife for simple things now. We spend more time together.. That's a positive thing.
Was medical insurance difficult to get before you went or after you first arrived?
No. Just walked into Espanola, filled out the forms. Said no to everything and that was that. Walked out and did pretty much the same thing at the SUAT booth.
Did you move to your new location after retirement, or are you currently working or looking for work?
I'm unintentionally retired. I'm always looking at opportunities, but this time I want to do something fulfilling, not to make a lot of money.
How do you earn your living in Uruguay?
Investments abroad.
Do you generally earn your income the same way, or in the same profession, as in your home country?
No. I worked before. Now I just transfer funds around.
How did you go about finding a job in Uruguay? Was it easy or hard to locate work and get a job?
I'm looking for something to do here. I wouldn't say it's hard. It takes time.
What types of sources did you use to find a job there? (agency, newspaper, website?)
n/a
If you are telecommuting, what obstacles, if any, did you face in setting up your communication methods?
I was telecommunicating for 6 months. No real obstacles. The mid range Anteldata service supported everything necssary and it was reliable. Unless I specifically told my client (or employee) where I was, they thought I was upstairs in my office in Toronto.
Are there local customs that would make it difficult for foreigners to fit in?
If you're pathologically homophobic, you may have a problem when a guy tries to kiss you. If you have a neurotic fear of driving, you'd best take cabs or buses and keep your eyes clothes. If you were a normal, average person, I cant see where you'd have a problem fitting in.
What are the top ten things you like about Uruguay?
I ansewred that above in why I came here. You sure wouldn't come here for the things youdont like.
What are the top ten things you DON'T like or find strange about Uruguay?
Ditto.
Do you have plans to move again or travel in the future or what are your future business plans?
I intend to open up a business here. I would hope future travelling was for pleasure, or as little about business as possible. Been there, done that.
Did you buy a new home or did you decide to rent?
We already had an apto. After a few months in it, I wanted more space so we bought a house. I dont like to be closed in. It's a quirk. An expensive one, but one I cant easily change.
What is the average cost for housing in your area?
From what other expats tell me, the average house price around here is $175K. The average apartment, around $75K.
Was it difficult to find housing in your new country?
No.
Is the cost of living comparable to what you experienced before? Explain the difference.
I know it's less costly here, but I have not been able to reduce my monthly total to where I thought it should be. Odd things keep coming up to ruin my plans.
List some things that are more expensive in Uruguay
Cars. Certain foods. You cant find discount clothing here. Gasoline, electricity, gas. quality electronics
List some things that are less expensive in Uruguay
Cars, lots of foods, meat, chinese clothing, chinese motorcycles.
How do you feel about the local people? Are they friendly?
U betcha
What is the best thing about people in Uruguay?
Friendliness. Level of education. If they ask you how you are (and they always do) they listen to the answer.
Do you have any suggestions for people who are thinking about moving to Uruguay?
Try it, you'll like it.
What are the good or bad things about living in Uruguay?
Expensive and long flight back to Toronto--pretty much anywhere from here. You can drive to Argentina and Brazil is good. Banks can be more difficult to deal with. I have to cancel too many cheques because of mistakes. Different language makes it harder for non language people like me.
Do you think you will stay in Uruguay, or it is not suitable for the long run?
Ask me again in a few years.
If you are living there for the short term, what other countries are you considering?
n/a
Do you have any blogs or websites that you find enjoyable about Uruguay for people living there?
All of the blogs that I have found are enjoyable.
What else would you like to say?
Time to go... haul ass and get out of here.. chau, ciao
Please the url of your Blog
Learning Uruguay
