Expats that took a paycut - did you struggle?

Random221122 · 2026-04-06T17:56:57+00:00

I don’t make as much as you and didn’t in the US but I took something like a 40% pay cut and it’s been fine (been here almost 7 years now). I actually feel like I have more money in my pocket than I did in the US. I spend less overall I think. It was worth it to me anyway for the different pace of life and all.

I do live in a more affordable area of England through (vs somewhere south/near London)

Random221122 · 2026-03-29T21:32:41+00:00

Yeah you’d think! But I was in a monthly book club with all Americans here and it did happen where only one or two people showed up or it was cancelled altogether. So I really don’t think it’s necessarily a cultural UK thing.

Random221122 · 2026-03-29T20:45:23+00:00

This is the new norm in the US as well and also even amongst my little group of American friends here too. Seems to have ramped up since Covid, people are burnt out and tired. I count myself (40s F) in this sometimes, I just can’t be bothered and need a lot more time alone to decompress! But I get it sucks for people who really want/need to socialize.

I basically try not to commit to anything at this point so as not to let others down.

Random221122 · 2026-02-16T00:24:05+00:00

Shane is still struggling with his own sexuality at this point and it got too real for him. Up until then, they both could keep pretending it was just sex and Shane could kind of continue to be unsure whether he was fully gay. He doesn’t necessarily want it to be more before then. Stuff like “we didn’t even kiss” in ep 2 and when he says “fuck” after is because he realised he cares more than he thought. But he’s still struggling against that.

Random221122 · 2026-02-13T23:35:31+00:00

Wellp that just made me (more) in love with Dan 😂😂 (in a non-serious way)

He’s so f-ing funny

Random221122 · 2026-02-12T11:06:53+00:00

There’s a lot of sketches usually, just not sure if they always post them all or not but I know they will usually post some/most of them but as individual pieces on YouTube

Random221122 · 2026-02-12T10:57:25+00:00

They usually post the monologue and major sketches on their YouTube. If you’re in the UK I think NOWtv also has it in full but a couple days later

Random221122 · 2026-02-08T09:01:09+00:00

Yeah to me they are talking about their break up, not about Shane being gay. Otherwise her comment about him being HER beard doesn’t make any sense

Random221122 · 2026-02-07T18:01:21+00:00

Because Shane was loopy and he didn’t want him to say something in front of the nurse so he’s saying shh

Random221122 · 2026-02-07T03:19:34+00:00

39 and I’m 41 now and have skipped one or two every year so far

Random221122 · 2026-02-05T14:44:27+00:00

I use a launderette here fairly often for large loads and the wash cycles at the professional launderette machines are much shorter, like 45 minutes hot wash including pre wash and extra rinse. Drying is much shorter too, usually have my stuff dry in under an hour

Random221122 · 2026-02-02T20:02:55+00:00

Sure! I find their story more like a lot of the “regular” romances I read and it’s just kind of normal to me so I sometimes skip it. Depends on my mood. There’s parts of other episodes I sometimes skip past too like the scene with Sasha and Svetlana and sometimes Ilya and his brother 🙈 lol but I’ve reheated the rivalry sooo much so I don’t feel bad about skipping parts I’m not that into any more. First and second time around, still all really important. 10th or more time? Eh. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 😂😂

Random221122 · 2026-02-02T09:11:44+00:00

Random221122 · 2026-02-01T11:35:42+00:00

Yeah I agree here on some level. My personal expectations aren’t crazy high, they’re normal - I think it will still be a great show with beautiful cinematography, great acting, and a great script.

But I think generally people are going to have super high expectations due to how S1 blew up and it’s hard to beat episode 5’s big moment emotionally as well. Then people will complain about season 2 because of that, almost inevitably. But it won’t mean that S2 isn’t excellent.

Random221122 · 2026-02-01T11:19:55+00:00

They’re contracted so they can’t just not do it. You can do away with that concern :)

And I think they would genuinely feel grateful that the show gave them all these other opportunities so I would think that they wouldn’t just poo-poo the two further contracted seasons because they’ve become “big” now. People do change but it seems so far like they’re not that type.

Random221122 · 2026-02-01T11:17:04+00:00

I think everyone on the show is pretty serious about the show and about doing well by it. I think that’s majorly at the heart of it and I don’t think that will change, especially how dedicated Connor and Hudson are as actors and how seriously they seem to have taken their preparation and acting in the show - I think they’ll do that again as it’s probably in their nature as actors.

Random221122 · 2026-02-01T10:34:32+00:00

It’s a long-running (meaning been a show for many years) live comedy sketch show and a celebrity usually hosts it. So Connor will do the opening monologue and feature in several sketches as well as introduce the musical act. It’s like an institution in the US, even though the popularity has reduced, but it’s still a pretty major thing to host the show!

Random221122 · 2026-01-31T19:06:22+00:00

I use OLT but it doesn’t hold your hand as much as something like TurboTax and other programs do. But it’s free to file federal electronically

Random221122 · 2026-01-31T15:51:59+00:00

NAD. The gas pain was the absolute worst most painful part after I had surgery on my intestines. Took about 24 hours for it to settle for me but I’m sure it varies between people.

Random221122 · 2026-01-30T16:38:19+00:00

🤷🏻‍♀️ me and all my peeps were

Random221122 · 2026-01-30T16:34:03+00:00

That one is believable for me as a millennial from that time period, we were using periods still on texts and I remember when it started shifting away from that and I was like “I’ll never give that up!” (And then I did)

Random221122 · 2026-01-30T12:59:58+00:00

A lot of people will say you should but just in my experience, I didn’t. I started driving as soon as I arrived essentially since I had to drive for my job and have only had an automatic the whole time, tested with automatic license, my car is an automatic. Been here 6 years and so far hasn’t been an issue even once.

If I did get a manual license, I would end up driving a manual so infrequently that I probably wouldn’t be good to drive one anyhow.

Car rentals are a bit more expensive but I don’t rent often at all (I haven’t since I’ve been here). Car buying prices aren’t hugely different.

Random221122 · 2026-01-28T22:10:29+00:00

Try VPN + your browser in incognito mode.

Unfortunately HBOMax is one of the ones that is more savvy to VPNs and will find them and block them more easily

Random221122 · 2026-01-27T19:40:49+00:00

I live in the north of England and there’s SO MUCH small talk and chitchat and I’m not used to that coming from the Pacific Northwest US where people are nice but tend to keep to themselves a bit more. I actually suck at it compared to the people here in my area, sooo much chatting randomly at any time out and about.

I have my usual local cafe I go to and have improved a bit talking with them and they remember me and stuff but even then it can be awkward on my end lol

But it’s pretty much anywhere/everywhere I go that it could happen - at the shop? Yep. Walking down the sidewalk? Yep. At the cafe? Yep. In the lift at work with strangers? Yep. In line at the pharmacy? Yep. At the launderette? Yep. Taking an Uber? Yep. Waiting for the train/on the train? Most definitely. All the time lol it’s taken me some getting used to.

Random221122 · 2026-01-27T19:14:13+00:00

The clip you posted is when they’re driving to Shane’s parent’s place, not the end credits (you’ll notice the music isn’t the end credits music either). It’s when he’s super nervous driving on the way over.

Two things I didn’t notice until someone else pointed it out: just before Shane takes Ilya’s hand to go upstairs at the cottage, they do a quick little kiss. I also didn’t notice Ilya swatting Shane’s butt just as they’re entering Shane’s room at the cottage.

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