Just my 2 cents mate, she already proved that she doesn't care for you once abandoning you like that. Now she's probably run into trouble and needs your shoulder to cry on once more. If you go back you've got no guarantee that she won't do it again.
Unfortunately some people are like that.
Move on with your life and forget her, you're young, you'll surely find someone who truly merits you.
I'm not sure you are correct on this one. I work in my country's social security department, and whenever a foreigner applies for a benefit, whether EU citizen or not, a residence permit is always requested. Mind you, I don't know the law's wording per se, just going by my department's normal procedures.
Hi there, nice to meet a fellow Maltese here. Kif int? :)
Yes I was talking about legal immigrants, illegal ones are by definition, er, illegal
In the case of EU citizens, they have a right to live in another EU country so long as they have the means to sustain themselves, in other words, they won't apply for non-contributory state benefits from their host country.
That means you must have a job, or else in receipt of a pension from your original country. If you satisfy one of these 2 conditions, residence permits are no problem for an EU citizen.
I'm not sure about the conditions of workers working on a set time contract. My assumption is that if your contract is not renewed upon expiry, your host nation can ask you to go back to your original country if you do not find new employment within a set period of time.
Wow I'll sleep easier tonight knowing that. Keep your prayers to yourself mate, but if you're being sincere (I'll give you the benefit of the doubt here) thanks anyway.
Fighting apart, what is your problem with people deciding to change their religious views? You as an American should understand the value of religious freedom and personal choice. (And I'm not being sarcastic or ironic here, just posing an honest question, so please reply in tone.)
Yeah as if I'm going to travel half way round the world to trump down a grandpa, lol. If you want to come over to malta, you're more than welcome though.
Er, shouldn't catholics not fight though? I thought your jesus told you to turn the other cheek. Time for the confession box for you boyo, at least you don't have any worries about the priest making avances at you, you're too old for that, lol.
Re-spelling, even though English is not my first language, I happen to have had an education, unlike some people around here.
Once a residence permit expires, if you're a foreign national staying in any country, it's the host country's legal right to deport you unless your residence permit is extended.
Unfortunately on many occasions, food, clothes and medicine sent in aid of populations in need are often hijacked by unscrupolous persons for their own needs. These might be for selling on the black market, or else for use of a faction if the country in question is undergoing a civil war.
The latter case happened in Somalia in 1993 for example, which led to the American intervention by US Army Rangers and Delta Force troops in Mogadishu. Some here might have watched the movie, but I suggest you also read the book as it goes into much greater depth into the political and social situation there, and why there is little, if any hope of finding a peaceful solution. It's nearly 2010 and the situation down there is hardly any better.
This isn't a situation that happens only in Africa though. There were plenty of cases (such as documented on TG2 Dossier for Italian viewers) where humanitarian aid destined for Kosovo was diverted by Albanian smugglers.
The thing is, even if your god truly existed, islam holds no sort of attraction for me. Having to pray 5 times a day? Er..I think it's a prime contender with watching paint dry on my list of 'most boring stuff to do'.
Does this mean I have no moral code? No, I do have a moral code. Some of the values I hold dear to may be derived from a particular religion or religions, but if I choose to believe in them, it's because I want to, not because a priest or imam tells me I must.
Some of my beliefs may appear old fashioned and unpractical in today's politically correct world, but so what?
I do believe in upholding one's honour; being loyal to friends and family; respecting those who are WORTHY of respect; being strong and able to defend myself and my loved ones; not being afraid to state my opinions; and being capable of respecting another's good qualities even if he is my enemy.
Some of these values can be clearly attributed to various religions in some form or another, others are more closely linked with the code of chivalry and bushido (both of which are influenced by christianity and shinto buddhism, but there are earlier religions such as Mithras who was a proper 'God of War').
I guess this doesn't make me a humanist like some other atheists, but it keeps me 'on the right path' which is ultimately what religions are trying to achieve as well.
I have no trouble with other people believing in god, gods or goddesses, but what I dislike is when I have other people's beliefs shoved down my throat. Unfortunately both christianity and islam (in their various guises) are very much guilty of that in, both in the past and in today's world.
It is a very tragic thing that there are still people in today's age willing to die in order to go to heaven, and I do believe the world could have been much better off without these religions messing things up throughout humanity's history.
Well, since god hasn't consulted anybody except mohammed, I guess we just have to take his word for it right? I'd be more ready to believe if god was inclined to inform me personally, after all quite a bit of years have passed since mohammed's days.
Well put, many people grow up in a particular religion because of their upbringing. Speaking about my own country, many people here who question me about being atheist are at a loss for words when I ask them 'why are you catholic?' and will usually admit that part of the reason is that it's because they were raised that way.
They all have natural, scientific explanations friend. If god existed and were so powerful (whichever god that is), why wouldn't he sort out the shambles concerning religious fantacism and strife instead of letting poor bumbling mortals go about it?
Let's just take the couple of elephants he had on board. Where did Noah store all the food they consumed during those 40 days?
What about the carnivores, and the prey animals? If he only took 2 animals of each, I can see the population on that ark dwindling rather rapidly, with maybe a battered lion, an alligator, and a really pissed off elephant by the end of the journey!
Well, we atheists could tell you to removed your (blinkers in case you don't get it!) and start seeing the world and creation for what it is rather than living in dreamland
Romans had their own religion too, which does make them believers
Their Pantheon of gods and goddesses was certainly different, but you'll find many of the feasts and traditions which nowadays are considered 'Christian' to have Pagan origins.
Take Christmas, it was the Pagan Mid-Winter Solstice, the point at which winter had reached its depth, and each day from now on till the Summer Solstice would bring more life and warmth to earth.
The Christians hijacked many of the Pagan festivals as it was easier for the newly converted to continue celebrating the festivals with which they were familiar, only with a Christian rather than a Pagan theme from then on.
Personally I see intellect in a person as a big plus. Conversation in a relationship is important if it is to prosper, and I'd rather have interesting topics to discuss.
That said, I like being silly too, so a mix of intellect with a sense of fun would be the ideal.
Wrong Jesus wasn't killed by the Romans because he was spreading a new religion, although that's what Hollywood blockbuster movies would have you believe.
In Roman days you could practice any religion you wanted so long as you paid your taxes and didn't cause civil unrest. In fact the Romans incorporated many foreign gods and goddesses into their Pantheon from the lands they conquered.
In Roman views, Christianity was just another Jewish sect, and not a distinct religion per se. The Romans had to contend with various uprisings and civil unrest in Palestine due to the fact that they never understood the Jews' outlook on religion. Monotheistic belief was a concept that was not understood in the Roman Empire.
The sentence to crucify Jesus was due to the politicking of the Jewish priest class (Pharisees) who were afraid they'd lose their power to the new religion. While I'm not one who likes to quote the bible, it is stated even there that the governor Pontius Pilate argued that there were no actual charges on which to condemn Jesus, but he was blackmailed into issuing the sentence all the same due to political pressure from the Pharisees who threatened to incite rebellion in his province.
In those days being given the governorship of Palestine wasn't exactly a plum job for a Roman Senator's career (it was considered a bad assignment as there was no wealth to speak of, and the area was constantly rebelling), and a new rebellion (with inadequate forces to garrison the area) would have spelt the end of Pilate's career and the chance of becoming Consul one day.
My point exactly, in my view, Christianity and Islam are two sides of the same evil. Both are guilty of having killed people for the simple fact that they did not want to accept the dogma of these two religions.
Even people who are religious have been killed because they adopted different interpretations of these religions.
Here's a few examples just to name a few:
The Crusades between Christianity & Islam; The persecution of the Cathars in France during the 13th century; Anyone in Europe during the middle ages who refused to convert from Paganism to Christianity; The 30 years war between Catholics & Protestants; The ongoing wars between Muslim Shia and Sunni from the early days of Islam to the present day; The present days' terrorist wars, take your pick of any group. Heck even most of the civil wars currently raging in the African continent are due to tribal and religious dissent.
I guess the guys who initially spread islam (you know that muhammed started a religious war against unbelievers back in the day don't you?) and today's various hamas, al qaeda etc whose idead of a quick ticked to heaven is to strap themselves with a rucksack full of explosives haven't got your same interpretation of islam dude.
Totally agree with what you've said. If a person wants to settle in a foreign country, so long as that person has a steady job, pays taxes and doesn't cause any hassle they are welcome.
If they want to change their new country into their former one, they are free to pack their bags and leave. The natives will be only too happy to say 'good riddance'!
The line between different cultures and races is always blurred. Sometimes cultural differences may be insurmountable or very difficult to get round with.
I'll make an extreme example to state my point:
Would you see a romantic relationship between a Satanist and a Shia Muslim going anywhere? Even if the two people involved would be willing to put aside their drastic religious differences, don't you think all hell (pun intended) would break loose amongst their relatives and friends?
Let's not be too much goody goody and admit that human nature is what it is.
I think cultural difference does play a part when it comes to dating of a different ethnicity, culture, and/or religion.
I do believe that in order for a relationship to work, there must be some areas of common ground (these might be hobbies, career or whatever) shared by both members of a couple.
I've dated a woman from a different ethnicity (she was japanese) and although we liked each other very much, certain differences in our outlook to life brought the relationship to an end.
I think that if people are truly honest with themselves, they are much more comfortable being with someone similar to themselves than with something which is too much different. Ok, this is a generalisation, but I think in the majority of cases it is also true.
Does this mean that people of different ethnicities/cultures etc cannot have a successful relationship?
No, it can work, but in my opinion the couple must work harder at it than a couple sharing a similar background.
I can relate to the sense of frustration you feel after sending a number of messages and not getting any reply, especially if you do take the trouble of writing a well thought out message instead of a simple one liner.
It's just the way it is over here, while I do get replies to my messages, the 'no answers' outnumber those by far, so it's not just you mate. It does make me wonder if people are just too lazy to reply or just plain rude, after all, even if the person messaging you doesn't interest you physically or she is too far away to pursue it further, a 'thanks for your message' type of reply isn't going to cost them anything.
wulfen Forum Posts (810)
It's Black Hawk Down!
(blinkers in case you don't get it!) and start seeing the world and creation for what it is rather than living in dreamland 
RE: Deportations?
I wasn't referring to a work permit, but a residence permit which is issued by the ministry of foreign affairs.