📘 Part 3: Moving places

This episode's vocabulary

To perceive (verb) - to come to an opinion about something, or have a belief about something.

Asylum (noun) - protection or safety, especially that given by a government to people who have been forced to leave their own countries for their safety or because of war.

Logistics (plural noun) - the process of planning and organizing to make sure that resources are in the places where they are needed, so that an activity or process happens effectively.

To force (verb) - to make something happen or make someone do something difficult, unpleasant, or unusual, especially by threatening or not offering the possibility of choice.

Hassle (noun) - (a situation causing) difficulty or trouble.

To foresee (verb) - to know about something before it happens.

The wherewithal (noun) - the money necessary for a particular purpose.

To immerse yourself in sth - to become completely involved in something.

Not go amiss - if something might/would not go amiss, it would be useful and might help to improve a situation.

Practicality (noun) - quality of being suitable for a particular occasion or use.

Adventurous (adj.) - willing to try new or difficult things.

To deprive (verb) - to take something, especially something necessary or pleasant, away from someone.

Arrival (noun) - a person or thing that comes to a place.

In the long run - at a time that is far away in the future.

To incline (verb) - to (make someone) feel something or want to do something.

To settle down (phrasal verb) - to start living in a place where you intend to stay for a long time, usually with your partner.

Proposition (noun) - an idea or opinion.

Flexible (adj.) - able to change or be changed easily according to the situation.

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Questions and Answers

M: Why do people move to a new home?

R: I think in just about every case, it's because they find something better, or at least it's perceived that way. Even if it's people seeking asylum in a new country, the idea is that it's better than being dead or oppressed, for example.

M: Some people dislike moving home, what could be the reasons do you think?

R: Well, I mean, despite the fact that is better than being dead or oppressed, there's still a lot of issues with logistics involved, aren't there? And also, you might not necessarily want to leave your home, but you're being forced to. So that plays a part in it as well. More generally, it's just difficult to organize moving, and it's quite stressful, even if we're not talking about a sort of warzone situation. You could probably just sum up as it's a hassle to move.

M: What problems will people face after moving to a new place?

R: Well, how long is a piece of string? I think the most easily foreseen issues are connected to language, culture and logistics. Like for example, you could have all the wherewithal to buy and fill a house, but that will do little good if you can't communicate with your neighbors or order things at the local shop. So that's an issue of language and culture, I suppose.

M: How do people solve these problems?

R: Well, in the case of language, you ideally hire a teacher and learn it in advance of moving. Cultural issues usually take a little bit more getting used to it, but generally, you can read about them and immerse yourself in the culture as much as you can before you move. As for logistics, some advanced planning never goes amiss, I suppose.

M: Any more practical problems that people face when they move house?

R: Well, if we want it to be more specific about logistics, then it could be things like finding a decent moving company, for example, or booking flights or getting insurance. So all of these are connected to, well, this idea of practicality, or logistics, as I'm choosing to call it.

M: What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in the same place?

R: For your whole life? I mean, I imagine it would get boring for people who are more adventurous. Plus you deprive yourself of opportunities that exist elsewhere, which might be bad if you, I don't know, live in a dying community or an economically disadvantaged one. Then again, you know the area and the people well, so you might be more aware of hidden opportunities that new arrivals or newer arrivals might not even happen upon by chance.

M: Is it reasonable to move to a new place frequently?

R: Well, assuming you're fine with it, I can't see why not. Some people have jobs that take them all over the world to new places, and to meetings with new clients all the time. I'm not entirely sure if that's sustainable in the long run, though. So as you get older, you might be more inclined to settle down. If the conditions are right, though, then there doesn't seem to be too much wrong with the initial proposition.

M: Do you think that in the future, people will move house more often?

R: Your guess is as good as mine on that one. I'd like to think that they will move house less often, since that is an indication of greater stability, and hopefully the world is becoming a more stable place. But that's just what I hope. I don't know for sure.

M: Do you think it's better to leave in the same house? Or it's okay to move once in a while?

R: It depends entirely on your personality. Some people are quite happy living in the same place for their whole lives because the, well, they're just creatures of habit. And they're used to that sort of thing. Other people, like we talked about craving for novelty before, other people crave new things and new places, so they'll be more inclined to move elsewhere. And that will make them much happier. So it's dependent entirely on the individual.

M: Do you think it's better to rent a place or buy your own place?

R: I think it's actually better to buy, isn't it? Because people keep telling me this. And there are a variety of economic reasons for it, which I'm not well versed. But apparently, owning your own home is cheaper than renting. However, renting is more flexible in terms of moving around. So there's an advantage there as well. It depends on the kind of lifestyle and job you have, I suppose.

M: Do you think people genuinely move house more often now than they used to? Like 10 years ago or 20 years ago?

R: I'm not sure. I would guess so. Based on the increased migration that we're seeing. And so people are coming into houses and people are moving out of areas and all things like that. So yes, I think there's a trend of more moving around. Maybe that slowed down with the pandemic. But I can't see it going in reverse. That's for sure. And not at the moment anyway.

M: Do you think it's positive trend?

R: Well, not particularly, I mean, I hope the world is becoming a more stable place, so people won't have to move around more. However, people have the option to move around more. So there's this freedom of movement that they have. So in some ways, it's a good thing, because people have the choice to do what they want, and go where they want. But on the other hand, it's a bad thing, because it leads to increased instability. And probably it's not very good for the environment either. So it does depend on your perspective on these things.

M: Thank you, Rory, for your answers! They are quite moving!

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