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D.D.
Joined: 29 May 2008
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 Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 8:07 pm Post subject: |
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When I go back to Canada they want me to write 18 months of exams to practice in my profession. A few years ago the exams took one weekend. The people are running around like chickens just trying to keep up. They all stand in line at coffee shops to fuel up for the rat race. As Bob Marley said that aint no human race it's a rat race. I just dont fit in anymore and I think many people are stuck between the east and west these days and represent a new emerging culture.
I would be cafeful not to settle in some place and drink and smoke my health away. Also watch out for the wives that slowly poison their expat old husband. |
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eIn07912
Joined: 06 Dec 2008
Location: seoul
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| Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 9:38 pm Post subject: |
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| DrOctagon wrote: |
| dporter wrote: |
When people say they aren't going back it makes me think about family and especially parents. One of the things I fear most is getting that phone call and having to make the 12 hour flight to attend the funeral of a family member.
I'm not sure I could get back on the plane 4 days later to go back to K-land.
I have no problem living somewhere other than the U.S. for an indefinite amount of time. But if there was a death in my immediate family it would be very difficult for me to leave again. |
I agree with you. The thought of living so far away from my family is saddening. I've been in Korea for 9 months and while I have a great job, live in a beautiful area, and have many friends, I could never be completely happy without my family. I can't believe how many of the expats here are so disconnected from family and don't really care to be away from them. Perhaps it's cultural... |
I dont know if u can call it cultural. i think thats just how some families are. thats how my family is.
i left home a 19 and thats pretty much been it. i came back once or twice during uni and a xmas here and there, but id say i havent spent more than a month in my home town or old house in the last 6 or 7 years. its not that i dont like my family, sure i love them, we're just not very close (or at least we dont need to be close to know we love each other)
i know some koreans like that as well. very few, but some none the less. some families just operate differently. i get a little sad when my friends here get packages from their moms and stuff. and sure its lonely when everyone goes home for xmas, but that gives me extra time to travel or spend time with someone i might want to build a family of my own with some day. i remember when my brother got married, it was just a phone call to say it was gonna happen in a few months and that was it. i remember when my mom remarried, i found out about it 2 weeks after, haha, so i imagine i'll do the same i guess, just call and give them a heads up that it will or already has happened. |
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oldfatfarang
Joined: 19 May 2005
Location: On the road to somewhere.
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| Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 10:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Suwon23 wrote: |
But Mousie, thou are no thy-lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men,
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy! |
Oh, beautiful Burns. Thanks, you've just made my day.
Oh, and I'll be retiring in Thailand. For all it's faults, I have to say that Thailand is my dream country. It's my second home (between K. contracts), and at the moment I try and live there about 2-4 months a year.
Incredible food; reasonable fishing; fantastic weather; wonderful open and friendly people; it's relatively cheap (but not like the good old days); European standard health services available to ex-pats with cash; any number of 'wives' available to even the most derelict expat; food from all over the world/especially European food; widespread spoken English and books; large expat community and expat services/advice; buddhism; and so much more.
Some major pitfalls for the unwary, though. Everyone I know who's bought a business (to support their Thai family) has regretted it (money down the drain).
Also, major hassles with owning property outright ; Thai service; Thai trickery; and wide-spread infidelity issues with said wives/girlfriends. Settling down and appearing rich will also get the attention of Thai criminals and, the worst criminals in Thailand, the Police.
The political situation is unlikely to stabilise - until after His Majesty dies and his successor beds in (could be a very unstable country when he dies).
Visas are getting tight - unless you know 'someone'. Some of my friends just buy a yearly visa, and that's safer than going the 'Marry a Thai girl to get the visa' route (and a lot less expensive in the long run as you're not draining all your savings supporting her family and their incesant demands for cash).
There's a lot of Western rubbish that washes up in Thailand (drunks, druggies, tricksters, penniless bums). Thais don't mind these derelicts, as long as they're 'taking care' of a Thai family. But being around these men can be unpleasant, so you need to be wary of new 'friends'.
Good luck. See you on the beach. |
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Cheonmunka
Joined: 04 Jun 2004
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| Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 11:08 pm Post subject: |
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^ What a good few posts.
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| Yeah I can relate to you bro...I'm one of those disconnected with family types. The ones I did connect with have died. ..I'm only 30 too..go figure. The rest I have little to no connection with |
Certainly makes living somewhere else and raising a family of one's own much better ... perhaps that's one of the main reasons people take this international route.
Many people I know back in NZ who never left that country, all come from the strong family type.
But, when you ain't got no family to speak of left, what is there to go home to? |
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Robot_Teacher
Joined: 18 Feb 2009
Location: Robotting Around the World
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| Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 11:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Never say never. |
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michi gnome
Joined: 15 Feb 2006
Location: Dokdo
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| Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 1:58 pm Post subject: |
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an old Spanish saying:
"if you want to make God laugh
tell him your plans"
nevertheless cheers & good luck... |
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michaelambling
Joined: 31 Dec 2008
Location: Paradise
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| Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 7:08 pm Post subject: |
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| D.D. wrote: |
When I go back to Canada they want me to write 18 months of exams to practice in my profession. A few years ago the exams took one weekend. The people are running around like chickens just trying to keep up. They all stand in line at coffee shops to fuel up for the rat race. As Bob Marley said that aint no human race it's a rat race. I just dont fit in anymore and I think many people are stuck between the east and west these days and represent a new emerging culture.
I would be cafeful not to settle in some place and drink and smoke my health away. Also watch out for the wives that slowly poison their expat old husband. |
This is the biggest problem with the west. "Professional training"--hours and hours or, in some cases, months and months of life wasted away in pointless classes where we're taught absolutely nothing and receive some certification that lets us do a job that we could learn in 15 minutes. Some European schools offer degrees in waitressing, and the teacher training that U.S. school districts require is laughable in both duration and content.
My dignity and brain will not allow me to waste my time in these so-called orientation programs where I have to listen to idiots drone on and insult my intelligence.
My favorite anecdote: a prestigious British university required new lecturers to attend a pedagogy skills session where a toy was put on every chair, and they were encouraged to play with the toy during the lesson because it "facilitates learning". They were then told that brainstorming is an offensive word amongst other claptrap. Imagine--a room full of Oxford PhDs playing with slinkys and chanting, "I will say 'mind showers' in my lessons." |
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chachee99
Joined: 20 Oct 2004
Location: Seoul Korea
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| Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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| My goal is to save up enough money and live in Bohol Philippines. I don't care too much for Cebu. |
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Cohiba
Joined: 01 Feb 2005
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| Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 8:57 pm Post subject: |
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To all the people who say these plans are...dubious: To follow one's
dreams isn't witchcraft or a craps throw. It is sound financial planning
and unswerving diligence in work as well as consistent and wise savings.
Granted, last year set me back about 2 years in my plan. Now I have
my money in safer term deposits. The interest is not bad compared to
western countries and it is 99.99% safe. Moreover with the fixed return
I basically know the day I will be able to leave sparkling Korea forever.
In the 9 or 10 years left in the plan things could change. I may want to
stay in Korea and become a pig farmer, drink soju and smoke slim
cigarettes while wearing grey dress pants and a T-shirt.
But I will have the freedom(money) to choose. |
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D.D.
Joined: 29 May 2008
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| Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 9:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Cohiba wrote: |
To all the people who say these plans are...dubious: To follow one's
dreams isn't witchcraft or a craps throw. It is sound financial planning
and unswerving diligence in work as well as consistent and wise savings.
Granted, last year set me back about 2 years in my plan. Now I have
my money in safer term deposits. The interest is not bad compared to
western countries and it is 99.99% safe. Moreover with the fixed return
I basically know the day I will be able to leave sparkling Korea forever.
In the 9 or 10 years left in the plan things could change. I may want to
stay in Korea and become a pig farmer, drink soju and smoke slim
cigarettes while wearing grey dress pants and a T-shirt.
But I will have the freedom(money) to choose. |
Giving up now for later is the move of the man in fear. Best quote is above- How to make god laugh? "Tell him your plans". To you bean counters and savers : money really has little to do with quality of life and happiness. Try to find a balance as saving for retirement ruins a lot of peoples lives. |
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coffeesoda
Joined: 20 Feb 2009
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| Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 10:06 pm Post subject: |
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| I concur ... those who suffer/scrimp/save for the ever-elusive dreamland of "retirement" are doing themselves a disservice. Tis better to find a way of life/means of support with a modicum of enjoyment NOW because who knows what the future holds? We can try to control our lives best we can, but in the end it is a combination of planning, forethought and LUCK. |
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Mr. Pink
Joined: 21 Oct 2003
Location: China
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| Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 6:09 am Post subject: |
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| michaelambling wrote: |
| D.D. wrote: |
When I go back to Canada they want me to write 18 months of exams to practice in my profession. A few years ago the exams took one weekend. The people are running around like chickens just trying to keep up. They all stand in line at coffee shops to fuel up for the rat race. As Bob Marley said that aint no human race it's a rat race. I just dont fit in anymore and I think many people are stuck between the east and west these days and represent a new emerging culture.
I would be cafeful not to settle in some place and drink and smoke my health away. Also watch out for the wives that slowly poison their expat old husband. |
This is the biggest problem with the west. "Professional training"--hours and hours or, in some cases, months and months of life wasted away in pointless classes where we're taught absolutely nothing and receive some certification that lets us do a job that we could learn in 15 minutes. Some European schools offer degrees in waitressing, and the teacher training that U.S. school districts require is laughable in both duration and content.
My dignity and brain will not allow me to waste my time in these so-called orientation programs where I have to listen to idiots drone on and insult my intelligence.
My favorite anecdote: a prestigious British university required new lecturers to attend a pedagogy skills session where a toy was put on every chair, and they were encouraged to play with the toy during the lesson because it "facilitates learning". They were then told that brainstorming is an offensive word amongst other claptrap. Imagine--a room full of Oxford PhDs playing with slinkys and chanting, "I will say 'mind showers' in my lessons." |
After reading this you had me laughing. The reason is it is so true. After teaching in Korea for almost 10yrs I went back to do a B.Ed. I never thought of myself as the best teacher out there and thought that I could learn from the program. The only area I really learned from was the practicums. The in class stuff was all just useless BS to satisfy the bureaucratic requirements of the licensing body. I didn't really learn a thing. The worst part was the teachable classes I had to take. I feel they didn't really prepare me to teach those subjects. The undergrad work I had done in those subjects prepared me the most.
They really should have B.Ed students do more practicum and less classroom theory crap. Everyone in my program complained how useless it was and how it was essentially an expensive year of jumping through hoops to satisfy a government body that has to justify its existence.
PS - I think the reason they gave you slinkies is they woke up and realized not everyone learns the same way. However, I would venture to guess that Ph.D holders are not kinesthetic learners...I can't see how anyone who is can get through all those years of verbal/oral and visual learning. |
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michaelambling
Joined: 31 Dec 2008
Location: Paradise
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| Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 6:29 am Post subject: |
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| Mr. Pink wrote: |
| PS - I think the reason they gave you slinkies is they woke up and realized not everyone learns the same way. However, I would venture to guess that Ph.D holders are not kinesthetic learners...I can't see how anyone who is can get through all those years of verbal/oral and visual learning. |
Glad you liked my story--it's 100% true. 
For those of you saving for retirement, how much do you think you need to retire and how long will it take you to save it? |
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meangradin
Joined: 10 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 4:04 pm Post subject: |
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| I have a few questions that I hope someone can help me with. Specifically, does my European Union passport entitle me to live in any member country? Do I face any restrictions on buying property in these countries? Does anyone know of some great buys in relatively obscure (Croatia, Estonia, etc...) European countries? |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 4:30 pm Post subject: |
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| meangradin wrote: |
| Does anyone know of some great buys in relatively obscure (Croatia, Estonia, etc...) European countries? |
Varna, Bulgaria |
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