|
Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Which country would you live in? |
| South Korea |
|
10% |
[ 7 ] |
| Japan |
|
36% |
[ 25 ] |
| China |
|
8% |
[ 6 ] |
| Vietnam |
|
7% |
[ 5 ] |
| Cambodia |
|
4% |
[ 3 ] |
| Laos |
|
2% |
[ 2 ] |
| Taiwan |
|
1% |
[ 1 ] |
| Thailand |
|
27% |
[ 19 ] |
|
| Total Votes : 68 |
|
| Author |
Message |
Mr. Pink
Joined: 21 Oct 2003
Location: China
|
 Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 9:49 pm Post subject: |
 |
|
| Konglishman wrote: |
| Mr. Pink wrote: |
| Konglishman wrote: |
| Cerberus wrote: |
| Stalin84 wrote: |
| Cerberus wrote: |
As one local put it, " Singapore is like a warm bath. You sink in, slit your wrists, your lifeblood floats away, but hey, it's warm."
btw.. can't the bolded part refer to Korea? |
I've heard a lot about Singapore and rarely ever anything bad. The things I hear the most are "it's so clean! It's so modern! If you spit on the street you'll get thrown in jail..." etc.
In my opinion this is nothing at all like Korea (I actually think Korea could learn a lot from Singapore in this respect).
However, if you're talking about 'soul', I'd say Korea most certainly does have soul. A very traumatized, confused soul but soul nonetheless. Singapore sounds like one shopping mall of a country. |
I'd take Korea over Singapore in a heartbeat.. as I said.. the only reason anyone is in Singpore is for the money.
I just think that for many Westerners the warm bath slit wrist lifeblood axiom might be applicable to Korea - based on many posts I've read here. |
What about its year round warm and sunny weather? What about its close proximity to vacation spots in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia? What about the greater ease in adapting to the place due to English being spoken and due to it already being a multicultural nation? No, clearly, there are many other reasons to go to Singapore. |
These are some of the reasons I want to live in Singapore. Honestly, as an English teacher (or any other kind of teacher) you are going to make more MONEY in Korea. Singapore's cost of living is much higher, especially their rents.
Singapore is on my list of places to work. I know I will take a hit when it comes to the money, but I love that from there you can hit so many different places to travel to. I also love how I can speak English in my day to day life there. For me that is a HUGE plus.
Too bad it isn't on the poll as that is the one I would pick. |
If you get a job at an international school or at a junior college there, you should be able to do quite well there both professionally and in terms of money. |
Singapore American School is on my list of places to work before I die. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Draz
Joined: 27 Jun 2007
Location: Land of Morning Clam
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 11:03 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I wouldn't live in any Asian country. Job aside. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Cerberus
Joined: 29 Oct 2009
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 11:38 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Since the premise of the OP was that you'd have enough money to live comfortably on, I still fail to see how Singapore is attractive beyond English and ok.. "first world living" , EXCEPT if you have the money, "first world living" is easily achieved in Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lampur or anywhere else.
it all goes back to the following: people live and work in SGP because they make far more money than anywhere else, first and foremost.
The premise of the OP completely neutralizes SGP's "ace" of arguments.
even if I accepted the English and first world arguments, then Hong Kong would have it beat by a mile. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Konglishman
Joined: 14 Sep 2007
Location: Nanjing
|
| Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 11:48 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Cerberus wrote: |
Since the premise of the OP was that you'd have enough money to live comfortably on, I still fail to see how Singapore is attractive beyond English and ok.. "first world living" , EXCEPT if you have the money, "first world living" is easily achieved in Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lampur or anywhere else.
it all goes back to the following: people live and work in SGP because they make far more money than anywhere else, first and foremost.
The premise of the OP completely neutralizes SGP's "ace" of arguments.
even if I accepted the English and first world arguments, then Hong Kong would have it beat by a mile. |
I have heard that the air pollution from mainland China has become a negative against Hong Kong. In fact, I remember reading about a foreign executive who decided to relocate to Singapore due to his son's asthma.
And for the same reason, I wouldn't be particularly keen on living in either Bangkok or Jakarta. Of course, Kuala Lumpur is fairly okay with respect to air pollution not being a big problem. But still, I would choose Singapore over Kuala Lumpur due to Singapore's overall higher quality of life. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
|
| Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 12:02 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Stalin84 wrote: |
| nautilus wrote: |
You left out the Philippines.
Which is where i think I'd be happiest: easygoing people, plenty of natural beautiful landscapes to explore, nice climate, mostly english speaking. |
Oh, sorry! I thought I was missing something when I made the list. However I don't think there are many English teachers living there and that was the focus of this list, the Philippines seems to have the most English speakers of every Asian country... |
I'm not many but I do own a house there (Philippines).
There are a few jobs here for qualified individuals (that pay in western type salaries), land is cheap, housing is cheap if you don't own land and the cost of living is VERY cheap unless you strictly live off western, imported food and western restaurants (like TGIF, etc).
My average monthly expenses (including groceries, electricity, etc) run in the range of US$200 and include the cost of a worker to look after the gardens, fields and animals. Admittedly I do NOT have to pay rent and my taxes last year were only $40 (on 5 hectares of land, 120sq meter (1200 sq ft for our American friends) house, barns and outbuildings). |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
janafromfrance
Joined: 07 Nov 2009
|
| Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 12:18 am Post subject: |
|
|
| come on, koreans are trying to get out of THEIR beloved country, who in their right state of mind would want to stay here if there is a haven next door called JAPAN. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Stalin84
Joined: 30 Dec 2009
Location: Haebangchon, Seoul
|
| Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 12:51 am Post subject: |
|
|
| janafromfrance wrote: |
| come on, koreans are trying to get out of THEIR beloved country, who in their right state of mind would want to stay here if there is a haven next door called JAPAN. |
I thought you only liked France  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
shinramyun
Joined: 31 Jul 2009
|
| Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 12:57 am Post subject: |
|
|
| japan is overrated |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
redaxe
Joined: 01 Dec 2008
|
| Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 2:50 am Post subject: |
|
|
I'd go to China because of its sheer size and range. The country is enormous, it has almost every kind of topography and climate on Earth within its territory, and the various regions all have different regional and ethnic minority cultures, each with their own dialects, customs, and cuisines. In terms of the sheer variety of experiences it can offer, China blows all other Asian countries out of the water. It's one of only a handful of countries on earth that I think can compare to my home country (USA) in that regard.
It also helps if you speak the national language, which I do.
There are downsides to China, though. It is still an industrializing country, so some areas have bad pollution, overcrowding, corruption, petty theft/pickpocketing, and sickeningly huge wealth gaps between the rich and the poor. And the Great Firewall blocking the internet is really, really annoying if you don't have access to a good proxy server. But all things considered, for me the positives outweigh the negatives. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Old Gil
Joined: 26 Sep 2009
Location: Got out! olleh!
|
| Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 3:41 am Post subject: |
|
|
| redaxe wrote: |
I'd go to China because of its sheer size and range. The country is enormous, it has almost every kind of topography and climate on Earth within its territory, and the various regions all have different regional and ethnic minority cultures, each with their own dialects, customs, and cuisines. In terms of the sheer variety of experiences it can offer, China blows all other Asian countries out of the water. It's one of only a handful of countries on earth that I think can compare to my home country (USA) in that regard.
It also helps if you speak the national language, which I do.
There are downsides to China, though. It is still an industrializing country, so some areas have bad pollution, overcrowding, corruption, petty theft/pickpocketing, and sickeningly huge wealth gaps between the rich and the poor. And the Great Firewall blocking the internet is really, really annoying if you don't have access to a good proxy server. But all things considered, for me the positives outweigh the negatives. |
+1
HOWEVER, Chinese very oily. Bring paocai with you. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Cerberus
Joined: 29 Oct 2009
|
| Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:29 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Konglishman wrote: |
| Cerberus wrote: |
Since the premise of the OP was that you'd have enough money to live comfortably on, I still fail to see how Singapore is attractive beyond English and ok.. "first world living" , EXCEPT if you have the money, "first world living" is easily achieved in Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lampur or anywhere else.
it all goes back to the following: people live and work in SGP because they make far more money than anywhere else, first and foremost.
The premise of the OP completely neutralizes SGP's "ace" of arguments.
even if I accepted the English and first world arguments, then Hong Kong would have it beat by a mile. |
I have heard that the air pollution from mainland China has become a negative against Hong Kong. In fact, I remember reading about a foreign executive who decided to relocate to Singapore due to his son's asthma.
And for the same reason, I wouldn't be particularly keen on living in either Bangkok or Jakarta. Of course, Kuala Lumpur is fairly okay with respect to air pollution not being a big problem. But still, I would choose Singapore over Kuala Lumpur due to Singapore's overall higher quality of life. |
if money isn't an issue then 'quality of life' isn't much of an issue.
ESPECIALLY if you live in a country where you have more money than most other people.
you can effectively 'buy' whatever quality of life you want. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Stalin84
Joined: 30 Dec 2009
Location: Haebangchon, Seoul
|
| Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 7:22 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Cerberus wrote: |
if money isn't an issue then 'quality of life' isn't much of an issue.
ESPECIALLY if you live in a country where you have more money than most other people.
you can effectively 'buy' whatever quality of life you want. |
That's not true. You'd have to look poverty in the face every time you left your home/compound/whatever. You might even be resented by the local population.
I don't think quality of life comes from money alone. Being a slumlord doesn't appeal to me. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Konglishman
Joined: 14 Sep 2007
Location: Nanjing
|
| Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 7:27 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Cerberus wrote: |
| Konglishman wrote: |
| Cerberus wrote: |
Since the premise of the OP was that you'd have enough money to live comfortably on, I still fail to see how Singapore is attractive beyond English and ok.. "first world living" , EXCEPT if you have the money, "first world living" is easily achieved in Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lampur or anywhere else.
it all goes back to the following: people live and work in SGP because they make far more money than anywhere else, first and foremost.
The premise of the OP completely neutralizes SGP's "ace" of arguments.
even if I accepted the English and first world arguments, then Hong Kong would have it beat by a mile. |
I have heard that the air pollution from mainland China has become a negative against Hong Kong. In fact, I remember reading about a foreign executive who decided to relocate to Singapore due to his son's asthma.
And for the same reason, I wouldn't be particularly keen on living in either Bangkok or Jakarta. Of course, Kuala Lumpur is fairly okay with respect to air pollution not being a big problem. But still, I would choose Singapore over Kuala Lumpur due to Singapore's overall higher quality of life. |
if money isn't an issue then 'quality of life' isn't much of an issue.
ESPECIALLY if you live in a country where you have more money than most other people.
you can effectively 'buy' whatever quality of life you want. |
No, I would rather be an anonymous rich person walking around everyday people. And in my opinion, that would be harder to do in Kuala Lumpur. Eventually, someone there would sniff me out whereas I could see Singaporeans not prying too deeply into a person's business. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
stevieg4ever
Joined: 11 Feb 2006
Location: London, England
|
| Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 7:59 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Where is Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
redaxe
Joined: 01 Dec 2008
|
| Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 7:33 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Old Gil wrote: |
| redaxe wrote: |
I'd go to China because of its sheer size and range. The country is enormous, it has almost every kind of topography and climate on Earth within its territory, and the various regions all have different regional and ethnic minority cultures, each with their own dialects, customs, and cuisines. In terms of the sheer variety of experiences it can offer, China blows all other Asian countries out of the water. It's one of only a handful of countries on earth that I think can compare to my home country (USA) in that regard.
It also helps if you speak the national language, which I do.
There are downsides to China, though. It is still an industrializing country, so some areas have bad pollution, overcrowding, corruption, petty theft/pickpocketing, and sickeningly huge wealth gaps between the rich and the poor. And the Great Firewall blocking the internet is really, really annoying if you don't have access to a good proxy server. But all things considered, for me the positives outweigh the negatives. |
+1
HOWEVER, Chinese very oily. Bring paocai with you. |
Now where is Ukon to tell us Chinese people very oily and try to take all his moneys? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
