Must see places?

[Coligny]

Damn. I would enjoy going there as I liked to go to old ghosts towns all over the USA when I had my summers off.

Beware, is a completely cleaned, museum like, experience. Children are forbidden to go just because there are no toilet on the island. But for everything else, akihabara electric town small buildings are much more scary...

It's something to see (trip take a morning)... But don't dream it's like fallout 3... The viewpath have been smooth concreted, guardrails everywhere, fire alarm, extinguishers, AED posts, I'm pretty sure that aside from the boat ingress/egress wheelchair access would be perfectly smooth... It's bordering on insane... (BUT NO LOO)

[Russell]

Beware, is a completely cleaned, museum like, experience. Children are forbidden to go just because there are no toilet on the island. But for everything else, akihabara electric town small buildings are much more scary...

It's something to see (trip take a morning)... But don't dream it's like fallout 3... The viewpath have been smooth concreted, guardrails everywhere, fire alarm, extinguishers, AED posts, I'm pretty sure that aside from the boat ingress/egress wheelchair access would be perfectly smooth... It's bordering on insane... (BUT NO LOO)

Yep, the Japanese have this unique talent to organize the fun out of everything.

I went this afternoon to a Japanese garden to get some peace of mind, and to take pics of trees that could be suitable for my garden. There was this older guard man who was apparently unfamiliar with people who do not follow the route in the designated order. I reckon it to be normal to return to the same spot a few times to enjoy some more, but the moron started to nag me and wanted to know which places I had gone, and even wanted me to leave "because I had seen all places". When he demanded that I be at a certain spot 10 minutes before closing time, while it was still one hour to go, I had enough and gave him the full load. Mind, I was just taking pics, not damaging anything, and obeying all rules. And no, I wasn't digging out those trees to bring back to my own garden...

Don't these idiots understand the point of a Japanese garden?!?

[Coligny]

You dirty barbarian can't read superior japanese language. You certainly missed the sign "NO FUN ALLOWED"

[Cyka UchuuJin]

[quote="Samurai_Jerk"]Word. 100,000 baht a month is like USD36,000 a year. He'll definitely have a lot more left over after taxes and fixed costs in Thailand that he would have in Denmark on 60 grand a year. Plus the pussy is cheap ]

jep. my gross salary is more than 60k, but what i actually have left over is a lot lower than 36k.

actually, english teachers in japan have more takehome pay than i do.

there is definitely something wrong with me.

[Cyka UchuuJin]

Naha is not at all American miltary base-ish. It's Japanese urban sprawl, with all the "planning" that that implys. But right next door in Urasoe or Ginowan and *bam!!* you're into base country. Nearly the entire southern third of the island is so built up you have all the charm of the being in Central Osaka, only without the related transportation infrastructure.

I'd personally skip the entire island of Okinawa, and hit one of the outlying islands. The Kerama Islands, Kume Island, Miyako, and Ishigaki are all much better places to get the tropical, old Okinawa vibe.

to me, naha felt pretty americanised. lots of flowered hawaiian shirts and massive portions of food in restaurants.

been to ishigaki, miyako, kohamajima and iriomote. the latter two are my favourites, with kohamajima on my list of top 3 places i've been in japan.

[Cyka UchuuJin]

Spent about 6 months in the Baltics and 2 in Holland and really enjoy both places.



I agree the more I looked into taxes, apartment costs, food prices, heating costs/water/power...etc it seemed the $60K a year was not all that great.

Was never sold on the Spain offer and Thailand well the pay is above average, the beaches, cost of living, the overall quality of life as I can get a nice place to live (with pool, gym..etc) and still have a LOT left over at the end of the month. The school will pay to ship my stuff to Thailand so that's one less hassle as well.

I was indifferent to living here in Japan but could not see myself doing another 2 years here. Hoping Thailand is a better fit for me.



I am a Credentialed teacher (grade school but also licensed to teach PE and as well). Teach at International Schools. I taught in California prior to being laid off due to budget cuts (just before I got tenure! ha ha). Now happily teaching overseas where I don't have to deal with all the BS (NCLB, helicopter parents, lack of respect..etc).





Damn. I would enjoy going there as I liked to go to old ghosts towns all over the USA when I had my summers off.

holland, baltics, many places in europe are lovely to visit. even to spend a couple months in. and the locals will love you for spending money and think you are cute when you say how wonderful it is and how you could like to live there.
living there is an entirely different story. as soon as you've got that permit to live and work there, you become a system-sucking enemy burden who's stolen a job from a good qualified citizen. there are exceptions, but they are few.

if 60K was a pre-tax salary, then yeah, you definitely chose the better option by going to thailand. europe is not an expat package minded continent.

[Mike Oxlong]

[Cyka UchuuJin]

[JLR]

Yep, the Japanese have this unique talent to organize the fun out of everything.

*nods head in agreement*

holland, baltics, many places in europe are lovely to visit. even to spend a couple months in. and the locals will love you for spending money and think you are cute when you say how wonderful it is and how you could like to live there.
living there is an entirely different story. as soon as you've got that permit to live and work there, you become a system-sucking enemy burden who's stolen a job from a good qualified citizen. there are exceptions, but they are few.

I have close friends in the Baltics (3 of them were classmates/exchange students at my University) and have been there enough times and enjoy it. I was working there part time as well.

If the locals hated me for being there so be it (ignorance is bliss?). I enjoyed myself and going out with my friends. Living in Old Town Tallinn or Riga are places I can see myself living long term. Not really a fan of Vilnus.

[Mike Oxlong]

kohama and iriomote are definitely not americanised.

btw, kariyushi/aloha/hawaiian shirts... pretty much the same damn thing!

Well, we agree there. Get to the other islands, and spend as little time on Okinawa Honto as humanly possible.

The shirts on the Caribbean islands, in Miami...same deal. But the cut, patterns, and use do vary locally. On Hawaii it's totally ok, commonly encouraged, for Aloha wear at weddings. On Okinawa it's formal Japanese style - suits are de rigueur. On Hawaii aloha wear is year-round. On Okinawa they follow the calendar regardless of the weather. Suits in "winter", kariyushi in summer.

[Catoneinutica]

Do a Google search for the various "28/50/100/101/1000 Places to See before you Die" lists. My dad had the book that seems to have started the trend (link below), and I leafed through it, but all I can remember about Japan is: watch the sun rise from the top of Fuji, check out Tsukiji at 5 AM or whatever, take a stroll along the old Kyoto-Edo Post Road along its prettiest stretch in Nagano.

http://www.******.com/100-Things-Before-You-Die/dp/087833243X/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1336884109&sr=8-7

-catone
-maaaan, I just could not handle the heat in Thailand; still, it wouldn't be as dull as Denmark: them folks really gots sticks up their asses. But the chix are cute. I'd try to save my Danish salary for trips to Poland. I'm really quite fond of Poland and the Polish people (very cute chix here too), and it's still comparatively cheap.

[Cyka UchuuJin]

[quote="Catoneinutica"]
-maaaan, I just could not handle the heat in Thailand]

haha, who said the 'dull Denmark' quote??