posted
The COA of most state colleges for out-of-state students is roughly comparable to that of most mid-cost private schools. Which kind of makes sense.
COA is the same for everyone (well, within each group), regardless of grant eligibility. (Grants reduce the out-of-pocket costs and remaining need, but they don't reduce the COA. They just pay for part of it!) And out-of-state students won't qualify for state grants, either.
And I'm getting used to reminders of my age and how fast time is passing. Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Mucus: I don't think that is a contradiction. While there's awesome food in any part of Asia, I'm fairly certain that Singapore and Hong Kong are at the top of the heap
To go all the way back to this point: OK, I'll grant you that. They are at the top of the heap. But Japan is on the tippy-tip-top of the heap.
Honestly, it's impossible to get bad food in Japan. You have to pay an arm and a leg for a lot of it, but everything is fantastic.
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Mucus: I don't think that is a contradiction. While there's awesome food in any part of Asia, I'm fairly certain that Singapore and Hong Kong are at the top of the heap
To go all the way back to this point: OK, I'll grant you that. They are at the top of the heap. But Japan is on the tippy-tip-top of the heap.
Honestly, it's impossible to get bad food in Japan. You have to pay an arm and a leg for a lot of it, but everything is fantastic.
As someone who spent quite a bit of time in Japan (in the Navy), I'd politely disagree. Short of being a jet-setter, I'd rate the food in Japan only slightly above average compared to the rest of Asia. And on a working-person's income, it's lousy compared to other (poorer) economies.
For casual (read working-class) dining, I'd greatly prefer the food in India, Singapore, Malaysia, or Hong Kong. Japan DOES win over Korea, however.
Posts: 1204 | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Actually, I must say I was very impressed with the food in Istanbul. They can cook lamb in ways that taste great (when I normally hate lamb), there is plentiful and cheap seafood (love the stuffed mussels), and the prices are great.
I'm willing to check out Japan, but I'm also a pretty budget traveler and prefer a good deal, so .... I dunno.
Posts: 7593 | Registered: Sep 2006
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Aros: Short of being a jet-setter, I'd rate the food in Japan only slightly above average compared to the rest of Asia. And on a working-person's income, it's lousy compared to other (poorer) economies.
Roppongi alone has enough terrible, digestive tract destroying, greasy, horrid, national and international abominations to keep you feeling ill at the sight or smell of seafood, curry, or noodles for months.
Posts: 15421 | Registered: Aug 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well that's an interesting phenomenon isn't it? Richer countries market a lot of crappier food to middle income people because they can market the quality food to the, uh "quality."
It's a noticeable thing in Europe as well. On a traveler's budget, you can eat tolerably in the rich countries, but the food you can buy will be much better in the poorer nations. So, while there's fantastic grocery shopping in France, and horrid grocery shopping in Czech Republic, the same money buys you a better restaurant meal in Czech than in France.
Posts: 9912 | Registered: Nov 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
That is interesting, Orincoro. I observed the same thing in SE and East Asia. There does seem to be a bottom* to it, though--the street food in Laos wasn't any better than that in Thailand, for example.
*Not that that's really, you know, surprising, but still.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
I don't know, I lived on a total shoestring budget in Japan and did fine for myself. I could always afford nice fruits and vegetables and they were always delicious and the best quality. In fact, once at a produce stand the man at the register threw away the grapes I'd picked out because he spotted some mold at the bottom and went and got me a fresh bunch. 100% cleanliness and quality is always expected.
So I ate well cooking for myself, because the produce and rice (Japanese rice!) and fish were all such high quality, and then on the rare occasion I ate out it was always very well done. I'm not quite sure where you ate, Aros, but maybe it was the result of being in a base town.
But still, I can't think of one restaurant I ate at that had poorly done food. Mostly because employees get fired over things like putting the cup on the wrong side of the tray.
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Also, even though the ridiculous prices of food in Japan are always publicized, you can do well if you're not afraid to eat the fresh, local things that you can get affordably. Watermelon and steak will punch a hole through your wallet, yes, but Japanese people don't often eat watermelon or steak. You can buy daikon, eggplant, mikan (ah! Shizuoka Ken!), umeboshi, fresh fish, exquisite rice, and seaweed products amazingly cheap.
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
| IP: Logged |
Blayne Bradley
unregistered
posted
Annie, can you help me learn how to cook the kind of Japanese food you'ld get on such a budget? I'm hoping that next time I move out I'll be practicing/preparing in advance on how to prepare that kind of food on that kind of budget, y'know?
Also any chance you can help me practice my Japanese I'm at about 250 kanji and know my kana.
IP: Logged |
posted
This thread title "nice places for a U.S. citizen to visit and/or live"
Which is it that interests you most because living abroad is nothing like traveling abroad.
Posts: 12591 | Registered: Jan 2000
| IP: Logged |
Blayne Bradley
unregistered
posted
Usually you visit abroad first and then decide if you want to live there, also it would be redundant to have two separate threads I suppose.
IP: Logged |
No, Annie, I'm not saying that good / fresh food is not available in Japan.
My thoughts on cuisine in countries I've been (Europe / Asia / Oceana). As a foodie, quality refers more to palatability than freshness (freshness was mostly not a problem anywhere): - Hong Kong: Low price. Very high quality / variety Chinese. High quality from some other Asian countries. - Malaysia: Low price. High quality Malaysian food. Moderate / low quality from other countries. - Singapore: Moderate to Low price. High quality Malaysian / Thai / Chinese / Indian / Western foods. - Japan: Very high price. High quality Japanese food. Moderate to low quality all other foods (except steak). - Korea: Moderat to Low price. High quality Korean food. Moderate to low quality all other foods. Weird ideas about what constitutes pizza. - Australia: High price. Moderate quality Western food. - France: Very high price. Very high quality French food at all price points. - England: High price. Variable food quality. Pretty good Indian food. - Scotland: High price. Variable food quality. Most of the strange food is sold to tourists. - Saipan: High price. Great Thai, Phillipino, and American food.
The primary reason I advocate Hong Kong is price versus quality. Singapore, though higher priced than Hong Kong, is a huge trading mecca with great food from all over Asia.
Singapore and Hong Kong are also the two countries in which I've known the most expats / contractors. To be fair, most of the people I know are in technical trades (maritime and avionic electronics, management, technology, other industrial / maritime trades) rather than language (teaching English).
Posts: 1204 | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote:- France: Very high price. Very high quality French food at all price points.
I guess that depends on where you go in France. I cycled through the French Jura and the Haut Savoit this summer and I thought the restaurant prices were very reasonable and grocery store prices were cheaper than the US.
Food Prices in Switzerland, on the other hand, were outrageous, a minimum of 3 times the prices in France and Germany in both restaurants and grocery stores. But that makes a lot less difference if you will be working in Switzerland than if your a tourist since Swiss salaries are also very high.
Posts: 12591 | Registered: Jan 2000
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: Usually you visit abroad first and then decide if you want to live there, also it would be redundant to have two separate threads I suppose.
And my point is that this is a flawed approach because what you see as a tourist in a country and what you experience when you live in a country are often entirely different.
Posts: 12591 | Registered: Jan 2000
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by The Rabbit: This thread title "nice places for a U.S. citizen to visit and/or live"
Which is it that interests you most because living abroad is nothing like traveling abroad.
For now, visiting. I have taken heed of the warning that experiences while visiting may be very different from living, but it still seems to me I'd want to visit a place before attempting to live there. And in general, I'm not unhappy with my current living situation, I just would like to experiment a bit while I'm still able to.
Posts: 4136 | Registered: Aug 2008
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: Usually you visit abroad first and then decide if you want to live there, also it would be redundant to have two separate threads I suppose.
And my point is that this is a flawed approach because what you see as a tourist in a country and what you experience when you live in a country are often entirely different.
Which is why I suggest the "look and see" approach. That is, visit, but just pretend to yourself that you really are living there, and think about what kinds of things you are really looking for.
As I said at the beginning, it's a really classic expat mistake, unfortunately, to move to a place which has been idealized by either research (you read into the literature what you wanted to be true) or positive vacation experiences (you saw what you wanted to see). I intentionally moved to a city I hadn't particularly liked while travelling, and based the decision on more logistical concerns. And it worked, because you are the same person wherever you go- you can either learn to love or learn to hate most anyplace- so picking the right place for you should more be a matter of "how practical is this move?" "Does this place offer the things that I want?"
A lot of people, surprisingly, end up in foreign countries where they can't find the things that they really want most. And they often blame the country, rather than themselves.
(Mind you, I'm all about the Czech national pastime of complaining- but that's more a black humor kind of thing. The assumption should be "if I didn't have this to complain about, there would be something else")
Posts: 9912 | Registered: Nov 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
My intention is to be a sort of tourist-live-there hybrid: find cheap places with internet access, and do freelance work remotely.
Posts: 4136 | Registered: Aug 2008
| IP: Logged |
Blayne Bradley
unregistered
posted
JET is probably gonna be good, 5 year job for me, subsidized living/placement. Build up a network with employeers, coworkers and other expats.
But I intend to go there for a 2 week vacation, preferably at a pen pal's place so I can learn the ropes.
IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Raymond Arnold: My intention is to be a sort of tourist-live-there hybrid: find cheap places with internet access, and do freelance work remotely.
The first thing you will need to check into is whether this is legal without a work permit. In many countries, it is not, even if all the freelance work you do is for US customers. You might be able to get away with it, particularly if you move around frequently, but you'd risk being deported and possibly fined. Furthermore, getting a work permit to be "self employed" is likely to be more difficult than getting a permit to work for an employer. You will also want to check into tax liability and health insurance requirements.
From the US side, if you establish a residence outside the US or spend less than about 30 days in the US per year (I don't remember the exact number), you get a tax exemption of ~$80,000 dollars but unless your employer is non-US based and offers a pension plan, you will be required to pay FICA.
Posts: 12591 | Registered: Jan 2000
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Raymond Arnold: My intention is to be a sort of tourist-live-there hybrid: find cheap places with internet access, and do freelance work remotely.
I don't recommend this approach.
Posts: 9912 | Registered: Nov 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I found the food in Japan to be just wonderful, though expensive as other have indicated. Not to mention there are just so many interesting twists on certain food ingredients that you can find just wandering down the street in Japan and stepping into a random streetside restaurant.
In terms of having incredible food at an affordable price, I think Taiwan takes the cake. You can get just about any food there, and if you are willing to eat fresh ingredients, it's actually cheaper than Mcdonalds.
Don't get me started though, I'll gush about Taiwan all day if you get me going.
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Raymond Arnold: For the reasons Rabbit listed, or other ones?
Those, and I have known people who did this, and typically it sounds better than it is. The work is isolating, the time difference is worse than you would assume, your legal status is unclear and you lack various basic daily routines you rely on for human connections. you get the worst of the working life, and the worst of the local culture. My best friend did this for 18 months, and despite his being extremely disciplined and making attentive efforts at living a local life, he was greatly relieved to get a local job and stop the madness.
You think you can live like that, but actually it's only nice to think about.
Posts: 9912 | Registered: Nov 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I was planning on doing it for more like 2 months (as I said to Rabbit, right now I'm focused more on the "visiting" part rather than the "living" part). Even living in the US I decided to stick with a day job even though I might be able to make more money in freelance, for exactly the reasons you describe.
I'm not going to want to stay with my current day job forever, and taking a few months to explore a bit seemed like something worth doing before moving on to another long term job. I'd be thinking of it more as "vacation, plus working as much as I can" rather than "work, plus a little vacation on the side."
Posts: 4136 | Registered: Aug 2008
| IP: Logged |
Anecdotally, I hear that the Hong Kong one works pretty well and is pretty flexible
I've heard this as well, not to mention the huge population of migrant workers from the Philippines, Indonesia, India, etc makes it likely things are pretty cut and dry.
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
