Jump to content

Ideal place to live in the West, when not in BKK?


mattwasp

Recommended Posts

You're right - the Western feel is more important than location.

 

How is Singapore in terms of work / play? I've heard its quite an expensive place to live, though do earnings match up? (again, I know this is irrelevant with a lottery win, though it would be prudent to plan for the interim. :) )

 

Cheers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 59
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Guest lazyphil

i would live where i do now (cambridge is pleasent in the summer very cosmopolitan) only buy a bigger house you mentioned lotto winning, then grand rapids minnesota, perfect jump off point to northwoods fishing, peaceful and uncrowded--so march to july, usa, july till late october uk, the rest los, but its a dream unless my numbers come up :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If your thinking of spending half your year in a Western City (the other half in Bangkok) - then the MAIN question you have to ask yourself is are you prepared to learn another language and if so which one?

 

To illustrate, I speak fluent Greek and I would have no hesitation to live 6 months of the year in Athens, Thessalonica or the Islands (as I have done in the past) because of that. If I spoke little or no Greek - it would be a COMPLETELY different experience, no way would I want to spend half my year there.

 

If your happy to stick to English then off-course cities in the English speaking world will do just fine - take your pick from the list on this thread so far...(my native Sydney ain't bad at all).

 

In the past I have lived in Holland, Sweden and India for an extended time and although English got me by, I didn't get into the culture 100% - as I only spoke the local language at a rudimentary level. Somehow, by not learning the local language properly, I made a statement that I don't quite see myself as one of the locals, I was an outsider living in a temporary situation at best. I could never fully appreciate the gifts that the local culture offered because I was shielding myself from it by not putting in the time or effort to learn the lingo.

 

Although to date I have never visited, I am sure if you learnt Portuguese, Rio could be a fantasy land... same if you learnt Spanish and you decided to live in Buenos Aires.

 

Investing some time in learning a new language will pay off big time, it will have a transformative effect on your experiences in this new place and it will add another dimension to your personality. To elaborate on this latter point, I taught English to adults in Korea and I saw first hand how the students view on themselves and the world around them literally transformed within a year of picking up English (admitedly I was fucking the woman that I have in mind). The students picked up - almost unconsciously, habits of thinking that one might associate with the typical westerner. I cannot explain it logically - but their is something deeply embedded in the archetype of a language (both spoken and written) that makes us connect with the cultural heritage and mannerisms of that country in a very direct and real way.

 

The same effect would occur to you if you decided to pick up a new language. If you leant Italian for example - you may suddenly find that you begin talking more and more with your arms and body language - just like an Italian!!. I kid you not - I am almost another personality when I am in Greece talking Greek - I become Zorba the Greek!, yet in Australia I am a mild mannered loner like (for lack of a better analogy) Clark Kent.

 

So the point of all this is as follows: If you want to live somewhere (non-english speaking), are you prepared to learn the local language to a proficient level? If yes - think about which language you have a natural predisposition in learning, and then jump in and learn it - as best as you can. If no - stick to the English speaking world.

 

PS Without a doubt your experiences in Thailand would be exponentially better if your learnt to speak fluent Thai - so perhaps thats a good starting point right their....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Surebet,

 

You're preaching to the converted! While I would personally prefer to live in the Western portion of my life in my native tongue I would similarly consider France as I speak French fluently (chicken and egg - I learnt by going to France).

My own opinions are similar to yours, and although I am no LOS Veteran I already have a handle on some of the simpler Thai and a undeterrable fascination with it. Total immersion is the only way to learn.

 

Your other points are all right on the money too - My french body language is as animated as the natives' and it goes a long way to actual communication rather than just chitchat.

 

I think I'd personally prefer to stick english for my western home, though your points are all valid for the Thai 6 months!

 

Cheers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well I've only ever been to Singapore for a holiday but was considering working and living there for a time and it seemed accomodation was fairly cheap (pretty much the same as the UK outside London). If you want to work there you'll need a sponsor for your work permit (I assume you have some desirable skill to make that possible). As for play there are some great nightclubs - probably the best in Asia - but Singaporean women are sexually conservative. There are also some smaller bars and nightclubs with freelancers from Thailand, Indonesia, China and the Philippines.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To illustrate, I speak fluent Greek and I would have no hesitation to live 6 months of the year in Athens, Thessalonica or the Islands

 

Dude, you left *Melbourne* off the list ... OK - you *are* a Sydneysider, so its completely understandable. For those who came in late, Melbourne has the second-largest Greek-speaking population in the world, and its a helluva long flight from Athens.

 

Good people the Greeks - they have adopted this country as their own, and left the domestic politics back in the motherland - if only a few other nationalities took their cue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

Copenhaqen, has everything, can walk from one end to the other and the Danes are very nice people IMO. Unfortunately though the atmosphere has been affected by too many aslyum seekers who don't try to integrate and want the Danes to change to acccommodate what they think they are entitiled to, still the best place in Europe though IMO and not been ruined by overdevelopment. In LOS I would like to live in roi et as it's easily the prettiest place (along with ubon)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The loveliness of Paris

Seems someshow sadly gay.

The glory that was Rome

Is of another day.

 

I've been terribly alone

And forgotten in Manhattan

I'm going home

To my city by the bay.

 

I left my heart

In San Francisco

High on the hill

 

It calls to me.

To be where little cables cars

Climb halfaway to the stars!

The morning fog may chill the air.

 

I don't care!

My love waits there in San Francisco

 

Above the blue and windy sea.

When I come home to you

 

San Francisco

Your golden sun will shine for me!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...