vanity thread - FReeper wants advice on expatriation

[natewill]

Maybe some of you worldly, travelled FReepers can give your nickels' worth of free advice. I am seriously thinking of expatriation. So far I have started research on New Zealand and Philippines. I speak English only, don't have too much money (enough for plane fare and a couple of months of living), am not married and do not have kids. My goal is to find a place where the nanny laws and taxes aren't as high, and the culture is less commercial and more easy-going. HELP!

[natewill]

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[natewill]

And I'm having trouble posting this thread to multiple topics, too.

[natewill]

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[proud2serve]

Well, how about South Korea? I spent a year there, didn't need to learn the language, they love Americans. Thier system is a barter system, you too can have that FUBU shirt for $5, if you barter right. The only trouble is that you will find the quality of living quite different than the states. Taxes? What are taxes? There are no sales taxes, etc.. there.

[natewill]

What about crime, corruption, etc? My only other fear in South Korea is the stability of the region.

[VRWCmember]

You can forget about New Zealand. Unless you have someone there sponsoring you and a job already lined up, they will not approve your immigration. (They take protection of their borders a little more seriously than we do.)

[proud2serve]

Well, honestly, I didn't see any crime, but I lived on a military installation, in a military town. The only crime I saw were drunk Americans fighting. I'm sure there is crime and corruption, but every country you go to is like that. ROK is a peaceful nation, all being said, it's N.K. that's stirring up trouble. ROK is well defended, with the U.S. just providing support. If something did happen, which it probably won't, then all foriegn nationals, especially Americans, have a free ride via the U.S. military to a non hostile place. The likely hood of any real trouble, isn't that realistic right now.

[cavtrooper21]

Belize or, I know you will find this a little hard to belive, but Columbia....
Weather there is wonderful, the economy is good, and aside from the drug issues, relitivly stable and the people are really nice. Once they find out that you are NOT part of the drug or anti-drug problem, that is.

[cajungirl]

I dunno about the Philippines,,aren't the Muslim terrorists blowing up things and kidnappiing things. I had a friend live in NZ for a couple years and while it was beautiful, etc, she said she got bored and longed for the US. What about Australia, now hard is it to emigrate there? And the Caymens? Bermuda?

[natewill]

I know that Australia is almost impossible to get off the plane and find work and live. You have to have people and jobs and finances at the ready.

I think that most of the bombings are around the Borneo, New Guinea area, where there is a clash between muslim and Christian views.

I'll definitely look into Bermuda and the Caymens. Last night I was searching for info on Belize, and wasn't able to find much, but I'm not done looking.

One of my biggest concerns anywhere is employment for an English speaker. I would think that being a native American would be a plus in most of these second-world nations that want to do business with America, but I cannot back that idea up with personal experience.

[natewill]

I also have looked into the 'teach english abroad' program. In Taiwan, specifically. I can't tell if it is a mill/scam to take advantage of people that are looking for an adventure, or a legitimate experience with a fair salary and enough support to make life *not too hard* relatively speaking.