The Five Year Plan

[Boo]

...or something. It's still in the works since I still need a good job to actually pay for it all.

I'm basically remaking my past thread since I'm still having trouble finding a good country to move to, if any. I also didn't want to resurrect my old thread and get a warning.

I currently live in Canada. If I decide not to move out of the country, I'll probably relocate closer to Vancouver. I decided against Indonesia after much consideration.

Right, so moving on: I have a few regions I'd like to ask about. They're kind of all over the world, so I'm doing my best to be very cautious.

I'd like to ask about:

Scandinavia (mostly Sweden)
China (towns, not cities)
Peru
Australia (looks expensive, but considering it)
Singapore


The obvious question is to ask how each country is economically. I read more into Peru than the rest, but I'm still completely unknowing of the lot. I'm mostly asking for the sake of housing and other living expenses.

How hard/easy is earning full citizenship?

I would love it if I could own an auto-rickshaw in the country I finally decide on...

Individual questions:

Scandinavia: Even though I'm addressing the three or six countries as a whole, feel free to talk about one or all of them.

I know you may not feel it, but how cold is cold there? Due to my current location's climate, I've become accustomed to 10°C weather on a "cold" day. I'm never that chilled by it, but I do feel the need for a coat when it gets down to about 2 or 4.

I'm also curious how easy/hard travel is. Would I need a vehicle of my own? Would I be allowed to drag a dead horse down the streets on Sundays?

How are the hiking and festivities in each country?

Most of my knowledge of Scandinavia comes from reading a few posts here and there about metal festivals, and a comic (example (http://humon.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d257kd5)).

China: I don't know how many people here have lived there, but I'm sure people have visited it.

I'd like to ask about the pollution levels outside of the main cities, and how much urbanization has occured throughout the country.

My biggest concerns with China are the language and being subject to prejudice (mainly financially) as a foreigner. I don't think I'd be grand at learning Mandarin (or any of the others), but I would probably buy a Rosetta Stone package or something. I mean, I know Chinese people who learned English through it, so why not?

Peru: How bad are Rateros? I don't imagine they're as big of a problem as the animals they are attributed to, but I thought I might ask.

Australia: Although I am concerned about the likelihood of being bitten by a very large/very small poisonous spider, I do not attribute that to actual moving qualifications. I would simply like to request that residents of Australia help me better understand how to be safe around the wildlife and in the wild. I like to walk in the nature, so this is very relevant to myself.

Singapore: Heh... prescription gum only.

How strict are the laws? I was given a quick summary on some things a while back, but I only recall citizenship (which is apparently very easy to earn).



I hope I did not contradict myself or disrespect anyone. I also hope I didn't forget details... It's morning now, and I am ready to die in a bed, so my comprehension is whack.

When I get down to one country, I'll start asking "which part is the most awesometastic?" So far I'm leaning toward Peru, but I'm getting the sweets for them Swedes.

If you have your own suggestion on what country I should move to, please go right ahead and throw it on the table.

[Generic Archer]

for crying out loud, you will meet only 701 things that try to kill you per year, and 700 of those will weight a tonne and be made of steel.

Yes things are dangerous, if you go looking for them. Most of them are fairly hard to find, especially in the cities, if you go out west then your guidelines may come in handy... but in the cities the same old "keep out of the way of cars" is the only relevent one.

[_Zoot_]

Really now, while some of the things in Australia and very dangerous, there not very common, sure you find the odd spider here and there, if you do and it is bothering you, kill it.

I am surprised that people REALLY believe those stories, yeah, it is nice to be told that your badass for living in the country and there are some particularly bad animals and plants getting about (more than some other countries I guess) but it is not like you come into contact with them very often in the civilized parts of Australia. So don't worry about them if your coming to live, unless you go out camping or are REALLY unlucky you wont see very much that is really that bad! It's not like we actually need Spec Ops training just to go to the loo or anything.

Any way, the economy in Auz is great, we were one of the few countries not to go into recession in the GFC and despite the best efforts of our government we are still looking pretty good! But, it is very expensive, houses and the like in particular.

Any way, come to Australia! We have lots of stuff!

[Boo]

I'm somewhat of a nature guy, so I had to ask. Nature tends to include spiders. To be specific on those parts of my "knowledge":

boots: check if you left the back door open.
toilets: mainly secluded and poorly maintained washrooms, and only one breed of deadly spiders tend to do this. Even if that, the source wasn't specific on how many times it has occured, but rather to "be cautious".
keeping tidy: frankly, I just hate surprises and spiders when they combine.

I know Auzzieland isn't filled to the brim with spiders, and you're not all constantly fighting off Kangaroo and snakes. Well, maybe Kangaroo.

I have an utterly awful fear of spiders. I don't run away, but if I imagine them well enough, I'll be freaked out and start covering my head wherever I walk while taking quick glimpses of ceilings. It's not as pathetic looking as it sounds.

[Yarram]

:smallconfused: The only reason you'd check your toilet is if you had one that was in it's own box outside like we used to... And those weren't connected to the suerage line either, so they fell directly into pits. I've used what, 2? 3? Of those in my life? And both of those belonged to family friends who lived in the sticks when we were the same.

[Boo]

yes, secluded. And I think it was the back of the toilet, not in it. Doesn't really matter since I don't use public toilets.

[Mauve Shirt]

Man, I don't even live in Australia and I get tired of the "omg things will kill me". Of all of your choices, Australia is by far the easiest one to move to. I'm speaking through someone else's experience when I say that, but really, in terms of paperwork and security and all that, Australia's easier than any place in Europe. Don't know about the other places on your list. Also, they speak English.

[Boo]

Man, I'm too tired for this. I'm just gonna delete that.

EDIT: There, done, off to bed.

[Serpentine]

Australia (still freaked out by the idea of deadly things, but considering it):sigh:

The obvious question is to ask how each country is economically... I'm mostly asking for the sake of housing and other living expenses.For a while, Australia's dollar was closer to the US's than New Zealand's (some NZ coins are often accepted here). I think we're pretty solid. We have good healthcare and welfare support and the like, at least. Depending on where you go and what sort of quality you want, you can get somewhere to live for anywhere between $50au and $500au a week (in my area, a regional university town, it ranges between crappy one-room flats for $70ish to fancy brand-new family homes for $400. I got an old heritage home with 3 inside bedrooms, a big studio out the back, a great yard and good kitchen and bathroom for $250 a week and it was a very good find. My current house is 3 bedrooms, connected kitchen/dining/living room, good bathroom and kitchen, good yard but no use of the garage, for $300 which is somewhat overpriced. Just to give you an idea).
I think we get beef for a lot cheaper than other parts of the world. I can't really compare anything else to other places, just don't know the relative prices. $50 should be plenty for one's weekly groceries - others can get by on much less, others spend more.

How hard/easy is earning full citizenship?I'm honestly not sure. I think so long as you're not a refugee it shouldn't be too tricky.

I would love it if I could own an auto-rickshaw in the country I finally decide on...What's an auto-rickshaw?

Australia: First off, I can't believe there's a town called "Manly".Pft, there's better than that. Like Kaniva, for example, or Woodenbong.

Secondly: How do I not die in my first week? ("general safety guidlines that aren't so obvious to foreigners" would be a more accurate request) The few that I can think of are checking your boots and toilet (mostly public) before use, and making sure to keep things tidy and clean.:sigh:
If you live way up in the north, then don't swim in salt water in summer and if a sign says "Danger: Crocodiles. Do not swim.", listen to it. That's way in the north, though. It was weird for me.
If you're walking in long grass in warm weather, have boots on and make lots of noise.
If you leave shoes outside, shake them out before putting them on.
Don't poke your fingers into holes.
Watch your head in sheds and under houses. These are also the most likely places to find the dangerous variety of spiders. Just be careful.
The most significant "threat" you're likely to come across in normal activities is huntsman spiders. They're big and scary looking, and can get a bit aggro, but that's about it. Squish or spray them if you must (I don't), or put them in a glass and chuck them outside (I do). I move if one walks on the roof over me, cuz I don't trust their grip.

Environmental dangers are more important. Always swim between the flags at the beach, and brush up on your beach safety skills (e.g. how to recognise a rip, if caught in one swim across it rather than against it, etc). If you go bush let someone know, take water, etc. That sort of thing.

edit: Hey, if it's something you're worried about it's definitely worth asking. It just gets a bit tiresome to hear it so very often, and it's extra... annoying/frustrating/distressing/something when someone's taking it seriously enough to list it as a genuine concern regarding moving here.

edit: Actually, now I think about it, I think jellyfish are more of a concern than just about any of the usual worries. Jelly stings happen far more often than spider bites, shark attacks, and crocodile maulings, possibly even combined. If you're worried, you can get stuff for it, or supposedly things like urine or vinegar help the stings, and take it with you whenever you go to the beach.
And we do have damn good beaches.

[Boo]

Gah, I'm going straight to bed after this.

I mostly meant it for going out into the bush, though my examples of "safety knowledge" were very misleading. The thing about dying in a week was completely non-serious.

Although I am very frightened by spiders, it's not a "genuine concern", just a concern. Every single other deadly class of animal in Australia never even crossed my mind (I've worn deadly snakes around my neck). I simply felt I would ask. I'm still half asleep, so you'll have to excuse me further. Thank you for the information Serp and Zoot.

My biggest concern when moving will be the expense before anything else. This is why I decided against places like Switzerland and Ireland.

I'm never mentioning spiders again because this simply derails my whole request for help into "please shut up you ignorant foreigner". All because I lack the proper detail in my OP.

Did I mention I get cranky and stupid easily when tired? I'm going to regret this all in the mor...afternoon. Yay.

I'm just going to ignore myself and say I was completely in the wrong. This way, I probably won't hate myself later. I apologize if I have made an ass of myself and insulted/frustrated any Auzzies.

@^: I actually heard about that; the jellies. Is it true that vinegar is kept near beaches in case of emergency in areas with box jellies?

@V: Thanks. I'll look into that after 3 hours of sleep before being woken up by either my cat or my brother.

[Kiren]

Sorry, not much time to read today, but if you need to learn a language, I here this is the same thing as Rosetta stone, and free (mostly I think?). I tried it and its in the same format.
http://www.livemocha.com/
Someone confirm/deny this.

[The Anarresti]

I'm studying Chinese at the moment, and I'd have to say that, according to my chinese teacher, next to no westerners live in the non-city parts of China. Also, I know that Chinese is very hard for a non-native speaker to learn: if you really want to live there, learn it before you move, because otherwise you will be trying to immigrate to a socially unstable country without the language or any skills that the Chinese really want (unless you have some skills you haven't been telling us... but in a country of over a billion people, the Chinese are pretty much set for all the workforce they want), plus you'd have to overcome anti-westerner prejudice. I'd say, if you haven't already been to China, or have past experience with Chinese language/culture, don't move there.
Or if you don't have past experience with China, have a good reason for moving there anyway (offered a job somewhere, etc.) In China, the only people who speak english are students studying it or people whose jobs demand that they talk to Westerners regularly: in Europe, as I understand it, most people learn English as a second language if they don't speak it as their first, and of course Australia knows English.
I don't really have special expertise, but I have been paying attention to world politics, and if you ask me I'd say Australia is the best bet if you want to move. Awesome surfing and hiking, stable democracy, English-speaking, far enough away to be cool, looking relatively ok economically-wise, whereas Europe is going down the poo-pipe.

[Serpentine]

I'm never mentioning spiders again because this simply derails my whole request for help into "please shut up you ignorant foreigner". All because I lack the proper detail in my OP.Not so much "stfu" as "this is a tired old stereotype that has been blown out of proportion, and if you really actually believe it enough for it to factor into your moving decision we'd better edumacate you."

@^: I actually heard about that; the jellies. Is it true that vinegar is kept near beaches in case of emergency in areas with box jellies?I've heard that. Can't say with any great certainty that it's true, though.

[Lioness]

Australia - home of Manly towns AND Manly beaches...

Anyways, bushwalking stuff.

Snakes are probably your biggest worry. But they're pretty scared of large humans thwomping their way through the bush, so make plenty of noise and they'll run away. My grandparents often cautioned us to carry a large stick and beat the bushes/ground with it, so as to make even more noise.

You will look stupid if you wear a hat with corks in it, however, the flies will drive you mad if you don't. I advise some kind of flynet hat, a little like this (http://nofliesnets.com/images/Br-and-Rh-NFN.jpg), except just get a bit of flynet, put it over your head, and put a hat on top of it. Cheaper, and looks slightly less ridiculous.

Apart from that, Serp seems to have covered everything.

[Another_Poet]

I'm going to make a suggestion as someone who is currently planning on moving out of country long-term (but not permanently) in less than a year.

Consider living in one or several of the countries on your list first, and working a job teaching English. This can often help you pay your way through a lot of travels and you get a feel for what living in a country is like for 6 or 12 months. On your list, Australia probably has no need for EFL teachers; Peru probably pays the least; Scandinavian countries (and much of Europe) would probably pay quite well; Singapore and China would probably pay best except working in China could be quite difficult to arrange.

I think it would be better to get firsthand on-the-ground knowledge of your new country from having lived and worked there for a year, rather than just doing research or asking advice or making a short visit. That way you make an informed choice when you move there, and you're less likely to regret it.

Good luck!

ap

[Felyndiira]

China (towns, not cities)
Okay.


The obvious question is to ask how each country is economically. I read more into Peru than the rest, but I'm still completely unknowing of the lot. I'm mostly asking for the sake of housing and other living expenses.
A greater portion of my extended family has very good housing (condominiums, but you won't find very many suburban-style houses there), although the real-estate sector is one of the highest-inflating areas out there. In the smaller towns, some of my uncles managed rather decent condos for around 20-40k yuan, although you'll be really hard-pressed to find housing for that cheap nowadays. Be prepared to fork over 100k to a million for a decent place to live nowadays (this is in Yuan, though, so the price isn't much different from the US or Canada).

Food tends to be cheap there. Fast food and co. are silly expensive (I rolled over laughing when I saw the KFC prices), although if you can cook, you should be fine. Most supermarket foods in China do not obey the 6.X yuan to $1 USD ratio and sell for, say, 3 yuan per pound of pork, so they tend to be quite inexpensive contrary to the $400 CAD monthly salary that most Westerners would imagine. TV and utilities are cheap as heck normally, as long as there isn't some wily local governor with the bright idea of outsourcing local control of water to private hands.


How hard/easy is earning full citizenship?
It'll never happen, pretty much.


I would love it if I could own an auto-rickshaw in the country I finally decide on...
I advise against driving in the Chinese streets. It is, literally, the worst driving experience you will ever have in any developed nation.


I'm also curious how easy/hard travel is. Would I need a vehicle of my own? Would I be allowed to drag a dead horse down the streets on Sundays?
Mostly easy. Cabs are cheap in China, so you don't even need to own your own vehicle. 5 yuan per ride = pocket change.


How are the hiking and festivities in each country?
Depends on where you are, really.


I'd like to ask about the pollution levels outside of the main cities, and how much urbanization has occured throughout the country.
You'll suffer smog here and there. China's zoning is pathetic (as in non-existent), so it's not uncommon for factories to be built in relatively close proximity to residential areas. It's not unbearable for the most part, though, even in large cities like Harbin.


My biggest concerns with China are the language and being subject to prejudice (mainly financially) as a foreigner. I don't think I'd be grand at learning Mandarin (or any of the others), but I would probably buy a Rosetta Stone package or something. I mean, I know Chinese people who learned English through it, so why not?
Good luck with learning Chinese =p. I can tell you it's definitely not easy, especially if you start late.

A lot of your decision really depends on what sort of education you've had; it used to be that anyone with a master's degree is treated like a god (and back then, Ph.D.s are non-existent, so a Ph.D. from a foreign institution guarantees you instant professor-ship and ridiculous compensation; very different nowadays). Now, if you only have a bachelor's degree-equivalent, it will be very difficult to find employment; you need a solid education, start-up capital for bribery, and/or connections to find a good job in China nowadays, foreigner or not.

One of the more lucrative jobs in the nation are foreign language teachers - in particular, English. If you do want to move to China, that would be your best bet as far as employment goes, with a very excellent salary. It's relatively rare for Chinese people with an education in the West to go back to China and pursue a career in education, so there's less competition in that sector at the very least.

Do not expect China to be a golden opportunity, though. Competition is literally worse than in the west, and barring financial degrees from W.U.St.L. your best bet is in education (which does pay quite well). From what you're expecting, I'd highly recommend crossing China off as a potential place to move to.

[Teddy]

Well, as a Swede, I can say this of Sweden:

The economy right now is pretty so-so, we survived the crisis pretty well, but the unemployment rate is still pretty high (9%, IIRC. Norway, however, has almost none). We're famous for our high taxe rates (even though Denmark recently took the top position regarding that), but people don't seem to complain, and the living standard is pretty high, so I'd say that the positive sides (free school and healthcare for everyone being the most prominent ones) outweigh the negative sides. And if/when you get a job, you're pretty secure in your position thanks to restricting laws. They can't fire you unjustified reasons without you having an edge against them in court, that is.

I don't really know about how easy it is to get a full citizenship, but I don't believe it to be that hard. As long as you've got education and isn't a criminal, that is.

I don't think I've seen any auto-rickshaws here during my whole life so far, so good luck finding one, I guess...

Since this is one of the world's longest countries (north-south), the climate is pretty diverse depending on where you'd chose to live. It mostly ranges between an extreme of 30°C in the summer and an extreme of -20°C in the winter, even though it generally keeps itself within -5°C to 25°C over the year here in the northern southern part where I live. Expect the winters to be warmer down the southern-most parts and colder up north, and the summer is slightly colder, but also shorter in the northern parts.

If you live in a city, you should get along pretty fine by bike or busses, and trains and cross-country busses can take you between towns and cities. A car might be more or less useful depending on where you decide to live, and how you decide to live. Where I live, it's easier to use the bike or the bus, than the car, thanks to relatively short distances and a city-planning which gradually has phased out cars from the centre.

I'm not that much into festivities, but I know something about hiking, at least. It's usually pretty easy to get out in the nature even when you live in a city, and there are usually trails which are suitable for forest hiking close to most of them. The Swedish mountains (fjällen) are suitable for hiking, with marked trails and mountain huts along some of the trails if you don't want to bring along a tent. Good maps and tents are usually easy to come by in the right shops.

I hope you find this helpfull.

[Serpentine]

Oh, I missed some general questions. Sorry.

Travel: Depends where you are. Cities have buses (quality varies), taxis, and trains; Melbourne has trams; Sydney has ferries; dunno about anywhere else. Most decent-sized towns have buses and taxis, but cost varies ($2.50 to get 4km by bus and about $13 same distance by taxi in my town).
Festivals... Depends what you mean. There's a bunch of big music festivals, and various places have their own. The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is massive; the Big Days Out are big music festivals in various cities; there's various folk festivals; there's some aboriginal culture festivals; there's local town shows; and so on and so forth.
There's excellent bushwalking all over Australia. I don't know if there's anywhere you can go without finding at least one walking track within an hour away at most. Maybe central Oz. I know there's, oh, probably dozens near Armidale, many of them really lovely. Some of them are even days-long.

Regarding the flies, they're a pain but you can live with it. I've never used a cork hat or a veil or anything. Just gotta learn the Australian Wave :smallwink: If it's a major concern, it's worth mentioning that to the north there's a remarkable lack of them.

[Moff Chumley]

Singapore is good if, and only if, you can manage to obey their insanely Byzantine (by my standards, at least) legal system. Other than that, I gotta recommend Scandinavia; especially Finland or Iceland.

[Boo]

Well damn. I did make this thread... I was kinda hoping it was a dream. :smallfrown: Sorry to Auzzies. I cannot express just how stupid that was of me to say. I can handle arachnids (not literally, but I can flick them away), and they have no barring on whether or not I would move to a country. I do not hold the silly stereotype, although apparently I do when I'm excessively tired. I know that Australia is not a real version of Arachnophobia (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099052/).

I feel like I am explaining a plot hole that just cannot be explained... and I was the one that wrote it. I'll have to look at my first post again to make sure it actually asks the questions I want, and says things that I actually believe... I'll do that later.


Sorry, not much time to read today, but if you need to learn a language, I here this is the same thing as Rosetta stone, and free (mostly I think?). I tried it and its in the same format.
http://www.livemocha.com/
Someone confirm/deny this.

After looking at it's video, I'll have to check it out for myself. It looks good thus far. A quick browse about tells me that it's based partly on social interactions and critique from nonspecific persons who speak the language fluently. That says good things, so I really will have to try it when I get down to my top three.


About the Chinese languages...

Yeah, I know they're very difficult. I've heard first-hand just how hard they can be. I'm still thinking about it, however.


Not so much "stfu" as "this is a tired old stereotype that has been blown out of proportion, and if you really actually believe it enough for it to factor into your moving decision we'd better edumacate you."

Whenever I say I am tired/exhausted, please PLEASE smack me before I put my fingers on the keyboard again. I say things that don't make sense or just make me look stupid, and sometimes I annoy people.


bushwalking stuff [and fashion tips]

I'm imagining myself wearing a corkscrew hat... and giggling. Thanks for the help.


[Helpful info on China]

Hmm... this gives me either less or more to think about. It really depends if I can think of additional questions while keeping interest or give up on China altogether. I think I'll have to at least visit to understand your warnings.


Consider living in one or several of the countries on your list first, and working a job teaching English...

I think it would be better to get firsthand on-the-ground knowledge of your new country from having lived and worked there for a year, rather than just doing research or asking advice or making a short visit. That way you make an informed choice when you move there, and you're less likely to regret it.

Good luck!

ap

What I want to do is get the list down to three countries, and pretty much do what you have suggested. Previously, I thought that three months would be enough in each country that I would have a good idea on which I'd be best willing to relocate to. While three months could be fine if I was considering buying a vacation home (maybe), or examining universities, I doubt it would do well for actual residence. Thank you for your advice.


[helpful info about Sweden]

That was indeed helpful. Thank you. It sounds like a pretty cool place to live.


Oh, I missed some general questions. Sorry.

Travel: Depends where you are. Cities have buses (quality varies), taxis, and trains; Melbourne has trams; Sydney has ferries; dunno about anywhere else. Most decent-sized towns have buses and taxis, but cost varies ($2.50 to get 4km by bus and about $13 same distance by taxi in my town).
Festivals... Depends what you mean. There's a bunch of big music festivals, and various places have their own. The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is massive; the Big Days Out are big music festivals in various cities; there's various folk festivals; there's some aboriginal culture festivals; there's local town shows; and so on and so forth.
There's excellent bushwalking all over Australia. I don't know if there's anywhere you can go without finding at least one walking track within an hour away at most. Maybe central Oz. I know there's, oh, probably dozens near Armidale, many of them really lovely. Some of them are even days-long.

Regarding the flies, they're a pain but you can live with it. I've never used a cork hat or a veil or anything. Just gotta learn the Australian Wave :smallwink: If it's a major concern, it's worth mentioning that to the north there's a remarkable lack of them.

Something that still holds me back is cost... In the end, I may decide against Australia if I feel I cannot afford it. I was also looking up the bush flies that you and Lioness have warned me about. They don't seem like they're something to be too concerned about, but more of a nuisance than the mosquitoes from Ontario when the heat is up and the people are outside. My source for the bush fly. (http://www.viacorp.com/flybook/fulltext.html)


Singapore is good if, and only if, you can manage to obey their insanely Byzantine (by my standards, at least) legal system. Other than that, I gotta recommend Scandinavia; especially Finland or Iceland.

Well, I'm not a dirty person, but I do j-walk often (it's hard not to in my town), which apparently results in a hefty fine in Singapore.


--------------------


Additional questions for everyone: How are the prices of buying a house/condo? renting an apartment? I know it depends on where you live, so just an example from your area, or an area you know would help a lot. I don't know how helpful this will be in five years, but the prices shouldn't fluctuate much more than 20% in some areas. That's just a guess, though.

About non-English native countries: How accommodating is the countries listed for English-speaking, non-native people? IIRC, Scandinavian countries are somewhat fluent in English. Peru has... I don't know. I think their cities are better equipped for English speakers due to tourism, but I have no sources to help me figure out their towns and villages. Same goes for China, though Leaf-Eater and Felyndiira's posts help a bit in this area. I will be trying to learn the main language of whatever country I move to, but I felt I should ask this.

This one isn't going to weigh into my decision, but I'm interested to know what each country's movie and music scenes are like. I can't just go onto Youtube or Wikipedia to find these things out.

@Australia: What does Kangaroo meat taste like? I'm seriously curious. Is it like beef? poultry? I doubt it's like pork, but...?


Thank you everyone for the advice and information so far.

[The Extinguisher]

Stay in Canada. Canada's pretty awesome. You're planning to move near Vancouver? That's even better. Vancouver is more awesome.

This is the extent of my knowledge of places. Canada is awesome.

[blueblade]

Few general tips on Singapore, China (incl Hong Kong)

Singapore - The laws aren't that bad. In general they are there for good reason, and the end result is a place which is very easy to live in. paperwork is easy and quick, public transport is very good, good services and amenities. My big issue with it (and have only lived there a few months at a time), is that it's kind of dull. You may find that it's not a dramatic or exciting a change as your were hoping for. Or not, I don't know what you were looking for. No particular need to learn the language. It's a great travel hub too.

China - The non-HK major cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou) do have some expat population. Learning some language is essential, and yes, Mandarin is hard. Pollution is also a big issue in all of those cities. But they are exciting, interesting and a big change from the western world (which I presume is at least partly what you're looking for).

Hong Kong - Where I currently live. What I love about HK is that it's almost 2 cities. One is extremely expat friendly, with no language requirements at all, really just a hotter, young, vibrant European/western city. The other is a true Chinese city, with all the corners, nooks and crannies of a truly "new" environment. Other things to like about HK is the greenery (surprisingly it is 60% greenery) and access to the sea. Pollution can be an issue, but less so than Shanghai/Beijing. Great travel hub as well.

One point I will make is that your safety concerns need to be toned down a long way. Not to say that you shouldn't take precautions, just that if you're constantly looking over your shoulder or worried, you aren't going to have a great time in Asia. there is dirt, street food, unusual bugs, pollution and bad driving in equal parts.

Finally on economy: Singapore and HK are expensive places to live. mostly around accommodation. transport and general living expenses are fairly low. Other Chinese cities are cheaper, but catching up fast (and you are right that you will pay more for things as a foreigner). You can get by on a teaching job, but please try to get some strong qualifications before coming out.

[Lioness]

@Australia: What does Kangaroo meat taste like? I'm seriously curious. Is it like beef? poultry? I doubt it's like pork, but...?

Delicious. Seriously.

As for the flies, there are normal flies, and blowflies. Normal flies are annoying, but not horribly bad (but I really advise against eating anything with sultanas in it around them...learnt that the hard way. Blergh). Blowflies are slightly bigger, louder, and more annoying. They're much less common though.

Then there are other flies, like March flies, and stuff. They're even less common.

[Serpentine]

I was also looking up the bush flies that you and Lioness have warned me about. They don't seem like they're something to be too concerned about, but more of a nuisance than the mosquitoes from Ontario when the heat is up and the people are outside. My source for the bush fly. (http://www.viacorp.com/flybook/fulltext.html)...I don't even know what a bush fly would be :smallconfused: There's blow flies and bluebottle flies that are the most likely to annoy you. The big fat blowflies are extra gross when you squish them and their wriggling maggots ooze out :smallyuk: They're just gross and annoying. And you really don't want to leave meat out. Especially if it's a really good expensive piece, and your boyfriend's cat has clawed a hole in the plastic :smallmad:

Additional questions for everyone: How are the prices of buying a house/condo? renting an apartment? I know it depends on where you live, so just an example from your area, or an area you know would help a lot. I don't know how helpful this will be in five years, but the prices shouldn't fluctuate much more than 20% in some areas. That's just a guess, though.Well, I've already given you an idea about my area. You should be able to find a nice house with a couple of bedrooms for around $200. Apartments are quite a lot cheaper.
For buying... Ah, I'll just give you a link (http://www.raywhite.com/cgi-bin/rsearch) to a real estate search. Looks like it's around $100-200,000 'round here. My mother bought a townhouse in Sawtell for about $300,000 which went up to something absurd like $600,000, but that is literally about 10m from the beach in a very desirable area.

This one isn't going to weigh into my decision, but I'm interested to know what each country's movie and music scenes are like. I can't just go onto Youtube or Wikipedia to find these things out.Triple J has this quote on a regular ad: "When the sun comes out, every bastard has a festival." There are music festivals all over Australia, and there's more popping up every year. There is a Big Day Out every year in (I think) every capital city - the one I went to featured Metallica, Gerling, The Flaming Lips, Felix da Housecat and dozens of others I've forgotten. Tamworth has the Country Music Festival that draws performers from all over the world. The Woodford Folk Festival is an annual pilgrimage for a lot of people. Falls Festival, Splendor in the Grass, Blues and Roots Festival... Here, have a website (http://www.australianmusicfestivals.com/festival.html).
Film, we're not so good. The Australian film industry has a history of struggling. We've got scores of representatives in Hollywood and the like, but they all have to go overseas to get anywhere. It might be slowly improving, but it's a struggle. We often get movies a lot later than most of the rest of the world, unfortunately. We do have at least a couple of short film competitions, though, at least one of which goes on tour around Oz.

@Australia: What does Kangaroo meat taste like? I'm seriously curious. Is it like beef? poultry? I doubt it's like pork, but...?I love it. It smells a little odd when it's raw, but it has a slighly gamey sort of flavour. It's about the reddest red meat you can possibly get - definitely not like pork or poultry. It has pretty much no fat, and so is relatively tough, especially if it's not done very well. My Boy doesn't really like the 'roo steaks and fillets, because he doesn't like the texture, but he much prefers roo mince over any other - it even looks so much better.

edit: Another music-related link (http://triplej.yourevents.com.au/guide/index.cfm?action=searchResult). You might have to do your own search.

[Don Julio Anejo]

Heh, good thread. I was thinking of starting one like this myself, except only about Australia, as I want to move there after school.

Anyway, to the OP: if you're planning to move to Vancouver, most other places in the world won't seem expensive to you. Trust me on this. Our rent is on par with lower Manhattan. As in, if you want a 2-bedroom apartment, the least you're looking at is around $1250 a month in a far off area like Lougheed or Metrotown and around $1400-1500+ downtown in the less nice and more far off areas like English Bay (although in that case you will live on the beachside). Heck, my ex from Singapore thought it was cheaper back there.

Other than that... Vancouver is awesome. Probably more awesome than Europe. We have hockey here. And bears. Yes, really. There's 12 bears living at Simon Fraser University (a major university with 40,000 students that would probably be considered tier 1 in the US). And an awesome microbrewery in the form of Granville Island.

China - seriously do consider the fact that most Chinese don't like foreigners. Heck, many come over here and still act all smug and mighty to anyone who's not Asian. Luckily they're in the minority, but it's still annoying. That said, if you get lucky and end up in an area that's not racist, Chinese are extremely friendly.

Singapore - I only have one person's story to go through and she comes from a fairly wealthy family, so her testimony may not exactly match the real world, but still... People are nice and welcoming and it's pretty multicultural (in a good way, not in the "we're going to stick a token *race* guy, a token *sexual orientation displayed in a flamboyant manner* guy and a drunk *nationality* guy who wears a fur hat and doesn't leave his house without an assault rifle). It's extremely clean. The bureaucracy is surprisingly easy to navigate compared to the Canadian one (which I dare say is pretty good, when compared to US or especially Russia). People don't take bribes. The downside? Draconian laws. You spit on the street and get fined $300? That's not an urban legend. You get high and you go to jail for something like 10 years if you get caught (main reason she's in Vancouver...).

[Don Julio Anejo]

Anyway, here are my questions about Australia (or more specifically, Melbourne).

I plan to move their for two main reasons: the climate (I can't stand rain and here I am in a city where if it's sunny out, even in July, it's more likely I'm hallucinating than it's actually sunny), and the healthcare system (I won't say anymore as per politics rule, but let's just say it's an important factor as I plan to work in it). The Canadian one has too many problems from the other side of the fence, even if it is really good as a patient.

Now, for the actual questions:

- I've heard a lot about expensive metered water. Is it going to be a factor that I wash dishes under running water and take 30 minute long showers? Over here no-one's ever heard of a meter, you just pay a generic bill and get as much water as you want.
- Also, is the tap water drinkable? Doesn't have to be great or taste like bottled water, but as long as it's not like Mexico where it both tastes weird and isn't very safe, I'm fine.

- How bad is the internet? Is it just the lag, which I can handle as I don't play games anymore, or is the bandwidth pretty bad too?

- Most Australians I've met seem to be very nice and friendly (although it could be because this kind of people is more likely to go around traveling when compared to basement dwellers or NEETs). They also seem to be perpetually drunk, to the point where it seems like too much even to me (an ethnic Russian 22 year old college student living by himself, that's like 4 different alcoholism risk groups right there). Is it true? Probably isn't a factor whether I want to come there or not, but I'd rather be prepared if everyone is going to go out for drinks on the first day of school and the professor's paying.

- Do you get North American TV shows?

- Melbourne specifically. How good is the public transit? I know there's trams and buses and I know how much they cost, but I also know that most people seem to drive (to contrast: in Vancouver it's normal to see an exec in gold-rimmed Dior glasses and an Armani suit on the skytrain). How necessary would it be to get my own car, can I get by just on public transit if I don't want to inconvenience myself too much (i.e. buses stop running at 6PM on Sundays is a major inconvenience, having to walk for 15 minutes to get to my house isn't).

- On a related note, how expensive would it be to live in the downtownish area near University of Melbourne if I don't want to drive or be inconvenienced by public transit (if it's not very good)?

- How safe is camping? I mean I know all the talk about spiders and snakes is exaggerated, but if I set up a tent in the middle of nowhere and don't particularly scour every inch of the immediate area, what are the chances of me getting bit by something that's not a bunny?

- And general catch-all question. How clean is the environment?

[Felyndiira]

China - seriously do consider the fact that most Chinese don't like foreigners. Heck, many come over here and still act all smug and mighty to anyone who's not Asian. Luckily they're in the minority, but it's still annoying.

That's quite a stereotype. Which singular event are you basing this off of, just out of curiosity?

[Moff Chumley]

The nice thing about Singapore, though, is it's a short ferry ride to several other countries, which are a tad more lenient. :smallamused:

[Don Julio Anejo]

That's quite a stereotype. Which singular event are you basing this off of, just out of curiosity?
Okay, let's see... My high school where out of 2000 students, about 1200 were East Asian, with about 900 of them Chinese. The ones either born here or originally from Hong Kong or Taiwan were nice, most of the ones from mainland China - not so much. They didn't like anyone who wasn't Chinese (heck, they didn't even like Chinese from HK because they're not Chinese enough).

About 5 or 6 (ethnically white) people who went over to China to teach English for a few years. My best friend from grade 8, who's from Beijing. My best friend from grades 11-12 who's from Taiwan. Two girls I've dated (one was born here and isn't particularly Chinese, more like an Asian Airhead so she doesn't really count... the other one - from HK). This doesn't even count other people I'm friends with, I've interacted with or I've talked to about China.

May not be representative of the whole country but damn near good enough to make an impression, and the pattern holds - Chinese from Hong Kong are accepting and generally nice. Chinese from mainland China, on the other hand... 30% or so of them, while not necessarily xenophobic, seem to hold non-Asian people to a much higher standard than themselves, consider them lazy bums and consider their culture superior. The other 70% are nice, hard working and hospitable, but the bad 30% obviously make much more noise and give off a bad impression.

[blueblade]

Don Julio Anejo, interestingly, you seemed to give as many counters as you did examples ;-)

I know where you're coming from though, and generally agree with you. It is true that Canada did get some fairly large groups of Chinese and HK arrive en masse in both the 70s and 90s. For better or worse, they tended to move heavily into single neighborhoods (esp in Toronto I hear), dominate local schools, and at least for the first few years on arrival, interact only with fellow Chinese.

That does not make the Chinese people bad or racist (any more so than any other culture). In China, expect them to be curious, and to try and take your money (because you have more than them, or so they assume). They may appear to be angry or brusque, especially on the streets. That is just how they behave, even to each other. Don't take it personally ;-)

[Dori]

Singapore is not too bad. I'm from there myself. Laws are just basic common sense. No chewing gum cause people kept sticking them everywhere. But you do still find chewing gum. Just hop on a bus to Malaysia and you can buy a pack or two and bring it over. No problem.

Accommodations are expensive if you rent a condominium or a private housing estate. Better off renting a HDB flat, rent is still a bit on a high side, but much lower then a rent for a condominium or a private housing. If you share with a few friends it's a bit more manageable.

Food and travel in Singapore. very cheap. You only need about $70 - $100 a month for travel on the train and bus in total. And with the change in travel charges coming up, it's going to be cheaper.

For food you can head down to the hawker centers (ie. food courts) to buy a meal. There are lots of variety, and the cost is from $2 to $5 per meal. There are even hawker centers that stay open for 24 hours. There is a strong food culture here in Singapore. Ask anyone where is a good place to eat and you can get 10 different locations to get the best and cheap food.


If you want excitement, hmm depends on what excitement you are looking for.

[Trazoi]

I plan to move their for two main reasons: the climate (I can't stand rain and here I am in a city where if it's sunny out, even in July, it's more likely I'm hallucinating than it's actually sunny)
Note though that Melbourne is one of the cloudier cities in Australia. We get a lot of overcast drizzly days in winter. Typically while Sydney gets higher rainfall per year it gets delivered in downpours, while Melbourne spreads its rain around in light showers over many more days. Although we're probably sunnier on average than a lot of Northern Europe.


- I've heard a lot about expensive metered water. Is it going to be a factor that I wash dishes under running water and take 30 minute long showers? Over here no-one's ever heard of a meter, you just pay a generic bill and get as much water as you want.
Water is a lot scarcer here than in a lot of other places in the world, although I don't know enough about the price worldwide to make a comparison. If you're renting it's common to have water included in the rental though. However typically most of Australia is on water restrictions that limit what you can do. There's also a cultural stigma against wasting too much water. Washing dishes is fine, but regularly spending an hour under the shower might earn you dirty looks.


- Also, is the tap water drinkable? Doesn't have to be great or taste like bottled water, but as long as it's not like Mexico where it both tastes weird and isn't very safe, I'm fine.
In most of Australia the tap water is both fine and pleasant to drink. Melbourne's is very good. I drink it all the time.


- How bad is the internet? Is it just the lag, which I can handle as I don't play games anymore, or is the bandwidth pretty bad too?
Again, hard for me to make the comparison, but judging by what a lot of the wired world expects I'd say "extremely bad". You can check a few Aussie ISP services to see how they compare with what you have locally.


- Most Australians I've met seem to be very nice and friendly (although it could be because this kind of people is more likely to go around traveling when compared to basement dwellers or NEETs). They also seem to be perpetually drunk, to the point where it seems like too much even to me (an ethnic Russian 22 year old college student living by himself, that's like 4 different alcoholism risk groups right there). Is it true?
Well, that all depends on who you'll be hanging out with. :smallwink: For me, going out for social drinks did happen a fair bit at uni, but no-one minds if you go for a non-alcoholic drink. Same with going for the vegetarian/vegan option.


- Do you get North American TV shows?
Yes, sometimes to the point where the question is if we get Australian TV shows. :smalltongue:


- Melbourne specifically. How good is the public transit?
Depends on where you want to go, but from my limited experience of non-Aussie cities I'd say it's "okay". It's probably good from a USA perspective (from what I've heard, no personal experience), not that great compared to what I've experienced in Europe or Hong Kong. Honestly while I used it a lot as a uni student I stopped using it that often once I both started driving and had places where I could park. That last issue pretty much makes public transit mandatory if you're heading in to the Uni. of Melbourne; good luck finding a parking spot anywhere near there. :smallwink:


- On a related note, how expensive would it be to live in the downtownish area near University of Melbourne if I don't want to drive or be inconvenienced by public transit (if it's not very good)?
I'm not sure on that one, sorry, especially if you're limiting yourself to a short walk from the University of Melbourne which is practically in the city centre itself.


- How safe is camping? I mean I know all the talk about spiders and snakes is exaggerated, but if I set up a tent in the middle of nowhere and don't particularly scour every inch of the immediate area, what are the chances of me getting bit by something that's not a bunny?
I'm an urbanite that doesn't camp much these days, but from my limited experience: fairly high chance you might get bit by a mosquito in some seasons, and look out for biting ants. Really it's the insects that will be the most annoying. There's also the danger of snakes (which actually are dangerous if you surprise them) but typically they'll try to avoid you.


- And general catch-all question. How clean is the environment?
I think it's still pretty good. Obviously the more populated areas are somewhat dirty. Don't go swimming in the Yarra if you can help it. But if you get away from the city it's good.

[Serpentine]

I plan to move their for two main reasons: the climate (I can't stand rain and here I am in a city where if it's sunny out, even in July, it's more likely I'm hallucinating than it's actually sunny), and the healthcare system (I won't say anymore as per politics rule, but let's just say it's an important factor as I plan to work in it). The Canadian one has too many problems from the other side of the fence, even if it is really good as a patient.Melbourne is not known for its pleasant weather.

- I've heard a lot about expensive metered water. Is it going to be a factor that I wash dishes under running water and take 30 minute long showers? Over here no-one's ever heard of a meter, you just pay a generic bill and get as much water as you want.You will be lynched if you do this. The idea of washing dishes under running water... this just absolutely boggles my mind. You fill up a sink, you wash your dishes in it. If the water gets too dirty, you empty it and refill it again. The way you do it is incredibly wasteful, and in Australia we can't afford to waste water.
I've gotta admit I sympathise with long showers, but you should try to limit it to 20 minutes at the most.
If these are the sort of habits you're used to, there might be some other things you should get to know in water conservation. For example: turn the tap off when you're cleaning your teeth; don't wash off driveways and things with a hose; wash cars on grass; water gardens early in the morning or shortly before dusk; that sort of thing.
Regarding cost: I've just gotten my first-ever water bill (crap, gotta go pay for that...). Normally landlords will pay it for you, but silly us, we signed away that option. There's meant to be something like, you get up to a certain amount for free (something like $90 worth), and you pay for excess.

- Also, is the tap water drinkable? Doesn't have to be great or taste like bottled water, but as long as it's not like Mexico where it both tastes weird and isn't very safe, I'm fine.All water in Australia is safe (though in some places there may be scares - for example, Tallangatta got its water from the Hume Weir, and occasionally we were warned about a broken sewerage pipe (blegh :smallyuk:) or a blue-green algae outbreak. But that's out in the country). Taste-wise, it can vary a lot, even within towns. The bore water out in central Australia is really, really gross. The house I used to live in Armidale, I couldn't stand the water and had to filter it all the time. The house I'm in now, same town, the water is fine. But definitely drinkable everywhere.

- How bad is the internet? Is it just the lag, which I can handle as I don't play games anymore, or is the bandwidth pretty bad too?We're a long way behind the rest of the world, but there's a big project underway to get broadband all over the continent. I think our best is about your middling, anyway. The deal we have is, I think, one of the better ones available, and we pay $80AU a month.

- Most Australians I've met seem to be very nice and friendly (although it could be because this kind of people is more likely to go around traveling when compared to basement dwellers or NEETs). They also seem to be perpetually drunk, to the point where it seems like too much even to me (an ethnic Russian 22 year old college student living by himself, that's like 4 different alcoholism risk groups right there). Is it true? Probably isn't a factor whether I want to come there or not, but I'd rather be prepared if everyone is going to go out for drinks on the first day of school and the professor's paying.We definitely have a booze culture here. But, really, it depends a lot on where you are and who you're hanging out with. Western Suburbs in Sydney you might be called various homosexuality-related slurs if you don't have a few beers. Hang out with university nerds, and you might be frowned at for getting sloshed. It really depends, though overall the beer culture is dominant.

- Do you get North American TV shows?Yes, lots. Too many, though there's some pretty good ones making it on nowadays (e.g. Glee, Modern Family).

- How safe is camping? I mean I know all the talk about spiders and snakes is exaggerated, but if I set up a tent in the middle of nowhere and don't particularly scour every inch of the immediate area, what are the chances of me getting bit by something that's not a bunny?Low, unless you're talking about mosquitoes. Though, again, it depends on where you are. Mostly, as long as you check your shoes and sleeping bag before you get into them, you should be fine.
However, if you do go camping "in the middle of nowhere", make sure you tell someone when and where you're going, and when you expect to be back, and take plenty of water.
edit: Oh, and avoid camping under gum trees. They tend to drop branches at random. Apparently other trees don't do that.

- And general catch-all question. How clean is the environment?Generally, very. I don't like cities because they're too smoggy and the like, but I think they're pretty good compared with other cities. I used to smash oysters off the rocks next to Boambee Creek at Sawtell and wash them in the water before eating them raw. I might not be game to do that now out of suspicion for the cleanliness of the creek, but it'd probably be okay. Lots of national parks all over the place. In summer smoke from bushfires is a problem, and in winter in some places smoke from house fires (as in, in fireplaces) is.

[Don Julio Anejo]

Melbourne is not known for its pleasant weather.
Hm may have to reconsider then for Sydney/Brisbane. Adelaide seems boring, both from first hand accounts and the general atmosphere... Med school in Brisbane doesn't have a particularly good reputation though, but that's not really related to the task at hand. What's the weather like there?


<snip>lots of cool info about Australia</snip>
Thanks guys :smile: This is actually quite useful to me.

Water (paying for it that is) and internet do seem sucky Here water is give or take $450 per year per house flat rate (which unfortunately means there's a lot of asshats who leave sprinklers on 24/7). Probably won't be an issue though since I plan to rent, and even then... I'm pretty sure I can cut my showers in half if I stop shaving in them. Internet... I'm paying $50ish (cable modem) and I get on average up to 2 MB (that's megabYtes) per second download, although most servers don't let me go above 700ish kbytes. My download speed is I think an anomaly, although from what I understand 5-10Mbit/second internet for 50 bucks is normal in most of NA.

Other than that it seems nice :smallsmile: Beer culture I can handle. It's the "lets go and have 5 shots with our lunch" culture that I can't.

Oh, a few more questions I forgot to ask:

- How is scubadiving? Great Barrier Reef is great and all that, but I'm talking about a few hours drive from major metro areas. I personally don't care much for it, but my dad is a big fan and he has plans to visit me just for that if I end up in Ozzieland.

- What's the architecture like? From what I know, Sydney is "crystal spires" akin to Vancouver or Toronto, Melbourne is mid-late 19th century several-story buildings akin to New York without skyscrapers, but I don't know if I'm generalizing. I also don't know much about Brisbane if anything at all. Except that it doesn't have an Armani Exchange store, which sucks.

[Serpentine]

ARGH! ****ING DAMNABLE CUDSWILLING FRIGGING UPDATE! I knew it was there, too! Why oh why didn't I copy it?! ARGH! *sigh* Quick version.
Hm may have to reconsider then for Sydney/Brisbane. Adelaide seems boring, both from first hand accounts and the general atmosphere... Med school in Brisbane doesn't have a particularly good reputation though, but that's not really related to the task at hand. What's the weather like there?Subtropical, hot'n'humid. UQ's meant to be good, but don't know about its medical facilities.

Water (paying for it that is) and internet do seem sucky Here water is give or take $450 per year per house flat rate (which unfortunately means there's a lot of asshats who leave sprinklers on 24/7). Probably won't be an issue though since I plan to rent, and even then...This bill I've gotten is the first in the 8-odd months we've been living here, and is about $70.

Other than that it seems nice :smallsmile: Beer culture I can handle. It's the "lets go and have 5 shots with our lunch" culture that I can't.Yeah, it's not that bad.

- How is scubadiving? Great Barrier Reef is great and all that, but I'm talking about a few hours drive from major metro areas. I personally don't care much for it, but my dad is a big fan and he has plans to visit me just for that if I end up in Ozzieland.Linky. (http://www.scubaaustralia.com.au/61/country.php/61)

What's the architecture like? From what I know, Sydney is "crystal spires" akin to Vancouver or Toronto, Melbourne is mid-late 19th century several-story buildings akin to New York without skyscrapers, but I don't know if I'm generalizing.Colonial. Lots of sandstone. I like it. That definitely applies to Sydney, and I think other places too. Tasmania's meant to have especially nice architecture.

I also don't know much about Brisbane if anything at all. Except that it doesn't have an Armani Exchange store, which sucks.Don't know it well, but I like it well enough. Lots of parkland and the like.
Are you especially wanting to move to a capital city? Because there's other good-sized cities (e.g. the Gold Coast), and personally I much prefer the country or at least the smaller cities/large towns.

[rakkoon]

Serpy, when I get the update message I just press back, wait for 10 minutens and then press submit again (I use FireFox). That way I don't have to type it again.

I'm waiting for the transcontinental tube system before visiting Australia!

[Serpentine]

If I press back while the update's still going, I end up on the "Update in progress" page. Normally (or sometimes) if I press back after it's done, my post is still there. This time, it wasn't (might be my laptop browser).

[Don Julio Anejo]

ARGH! ****ING DAMNABLE CUDSWILLING FRIGGING UPDATE! I knew it was there, too! Why oh why didn't I copy it?! ARGH! *sigh*
As a fellow person who's lost many a post to the damnable update feature, I feel your pain. Have a cookie :wink: Sorry if the meme's about two years out of date.


Are you especially wanting to move to a capital city? Because there's other good-sized cities (e.g. the Gold Coast), and personally I much prefer the country or at least the smaller cities/large towns.
I'm pretty much limited to cities that have a med school, which happens to be capital cities. Also, I'm a big city person (my other choice is NYU if I can get in and figure out a way to pay for it).

U Queensland has recently gotten bad rep because they decided to go the for-profit route and started accepting tons and tons of international medical applicants. As in, like 450 a year in addition to 250 or so domestic ones (for comparison, most Canadian med schools only accept 150-200 students a year). And most of the time they don't even do interviews. Needless to say, it's very hard to match into residency from there, especially if you want to stay in Australia (I do).

[Serpentine]

Maybe medical degrees are different, but I've never heard of unis requiring interviews. I got an interview for a residential school at UQ (nailed it), but that's it.

Incidentally, my uni's just started teaching medicine (http://www.une.edu.au/study/rural-medicine/) :smallwink: But, if you prefer cities, that's fine.
Some other stuff. (http://studyinaustralia.gov.au/Sia/en/Help/NorthAmerica/study/Professional_Degree_Medicine.htm)

[Ormur]

The obvious question is to ask how each country is economically. I read more into Peru than the rest, but I'm still completely unknowing of the lot. I'm mostly asking for the sake of housing and other living expenses.

How hard/easy is earning full citizenship?

I would love it if I could own an auto-rickshaw in the country I finally decide on...

Individual questions:

Scandinavia: Even though I'm addressing the three or six countries as a whole, feel free to talk about one or all of them.

I know you may not feel it, but how cold is cold there? Due to my current location's climate, I've become accustomed to 10°C weather on a "cold" day. I'm never that chilled by it, but I do feel the need for a coat when it gets down to about 2 or 4.

I'm also curious how easy/hard travel is. Would I need a vehicle of my own? Would I be allowed to drag a dead horse down the streets on Sundays?

How are the hiking and festivities in each country?

Most of my knowledge of Scandinavia comes from reading a few posts here and there about metal festivals, and a comic (example).

I can really only give detailed info on Iceland which you may or may not count among the Scandinavian Countries but I choose to do so. The rest of Scandinavia is in my experience really nice but I've never really lived there for an extended period. High taxes paying for good health care, schools, services and governance. Pretty safe and generally nice. The weather is pretty mild except maybe for the extreme north. Of course it will never get really hot but I don't want the heat to go over 25 °C anyway.

Iceland is somewhat similar. The weather is really varied but on average it's like 10 °C all the time. A bit hotter in the summer and a but lower in the winter. The interior of the country is beautiful in a rugged sort of way and there are plenty of interesting hiking paths (including one that's now buried under a volcano) but only really accessible in the summer and even then it's best to take precautions. We have very good emergency services but it's a big sparsely populated country. There are no critters that can kill you but you might fall in a crevasse or get lost on a glacier.

There are all sorts of local festivals all over the country in the summer. The annual metal festival is in the east. The biggest music festival is in the capital in the autumn, usually with a few foreign bands. There's another in the north of the country in the Easter. The night live is generally considered pretty wild.

Sadly it's most convenient to get around in a car. Public transportation isn't really that good but within the capital area you could get by on a bicycle and there are buses and flights to the countryside. That's really as unorthodox as it gets. In the city horses and auto rickshaws are right out.

The economy is of course in the crapper but unemployment isn't really any higher than in most other developed countries. Someone with valuable job skills is can probably get a decent job. The pay would be the problem because of the devaluation of the currency. Housing prices are going down but I don't know how they compare to other countries. A decent sized condo could be bought for $150-200k.

The welfare system is okay, probably getting a bit worse but we'll still have free schools and healthcare, the latter of which is excellent. It's also a very small society and very safe, people leave their children to sleep in carriages outside their houses. Almost everyone speaks English which might actually be a bit problematic if you intend to stay for long since it makes learning the language less urgent but harder. If you're planning for citizenship it will either take quite a few years of working here, marrying an Icelander or being a crazy chess champion. Staying meanwhile requires a job since you're not from Scandinavia or the EU, I don't know the specifics.

[Boo]

*frantically runs back to the thread*

I like how I didn't reply for a week. That was smart.

Seeing the thoughts of Donny, I have to believe that I am asking very simple questions. It's good to start simple, so let's continue.


Canada is awesome.

Yes, I know. :smalltongue: I already live near-ish to Vancouver. It's about four hours away by Ferry and bus. It is an "if" in my list.


Singapore

I don't mind the rules. They seem pretty simple (from the ones I've heard of), and not much harder to follow than the ones on this message board. I don't know about dull, but I hear the food is good. A night on the town, however, might wear itself thin after a year or two if not with friends.


China

That sound nice, but I'm not sure mainland China is for me. Perhaps...


Hong Kong

That sounds much more inviting.

If I may: Would it be better to learn Cantonese or Mandarin? I know that many people speak English to some degree, but I doubt that would be useful everywhere. According to a quick browse about, Mandarin seems to be growing, but Cantonese is still the main language. This is why I'm asking.

How is the traffic in Hong Kong? Could I stick my arm out of whatever mode of transportation is the norm without losing it? What side of the road is used? Are traffic jams frequent? Is public transportation the best way to go about things?

For those parts of HK that do charge foreigners more: How much do they usually increase their prices by?

Could you provide me with an example of costs for an apartment? Maybe include water, gas, internet, television, etc?

I have never confirmed this, but I've heard that the PRC is trying to regulate the number of hours people can use the internet each day. Is this true? If so, does it effect Hong Kong?


One point I will make is that your safety concerns need to be toned down a long way. Not to say that you shouldn't take precautions, just that if you're constantly looking over your shoulder or worried, you aren't going to have a great time in Asia. there is dirt, street food, unusual bugs, pollution and bad driving in equal parts.

My only concern for China is the pollution. I have asthma (even if I haven't had a problem in years) and I was worried it could act up if I stayed in city areas for too long (like a week).


Finally on economy: Singapore and HK are expensive places to live. mostly around accommodation. transport and general living expenses are fairly low. Other Chinese cities are cheaper, but catching up fast (and you are right that you will pay more for things as a foreigner). You can get by on a teaching job, but please try to get some strong qualifications before coming out.

Being a five-year plan, I hope to have quality education.


As for the flies, there are normal flies, and blowflies. Normal flies are annoying, but not horribly bad (but I really advise against eating anything with sultanas in it around them...learnt that the hard way. Blergh). Blowflies are slightly bigger, louder, and more annoying. They're much less common though.

That sounds like you were expecting something with less buzz; but thank you for the warning.


Flies

I never thought to squish maggots from their mother's belly... I may try that if only to observe it for myself.


Real-estate

Thanks. I looked into apartments on that site, and they looked to be about the same price as some of the cheaper Vancouver apartments.

To clarify a small confusion: What does it mean when "per week" or "p.w." is not beside the price? Is it still a weekly rent, or is it monthly?


"When the sun comes out, every bastard has a festival."
~ Triple J

Cool beans.


Film, we're not so good.

I saw a documentary recently on the history of... it was either R rated Aussie films, or the whole film industry in Australia. I don't recall very much of it at all, but I remember it well enough to see how much effort some Aussies put into boosting the scene.

I do like seeing films in theatres... I suppose anything is better than my current town with one theatre in which it shows only two movies at a time for a week or two. God it sucks. Other side of town too.


Roo, roo, roo, roo...

I'll have to try a rooburger then. I'm not a big fan of moose, so I don't know how I'll take to it.

And I'll look at that website when I next find a chance.


To the OP...

I knew that about Vancouver. Damned expensive. S'why I'd move near it, but not in it. Not unless I knew I could afford it.

My experience with Chinese people has always been rather good, but I know of one that tried to trick me into paying more money. It was kinda funny because the price tag was on the item.

As per your examples of Singapore laws: I don't spit or do any drugs. I don't even require prescription drugs. I don't think I have to worry about judicial anything.


Accommodations are expensive if you rent a condominium or a private housing estate. Better off renting a HDB flat, rent is still a bit on a high side, but much lower then a rent for a condominium or a private housing. If you share with a few friends it's a bit more manageable.

Some of the nicer places I looked up were pretty expensive (S$3600-S$5000). I'm quite awful at searching non-mls listings. I would expect I'd be searching for something under S$2000 if I do go to Singapore. That's about $1450 CAD... according to Google.


Food and travel in Singapore. very cheap. You only need about $70 - $100 a month for travel on the train and bus in total. And with the change in travel charges coming up, it's going to be cheaper.

Is this supposing I were to travel every day, paying twice each day? If so, that's cheaper than travel in my town.


For food you can head down to the hawker centers (ie. food courts) to buy a meal. There are lots of variety, and the cost is from $2 to $5 per meal. There are even hawker centers that stay open for 24 hours. There is a strong food culture here in Singapore. Ask anyone where is a good place to eat and you can get 10 different locations to get the best and cheap food.

That's one of the biggest selling points for Singapore for me. I've heard nothing but good things about the food culture.


If you want excitement, hmm depends on what excitement you are looking for.

Besides food, I tend to look for things that are cheap. I window-shop, mostly. As for other ways of excitement, I like to shop, visit the cinema, walk about nature, look to the sky, walk about urbanization, nod to the occasional passer-by, stay up late, deface priceless works of art, and burn down historical buildings. Yep, everything but those last two. I'm currently working on fitness...


Iceland

I don't think I have a right to say whether or not it is part of Scandinavia. This is why I said "three or six countries" since people are divided in their opinions within Scandinavia about which other countries besides the main three are part of the posse.

Iceland itself sounds very beautiful. I'll get back to you on it, but for now:

How is Iceland's bicycle culture?

I'm very curious about the glaciers and how often people find themselves stuck in a crevasse or lost on a Glacier. I don't think I'd be very likely to end up in need of rescue, but it's still something worth knowing.

-----------

That's it for now. I'm tired. Sleep now. I hope I didn't miss anything or write something stupid... *poof*

[Serpentine]

Regarding absence of "per week": it is almost certainly still per week, but I'd have to have a look to be sure.

[SilverSheriff]

If you move to Brisbane feel free to come and have a drink with me at the Mana Bar from next month onwards.:smalltongue:

[Dori]

Housing in Singapore you can get a decent place from S$1500 to S$2000 per month. If you try to get a place in Singapore, all the renters will try to get you to go to those fancy places that cost $3600 and above. Just because you are a foreigner.


Shopping is good. You can window shop to your hearts content as much as you like here in Singapore. Too bad you just miss this year's Nation wide sale where everything goes at a discount of 70% and above. (no 100% discount though)

Nature walks there is plenty. Just bring a stick to beat off the pesky monkeys. And alligators, and pythons .... :P

Yeah the travel budget of $70 -$100 is assuming you travel for twice a day , everyday in a month. It's going to get a bit cheaper.

And yeah you can stay out late in Singapore till the next morning.

Yeah

You can look me up if you want someone to show you around Singapore.

[Boo]

Thanks, Serp. You've been a great help.


If you move to Brisbane feel free to come and have a drink with me at the Mana Bar from next month onwards.:smalltongue:

New Farm looks pretty nice for renting, so I might just take you up on that someday.


You can look me up if you want someone to show you around Singapore.

Thanks for the info and the offer, Dori.

---------------

I'm trying to get into the entertainment industry in any way I feel works for me. It's either that, or I actually do become a school teacher; however, I'll probably try to combine both. My dream is to actually achieve something great and get on TED, but that's... yeah, that's a dream.

I'm basically deciding on a mix of looks and feel. In addition, I wouldn't mind being able to access multiple countries by car or train (I love good trains). I'm not much for aeroplanes... even if they're faster.

Australia does sound amazing, but I think the Kinks exaggerated. I suppose any question I could ask has been answered, and anything further could be looked up rather easily or require my physical presence (rental, filming, etc). It would be interesting to be a part of the film culture of Australia, but I fear my influences (mostly North American and British) would not add to the Aussie film culture. We'll see what happens, yeah?

Singapore also sounds interesting. I know a lot of people go there to start businesses and what-not. Well, maybe not a lot, but a few people my Aunt tells me about.

I'll probably continue researching specific places until I feel like I have sufficient information to make an informed decision on which three to look at. If anyone has anything to add, I'm all ears.

I'll probably make a third thread after a few months (up to a year) just to round up any newfound questions.