Posted on 09/09/2018 2:30:05 PM PDT by Eagles Field
I find it fascinating, which I suppose points to my lack of sophistication ... when I read from a Freeper who’s living in Singapore or some other such place. A U.S. citizen born and raised that chose that. I’ve flirted with it, no further than fingers typing on a keyboard from time to time where the interest quickly fleets.
Frankly, I would be scared. But if I could escape the constant drum beat of liberal psychosis it would seem a path worth consideration. From someone to turn 64 in a few months and the realization of days dwindling.
My questions are why did you do it? Did you do it and come back packing regret, why?. Do you plan to? Cost of living a game changer? And a hundred other questions.
In Korea actually it is the opposite, especially if you don’t dress or act like a slob. My advice to American men at least is that if you wear a suit in Seoul generally Koreans will be quite respectful towards you. If you also make an attempt to communicate with them in Korean they are often ecstatic even if you do a terrible job because at least you are trying.
An exception might be U.S. military enlisted men, which they frequently look down on. And that is compounded if they see the G.I. types making moves on Korean women. There is also some prejudice against blacks, especially among the older Koreans. Part of that again is they are often U.S. enlisted personnel. Part of that is just the reputation of U.S. enlisted personnel, that they get drunk and behave badly and are rude, and cause problems.
But the bottom line is you are either Korean (hankuk saram) or non Korean (waekuk saram). They don’t have this whole intricate racialized system of racial rights and liabilities like you have in the U.S.
I usually dress like a business person (coat and tie at least), and I understand and speak some Korean, so I’m fine. My wife, who is Japanese American, speaks Japanese and a fair amount of Korean, so she is fine.
There is still a fair amount of hard feelings against the Japanese dating from the colonial period, but that is also fading as the older generation dies off. The younger generations get along pretty well. If there is prejudice, it is actually more in Japan against Koreans, since the Japanese traditionally looked down on the Koreans. The Koreans were treated horribly by the Japanese, so there are reasons for the bad feelings. (My wife actually looks more Chinese than Japanese, so it is not obvious she is Japanese.)
I have heard some horror stories when I was in Korean classes. One of my classmates who grew up in Korea but moved to America in her teens, says she used to suffer a lot of discrimination when she grew up in Korea because she looks very Japanese even though her family has Korean names and consider themselves Korean. She said when she was a child, strangers used to swear at her, and even push and spit on her. Her parents supposedly got the same treatment because they also looked Japanese. (If I had to guess, I would guess her family probably was originally Japanese but settled in Korea in the early 1900s.) But like I say, I think a lot of that is dying away now.
The world is becoming more Americanized, and that’s not a good thing, because it seems it’s the worst aspects of modern American culture that are being exported.
Religious in my case, military in his.
We both returned stateside and have settled down under our own vine and fig tree. We do not plan to move again.
Our experiences were very different because he always had a ready made community and social net where ever he was assigned where I could be the only American for a couple hundred miles.
If you decide to go you need to decide what you want. Some places have a thriving ex-pat community and you can get by with English and maybe a few words of the local language. Other places you will need to learn the language and build your own support system. There is also everything in between.
If you are older or this is your first trip I suggest the first option. Do not pack up and just move. Make at least a couple of visits and live there in a rental for a while.
Living in a hotel and eating at restaurants will not give you the flavor of the country.
I had enough angst just moving to Texas.
What brought you to Texas?
Thanks for the straight reply. I appreciate it very much.
Start watching House Hunters International on HGTV. #;^)
People have varied reasons, but I think many become Expats due to Financial reasons, especially as they get Older and depend on their Social Security or Military Pension as their only means of Support.
Reading Posts over the years from many FReeper Expats seems to confirm that as a primary reason to move Overseas.
Some Male FReepers also bring up comparisons between American Women and the Women they meet Overseas, which riles up a few Freeper Women and makes those Threads (and maybe this one) very entertaining. LOL
Retired federal employee, good time to unass the state of Maryland. I know someone here; it was also a good time to be within a few miles of her.
Like the rest of us, many also think their special point of view makes them more prescient than the average bear (Ain't that right Boo Boo?) when the reality is they often see a encapsulated version like a teen Mall rat in an upscale place versus a street kid in a slum. Many are smart but, like most of us, not as smart as we try to imagine.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.