tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17232051.post293819085153059343..comments2024-03-28T03:16:14.104-04:00Comments on Noahpinion: Where should Americans live if they live abroad?Noah Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093917601641588575noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17232051.post-22575981990892671332019-04-12T12:18:47.931-04:002019-04-12T12:18:47.931-04:00Chile is a great option for many of the same reaso...Chile is a great option for many of the same reasons that Brazil is, though the specifics on what makes it similar to the US are different. Also, services (retail and financial services) are a big part of the economy so it's a place where your job might contribute to your resume back home and where there is a dire need of talent. Also, getting a work visa is very easy once you have a job offer.Hunterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15976491644800283457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17232051.post-52297175113306777512019-04-12T09:38:43.190-04:002019-04-12T09:38:43.190-04:00What about Finland? Nature is beautiful, Helsinki ...What about Finland? Nature is beautiful, Helsinki is beautiful (for the most part), Finns are friendly. okay, it's expensive, but the welfare state works relatively well there. Easy access to St. Petersburg or the Baltics for a weekend trip (if you can get the Russian visa). Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17232051.post-58678493747388537062019-04-09T12:25:44.302-04:002019-04-09T12:25:44.302-04:00People here in Brazil say there is a lot of racism...People here in Brazil say there is a lot of racism in disguise in this country. I don't agree and I think Noah gets it right. If there is one thing we have better than other places is the full integration of ethnicities and cultures. There is still some white people braging about their condition (mainly in the south), but they don't seem aware of how similar to other Brazilians they are, culturally. It seems like every culture gets absorbed in the country and contribute to a true melting pot countrywise.Guilhermehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02790993260773306208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17232051.post-68748833755068750962019-04-05T00:48:35.888-04:002019-04-05T00:48:35.888-04:00Try Plovdiv, in Bulgaria. Fun, distinct, culturall...Try Plovdiv, in Bulgaria. Fun, distinct, culturally rich, relatively cheap and safe, with a budding tech scene and great food. Mountains, seaside, Sofia & Istanbul are close by. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17338790787426700721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17232051.post-7347365702194976632019-04-04T18:36:57.951-04:002019-04-04T18:36:57.951-04:00Smaller but a LOT safer than Ukraine is Slovakia -...Smaller but a LOT safer than Ukraine is Slovakia - Bratislava is near Vienna. Most young folk speak some English (many older folk don't). Is a post-commie place, not on the level of gorgeous Prague (more like Brno, Czechia #2 city). Very nice Old Town. Still a lot of places not yet re-developed.<br /><br />Recently elected a very liberal Zuzana Caputova (Č is like Ch) for President. It's in both the EU and the Euro zone. Highest car making output per capita. With a (Schengen) Border to Ukraine.<br />Lots of changes in the last 28 years I've lived here. (Married a Slovak, many are lovely)Tom Greyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15046612425809449502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17232051.post-88412240370857575902019-04-04T16:54:47.097-04:002019-04-04T16:54:47.097-04:00One comment and one suggestion:
* Singapore: Lived...One comment and one suggestion:<br />* Singapore: Lived there 2011-2013, one thing that surprised me (an American) was how "one-party authoritarian" it is in terms of civil and political rights. If you're a young person and have a whiff of rebelliousness in you, it can be challenging (ie walk down the street with a political poster, you can and will be arrested).<br />* Philippines: English is widespread, fascinating native-Asian-Spanish-Americanized gumbo of a culture, great food, tons of growth going on, still has a dirty/rough side, super-friendly people, warm culture, good weather.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17232051.post-26410992562511665202019-04-04T00:22:59.251-04:002019-04-04T00:22:59.251-04:00American living in Malaysia and also highly recomm...American living in Malaysia and also highly recommend it -- English is widely spoken, multi-cultural society with Muslim majority, cosmopolitan (Kuala Lumpur) with plenty of smaller towns, cities, and nature. The country is developing rapidly and foreigners (especially Americans) are welcomed in the business community.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17232051.post-6134069503967407362019-04-03T19:01:17.961-04:002019-04-03T19:01:17.961-04:00Berlin was amazing and good food; Prague was beaut...Berlin was amazing and good food; Prague was beautiful and cheap; Paris was wonderful but expensive. mortmainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04741056567111331885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17232051.post-48797646002999621302019-04-03T16:57:11.667-04:002019-04-03T16:57:11.667-04:00275. Canada
Living here for a year or two will re...275. Canada<br /><br />Living here for a year or two will really open up your mind to a universe of cultural differences. They have a slightly different postal system, and there's some white lady with a crown plastered all over their money. Also knit hats are called "toques", but the word is pronounced "tooques", so you're going to run into some of the same language problems I mentioned with regard to China, above.Picadorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01244353406711565712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17232051.post-83947670510373422132019-04-03T14:40:20.645-04:002019-04-03T14:40:20.645-04:00The Netherlands could be more eye opening to young...The Netherlands could be more eye opening to young Americans than Germany. Better infrastructure (education, transportation), more open to the world, similar norms, higher taxes. Less income inequality, highly urban population, no love for the car, etc. <br />Note: I live in Germany and would not move to the Netherlands.Hernanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08570997288861469769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17232051.post-42544983369971150912019-04-03T14:40:03.405-04:002019-04-03T14:40:03.405-04:00I highly recommend France over Germany. This Simon...I highly recommend France over Germany. This Simon Kuper article has some great reasons why you should live in France: https://www.ft.com/content/a980aad4-fcd7-11df-ae2d-00144feab49a<br /><br />The French welfare state and French unions are on another level, an eye-opening one for Americans.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17232051.post-12301410750339621452019-04-03T13:50:10.301-04:002019-04-03T13:50:10.301-04:00Plus one on Singapore. Also a great gateway to Mal...Plus one on Singapore. Also a great gateway to Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. On China, you can get by with English in Beijing, or Shenzhen, but not having Mandarin will be a handicap most places.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01818568157594535794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17232051.post-88489144797144576882019-04-03T13:00:06.247-04:002019-04-03T13:00:06.247-04:00Sorry about ten years too late to recommend China....Sorry about ten years too late to recommend China. It's getting harder and harder for foreigners there, and long time foreign residents are leaving. And I'm not talking about the cost of living or pollution or learning the language.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17232051.post-17930422854144137882019-04-01T01:11:04.327-04:002019-04-01T01:11:04.327-04:00British by birth, I've lived in Indonesia for ...British by birth, I've lived in Indonesia for nearly 30 years and Malaysia for 3.5 years prior (and 2 years in USA before that). I've stayed long periods in Singapore during those years. All are tropical, so don't come if you're bothered by heat. Singapore is Asia for beginners, an almost unique state, wealthy but with a very high cost of living and an almost punitive legal system. It offers an interesting example of how to manage a multicultural state, and how to create wealth in a region of poverty. Indonesia is sometimes a wonderful place to live (the people are famously friendly, think Bali) but tough to do business in an increasingly nationalistic environment, with widespread corruption. Malaysia (for me at least) steers the middle path - English is widely used, the legal system works, corruption is generally manageable, infrastructure is decent and foreigners are welcomed for their economic contribution. Also it's the cheapest of the three. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03204108211954914960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17232051.post-68531388801868130972019-03-31T09:45:52.627-04:002019-03-31T09:45:52.627-04:00As a not-so-young adult, I and my wife lived in Sw...As a not-so-young adult, I and my wife lived in Switzerland for almost 10 years. It has much to recommend it as a destination for Americans. The political system is fascinating, allowing great diversity of ideology without much in the way of polarization at all. Lots of day-to-day norms for interacting with each other are very different than in the US. Unbelievably beautiful scenery. Probably the only downside is the high cost.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02167853931127184984noreply@blogger.com