Living abroad megathread

[Cerveza mas fina]

Lots of us Borians are living abroad and I thought it would be nice to share experiences in this thread.

Time flies it seems, left home 7 years ago and only came back for a few months to look for a job once (5 years ago).

As someone who is always a foreigner I've noticed I stopped apologizing for being one, I no longer feel obliged to say I work hard and pay taxes when people talk about migrants, I don't need them to say that I'm one of the "good ones", in fact when they say shit like that it annoys me as it somehow makes "taxes" the thing that makes a person good,  I've grown tired of migrant and foreigner jokes too. I guess I have become a more global citizen (yuck) and my tolerance for nationalist bullshit is dropping to low levels.

[Desperation]

I've never been that nationalist or patriotic but I'm not a foreigner either.

[chronovore]

In general, living as a foreigner in Japan is basically playing on Easy Mode. It's great here.

[pilonv1]

I regret not moving overseas to work when I was younger. Much harder to do it now at my age.

[Cerveza mas fina]

How old are you now?

In general, living as a foreigner in Japan is basically playing on Easy Mode. It's great here.

Aren't you treated as a filthy gajin? Or is that just how some people experience it?

I mean it's pretty much mega easy here too in Denmark, everyone is fluent in English and the standard of living is amazing.

[archnemesis]

It's the same in the other Nordic countries and Benelux. The rest of western Europe is probably fine too as long as you are in the right field of work. You will get by fine with English and it's the official internal language for larger companies.

[chronovore]

How old are you now?

In general, living as a foreigner in Japan is basically playing on Easy Mode. It's great here.

Aren't you treated as a filthy gajin? Or is that just how some people experience it?

I mean it's pretty much mega easy here too in Denmark, everyone is fluent in English and the standard of living is amazing.

Most Japanese are polite to a fault, even when they don't like me and wish I wasn't here. Most people are just polite and kind though. Most of them are curious about where I'm from and what life is like, and why the hell I have been here for so long.

There are places which will treat foreigners badly but, even so, most of those will still be polite about it, and others will be embarrassed about it. Sure, there are also places with jerks in them, but they don't make up the bulk of my experience.

[Rufus]

I can mirror your feelings as an international citizen. I don't feel foreign (1st generation), but I also don't feel like I really belong here or anywhere else. I'd probably have to move outside of the western world to truly feel foreign.

[chronovore]

One of my high school friends moved to Canada; she says the people are somewhat chillier and more socially conservative than she's accustomed to. I think she feels more alienated than I do, because it seems like America and Canada should be essentially more similar, whereas I'm surprised when there actually /is/ cultural overlap between Japan and the USA.

[Mr Gilhaney]

Lager I thought you were Danish. You liar.

Want to go back to Cebu badly, but getting a job there with a decent enough pay is close to impossible. Trying to figure out how to get someone in Denmark to pay me. Talking to everyone I went there with for 6 months (people I didn't know before hand) and we all pretty much have the same feelings after being home for a month, which is that it really doesn't feel like home much anymore. I don't like it. 

[milchs evil twin]

I can mirror your feelings as an international citizen. I don't feel foreign (1st generation), but I also don't feel like I really belong here or anywhere else. I'd probably have to move outside of the western world to truly feel foreign.

Where are you from, originally, if I may ask?

[BobFromPikeCreek]

One of my high school friends moved to Canada; she says the people are somewhat chillier and more socially conservative than she's accustomed to. I think she feels more alienated than I do, because it seems like America and Canada should be essentially more similar, whereas I'm surprised when there actually /is/ cultural overlap between Japan and the USA.

More socially conservative? What part of the country is she in?

[Cerveza mas fina]

Lager I thought you were Danish. You liar.

Want to go back to Cebu badly, but getting a job there with a decent enough pay is close to impossible. Trying to figure out how to get someone in Denmark to pay me. Talking to everyone I went there with for 6 months (people I didn't know before hand) and we all pretty much have the same feelings after being home for a month, which is that it really doesn't feel like home much anymore. I don't like it. 

My wife is Danish dude, it was either move here, or to Holland.

Where you at now? Lets grab a beer in Kodbyen.

[chronovore]

One of my high school friends moved to Canada; she says the people are somewhat chillier and more socially conservative than she's accustomed to. I think she feels more alienated than I do, because it seems like America and Canada should be essentially more similar, whereas I'm surprised when there actually /is/ cultural overlap between Japan and the USA.

More socially conservative? What part of the country is she in?

Ahhh... I can't remember. Suburbs outside Edmonton?

And I don't mean socially conservative as in "right wing," I mean people don't like to go outside their safety zone in music, entertainment, communicating with other people, etc.

[Rufus]

I can mirror your feelings as an international citizen. I don't feel foreign (1st generation), but I also don't feel like I really belong here or anywhere else. I'd probably have to move outside of the western world to truly feel foreign.

Where are you from, originally, if I may ask?

My folks are Bosnian.

[BobFromPikeCreek]

One of my high school friends moved to Canada; she says the people are somewhat chillier and more socially conservative than she's accustomed to. I think she feels more alienated than I do, because it seems like America and Canada should be essentially more similar, whereas I'm surprised when there actually /is/ cultural overlap between Japan and the USA.

More socially conservative? What part of the country is she in?

Ahhh... I can't remember. Suburbs outside Edmonton?

And I don't mean socially conservative as in "right wing," I mean people don't like to go outside their safety zone in music, entertainment, communicating with other people, etc.

Oh haha, ok. Misinterpreted. But she's also in Alberta which, politically, is Texas North. So that fits too.

[Kara]

Hey cool I'm second gen. Now I have a culturally acceptable reason to leave instead of "is a tankie." To the kibbutzim, comrades.