What happens when you are given a five minute notice before your company lays you off? Then they hand you a NDA, and expect you to sign it, or else they will prevent you from getting food stamps and support. What then?

What options do you have? Another stab at getting yet another American job, and America boss in an American corporate environment? Is that what your options are? As an American man, just what are your options?

There are times when you just feel a screaming need to “bug out”.

But, let me tell you something. The world is yours once you have lost everything.  That includes nations, food, culture and girls. You can go anywhere and be anyone. This is especially true for an American man who faced a vindictive ex-wife, or had an encounter with any of the many, many American alphabet regulatory organizations such as the IRS, DHS, CIA, FBI, ICE, FDA etc.

People, there is an entire world out there. It is big, and filled with all sorts of interesting and colorful people.

I urge the reader to divest themselves from the notion that the United States offers the only decent living arrangements on the globe.  There are other places.  Many others.

Some are better and some are worst.  It is up to the reader to consider all of the options that lie before them and make determinations and judgments biased upon their own individual situation, preferences, and desires.  Not (to make them biased) on fear or lack of experience…

You do not have to endure a life that is defined by others…

Introduction

The world is filled with interesting people, wonderful places, and really different ways of doing things. many of which are a pleasant surprise to Americans who have grown up thinking that the “American Way” is the only way to do things (as well as being the “best” way to do things).

Multi-Part Series

There are so many nations and places to choose from. This post is part two of a multi-part post. My basic premise is that the world is a big place. Get out. Enjoy the differences. Savor them. Life is too short not to.

Written by a Man

Please note that this was written by a man. It is about things that might be of interest to a man. For similar posts written by women, I would suggest the Huffington Post, the Washington Post, or Salon.

Also note that this is a blog. It contains personal opinions. If you want to read something that is unbiased and doesn’t have opinions, try CNN.

LOL.

Finally, many of the things that are commonplace in other nations are either banned, censored or illegal in the United States. This post does not censor for American sensibilities. As there are people all over the world that reads it. I just can’t sanitize it for Americans. That includes…

• Buying beer on Sunday.
• Doing drugs in Holland.
• Prostitution chain-bordellos in Germany.
• Public nudity in Iceland.
• Smoking in public in China.
• Being able to eat in restaurants barefoot in Cambodia.
• Traditional gender roles in Brazil.
• The giant penis festival in Japan.
• Buying ED medicine without a prescription. (Common everywhere.)

If you are an American, and you are too sensitive to the realities outside of America, then I would suggest you leave. Exposure to REAL freedom is not something to be taken trivially. Real freedom is not having to ask permission to do something. Real freedom is not taxed, monitored or prohibited.

Real freedom is not taxed, monitored or prohibited.

Brazil

Why not Brazil?  It’s a land of amazing women, awesome beaches, and delicious food. It’s a big country with amazing beaches, fantastic forest, and adventuresome mountains. Awesome!

I once had a project at a company that I worked for that had a joint venture with CEV and GM.  The engineers from Brazil were pretty good guys and showed me around.  It was quite the experience for me at the time.  I never considered moving there though. Maybe the reader might have other ideas.

A nice article on what it is like for an American to move there can be found here.

Walking Down the Street: Brazil vs the US

You can see how Brazilians care more about the journey than the destination in the way that they walk down the street. They walk at a brisk pace, in a horizontal line so that everyone is at the same level, occasionally stopping to admire the scenery and talk with people that they pass by. 

They are not in any apparent hurry to get to where they are going and are more concerned with having a good conversation with the people they are walking with.

In the US however, you will rarely see people walking since everybody drives. 

If there are 5 people meeting up somewhere, they will likely take 5 cars. 

In the rare case that you do see a group of people walking they will probably be marching in a straight line towards their destination at a pace that borders on running. They don’t make eye contact with anyone along the way because they are focused on getting to where they are going.

Having Lunch: Brazil vs the US

Now this imaginary group of stereotyped Brazilians have arrived at a restaurant where they will be eating lunch. They’re looking at least a 2 hour commitment and might even spend as much as 4 hours having lunch. 

They are there to have good conversation with their lunch mates and will take their time eating their food. Even though they’ve got to get back to work after lunch they don’t show any signs that they are stressed out about that because they’re too busy enjoying the moment.

Our stereotypical group of Americans each took their own cars to get to the restaurant for lunch. Once they get there they are going to pull out their phones and get on Facebook to check in. 

They quickly order their food because they are in a hurry to get back to work. They might not have even stopped working and will have their phone in their hand as they are eating to keep up with the barrage of emails that they received, or they will be catching up on the latest articles from Buzzfeed. 

If someone wants to have conversation with their lunchmates they will have to compete with the cell phones for attention. Likely they will give up trying and will pull out their own cell phone so that they have something to do.

Socializing in Brazil vs the US

Now it’s after work and this group of Brazilian friends have decided to meet up somewhere to have a beer and continue the conversation from lunch. They’re there to have a good time and to enjoy each other’s company. 

If someone invites another friend, s/he will be received with open arms by the group, because in Brazil friends of friends are your friends too.

In the US, after work everyone goes home and does their own thing. Maybe they have some productive activity to do, but just as likely they are going to sit in front of the computer or go watch TV. 

If they did manage to find some friends who weren’t doing something with, it wouldn’t be so easy to bring someone from outside that social circle along with them. They certainly wouldn’t be received as warmly and unconditionally as they would’ve in Brazil.

However, it seems that it might be a dangerous place if you want to cross the street. Here is an interesting excerpt from a Brazilian blog in regards to driving in Brazil;

“Brazil does have a Traffic Code, and it is based on the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. There are extensive Rules of the Road, including long sections on Defensive Driving and First Aid. In order to receive Brazilian drivers licenses Mark and I had to study these rules, then take a sophisticated computerized test, a difficult psychological written exam and an eye exam. 

The Motor Vehicle Bureaus around the country perform rigorous annual vehicle inspections. There are radars and speed bumps everywhere, and heavy fines for scofflaws. It is not for lack of regulations, enforcement or will that Brazil has plunged so far down the traffic fatality slope, fatalities which last year alone totaled upwards of 40,000.

So what is it? 

Aggressive tailgating, reckless passing — on the right, on the left, into the oncoming lane — it just doesn't gibe with my sense of the Brazilian spirit of paz e amor. I was baffled until one white-knuckle ride into Rio, when it came to me in a flash. Futebol. 

The national sport, the national passion. They're all playing soccer. The drivers are forever cutting in front of each other to take any field advantage they can, they're passing with reckless abandon to get to the imaginary goal posts. One car scrapes against another? Just a rebound, the ball (or in this case the car) remains in play. Driving at breakneck speed on the shoulder? No worries, that's just an offside position, which is not an offense in itself.

Mandatory traffic rules I learned in high school Drivers Ed are treated by many drivers here as optional. 

Stop signs are just a  suggestion, observed by only a few. A Yield sign is observed by no one. Emergency Vehicle Priority? That's just a challenge for a driver to maneuver behind the emergency vehicle and ride its coattails. 

Pedestrian Priority? You're joking. And weren't we taught that to keep a safe distance from the car in front of you, you had to be able to see the car's back tires? Brazilian drivers tailgate close enough to smell the alcohol on the breath of the driver in front.

I've lost count of the number of near accidents I've witnessed. But since they were only nearaccidents, since the drivers maneuvered and veered and avoided and stopped just short of the actual accidents, there is an argument that can be made that Brazilians are excellent drivers. I even see the logic there. 

Apologists cite the poorly maintained roads, the bad or misleading traffic signs, and some blame the weather. Huh? The weather? But nobody is forced to put the pedal to the metal. That's cultural. After all, Brazil ranks second in the list of foreign-born winners of the Indy 500, and third on the Formula One list. They love speed. It's not for nothing that the soccer breakaway is one of the most exciting plays in the game.” 

Prostitutes for Teenage Sons

"Don Cesar and his son Juan walk through the brothel — protection in hand — in search of a prostitute for Juan’s first time. The choice is made, Juan enters a room and not long after emerges from behind the tin door with a big smile on his face and followed by his presumed “first”."

-Dad takes 16 year old son to a prostitute to have sex for the first time.

When I was in High School, we had a foreign exchange student from Brazil. He told us, and we were jaw-dropped amazed, that his father took him to a prostitute when he turned 16 years old. He explained that that was a duty of all fathers. To select a worthwhile prostitute for his son, so that he can become a “man”.

He explained that he thought it was a great thing. Later on, when I came home and sat at the dining table, I mentioned the conversation to my parents. Ugh. I did not expect the reaction. My father kind of chuckled and told me that it was probably just nonsense. Not my mother, though. My mother got all upset and started screaming. I was sent to the bedroom and instructed never to mention it ever again.

In hindsight, I should of finished my dinner before I mentioned it.

Anyways, many years later, when I met other people my age from Brazil, they all explained that to me. All of my friends and business associates lost their virginity between the ages of 14 and 16 years of age. Always to a prostitute, and always to one specifically selected by their father, or in one case, their uncle.

Aside from that event, it made it easier for the boys not to be so fearful of the girls. While I don’t think that any of them became “hound dogs” in High School, I can affirm that the Brazilian exchange student was not afraid at all to ask my classmates out for dates and fun. Meanwhile, I was very timid around girls.

In Brazil, it is very important that a boy grow into a strong man.

In Brazil, as well as throughout South America, the “ideal” Hispanic family is a patriarchy that includes a strong male figure as the head of the household:

"Losing one's virginity over here [El Salvador] is seen as a point where you become a man and you become more vivo. 

'Vivo' means 'alive' in Spanish, obviously, but over here, it means something like 'astute' or 'not immature.' Once you lose your virginity, you're supposed to get smarter around girls. You are supposed to be less interested in kids' stuff." 

-Cracked

Girls

The women of Brazil are all awesome. I really like their free and happy attitude about life. I love the food, and the environment. I most especially love that they are traditional and honor the family.

"Most Brazilian girls look like half-Middle Eastern and half-Western European, darker than Argentine girls but lighter than girls from other South American countries. Since Brazil is similar to the United States with its large immigrant influence, it’s harder to pin down their physical features as easily as the Argentine girl.

If the average girl in a US club ranks a 5, and in an Argentina club she ranks a 7, in Brazil she’d be somewhere between a 6 and 7. This means the average Brazilian girl is bangable, but what separates Brazilian girls from the others is their vibe. If you are a guy and you look at a Brazilian girl, your mind jumps to sexual thoughts much faster than usual. Since it is not because she is more attractive, I think it’s a combination of body and body language. "

-RooshV

Brazilian girls have a smile to die for and there is no guy alive that won’t fall for those smiles.  See what I mean?

"Blessed with lustrous hair, dark eyes and skin the color of honey Brazilian women are without doubt, are some of the most gorgeous in the world. And what’s more they are not conscious or embarrassed about the fact. 

Here women are confident about their looks and bodies and if you like what you see, they will welcome your appreciation as well. 

At the same time though, theirs is a very feminine beauty even if not demure. You may see them in bikinis and dresses with plunging necklines, but not so much in pantsuits and masculine shirts. 

Indeed, women here are encouraged to spend a lot of their time on their looks-body, clothes and hair. Staying attractive is quite important in a culture that judges people by how they look."

-National Steriotype

One thing that I like about Brazilian women is that they are really, really friendly and outgoing in nature. Truthfully, if a girl happens to spot you in a bar or café and you meet her standards, she will not hesitate to come up and ask you for your phone number or invite you to buy a drink for her. They are quite easy to strike up a conversation with. They are quite interesting and talkative, and before long you may even find yourself sharing a joke or a song with one of them.

Big Butts

I have talked to numerous men who found that the Brazilian women tended to have very nice big asses. Personally, that is not my thing, but they were all agape over it. They just couldn’t control themselves.

It turns out that having a big butt is a considered beautiful in Brazilian culture. Girls that are slim, and shapely, but who’s behinds are more or less “normal” aren’t considered so good looking. In fact, there are stories of young girls injecting all kinds of things into their behinds to make them bigger, including animal growth hormones. While Brazil does have plastic surgeons, their primary practice seems to be related to increasing the size of the butt more than anything else. Read about it HERE.

Who’d figure?

Luckily, not every Brazilian  is like this. So those of us who find this a bit extreme can rest easy. We can hang out with girls with tiny behinds and help them feel beautiful. LOL.

Traditional Girls

Since the Brazilian culture is very traditional, Brazilian women like to be courted the traditional old-fashioned way. They look forward to be taken out to a fancy place and are happy if you wine and dine them in a stylish manner. They like to get all “dolled up”, and dress appropriately. Who doesn’t like that?

Like many other traditional societies, Brazilian culture has long laid down specific roles and duties for each gender. Women were mostly expected to keep house and raise children while men were the breadwinners in the family. This fact, is a critical one “in my book”. It is an important thing that matters to me immensely.

Family Culture

In many Latino families, the father is central to the nuclear family constellation as well as to the extended family network. It is his job to assume the responsibility for establishing extra-familial boundaries and maintaining these relationships. He is the head of the family and he must take on that role.

The importance of extended family marks a unique aspect of Latino families—that of familialism. In addition to providing a relatively strong attachment to the nuclear family, the strong familial orientation provides a sense of solidarity while concurrently reinforcing the notion that the family is more important than the individual

Let’s begin with a story about an experience I had while I was working at GM. This story illustrates that different places has different cultures, and failure to understand and adapt to that culture can have serious consequences. In this case, the story revolves around the public display of a lack of respect of a wife towards her husband. This took place, of course in Brazil, Sao Paulo, to be exact.

I once was involved in some business in Brazil. As such, I had to travel back and forth between the United States and Brazil. I was, at that time, working for Delco Electronics (It's who we are), which was (at that time) a division of General Motors. I was involved in a Car computer project (ECM) for CEV, which is a pretty big Automotive company within Brazil.

One day, all of the foreigners on staff were invited to a big banquet with other white-collar workers at CEV. We had some pretty important people from GM there. It was held in a big auditorium within a equally impressively large restaurant and hotel complex. Everyone sat at these very large round tables with a nice table layout on a large white tablecloth. Each couple (for the most part, everyone came as a couple) would sit in groups of two at the table. Thus, maybe five to 6 couples would sit at the table.

At a given cue, all the ladies (the wives and girlfriends) got up and went to the buffet to get their man (husbands or boyfriends) dinner. They got up, went to the buffet, selected what their husbands would eat, and returned to the table. They would place the plate in front of their man with respect, and then go up and get their own food.

The men would accept the meal their wife chose for them, and began eating it. They would sit there and eat, while all the ladies were fussing about their food, and making sure that the man's plate was full.

However, the local section manager, a man who came from Michigan, well his wife refused to go up. He kept on elbowing her. She refused. And everyone at the table noticed. In fact, people at the other tables were noticing as well. They started whispering and talking among themselves. But she was adamant.

She said things like "you're not my boss", "I'm not doing it, uh uh, absolutely not. No!", and "I don't care what other people think. Do it yourself.". She said loudly, and ended up having some people pause and stare, "You don't tell ME what to do!".

Eventually, he got up and joined the rest of the ladies at the buffet counter. He was the only man to get up. He was the only man to carry a plate back to the table. He was alone in the big hall that maybe held a few hundred key employees of the company. 

All of the key employees, the bosses and the supervisory staff, watched him do this. The President of CEV, the division managers, all the middle level managers, the supervisors, and all the engineers, and their secretaries all witnessed this. They all noticed and ate. Their local conversations at their tables became subdued and quieter.

Meanwhile, his American wife sat there smugly and proudly. They ate in silence. The wife, sitting proud and strong. Obviously she felt that she was the king of the entire event. Meanwhile, he sat there facing his plate and afraid to look up. This happened in front of everyone, while everyone else in the room kept glancing their way.

There were some speeches. Some gifts and door-prizes were exchanged.

The dinner ended. Everyone went home.

While the American couple hadn't a clue as to what was transpiring. The rest of the room did. For them, dinner is a traditional and formal affair. It was a time when the man of the house can show off his family to the rest of his peers and his community. It is an opportunity to put a great face forward. Sort of like this...

The next workday, on Monday, he noticed that his parking space was being used by someone else. (Unless you have worked in GM, you don't know how important this is.) He went into the lobby, and the guards wouldn't look at him, and just waved him in. This was a big change from what he accustomed to.

It continued. His secretary didn't come in. Then, started coming in very late. She would not do anything that he asked. No longer would she make him a morning coffee. No longer would she answer him, or even talk to him.

No one responded to his emails. His work was getting piled up. Nothing was getting done. After a month, it got so bad, and I was sent down to look into the matter, as I held an important role in the joint-venture project. Our Division manager wanted me to look into this issue as it looked like the entire multi-million dollar project might collapse. That's right, millions of dollars of corporate investment was at risk.

So I flew down.

I talked to XXXXX. I talked to his secretary. I talked to the CEV Division Manager. I talked to the rest of the staff.

At first no one would open up. Oh, sure they were friendly to me. They showed me deference. They treated me well. But when it came to the subject about what was going on, everyone shut up. Obviously something was wrong. But no one told me anything.

Eventually, to make a long story short, I went out and started drinking with the CEV workers. That's always a great way to break down barriers and get to the heart of the matter. Of course, GM never approves of drinking, but this was back in the late 1980's and I was in another country and immersed in another culture.

Over some beers, the first person who let me know what was going on was his secretary. She looked at me straight in the eyes. She put out her cigarette. And she said in her broken English, loudly with defiance and pure hate;

"Why? You ask. Why? Because he's a fucking wimp. He's not, NOT, N-O-T a Man. He's castrado!"

Then she spit on the floor. Now granted, most ladies don't go to bars, smoke and spit on the floor. But she had a few beers, and was really agitated.

She wasn't just angry. She wasn't just pissed. She had this kind of deep burning ember of a rage that amazed me when it came out. I thought she was going to tear my throat out. She spoke viciously. She spoke in a way that the words were spit out venomously. 

It turned out that in Brazilian culture, the man must be the MAN of the house. It is a very traditional nation and has unspoken social rules. One of which is that the woman must look good for her man. She must do great things for their Man, and for her family. 

In Brazil, the Man is the titular head of the family. He controls everything. He is the "face" of the family. He is what everyone sees. However, the wife has full control over what goes on inside the house. She is the driving force that strengthens the man.

The Man is the head of the family, and he must LEAD. If he cannot be a Man; if he cannot act like a Man, and if he cannot control the behavior of his wife and family, then he is a loser.

In Brazil, you do not want to associate with losers. Not in the least. It is like being a leper.

The point in this is that he wasn't just a wimp to his wife. He was a wimp to society. From the secretary's point of view, she went from being a high assistant to an international boss, to the slave of a beggar. No, to someone worse than a beggar. Her status in the company fell right off the cliff.

Not only that, but that was true of everyone who associated with him. It was as if he had a serious contagious illness. no one wanted anything to do with him. No one would even talk to him.

It was like he was a child predator who had aids.

Shortly after that, I returned back to Indiana and talked with the Division Manager at Delco. We had a long and interesting talk. To cut down on all the details, let it be understood that my boss sent him back to the States. His two year stint in Brazil was cut short. 

He was only there for a total four months.

Now, this is important. The thing is, when he returned home, there was no role for him to fill. His old job and position was already filled. He was a high-priced expensive executive with no home. Yes, for a short while they put him on "overhead", but eventually he was told to leave. They gave him a severance package. And that was it.

Years later, I heard that he spent a few years unemployed. He could never go back to GM, and his experience was too specialized. Eventually he took up contract work at a much lower pay grade. I do not know what happened since then, except that I know that he had to give up his free car, and had to sell the house at a loss. I do know that he moved into a small apartment later on. And, well, that's about all I know about him and his situation.

He probably got a divorce. He should of, if he didn't.

What does this all mean?

A good wife can make a man into a strong leader. He can become important, successful and wealthy. His family would profit and benefit. His life, and the lives of all those around him would improve. A weak or poor wife would do the opposite. A bad woman can destroy the life of the man that she is with. This can be through destruction of his self-esteem (which needs to be maintained for career success) to improperly managing family finances, to everything in between.

Men, choose your wives carefully.

In my little story, a true one at that, Mr. XXXXXX ‘s wife not only destroyed his role (and great career opportunity) in Brazil, but also wiped out his stable career at GM. Unable to find work, he had to settle for a different kind of labor, one without a career, without any kind of advancement. I am sure that his piece-of-shit wife berated him the entire time. Telling him what a loser he was for his life, and not taking responsibility for all the destruction that she herself, wrecked.

People. This is real life. This is not a television show. This is not a movie. This is not all unicorns prancing under a progressive rainbow, where gay people, and LGBT folk are all living in united harmony. This is the real frigging’ deal.

Malaysia

It’s beautiful. The girls are stunning.  The food is delicious.  The weather is warm to hot, but it’s actually quite lovely once you get used to it.

“Kuala Lumpur has so much to offer.  You can enjoy city life to the fullest - there are a massive amount of shopping malls here, a variety of restaurants and cuisines, and people from all over the world.  

There are neighborhoods that offer their own unique character, adding a spice of life to the city that is rare to find. 

I also love how you can get away from city life pretty easily with hikes in local mountains or drives to nearby ports and beaches. 

What I love most is the diversity and acceptance - of people, of cultures, of religions, and of activities. The quality of life is amazing as  the opportunities are endless in what you choose to spend your time doing.

Healthcare is insanely cheap in Kuala Lumpur….at least in comparison to the USA! 

The doctors are all trained in Western cultures and are very knowledgeable.  I’ve gone to general and specialty doctors out here as well as dentists, and am now about to have a baby out here, and feel insanely comfortable!”

- Kimbra is an American expat who moved to Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia has a robust retirement visa, called the ‘Malaysia My Second Home’ program. Although it requires a sizeable deposit in a Malaysian bank, the visa is ten years and allows visa holders to purchase residential homes, as well as providing a national identity card. Any income received outside of Malaysia is not taxable.

While there is a large Muslim population in Malaysia, they are not radicalized like the Muslims in the Middle East, Russia or Western China. As such, you can drink, smoke, go to bars, and have a good time. Women can go out and not be afraid that pack of rabid Muslim Syrians wouldn’t attack them. It’s a very safe place.

A few years back some radical Muslims tried to blow up a bunch of folk, and the government cracked down with zero tolerance. Today, there is hardly a peep from the radical Muslims in this nation. They were exterminated by the government when they reared their ugly head.

England

Why not England?  I had friends there, and they (no matter how friendly they are with the United States) always consider the USA to be the “backwater” insanely-political has-been.  At the time, prior to the UK break from the EU, I considered it a stepping-stone to global advantage.  However, I never pursued that avenue of thought.  Here’s an interesting article about moving to England from the United States.  It is titled “What is it like to move to England from the States?” and can be found here. Some excerpts;

“The old adage of "British food is great, if you like fish and chips, bangers and mashed or chicken tikka masala" is now a load of bollocks (bull$!@t). There are amazing restaurants to be found in London - some great restaurants and farmers markets (my favorite, bar none, is Borough Market). Once you learn to navigate the different supermarkets (Tesco, Sainburys, Waitrose, Asda, etc) and discover their online interfaces, you begin to appreciate the convenience. BUT, weekends are terrible when you consider that everything closes by five pm (1700) on Sundays.”

And…

“One thing you will miss is water pressure. Sadly, the Victorian mains and the age of many homes were designed with limited water and poor pressure. Some people say they have "power showers" which are often essentially electronic devices designed to add some pressure at the expense of a loud and powerful noise. Who needs leaf blowers when a power shower will do.”

And…

“Everyone sits at their desk and bangs on their computer primarily, and depending on your role determines your clothing choices. Even in startups, sales is often suited and booted in sharp suits and thin trousers (not pants, as we say in America). Engineers or Developers are relatively shabby in t-shirt and trousers chic. And everyone else seems to dance to their own drum.

You can usually tell a person profession from their dress: finance and insurance people are in the dark suits and the only hint of color is their tie and shoes, which will not make sense to American fashion. Seniority is often determined by who is wear their jackets in the office -- you can tell who the junior manager is by their newer clothing and jumpers (sweaters) over their collared shirts.”

And…

“Meeting others can happen as an American, since your accent provides no hint of geographic background that is within the English discerning. My favorite experience is saying hello to people in a locale I just joined and watch the turned heads and smiles that suddenly appear. Just remember not to be too loud and you will be well received.”

In the article are comments from a reader.  Her name is Dawn Rutherford Marchant, (or screen name) and had some very interesting comments that included;

“It is hard.  Just because people speak English, do not be deceived.  It is an utterly alien place from America culturally, and I found (and still find) the adjustments frustrating and I sometimes still get furious by the difficulties.

One of the biggest realities is the drop in the material standard of living.  British wages are not as high as in the US and things are more expensive.  Obviously, this impacts on lifestyle.

Houses are very expensive and you will live in a house half the size you'd expect in the US, often attached to your neighbour and with a one car garage (if you are lucky).  There are no basements, so you feel cramped and everything is cluttered -- I've never seen a walk-in closet to date.  You will cram everything into a 'wardrobe' the size of your coat closet.  “

And…

“But there are pubs!  Pubs are an Englishman's refuge and the place where you meet up with mates for a quick pint,  as a routine part of 'friend maintenance.' 

Our groceries are ordered on the internet and delivered to our front door -- as is typical for all supermarkets.  We live on the 'High Street' in our village -- bakeries, cafes, barber, grocery store and bus stop are located there, and three pubs of course.  The train station to London is an 8 minute walk.

My daughter is 14 and has 11 subject areas:  Latin, Greek, French, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Advanced Maths, History, English, English Lit and Music (theory, performance and composition).  She anticipates fluency in French at 17.  The education system is exam based, there is no GPA.  She wants to study medicine and as med school begins freshman year, she has already begun pre-med coaching sessions at school.

Brits get a lot more time off -- 5 weeks as a rule -- and travel is a priority.  The cultural aspects of the country are fascinating - tiny it may seem, but it takes a lifetime to know this place, and with Europe, so close opportunities are expanded even further.

A massive advantage of living here is the National Health Service.  If an American could understand it, they would be amazed by its magnificence.  “

This is so good…

“The Brits have extremely strict zoning restrictions and there are no 'strip malls' -- not anywhere.  So you drive for an hour straight and won't see a petrol (gas) station or any commercial building sticking out like a sore thumb. 

There is a deep love and care for the countryside that makes it compelling, and you can never tire of it.  It is the work of a thousand years -- a landscape built by man, layer by layer.  A masterpiece.”

As in all of these cases, I strongly advise the reader to read the original articles as there are many worthy things worth reading there.  What I have placed here are only some excerpts.  The comments are all pure gold.

Here’s a comment from one of the commenters that also lives in England from the USA;

“Beer. A pint of beer at a business lunch is totally acceptable.”

Moreover, that comment is worth Gold because it just says the world about what freedom, work and life is like once you leave the American Prison Gulag. (We never realize what our lives our missing until we step outside of our reality and start comparing with the realities of others.) No, it’s not as simple as being able to drink.  That is trivial.  It is the sum total of what you can and cannot do.

Are you, my dear reader really… actually free?

Are you the champion of your life?  Do you keep all of the money you earn?  Do you wear the clothes that you want 100% of the time, every single day, with the hair style that you prefer?  (All American companies have a “dress code”.) Do you and can you take a day off to have fun?  And, not have to ask ANYONE for permission?  (Don’t lie to yourself.  Think.)

Do you have a “boss”?  Yes. Then you need permission.

Most Americans, unless you are Bill Gates, Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton has a boss.  They tell you how to behave and how to live your life.

Once you realize that, you begin to understand the NEED to start to get a little bit more control back into your life.  Maybe you will still have a “boss”, but if you can start to reacquire the freedoms that your parents and grandparents enjoyed, then you will be on your way to happiness.

Consider the drinking culture. Let’s compare.

When I was at Delco, the rule was that you could lose your job if the management found you to be hungover, drinking near or during the ten hour block of time associated with work, lunch and commute. They strongly policed this rule. It was “for our safety“, and “to become more competitive” were the excuses. However, if this was the case, then why did it ONLY apply to us “White Collar” workers and not the rank and file union staff?

In general, America has more of a bar scene than a pub culture. Particularly popular is the sports bar, where thousands of giant TV screens simultaneously broadcast billions of seemingly never-ending games. Such places are rowdy, loud and full of frat bros loaded on light beer.

British pubs are quiet, relaxing environments, and although there are pubs in America, they don’t serve the same function as they do in the U.K. This is because Brits occupy pubs in the same way Americans occupy coffee shops. Brits will happily go to a pub during the day (without fear of judgment) to work, read, take meetings or simply enjoy a drink.

"In every corner of every pub in every British town, you will find a fruit machine. This is not a vending machine from which punters may dispense fresh fruit for their consumption; rather it is a slot machine much like the ones found in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Colloquially known as a “gambler,” the machine is a confusing clusterjam of flashing fruits and strange beeping that only the person with the lowest IQ in the pub can understand."

And…

"As we all know, the legal drinking age in the U.K. is 18, which means there’s a much younger clientele frequenting British pubs than there are American bars. Add to this some British lackadaisical door security, and you’ve got kids who couldn’t get into an R-rated movie without an accompanying adult buying drinks, making the pub look more like a youth club than a fully licensed taproom. 

In America, however, almost every bar will have a bouncer on the door who won’t let you in unless you have valid identification proving you’re 21 or over. 

Even if you’re 63 and look terrible for your age, you’ll still be asked for ID. 

Interestingly, in the U.K. it’s actually legal for someone as young as 16 to drink beer, cider or wine in a pub so long as it’s with a meal and they are accompanied by an adult over 18 who purchases the alcohol."

-BBC America

In fact, the pubs in England are “Family Friendly”. Most British pubs are family-friendly and even have a playground out back for the kids. Usually there’s a separate area inside the pub marked “Family Room” where children are permitted. This ensures the little tykes don’t displease the kid-loathing adults drowning their sorrows at the bar. Meanwhile, I don’t recall ever having seen a child in a bar in the United States.

I look back at the USA in this regard and lament the loss of freedom that the British obviously retained.

Finally, I want to throw my “two cents” into the ring about drinking…

Japan

Why not move to Japan?  Indeed, Japan has always interested me.  I think it began with the Ultraman televisions series that I watched as a boy.  Maybe it was the pretty girls, the J-Pop music, or perhaps it was the cool gadgets that were always being invented there.

While everyone focuses on the absurd and crazy ways that the Japanese handle things, the fact and truth is that Japan is an exceptionally beautiful nation. It is intended to be that way. For instance, after World War II, most of the forests in Japan were all cut down for the war effort. Since then, the Japanese set forth to preserve which forests remain. This has resulted in amazingly beautiful woods, parks and natural areas.

I visited, but never moved.  Never the less, other Americans have moved and they have some interesting things to say about the Japanese culture.

Cool and Crazy

• きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ – PONPONPON
• Kyary Pamyu Pamyu – PONPONPON

“I'm guessing that one of the top reasons people want to move to Japan is because of how eye-poppingly insane everything here is. Japan is the patron saint of the Internet -- everything is either batshit crazy or adorable (or both), with the sole requirement of being impossible to explain in any conceivable context.

Man, I'm about to destroy a lot of illusions.

To start, let's talk a little about Japanese TV. You may have seen clips of some X-rated Japanese game show floating around the Internet wherein an audience full of young women eagerly compete for the privilege of having sex with some random guy on stage in front of hundreds of people (if not, you're probably searching for them right now). Here's the shocking truth behind those videos -- they are porn.”

Gasp!

“As in, they are professional pornographic videos dressed up to look like a game show, because ... you know, just because. Does porn need a reason?

There's a Simpsons porn out there featuring people sweatily groping each other in jaundiced yellow body paint, for Christ's sake. Nobody is posting clips of that on the Internet and claiming it's the new season ... well actually, somebody probably is, but nobody would seriously believe that.”

Oh, don’t be so sure about that…

“The porno game show I'm referring to is called Kobe Surprise, and it is every bit an actual game show as Walt Disney's Pocahontas is a historical documentary. Just like those goofy "true life" pornos MILF Hunter or Bang Bus, nothing about it even approaches reality, yet all you apparently need to do is tell everyone it's from Japan and suddenly people think it comes on every night after Wheel of Fortune.

Don't get me wrong -- there are some daffy game shows in Japan, and there is definitely erotic programming on late night TV, but the country isn't full of shamelessly sex-crazed lunatics who have stopped trying to measure the immensity of the shits they no longer give.

"So what about those infamous vending machines that sell used panties?" you might ask. Well, they do exist, but they were outlawed nearly 20 years ago. You can still find one from time to time, but they are illegal as fuck and usually hidden in sex stores or fetish clubs, and not in a bus station next to the Mr. Pibb machine.”

Another illusion shattered.

“I shook my head particularly hard when I read about the Japanese fundraiser that allowed people to squeeze some hot girl's breasts if they donated money to AIDS research, because every website that reported on it wrote about it like it happens every Tuesday in Japan. It doesn't. The event was hosted by a freaking porn channel -- that's like if Hugh Hefner held a topless car wash at the Playboy Mansion and the BBC told the rest of the world that there was one next to every McDonald's in America.

But maybe you dream of living in Japan not because the porn flows like water (it doesn't, at least not any more so than in any other country where the Internet is a thing), but because of your love for anime, which is so popular and widely accepted among Japanese adults that you could enjoy your obsession in peace with the approval of your peers. Even though we've moved on from porn, don't put those tissues away just yet -- you may need them for the next paragraph.

After all these years in Japan, I can honestly say that animation (major studio productions notwithstanding) is still mainly considered kids' stuff. There is shockingly little anime on television, and most of it is unapologetically meant for children. The only adults who really get into it (referred to as otaku) are usually perceived by the media as overweight, unwashed weirdos who are probably child molesters. Sound familiar? You're bound to spend just as much time hiding your Trigun DVDs from company here as you would anywhere else.”

What about the Stuff…

“To me, Japan isn’t even a country. Japan is its own planet... completely different than anywhere else in ways that are incomprehensible to most westerners.”

-Simon Black

There is no doubt that Japan has it’s fair share of unusual (and creative) stuff. This runs the spectrum from dental floss to unusual automobiles, and everything in between. In fact, entire books and movies can be written about this one aspect of this culture. (Which is yet another one of the reasons why I oppose the effort to make everyone and everything “equal” and the same.  Such as what we see in the Obama administration, and in the EU from Brussels. Different is good. It is not bad.)

Japan is unique, and for me, I think it is just wonderful. They do things their way and on their terms.  They just don’t care what others think.  When President Obama wanted them to open up their borders to permit Muslim “refugees”, they politely declined.  As they expected that any immigrants to their nation, [1] assimilate, [2] do not try to change anything, and [3] observe THEIR customs (not the other way around).

I truly wish that America would be this way. You see, I strongly believe that it is our differences that make us all great. Not our similarities.

That being said, the rigidity of the nation might be a little uncomfortable for many Americans.  As it has become stylish to cover oneself with tattoos, and promote multi-sexual trans-gender confusion.

The Japanese are a very traditional society, and as such they are conservative. Which is something that I favor. They might be odd, and beyond a little strange, but they are certainly traditional.

Japan is a traditional nation. They take pride in their culture and in their traditions. For instance, gender roles are fixed and stable.

Japan has all kinds of interesting traditions and holidays. This is something that I have always found quite interesting. If you go to another nation, you want to experience their culture. That is, instead of hiding away in Starbucks of McDonalds. You really need to go out and live life to it’s fullest.

Working in Japan

From an article titled “The best and worst things about living in Japan” found here. The author sends some time discussing working in Japan.

“It's ridiculous that people show up 15 minutes early and stay 90 minutes late every day. It's expected that if you are sick, you use a vacation day rather than a sick day. And to be hire-able at your next job you need to show that you've used as few vacation days as possible.

It's also not too rare for people to have to take weeks or months off of work due to "mental illness" but it's actually because they are so #$!% overworked and stressed out.

Everyone pretty much realizes that the work-pace in Japan is rather arduous. What people don’t seem to realize is that the work culture in Japan goes hand-in-hand with the Japanese culture as a whole.

When my grandma died, my supervisors expected that I would follow the same rules as everybody else. You get one or two days off work for grieving and travel to the funeral, any other time is to be vacation time. So I had to pull out my contract and remind them that they agreed to give me a week in such an event. So yeah, moral of the story: Japanese people are overworked and under social pressure not to relax.

This all sounds pretty lousy to me. I mean, my job isn't very stressful at all, but I still really look forward to my days off and just having time to relax. I can't imagine living and working in Japan being so stressed out and then being discouraged to take time off. It sounds awful.”

The author of the article then goes on to compare the United States with Japan.

“Compared to American public transport at least, Japanese public transport is unbelievably awesome. In Europe and other countries, it's probably pretty good as well, but the Japanese have really got it down pat. Their subway and train systems are crazy convenient, accurate, and make getting around the country so much easier. Even their buses are awesome.

When I was in Japan, I never felt like having a car would have made my life more convenient. Having such a integrated system of public transport made getting around very easy and simple and it's one of the things I miss most. Japan sure does love its trains though.”

From a different article titled “5 Things Nobody Tells You About Living in Japan” found here and here are some interesting statements made in the article;

“Everything Is Frightfully Low-Tech.  Quick question: When was the last time you had to use a fax machine?  "What is a fax machine?" is an entirely acceptable response.

Well, you should try moving to Japan if you want to recapture the magic of the fax machine and other 1990s technology. I actually use one about twice a month to send out my work invoices, because many of the Japanese companies that employ me do not accept paperwork by email. The rare ones that do require that my Word/Excel files be compatible with their 1998 version of Microsoft Office, which is sort of like requiring your Avengers Blu-ray to play on a Betamax machine.

My point is, on the surface Japan seems like the closest thing Earth currently has to a moon base, what with their stock exchange being entirely computerized and wireless Internet literally coming out of their vending machines.

But the truth is, many things are still being done in painfully old-fashioned ways, a phrase which here means "by hand and on paper." Actually, having seen the amount of paper a typical Japanese office goes through, I feel safe in assuming that the entire country has declared a shadow war on both the information age and trees.

How can this be? Well, Japan is still mainly in the hands of the older generation: Over a fourth of the population is over 60, and they're in no particular hurry to adopt new technology (particularly not Apple products, because as far as Japan is concerned, Steve Jobs can go fuck himself). Institutions like banks, the postal service and government offices still keep all of their records on paper, maintained and filed by superfluous personnel who could easily be replaced by an old Soviet computer (which incidentally is more or less what a friend of mine at a Yokohama municipal office was using at his workstation as recently as 2010).

Many businesses still don't even accept credit cards. A Japanese airline can get you to any corner of the globe without a hassle, so long as you're paying in cash, even if the tickets come up to a few thousand dollars each (and I wish I wasn't speaking from experience). This is made even more difficult by the fact that I don't think I've ever seen a 24-hour ATM anywhere in Japan.

That's right; most banks in Japan keep their ATMs indoors, which means that once the banks close (typically around 6 p.m.), so do the machines, utterly defeating their entire purpose for existing. 

It's another extension of that technological resistance -- pretty much anywhere outside of Tokyo harbors a deep generational resentment for automation. They don't want the ATMs operational while there aren't any bank employees around to help in case something goes wrong (although outside of users being clubbed with a thermos and robbed, the list of possible mishaps is embarrassingly short). 

You can always try an ATM at a convenience store (the number of which currently exceeds the national population), if you don't mind the variable transaction fees that seemingly change at random. And that's only if your ATM card will even work in machines outside of your bank, which it almost certainly won't. “

And…

“The good news about health care in Japan is that your insurance is accepted pretty much anywhere. The bad news is that most hospitals keep shorter hours than a Blockbuster Video. 

Generally speaking, Japanese hospitals are only open from about 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and are usually not open at all on the weekends. 

So if you lop off a digit at a family barbecue, you basically have to wrap your stump in a Pikachu towel full of ice, wait for Monday to roll around and hope your severed finger doesn't get freezer burn.”

Yikes!

Here is yet another article about living in Japan.  It is titled “What is it like living in Japan as a foreigner?” and it can be found here.  Here are some tidbits;

“Unnecessarily long work hours.  It's the norm in Japan that everyone needs to work long hours.  Employees won't leave the office until the boss does.  If it means surfing the internet, chatting with colleagues, or doing anything else other than work while waiting for your boss to leave then so be it.  It's not really a big deal unless you want to go home as early as possible to spend time with the family.

If you have a baby and need a stroller, what a hassle!  Space is a premium in Japan so most places where you need to push your stroller are narrow: doors, corridors, spaces between tables and chairs in restaurants, etc.  This causes inconveniences for you and others.  And others don't seem to hide their annoyance at you.  Forget about bringing your heavy duty stroller from abroad.  To get around, you're going to need a light and compact Japanese model that you can fold and keep in your pocket (ok, I exaggerate).

The subway system is excellent!  Unless you have a stroller (or are in a wheel chair for that matter).  Not all subway stations (in Nagoya) have elevators or even escalators.  We lived next to such a station so whenever my wife wanted to go anywhere not walking distance she had to managing going up and down flights of stairs with a stroller, a baby, and a young child.  Did she get any help?  Did I mention that people in Nagoya aren't very friendly?

Never mind about not being friendly.  Many are downright rude.  Imagine you get off the subway train and are now waiting for the elevator to take you up.  What many will do, especially teenagers and young adults, is as soon as the elevator doors open they'll just cut in front of you from the sides and fill up the elevator with you still standing outside the elevator waiting to get in.  And it's not because you're a foreigner.  I've seen them do this to others with strollers and even to old people too.

Too much cigarette smoke everywhere.  Even in restaurants, the non-smoking section is usually just a small corner in the back.  Yes, they make you walk through all the smoke to get to a not-very-isolated-from-smoke non-smoking section.  Out in public, it can be a challenge if you want your kids to avoid secondhand smoke.”

And in common with China as well, you can enjoy this comment…

“You get a lot of attention. Let's just say men tend to date girls one or two rank above what they would date "back home" by virtue of being a foreigner. But it's not just there you'll receive attention, it's in general life. In the street, you'll be ignored like everyone else, but in a social situation, particularly with beer involved, people want to talk to you. They are curious. They come out of their shell and ask you lots of questions. It can be a lot of fun.”

And…

“"Foreigner" is too broad of a term.  Your experience in Japan will differ wildly depending on what caste of foreigner you are. Your caste is determined primarily by your ethnic/national background, but your economic standing and personal charisma will play a role as well.

Here's the rough ranking, from most to least desirable:

1. White Western European or North American/Australian/NZ
2. White Eastern/Southern European, South American
3. Developed East Asian (Taiwan, SK, Singaporean, HKer etc)
4. Developing East Asian (mainland Chinese, Vietnamese)
5. Southeast Asian
6. Middle Eastern, South Asian (basically “brown people” to use the rough term)
7. Blacks

It's also not a perfectly linear ranking of course, there are caveats to each caste. 

East Asians, especially ones from the Sinosphere, can be accepted almost as full Japanese after a while.  This is especially true with Taiwanese.  Among East Asians, Taiwanese are regarded particularly well. This is in contrast to whites, who while treated with more reverence, are almost never accepted as "Japanese".  So they will always be considered outsiders.

But by no means is it a bad deal to be Caucasian of any nationality in Japan.  The position is so comically worshipped that there's literally comics written specifically to address the issue: Charisma Man”

And welcome to the rest of the world, outside of the Western cultural bubble, you see this…

“There are no discrimination laws.  If you look at some job postings, you may see a listing for a flight attendant as "Light skinned attractive woman, less than 50kg, at least 167cm and between the ages of 22 and 30".  Once she hits 30, she will either be transferred or let go. 

Schools that do home stays for students have difficulties because the Japanese family may only want a blonde, blue eyed female student that's not fat but legally the school can't accept such a request.  Companies the same thing.  You may see an foreign recruiting agency trying to get around things by putting a requirement of "no more than 10 years work experience", which is their roundabout way of saying the Japanese client requested someone under 30. “

And, in common with China and the rest of Asia is this statement;

“Education and job are highly regarded in Japan, and most of Asia.  If you are well educated and have a great career, you will be treated well and respected even more so than in the US.”

Office Women

Nell provided some real “meat” in regards to details about what it was like to work in Japan as an American expat woman.  Interesting reading indeed;

“Japan was my life dream until I really lived there.

I chose Japanese language and culture as my major in university, I felt the sound of Japanese language was extremely attractive that every night I listened to my text book record as a¨lullaby¨ before sleeping.

After graduating, when I got an offer from a company in Japan, I felt like I won a lottery. So I started my Japan living experience as a foreigner.

The first shock was during the 3 days newbie training in Tokyo head office.

I learned a word 相槌 (aiduchi) which basically means when somebody (especially a senior in the company) talking to you, no matter what he/she talks, no matter you agree with him/her or not, you must keep on nodding, saying そうですね (soudesune)、なるほど(naruhodo)、はい(hai)、ええ(ee)、勉強になりました(benkyo ni narimashita) etc with a perfect smile, to show your respect. 

I understand and admire the social convention and manners like this, and actually it was a part of my "fancy elegant Japan" image, still when I had to do it nonstop for 8 hours, keep a polite sweet soft voice(which is not my usual, or, let me say, real voice), and keep those sincere "I admire you, senior" eyes... 

It did drive me crazy.

The second shock was in the “welcome party”. 

We newbies were the “main characters” who were supposed to give some special “show” as a tradition. I was lucky because I was both a female and a foreigner, so nobody asked me to do anything except for a short speech introducing myself. 

But my “douki”(the coworker who attended the company same year, so my newbie coworker) was a Japanese guy. Senior coworkers in my apartment forced him to drink a whole bottle of Tabasco in that party in front of everybody. It was a situation he had no way to escape. He did. Then he vomited terribly. 

I helped him cleaning and later we became friends- I realized why in Japan lots of “douki” coworkers have way better relationship with each other than with other coworkers- They kind of need a “union” to protect themselves from seniors in this strict “upper and lower relationship society”(縦社会 tatesyakai、上下関係 jyogekannkei).

I said I was lucky to be a female that no male coworker in the company “bullied” me that much to feed me a bottle of Tabasco. But soon I felt maybe to be a female was not that lucky.

In our office (and lots of traditional Japanese companies), there were 2 kinds of positions. “総合職 sougousyoku”(general position) and “一般職 ippansyoku”(common position).

Former is the positions you can get promoted step by step, usually require higher education background; and latter is the positions basically you can never get promoted, usually ONLY for women who wouldn’t work for a long time, would quit job after get married or give a birth. (I have never seen any male in a “common position” in Japan. But if there is please correct me). 

So in our office, all men were in “general position” and all women were in “common position” except me. I was the only female in a “general position”. At first I was kind of, a bit proud of myself. But soon I found it was a complicated situation. 

Every morning female coworkers make tea or coffee for the male coworkers who they were working with. But it’s hard to say it’s part of their work as assistants or it’s just kindness. Still I have never seen any male coworker making coffee for a female coworker or a male coworker. 

I was a junior, I had a senior male coworker as my trainer. So I very much hesitated if I should make coffee for him. Finally I did, still I felt it’s something I HAD TO do otherwise I would look not nice and would be DIFFERENT with other girls which would make me a difficult situation in the office.

Couples years later when I made some real Japanese friends, I tried to ask them why I always saw Japanese women pour tea, pass chopsticks and tissues when eating in restaurant for man, but seldom see men do such things for women? 

They answered me honestly “Hmmm…we got used to it… and the tea made by women is more delicious.”

I found some “benefits” to be a woman in Japan too. Though I needed to serve beer for male coworkers when eating in a restaurant like my other female coworkers do, girls usually pay less than guys when separating the bill. I guess it’s somehow a “balance” in this society.

Another shock is overtime work. In the first year I lived in Japan, I never finished work before 9pm, the average was 10pm. Sometimes I finished work earlier, or had nothing to do. But I dare not go home, because my boss and seniors were still working. 

It was too shame to let them know I was "free". 

Later I got to know sometimes my boss and seniors do the same, they don't leave the office because it's too shame to let their staffs know they are "free". And of course, the overtime is basically no pay.”

Jinji ido

In Japan, however, at the end of the fiscal year in April, they have what’s called “jinji ido” (“moving people around”). Basically it’s musical chairs within the company, where the bosses shift some employees around from department to department. Were you working in human resources for four years? Congratulations, now you’re in sales! Weren’t popular as a secretary? Well now you’re working in finance.

No one is safe from the “jinji ido” – some number of bosses, fresh employees, and veterans are all shuffled around every year. On the one hand, this makes working for the same company your entire life not a completely soul-crushing prospect, since you always have the hope that you’ll be moved somewhere else next year if you don’t like your current boss or department, but on the other hand, it helps justify Japanese people feeling chained to their jobs.

Either way though, it was always fun watching the results of the yearly Japanese office Hunger Games.

Oppai

An oppai club in Tokyo is similar to many bars around Asia, but with some twists. All over this part of the world it is very common for guys to go to bars or KTV’s and effectively pay for the attention of girls.

Here is a writeup from Guys Night Life on the Oppai clubs in Japan;

“We don’t necessarily mean sex, just to have a sexy girl sit with you while you enjoy your drink. That is how things work at the oppai clubs in Tokyo, but as we mentioned there is a twist. Calling these a strip club certainly wouldn’t be correct, because when you think of a strip club you think of sexy girls dancing naked on stage. 

That doesn’t happen here.

Instead what happens at the oppai clubs is you pay to have a few girls sit with you, usually it is 3 girls for a little under 15 minutes each. When they sit with you they pull their tops down, and your hands are free to play with them titties.

Some girls may do some kissing (you have to brush your teeth when you enter lol) or will let you suck on their tits, but not all will. There are some set-in-stone rules at oppai clubs, and if you break them you will be asked to leave.

First off your hands are only allowed to play with the boobs, you can’t go down between her legs. Sometimes the girls might do some light cock rubbing through your pants, but you can’t pull your dick out and aren’t going to have sex or get a blowjob here. The most famous oppai club in Tokyo is Pretty Getter which has multiple locations. Another one you can try is Ooedo, and there are others around town as well.

How much does an oppai pub cost? It is roughly $60 to have the 3 girl rotation that lasts a little under 45 minutes. You will need to buy a drink as well.

So, in one way they are a lot like strip clubs in the western world because you are going to go there to get horny and blue balled. However unlike in the western world you can head to a blowjob bar right after to alleviate that concern.”

Yeah. You can go and sit down with three girls and play with their breasts for 15 minutes or so. Kinky, but cool.

Girls

Japanese girls are very similar to all Asian ladies. I find Asian ladies very attractive in a very kind and sweet way. Here is an interesting quote on this subject;

“Coming from a culture where the women are taught to be big-mouthed, rude, and disrespectful, the American visitor to Japan will at once be pleasantly surprised by the poise, demeanor, and courtesy of the Japanese girl.  

This to me is sexually attractive.  It is nice to be treated with respect wherever you go.  Even when your approach is rejected, it is done with such exquisite politeness that you feel nothing unpleasant at all.

As I’ve gotten older, I have come to value courtesy and politeness very highly, perhaps because it is so rare in Anglo-American women.  

Obnoxiousness does not equal strength, as American women believe.  

Boundaries exist, and everyone knows what they are.  Japanese culture also teaches humility and self-sacrifice as positive virtues.  This ethic is extolled in countless historical dramas, soap operas, and other cultural contexts.  Japanese girls are genuinely humble and modest, for the most part; and this character trait I find very appealing.”

-Quintus Curtius

Fast Food Insanity

Finally, let me just say that the Japanese has taken the “Fast Food” engine and allowed it to run amuck (off the rails). Here, in Japan, you can see the most extreme versions of American staples.  Really, do the Japanese actually eat these creations?  I actually wonder.

Another thing that I really like about Japan is that they like the gender roles to be clear and enhanced. Girls and women should be demure, cute, pretty and attractive. For they are the bedrock of the society.

As such, even the workers in McDonalds are cute and adorable.

Links

Some interesting links;

• 5 Things OKAY in Japan (but illegal/rude in the USA)
• What a Japanese Love Hotel is like
• Tokyo Kinky (One stop website for all the crazy Japanese ideas on sex.)
• Why Japan, Why?…  (WTF? Japan. WTF?)
• Visiting Japan: 5 Reasons Why It’ll Be Awesome

Sweden

Mr Bernie Sanders opined about the benefits of living in Sweden (yet he never moved, I wonder why?) and because of that he wanted to transform the United States into some kind of socialist paradise modeled under Sweden. 

His ideas sounded stimulating to say the least. The kind of stuff that people who have never held a job, worked for a boss, or paid taxes would believe.

Imagine that… a place where everyone is equal and all contributes to the common good and everyone is equal, happy and content. What’s not to like? (At least that is what his followers thought.)

Personally, I disagree with this philosophy. In fact, I strongly believe that it is our differences that make us strong. Not our similarities.

Sweden has many nice and tight coastal communities up and down the nation. Each one is quaint with their own sense of belonging. Here is an interesting article titled “I’m an American living in Sweden. Here’s why I came to embrace the higher taxes.” Written by Tom Heberlein on April 8, 2016.  It can be found here.

“In Sweden, the four-page tax form comes in the mail already filled out. On a Saturday morning, Betty and I take our coffee to the couch and review the forms. Seeing they look reasonable, as they always do, we "sign" with a text from our phones. In 15 minutes we are done. We don't have to hire a tax consultant, and we avoid fights about whether a print cartridge bought at the drugstore is a business expense or not.”

And…

“When the conservative government, favoring lower taxes, came to power in Sweden in 2006 one of its first steps was abolish the property tax and replace it with a fixed fee. The real estate fee for services is 7,112 SEK per house ($825 at current exchange rates). This is the same for everyone no matter what the assessed value of the dwelling. The fee is $12 a month for our co-op apartment in Stockholm. If we owned the same property in Madison, our taxes would be $18,000 a year.”

Sweden is a very good example of “looking outside of the box”.  We, as Americans have become so accustomed to the “American way of life” (that is to say “the American way of doing things”) that it is actually impossible, and even shocking, to see that things are done differently elsewhere.  It is, to us, inconceivable. 

However, that is a real problem.  Given the size of the human population that there can NEVER be a “one size fits all” top down, centralized approach to social governance, no matter what the statists, and the progressive social democrats think.  Humans need and desire independence.  We need to find out what fits us and do things in a way that enables us to live our life in peace and harmony.

For some, this might be along the lines of what the Swedes do.  For others it might be more akin to what is practiced in North Korea.  For others it might be similar to how one lives in France.    Rather than look at the good, and at the bad in a foreign location, I propose that one conduct a full immersion in a different nation and decide themselves what is preferable to them.

It is the same as what I have done in China, and what most long-term expats have done as well.  Every place has both good and bad aspects. It is up to us to determine which aspects of our life is most signifigant to us, and then move to an area that best supports those ideals.  For me, America today seems to only be beneficial for the uber-wealthy in the large urban mega-cities on the American coasts, and not really beneficial in the rest of the nation.

In my mind, if you are able to be happy and satisfied in your labors and with your family, then the undesirable aspects of a place can be minimized in importance.

Some people, like my brother, love the mountains and they love the snow and the cooler weather.  I cannot blame them. There is something absolutely awesome about coming home after a good hard day’s work and firing up the wood stove, and having a nice warm beverage.

I used to live in a cabin on Lake Pearl in Wrentham, Mass.  The living room window overlooked the lake and it was surrounded with fresh pine trees.  In the wintertime, the snow would fall, and I would watch the squirrels going up and down the tree trunks while the fire crackled in the wood heater. 

Ah, good memories.

In Sweden, everyone is beautiful. 

Everyone. Sorry, no exceptions. In the back of your head, you’re thinking, Well, how beautiful can they be? And it turns out, really fucking beautiful. It’s weird. It’s almost like a new planet of hot people. According to Greg Poehler, a Swedish 5 is an American 12.

Greg Poehler is an actor who plays a celebrity accountant who relocates to Sweden. This actor moved to Sweden, from New York, in 2006.  He has strong opinions about Sweden.

And nudity is no big deal. (Like in Germany, and Iceland and the rest of the civilized world.)

That’s why you’ll see it on the Swedish show “Welcome to Sweden” (The Swedish version of course, it is censored in America.). Nudity’s not a thing for them.

I mean, it is a thing, but it’s a thing that’s constantly around, Poehler said that his kids swim naked all summer and then have to deal with their own culture shock when they come to the U.S. and have to cover up.

Poehler believes the nudity is actually a good thing:

"Even at a young age, you can just see how accepting they are of nudity and their bodies."

Friendship is largely based around dinner parties.

It can be difficult to make friends in Sweden, because most Swedes already have a strong group of friends that they’ve known for years. Good luck scoring a dinner party invite. “The party scene there is all about dinner parties,” Poehler explained. “So your friend selection is actually limited by how many seats you have around your dinner table. And unless somebody dies or gets divorced or moves away, you have no chance of getting invited to that table.” It’s an ongoing struggle: “I’m still trying to work my way through the dinner party scene.”

Television.

"In general, the Swedish viewing habits are much like it was in the U.S. 40, 50 years ago, where people are kind of all watching the same thing," Poehler said. That helped Welcome to Sweden get such impressive ratings. "The top 10 shows tend to get that type of number." And the "Friday night death slot" as it's known in the U.S. is actually a good thing for Swedish shows: "Our show was on Friday nights, which here would be a terrible night, but there is like the biggest night."

Log Homes

Log cabins have been traditionally built in this part of the European continent. Countries like Norway, Finland, Sweden, Russia and other Baltic regions were the regions where the log cabins have been built for centuries. The growth of coniferous trees in this part of the world is the primary reason for building these structures.

The shape of these trees and the quality of wood obtained from them is ideal for the construction of log cabins. Migrants from the Scandinavian countries (especially from Sweden) who settled in America in the early part of the 17^th Century are credited to have brought log cabins to Northern America.

Taxes

Sweden, as far as the United States is concerned, is a land of high taxation.  However, that might not be a bad thing. Yes, the taxes in Massachusetts were high.  Yes, everything is against the law in Massachusetts.  However, that does not take away from what I found most charming about it. (And to this day, I still miss my life in Massachusetts. I still consider it a wonderful place to live.)

One should NEVER make two-dimensional judgements about a region and a people until they first go out there and see it with their own eyes.

So, I say to everyone and most especially the readers herein, go to Sweden and make your own opinions.  Don’t fall for the Bernie Sanders narrative that Sweden is “Heaven on Earth”, nor should you fall for the Alex Jones narrative that all taxes are evil.  Find a middle-ground; a an area where you (personally) can find comfort.  Then go move there and live your life.

Below is a summary of the Swedish tax system.  I believe that I picked it up on Tumblr sometime during the 2015 – 2016 time period. I do not know who created this document, or whether of not it is accurate and reflective of the current taxiation system in Sweden today.  It is presented for the amusement and consideration of the reader.

Now, there are others who offer an opposing view toward Sweden. Here are some interesting quotes worth consideration…

“Higher education may be free but students in Sweden often have to take out loans to cover living expenses including rent and food while studying. 85 percent of students in Sweden graduate with debt and these fresh graduates also suffer from a high debt-to-income ratio once they land jobs. Sustaining oneself while trying to establish a career can be tough. Rent in centers like Stockholm can be both expensive and hard to come by for most young professionals.”

And…

“Sen. Sanders claimed that lessons on democratic socialism can be learned from the Nordics. However, Scandinavians were among those quick to correct Sen. Sanders saying that they aren’t socialist. They are technically market economies. Perhaps there’s this notion that a utopia is where citizens are provided everything and that everyone enjoys freedom and equality.

 For the most part, this seems to apply to Sweden since the government covers essential services and the people have an egalitarian outlook hence the reason they’re mistaken to be democratic socialists. Still, the reality is that people have to work hard, pay taxes, and deal with competition common in a market economy if they want to thrive in Sweden.”

Peru

Why not? I guess that I was inspired by the Phil Manzanera song “Big Day” and the lyrics about Peru.

This is one of those nations that no one really considers except to travel to (to look at ancient ruins). But that should be the exact criteria to give it a good long hard look.  Certainly something “off the beaten track” is what would be most desirable for a typical American expat today.

Cheap food, housing, and standard of living would factor high in where ever an expat might want to move to.  Not only that, but having a passport from Peru will not make you a target by Islamic radicals trying to purge the world of Americans…

Here are some comments by an expat in Peru.  They have a blog that can be found HERE.

Driving

Apparently, it is pretty terrifying.

“The roads [in Peru] are pretty unforgiving. I once made a trip, well, tried to, from Trujillo to Otusco. I eventually turned around... those cliffs really humbled me. 

I have gone up and down the coast -- flat, no cliffs -- all the way to Tumbes at the Ecuadorian frontier with no problems. I could write a couple of chapters about the experiences with buses and cars in a hurry, passing on curves... single lanes on high passes... cliff collapses... buses passing you on curves drafting you first or meeting a bus head on coming at you lumbering and top-heavy around curves... YOU GOT NO PLACE TO GO. 

WEIGHT IS THE DOMINATING PRINCIPLE. THEY PUSH, HONK AND INTIMIDATE EVERYWHERE BUT ON THE CLIFFS. Life and death. I have frequently seen three people on a motorcycle with a kid sandwiched in the middle - all no helmets.”

Lima is a Cat City

From another blogger. Found HERE.

“The premiere Mall in Lima is Lacomar right on the ocean. It is an excellent mall, large and it could be in NY or any other major city and would be regarded as Excellent.

Also you can ask but in Lima is a park in a City Busy area that is a sanctuary for Cats. I mean,, the cats know it and there are a billion cats that hang there.. It is really a special place and quite an interesting phenomena.”

Internet

One Expat had this to say;

"More than six years of experience says that Internet is certainly reliable in Peru for remote sales and more. Video performance is choppy regardless of provider. Latency is an issue with video specifically. It really depends on from where you are planning on connecting and using what kind of services. There are Internet cafes in most cities and some small towns.

If you will be located in Lima and want a month to month wireless router service without phone hookup to support multiple devices in a home, then Olo can be recommended. But Olo has a delivery footprint and you need to check if your house is within that footprint. I have used that service for almost a year from San Juan de Lurigancho (Lima). I have also been a customer in the past of Nextel, Claro, Movistar, and Speedy. 

Claro/Movistar have a wireless dongle that works for a single computer. We had technical and customer service problems with Movistar. I used Nextel wide band with success for years. Speedy is fast, cheap, but good depends on the wiring in your part of the city and how much construction is happening near you.

If you are planning on setting up a high speed phone center in the provinces using existing services beyond Lima it is probably not going to happen, though I do know of a successful Skype-based salesman who did B2B appt setting daily and operated from Huanuco."

Climate

“Coastal Peru is really all desert. Where people live in urban areas with lots of houses it tends to be much greener but certainly never lush. It is dusty, but really I think all of Peru is dusty. I have never seen a screened window yet once you go outside an urban or city area unless you see farms and agriculture it is more desert like"

"Yes, coastal Peru is very much a desert. I found the scenery grows on you, especially next to the coast. I am most familiar with the Lima area (Miraflores) and the humidity is surprisingly high for a desert, but then I come from an area of very low humidity, Wyoming. I do seem to recall other places along the coast (e.g. Trujillo) seemed to be less humid,"

"Lima weather in the summer is fine, but it winter it is only gray. High humidity and lower temps... kind of uncomfortable. In Trujillo, the weather is always pleasant. In summer, when the skies are clear and blue, the humidity is high and just short of 100%, but it never rains. Rain is so unusual here that if you see drops it is a major downpour. Sometimes it is just misty and you can feel the lightest of drizzles... and even that is unusual. So, in the summer the humidity gets kinda uncomfortable. Generally summer is pleasant, but there is always a run of about 2-3 weeks where the humidity gets outtahand."

Safety

"It is possible that expats live in isolated clusters in several countries, but full disclosure, you should know that Peru has still active guerilla forces and that 17% of GDP is now from cocaine, according to National Geographic.

Apparently, Columbian 'interests' have decided to 'outsource' a bit of production and distribution to nearby countries, so I do not know how this bodes of stability or personal safety in Peru, but these are factors to consider."

"There is a particular area where Coca production prevails and there are some conflicts. Peru produces more cocoa than any other country in SA. That is production of raw material but not distribution of final product. Living in the area of Trujillo for a few years now I have had no visibility of any activities in that regard. It may go on in the background but who know. It does not affect daily living in any regard.

In all of Peru there are places known for safety and places known for danger. I have frequented Lima and flagged down many, many taxis without ever a hitch. Crime is not rampant and it is best not to exaggerate. Traveling through many parts of Peru I have never been accosted by a robber or thief. Of course, it is good to be sensible and wise, but I do not see an overwhelming or ever present threat of danger."

Conclusions

If you have a nice, comfortable life, then savor it. Appreciate it. Enjoy it.

However, if you are like one of millions of American men who have reached their 40’s and discovered that events, problems, and unforeseen disasters have decimated their savings, belongings, relationships and careers, perhaps you need to look elsewhere. Maybe you need to take a good hard look at your life and the decisions that you made decades ago that set you on the path that you now tread.

I suggest that there are many other nations and cultures out there, outside of the United States. There are good and bad things about all of them. But, given your situation, perhaps one or two might be more suitable than the progressive liberal “paradise” that the United States is turning into.

I urge you, or anyone who is asking the deep question “is that all that there is?”, to look outside the box, and consider the unthinkable; leave the United States and become an expat.

Take Aways

• When things go wrong we often feel trapped. We become lost and directionless.
• Part of the problem, and the cause for the lack of direction, is that we have automatically limited our options. We have, over the years, placed restrictions and limits on ourselves.
• I suggest opening up ourselves to the reality that there are no limitations except those that we place upon ourselves.
• A glance at a handful of other nations clearly shows that there are other places with other options for a man lost in the wilderness.

FAQ

Q: What if you cannot speak the language?
A: Well, you learn another language. If you want to be in a certain place with a specific lifestyle, then you will do what ever it takes. Most of the time, this will include learning another language and adapting to a different culture. Trust me, if you really want, or better yet, need to move and start all over again, then you will do what ever is necessary.

Q: What if I have a job, a family, children, but I am unhappy?
A: Then you need to find out what is making you unhappy.

Often it is things that have developed over a long period of time, that has taken a toll on us. Sometimes it is the little things, like having a wife that forbids you to drink cream with your coffee, or a work place that doesn’t allow you to smoke. Perhaps it is a constantly increasing  tax burden with no appreciable increase in your standard of living. When your soul starts screaming at you, it’s time to listen. Something is wrong.

You, as the man of the house, must do something about it.

Q: I think that I am going through a “mid-life” crisis, but my wife thinks I’m bonkers, what do I do?
A: Yell at your wife for discounting your emotions and your feelings. She should be better attuned to you, your feelings and your needs. Since she is disparaging you, then there is certainly something wrong; with her.

If you feel and think a certain way, then that has validity. No one, especially someone who is part of your family should ever disparage that.

You need to have a good sit down with your family and explain how you feel. It is not an issue about working out what to do, as it is a real need to state that your needs are not being met. That you are not being listened to, nor are your feelings being respected. You will be unable to continue in a life where these fundamentals are missing from your life.

Q: What criteria should be used to determine which nation to move to?
A: Safety, ease of access, and personal finances. Where ever you go, you will need to be open to making new friends, adapting to a strange culture, and change your way of life. For some it is way to shocking. Here in China, we have a saying that Americans can’t last more than three months in China. Plan, and be careful.

In my mind, the most important things are [1] the pace of life… and, [2] how hard you have to work to just live in a most basic way.

Multi-Part Series

There are so many nations and places to choose from. This post is part two of a multi-part post. My basic premise is that the world is a big place. Get out. Enjoy the differences. Savor them. Life is too short not to.

Posts Regarding Life and Contentment

Here are some other similar posts on this venue. If you enjoyed this post, you might like these posts as well. These posts tend to discuss growing up in America. Often, I like to compare my life in America with the society within communist China. As there are some really stark differences between the two.

More Posts about Life

I have broken apart some other posts. They can best be classified about ones actions as they contribute to happiness and life. They are a little different, in subtle ways.

Stories that Inspired Me

Here are reprints in full text of stories that inspired me, but that are nearly impossible to find in China. I place them here as sort of a personal library that I can use for inspiration. The reader is welcome to come and enjoy a read or two as well.

Articles & Links

• You can start reading the articles by going HERE.
• You can visit the Index Page HERE to explore by article subject.
• You can also ask the author some questions. You can go HERE to find out how to go about this.
• You can find out more about the author HERE.
• If you have concerns or complaints, you can go HERE.
• If you want to make a donation, you can go HERE.

Notes

1. Composed 7NOV18
2. Completed 8NOV18.
3. SEO review 8NOV18.