Moving overseas is a common ambition for men in this part of the Internet, for various reasons: better women, cheaper cost of living, fewer laws, and so on. And while it’s certainly a good thing to get out of the U.S. (or whatever country you were born in) and experience other cultures, there’s a bleak side to expatriating that gets ignored in all the hype.
Keep in mind that I’m not arguing against living abroad: I plan on returning to the Philippines at some point and visiting some other countries such as Japan, Colombia, or Russia when I get the time. But before you sell your car and buy your plane tickets, you need to know the whole truth about life in other countries. Here’s why expatriation isn’t the dream life everyone thinks it is…
1. Basic infrastructure is lacking
Most second- and third-world countries have power and water systems that are barely functioning, and the slightest error can knock them offline at a moment’s notice. In the Philippines, for example, brownouts are extremely common, particularly in smaller cities, which is why most high-end apartment complexes and hotels have backup generators installed.
Even then, that may not be enough: during my stay in Davao City, for example, I had the power shut off on me multiple times for seemingly no reason, killing my AC and Internet and forcing me to sweat it out in the dark.
Basic fundamentals of urban planning and sewage removal are also absent in many countries. Absent zoning laws, cities like Manila are a patchwork of construction, with poorly-designed roads, missing road signs and open sewers that overflow every time it rains. It’s not uncommon to find nice high-rise apartment buildings surrounded by blocks of dingy tin shacks, like a game of SimCity being played by a sugar-bombed spazz.
Finally, many third-world countries have ungodly amounts of air pollution, thanks to lax emissions controls on cars and industry. Portions of Manila resemble 60’s-era L.A. due to all the smog. Even if you don’t have lung problems, breathing in all these airborne toxins will have an impact on your health.
For example, the dusty, dirty air of the Philippines forced my eyes to start producing extra moisture. When I came back to the U.S., I went around for a week looking like I was perpetually crying before my eyes readjusted.
2. Many amenities that you’re used to are not available
Since you’re in Rome now, you’ll have to do as the Romans do, and that includes acclimating to local tastes and peccadilloes. If there are certain types of food you like and your new homeland doesn’t have them, you’ll just have to suck it up. For example, a simple American staple like peanut butter and jelly is horrendously expensive in the Philippines; a jar of Jiffy is about $7. A carton of orange juice can run you as much as $9, and many supermarkets don’t even carry milk (not that you’d want to buy milk when many of those places skimp on the refrigeration).
But assuming you can adjust to the local menu, what about the cultural offerings? Again, depending on your tastes, you’ll probably be left out in the cold. If you want coffee shops in the Philippines, for example, you’re pretty much limited to big chains like Starbucks or Figaro (though selection is a bit better in Manila). Music? Get used to sappy soft rock or 80’s cover bands. Film? It’s either Hollywood blockbusters or obscure Asian films. And I really hope you like karaoke parties.
3. Culture shock is real
You might read the previous points and think, “So what? I hate American culture and I can deal with a few brownouts!” But can you? You need to face reality: you’re an American (or a Canadian or an Australian or whatever), raised in a culture that has trained you to see the world in a certain way. You have no idea how much your culture defines you until you’re placed in one that’s almost entirely alien.
For the first couple of days in the Philippines, I had difficulty even leaving my house, and it wasn’t because I was having a bad time: every Filipino I’d encountered up to that point had been friendly and gregarious. It was because the Philippine culture of openness, spontaneity and fun completely clashed with my dour, sullen, American attitude. It only took me a few days before I was acclimated and enjoying myself, but it was a transition I was completely unprepared for.
Not only that, even after you’ve overcome culture shock, there are certain aspects of foreign cultures that will always grate on your nerves. For example, the Filipinos’ complete inability to be punctual nearly screwed up a podcast interview I did with my ROK colleague Quintus Curtius.
Additionally, Filipino waitstaff at restaurants almost never check up on you after they bring you your food; you have to practically grab them by the arm if you want your check. When I returned to the U.S. in October, I was so grateful to have a waitress bring me the check without asking at the first restaurant I ate at that I gave her a $10 tip.
4. You will always be just a “foreigner”
This is the kicker: even if you become a long-term resident of another country, you can never fully integrate. In many cases, the barriers are legal ones: for example, many Asian countries do not allow foreign residents to ever become citizens. Many of these nations don’t even let foreigners own property; in Thailand and the Philippines, when you hear about foreigners running businesses, the deed is always in their (local) wives’ names.
But more importantly, even if you learn the language and adjust to the culture, you’ll never fully fit in. People will always identify you as being from somewhere else based on your appearance and treat you accordingly. Even the Philippines, despite their unusually xenophilic culture (to the point where English is an official language and virtually everyone there is fluent in it), maintains a barrier between foreigners and locals. Try as you might, you will never fully assimilate.
I’m not trying to dissuade anyone from living abroad: it’s an experience I enjoyed and one I recommend every man try out at least once. But don’t think that life in other countries is some kind of permanent vacation with free martinis and blowjobs. There’s a price to be paid for everything, and the price of moving overseas is one you may not want to pay.
Read More: If You Can’t Get Laid In The West, You Won’t Get Laid Abroad
While it is appreciated what you have shared in this article, I will nonetheless encourage everyone reading this, to go out and travel.
If there is one thing that is wrong about the culture of the United States, then it is the fact that most people have never even left the continent. This is very problematic in itself and goes to show you that people have become very dumbed down. It is sad and pathetic when I see hordes of young people who claim to be in debt and cannot find a job, yet are spending hundreds of dollars on a new smartphone, tablet or some other technological gadget and would rather not use that money to buy a return ticket to see another part of the world.
I believe that people living in the West have become very dependant on the comfort and convenience of modern technology provided in the West and as a result, have become very lazy and laid back in their lifestyle choice. The idea of travelling abroad is to help you to free yourself from your security blanket and to go out and appreciate the different cultures and value systems provided in other nations.
Sure there are many problems and similar issues to that found in the US, but regardless, the idea of travelling goes to show that you as an individual, have the tenacity, backbone and strong ethic to be able to do something that most people are afraid to do. The fact that you have travelled to another country will also help you to navigate through the many wonders of our world and thereby, help to expand and broaden your horizon and mindset. In essence, it will mature you as an individual and contribute greatly towards a well developed and honed personality.
If there is one thing that is truly destroying the spirit of our society, then it is without a doubt, laziness and apathetic behaviour. Remember, you only have one chance in this life, so make the most of it.
Shouldn’t this be balanced with good, bad and ugly? I’d like to say that this post is ‘realistic’ but it’s obviously not, because there aren’t any positives at all. This entire post is ridiculously pessimistic and negative.
Welcome back truth! Got worried for you for a bit. Heard you had some mangina stalkers since the whole Mad Max situation. Glad to see you back bud!
Thank you for your kind words. Unfortunately, I will not be commenting as much as I used to due to the recent slaying I received by the mainstream media along with the radical feminists and hordes of white knights. I hope you can understand this.
It is a shame that in today’s world, we no longer have the ability and freedom to express our opinions on many issues due to the liberal bigotry propoganda machine known as political correctness.
I appreciate all the support you and fellow commentors on ROK have shown me over the years and I while I may comment every now and then, I will always remember the wonderful opinions that you and many others have posted. It was a great learning experience and believe me, you have helped.
Anyway, good luck with all your endevours and should I post any comments in the future, I look forward to hearing from you and everyone else.
Take care.
Just change your Disqus ID, truth. We need allies like you and we’ll figure out who you really are fast. I shall grind white knight’s skulls under my heel. You’d love how nose-to-nose confrontial I get with these pussies in real life. They have NOTHING threatening or intimidating to proffer whatsoever!
Truth, I’ve been out of the loop. Please share with us what you’ve wrote. I’d be more than happy to read.
Personally, whatever it is you’ve done that stirred up the hordes, I truly appreciate the effort. Truth is a lonely warrior.
All throughout history people have been persecuted for the simple act of telling the truth. It takes tremendous courage to tell the truth. That courage makes the truth tellers warriors fighting for the truth. I tip my hat to you!
You have a long line of men backing you up brother.
For that all you would need to do is look up the Mad Max article posted to ROK by Aaron Clarey. Not sure where in there but truth was merely saying exactly what he usually says and feminists media, as well as CNN, HuffPost, caught wind of it and took Clarey and truth to town. Check Roosh’s follow up article to see how many mediums followed ROK, used truth’s words to mark an agenda, and labelled ROK a MRA site in the process. Pretty shameful stuff all around.
Yup. Stick around. You’re too valuable to be allowed to waste away in No Man’s Land exile. You’ve given the enemy a bloody nose. As BDITM wrote, change your ID & retool.
Anyway, if you do decide to roam the Earth or some such, take care & may your path always be lit.
Aaron really appreciated the income boost from the harpies’ page hits. He said so in his videos. And he got thousands of permanent new subscribers. It pays to troll on the internets.
I actually see the problem in the US (read: not the West generally) as the education or (rather more accurately since it encompasses the media as well) the propaganda system. In other words, people are not lazy, anti-social and apathetic because of smartphones and tablets but because they are bred that way.
Consider this: the US education system is very US centric and is filled half-truths at best about the US and the rest of the World. When I first arrived in the US I was shocked at the level of ignorance about the rest of the World. The news was very local-centric. An American barely knows what’s going on in the next State let alone the rest of the World.
And then the TV shows work to continue the work as they are filled with political messages (i.e. the latest GoT “rape” scene) is really an attack on marriage.
It is not surprising that Americans are lazy. They don’t start working until fairly late in life (I started at 12) and are punished if they do. College keeps Americans out of “real” work for at least another 4 years while they study a Bull Shit Degree.
The Government babies people and discourages children from even walking down the street to the park. This encourages an unnatural and irrational fear of the outside world and an inability to take responsibility for yourself.
I could go on and on but I will end with this: Another major problem is the awful food Americans are coerced to eat and the psychoactive drugs they are made to take (and others) as children when they get sick. No wonder so many Americans lack a zeal and appreciation for life in general and elsewhere.
Don’t even think of trying the milk! No, I’m not joking (completely).
It’s like were the average (ignorant) American calls women in third world countries oppressed when it’s not true. The majority of women in middle east go to college, dress whorish, act entitled as the boys die in war. Same goes in every single so called third world country. As the saying goes: “the truth will not be televised.” Government ran news will never tell the truth.
I’m not sure that there are any truths taught about the US in our education system; you’re being too generous with “half-truths at best” 🙁
Not to mention draconian drug laws with the end result being the highest incarceration rate in the history of planet earth, most for victimless crimes. The most psychoactively medicated society on earth, with suicides and mass killings being a everyday occurrence.
Good! I see it as Darwin taking the trash out! We are a nation of 300 plus million people! We shouldn’t have this high quality of life as a national whole but we do because we have almost limitless human capital to tap and tap it we do.
Those drugged out people and suicides are the poor white trash who lost hope because the factory closed and they can’t adapt to a new economy that doesn’t value raw muscle anymore.
Or some late boomer who graduated high school in 1980 and thought that was all the education a man should need to stay in the middle class.
I think America society, when properly exploited can make even a pauper rich over night. There will always be weaklings unable to adapt. But most of us are strong and ambitious and will continue to integrate seamlessly into a global economy of limitless potential for anyone open minded enough to work within it.
One of the big reasons why drug abuse is such an issue is modern life itself, people wind up using drugs because they need an escape from their everyday reality.
Draconian drug law !! e.g. Viet Nam … But if you want a good Cuban Cohiba cigar ?? It’s 20 time cheaper to buy than in Aus ??
But in Aus you can get easy ICE & crack coke , which in Viet Nam can get you death penalty ?? So if you are addicted to Cuban cigars, you move to Viet Nam & if you are addicted to ICE or Crack coke, you move to Aus ??
Well said good sir.
The American way of life has made women lazy, entitled, and mentally challenged and moronic. It has done the same thing to most American men, that is why for those of us who are red pill guys, we live wretched miserable lives in the US. Working and more work, nothing to balance that life out.
True. I have lived and traveled abroad and can do it. Most Americans cannot. They get complacent and into a comfort zone and don’t want to exit that.
Shouldn’t this be balanced with good, bad and ugly? I’d like to say that this post is ‘realistic’ but it’s obviously not, because there aren’t any positives at all. This entire post is ridiculously pessimistic and negative
This article is one article of a series that Matt has already done. The many articles before this one has presented the upside of living abroad so this one now presents the “cons” or realities of it.
You’ll need to search for them on ROK or search on Matt’s site if you’re really interested in them.
Thank fuck. Thanks though, I’ll check them out. Would of been good to have them embedded into the article so we’d get a balanced review
There are literally dozens of positive articles.
Yeah, I would have thought the article was BS from someone who had no idea what he was talking about except that I recognized the author’s name. He has written articles for years about how shitty the west is and what a paradise Asia is. This is just an attempt to revisit the idea with.. “but not everything is perfect.”
I guess he’s taking the negative view to balance out all the feel good stuff.
The reality is that there is a big difference between living abroad and visiting abroad. The challenges you will face also depend upon the place you are living in.
While visiting, it’s very easy to romantacize the locale, and only celebrate/embrace the good that you experience. As a tourist you’re insulated from all of the challenges that residents face on a daily basis. Poor infrastructure, lack of goods, bureaucracy, lack of safety, lack of education, etc. And you aren’t like to understand/experience the gravity of these issues because you’re in town to have a good time, eat, drink, sight see, party and then head out.
When you live in a 2nd or 3rd world country, the experience is different. When you need to rely on the infrastructure to commute to your job, when you need to use the local government to apply for identification or other permits/licenses, and when you need to go out and make friends/establish long term relationships, you realize the game is much different.
If you’re an American moving to England or Australia, the adjustment won’t be so severe. In fact you may find that you don’t have any issues there, since the cultures are quite similar and everyone speaks english.
But move to Brazil, China, or Russia, and you’ll have a whole different experience. Moving to a country where you don’t speak the language, and English is not ubiquitous is a bitch.
In summary living abroad isn’t a romantic adventure, there are good things and there are bad things, and ultimately you need to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally for them. There are trade offs every where you go, understand that.
The trick is to kind of keep one foot like a tourist… you can do it for a few years….. especially if you keep going home, maintain a mailing address back home, have someone or a service that can forward you things on fedex, or have regular visitors coming out…. I’d use a local bank just as a holding account to bring cash in… you can even manage only with credit cards and ATM withdraws directly…. it gets tiresome though… in time you feel as if you are running just to stay still…. on the other hand you are free from quite a burden of BS that the developed countries put upon you, paper work, fines, late fees, registrations and etc….. all that kind of thing can be glossed over for years, even if you are a proper resident you kinda skim over / ignore it all….
I agree fully, there is a huge difference between visiting and living.
I visited Poland, yeah hot girls, good vodka etc. then lived there, fucking bureaucracy, crappy roads. big difference.
I have thought about living full time overseas on many occasions and would only do it if i could keep my western income.
Even with these minor issues presented here, living abroad, for me anyway, is still better than being a second class citizen in a police, prison and divorce rape state with a target on your back for the crime of being a white man. That’s if principles are more important to you than conveniences.
So, life isn’t as decadent and luxurious as it is in the US of Vagina. I’m not a female or a weakling, so I really don’t give a fuck. There are a few adjustments and minor hardships. Boo freaking hoo.
My best friend’s dad said it best: It doesn’t take much for a man to live on and be happy. We are trained by the Great Marketing Machine to believe we “need” certain things when in fact, we don’t. Our ancestors were much tougher men who got by on much less, and I’ve discovered I really don’t care if the AC goes out a few hours a day or I can’t buy the sugary GMO garbage most Americans call food because the cost benefit analysis still works out. Bottom line, I’m a happier man outside the Matrix and you can’t put a price on happiness.
As for #4, I’ve always been an outsider in America but I’m Mr. Charisma in my country of choice. I speak the language and I love the culture of the country I’m expatriating to so it’s like an instant backstage pass and I don’t get treated like the other gringos.
Still, you raise some good points for those who aren’t as hardcore about making a few sacrifices to get a lot of rewards as I am. They may want to reconsider if any of those things are too much for them or if knowing the language and absorbing the culture of their destination isn’t feasible.
That said, I’ll close as I sit here waiting on my connection for my 5th trip out of the Matrix just this year. Got to finish setting up my new place before I press the reset button.
The entire society and economy in USA is centered around feminism. I went to my local yuppie farmers market (we have the cheap year round one and the yuppie organic one on Saturdays which I can walk to). It’s overpriced but for a few items that I really do want to consume fresh / pesticide free / organic items, I like to buy there, but the place was OVERWHELMED with girls in sun dresses and makeup and Prada bags (do they make bags?) forking over $8 for bags of arugula and $1 peaches. It was really kind of a joke.. like how much can we jack up our prices and still make them come out and buy, now that we have established this as a trendy event complete with gourmet chefs and live acoustic music? I have no doubt that 90+% of the stalls there would close if women weren’t allowed to shop there.
Care to share what your country of choice is? Also who is that in your avatar?
As bad as the liberals have made the USA, when it comes to being a police state and a prison state, it seems to me that there are many countries out there that are far worse.
The USA is still significantly above radical theocracies and corrupt (and thus backward) “banana republics”, which are categories that many foreign nations tend to fall into.
Depending on whom you ask (John McAfee), even Belize fits that bill…
I lived in Panama for several months at a time. It’s not unusual for the power to go out, or water to stop working, the phone lines to go down, garbage collectors go on strike, traffic is horrible because no money is spent on infrastructure. There are a lot of things that we take for granted in the US, somehow become Herculean in the third world. People who live in these countries get used to it, it’s best to just deal with it and not complain. Also keep several gallons of drinking water around so you can have some water when it stops working.
All I read was 4 reasons why you should do it. Yea you don’t have the niceities of home but there great things about moving over seas
Number four is natural. Many different tribes (race) are insular and want to try to preserve their own culture and usually foreigners will always be that… just foreigner.
Culture shock isn’t as shocking as it’s to some people. If you are “Asian-American” for example and you visit Asia, it won’t be so much of a shock compared to if it’s white American who is used to independent and individuality based culture and then goes to collective, group-oriented Asian society. Same with Chinese national visiting US for the first time.
Don’t forget having to pay to simply drink potable water, or pay-to-pee at just about any public restroom in most 3rd world countries. The former actually eats into a lot of budget travellers pockets more than they may realize (or have thought).
Still, get out of the USA matrix and enjoy the planet every now and then. The personal and character-building benefits outweigh the costs.
when i lived in ukraine there were pay toliets and free ones. the 50 kopecks for the pay toliet was money well spent though, because those ones got cleaned once in a while.
Re: #4
Most people who live in the USA live in isolation. When was the last time your neighbors came over to chat or invited you over for BBQ? The burbs are the worst. You rarely see or hear from your neighbors. You are just a nameless face mowing the lawn on Saturday.
When you live abroad, yes you are the foreigner, but you are SOMEBODY. They know who you are and want to get to know you.
There’s good and bad things about this though… some community is nice when you need it… probably better than a Brooklyn walk up where the neighbors look the other way when they pass you on the stairs….. or some posh condo where people wait so they can use the elevator alone,…. they hide behind their intercom even if you are suffering from a life threatening heart attack….
On the other hand all the poking and prying and nosing about can become a real drain… while living in Lat Am. I got sick and tired of having to befriend and tip multiple security guards on the gate of my condo, and treat them like some long lost pal…. even the fucking police who pulled me over for a bride for ‘speeding’ wanted to be my best friend when they saw I was British… started yapping on about football clubs and all kinds of stereo types etc….
And yes the infrastructure is a real pain in the ass….. getting a $2 bowl of noddles is not so cheap when you have to take 2 days off a month with the power down….. or spending $5k on a back up generator, fuel, APC systems and etc….. the third world is great if you are rich and have a few millions to throw about… start with $1000 a month expat health insurance and work upwards from there…. then you live like a king…. otherwise stay at home…. anything decent in Lat Am or Asia will cost you the double…. plus you still struggle against attitudes and inefficiencies.
I agree, I just came back from a week in Jakrata Indonesia and was treated like a celebrity while there, however towards the end it becomes draining when every single person says hello (very sincerely) and wants to be your friend.
Also things like healthcare costs/superannuation (lack of) are quite significant.
you still need good money to live a quality life in 3rd world countries.
#Firstworldproblems
I lived in S. Am for two and a half years and I know what you mean. It sounds like whining but the truth is that you will come to the point where you are just done being ‘the foreigner’. You just shut down and it can be a really weird phase. That’s when you’ve been there for too long. It’s deeper than just deciding to buck up and stay positive or something. You can go into a very deep shutdown mode if you’re a long term expat. It just happens. Still very much worth it though.
So agree about the U.S. Suburbs wow I thought it was just me
Isn’t that one of the best features of the suburbs? 🙂
Isolation in the suburbs is certainly better than the other extreme: HOAs.
While suburbian solidarity is, to a certain extent, great, its uses are limited. Can an organized suburban community keep out a halfway home or 0bama’s “Section Ape” relocation? They can try, but you can’t fight City Hall.
The other thing is that if you live in a big city in America these days you pretty much are living in a foreign country. You are likely to have neighbors who come from a different country, speak and different language, and not likely to have a single thing in common with you other than sharing the same space. That is why people do not talk to each other in the cities.
Also the more diverse it gets, the more segregated the cities become. The media loves to talk about whites excluding others, but I have seen minorities often behave in worse ways towards one another.
Remember to bring your own toilet paper with you when your out and about in the Philippines. The county is so poor that public restrooms, even in the malls, have none because it would immediately disappear. I love the phills, but stuff like that makes you really appreciate how rich America is, even in it’s current decline state.
if you do decide to go overseas, please make the effort to learn the language. that will help immensely with points 3 and 4.
you should certainly try. Depending where you are it can take more than a bit of effort to learn a language.
yeah I think English to Spanish is minimal effort, but to try to learn Chinese or Russian? That would take years and years of consistent and hard effort. Unless you plan on being there permanently, it’s probably better to just learn the basics.
Don’t know anything about Chinese (despite watching tons of kung fu movies) but learning a Slavic language is a challenge for an English speaker. Not something you’re just going to pick up in a few months. English speakers do to tend to be lazy though because they can be.
The English language is extremely simple compared with other languages.. I would venture to say it’s the easiest of all, hence the difficulty of English speakers to learn a foreign one.
The only difficulty that comes with English is it’s being very context aware..
yeah… the Victorian British didn’t do a good enough job of getting rid of the global babble… the reason English speakers abhor other languages is because they fucking suck….. 20 syllables for every 5 in English… roundabout and exaggerated ways of communicating and even stuck up stupid attitudes….
An english speaker walks into a gas station, or corner store the guy at the counter says “hello’ or ‘how can i help you’ – the customer who btw is in a hurry says – ’20 Malboro please’….
in many countries if you don’t address the cashier with a hello, good evening, good afternoon etc… before you tell him your needs… he gets offended… you also have to say good bye….
in english it’s just nods and grunts…. we’re like high speed… in other languages they are still doing the 56k modem handshake for every interaction and get offended if you don’t… it seems childish and antiquated even if you are totally UN translator level fluent….
I agree. I speak a very different language natively, and the semantics are totally opposite. For instance a verb conjugation has a different suffix for each person (and also different for each tense on top of that..) whereas in English it’s mostly the same with the exception of the third person… Also there’s no sequence of tenses in my language, so I have to talk a lot in order to convey that fact… the words are much longer (more letters).. If you look at an English text, the average length of an word is 5-7 characters..
i’m a native english speaker, and i became conversational in russian. it is doable, although i certainly wouldn’t call it easy. two to four hours of study and practice every day during my first year in ukraine, no excuses. that said, isn’t this site about being disciplined and achieving difficult goals? if i could do it, anyone can.
also, to be honest, a lot of that practice time was in bed with
cute ukrainian girls. so, it’s not all as bad as it sounds.
and conversely English actually has more words, so you can literally say very precise exact things using high level English…. it goes from peasant slang with 300-400 words … right through to Shakespeare…..
the worst thing I find is the use of antiquated phrases, even in similar languages like French and Spanish, some of the common language is just so fucking medieval….. it exaggerates what is actually a simple transaction….. modern English street talk is cut down to basics….
I love English.. It’s interesting what happens to a foreign language speaker.. After almost 25 years of living here, it is easier for me to think and speak in English. As a matter of fact, when I go back every few years, it’s a little bit of a struggle at first to revert back to the original (I literally can’t find my words).. for a couple of days that is..
I dunno’. It is easier than Chinese for sure. But I have been teaching free English classes here in rural Mexico for some years. Spelling is really hard. There are no rules for spelling and not many for grammar. To get by in verbal English might be easy, but to function at the educated level is a different matter.
Also, we have many words that mean more than one thing. I see the look on the face of the students when I list definitions for a word.
English is relatively easy when it comes to grammar (compared with Spanish, French, let alone German or Russian), hence less need to think when it comes at written language. This has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Therefore many Anglos are more gullible….
its certainly easier than most, a lot more in some cases. Its difficult to say for sure though, because English is so ubiquitous. Try to find some where in europe for instance where you won’t find english – in adverts, television etc. That certainly helps foreigners learn english I imagine
Cute ukrainian girls or the equivalent should be a part of every language course. I guess it would make two to four hours of study a day less of a drag
Slavic languages like Russian are harder than Spanish or French, but they aren’t really that much harder than German, since they’re still very much European languages.
And if you’re one of those dying breeds who’ve taken Classics (Latin and/or Classical Greek) and can handle noun cases, they’re actually easier than German.
Asian tongues are a whole other animal.
And having 5x as many words as the next closest language.
could never get my head round latin, yet I find basic german quite logical (I mean very basic). I’mrying to learn Czech in a haphazard way and must say it is a huge departure from what I’m used to. Never tried an asian language except bahasa indonesian which I think is quite straightforward compared to south asian languages etc
Took two semesters of Russian. You couldn’t be more right.
yeah man, although you do have to put in some time w flashcards, pimsleur, etc. too. it’s like working out, you have to put in the time to make progress. when learning russian, sometimes i’d go for months feeling like i wasn’t making progress, but i kept with it and eventually got it.
definitely use your broken language skills on the local girls right away though. “isn’t his broken russian cute” is a very easy form of clown game to pull off. works with any language, i would imagine.
Yes but then you have languages like Vietnamese where the grammar is simple(no verb tenses etc), but the pronunciation is absurdly hard.
Some aspects of English pronunciation are difficult as well because of the lack of clear rules.
broken language skills on broken women. I can do that
Just a thought.. many of those nations with gendered nouns (ie words are considered either masculine or feminine) have traditional, conservative societies. The power of language is extremely important (it partially explains why Asia is so group oriented while the west is pro-individualism). Perhaps language has something to do with opposing social change.
works on the unbroken ones too. there are some really good women in EE and latin america, if you are looking for an LTR.
I have heard just the opposite my man. Like all things it depends on your approach.
I have heard about guys learning to speak Chinese in three months.
Consider that all humans have essentially the same brains. If a white American is born in China he will learn Chinese as easy as a Chinese. We have the same circuitry and we think using essentially the same logic. All language is, is a collection symbols to communicate thought. Once you learn the basic logic of a language you will do fine.
Everybody has difficulty learning a foreign language.
Go to Spain and they think it is weird how English people keep saying “please” and “thank you”. They are far more abrupt and to the point there.
English grammar is so easy that even native born English people cannot master it.
Its the same for an English person going overseas my man…
Ive never heard any one say Czech or Russian was easy though. For me Czech is hard to pick up. Not impossible I don’t think but harder than French or German
Thank you for pointing it out, it had flaws. BTW English is not my mothertongue.
Check out some polyglot websites. They have some very useful strategies for learning your chosen language in record time. Where learning a language is concerned, the only limiting factor, is you.
Learning Chinese as a first language wouldn’t be nearly as difficult as learning it as a second language. Going from English to Spanish is a lot easier because the alphabet is almost the same and English because they are both derivatives of Latin (English is also Germanic). I doubt those guys learned fluent Chinese in 3 months
Yeah. Some of them are good. I dip in and out but need to make it routine
I actually speak a bit of Italian, and am approaching intermediate Chinese. Sometimes while speaking Chinese I slip into Italian… because of the similarities with the use of vowels.
Go to their blogs and ask them. But hell even if it took them a year that’s still pretty good right?
Routine and habit is the key. I struggled with Spanish for many years but since picking up on their tips I have gotten further in three months than in three years. My Spanish friends tell me how I have improved every time they see me!
Good stuff – its gratifying when you get somewhere. I keep meaning to keep to a schedule, but I need to be more disciplined
I call it courtesy/manners/being polite.
But yes, there is a point in other cultures/languages where much offence is taken if you omit something by mistake.
Complete hogwash.
It’s also technically false as there are languages with which it is undeniably more complex.
English grammar is only relatively easy because proper grammar is so rarely taught…if you went through US public education after, say, 1980, you weren’t taught it.
English mugged every conqueror who invaded that island, and stole all of the worst and most convoluted irregular words and structures it could find in their pockets.
Irregular Pict, Gael, Latin, German, Norse, and French words and constructions abound. And now foreigners want to pick it up?
True, a good 8-10 months of daily practice in a language will get you along just fine. Also you’ll discover what the language actually sounds like when you’re surrounded by the people that speak it on a daily bases!
I’d say the emphasis is on daily practice. I’m bad at practising, but when I do I find I start making connections, learning vocabulary etc. If you don’t practice it won’t happen
No. Foreign people have a responsibility to learn English and join the civilized World.
not sure if you’re serious, but if you are, doesn’t matter. i agree that it would benefit any non-english speaker to learn english, but i wasn’t talking about the natives in EE or latin america. i was talking about you (not you in particular, you as in “vous”) who are planning on going there to live. learning a foreign language will expand your mind, make you more educated and cultured, and vastly improve your experience overseas in a practical sense. moving to latin america of EE and waiting for everyone to learn english is about as practical as an american black guy waiting around for the democratic party to legislate a solution to his problems.
I was being satirical. There is an unconscious habit, particularly amongst English people to expect everyone else to speak English. I have been learning Spanish for some time now and as you say, I am really enjoying the changes it is bringing to me. People definitely appreciate you making the effort to learn their language.
You are also going to get much further with the local ladies if you speak their language.
Just for the record I practice the Art of Eight Limbs which gives me eight very potent problem solvers. Democratic party, not required.
cool, thought (and hoped) you were joking. have you spent much time in spain or latin america? do you see many spanish speakers in the UK? here in the US you can basically immerse yourself in spanish without leaving the country if you want. not sure if it would be so easy over there.
I frequently visit Spain and I’ll be visiting Colombia this summer. Getting to Spain is cheap and easy from Britain. There are actually quite a lot of Spanish speakers in Britain, you just have to go to the right places. They are usually happy to help you.
Note the irony of every foreign language learning course having that classic ‘Do you speak any English? phrase included in the lesson every time :p
LOL! The most crucial question and usually the first one out of my mouth. Actually I’m getting better now and I speak enough Spanish to charm a chick at the club.
English and French do seem to be the international languages of everything significant.
Learning a foreign language is great and all (though I’ve been less inspired to do it since the language-hypocrite obama commanded it) but it can lead to the “Chewbacca Effect” in areas where the population thinks that it can speak English.
Solutions:
1) Get off your fat ass and walk to wherever you need to go. If the power goes out, light a fucking candle. Get off the internet. Whoopdie do. As far as pollution goes, I didn’t think Bogota, Colombia felt any more polluted than NYC or Philly… and you don’t have to live in a big city. There’s plenty of opportunities outside of the big cities. If you need these luxuries to be happy, sure, you won’t enjoy living abroad. You’d prefer your cushy American suburb where some minivan driving nazi soccer mom calls the police because a car is parked against traffic.
2.) See solution #1
3.) Please, I spent 7 months in the Anbar province of Iraq. If the culture shock of living abroad is enough to break you, you just aren’t cut out for this world.
4.) Oh so if you’re in Latin America, you’ll always be a gringo.. Who gives a fuck? You ARE a foreigner. You ARE a gringo. No matter how long you’ve lived there, you can’t understand their frustrations and challenges to the extent that a Native could. Your opinion really is less valuable. They aren’t politically correct, good for them.
“they aren’t politically correct, good for them”
with so many articles written in the manosphere despising political correctness and how it is a major cause of the decline, I am surprised the author would propose the lack of PC attitude to be a negative.
Ermmmm, he was praising them for being politically incorrect.
Nothing to do with PC. Ive been staying in rhe same place 2 weeks passing the same vendors every day and buying regularly the same things.chickens from the same vendor most nights. Tonight i just said ‘1 chicken’ instead of pointing to one i want. He grabbed a tiny one and acted like he couldn’t understand when i said twice. ‘Its small’.
Then passing one i buy peanuts from, he waved and asked because he knows i buy his bag of peanuts. He didn’t fill the bag properly, every time gets less. Now i will avoid both. This is how they accept a foreigner the longer they stay.
Irony of going to Latin America when millions of them are coming here.
Might not be a great place to be come January 2016 as, fingers crossed, that’s when Latin America is going to start receiving back its millions of undesirables that it has been offloading to the USA.
Remember that in some countries you will need to also return to the US once or twice a year to renew your visa. It is not horrible because it allows you to do a “supply run” for the essentials that are hard or expensive to buy abroad. But, it does add a substantial amount of money to your annual living expenses. Budget accordingly and make sure to get the right kind of visa for the country you are visiting.
Do you have to return to the US or just leave the country? I thought you could just hop over to an adjacent country (legally, that is.. I understand there are other reasons to want to return to home base)
It varies widely from country to country and also depends on the type of visa you posses. Generally, from what I am aware, for most countries you need to return to the US if you are trying to string together tourist or visitor visas for long term residency. Immigrations will look for the return US stamp before letting you in. Also, a minimum stay outside of the country is sometimes involved.
In some other circumstances just bouncing to the next country over for the weekend will do, but in other, that won’t work. Make sure to research the immigration laws of countries you plan on living in long term before going. If you don’t you could be in for a nasty surprise or a big increase in cost of living if you have unexpected travel requirements.
In argentina its simply a matter of going over to Chile or uruguay and coming back the same day. Getting an argentine residence is extremely difficult and arduous. And this is true of many other countries. You are correct in that one has to investigate the immigration laws thoroughly on the nation of one’s choice.
I had an interesting chat with a buddy of mine who is a seasoned expat, in his 50’s: it is one thing to be some 22 year old kid and hop over to another country every 3 months to renew visa status, but it becomes tedious if one is in their 50’s to do the same. Not sure why but I suspect that as men get older we have less energy to do tasks that were easier to do as younger bucks. This makes sense, and thus one should realize that at some point in his life a man has to decide to embedd somewhere on a more permanant basis and get the necesary paperwork / residency taken care of. You dont want to be 70 and kicked out of a country on a silly tourist over-stay.
In argentina there is an exception: get some argentine bitch knocked up, the authorities will almost automatically grant permanant residency to most foreign men who are the biological father of an argentine child, provided that the mother is argentine.
That said, not every expat guy’s goal is to have kids.
But indeed for those who do enjoy living outside the USA, you will have to eventually decide where to be in your latter years and get your residencies in order.
The best way to get yourself on a path to permanent residence or citizenship is to get married if you cannot claim some other right to citizenship through your ancestors. In some cases you can also outright buy it from a corrupt government official or sometimes through lawful official channels, but you are going to need real money to do so.
Living the life of an expat can get tiring as you get older. A 18 hour roundtrip bus ride on bumpy third world roads to the border and back every 3 months is an adventure for a 20 something. For a 40 or 50 something though it sounds like torture.
If you plan on living the long term expat life, make sure to also plan long term. Any legal path toward permanent residency or citizenship is going to take a decade or longer (even if you do get married). Plan accordingly.
“Living the life of an expat can get tiring as you get older”
If you read what I wrote you will notice I stated this already.
And that prohibits someone from stating it again to support your original statement?
I usually preface such with “Mr. X is absolutely correct, …” and generally get no complaints about amplifying someone’s statement.
Basically, you’re saying ‘don’t go to the Phillipines’.
This doesn’t hold true for all countries; infrastructure in Korea or Japan might be better than in your home country.
In eastern europe, depending on how you look, you are able to completely blend in with the locals.
Eastern Europe, yes; you can blend in with the locals if you speak the language, though many of them speak English and are baffled by your presence because they would gladly trade places with you in the states.
Our SJW problems here seem ridiculous to them.. They have a different set of problems of their own there..
What they do is pretend to not know English when you speak English, and respond in English when you try to speak their native language.
i never really saw the attraction of East Europe…. decidedly second world, horrible climate, little interesting geography, pretty average food and fairly tedious culture…… at least Lat Am and Asia have real culture and warmth of their own… plus amazing beaches, foods, climate etc…..
It all depends on the specific locale and I wouldn’t paint all of E. Europe with the same broad brush. The attraction for me was the historical antiquity and the ease of starting a successful business in a post-Communist society, with different rules, of course, but free of the plethora of smothering regulations we now have in the US. The mountain and lake scenery of the Tatra region tops that of the Adirondacks and the Smokies, IMO. The climate preference is relative; nothing I hadn’t already lived through for years in the Great Lakes region.
In Ukraine, if you’re of Celto-Germanic descent and don’t make yourself obvious, you’re not likely to be harassed by the police, but aside from that, yes, they can tell that you’re a foreigner.
Nonsense. Russia and Ukraine has all sorts of white people from blondes to black haired.
What I mean is, they won’t necessarily tell that you’re a foreigner by appearance alone, but they will once you talk.
Haha, even if you are born there (anywhere), live elswewhere for a long time, then come back and talk with an accent, they’ll still think you’re a foreigner 😉
That “once you talk” comment is so spot on.
I would take anything at ROK with grain of salt. I’ve never been to PH, but I wouldn’t let what you read here stop you. I’ve heard real info from men who keep going back and say its worth it despite lack of conveniences. PH has the 5 star resort experience if you want to pay for that, but its not necessary if you’re creative and enjoy adventure travel and exploring. You can spend 3 nights per week clubbing in Manila, and rest of the week staying in a bungalow on the beach with a girl bringing you a basket of fruit for breakfast. Try that for one month, and you might not want to come home.
One major difference is p between Amerika and Thailand is that shit WORKS in America. The roads, the power, the Intenet, most of it runs between really bad and unusable. Then there’s the drugs, the crime, the corruption …. Please tell everyone in the west, Thailand is not for them.
Too damn many farang here already. 🙂
Rati sawas,
Greg in Phuket
I knew about all of these things without having to go to the trouble of relocating to a foreign land. Common sense.
Power going down once per month instead of once per year doesn’t change much. Most laptops have 4 hours of battery life now anyway. Also you can mail order off the internet water filter systems for tap water in your kitchen. But what you can’t control is corruption. Your water filters get lost at the post office until you pay the clerk an extra fee. Taxi drivers always say the meter is “broken”. Restaurants have trouble adding up the check. But you get smarter the longer you’re there, and you start to learn the going market rate that locals pay. Seriously the cost of living is a bargain even with the corruption premium. Its a nice alternative. Its not necessary to relocate as foreign resident. Pick one country you really enjoy, and go back every year for one month. One month apartment rentals are much cheaper than hotels, and make you look more solid in the eyes of local women. Also consider getting some bilingual business cards printed with english on one side and the local language on the other side, with some title you talk about like “international trade consultant”. When the power goes out in the shopping mall, and you’re standing around chatting up the sales girl who has a real job, it looks better than being a tourist.
Seriously the cost of living is a fraction of the cost even with the corruption premium.
Yes it is.. However, the income you can make there is also much lower.. You have to find a way to make U.S. income while living there somehow, otherwise your standard of living will take a dip.
Everyone.Is.In.A.Scramble.for.The.Most.Wealth.Everywhere.No.Exceptions
In the US. They scramble 6 years in college and go into debt for a degree, they just aren’t trying to directly out-compete with you, but they are doing it in-directly,
It’s not politically correct to say “Oh, yes, im learning more facts than you because i want to be worth more than you on the job market” but that is the underlying truth , the system is rigged this way to where whoever is willing to learn more facts and spend more money on the schools, ends up looking better than you, its rigged in the schools favor
It has caused the need for education to be 6 years + 10 years of experience, just to compete, so you’re gonna be 40 if your lucky to make 6 figures , that’s if you don’t make any mistakes, good luck
People are living longer, the vitamins ARE working, and the health trends in the population are indeed catching up, and guess what? No one is retiring at 60 anymore! We’re gonna be in a job market where folks have 20,30 years on you, yeah, they have no wife at home to retire to and probably no friends either so all they have left is money, they’ll never retire. Especially as they become worth more $, the incentive not to capitalize on all that experience becomes less tempting than relaxing and playing golf
If there is ANY opportunity for someone to take your money and get away with no consequences, they will take it, Then they will call it good businessmen-ship, and pride themselves in what clever opportunists they are
As the population rises and becomes more economically intelligent(economic awareness), they put an even higher value on $, which means expect absolutely ruthless competition from a rising 2 billion people who don’t yet have the internet, but who after they have internet, will start seeing what they are missing, and then going after it furthering the competition
This article should be retitled “4 reasons not to live abroad if you are a pussy”. Last year I spent 3 months living in Palestine. I’ve dealt with power outages…when the power goes out just go outside and talk to your neighbors. No Internet? Go outside and talk to your neighbors.
I’ve also had to deal with security checkpoints, but that’s another story
“4 reasons not to live abroad if you are a pussy”
Hell yea, this is what I was thinking
Yep it sounded weak. Guys with no balls are looking for reasons not to act.
lol nice avatar brah
I agree. The only real issue to me is #4. Bigotry is ingrained in most cultures, and I know most foreigners would never be 100% accepted in the US, and it is likewise for abroad. That being said, most cultures still (for some crazy reason) look up to the west, so some will consider this a positive trait if you are American / European.
Bigotry is a good thing. Homogenized nation > diverse nation any day.
I’m Asian American from the U.S. So many AAs bitch about lack of representation in the media. It’s like, bitch, what do you expect? You make up 4% of the country. Nobody needs to do shit to make you feel more represented.
Same goes in Asia. You ever heard a white dude in China asking for more whites to get screen time in Chinese cinema? That would be crazy. And therein lies the problem with the U.S., Britain, and Australia. They’re a self-hating, self-defeating bunch of pussies that work hard as possible to cater to the .0001% of society (see “trannies”).
on point
Well said.
Actually, whites can get screen time. They just have to accept the “white monkey” role, a European face for a stereotyped role.
If you want success in media abroad, you just have to accept local stereotyping and suck it up.
Actually indian and some asian tv or adveryising goes out of its way to pick people who look mixed with european. They are all very racist against darker shades and broader noses of their own races. Especially so with female actors and models.
Judging by Matt Forney’s extremely below average physique, it’s safe to say that he’s not the type of person who has a very high tolerance for discomfort. His arms look like wet noodles and his tits are bigger than that of most females.
That’s a rather sad statement about most females.
Your assumptions about his tolerance for discomfort are ill-advised. If there is anything I have learned in life, it’s that you can never judge a book by its cover. Many guys who look/act/talk tough really ain’t. And vice versa.
And why the gratuitous attack on his physique? Save the hate for our enemies… not our allies.
Matt lives in Chicago ( in an admittedly spendy section ). I’d rather streak through Africa than live in Mordor Illinois.
Breathing exhaust fumes kills everyone, tough guys too.
I first moved to Germany, which is “Rich” by global standards, but they live very differently than Americans. I wound up losing 20 pounds in my first month, mostly because I had to walk everywhere, there are many places were cars are not allowed either.
I would not be surprised if the author has issues with discomfort. Looks overweight.
Dude leave your vest at home when you go the checkpoint and you won’t have any trouble…
Thank you. People need to toughen up a little. Most of the world lives with regular power outages. It is just something you have adjust to.
“Adjusting” in this case means “accepting incompetence” though 🙁
Those of us from first world areas (perhaps not California lol) know that a solid, reliable power grid is achievable and it is going to be perpetually irksome and inexplicable to expats that these other countries won’t put in the effort to get it done.
Palestine? If you’re talking the Gaza Strip then those idiots are a special case when it comes to power outages as they were given a rather robust power grid and let it go to pot…and then they provoked the Israelis into blowing it up.
#4 is the biggest one for me. That, and they will always be foreign to me. Gotta be somewhere that’s far enough from the west but not so foreign that we look at one another as aliens, but damn if I can figure out where that might be.
Having lived in Asia for 10 years, I can tell you this article is spot on and is a good counterbalance to those who suggest that international living is a panacea (actually it is, but the usual caveats apply – as this article points out). This article is an example of a larger point that all life choices have opportunity costs associated with them. It is important and rational to make ones life choices by careful opportunity cost analysis. It is even more important to make such opportunity cost analysis with a clear head and not to allow one to be influenced by the ideologies of the left and the right that seek to muddle the waters and cloud one’s perspective in such opportunity cost analysis. The promulgators of such ideologies must be carefully purged from one’s mind in order to live a truly optimized and fulfilling life. Accept no substitutes.
#4 is the biggie, especially in Asian societies. Having dealt with #4 on a daily basis for 10 years helped me to become a better transhumanist than I was previously (the philosophical isolation allowed me to purge my brain of any world-views that were not 100% consistent and supportive of my long-term goals and objectives in life – when I say “long term”, I really do mean long-term). It is not necessary for me to subscribe to any world-views (philosophical, religious, or ideological) that are not 100% conducive to my long-term life objectives. Such things are useless to me. Useless things are usually discarded.
The other thing you are reminded of on a daily basis when you live outside the U.S. is the inherent tribal nature of 90% of the human race. That the basic social organization for most of the human race is family/clan/tribe. This fact is impressed upon you daily when you live anywhere on the Eurasian or African continents.
so you think your indoctrination into the death cult of transhumanism is a ‘good thing’?
Yes. Of course. It works for me better than any other world-view (which I regard as crap).
The idea is instead of aging every minute , we age only every 2 minutes, You see this has happened already
hence, 160-190 year life span (to start) this gets us to the point where we only age every 3 minutes until eventually we are like great oak trees and have 1000 years, That is all 1000 years of paradise is worth trying for, hence this lifespan is worthless without ending aging
Interesting article for me because I’ve never lived abroad and never will. The idea of experiencing new Cultures is exciting but the thought of being powerless (unarmed coupled with zero rights) is enough to keep me grounded in the USA.
I’m surrounded by Evil here but…. I am armed and I have an ounce of freedom that I can rely on if needbe.
Reading about y’alls adventures in the Manosphere suffices any semblance of curiosity I have about traveling and living in a foreign land. Adventure is in the eye of the beholder imo, being complacent is obviously not ideal for personal growth but it is a safe bet. I’m content with my choice for now.
So, who is unarmed? I have machetes, and also my Gentle Persuader, a 30 inch long 1 inch steel pipe.
And in Mexico I am told a foreigner who has gained resident status can obtain a shotgun. You need to go to Mexico City and get it from the military, and then have 72 hours to get it home. Once it’s there you need another permit to take it back out of your house.
I certainly agree that most American men could not live in my Third World Village. That is a feature, not a bug!
Actually, the power goes off less often here than Magic Valley Coop power in McAllen Texas. Internet is faster here.
The big thing is for me personally is that old men are respected here. In the US, they are not disrespected. I wish. No, in the US old men are HATED. You might not know what I am talking about. It took me quite a few years here to understand.
And, it is not just women who hate old men. I have been called a deluded old fool almost as often by men as women, when i tell about getting hit on by young Mexican women.
A few years ago, the rich old bastard, 78 and widowed, had a baby with a 20 year old girl from a ranch. No one acted scandalized. No one made nasty jokes. It is understood that both got what they wanted. She wanted a better life for herself and her kid. (Ranches are not nice places.) And, he wanted something in his bed, young and tender. They both got what they wanted.
The nasty jokes would have come if he had linked up with an old woman. That would have been seen as contrary to human nature.
My wife’s cousin told me when he was in his 50’s, an 18 year old girl asked if she could have his baby. He asked her why she wanted him when she could have a younger man. She said older men treat women better; they are more responsible; and they are more affectionate.
Don’t misunderstand me. Probably only one out of 20 girls will be happy with an older man. in the USA, the number would be zero.
The big reason to live here is not young women, though that is not without its own value.
The founders wrote that luxury makes men effeminate. Look at the young men and boys in the US if you want to see effeminate.
Here I have to do a lot of manual labor. For example no heat in the house except a fireplace, the only one in town. And, that requires chopping and hauling wood. In fact, daily life usually involves walking or some sort of manual labor.
This is good, not bad. You feel more manly when you do manual labor. sometime, observe a group of teen-age Scouts before a canoe trip on the Boundary Waters, and after. Their demeanor and posture will be totally different. Ditto for soldiers before and after Basic Training.
My son tells me I am a sick man. Well, actually he does that often.
But, I told him I do not ever again want to live where when I leave the house in the morning I know for sure I will not get bit by dogs and need a rabies shot. Not get stung by scorpions or rattlesnakes. Nor be robbed or shot. Nor be in a major car wreck.
Of course, I don’t want those things to happen, but when I know they might happen and I have to be alert, life is worth living.
An old man with money gets plenty of attention from family, friends and young Mexican girls.
No one ever fought over a penniless corpse. No one.
Not sure what that had to do with my post…. but thanks for sharing your experiences. Your perspective is understandable but not one I’d adapt.
I trust my State more than your State and being an American means more than living abroad.
Where are you writing us from?
True plus some things like owning guns and renting aircraft to fly as a pilot are not available, banned or super expensive. Better to spend few longer trips abroad with home base.
Power problems? Sewage problems? Rude waiters? Shoot, sound like business opportunities to me to bring old American know-how to make massive profits building new systems in land with beautiful ladies. The Chinese Oversea faced a lot of hate too and even suffered riots but they keep making money and buy politicians.
I was thinking the exact same thing, but you need a good head on your shoulders and an adequate wallet size to make it happen.
This article left me with the impression that the best infrastructure that the Philippines has to offer is worse than present-day Detroit.
There has to be a reason why these third world nations haven’t advanced their infrastructure to even where the USA was on that front 60 years ago.
Hahahaha. The old Expat saying: …..want to make a million dollars in (INSERT COUNTRY)? Bring two million and start a business….
sounds like a good idea but youll be making less money. You wont be making punds,dollars and euros. Youll be getting peso,yens(unless japnese which is good)dongs or ruppes.
Youll be living like those broke village labrours there and they work much harder cuz they dont have the tech. Then youll realize why they rather take their trade here then back home…..I wish it was that easy.
I say do a trade 6 months in some cold rural 1st world nation in the summer, where they need people then vacation 6 months in thailand during the winter
lol @ “dongs”
Not as simple as you’re making it sound. You want to just arrive in the third world and assume command of their civil engineering/infrastructure? You’d probably be better off getting hired as a consultant.
When Imperialism was still “en vogue”, it really was that simple 🙁
Speaking of the Chinese, and this article, when China completes its takeover of the Philippines I wonder if they’ll improve its sorely lacking infrastructure.
nice one matt. This is a real assessment when you take the romantacism out and show the reality. In theory it all sounds eays but you realize how hard it is when you are doing it.
1)Agreed, think its best to take a 1st world countres that isnt fully corrupt by the west like argentina chile japan korea and taiwan. Living in a shit hole aint worth it, even the locals born into and use to it try to make the jump here, even though they know our culture and gendar dynamics suck.
2)Ya the speality places will always cos tyou more, even here when migrants want their local dish, their small town speality shops will charge an arm leg an a nut.
3)yes,this even happens to western born kids of migrants like a british indian or french algerian. You think you are “foreign” or “ethnic” or “non western” because thats what your family and friends refer to you as not the nation you are born in,
but when you go there, even if you know the language,follow the same religion and culture thanx to your parents, you realize you have more in common with the christian/atheist white guys back home then your people from the
motherland….You start feeling like the white guy there…there actually is a difference,shocklingly.
4)THis basically runs with my point from 3. No matter what your background is, even if youre born there and you are not native youll always will be seen as the non native. Hell a chinese born in canada, goes back to hong kong, will still be seen as the canadian. Or to take a point what this african fighter fighting outta france said ” the locals will consider you won of them when you are doing good, but the second you do bad even if youre born there you will be seen as the foreigner.
SO keep that in mind “your second home” or “your home nation but are a minority” your countrymen will be fair weather people. You are one of them when you are doing good and making them proud, but goes out the window when you mess up. Theres no unconditional love.
good write up and keeping it realisitic
I travelled to europe for a 4 month period one time and had a semi permanent residence in Bonn, Germany. It was an amazing experience, but indeed some of the lacking amenities are really hard to get past. It’s a different lifestyle for sure that will wear you down long before you become used to it. Nonetheless, it’s absolutely worth it to consider an extended stay.
“…clashed with my dour, sullen, American attitude.”
I laughed pretty hard at this! We Americans really are on the dour, sullen side aren’t we? Second to Russians perhaps…
Why travel when the Third World is coming to us? Within our lifetimes, all these experiences — diseases, inconveniences, and violence — will be a permanent part of the Countries Formerly Known as ‘The First World’, thanks to mass immigration.
Once that genie is out of its bottle, there will be no putting it back in. The many lifetimes of sacrifice and hard work of our ancestors for our benefit will be nullified in a mere two generations as the result of our naive, pathologically altruistic, postmodern revisionism.
Only then will our enemies reveal themselves, that liberalism, AKA Leftist-Materialism, was actually a long-range strategy of asymmetrical warfare, and that we lost the war of civilizations that most in the West didn’t know we were fighting.
Because only the negatives of the third world are coming, while the positives of the first world are eroding.
Yeah… Imagine what the Native American Indians were thinking when your ancestors turned up. Karma baby.
The Paleo-Asian-Americans who were descended from the tribes that slaughtered and replaced the Paleo-Asian-American tribes that came before them, as well as slaughtered the European Solutreans, probably thought, “I guess our people shouldn’t have committed genocide and wiped out Caucasian civilizations in central and western Asia for thousands of years, incessantly invaded Europe for thousands of years, and invaded Constantinople for hundreds of years until 1453, causing the Strait of Bosphorus to be inaccessible as a trade route for Europe, necessitating an alternative route to Asia from Europe for trade, which led to the finding of North America… and these Paleo-Asian-Americans, who came over across a land bridge and never had no competition for this giant landmass, competition like invasions of Turks, Mongols, Huns, Persians, Arabs, Moors, etc. The Paleo-Asian-Americans never had to cope with what Europeans had to cope with: (other) Asians and Africans. So the Paleo-Asian-Americans would not have been able to continuing existing in a high-land-need hunter & gatherer lifestyle on one of the largest pieces of land in the world, simply because ocean levels had risen, until Europeans in their continuing efforts to bring trade, infrastructure, and value to savage lands, invented ships and risked all in their noble pursuit of discovery.
Your idea of karma is just selective attention.
These are all glaringly obvious. However, I understand that some people are stupid and need to be told.
About #4. In Peru where I live, this is also true but I wouldn’t have it any other way. The white man is still looked up at as the master race.
Why is there such a focus on Asia and Latin America? Has anyone here been to the Middle Eastern gulf? The UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, etc? How about nice countries in Africa like Botswana, or Namibia?
The UAE is the most economically free place on the planet. Not a dime is stolen from you by the government. No income taxes, sales taxes or property taxes at all. I meet people in the UAE all the time who have become millionaires by starting simple businesses. In the UAE, you don’t have to jump through 1000 hoops to start a barbershop, you just buy the clippers. I know my fair share of Americans here who left their $50,000 a year jobs to become millionaires here.
Are you a local Emiratee? Isn’t the cost of living in the UAE very high though? If I had a plan or business idea, I’d go to Dubai. Unfortunately I don’t.
I am American. Depending on your housing, the cost of living is MUCH lower because there is no income tax, property tax, etc.
What do you do for work there?
I have lived a significant part of my adult life in another country. Not long ago, I realized that I have been based in this foreign country for 1/3rd of my life. It has been rewarding, but it is not an easy adjustment to make.
I initially became an ex-pat simply for some excitement and for the money. I did not make the move based on a desire to escape the feminist corruption of the US. I had no intention of staying for this long. Initially, the inconveniences, and there are many, were hardly noticed. I was working too much and otherwise having too much fun. (And enjoying the women here, who I really appreciate).
Then, I gradually came to realize that I might spend my entire career in this country. As I realized this, panic set in. At this point, every annoying thing, from horrible traffic, to bad air, to poor infrastructure, to the business environment, began to drive me almost literally crazy. I speak the local language, which I learned mostly after moving, but it is not my native language and so even today, after several years, it takes some effort. When I am around native English speakers it’s like that moment when a background noise that your mind has drowned out disappears and you suddenly feel more relaxed. The thought of perhaps never being consistently around native English speakers stressed me out. All I could think about was “get out, go home.”
I never did make it “home.” Instead, home came to me. With time, I came to realize that this country now feels more like home to me than the US does. All the inconveniences (for an American) are still here. The language still does not feel 100% natural and never will. But I allowed myself to see the advantages. One big one is that feminism does not exist here. Another is that I don’t just feel like a number – every thing I build here is something that did not exist here before. My employees get treated by me with a level of respect that is, indeed, foreign to them and they love it and are very loyal as a result.
And when I go to the US? It’s nice for a while. I appreciate the convenience and the general order of things (like the traffic). I appreciate that it is so easy to find things that I want. But that wears off after less then a week. Then I find myself in line in front of American women bitching to each other about something so pathetic and it makes my skin crawl. I realize that every newspaper I pick up is like a progressive brain washing machine. I realize that it is very difficult to strike up a conversation. I see the fear in people’s eyes when you make eye contact. Most of all, I realize that my country of birth has changed so much – for the worse – that it is not the same place that I left years ago.
I agree completely with Forney’s points. However, I recognize that he has not really made a commitment to a foreign country for the long term. When one does that, it can be a painful process at times, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. If you make that commitment, quite likely you may reach a day when you can’t imagine yourself living in the US full time ever again. It’s not for everyone, but most of the ex-pats I know are quite happy.
And one more thing – about “always being a foreigner.” It depends on your level of commitment. I speak with a very heavy accent. I look different. But these things are not important to my friends and my colleagues. They accept me as I am and do not treat me much different than they treat other friends and colleagues. To the extent they do, I don’t even notice it anymore. This is where I live and what’s most important is how I feel about being here, not how others might (and often do not) view me. This is my home and I treat it as such.
Care to share what country you’re in and what your career is?
So then what country are you residing in? Oh yeah, by the way: Not responding to this question will simply render your previous post to be BS.
What kind of comment is that? He shared his knowledge and experiences, he doesn’t owe you jack shit and there is no need to respond or to justify anything.
haha. you’ve definitely adapted to the culture in the Phils.
how do i know? you used the word brownout. only a Flip would use that in that context (i found out there was a ‘blackout’ when i got to the us. no such thing over there).
I’ve seen a great deal of other parts of the world. Most of them are thinly coated in shit. Travel really made me appreciate Canada.
This article sums up my thoughts after Chile. I did like it there but the downsides of a poor country do get frustrating after awhile. I now have a Chilean wife and am happy, but for earning a living it is far better to be in your home (Western, developed) country.
There is a big difference between being a traveler/expat, who mainly wants to “experience” a different culture and get away from home for awhile, and being a proper immigrant. An immigrant makes a long term bet on a location and commits to making a living. If I can save enough $$ before the Western collapse, I will definitely move to Chile and take my chances there. Until then, it will be the occasional holiday to restore my sanity.
Even though I’ve said elsewhere I want to leave Shitstralia, I’ll still come back every December.
There is a reason why the poor risk their lifes to get into the west: EUSA+A are the only places in the world where you can earn a lot more than you need to survive.
NEVER FORGET THAT!
You can survive in 2nd world countries like chile or 3rd world countries like burma with your westerner skills. But it will be incredibly hard to make enough to save for a rainy day, even less get rich.
The poor countries are great for people WHO HAVE SOME MONEY (depending on country 100K-200K may be enough for the rest of your life if you are somewhat frugal!).
Or you earn the money online/have an income from EUSA+A land and want to experience the higher value of $ in a poor country.
As long you do not have to earn your living in your expat country of choice you will have a good time. The poorer the country the higher SMV females your provider-$ will buy.
If you could get a 6 in the EUSA your same money would buy you an 8 in a poor country. Just dont expect her to do mans work and earn money. She will be housewife, mother and your sextoy as long as you provide for her and her (big) family. 3-4K U$ per month would do in many places.
If you have only 1-2K U$ per month you can still do better than at home but lower your expectations. Maybe a 7 with child or two from another man is still within your reach. This is all assuming you are joe average guy who is non-alpha, non-buffed with no game; just the average college sucker you meet in the dozens in the west. This guy would benefit the most.
Interesting, and thanks for sharing. The Heritage Foundation rates Chile as being one of the top economically free countries in the World, even freer than the USA. That said, because the country of Chile is much smaller means their economy is smaller. The Heritage Foundation should not be the final say of course, and only serves as a jumping point when one is investigating other nations. Someone here remarked about how free UAE are, with a zero tax rate, yet the UAE does not rate nearly as economically free according to Heritage. That said, it would be worth it to investigate personally UAE.
+1 True. Try at least once anyways! Experience, learn, and grow.
Don’t travel as a tourist to resorts. Don’t go to Cancun and come back saying you’ve experienced the third world. Get as far away from the resorts as you can and go to where the average locals live. Talk to them, meet them, spend time among them.
If culture shock is a parade of pretty young Filipinas bringing me fruit every morning, they can shock me any day.
Good points made, Matt. Another thing to consider is the legal system. Many 3rd world countries will demonstrate favoritism to one of their own instead of operating objectively when it’s you vs. one of the nationals. Other countries like Germany, Austria and Switzerland are better at a more objective honest due process, but then again these are Westernized nations. That said, assimilating to a 3rd world country will be a lot easier if you have a trusted gf or wife who will not stab you in the back and put all your businesses etc in her name.
Indeed there are trade offs. America is still good for business, and upon my return visit to the States I could sense the capitalism flowing after I came back from south America. But after a while the emptiness of the current American way of life starts to set in, and staring at all the blue haired fatties and / or females who are remotely attractive but have major snotty attitudes and a plethora of HPV strains in their stink boxes is a motivating factor to want to tough it out in another culture.
Agreed. Also when it comes to business your income will be limited even if you have ambition to do really well for yourself, because as one crawls up the ladder in any industry, all becomes a “club” and the elite do not take foreigners.
This happens in every country on Earth.
You could sense the capitalism flowing in the USA after a return to South America?
Maybe I need to make a trip down there as all I’m sensing here in the USA is the big government and the socialism that is obstructing that flow.
Why is he so concerned about buying shitty American junk food? He needs to lose the weight anyway. It’s a good thing that Jiffy and other crap isn’t available to stuff your face with while overseas.
No, but changing your mindset into a foreign one makes you into a better person all around. There’s nothing that can cure Muricanist racism and close-mindedness than even a few months in a foreign country.
Moving abroad certainly saved my life. Taught me I was valuable, that my heritage was nothing to be ashamed of, that people actually can be happy with much, much less than I have.
I’ve been an expat for almost 20 years and though the article has its points, I would still recommend any westerner to live abroad at least once and learn the local language. Keep in mind you will ALWAYS be the outsider no matter how long you live there. Once you accept that and integrate into local societal practices, you can still lead a good life.
If you are inclined to marry and raise a family, I would suggest finding a non-western woman. Preferably slavic or Japanese. But to each his own.
I am in China and the Chinese only do one thing well: Trains. Seriously, if you want to travel to another city you take a bullet train that does 300K an hour. And it is cheap as fuck. When I lived in Changzhou I went to Shanghai twice a month. It was one hour and maybe $15. That is misleading because it IS a bullet train. In Canada, a similar trip will cost you $40 and take twice as long.
.
But enough of the good stuff. The Chinese have no concept of plumbing, insulation, or HVAC. Plus, they build their kitchens like walk-in closets. The air quality is terrible and the drivers are crazy. Every month I have a near-death experience on the road.
.
Any of the cheap shit you can buy here you can buy in Toronto for not much more. On the other hand it is 4 bucks to buy a pack of Kraft Dinner!
.
The winning point is the women and (me not being a fag) the guys too. Anyone who is not a Party member is great. Unless you don’t like almond eyes and straight brown hair, WTF are you doing chasing after (fat) blonde bitches in Toronto or Washington?
“In Canada, a similar trip will cost you $40 and take twice as long.” Hey, at least it’s better than America where if you can even find at train, it will take you 3x as long as using a car and costs over 1000 dollars.
You write nice articles when you’re not foaming at the (keyboard) over “lefties”.
I can agree, went to Vietnam and I was baffled by all those pretty young women hurdling around me like I was the last man on the earth.
All those views I learned from not to protrude too much with western women went out of the window, but that was after my 2 month vacation was running at it’s end. I’m surely going back someday.
The only strange part is that they -the male locals- try to ‘scam’ you. But if only that would be you would pay 5000 VND for a glass of beer instead of the locals price which is a lot less than that.
But 5000 VND is only 2 euro cents, so they can scam away until their hearts content because I’ve got loads of them.
So hopefully, someday like I already wrote at the beginning I can move to that country on a more permanent base. And for everyone still not decided if they should go to a country like Vietnam, Cambodia or Thailand for that matter, they really, REALLY should.
Let them scam if the money doesn’t make any difference, but try to get more out of the deal. For example, if some cheeky taxi driver is going to give you the scenic route, make it count and get them to tell you all about the history, what to do, what not to do, and get them on call for when you need transport fast or far for any reason. They are now on your team, you are paying them a retainer by paying more than the locals do.
If some bar bimbo charges you more for alcohol than the locals, make sure that you’re getting instant service each time you stumble to the bar and get her to point out all the trannies so you know who to avoid. Get her to introduce you to her friends etc.
The Philippines is a bit of a shit hole. Only good for a short vacation.
It might be prudent to qualify your article as revolving around the Philippines next time instead of overgeneralizing to the extreme.
Seems like you just didn’t like Manilla or SE Asia. I loved Singapore and Hong Kong. Spent a lot of time livng in London and Perth, Western Australia too- they weren’t all that different from the motherland to be honest.
1 & 2. I find most westernised get upset if their “comfort zone.” is interrupted. “Oh no, electricity has gone out, I can’t get onto social media to seek the approval I need or watch Netflix!”
It’s more natural… and the more natural you live your life, the more happy you will be. The way I look at it, most westerners can’t handle camping. I pity these people that have to live in their comfort zone 24/7.
“Too much comfort makes a person weak!”
Could relate to every one of these. It’s nice to know someone understands!
there is no place like home. traveling gives you great experience but there is nothing like coming back to your family and roots, no matter how fucked up is the place where you were born.
Hmm, wonder what your definition of home is. None of my roots or family are in the country I was born in, and I haven’t even visited in 15yrs. And won’t be going ever probably.
And everything else just about is better than that place (Sweden).
Well, i lived abroad two years, and when i came back to argentina visiting my parents and sisters was like, emm, i really dont know how to put it in words, but the feeling stayed weeks, the first day i couldnt stop crying at night, that must be because ive been raised that family comes first. Besides that i have to leave again, feminism is all over here, yesterday, was a march that some feminists defecate in the stairs of the biggest church in buenos aires.
Ah, well, I was raised half by my divorced single mother, and half by unrelated foster families. The only strong feeling I had visiting Sweden last times was to GTFO and never look back.
I suppose childhood is what makes the difference.
I feel some affinity for the country my parents came from but haven’t been back there in over 10 years either.
Like the song goes, Home is where I lay my head. That’s how it is for me.
That said I left Sweden when I was 11 and have been moving around Europe ever since.
You went globe trotting at 11 years old! Unbelievable. Sounds cool as shit but unbelievable. I ran away at 13 during the summer for a few days in the woods. I came back the following night to get some food from the cabinets and in all it was a four day deal. I built a cool fort a mile out there in the woods where I later brought my first girlfriend. We kissed out there, that was it. I told her it was a secret place, my own getaway. Then later I’d find rubbers and beer cans lying around. It had become a hangout for high schoolers. I always wondered how they found out about the spot? But hopping national borders at 11, you da man Noth.
Your GF was riding man-meat there, thats how it was found, oh and google
Nooooo!
http://www.firemanjax.com/wpla.net//siren/home-alone.JPG
While Puerto Rico might be a counterargument, it strikes me that the Philippines was better off when we ran it.
After hundreds of years of foreign rule, we gave them independence “cold turkey”. Looking back, it was too soon.
I still can’t believe that George Herbert Wimpy Bush let them kick our military forces out of their country. Sure, they’ve conditionally let us back in but I bet they wish that they’d remained tight with us now that China is slowly assimilating them and their new President (Rodrigo “Jet Ski” Duterte) has effectively said that he’s okay with it.
hey! fellow wccf’er
Our abrupt exit from the Philippines was our “reward” for “doing the right thing” by ousting pro-US dictator Ferdinand Marcos and enabling the wife of a politician he had killed to succeed him as president.
Has there ever been a time when the USA ousted a government and we were better for it?
Seems to me that we’re bent on either ousting our allied governments outright or let them be ousted.
I can think of quite a few times we screwed up, just of the top of my head: Iran, China, Philippines, Cuba, Libya, Egypt, Afghanistan…
Libya? Who are you talking about?
Gaddafi.
I didn’t really keep up on US-Libyan relations before 2011, but were was he our ally? I mean, he didn’t hate America, but it seems like America hated him…
I believe it was more that the 0bama Administration hated him.
He’s better than whoever runs what is left of that country now.
We weren’t really kicked out. The lease for Andrews AFB and Subic bay had come to end of term, Andrews had been flattened by Mt. Pinatubo, and the PI government wanted too much money to renew the leases.
So Bush did the right thing, and declined to renew. The US military took EVERYTHING home with them, including the water and sewer pipes.
I live in Japan. Been here for several years and have no intention of going back. I’d like to offer another perspective on this piece:
Points 1 and 2 are definitely an issue for some countries. Before you move long term, visit at least once and get a sense of the lifestyle. Very easy to avoid this pitfall if you plan right and think things through.
Points 3 and 4 are really about your expectations and intentions. Are you planning to just be an ‘expat’ for a few years and wander the globe before eventually moving back home? Or are you trying to be an immigrant with the intention of adopting a new culture permanently?
If it is the former, then you really shouldn’t worry about point 4, and point 3 is a very short-term issue. For white Americans moving to Asia, it’s going to be weird at first, sure. You’ll either adapt or you’ll find it intolerable and leave. This is why you should travel there at least once first and get a sense of the vibe.
If you intend to be an immigrant, things are different. You have to worry about point 4 a bit more. In my own case I went out of my way to assimilate into Japanese culture. I learned the language as quickly as possible, learned the customs, the dress code, the mannerisms. I watch Japanese TV and try reference things from news and comedies when I talk to people, so they know I’m on the same page. I support my local community in numerous ways, pay taxes, and try to support and maintain the culture. I will eventually pursue citizenship, casting off my other national affiliations.
In other words, I do the kinds of things we would want immigrants coming to America to do. Am I thought of exactly the same as native, ethnic Japanese? Of course not. I don’t look like them. But for the most part, I am treated the same. People have been fantastic to me here. After a few years, if you put in the effort, you don’t feel like an outsider anymore. The key is you have to be willing to do the work. If not, just be an expat, have your fun, and temper your expectations accordingly.
Cool! I am considering it but I suspect I’m too old to do it easily. I’m married to a Japanese girl so I could go anytime. I get by ok there for the most part but reading is just not working… I learn a bit and then forget it again.
How old were you when you moved?
I agree on your other points, but to some degree I would add that it varies hugely from person to person.
After Rossh discovered that white supremacist hate non-white, now Matt discovers that shithole country are shit…
pfft, ‘patters lmao
“I plan on returning to the Philippines at some point and”
I noticed this article was first published May of 2015. The Philipine islands is westernizing fast. Wonder if it will still be paradise?
I still think that travelling with the thought of expatting is important. Yes the drawbacks mentioned about life outside America do exist (in many places but not all). But look at what happened with Hurricane Katrina – the US government dragged their feet while threatening the public not to riot. When Mexico had the same disaster happen to them, help arrived within 24 hours, and a level of normalcy with 72 hours.
Whether we like it or not, little by little the same drawbacks Matt mentions about life overseas will slowly become the same reality in the States. That said, one may as well expat and at least be in the company of people who have not forgotten the significance of life and what it means to be a Human being.
Expat = fancified word Americans use for themselves in place of immigrant.
OK. What’s your point? Most American expats are legal.
So are most other immigrants the world over.
My point is it’s funny to have two different names for the exact same thing, one for ‘us’ and one for ‘them’.
the word “Expatriate” is actually a verb or an adjective and means someone “living in a foreign land”. the word “Immigrant” is a noun and means “a person who comes to a country to take permanent residence”.
So you proved my point perfectly because living in a foreign land requires work permits and residence. Permanence can only be judged after the person died abroad so that has no real meaning.
I have never had the cash to go off world traveling but, I have never seriously thought about moving to another country. The only one I ever even considered was Brazil but, for none of the reasons usually mentioned here. The frontier regions of Mato Grosso always sounded interesting to me for a place to go.
I’m getting what you mean, I’ve done gold prospecting. It’s a beautiful thing in itself…
Don’t go anywhere for women, except to pick em up.
If you put your mind to it I’m sure you can find a way to get there and fulfill your dreams.
Dreams of men unrelated to women are what changed everything, that’s why we are no longer cave dwelling monkies. That is the pure source.
The feeling of wanting to know something just because it’s there and you can, is a feeling that girls at best can try to imitate.
Having traveled and lived abroad, it depends how well one can adapt and if the culture is compatible. I could live forever in Chile, Argentina or Uruguay since I am fluent in Spanish and can fit into the culture without issues. Thailand on the other hand is so different that it would be a challenge.
Exactly. I grew up moving around Europe and I speak 4 languages well, 1 okish, and can actively communicate with several more. I have also been to Japan enough to get by more or less, and it didn’t take long.
People who have only ever been in one culture will find it difficult to switch to a very different culture. Or to get along well with someone from a very different culture.
I have to say I envy people who grew up in an environment that was set and with a culture and family. But there are advantages to not doing it I could never give up now.
Peanut butter and jelly are staple foods? Haha
They are, for broke Millennials, who have to sell everything they own to travel.
“Dour, sullen, American attitude” News flash, pal. That is not an “American” attitude. It is a Yankee, Northeastern attitude and it is loathsome. As a Southerner I will never forget my first trip north of the Mason-Dixon line and how horrifed and enraged I was by the nasty, unfriendly, cold, arrogant “reserve” of so many (not all!) Yankees. These assholes actually became angry when you extended a friendly greeting! I wanted to cold cock them. By the way, it is genetic. The original Yankee Puritans were despised by other English colonists for just these traits: cold, grasping, greedy, suspicious. Contrast that with open-handed Southern hospitality and good manners. No, your unappealing traits are not “American”. They are Yankee, and there is a big difference. There are plenty of fine, friendly folks up north but the orignal, true Yankee is not one of them.
Wrong article, go look up the southern one 😉
Thanks Matt, good points. In Russia bacon is hard to get and expensive. Fortunately McDonalds, KFC and Burger King are heavily there so there is American junk food.
One of the problems in a foreign country is, of course, the food. They are used to eating their cuisine, but you are not. Energy drops are common because Americans eat a lot of protein and carbs, with not so much complex carbs and roughage. What to do? Hit the local McDonalds and you’ll feel back in the game in no time.
Another problem is that cleanliness is not the same as we are used to. Even though the natives are very clean there can be problems. I must say, though, that I have never had a problem in Russia. Just watch out for the ethnic non-european type restaurants while there.
In China, I found that if I avoided Chinese eating establishments I had no gastro problems. I figured out that even though most of the better restaurants were very clean, the water they cook, wash and rinse the food in is not. It may come directly from the river, or a less than quality water treatment plant.
The same can be said for the bottled water. I started taking a good filtered drinking water bottle and pouring the bottled water into it. Never had a problem. I would never take their unfiltered water in any case.
On the other hand, at the McDonalds I frequented for 2 out of 3 meals (breakfast was included) I never had a problem. I think perhaps they had private filtration.
A trick I learned was to take Hydrogen Peroxide with me (the 3% from the store) and after a meal out take 3-4 drops in a few ounces of water and drink it. If I felt any stomach problems, belching, burping, or whatever I would repeat every 1/2 hr. or so. It kills the pathogens and prevents food poisoning.
Good travels!
Living abroad in China, I have to agree with much of what was stated in this article. However, there are things that long-term residents can get used to, and short-term residents can grin and bear, provided that the pros outweigh the cons in one’s agenda.
I was in Japan 8 years and France 4 years. I used to reject expats as I wanted to go local. Only thing I regret.
I am glad I tried to integrate. I felt very successful my final year in France when I could actually pass for a French person over the phone (but not in person being 6’2 and blond). In Japan, forget it.
But it is not a problem. In France, I was treated like everyone. In Japan, I get to make a decent amount of money without ever having to take on real responsibility.
I am planing a 3rd stint in Argentina for retirement. There, I plan to learn the language, integrate, but actively seek out expats also.
My Spanish is pretty good, and I have 8 years to make it great. I am looking forward to living overseas again. I think Argentina is fairly civilized.
With those inflation rates in Argentina your USD or Euros will take give you quite a big bang for your buck.
I hope
This should be titled: 4 reasons why living in a 3rd world countries is basically what you thought it would be.
It’s still way better than living in the west!
Real problems for American expats are caused by America’s Citizenship Based Taxation, FATCA, and PFIC taxation. Consider the issues related to owning your own home, setting up a business, or your children being identified as U.S. Persons. The forum recently discussed the numbers of Americans and ‘U.S. persons’ giving up citizenship, and many felt that those numbers were insignificant. If you spend time in any long term expat communities you’ll find people reporting that their names have not been put on the renunciation lists or that there are waiting periods of up to six months or more in what appears to be an effort to artificially lower numbers. Nobody has any idea what the real numbers are, even though around 8 million Americans live overseas. The Repeal FATCA lawsuit (with Rand Paul) was just set back again, and a lawsuit over CBT is just building up but it doesn’t look hopeful. Unfortunately more and more Americans overseas are being identified by their local banks as ‘toxic.’
Matt,you never mentioned that I was actually quite early during our appointment (http://aboutlifting.com/mattfo…
(he’s talking about “Filipino time where you could pretty much expect people to be at least 1 hour late – very true)
Anyways I can agree to everything he said about the Philippines since I am a Filipino. Maybe Matt is just introverted – he calls his American self “sullen” – but the truth is Matt is just a natural introvert and he’s a great guy.
Send me a mail and we’ll have lots of Red Horse when you get back budd!
You should have named this article:
“4 Reasons Why Living In the Philippines/Thailand Is Not All It’s Cracked Up To Be”
…and i believe you lol
If you go to Malaysia you won’t get as much pussy, it being a muslim country, but you get pretty much all the western comforts and amenities you find in states/Europe. Little like in Singapore or Hong Kong.
+ I’m sure Philippinos are nice people but their women are nasty.
Travel makes most people stupid.
More people travel today than ever, are amazed of new experiences and the polite people everywhere they stop, strong is the believe their first impression is the essence of that place. And traveling is a business.
The authentic tourists route. 😉
All those things are great, less “infrastructure” means people are sitting on their asses less and doing things like walking and using public transport rather than sitting in an oversized SUV.
Culture shock is great too, in America men are used to strange women treating us as criminal suspects at worst or as applicants to a job in the best case scenario. I am in the US for a few days, overheard a conversation in a bar between a guy and a girl, and the girl sounded like she was interviewing him.
You are a foreigner? That actually can help you in many respects, you are not a day laborer from South America.
Biggest thing that happened to me when I moved abroad is I lost nearly 20 pounds in a month. Losing my belly helped me so much, had more libido, and looked better to prospective women. This was mostly because I began walking and using public transport rather than driving on the freeway. That is another side of America, the “infrastructure” and “amenities” often can make you fat.
You realize that a lot of stuff about the American way life makes the women in America the way they are, you also realize that the consumerist life makes you want things you really don’t need and don’t make you happy. 85 percent of Americans are in debt, vs 29 percent of Europeans.
If I didn’t move abroad, I would have just been another miserable slob getting up in the morning, getting on a highway and sitting in traffic, then working daylight hours at a job I hate, going home, watching TV, have dinner, sleep, and then repeating the same thing over and over again. Screw that.
The red pill is not that easy to swallow, but once you do you really do not want to go back.
By the way the highways in Eastern Europe are in much better shape than those in the Midwest. Europe might have its own issues, but we spent our money in the Middle East, they spent theirs fixing the place.
This is why Asia is not on my list. Spent time there. I do like Chile and Uruguay both countries have decent infrastructure, good food, nice weather and modern comforts. Plus I fit in as most folks there have European descent in spite of speaking Spanish. Unlike Colombia, Brazil, or Mexico these places have more European vibe. Plus I can live on steak, wine and pasta and be a happy camper for life. Good coffee house culture as well. Women are decent.
Chile and Uruguay are the places I plan to see at some point. I heard a lot of great things about both.
I love both places. Chile has lots of outdoor places to visit, excellent wine and food. Escorts are cheap and easy too.
Whatever happens to Matt Forney
Thailand
Better hospital/medicine, internet.
Food, weather aweaomeness…
Always be a non property/business owning foreign devil…
And alotafagina.
Read this men:
https://www.theburningplatform.com/2017/05/25/on-the-pursuit-of-pussy-in-the-age-of-decline-part-1/#more-151072
shhhhhh….don’t talk about fight club
Pretty cool article below:
“On a fortified hill in Scotland some 1,900 years ago, a Roman army attacked local warriors by hurling lead bullets from slings that had nearly the stopping power of a modern .44 magnum handgun, according to recent experiments…The Romans also employed a previously unknown form of psychological warfare to terrify the Scots and undermine their resistance. While examining the bullets, Reid and Nicholson noticed small holes deliberately made in nearly 10 percent of the ammunition. Puzzled, the team cast replicas, and asked an experienced slinger to test them. The bullets with holes made ‘a weird banshee-like wail,’ says Nicholson. ‘So you are getting these unworldly, unnatural sounds that you have never heard before, and people are falling over on either side of you’.”
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/05/ancient-slingshot-lethal-44-magnum-scotland/
“Since you’re in Rome now, you’ll have to do as the Romans do”
Such as convert to islam, learn arabic, and bring your prayer carpet. As western europe becomes an unstable, violent shit-hole, one may want to scratch that part of the world off his list of potential places.
Speaking of Rome and Romans…pretty cool article below:
“On a fortified hill in Scotland some 1,900 years ago, a Roman army attacked local warriors by hurling lead bullets from slings that had nearly the stopping power of a modern .44 magnum handgun, according to recent experiments…The Romans also employed a previously unknown form of psychological warfare to terrify the Scots and undermine their resistance. While examining the bullets, Reid and Nicholson noticed small holes deliberately made in nearly 10 percent of the ammunition. Puzzled, the team cast replicas, and asked an experienced slinger to test them. The bullets with holes made ‘a weird banshee-like wail,’ says Nicholson. ‘So you are getting these unworldly, unnatural sounds that you have never heard before, and people are falling over on either side of you’.”
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/05/ancient-slingshot-lethal-44-magnum-scotland/
Some parts of Europe will be fine just avoid Northwestern Europe.
France is not northwest, and that nation is in the ranks with germany and sweden to destroy itself.
Part of it is and part of it is not. The National Front is strongest in Northeastern France. I thought it would have more sway in the South.
Had a little interesting episode regarding this a couple weeks back. Frenchies aren’t liked in Italy but they curiously also have no issues with Americans. (Or they have no issue with me specifically. Not sure which. :-D) Anyway… couple guys from some country area in I think northern France (I can’t pronounce it anyway) and they were…. conservative as all get out. Build the walls and throw the migrants out of Paris! Incroyable!!
They have some patches of strong representation in the south west – the mountain area toward Spain. There, the FN run on a social platform – better conditions for workers, more infrastructure, preserve local heritage and industries. They are not haters, but indeed very principled, friendly people devoted to their communities. They don’t mind immigrants (some members are ethnically Algerian) but require that they integrate to the culture. They were doing well, until suddenly Macron won so hugely. I can’t help but wonder if that result was 100% correct with no cheating.
” Anyway… couple guys from some country area in I think northern France (I can’t pronounce it anyway) and they were…. conservative as all get out. Build the walls and throw the migrants out of Paris”
Well… I guess you met the 2 frenchmen who don’t want the terrorists in France. I was amazed at how much Macron won the election.
I know! That’s why I was so surprised at running into that. I now just automatically assume Frenchies really are surrender monkies and would prefer to die off.
“I know! That’s why I was so surprised at running into that. I now just automatically assume Frenchies really are surrender monkies and would prefer to die off.”
Indeed they do.
There are sections of Italy with no migrants at all. So it’s not the whole country. Anecdotal, but from what I’ve seen the Italians are just looking for a reason to beat the #*$&# out of migrants. During some city visits I’ve witnessed (4 times now) either the carabinieri or the local poliziotti beat the living pulp out of a migrant that showed attitude. I’ve yet to encounter anyone that supports them either. A lot of anger simmering too. If the crap hits the fan… it’s going to be interesting to say the least.
“During some city visits I’ve witnessed (4 times now) either the carabinieri or the local poliziotti beat the living pulp out of a migrant that showed attitude. I’ve yet to encounter anyone that supports them either. A lot of anger simmering too. If the crap hits the fan… it’s going to be interesting to say the least”
One can only hope.
Friends who got out and travel the world- retired beach bum- cant seem to tune out current events in the USA… so even tho they physically let- mentally they are caught up in the deep state
That didn’t last long in my case. I think my first year out I was still checking up on foxnews, breitbart, etc. By year 2 I’d check maybe once a week. After that it just got longer and longer. I can’t even remember the last time I looked. I got to the point where it felt like it was so very far away and so completely disconnected from where I was. These days it’s a bit like watching the freak show at circus. What new disgusting obscenity will the US produce this month? 😀
1. This doesn’t apply if you avoid 3rd world countries.
2. This may or may not be an issue. Since I basically imported almost everything while in the US anyway, for me it was -no problem-.
3. Again depends. In the case of Poland, I can’t point to any real culture shock moments aside from the language bit. Similarly in Italy there’s no culture shock at all. For me, the culture shock in the US was beyond horrific. And that’s when I was still living there. 🙂
4. Again depends. If you pick the country of your ancestors, this will not apply almost from the get-go. (How many have that luxury though?) I don’t have ancestry in Poland though and I have to say my time there was great. Wonderful people. But the weather is terrible, so I went to Italy. All I have to do here to be auto-accepted is mention my family’s hometown. BOOM! I’m in. 😀 Obviously this isn’t going to apply to everyone though so you’ll need to factor in both how well the locals like Americans as well as how tough you’re willing to be. If you’re shy, terrible at reading people, and bad with new languages, my advice is stay home.
The bigger question for this one is this: do you feel like a foreigner in the US? If so, you’ll be just fine outside of it. I haven’t been homesick for one solitary second ever since leaving. Yet I’ve known a few ex-pats that get the occasional pangs. The degree in which you identify with home will be a good clue to how well you’ll do abroad.
in Italy? look, here we pratically speak english everywhere because we believe is “coOoOoL”, our radios broadcast music in english basically 24/7, most of our cities have english signs everywhere, and our weather and food is one of the best in the world!
however, i will not recomend American men to come in italy, because we also have imported the nazifemminism movements here, so think about this.
Well…. in fact almost nobody speaks English. 🙂 Occasionally I run into some people who do but it’s usually best if they stick to Italiano because I can’t understand the English anyway. 🙂 In places like Roma of course you run into more quasi-English speakers. But even Venezia is pretty slim on the English. And that’s fine, this is Italia for heaven’s sake. 😀
There are English signs everywhere, so true!!! I still think that’s funny because here in Italia, they have English because it’s “cool”. Back in California they have Italiano because it’s “cool”. And neither place can pronounce it properly!! 😀
As for the nazi-feminists… eh… it’s manageable. Women here are razor thin, they -usually- care about their appearance, and for some inexplicable reason are enamored with italo-americani. (Still can’t figure that one out!)
I’m from southern California which is basically ground zero for that kind of nonsense. While it exists here I can say it’s nothing near what it is back home. Yet. I do see the signs of things going in a bad direction. But hey, it’s not there yet! 😀
Besides, the south still seems pretty traditional in my experience. I’ve even run into rabid feminist-haters. That sure doesn’t happen in the US often!
If you, like me are LEAVING the west as much as going TO another land, the above points are not the point.
We are rejecting our decaying societies as they reject us.
Put it this way, will you ever forgive yourself for not moving abroad?
Think ‘wild west’ but with more A.C.
..most of the time.
All that article boiled down into one sentence: One man living abroad is another man’s immigrant.
Crawl back to your hole! Men from other countries are not pussy like yours, they will either suck you dries or simply kick you out.
I have been living abroad now for almost 4 years and I can tell you that these are pretty much all non-issues. You just expect this sort of thing. Don’t be a pussy. If the locals can do it, so can you. Just sayin’…
These things he mentions can actually be positives. It’s harder to own a car in Europe but then again public transport is much better.
Getting rid of mass produced foods and consumer goods is actually good for your mental and physical health.
You didnt mention the main problems with phillipines. Everything is a scam and a deal means nothing.
I echo what Truth says, when you travel, man up and get with the local program !!! Learn to sweat with the locals, learn their language and no you won’t be one of them but they will respect you more for learning. If you are a disrespectful dick then no place will ever be home. Women are better, if you want to get screwed just give your money away. I my opinion, women are respectful of a man who has control. Period.
Fuck power, learn to read again, write short hand, spend time without the computer fucking your mind. You will become a human again. What the first world has to offer red pill men is nothing. NOTHING. Become a man, live like a man and love like a MAN to women who want you to be a MAN. ANY possible issues are far out weighed by all the positives of becoming a man and being loved for it. Throw your trained first world away, rough and tough it with tools and sweat. Fuck your girl after. How much better does it get ?????? Learn a second language, how many fucking eggheads in shit land do this other than to say, “oh I can speak such and such” well pardon me, I fucking use the language I learned, and I am not a neutered cuckold getting fucked over by some white bitch who looks constantly for the next big payday sucker. Yes I live a rougher life. I sweat when the AC power goes out. I talk to local men and women. The men respect me, the women love and fuck me. I live a better fuller life than ever before. Nothing can make me look back, nothing. Have fun getting microchipped weak blue pill feminist playthings ! I was cheated on, lost everything. Now I have it ALL. Fuck the first world.
“If you are a disrespectful dick then no place will ever be home. Women are better, if you want to get screwed just give your money away. ”
They set it up so its one or the other, sooner or later not giving money away means disrespectful to them. All those people not working but still eating with no free govt money are doing it because their culture is to share and get resources from who has access. “Your girl” is obligated to all of them and not sharing is being rude and disrespectful to them. If you do that getting really down and dirty in a slum or village away from safe foreigner places they will kill you.
Other people will turn up, other people will tag along and expect you to pay. Its insulting to them if you dont. Try saying ‘you cant come in and see your sister,niece,cousin,friend’ or ‘dont open my fridge’ or ‘i only paid for you to drive, just because we are stopping for lunch doesn’t mean youre eating too’,then find out the driver is of course a friend/relative. Or if youre being shown around in their car or van, and they pull into a restaurant and all go in.. either sit in the car or go sit down and just pay for yourself.
Then theres every other bizness dealing where you do not get what u thought. Eg for the “bar hoppers”, the ‘cherry girl’.
Go to bar and check out all the girls dancing to be taken home.
Order your drink as expected, no problem. Choose most attractive girl. U dont just take her out the door, she sits with you first. You buy her a beer which costs 10$ , she doesn’t want that beer and probably wont drink it. The point is it cost the bar 1$. You would be very rude to not buy it though. Then u ask her to go out. She says she has a period, choose another girl. You can cut your loss and leave or buy another girl another10$ beer.
They take this shit to levels no nigerian could dream of.
Always like a fresh perspective… https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9f910033f858ca247c6f49a71f75f651d567b3beb6eac0f4f2dc266945b5320d.jpg
Excellent advice. One thing I’ve done to enhance my travels in the Orient is to take a Russian girl along.
I spend a lot of time in Russia, and have numerous lovers there. So all I do is say, “would you like to go to [wherever] with me?” Especially with the economy in Russia virtually all will jump at the chance.
The deal is quite simple. They will go with me, do as I wish, have good sex as often as I want. In exchange they get to go with me, enjoy the beach, mountains, or whatever, and eat well with me.
It is understood that I’m not paying for all the tourism junkets that the resorts and tourist agencies pedal, nor am I going to pay for expensive meals, wine, etc. [If I’m interested in some tours, I will pay for both of us, of course.] They eat the same as I eat. So the actual cost of bringing a girl along is quite low overall. And, you have a high quality Russian girl in your bed, while enjoying a great vacation, without having to bother with the pickup scene.