Re: Since you don't live in America

[Robert]

Since you don't live in America and have first hand experience how do you like living abroad? Do you feel more secure and do you like the lifestyle? I would like to hear what you think not as a argument but as a point of interest. I have often thought what would it be like to live some where else.

[x]

Since you don't live in America and have first hand experience how do you like living abroad? Do you feel more secure and do you like the lifestyle? I would like to hear what you think not as a argument but as a point of interest. I have often thought what would it be like to live some where else.

I mostly live in Singapore.  The quality of life is very good.  It is Asia light.  There are no guns in Singapore, so from a crime perspective it is very safe.  Anybody, including the ladies can walk around anywhere in Singapore at 3 in the morning and feel safe.  Assaults and murders are extremely rare.  There is some house crime (burglaries) and other petty crimes but it runs about one tenth of that of Houston.
 
The cops and judicial system are pretty much no nonsense.  If you get busted, you do the time.  If you get caught for a petty crime, the first time you might get three strokes of the cane and then get to drag a concrete filled tire around the exercise compound at Changi prison for six months.  There aren't too many repeat offenders.  Gangs absolutely are not tolerated... you can be jailed for gang tatoos and colors, particularly if it is one of the Chinese tongs.  This is one place that you don't have to cross the street when you see 6 guys standing under a lamp post... they'd just all wave and say hi.
 
As long as you are not doing drugs or shooting guns (or trying to import either) you can do pretty much what you want here.  Titty bars and titty magazines are illegal but prostitution is legal and there are literally hundreds of bars where you can go and be swarmed over by the lovely ladies... sort of makes titty bars pointless.  You get left alone until you really do cross the line and then you get hammered.
 
Singapore is very well run... excellent infrastructure, good services for things like drivers licenses, tax renewals, and the like... all very efficient.  There is a lot to like.  However, it is a one party country.  PAP, the ruling party, has been in power since 1967 when the country was founded.  So, it is pretty clear that with lack of guns there never will be a violent uprising against the government... OTOH, if the government does not provide I think there would be sufficient reaction from the moneyed class to force a change.
 
I've also live in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for 8 months.  Real Asia.  Chaotic, somewhat dirty.  Much higher incidences of petty crime like pick pockets and lifting crap from your car... a favorite theft item is stealing the custom calipers and brakes off Honda CB 400's while they are parked.  If you get away from the main areas you do need to watch yourself for crime... there is enough poverty that robberies and assaults are quite high, especially for the local populace... but a white guy could be a prime target because he will be perceived as being rich.  KL has some great restaurants but I didn't like it that much... very heavy traffic... terrible sidewalks... super packed subways during rush hour... and even class A office buildings don't bother with air conditioning in the lobby... in the middle of a highly humid tropical city.
 
I'll write a bit more later.

[Charlie]

Since you don't live in America and have first hand experience how do you like living abroad? Do you feel more secure and do you like the lifestyle? I would like to hear what you think not as a argument but as a point of interest. I have often thought what would it be like to live some where else.

I mostly live in Singapore.  The quality of life is very good.  It is Asia light.  There are no guns in Singapore, so from a crime perspective it is very safe.  Anybody, including the ladies can walk around anywhere in Singapore at 3 in the morning and feel safe.  Assaults and murders are extremely rare.  There is some house crime (burglaries) and other petty crimes but it runs about one tenth of that of Houston.
 
The cops and judicial system are pretty much no nonsense.  If you get busted, you do the time.  If you get caught for a petty crime, the first time you might get three strokes of the cane and then get to drag a concrete filled tire around the exercise compound at Changi prison for six months.  There aren't too many repeat offenders.  Gangs absolutely are not tolerated... you can be jailed for gang tatoos and colors, particularly if it is one of the Chinese tongs.  This is one place that you don't have to cross the street when you see 6 guys standing under a lamp post... they'd just all wave and say hi.
 
As long as you are not doing drugs or shooting guns (or trying to import either) you can do pretty much what you want here.  Titty bars and titty magazines are illegal but prostitution is legal and there are literally hundreds of bars where you can go and be swarmed over by the lovely ladies... sort of makes titty bars pointless.  You get left alone until you really do cross the line and then you get hammered.
 
Singapore is very well run... excellent infrastructure, good services for things like drivers licenses, tax renewals, and the like... all very efficient.  There is a lot to like.  However, it is a one party country.  PAP, the ruling party, has been in power since 1967 when the country was founded.  So, it is pretty clear that with lack of guns there never will be a violent uprising against the government... OTOH, if the government does not provide I think there would be sufficient reaction from the moneyed class to force a change.
 
I've also live in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for 8 months.  Real Asia.  Chaotic, somewhat dirty.  Much higher incidences of petty crime like pick pockets and lifting crap from your car... a favorite theft item is stealing the custom calipers and brakes off Honda CB 400's while they are parked.  If you get away from the main areas you do need to watch yourself for crime... there is enough poverty that robberies and assaults are quite high, especially for the local populace... but a white guy could be a prime target because he will be perceived as being rich.  KL has some great restaurants but I didn't like it that much... very heavy traffic... terrible sidewalks... super packed subways during rush hour... and even class A office buildings don't bother with air conditioning in the lobby... in the middle of a highly humid tropical city.
 
I'll write a bit more later.

Photos would be nice as well.  Also, maybe we could hear from folks like Strider while he is in Africa and some of our other European and Asian brothers.  A good education and comparison is always appreciated.

[PharmBoy]

Didn't you know?  Your local game warden is the most powerful law enforcement agent in the nation.  He does not need a signed warrant to search your home, only a suspicion of wrong doing...JTL

[MNBill]

I am confused by your post Strongeagle. You start the post by saying how bad our oppresive goverment is because of the way they violated this poor grandma's life. You then go on and say how good life was in a country where the oppressive goverment does not allow freedom of the press (First Amendment) or firearms (Second Amendment). You go on to say that that country punishes people for belonging to, associating with or having tatoos that shows they belong to certain groups.

I guess the only thing that was good about the country you said was so safe is that they held people accountable for their actions and punished them when they committed crimes instead of blaming it on their society. Maybe we should try that here and see if it betters our society.

[x]

I am confused by your post Strongeagle. You start the post by saying how bad our oppresive goverment is because of the way they violated this poor grandma's life. You then go on and say how good life was in a country where the oppressive goverment does not allow freedom of the press (First Amendment) or firearms (Second Amendment). You go on to say that that country punishes people for belonging to, associating with or having tatoos that shows they belong to certain groups.

I guess the only thing that was good about the country you said was so safe is that they held people accountable for their actions and punished them when they committed crimes instead of blaming it on their society. Maybe we should try that here and see if it betters our society.

Mods, could you separate my Singapore reply and associated replies into a separate thread?  I'd like to answer this one but I also think the original post is real important... 3 years in the can because of bad paperwork?  The feds are out of control when this can happen.

[PAVALKER]

I am confused by your post Strongeagle. You start the post by saying how bad our oppresive goverment is because of the way they violated this poor grandma's life. You then go on and say how good life was in a country where the oppressive goverment does not allow freedom of the press (First Amendment) or firearms (Second Amendment). You go on to say that that country punishes people for belonging to, associating with or having tatoos that shows they belong to certain groups.

I guess the only thing that was good about the country you said was so safe is that they held people accountable for their actions and punished them when they committed crimes instead of blaming it on their society. Maybe we should try that here and see if it betters our society.

I think he also mentioned that Titty bars and titty magazines were illegal (unthinkable violation of freedom of speech) but prostitution is legal and there are literally hundreds of bars where you can go and be swarmed over by the lovely ladies...   which does have it's merits I guess.  Maybe we should try that as well........

[MP]

And, one of the Dems proposals for Health Care makes it a CRIME, punishable by jail time, for not having Health Insurance!!  I am sure you applaud that CRIME?
MP

I am confused by your post Strongeagle. You start the post by saying how bad our oppresive goverment is because of the way they violated this poor grandma's life. You then go on and say how good life was in a country where the oppressive goverment does not allow freedom of the press (First Amendment) or firearms (Second Amendment). You go on to say that that country punishes people for belonging to, associating with or having tatoos that shows they belong to certain groups.

I guess the only thing that was good about the country you said was so safe is that they held people accountable for their actions and punished them when they committed crimes instead of blaming it on their society. Maybe we should try that here and see if it betters our society.

Mods, could you separate my Singapore reply and associated replies into a separate thread?  I'd like to answer this one but I also think the original post is real important... 3 years in the can because of bad paperwork?  The feds are out of control when this can happen.

[CajunRider]

I've been to Singapore... 4 trips there for about a total of 9 months...

Yes, it's very clean.
Yes, it's quite "Americanized" in the fact that you can go to McD's, Burger King, etc...
No, guns are NOT allowed, nor ammo.
Yes, the crime rate is very low.

Now... some would think (and I heard it from a few hundred Singapore locals) that crime is low because of the lack of guns.

I disagree.  I think crime is low because the punishment is HARSH.  They don't buy the "Cruel and inhumane punishment" argument.  In fact, while flying into the country, you are given a card to fill out for customs.  Similar to the one the US makes you fill out, with one major difference... printed across the back of the card, in BIG RED LETTERS...

"Drug smuggling is punishable by DEATH."

Yeah.... you mess up in Singapore, the cane is the LEAST of your worries.  

THAT is why... I believe... crime is so low.

[the inspector]

So it sounds like someone is looking to move hun????? Well how about considering Africa. I had the opportunity and took it in the mid 80's and went to Zaire. Pro western at that time, large American Embassy. Very dirty even though it was the capital, Kinshasa. After the fall of the Belgium Congo the Zaireian people reclaimed their country, after a few wars. Here comes Mobutu Sese Seko the self proclaimed President, people starving, miltary not being paid, nothing it town working, dirty, go to jail and oh boy, you'll either get beaten to death or starve to death. Court system on the shake down. No or low paying jobs....if your African. Much better if your Expat. If you get paid in US dollar's you were golden, no US tax. Lot's of stories, but I'm getting tired of typeing. Do a search on Zaire and your learn much, much more. Two years their and a good job is what I remember.

"the inspector"

[Robert]

Thanks for the info Eagle, I haven't been to many places overseas except England but have been Canada to Mexico and pretty much all of the good old USA. Was thinking of taking a trip to South America but I really want to do something different and maybe you hit the nail on the head. I always like to hear from people that have lived in the places its so much different to live there than visit and you can really get a better idea for what you want to see and do. I would like to hear more if you get the time to post and as for Africa I have  a few friends there and they really like it.

[pitbull]

I'll give you my views on living in England,if you ever think of moving to England,  don't.

It's a nice place to come for a holiday but you wouldn't want to live here.

We do have some gun crime but mainly in the big cities,usually its done by teenagers who try to act like those in the other thread about the bar gunfight.We tend to have more knife violence.Our general police force are not armed but we do have armed reponse units.
The judicial system sucks,most of the kids know they can commit a crime and get away with it,even if they get caught.It's far too softly softly.
You can tho,go out for a drink,safe in the knowledge that no-one will be carrying a gun.

The cost of living is high here too,at the moment I have to pay £4.77 for a gallon of petrol,which is $7.55. The average standard Valk with no accessories will cost about £6500 about $10,300.I was lucky to get mine for £5000 ($7918) fully loaded with chrome goodies.
I'm looking at a set of Jardine Rumbler exhausts for my Valk,here in the UK I can buy them for £695 ($1100),so I will look to buy them from the USA and ship them over.  Our roads are very poor,uneven,poor surface,cracks,pot holes and loose gravel in places.Not only that but we also drive on the wrong side of the road.(on the left)

We have a huge problem with European immigrants,they just keep coming.I live about 10 miles from a place called Great Yarmouth,a seaside resort on the East Coast,the THIRD most popular language in this town is ENGLISH,top is Polish,followed by Potugese.

We do have some very nice places to visit,which are all relaxed,nothing that compares to the USA tho.

The weather here also sucks,the only good weather is usually July,August and September.May.June and October are generally wet with November,December,January and February quite cold and they cover the roads in salt.If we have an inch of snow the whole country comes to a halt,we just cannot cope with snow.

Next year we are planning a 3500 mile trip around France which I am really looking forward to.I'm going to visit a place called Arromanche which is where my father went up the beach during the D-Day landings.I will also visit the American Cemetary and pay my repects.There is also the highest road bridge in the world at Millau,the centre tower is nearly as high as the Empire state building,it's something I've just gotta do.

All in all,if I could afford it,I would emigrate to a different country.I do like the look of Canada,but maybe the South of France would be more realistic.

Feel free to fire any questions,I will be more than happy to answer them.

Pitbull

[x]

I am confused by your post Strongeagle. You start the post by saying how bad our oppresive goverment is because of the way they violated this poor grandma's life. You then go on and say how good life was in a country where the oppressive goverment does not allow freedom of the press (First Amendment) or firearms (Second Amendment). You go on to say that that country punishes people for belonging to, associating with or having tatoos that shows they belong to certain groups.

I guess the only thing that was good about the country you said was so safe is that they held people accountable for their actions and punished them when they committed crimes instead of blaming it on their society. Maybe we should try that here and see if it betters our society.

I did not say "how bad our oppresive goverment is" (sic), so don't put words in my mouth.  I am appalled at the kind of excess shown by the article; worse, that there were apparently not enough checks and balances to stop this abuse of power.

No question that first and second amendment rights are curtailed here, but its hard to call this government 'oppressive', either.  I didn't say they punish them for having tattoos, I said that people who have tattoos of the tongs on them will be picked up because gang activity absolutely is not tolerated.

Yes, societal attitudes are different here.  There was an outcry a few years back when Gap put out advertising posters that looked like graffiti... they were forced to take them all down.  There is no graffiti here, no one slices up the seats on the buses or subway, and things are clean.

I wish it were so simple to fix as you said.  I really don't know what one does long term to reduce gang activity, for example.  It's part economic, part social values... how do you fix an entire neighborhood that has gone to sh*t with gangs, drugs, and violence?