Moving to America

[Matt Stone]

So where were all you Washingtonians when I was organizing Throwdowns in Tacoma/Lakewood???

Don, here's the deal... I was born and raised in Nebraska. Omaha is a great city, constantly expanding and growing. Great hospitality, great atmosphere, relatively low crime... And I wouldn't leave Washington to go back there if my life depended on it!

Washington has its problems... $90 fines for not having a trash bag in your car. Tons of crime in the Seattle area, and a huge sex offender database. That having been said, there are some incredibly bright points that Washington has to offer. There are some areas that are so amazing, so quaint... Washington is the shiznit and then some.

I'll admit that there are far better areas than Tacoma. Tacoma has a rather unpleasant "atmosphere," emanating from what I've been told are paper mills... Hence the moniker "the Tacoma Aroma." Bellevue is pricy, as are Kent, Renton, and the rest of the areas around the SeaTac area. But there are some great bargains to be found in real estate both way up north and further south.

My suggestion? Visit at the first opportunity. Look around. Spend a week, with the fam in tow if possible. Toys R Us, Todai (visit www.todai.com to check out their menu), huge Asian populations, Krispy Kreme donuts, you name it. Let's not forget Phil Relnick, too, of SMR Jo and KSR iai fame north of Seattle...

Good place. If you show up after I return, I'll be sure to get time off to drive you around wherever...

Good luck.

 

[Grey Eyed Bandit]

They are both on my list, but thanks to some responses here I am also thinking of places like Las Vegas, Tacoma, Vermont (formally on my "silly" list), Virginia and a few mores. I have a lot of think about. Thanks everyone.

I got to know a couple of guys from a training group in Las Vegas while in Japan. Those guys seriously need to learn how to handle hard liquor.




(as in, they were dancing on the tables after a few beers while I was quietly sipping away at my second pint of "rongu irandu"...:drinkbeer)

 

[bushi jon]

Two places I have in mind Rolla Mo. or South Bend In(Notre Dame)
Do you can always get a job as a fluffer
:ultracool

 

[kenpochad]

You should check it out here in Arizona.
it only gets 120 tops in the summer it not that bad.

But you never have to put up with snow storms
Like i did in Michigan

 

[rutherford]

These fine folks might have some employment ideas for you.The Japan-America Society of Vermont

If your wife likes to have a city around, I wouldn't look far outside the Burlington area of Vermont. There really isn't anything you could call a city in the rest of the state. Big towns with wonderful culture, sure. But a city? Not hardly.

 

[Rich Parsons]

I causually asked my wife about the idea of moving there. The temperature dropped about ten degrees and she let me know in no uncertain terms that she has lived her entire life with the ability to see mountains on the horizon and that was going to continue. Considering that she will be making the change from being able to speak in her native language to English, I think a few conditions like that are not unreasonable.

Don if Mountains are a MUST, then it is the East coast or West Coast. We have hills in Michigan, and some that you can ski from, but no mountains to compare to either coast.

If no extreme hot for you then it looks like North East or North West, inclduing Colorado.

For that matter, I hate big cities like Tokyo. I would die if I had to live there. She complains a lot about how there is nothing to do even in the city we are in now. (Less than a hour north of Tokyo.) I sometimes feel like I am living in an episode of Green Acres. :erg:

I have not been to the Pacific North West other than to fly over, all I can say is it sound nice from those who post here. If Mountains can be over come, it woudl require a visit to check out, and I am about an hour from Ann Arbor, then you could have the Detroit Metro, and also choose to live south of Ann Arbor (* I am north *) where it almost jumps straight to farm land.

So another thing to think about for me. How to keep her happy and me happy in that regard.

That my Friend is the secret of a sucessful marriage.


Good Luck, and it sounds like lots of fun visiting the places, one you get it narrowed down to a few.

 

[Don Roley]

Thanks again for all the ideas. I have a lot to think about and reseach.

On a more ominous note, I can't believe the amount of people that have expressed an interest in where my mother in law lives, physical descriptions, etc. I know some PROFFESIONALLY nasty people.

Two places I have in mind Rolla Mo. or South Bend In(Notre Dame)
Do you can always get a job as a fluffer
:ultracool

I don't get the joke. What is a fluffer?

 

[shesulsa]

I don't get the joke. What is a fluffer?

I was afraid of that.

A 'fluffer' is a beautiful, sexy woman, in the porn industry, who stays on the set and performs oral sex (and other acts) on male porn stars to keep them aroused for the movie.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

LOL.
I typed that into Google....got some rather interesting results.

Probably not a good career idea though. The position's pretty much been eliminated I've heard.

 

[Don Roley]

A 'fluffer' is a beautiful, sexy woman, in the porn industry, who stays on the set and performs oral sex (and other acts) on male porn stars to keep them aroused for the movie.

I can't help but wonder what a fluffer puts on her resume when she tries to get a new job.


Should I be mad at this point?

 

[shesulsa]

Should I be mad at this point?

I suppose that depends upon your relationship with bushi jon and your interpretation of what he said. If you think he meant it as a joke, then ... okay. But had and still have the impression he was insulting you.

 

[Jonathan Randall]

http://www.dliflc.edu/Employment/employment_index.html

Forgot to mention that DLI instructors often teach off-site at large military bases or on short term contract to special units - and they value cultural and historical knowledge as highly as language proficiency, IIRC.

Also, don't forget that many community colleges also hire contract instructors for lower division foreign language courses - you don't have to get on with a university at first to make a living - and there are always private language schools where business people pay large sums to learn language survival skills.

Between teaching at colleges and private schools and even private lessons, you should be able to make a decent living anywhere near a modest size city.

 

[MisterMike]

Folks,

Heck, I am not even sure where I want to move back to. I know a few places I do not want to move to. Places that,

Have restrictive gun laws. (Boston and the like.)
Have hot and humid weather. (Hawaii, Georgia, etc.)
Are just plain silly. (California.)
Flat. (Kansas and the states there in the middle.)

But in addition, I was thinking of moving to a place that does not have much in the way of Bujinkan presence.

I'll just put a small plug in here for New Hampshire.

It has few gun laws
Fairly short summers - only hot from July-Aug, but not unbearable
Not too silly, although EVERYONE has a custom license plate on their car
Not very flat. Lots of mountains and easy accessibility to a large city or airport.

Not a lot of Bujinkan presence either, as I train out of Masachusetts.
Vermont is nearby too - I saw you mentioned that.

Manchester, NH is booming as far as jobs. Nashua, NH is right near by and is just as good for selection.

One thing about New England is the states are small and you can cross through any one of them in a day to get to the mountains, ocean, lakes - pretty much anything. And the foliage season is great if your into that sort of thing.

 

[Kreth]

I can't help but wonder what a fluffer puts on her resume when she tries to get a new job.


Should I be mad at this point?

I would guess something like:
Excellent oral skills
Proven ability to motivate and inspire co-workers

 

[bushi jon]

It was a JOKE. Don a fluffer is a cast member of adult cinema

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Guys, please, do NOT send that video in. :barf:

 

[MJS]

I would guess something like:
Excellent oral skills
Proven ability to motivate and inspire co-workers

Yeah, I'd say that sums it up pretty good!! :lol: :lol:

 

[Don Roley]

I would guess something like:
Excellent oral skills
Proven ability to motivate and inspire co-workers

Nuts!!! There should be a warning at the beggining of posts like that to not be drinking fine single malt scotch while reading it. I narrowly missed ruining my keyboard!!!!! :barf:

 

[shesulsa]

Aw, man. I was hoping for another heated argument!

 

[Kreth]

Nuts!!! There should be a warning at the beggining of posts like that to not be drinking fine single malt scotch while reading it. I narrowly missed ruining my keyboard!!!!! :barf:

I suppose it's a good thing that you're not a fluffer. That could make for one seriously ruined keyboard...