3Ss - Safety + Savings + Satisfaction

[justlooking]

Oman would fit the bill. Rated as one of the safest places on the planet in terms of terrorism threats and natural disasters. Money is decent. Imported foods can be expensive, but even with these you can save a lot. Very multicultural, friendly locals, and beautiful, diverse landscape from deserts to mountains to beaches.

[wrldtrvlr123]

Artrageous wrote:
> Not sure I agree with Japan in terms of safety- what about natural
> disasters and the contamination from nuclear plant explosions in food,
> water and soil? I personally would not want to live there because of the
> food issues. I believe it is also an expensive place to live so not sure
> about savings potential.
----How much time have you spent in Japan? If you have spent a lot and still have that opinion then we have had different experiences. If not much, then I hope you are open to the opinions of those that have.
-----------------------------------------------
There is a very high quality of life so of course the cost of living will be higher then places with much less to offer (like many places in SE Asia that have less infrastructure, worse public transport/health care, less than world class cities, etc.) On the other hand, salaries are generally higher to offset that to a great degree.

As for safety, in general, being a victim of crime is a much greater danger than natural disasters. In Japan, the danger of crime is negligible, compared to virtually any other place in the world. As for natural disasters, virtually every place has something (e.g. earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, etc). Again, the odds of you being a victim are negligible.

Regarding radiation, opinions do differ but in general it is not considered much of a risk factor at this point (again compared to many places in the world where pollution, crazy traffic, food safety etc. are very real and ever present dangers).

Then again Japan is not for everyone and everyone is entitled to their opinion (but the facts should make it a very desirable location for many).

[vandsmith]

justlooking wrote:
> Oman would fit the bill. Rated as one of the safest places on the planet
> in terms of terrorism threats and natural disasters. Money is decent.
> Imported foods can be expensive, but even with these you can save a lot.
> Very multicultural, friendly locals, and beautiful, diverse landscape from
> deserts to mountains to beaches.

i loved oman but you have to see it geographically - yemen and saudi as neighbours, with pakistan and iran across the gulf. i agree obviously that it has been safe in the past but that could change at any time.

there are threats and pitfalls everywhere, every posting. that being said, you could definitely make a case for the 3Ss for oman.

v.

[PsyGuy]

Agree that Oman might look relatively safe compared to its neighbors, at the moment but its still the ME, and its located near regions, that can be very adversarial and hostile to expats, there are many safer places including Singapore, etc.

Agree with @WT123, JP is vert safe, everywhere has natural disasters, and the ones JP is likely to get (earthquakes and tsunamis) they ahve one of the most advance warning systems. Also agree that the high quality of life comes at a cost and which makes saving potential lower, but thats what safety and security costs.
The radiation issue has largely been blown out of portion by the media, it had more truth to it several years ago, but as of now its not a concern.

[vandsmith]

marina wrote:
> Europe
> Switzerland (Poland and/or Western Ukraine if single male)
>
> Africa
> Ethiopia
>
> Asia
> Vietnam/Japan
>
> South America
> Chile (Brazil if single and male)
>
> North America
> Idaho

can anyone illuminate what the situation is like in ukraine for teachers? i assume most live in kiev? my friend told me it's fairly cheap there and he is saving quite a bit. just curious.

v.

[PsyGuy]

@vandsmith

If your in Kiev, the security and stability issue isnt an issue. Just be aware that political and personal tensions run high and avoid conversations with locals about the issues.

[reisgio]

Ukraine has a lot of potential and I agree that it could be one of the best places for a single male teacher; however, for a family or single female teacher, I would expect it to be less enjoyable. It's cheap for people who don't need a lot of comforts and who like to mix with the local socially. But if you want a consumer culture experience, this would not be a place that I would recommend.

[fine dude]

@v.
Not as safe as my remote island.

[PsyGuy]

I can see where @reisgio is coming from. There are a lot of expats in Kiev, its not Tokyo but its not desolate by any means. It really depends on your residential/housing location, if youre in one of the expat enclaves in the suburban residential areas, its probably fine for a family. A single woman would greatly depend what your social interests are, and how open you are to local culture (and to a significant degree learning the language).

I would qualify the cost of living as Kiev is very economical (cheap) for those who arent selective. A lot of durable goods that are locally produced are quality items, and inexpensive by global standards. Its when your definition of "comfort" involves a lot of imports or you want one brand/model of specific types of items. If you need Crest-Pr Wash mouth rinse, and similar very specific goods on multiple aspects of your life, yeah Kiev can be expensive, because those items (unlike other regions) are available but at a very high markup.

You can find very well made imitation designer and luxury items at very good prices.