Articles
About Moving To Asia-Pacific ~ Living In Asia-Pacific & Real Estate
In Asia-Pacific - Listed Alphabetically By Nation - Australia Thru Thailand
Articles
About Moving To Asia-Pacific ~ Living In Asia-Pacific & Real Estate
In Asia-Pacific
Listed Alphabetically
By Nation - Australia Thru Thailand
The
party never ends in Asia! Street markets covering whole blocks are
open both day and night. Not just in big cities, either. Almost every town
has them. As a matter of fact this wonderful social, dining and shopping
experience is so developed you have - Ta Da! - the Day Market in the morning
and afternoon, and as sundown comes you have a brand new Night Market a
few blocks down. And they are fun! Eat as much or as little as you want
at any vendor's stand; the friendly greetings and conversations are the
same. Besides these well known and well organized markets there are countless
small food stalls everywhere in towns. Noodle shops, soup shops, tea and
coffee stalls, you name it. Old style (and strong) French coffee is particularly
a treat in Vietnam and Laos! Enjoy with fresh pastries and croissants.
Food is so cheap in Asia that almost no one actually does their own cooking..."
Moving
to another country one can expect a bit of culture shock. However, when
my family and I decided to seize an opportunity to live in Australia we
were fairly certain we could adapt easily. After all there is no language
barrier and the culture is decidedly similar to the United States. What
we found was that it was the little things that took us by surprise, things
we hadn’t considered or prepared for.
Along
the dusty road, you pass ancient two-wheeled carts, pulled by large cows.
Half wild herds of buffalo make their lazy way through lush dense jungle,
driven by barefoot boys wearing krama. Rice farmers squat in their flooded
fields, their heads protected from the intense Cambodian sun by pointed
wide-brimmed straw hats. Children play, casing pigs and chickens under
the houses on stilts, whose thatched walls are made of woven palm leaves
or shredded bamboo. Many of the front doors are adorned with a plastic
bag of red liquid to ward off the vampires believed to drink the blood
of young girls. Women, wearing traditional dress, their heads wrapped in
krama, walk or ride bicycles along the side of the road.
One
of the most apparent cultural differences to a foreigner living in China
is personal hygiene. It is well known that spitting is common throughout
China, but I did not know that many Chinese consider blowing your nose
straight onto the ground to be fairly acceptable until I experienced it!
You
may have seen the film National Treasure, in which Nicolas Cage has to
unlock a multi-layered puzzle to find a vast treasure. China is like that
for many investors - a virtually limitless treasure chest with an enormous
number of investment opportunities, if only you can find the darned key.
Finding the correct keys to access China’s treasures is no
easy task. The good news is that Hong Kong is not only the gateway to China,
it holds the golden key to China’s many treasure chests.
Journey
to India is not complete if you do not travel to the northeastern part
of India. And as you travel to the Eastern part of this unique land, you
should take out some time to visit the 1330.10 sq.kms swampy delta of the
two mighty Indian rivers, Brahmaputra and the Ganges known as Sundarbans,
famous across the world for being the home of the Royal Bengal Tiger.
"A man who has not been in Italy,
is always conscious of an inferiority, from his not having seen what it
is expected a man should see." --Samuel Johnson
I
then went to Bangkok, a hot and crowded place, but my favorite city in
this part of the world, probably even ahead of Hong Kong. Poor planning
got me there in the middle of the Thai New Year, which meant everything
was shut down for a week, and I didn't get a chance to see a lot of property.
On the other hand, the whole city goes wild with a water festival; you
walk down any street and after five minutes you're completely soaked from
squirt guns and buckets of water thrown at you, day or night. It's great
fun. Bangkok reminds me of L.A. without the social problems. If you're
thinking of living in the Orient for a while, this is the place. - Doug
Casey looks for real estate in the Orient.
Buying
real estate in Japan or the Philippines might be easier than you thought.
And the prices of properties might also attract you to the region. The
Philippines has countless islands to choose from and Japan has a secure
legal system, good social welfare system and many possibilities for foreign
residents to own land.
Standing
atop the fortified castle wall, I look down at the mist shrouded shapes
of pine trees crowding the mountain slopes. I can easily imagine troops
of armored soldiers marching their way up the steep trails towards the
high stone walls. This is not an image of Europe that we are describing,
but one of South Korea. Korea is more than just the home of kimchi, the
DMZ and red-shirted soccer enthusiasts. Korea has a rich, five thousand
year history that is still easily accessible to travelers. One of the favorite
things many visitors enjoy experiencing are the castles that dot the Korean
countryside.
Sipadan
Island is both famous and infamous. A tiny, tropical forest-covered island
of only thirty acres floating in the royal blue of the Celebes Sea, it
has been declared both a protected area and a bird sanctuary by the Malaysian
government. The island is indisputably the most famous dive destination
in Malaysia, with diving giants like Jacques Cousteau praising enthusiastically
the wonderful diversity of its marine life.
The
Latin word for island is insula. The Romans lived in apartment-type buildings
in blocks surrounded by streets: islands. We get our English words insular
and insulation from it. New Zealand is an island nation, surrounded by
vast oceans. But, Kiwis are not an insulated people—they do
not insulate themselves or their houses! However, now that spring is here
we are getting out of our cold houses and thinking about what we will do
outside them. These activities can be as close as our gardens, but also
far away from them. I have been doing both.
Tired
of the rat-race that America has become? Tired of being run-down by women
dominated by greed and material objects and who jump into bed with your
best friend? Then try something different, there is a place where things
move at a slow pace, where women are feminine and lady-like, and the cost
of living is a lot less. The weather is warm year-round, white sandy beaches
are everywhere with coconut palms gently swaying in the breeze. Crystal
clear waters, you can see the bottom 15 feet deep.
Tim
Jellings is a travel writer with stories of wierd adventures from around
the varied parts of the world. His keen sense of observation is a one of
a kind. Tim writes, "My eyes catch each humorous shop name; like Bang on,
Hang On, See Fun, Fun Fatt Kok. The local spelling of Talipon for telephone,
Bas sekolal for school bus and Buk for book also brings a smile. Outside
the Chinese temple, in the early morning, I see a man standing outside
with a burning joss stick clamped between the hands. In silent prayer he
asks for evil to be kept away. Not one word or even a glance. A youth dressed
only in pyjama trousers is graffiting the posters in green and red paint.
He is observed by a very old man, who never stirs and sits crossed legged,
silently absorbing the young man's artistry."
It
is said that the first step in any journey is the hardest. In an Asian
country it should be said that the first one hundred steps is the hardest.
If I didn’t have a clue what was happening in Scotland Taiwan
left me completely lost. Everything in Taiwan is in Taiwanese or Mandarin.
Quite a surprise considering they deal with a worldwide market on a daily
basis but the place is pretty unschooled on the way of English and English
conversation. After four years and being an Australian in Taipei I never
want to hear “Oh your koala very cute” ever again.
There is an off chance that if I do encounter a koala I may have to punch
it in the face as a result. Even a pretty koala looks ugly with a broken
nose.
Dragon-necked
temples, night bazaars, misty mountains, floating markets hill-tribe villages,
and hot springs - seven Thai wonderlands worth your attention. Thailand
has a romantic heritage that always beguiles visitors: from the razzle-dazzle
of Bangkok, to the floating markets and silk emporiums. Picture white-sand
beaches, swaying coconut palms, and an evening chorus of cicadas. Rising
from jade and turquoise waters are myriad islands girdled by coral gardens...bizarre
limestone outcrops smothered in spinach-green vegetation. Yes, Thailand
has four-million-dollar properties, but you'll also find nice homes for
well under $150,000. (And if you're prepared to go off the beaten track,
you'll find them for below $25,000.) Even in beach resorts like Pattaya,
you can buy a basic studio for under $17,000. In short, there are properties
to meet most people's pockets.
