I've inserted my comments marked >>>>> in between yours:
>>>>>>> Bottom line, I say try it out without burning bridges. My biggest regrets in life are not trying things out. Germany may or may not work out for you. Another country you visit may work. Or one city in Germany may not work, another might (big city, smaller, college town, North Germany, South Germany, Austria.) In any case you don't want todo nothing and 20 years regret not trying it. Just don't burn too many bridges, so if you come back to the US you have a good chance of getting a job, haven't sumped all your posessions etc.
Quote: (08-10-2015 07:03 AM)Aureole Wrote:
I'm thinking I might be able to start a life in academia in Germany with my advanced degrees, and having read here how proximity is half the battle, take my quest to the local colleges. I'm up for a change, and my industry may not have room for me much longer.
>>>>>> How about being a student there? Nowadays (esp. in Germany) it's not that unusual to be an older student.
I'm not too interested in other countries. No SEA if I'm looking for white girls.
>>>>>>> The world is bigger than Germany, but if that's where you wanna go,I say try it. But use he opportunity of being in Europe to visit oher places. The Berlin wall fell 26 years ago. You might be surprised that you can find malls, restaurants, and all the first world trappings in EE just as in Germany.
I like the social welfare, first world, advanced economy of Germany, so I'm less interested in the EE.
>>>> Social welfare must be paid for. As a German resident youll pay high taxes (as in most of W. Eur)
Scandinavia is a possibility, but the expense and the lack of diversity appeals to me less.
>>>>> Scandinavia varies by country. Sweden, Norway are very expensive; Denmark about as Germany. Lack of diversity? In terms of fitting in as an Asian? Plenty of dark-skinned refugees in Stokholm. Few Asians in most Europe as a whole.
The argument for NYC is that it's where my life is, and odds here are already supposed to be pretty good. There are a lot more women than men in the city. I understand changing locations won't help if you don't have game… and I know mine isn't 100%. I could stay and work on that.
>>>>>> "Game" in W. Eur ain't much easier (if at all) than in the US.
I know racism is worse in Europe, and odds might not be better.
>>>>>> Not sure it is worse, based on conversations with Europeans and observation. In any case, rarely directed at Asians who are welldressed and do notfit the profile ofVietnamese refugees, and such racism sin't endemic, though there are skinheads in the former East Germany.
After all, without knowing the local language, my pool of candidates is smaller.
>>>>> Younger people speak great English in German-speaking and Scaninavian-speaking ountries (less common in the Latin countries of Europe.) But that is one-on-one. Breaking into groups is difficult since they tend tospeak the local language, often slang-filled and with quite different pronunciation than the standard Hochdeutsch (High German) that is taught to foreigners and you see on German TV.
I might tire of the lack of diversity once I spend some time there. Their novelty as skinny white girls and my novelty as a newcomer might fade.
On the other hand, NYC seems to be an uphill battle for me. I'd have to battle several factors:
- American women are heavier than European women, thin ones are rarer, making targets rarer
>>>>> Unfortunately not limited to the US. Women get fatter as they age in W Eur, E Eur. About as prevalent as in the US.
- White women are top of the peeking order here, raising the hurdles more
>>>>>> Not sure that's the case. Lots of white men have "yellow fever" (attraction to Asians. Stuck up women ecist notonly in the US but Europe also.
- Age gaps are looked down upon here more (though I'm not against age-appropriate dating, it's just that post-40, most U.S. women look really busted)
- The U.S. aesthetic is huge and loud. I'm lean and cultured. Would I have to change this? I don't want to change this.
>>>>>>>> Don't change yourself. Unfortunately,there are a lot of loud bar-hopping women in Europe too.
Thoughts?
>>>>>>> Bottom line, I say try it out without burning bridges. My biggest regrets in life are not trying things out. Germany may or may not work out for you. Another country you visit may work. Or one city in Germany may not work, another might (big city, smaller, college town, North Germany, South Germany, Austria.) In any case you don't want todo nothing and 20 years regret not trying it. Just don't burn too many bridges, so if you come back to the US you have a good chance of getting a job, haven't sumped all your posessions etc.