My Introduction

[Cardboard]

     Hey everyone and thanks in advance for my welcome here at PL.  I am a 24 year old from New Jersey and have been randomly looking over the site for the past few weeks now.  I am very intrigued by some of the stories posted and how amazing the culture can be outside of the country.  I am very interested in getting started as soon as possible finding the right girls to talk with online to get my foot in the door so to say.  As for my previous relationships, they have not been too bad at all.  I have always been interested in the long term relationship, and when I am single I tend to not have too many flings.  I know how to talk to a lady and put off that alpha male vibe to get their attention.  I have had my fair share of cheaters and liars, as I think we all have.  I am not here because I don't think I can find an American bridge, I just think that in general the women I have met here are so self absorbent that they expect you to just be the embodiment of their dream husband. 

     I am mostly looking to find some good sites to start chatting with some women from some of your recommended areas.  A lot of the sites I have been coming across have very high price rates, with the most legit one looking like they wanted $15 just to send one email to a lady.  I would love to exchange a few emails, have a few IM conversations, and move onto the phone if the friendship seems to be working.  I have always been a believer in making a friend first, and moving it to the next step if you feel it can work.  I am by no means looking to go overseas to sleep with foreign women.  Even through talking to some and they don't seem to be compatible, I would still like to make friends that I can chat with about life where they are from.

     I am very much considering the fact of finding someone in a place that they are not desperate to get out of.  I think that once I get in the culture, I may even want to move in and spend my life there.  I love America, but I find myself leaving the house less and less with every passing month because I am not interested in today's culture.  From the stories I have read so far, I have seen a lot of people talking about their trips being so amazing they didn't want to leave.  Do most women want to find a relationship with someone who is going to take them back to the states, or are some looking for American husbands to live with them?  I would love to go somewhere and if I hit things off with the person I initially meet, would love to stay there for a few months to see if I would like to live my life there.

     As for me, I am very much Agnostic.  I do not try to push my belief in religion onto other people nor do I shun people for having any strong religious beliefs.  I just wanted to get that out there because I am not sure about the foreign woman's beliefs out there when it comes to this topic.  Will they not be interested in me because of this?  I don't mind having a religious spouse, but I do not want to be converted nor do I want to feel like it has a heavy burden on my relationship.  I want to stay completely honest about myself with them find someone with a similar outlook on life.  I would love to meet someone, settle down with a full time career and house, and start a family together.  Life is an adventure and I believe I will not know what I'm missing until I break out of my shell.

     If anyone has any questions for me in order to help me find the right places to start looking, feel free to ask.  I am very open and don't mind talking about anything and would love to chat with someone with a strong knowledge on the subject.  If anyone would like to talk through eMail, IM, or phone, just let me know and I will give you my contact details.  Also if anyone can recommend a few places to start my research, and then possible date sites for those areas.

     Thanks in advance and thanks for welcoming me here to this wonderful community!

[robert angel]

Hey Cardboard,

Welcome guy. Sounds like you're 'sorting this out' pretty well and that's good. Being concerned about women who are desperate to get out of their country is a valid concern. I think that while almost every woman you're going to meet on most of these sites wants to get out of their country and try life in a different place, to see 'Disney World' and a lot more -- if they're absolutely 'desperate', they'll being looking at you as a means to an end and as such, not as a person they truly love for valid reasons--someone who they are willing to show their true selves to accordingly. Some of these women will come off as the 'real deal' and promise you the sun, moon and stars if you'll have them. You'll see how the game's played and with time, meet someone who feels right.

You're going in with your eyes and mind open, which is great. Take the time and I'm sure good things will come your way. Start saving for expenses, if you haven't already!

[Cardboard]

Thanks for the response!  I completely understand that a lot of the women are trying to get to America, but I don't want to find a woman who is only interested in me because I can bring her back home.  I am concerned with finding someone I can spend the rest of my life with, and not some Asian hottie that I can get my fix with.  I am very interested in traveling around the world as I have never left the country to date.  I would love to use this as my initial trip, and then hopefully take someone with me for those following.  Also in mentioning savings, how much (roughly) should I be looking to save for an enjoyable trip?  I want enough for all the basic needs such as air fare, hotel, and food, but I also want to be able to dine out frequently and get her some gifts.  I do have some savings but away right now which I didn't really have for this purpose, but I suppose I could use some if I meet someone in a shorter time frame that I would like to meet.

[Capstone]

Welcome aboard Cardboard!

It sounds like you are starting things out the right way by thinking things through before plunging in which is a good thing. Your concern about not wanting to find a girl who is desperate to leave her country is a very valid one in my opinion but I don't think that you should write off any particular country just because it has a poor economy as there are many women from poor countries who would rather stay there instead of moving to the US. Of course on the other hand there are some Asian countries where this would not be as big of a problem as in others - some that come to mind are Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong along with many cities within Mainland China.

I am married to a Chinese woman and she would much rather that we live in China permanently than in the US but she decided that she will follow me wherever I want to be. The Chinese economy is actually humming along much much better than the economy in the US at the moment so there is no great incentive for an educated Chinese woman to move to the US. We are currently in China on an extended 3 month stay and I love it here.

My advice is to first do some research and find a country in which you feel that you will be comfortable with the culture because believe me when you marry a girl from another country you in essence marry into that country's culture and will live it for the rest of your life.

I didn't meet my wife from any of the dating sites so I can't give you any personal recommendations there. I know several men who have met their Chinese fiances and wives via the WorldFriends network though and they all gave it high marks. You can connect to the WorldFriends network via any number of portals one of which I know is www.japanesefriendfinder.com. Apparently that portal will connect you to the entire network from which you can search for women all over Asia but like I said I don't actually have any personal experience with it myself.

No matter which country that you end up choosing to start your search in I want to wish you good luck!

[Jeff S]

Hi cardboard and welcome. Glad to have you here. The whole "green card shark" thing is far overblown IMO - most of our wives would rather be back home that here in the US and many of us have moved there, or plan to move there in the future. In any event, I green card shark is extremely rare. If you're looking for a wife, you are (or at least should be) looking for character. Find a woman with character - a strong sense of right and wrong, and you won't have to worry about that issue at all.

The key to finding a bride overseas is not looking where the women are better looking, more available, more open to moving, or anything else. It's about finding a culture you can enjoy and live with. The cultures of Asia or anywhere outside the US for that matter, are very different from ours, and from each other. Some aspects you'll love and some will drive you crazy. The trick is finding one you fit-in with, because it will become yours for the rest of your life whether you like it or not.

Outside of the Philippines and perhaps Indonesia, you won't find many religious (the way you think about it anyway) women. They'll be religious alright, but just not semitic (Christian, Jewish, Moslem) and it will show in the things they do every day - not in some belief system or places to go on Sunday. Eastern religions are extremely different than Western. They're about leading a successful life today, so tend to be more about actions than beliefs. You'll find out. You don't have to worry about being "converted" though.

Hope to hear more from you as you explore this new avenue.

- Jeff

[jm21-2]

Hey man,

There are plenty of Asian girls who are not just out for a green card. Probably you can maximize your chances of that in Japan, Korea, Singapore, HK, Taiwan, and other wealthy Asian countries. My Taiwanese girlfriend does not really want to move here. I'd actually think about moving there if I could have a decent job. But she says if we get married she'll move to Antarctica if she has to.

Here are some ideas for what you're looking for:

Try out plentyoffish.com
Download skype and put yourself on 'skype me' mode if it still exists
Try out some sites where people can exchange language learning partners

I'd suggest just talking with girls from a lot of countries and reading up on culture/history of various countries you're interested in. There's also a wealth of information on the internet. But ultimately no substitute for visiting.

[bcc_1_2]

I dont think you can go wrong in Latin America or Asia. My 2 cents are simply travel can get expensive and take some time.

In terms of cost flying to Latin America is going to be less expensive. Or taking the bus to northern Mexico (or a group of friends driving down) is definitely the cheapest. But I bet if you drove and started at like 2 AM in the morning on a Saturday you'd get in at like 9 or 10 am on Sunday. You need 2 to 3 drivers to make it happen. But if you divide the gas by 3 people and ride in a 4 cyclinder car... its freakin cheap. Just remember to take your passports and car title with you if you do it. To cross the Mexican border you also need to pay like 20 some bucks to get their tourist card.  Just remember to check in and return it at the end of the trip or you'll have an expensive and challenging time ever going back. I personally wouldn't want to drive in Mexico. I'd drive to the border then catch a bus.

If you are flying Spirit you have lots of low cost options to visit in Latin America. $250-$450 round trip to Latin America. My guess is you are looking at $900- $1500 to fly to Asia. It varies by time of year as well.

Agoda.com is a nice site just purchased by Priceline not long ago to book cheap lodging in Asia. In Latin America you've got to search online at the various hostels and local hotel options. Sometimes hostels have a great reputation with individual rooms as well. There is generally always one local hotel that gets great reviews and these type of options cost $25 to $50 a night instead of booking the Intercontinental for like $150 or whatever.

For a first timer I'd say San Jose, Costa Rica or Cartagena Colombia... both will get you there from airports in the northeast on Spirit Airlines. Actually I just went to Spiritair.com and punched in LGA to SJO and it came back $360.96 including tax round trip.

Plus 10 nights @ $40 a night comes to around $760. Just gives you an idea of cost. Cabs and food are generally inexpensive unless you find a gringo tourist trap.

[jm21-2]

It's more like $800 to most Asian countries. Late May and June are pretty expensive for tickets. I booked a ticket for $980 roundtrip to Taiwan in mid-late May but it was nonstop and by EVA instead of 1-stop with United ($860ish for that). Having flown the United flight between Seattle and Tokyo several times now I am more than happy to pay a hundred bucks to avoid it.

You can find some pretty good deals on hotels in Asia and the food is pretty cheap. In Thailand we stayed at some places that were $15 for two people per night that had AC and were very clean. We also found prices well above $300 per night (didn't stay there).

Also if you get vaccinations they can be expensive..cost of your passport if you don't have one...usually visas are free to US citizens but for example China is pretty expensive. Then there are unexpected costs or you blow some cash on something...I think you could visit many places in Asia for two weeks for $1,500 but I would plan on $2,000. The extra $500 will let you do a lot more fun stuff and you won't have to worry about your spending.

[Ray]

Card,

Jeff gave you some great advice.

A few things about the Philippines if you are interested.

The country is overwhelmingly Catholic but the majority of the ladies are very tolerant of other beliefs, or the lack thereof, and usually won’t bug you about converting. As long as you aren’t an outspoken hater of God or organized religions, it can certainly work with a Catholic girl.

Also, the Catholic Church does not require you to convert to be married in the Church, but some local jurisdictions may try to convince you to.

As for expenses to visit the Philippines, I would use a rough estimate of $1k for airfare, and about $150/day for all other expenses, including hotels, restaurants, shopping, local transportation, etc…

Note: Do not pay anyone to send or receive e-mails! Those sites are virtually all a rip off.

Ray
 

[bcc_1_2]

It's more like $800 to most Asian countries.

Maybe from the west coast. More for the Midwest and east coast unfortunately. I remember back in the day I was looking at taking a greyhound to chicago and jumping on a direct flight to Shanghai and that was like $950. Cebu was coming in around $1400-$1600 at different times throughout the year. Way different than the 1/3rd of a gas bill to Monterrey and a $25 bus ticket or $350 flight to Central America.

[Capstone]

My flights to Hong Kong & Shanghai from Atlanta usually run me $850-$950 - I have paid as little as $750 but never more than $1000. I always buy my tickets directly from the airline and have never had much of a problem finding a good deal on the most direct route. Airfare to Asia from New York and the West Coast will usually be less of course.

[Cardboard]

Wow thanks for all the info already guys!  I can tell I am going to be an active member of this community for a long time now and can see you are all very helpful and mature about the whole process.  I am looking into researching cultures a lot more in depth to see how I could potentially enjoy living the remainder of my life.  I have always wanted to travel, which was what led me to join the Marine Corps, but due to an un-forseen accident, I ended up getting an Honorable (medical) discharge.  I am now reading a lot of trip reports here and doing researching various websites to get a feel for their culture.  As for the religion issue, I am not at all trying to find someone who is not religious, its just that I need my potential wife to understand my decisions make me who I am and that is something about me I am proud of.  I know eastern cultures can be very different from us, so I wasn't sure if there were some areas I should avoid if they may frown upon not believing in a god.  Anyways thanks again for all the insight guys, but now unfortuneatly I have to head into work.   

[jm21-2]

Seattle is not the greatest for flights to Asia. Getting a little better but it's no LAX.

I think next time I will take an almost empty bag for luggage and buy a bunch of clothes. Probably save myself some money that way. You could probably do it in central/latin america too but some of the Asian clothes are so kitschy they rock . Or with F'ed up English slogans that would be very popular in the Seattle area. I've got my BMW belt to match my car, hell ya...and custom tailored dress clothes in Thailand for work were damn cheap.

Most Asians I've known view religion much differently from Americans (much less political/combative) and the convenience of the religion seems to weigh in a lot more. No offense intended but they seem to do a lot more cost-benefit analysis when it comes to religion. The problem for me as an atheist was that I don't want my children going to church and that made me rule out the Catholic and Muslim countries. No need to make things more difficult than they need to be.

If I didn't have student loan payments, a business, and a mortgage, I would probably take a year or two and go teach English somewhere. The pay really isn't that bad when you take into consideration you pay almost no tax and usually get free housing. Check out Dave's ESL Cafe (website) if interested.

[bcc_1_2]

Flights to Asia must just suck in the midwest then. The barrio antiguo in Monterrey, MX is all it is cracked up to be. I can vouch for that... absolutely great for young guys.

http://www.nuevaluna.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1chYVV2Rz9M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxXoJKmi11c

http://www.allaboutmonterrey.com/nightlife.htm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/myrmardan/2368406010/

Lodging

http://www.lacasadelbarrio.com.mx/

100 bucks in gas per passenger. 25 bucks for a tourist card. 25 bucks for a bus ticket at the border. And 25 bucks a night for a room @ La Casa Del Barrio... best bang for your buck period... and stunning women. Rock music is actually popular as well. English is more likely to be spoken by the middle and upper class college girls and young professionals in Monterrey compared to elsewhere in Latin America.

[Bob_S]

My advice is to first do some research and find a country in which you feel that you will be comfortable with the culture because believe me when you marry a girl from another country you in essence marry into that country's culture and will live it for the rest of your life.

Amen, that.
The first step in this is know thyself.  Who are you really.  What do you like, not just what you pretend to like to get along with others in your peer group.  Your spouse is the person you allow into your inner sanctum.  Are you a go-getter or easy going?  Team player or blazing your own path?  Love to engage in deep arguments or prefer a peaceful time over your beverage of choice?  Everyone's a blend of this and that, but you gotta know who you are to know who you'd be compatible with.  Because ultimately, we do not marry our opposites.  Lasting marriages are to our equals.  We must respect the other and enjoy our time together (and have some agreement on how much time together we really need and how much personal time we need).

After that, you select a region or country that has a culture that matches you.  Even though everyone is an individual, different cultures do have common defining characteristics that make it more common to meet a person with a particular type of personality.  You might have several countries in mind to start.

Then you have to study that culture more in depth to see if it reeeeallly matches you.  Is it a language you can and would want to learn?  Can you eat the food?  How about that country's movies, music, and pop culture?  Is the history interesting to you?  That doesn't mean you have to love it all.  But if you find you hate more than you like, you may want to move on to the next country of choice.

As for costs, different people can get away with different costs, but as a rule of thumb, expect it to cost a total of $10,000 over two or more years from the time you send your first letter till you finally get your new wife her Adjustment of Status (temporary green card).  A lot of guys can get it done with less because they speak the local language and know how to cut costs, are willing to sleep in cheaper hostels, time their trips for when rates are cheapest and use their airline miles, haggle with taxi drivers, etc.  You can also end up spending a lot more of you use a full-service introduction agency that leads you by the hand, sets you up in one of their apartments or a high-end Western-style hotel, provides a driver and translator, etc.  It all depends on your comfort level.

Seattle is not the greatest for flights to Asia. Getting a little better but it's no LAX.

SFO has a lot of connections.  If we want to fly into Osaka, we often need to pass thru San Fransisco.

If I didn't have student loan payments, a business, and a mortgage, I would probably take a year or two and go teach English somewhere. The pay really isn't that bad when you take into consideration you pay almost no tax and usually get free housing. Check out Dave's ESL Cafe (website) if interested.

Been there, done that, and I highly recommend it for anyone to try.  To get a work visa to Japan, you need at least a B.A. degree (so say the sites that hire English teachers) but no teaching experience required.  Be personable, friendly, and speak clear English sloooowwwly so ESL learners can follow.

[Jeff S]

Depending on what size you are you may or may not be able to find clothes in Asia. I have to have everything, even socks, made there. It's not the 1970s anymore when Hong Kong tailors could crank you out suits cheaper than the rack suits in the US - the prices for custom tailored clothes will make you gasp in disbelief.

[robert angel]

Looks like prices on ticket to the RP are going up and up. last summer, I know some folks who got USA east coast to Manila RT for about $800, but it's looking more like between $1100 to $1500 once we get into June this year. I hope I'm wrong.

What's always struck me as weird and ununderstandable is why it almost always costs more to fly to Manila than it does to fly almost anywhere else in Asia. After all, the Philippines is the gate way to Asia--you have to fly over it or to the left or right of it to get to just about anyplace in Asia, say to Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, etc. But it usually costs less to fly farther, and this is despite the fact that the RP has over 90 million people, including millions who work overseas.

You'd think that many people would create a more competitive market, with more carriers competing, but then again, the RP defies accepted economic principles in many ways.

I've found that prices on clothes in the Philippines certainly are far from the bargains they used to be, especially if you want to buy name brands and designer duds similar to what you'd buy in the USA.

Probably a lot has to do with the currency exchange rate and other global economic factors. Then again, even for my family there, the cost of living  on just about everything has gone up a lot faster than earnings and the dreaded VAT (value added tax) has made things worse.

I'm 6.0 tall,  200 pounds, 36 inch waist, 46 inch chest with a 17.5  inch neck, and finding clothes that fit me was hard. I've found that even USA people in general have a hard time finding clothes that fit their somewhat different size and proportion bodies

There's counterfiet everything and a lot of that stuff, especially the low and middle grade level lacoste polos and such, might fit you, but after one warm water wash, they might fit my 13 y/o son.

There are often several tiers or levels of everything counterfiet that they sell there and the highest tier of the counterfiet stuff can be very good--even quite hard to discern from the 'real thing'. It's just hard to find the top of the line counterfiet stuff, as most sellers don't bother with it, at least from what we've seen in Davao. I imagine at places like Greenhills in Manila, it's a lot easier, but I'm not into it really and not terribly inclined to visiting Manila.

Some of the stuff called 'counterfiet' can actually be 'gray market'--stuff made on the same assembly line as the 'real McCoy' stuff, but during a third shift that's dedicated to turning out extra profit product.

Since the Chinese got mass access to machinery with western quality tolerances, some of their cheap stuff is very good. I have seen some of their 'knock offs' of famous German brand knives that were very, very well done.

They will copy and counterfeit anything. Lately they have been faking US silver dollars from mostly the 1900 to 1923 time period. They , for now anyway) pretty much stay away from the high value, rarest 'key' date coins. These fakes have the weight and look--the 'patina' of age--even the dirt on them, that the real US silvers do. At first, you could tell they were fakes, because a magnet would pick them up unlike with real silver, but then they switched to an alloy that is non magnetic, but still looks and weighs just like the real deal.

[jm21-2]

I'm 6' 0" and have become a 'solid citizen' the last few years. I had no problem finding my size in China or Thailand. Even if you didn't barter you were looking at 1/3 the price of the US or less. Yeah the quality is a bit lower on average but not horrible. If I knew more about stitching it would be a lot easier to spot deals. Tailored clothes in Thailand were cheaper than off the rack stuff in the US.

My best purchase so far though was a knife I bought at the night market in Bangkok's China Town. First, it would be surprising to most Americans that there was a Chinatown in Bangkok. Second, the knife kicks freakin' butt. I might not know much about stitching but I know a lot about knives. I bought the little guy for $5. Very well crafted wicked looking solid stainless switch blade with a great edge. I would pay 10 times the price in the US and feel like I got a deal.

[robert angel]

Sounds like the clothes in Thailand and China are quite a bit cheaper than they are in the Philippines. I have some Hong Kong hand made, double breasted sport jackets that are maybe the nicest things in my closet--right up there with the Burberry and Hickey Freeman dresswear.

Clothes used to be cheap in the RP, in fact last time we went, we deliberately didn't bring enough clothes, figuring we could use the luggage weight and use the space to bring more useful gifts. My wife still got some great deals on shoes (her fav anyway) but both of us were very disappointed --the 'bloom's off the rose' for bargains--for now anyway.

One of my best friends, a lanky guy who's 6'1 tall and weighs 190, spends two + months in Thailand each summer, has said that while the clothes there look sharp, including western style polos, they 'cinch up' in the under arm area aren't cut as long. He loves a good bargain, but doesn't bother. One 'Planet- Lover' who recently hit the RP, basically said clothes were one of the few things that wasn't a bargain in the Manila area.

Ahh--knives--I don't think I want to spend the big amounts I used to for Benchmade, & Paragon automatics and Randall and Loveless fixed blades--even for the high end Boker, Kissing Cranes, Coldsteel and SOG stuff anymore. But that's what I always say...

After losing a veddy expensive, real light weght Boker titanium handle, ceramic blade folder and finding out the Emerson Design Benchmade, tanto automatic had gone up in value from $225 to well over $800 IF I hadn't used it to dig for worms while camping and then resharpened, I decided to 'waste' my discretionary money on camera stuff instead.

My last, fairly minor splurge was a SOG tanto blade Vulcan model, with always fine Japanese Seki City 'San Mai' steel--that's a VG 10 hard steel core, layered with layered 429J2 steel. http://sogknives.com/index.html   
 
At a tad over 5 oz, it's a bit heavy for everyday pocket carry, but for the money, there's perhaps no better knife. A very, very nice knife is the  SOG Trident --the silver tanto style, made with AUS8 steel it's quite stoutly built and at 3.6 OZ is quite pocketable. The Vulcan opens as fast as an automatic, but just uses gravity, the Trident has a torsion bar type opener---lightning fast. I buy usually at westsidewholesale.com  out of Los Angeles and at $54.49 instead of $100 for the Trident and $99.99 instead of $185 for the Vulcan, they're hard to beat, with free shipping over $150.00.

If you're reading this Jm21-2, you might check them out after you handle these knives in person--bet you'll like the look, feel and quality. Let me know.

Unlike the nice German knives and the Italaian stiletto swtch blades--some with handles of exotic materials--the Chinese aren't faking the above knives to my knowledge--yet. Their steel tends to be sub par on even their nicer fakes as well--but for a sweet knife you won't want to cry over if you lose--the Chinese are top of the game.


That said, maybe my favorite knives, especially from a sentimental point of view, are the ones hand made from old jeepney springs in the Philippines by guys I know. The bolos and other knives they made are high carbon steel that takes a keen edge and although rudimentary, they're great and look cool -- wood sheaths and all.

[jm21-2]

I have lost interest in expensive knives for camping and other outdoor use. Seems like I always break the tip off doing something they weren't designed for or I have a couple beers with friends and end up doing something really stupid with a very sharp knife while the inebriated friends cheer me on. After various injuries it has lost a lot of appeal. I stick with kitchen knives now for my kicks. My most recent is a Global sushi knife which still hasn't lost its charm. $5 for a nice knife was just too much to resist though.

I paid $250 for a suit, 2 shirts, 2 ties, in Bangkok and probably got ripped off quite a bit (edit: suit and shirts were custom made). I saw some ads in Phuket for 2 suits, two shirts, two ties for $127 (99 euros). No idea about the quality though. Mine looks good but one of the adjustments they made was a little sloppy. Still, it's cheaper than what I would normally buy and looks and fits better. Shorts and t-shirts were just a couple bucks each. I think China was a bit cheaper with more selection but lower quality on the average.

EDIT:
A lot of the draw for me is having something a bit more unique though. Even if the deals weren't good it's fun to have some play clothes that only a tiny percent of the population has seen before.

[Cardboard]

If I didn't have student loan payments, a business, and a mortgage, I would probably take a year or two and go teach English somewhere. The pay really isn't that bad when you take into consideration you pay almost no tax and usually get free housing. Check out Dave's ESL Cafe (website) if interested.

I'm actually very glad you mentioned this.  A couple months back I was actually looking into this and considering it heavily.  I do not have any college education though, so I would have to start from the bottom of the totem pole.  It sounds like an excellent idea to not only have a great career, but be able to check out Asian culture in the same process.  Thinking about teaching English and finding a possible wife at the same time just sounds absolutely perfect for my future and puts a big smile on my face.  I believe once I get over there that I am not going to want to come back except to visit.  I'm going to start researching this, but from the looks of that site it appears that most of these places require a BA in order to teach.  I don't mind possibly enrolling to my local county college if they have a program that would work with this, so I am going to have to start some serious research and make some calls.  Does anyone here have experience with this or know people who teach abroad?  Would love to talk to someone who may have gone through the same situation I am looking to get myself involved in. 

As for clothes, ever since I got out of the Marines I have (to my displeasure) but on a bunch of extra pounds.  Going from a steady diet and workout routine to sitting home drinking beers didn't help at all.  I am actually on the verge of starting a new diet and workout soon with the right motivation.  I was originally in a 32" waist and now am up to a 44".    I'm not really an obese person, I just have a very large frame no matter how much I thin out.  I weigh about 280 now and after boot camp I was still even around 225-230.  I am not a huge person on fashion though so I don't mind much about finding the greatest brand clothing.  If I am comfortable and look decent is all that matters to me.  I usually end up walking around in a pair of jeans and a band t-shirt still. 

Man the whole thought of this process is getting me so excited for my future.  Can't wait to see how this all pans out!

[jm21-2]

It's my understanding that a bachelor's is pretty much required for teaching in most countries. The big exception being China. Last time I checked it out they seemed willing to hire just about anyone, even if they put a requirement in their ads. Pay is very low by western standards but if you don't have debt payments you could get on decently as the cost of living is very low. If you haven't really started college yet you might think about doing some sort of online tefl course and applying for some jobs. I've even read about some Chinese companies forging degrees for their teachers.

EDIT:
Assuming you are interested in China. Otherwise it's off to college if you really want to pursue that route.

[Jeff S]

I'm large also - 50 Long suits with a 42 waist and 12EEE shoes so have no luck in Asia finding anything that remotely fits me. I can't usually by shirts because of the sleeve length, or shoes because of the width, in most standard department stores in the US. I've had clothes made in Japan and Hong Kong, but haven't tried it in the poorer countries - I'd been concerned about the quality. I'd heard tales of things coming apart quickly because of poor quality thread.

Anyway, Marshall K, an occasional poster is currently living in Southern China with his new wife and is teaching English. I don't believe he has a degree:

http://www.planet-love.com/forum/index.php?topic=4168.0
http://www.planet-love.com/forum/index.php?topic=4344.0
http://emsique.blogspot.com/

Bob S also spent a year in Tokyo teaching adults, and came home with a Japanese wife. He does have a Bachelors and Masters, I think, but both in engineering, not English or teaching. You can find his regular reports in the archives 5 or 6 years ago if you do a search.

[bcc_1_2]

You could go to school for 4 more years. Or you can just use photoshop.

A lot of high school grads are barely literate so I almost hate giving that advice.

Likely just puting BA in Business Administration (3.15 GPA) Ramapo College of New Jersey would be the end of it.

[thekfc]

Looks like prices on ticket to the RP are going up and up. last summer, I know some folks who got USA east coast to Manila RT for about $800, but it's looking more like between $1100 to $1500 once we get into June this year. I hope I'm wrong.

Yep, the ticket prices are way high for June and after. I have been keeping an eye on Cathay's Deal of the Month: February - a little under $900 for travel through April 30th. March - $932 for travel through May 23rd. Waiting to see what deal they will have in April - I am hoping that it will be around $1000.
Right now the fare for June travel is about $1400 - across the board /all airlines.

Even the All Asia Pass went up $100 from last year.
 

I'm 6.0 tall,  200 pounds, 36 inch waist, 46 inch chest with a 17.5  inch neck, and finding clothes that fit me was hard. I've found that even USA people in general have a hard time finding clothes that fit their somewhat different size and proportion bodies

I am the "shrimp" around here, 5'6", about 165lbs, M or L shirt, 34" waist (32/33 depending on the style/fit) & 16" neck.  I was a bit luckier than others as I didn't have a problem finding my size in Manila. Some of the prices in the "major" Malls were way high but in the "local areas/smaller malls" I found them to be cheap(er).

On a side note, I send Ahya a video clip & she cannot stop laughing. I send her a clip of Beavis & Butthead.
I am the great cornholio - I need tp for my bunghole.  Are u threatening me?