Moving to America

[Don Roley]

How many people do you need to get to attend a seminar for it to be worth your time?

Ack! Put me on the carpet, why don't you?

Umm.... It would have to be after the first of the year and I would probably want just enough to get me there and back to Japan. If I can sleep on a couch, then there would be less expense. I just do not want to lose money on this. I have never run a seminar per se at all and am not sure how to do things.

 

[Don Roley]

Can some of you guys from Washington tell me about Tooele county?

Darth Roley has some business there.

:jediduel:

 

[Don Roley]

Forget it. Toole is in Utah. Oops!

 

[George Kohler]

Forget it. Toole is in Utah. Oops!

Isn't that near Dugway Proving Grounds? I did some military training there. Did some stuff in the mountains next to the salt flats. I also had fun chasing wild mustangs and caught a couple of rattlers. Other than that, not much out there.

 

[Don Roley]

Isn't that near Dugway Proving Grounds?

According the maps at Yahoo, yes. It looks to be a little west of Salt Lake City.

Any state with laws as strict as they about booze is off the list.
:drinkbeer

 

[Shogun]

Washington only has strict laws on drinking while driving. other than that, your free to drink.

 

[mantis]

Folks,
This is a little announcement. I had been planning to move back to America after my youngest had a chance to develop a level of skill in Japanese. Now, unless some things change (I get a job that pays twice what I get now..... my mother in law falls to her death from her broom.... the Japanese finally figure out how to make a good television series) this may just be my last year here.

I hope to move to America by summer of next year. I do not know where or what I will or even can do.

Any help and advice would be appreciated. I have lived most of my adult life in Japan and there are a lot of things I do not know about finding a job in America, etc.

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 am not worried about money in the short term. I can easily live off of my savings and pay for a few years of graduate level studies if needed.

Again, nothing is decided at this point and any help is welcome. I am clearing out my PM box and will try to return favors for favors if I can.

Thank you in advance to anyone willing to give advice.

I'd say norCal or soCal (orange county)
but hey, what kind of job you're looking for?
maybe we can help for real...
good luck

 

[davidg553]

I'd say norCal or soCal (orange county)
but hey, what kind of job you're looking for?
maybe we can help for real...
good luck

I think you missed this part of Don's quote, "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,...Are just plain silly. (California.)..."

 

[mantis]

I think you missed this part of Don's quote, "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,...Are just plain silly. (California.)..."

no, i know.. i read that
but that's the only places i can help with!
in fact, these are the only places i'v been inside the US!

 

[mj-hi-yah]

Being that your wife is native Japanese you might want to consider living somewhere where it will not be a total culture shock for her. Great schools, great shopping, some country... some city... you need to live in a suburb of NYC maybe Weschester County and you won't be too far from mountains there as well. You could get a master's degree in ESL Education - teaching children who have English as a second language, or teach Japanese to American students. Your second language would be a big asset to you in either of those areas of teaching. :ultracool

 

[Don Roley]

Being that your wife is native Japanese you might want to consider living somewhere where it will not be a total culture shock for her. Great schools, great shopping, some country... some city... you need to live in a suburb of NYC maybe Weschester County and you won't be too far from mountains there as well. You could get a master's degree in ESL Education - teaching children who have English as a second language, or teach Japanese to American students. Your second language would be a big asset to you in either of those areas of teaching. :ultracool

Wow! Is there that many Japanese in the suberbs of NYC? I thought most of the communities were on the West Coast. Would some place like Buffalo or Albany have room for someone who could teach ESL or maybe Japanese?

I have been to NYC and my feeling toward it is the same for Tokyo. Great place to shop, would not want to live in a place where I could scream in passion :inlove: and the neighbors would hear me. I live about 50 minutes by train from Tokyo. It may be worth my while to think about something in New Jersey, Pennselvania or New York.

 

[Gemini]

As I Said before. New York is a beautiful state that offers much. I live about only an hour from the city but I'm at the base of the Catskill mountains. But if I wouldn't known at the time I moved here that the taxes where going to get this out of control, I would never have done it. My taxes are more than my mortgage. IMO, there's something fundimentally wrong with that.

See reference to Virginia.

 

[Don Roley]

Oh yeah, taxes. Have to think about that. In Oregon there is no sales tax, but your personal taxes are through the roof.

 

[mj-hi-yah]

I love the City! It's awesome... restaurants, street fairs, theater, museums - culture galore! There is so much excitement there and tons to do, but it is not a place I would want to live. I love to bring my children there, but I would not want to raise them there, although many people do. There is no such thing as personal space there, and for me that would be hard to take 24/7. New York State is huge (Buffalo is like maybe 7 hours from NY City) and some parts are very, very rural, so on the flip side there can be too much personal space for my liking in some parts. I'm thinking you work in the city where you'd be more marketable, and live in the suburbs where great schools/quality of life tends to be. I don't think there would be a large Japanese population in the suburbs in terms of work, but you will find all cultures in NYC and teachers are always in demand there. The taxes in New York can be very high though I agree. There has been a recent trend and building in parts of Pennsylvania that are not too far a commute, maybe an hour to the city and the cost of living is said to be lower. So it might be worth investigating the areas of Pennsylvania that are close to NY City.

 

[Rich Parsons]

Wow! Is there that many Japanese in the suberbs of NYC? I thought most of the communities were on the West Coast. Would some place like Buffalo or Albany have room for someone who could teach ESL or maybe Japanese?

I have been to NYC and my feeling toward it is the same for Tokyo. Great place to shop, would not want to live in a place where I could scream in passion :inlove: and the neighbors would hear me. I live about 50 minutes by train from Tokyo. It may be worth my while to think about something in New Jersey, Pennselvania or New York.

I know it is a deal breaker, but with the exceptions of Mountains in the back ground Ann Arbor Michigan has lots of Japanese Students for U of Michigan, and also is the place most of the Visiting Japanese live for their 3 to 5 years stay here in the Detroit Metro area. They have multiple support groups and ESL teachers. Just not enough mountains.

 

[Blindside]

Oh yeah, taxes. Have to think about that. In Oregon there is no sales tax, but your personal taxes are through the roof.

Site with relative tax burdens by state:

http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/335.html

According to that site NY is #2 in the nation for tax burden. Yowch.

 

[shesulsa]

Oh yeah, taxes. Have to think about that. In Oregon there is no sales tax, but your personal taxes are through the roof.

That's why I was saying it's best to live and work in Southwest Washington near the border where there's lower property taxes and NO STATE INCOME TAX, then do your major shopping in Oregon. Screw the tax man!!

 

[Don Roley]

That's why I was saying it's best to live and work in Southwest Washington near the border where there's lower property taxes and NO STATE INCOME TAX, then do your major shopping in Oregon. Screw the tax man!!

Thats it!!! Washington state is now officially in the lead!!!!

And I will be just outside of Portland close to Thanksgiving. I think we should have a little Martial talk get together between some of us.
:cheers:

 

[Makalakumu]

Well, I've been a little late with my promised pics. My camera broke on the day I was going out to take them.

Here is a recap of some of the reasons why I think the Twin Ports totally kick butt.

1. There are low property taxes in MN and no sales tax on cloths and stuff.
2. WI has low taxes on larger items like cars and boats.
3. Both states have recipricity with one another so one can attend college in either Superior or Duluth for in state prices.
4. In MN, anyone can get a conceal carry permit.
5. In WI, booze is everyday of the week.
6. There are more bars per capita up here in Superior WI then anywhere else and these bars are open until 2:30-3:00 am every night.
7. There are seven area colleges so there are a lot of young people up here.
8. No body has even heard of the bujinkan up here.
9. We have good sushi now.
10. And then there are these...



I will attach the pics in this order...

1. This is a map of the general area so people can get their bearings…

2. This is a view of the North Shore of Lake Superior in the Fall.

3. I’m riding tram between Moose Mountain and Eagle Mountain. You are looking at the Caribou River. It is stuffed with salmon.

4. This is Enger Tower, atop the hills of Duluth. Many of the following views are taken from this vantage, 900 feet above the surrounding terrain.

5. This is a view of Rice Point, Duluth, MN and Superior WI. We are the busiest and farthest inland freshwater port in the world.

6. Here is a view of Canal Park. The Lift Bridge, Great Lakes Aquariam, and Bayfront Festival Park are in the background. Most big concerts in Duluth take place at Bayfront.

7. Here is a veiw take from Hawk Ridge of the typical Duluth Neighborhood. This is Lakeside.

8. There are twelve city parks in Duluth. Each is absolutely beautiful and has there own character. This is one of seven waterfalls in Chester Park. I come here in the spring and fly fish for brook trout.

9. This is a view of the Duluth waterfront. Fitgers is in the background. This is one of the local breweries. They only make good stuff, none of the swill Americans usually drink.

10. We have great whitewater here in the spring. I am running an easy part of a class III.

11. This is one of the quiet pools tucked away in one of the city parks.

12. We have sweet winter storms here in Duluth. This one fetched up 20 foot waves on the big lake. It was waves like these that immortalized the Edmund Fitzgerald in a Gordan Lightfoot song.

13. This is Moose Mountain, an hour and a half away from Duluth. We have great skiing all over this place. In Duluth, we have Spirit Mountain. That is only 10 minutes away.

 

[Makalakumu]

Here are pics 1-5 on the above list...