Finally.. gonna hit the "other side of the world"

[Anita]

Originally Posted by lucky81698

(I'm sorry if I offended you in any way)

Just out of curiosity, do you know why so many doctors are from India? At least where I live there are so many including mine (who I am very happy with). Is it true that the Indian government sends them here for school and they are supposed to return after their training but decide to stay here Or is that a myth? My son has had some friends in school that were Indian and it seemed like almost all of them spent the summer vacation back in India as it seemed most of their families were still there. In your profile it says that you live in Germany now, and your post says you have family in India, the States and Europe, is India a country where the younger generations want to move out of the country?

Sorry it's taken me ages to get respond, i've been kind of busy in the last stages of pregnancy, then having the baby... but finally have a minute to sit at the computer. Of course I'm not offended, but thanks for asking!

As for your question about doctors from India, well - let's face it, living in a country where people use the street as a toilet isn't always great, so anyone who can get away will often try and do so. The US is seen as the land of opportunity, of milk and honey, so even visiting awards status and kudos to the person who's been there (actually, leaving India to go anywhere is pretty cool for many people, as so few can ever even dream of doing so). If you can actually LIVE in the US (and bring your family over too...) then you are generally seen as living the dream. Generally, it is the better-off, better-educated who are in a position to think about moving, either because of a scholarship, secondment, or simply through having enough money, hence the number of doctors (being a doctor is one of THE best careers there is in India) who can emigrate. There are of course many people who love their country and wouldn't want to leave even if they can afford to, many who would love to but can't afford to; with over a billion people in the country it only takes a small percentage of them to make a big impression anywhere else!

I have a lot of (Indian) family living in the US; most of them keep homes back in India, visit family in India as regularly as possible (once a year on average I guess), try and uphold Indian traditions at home, but mostly don't want to move back except maybe in retirement, when the money they have saved up would mean a king's lifestyle "back home". I personally have had more contact with Indians living in Britain than in the US and I know that in the UK it is second generation Indians who generally really assimilate and see themselves as British (Asian) first, Indian second. The "older" generation, or those who have recently arrived from India don't want to go back to work there, but want to adhere to their own culture (and language in many cases) while in Britain. My father is perhaps an exception: he professes to "never want to visit that damned country again" and hates it every time he is there, yet of course he is torn because he has a sister there and much of the rest of our extended family, so needs must...

[dimplespoo]

Kristie -
I have been to Seoul South Korea with hubby in 2005. It was my first time outside of the states (having never been to Mexico either) so I would recommend it. In 2006 we hit up Beijing China. Thankfully when we went to China we had a tour guide that drove - I would have killed us if we would have drove - they would drive in the opposite lane until they could squeeze in but it was amazing to see things - we say a Chinese opera, chinese acrobats and actually got to climb on a section of the Great Wall outside of Beijing, Tianenamen square.

I had a great time - we went in January and it was bit cold like Alaska was at the time so we were good but we met up with a crew from Texas who thought we were nuts to want to spend 2 hours climbing the great wall outside in 0 degree temps.

It was the first time that hubby and I got to go to a place that neither of us have gone. Usually I am going somewhere where hubby has already been.

If you get the chance - I would agree go where you can - just realize that I am SOOOO jealous.

Enjoy!
Stacie

[Kristie]

how were you guys able to get a tour guide in China? some have told me that going on a cruise is the best way to see China (down the river?) plus you really have to watch what you eat/drink over there.. again, it's only what i hear.

Now Seoul would be pretty neat!! even neater will be Shanghi which we'll (Delta) hopefully start in 2008 and I really wanna get to Hong Kong!

Looks like we'll have to wait till at least sometime between April & June before doug starts flying the ER routes though....that's ok, i guess i'm not in any rush.. am I?!

[dimplespoo]

We got the guided tour through the military. Hubby spent Oct. 2004 - Oct. 2006 at Osan AFB, South Korea. So one trip we made a trip up to Seoul (about 45 min by bus) and then the last trip I went in January 2006 he arranged through the tour/ticket office on base to go to China. We didn't spend a whole lot of time - Flew in friday morning early and left Monday but it was fun. Everything was set up for us - our tour guides picked us up from the airport, our hotel was set up and then all of our tours were set up, including one afternoon that was on our own (hubby got sick during the trip - the squadron was passing around the bug before we left) so we spent this day at the hotel.

We ate breakfast in our hotel and then when we went places for lunch/supper everything was already arranged. The military tour office got our Visas and everything.

We had a good time - our tour guides would allow us as much time as possible to see things, described things to us etc. Like we went to three shops, a jade shop, a pearl shop and a silk shop. Where we got to see them carve and make things from the particular items. We went with our tour guides to the instructional/demo part and then got time to shop on our own.

The best part was there was to be 6 of us on the tour - well without 10 or more the price went up (still much cheaper than what we would have paid to come from the states) so we decided to go - the other 4 backed out so our tour guide/van was all to us. So we got to leave when I was done takings pics of each site.

I will have to post a few pics in the album if I can figure out how.

and no you aren't for wanting to go. I am jealous that we don't have the opportunities to go like you guys have.
Stacie

[skibum515]

I'm looking at getting a job teaching english in china for part of the summer, and spending some time traveling around there for a few weeks. Even if I don't find a job there, I'm still going to go and travel and see the country. Some places I'd like to go are Beijing, Shanghi, Xi'an, Hong Kong, Tibet, Mongolia and if I have $ I'd like to go to Indonesia, Bali, India, etc.

I think one of the most important things to me personally is to experience as much of the world as I can. It definatly makes my life more interesting and i feel like i'm a more rounded person because of it. I'm forced to adapt to changing situations, new places, customs, languages, foods etc. It really puts a lot of my life in perspective.

[Adreamer's_wfe]

Hey Emily-

How about we swap lives for part of the summer, that could be an adventure for you too!

Meantime - your life rocks, ski bum in the winter, world traveler in the summer, I want to be you!!

[Kristie]

Originally Posted by skibum515

I'm looking at getting a job teaching english in china for part of the summer, and spending some time traveling around there for a few weeks. Even if I don't find a job there, I'm still going to go and travel and see the country. Some places I'd like to go are Beijing, Shanghi, Xi'an, Hong Kong, Tibet, Mongolia and if I have $ I'd like to go to Indonesia, Bali, India, etc.

I think one of the most important things to me personally is to experience as much of the world as I can. It definatly makes my life more interesting and i feel like i'm a more rounded person because of it. I'm forced to adapt to changing situations, new places, customs, languages, foods etc. It really puts a lot of my life in perspective.

Can I come???? or meet you over there for a week or two? haha

[flygirl813126]

How cool is that!!! How on earth do you get hooked up with that kind of situation to go teach English? That sounds like a cool experience.