Today, Jim from – Qualidade de Vida (Quality of Life) shares with us his stories of living in Brazil where he teaches English after working in the U.S. for 20 years. Jim has been blogging about his adventures for almost 3 years and writes about topics in his life like food, work, and culture.

If you’ve ever dreamed of living somewhere totally different than your current situation and changing your life for the better, then this interview is for you.

Austin: What led you to Brazil?

Jim: Back in San Francisco I met a guy 11 years ago and we fell in love. He is a Brazilian who had been living in the USA for 12 years. Together we visited Brazil and his family several times over the years for vacation. I immediately loved the country, culture, people – everything. When Luiz suggested we move to Brazil I was all for it.

A: What do you do for work?

J: I am an English teacher by default. Finding professional, managerial-type work is pretty difficult (I was a non-profit executive director back in the states). But teaching allows me to have a really flexible schedule and private students pay well.

A: How long have you been in Brazil?

J: We moved here in January of 2008. We live in Niterói, which is the cleaner, quieter city across the bay from Rio de Janeiro.

A: What has the experience been like?

J: I love it here. Luiz has hooked up with his childhood friends as if he had never left. We have a really laid back lifestyle that includes a lot of beach time. We have practically zero stress in our lives. Gone are the days of 6 day work weeks and 10 hour work days.

There was a brief period of adjustment but we both had a good idea about how things were in Brazil and we planned our move over several years, so things were pretty laid out and we anticipated most of our transition needs.

First and foremost for adapting to a new country is to NOT COMPARE everything all the time with how things were back in your other country. Once you stop that and just start living locally in real time, everything becomes normal again.

A: What is the cost of living in Brazil?

J: (ed. note $1 U.S. dollar = ~R$1.77 Brazilian Reals) Brazil is an expensive place to live, especially because wages are so ridiculously low for most people. We own our apartment, so the back-breaking cost of rent is lifted. If we were to rent our two bedroom apartment it would be at least R$1,300/month ($733 U.S. dollars).

Food costs for the basics are very reasonable, but if you want anything more gourmet or unusual, the price can be shocking. What really surprises me is the high cost of everyday consumer items like a coffee machine, or an ironing board, or a pair of sneakers. Sometimes I laugh out loud at the price. I will NEVER pay R$500 ($282 U.S. dollars) for a pair of sneakers!

A: What’s something unexpected about Brazil that you wish you knew going in?

J: It came as a surprise to me just how restrictive the job market is in terms of required education or certification. For example, I have been a management professional for more than 20 years, yet here in Brazil I would have to go to college and get a degree in Business Administration to be considered for practically any management position. (I have a Masters in Clinical Psychology – worthless!)

Mind you, I did not move to Brazil to start up a new career and pull down a lot of money. Teaching English is feeling just fine. But if I were younger and still needed to lay out a career path, it would be very frustrating.

A: Are there a lot of foreigners in Brazil?

J: It does not seem like there are a lot of foreign born folks here, but then, I travel in Brazilian circles more than among ex-pats. There is certainly very little English spoken in general.

A: How’s your Portuguese?

J: Learning Portuguese has not been an easy task and I am far from the finish line. It frustrates me to be struggling so much. I clearly do not have a talent for picking up languages. But then, being an English teacher and living with another English speaker, I am surrounded by English, not Portuguese. So it is taking some time and a lot of work.

I must confess that I do not study Portuguese as much as I should. The television, which many people point to as a teaching tool, is mostly crappy TV shows, so other than the nightly news I am never sitting in front of it. I do try to read the morning news online in Portuguese, but it can be a lot of work!

My language skills are sufficient to get what I need at stores or to ask for or give directions on the street. And I can have basic conversations with my more patient friends. But it will be a whole new day when I become more conversant in Portuguese. Very few people, in general, speak English here.

A: Is it easy for a foreigner to find work? How do you suggest doing so?

J: To add to what I mentioned above I would say that in order to work legally you must get a permanent resident visa (not easy to do) and then obtain an official workbook. Working legally is WAY better than under-the-table jobs. Workers in Brazil are well protected by labor laws.

But if you want to just show up and get off-the-books teaching jobs you will have to work constantly to pay for even a very basic existence.

My best advice is to do things by the book – unless you have a really unique skill and a driving entrepreneurial spirit (and a lot of savings to get you started). It is not easy for illegal foreigners to make a good living in Brazil. I don’t want to be negative, just realistic.

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Thanks again to Jim for letting us take a look at his life and make sure to check out Qualidade de Vida to follow along on his adventures.

If you have any questions for Jim about Brazil or anything else, feel free to leave them in the comments and Jim will get back to you!

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I made the single biggest purchase of my life last week. After fuel charges and 12 other airline taxes I spent $2,000 on a round-trip airline ticket from Tokyo to Chicago for the 2 weeks in August.

Is it an outrageous price? You bet, but as I’ll try to justify to my readers (and myself), the ticket will be well worth the money.

Now, this isn’t just a diary post about my stories abroad. Instead, let’s look at smart spending, saving for goals, and when it’s ok to open up our wallets to spend on the things that bring us happiness, joy, and all that other sappy greeting card stuff.

Here’s the reasons I decided to make the biggest purchase of my life.

My first time home in a year

For those of you who are new here, I’ve been in Japan since July of 2009. A lot of the other teachers in the prefecture headed home for Christmas, but my families not very religious, my girlfriend had just arrived 2 months earlier, and flying in to Chicago in December is as much fun as doing your taxes.

I haven’t seen my family, friends, or home in about 12 months and I’m overdue on catching up with my Illinois roots. Also, my sister is 15 so I expect she grew 2 feet while I was gone.

It’s important to stay in touch with those close to you and August is the best time for me to head back. Skype, e-mail, and instant messages can only do so much.

Met my saving goals for the year

Unfortunately, August is obon in Japan which means inflated airline prices – around $200-500 more than usual. Despite this, now’s the time that fits my schedule and because I’ve saved for 11 months, I can justify the huge expense without sweat.

For those of you who are FF fanatics, you know I keep track of my money goals every couple months. My goal at the start of my time in Japan was to save 40% of my monthly income and so far I’ve been able to save around 46%.

I’ve avoided any large trips, lived frugally, and counted my yen so now’s the time to let the wallet breathe a bit.

If you make the sacrifice and save your money ahead of time, there’s no reason you can’t splurge on your own big purchase. The key is to think ahead, map out your savings, and use your money for things you love – not just things you temporarily want to fill a void.

A chance to recharge my foreigner batteries

I don’t miss home as much as I thought I would, but it’s exhausting living in another culture as different for Japan. Things like going to the store and getting stared at, not understanding morning announcements, or wanting to grab a bite to eat are different here and it wears on you.

I’m staying for at least a 2nd year in Japan so it’s the perfect time in my stay to get back home and refresh the cultural batteries. It’ll be nice to hear English, drive on a big road, eat some hot dogs, buy shoes, go golfing, eat at a restaurant outside, not bow, see other races, and a few others.

Kidding aside, year 2 in Japan will be 150% easier if I can get home and get some perspective on my experience. Included in this $2,000 price tag are intangibles like catching up with my friends/family, having a chance to reminisce about the year, and seeing how I feel about my future.

Honestly, this reason is worth the money alone.

The cultural fatigue is probably like war – hard to fully explain unless you’ve experienced it.

Love summer, hate winter

The title is pretty self-explanatory, but I despise winter so visiting for 2 weeks in August is worth more to me than trudging through the snow for 2 weeks in December.

Summer allows me to play some golf, eat outside at a restaurant, and ride a bike without snow tires. It would be nice to do the Christmas thing at home, but I’ve figured out that I’m at least 4 times happier when it’s above 55 degrees.

Spend Your Money

This site sometimes gets caught up in finding ways to save money, but there are plenty of times you need to use your money to improve your situation, too. The pros of this trip are jumping off the page and even though it was hard to click the purchase button when I was staring at a $2,000 price tag, the feeling that I was actually going back home for the first time in a year was worth it.

The key is to prepare and think ahead. I knew that visiting Chicago in August was a possibility since we decided to stay in Japan for Christmas. In the back of my head I avoided huge, unnecessary purchases to prepare for this trip. I made sure I hit my savings goals and then after that, I’m using my money to make me happy.

What’s the biggest item you’ve ever bought, but would do it again in a second?

Photo: Photo8

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Yesterday I was joined by FF reader and world traveler SA on The Foreigner’s Finances Podcast to discuss a variety of travel stories and tips. Today, SA was kind enough to expand on the topic on the topic of working holiday visas and how to use a temp agency while you’re abroad to find work.

If you’ve ever thought about working abroad, you might consider a working holiday visa. This type of visa is a restricted work visa generally aimed at people between the ages of 18-30, with some limits on the type of employment you may seek and often other nation-specific restrictions as well.

For Americans who want to travel abroad, twenty-eight separate countries offer working holiday visas for varying lengths of time (generally between four to twelve months), including nations that can be otherwise difficult to gain medium-term access too–such as the United Kingdom, Japan, or France.

Finding My Visa

I took the opportunity to do a combined set of visas to Ireland and the United Kingdom in 2006-2007, primarily because that visa is even further restricted: it is frequently only offered to recent university graduates. I had thought initially that I might seek out the Australian visa or the New Zealand visa, because they were longer-term, but the limits on the already-restrictive UK visa made it seem like a once in a lifetime offer that I just couldn’t refuse.

I had already visited Ireland, in 2004, and had spent six months that same year in the United Kingdom; so I had enough familiarity with my destination to make me comfortable, but enough unknown to make it exciting! I decided to live in Dublin, the largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and started looking for a flat and a job almost as soon as I got off the plane.

I used the BUNAC program for my visa application, largely because it was the one recommended and available through my university’s international center. It was a perfectly fine program at a reasonable cost, and in Dublin they had a very active jobs center that was at least an initial touchstone for new arrivals in the country. However, I quickly learned that employers–especially in Ireland and the UK, who encounter immigrants frequently–know exactly what your visa means, how long it will allow you to be in the country, and what restrictions are placed on you as a visa holder.

The Hidden Gem of Working Abroad: The Temp Agency

Here’s the most important thing I can tell you: do not pass go, do not collect €200, head straight for the temporary employment agency.

Now, I knew some people who worked under the table at restaurants or nightclubs or the like, and didn’t have any problem at all. But those were the rare cases. The thing

is, you’re competing with every other 18-30 year old out there for roughly the same jobs: decent income, decent hours, and enough free time or flexibility to run off every weekend to explore the country you’re in. Once you bear that in mind, heading straight for the temporary agency is a little more attractive.

I had a great experience with Julia Ross Hot in Dublin, and with La Creme when I moved to Manchester, England. Both times I was placed within a week of being with the agency, and those placements were as hospital administrative staff. The hourly pay was competitive, the agency handled all the paperwork, and best of all, I had enough pocket money left over after bills to do a great deal of traveling.

The reality is that a work holiday visa is both a letdown and an awesome tool. If you go in wanting to find a great job that helps your career and nets you an impressive salary, you’re going to be disappointed–the key word on this visa is restriction. But if you go in working for the weekend, or to go out on the town or visit other parts of the region you’re in, there’s a lot to be said for the experience.

Other Outlets For Work

This trick may only work if you’re an English-speaker going to an English-speaking nation. But I encourage you to take a strong administrative CV with you, grab a list of temp agencies on Google, and see what they can do for you. It may be more challenging now that we’re in a recession–I went to Ireland as the fabled Celtic tiger was still roaring–but if you have a good working background you’d be surprised what they’ll find for you.

Other options include working for hostels, of which there are many and who are generally used to itinerant staff; working at a branch of an international chain you’ve already trained with, like Starbucks; or putting yourself further out of the city centers, and making contacts in less populated areas.

Work holiday visas are a great option for younger people looking to get some experience with living abroad without breaking the bank. And they’re a good testing option if you’re considering living abroad on a more long-term basis. Be prepared to do your research before you go, however, and set the right expectations for your time there.

For more information on SA, check out her online business card.

Photos: RealSmiley & MarkHillary

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SA is a twenty-something who has frugally managed to travel to countries like Italy, Guatemala, New Zealand, and England. In this podcast she tells us about her favorite places, how to find employment abroad, and the benefits of studying abroad in college.

Remember, you can subscribe to the podcast’s RSS feed or download and subscribe on iTunes to get every episode delivered to you.

The Foreigner’s Finances Podcast Episode 6

[02:30] – How she became interested in traveling

[05:00] – Why small colleges are great for students who want to travel

[08:00] – What traveling does for your resume

[12:00] – Where and how she traveled in college

[22:00] – How to get employed as a worker abroad

[30:00] – Her life back in the U.S.

[31:00] – Her favorite frugal travel tip

Thanks again to SA and if you have any questions for her, leave them in the comments below, and she’ll get back to you soon. You can also check out her online business card for more information and a way to get a hold of her.

Photo: ccwycoff1

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Last week I wrote about my experience getting denied by an online bank with an international wire transfer. I talked about the importance of figuring out if your bank allows these wires because if you need them in a dire situation, it’s going to be too late and your loan is going to go unpaid or your emergency is going to be difficult to fund.

I found it odd that the big banks – Chase, Bank of America, Citi – all accepted these wires, but the online banks – Ally, ING Direct, FNBO Direct – didn’t. I’m sure a lot of people have been inconvenienced by this fine print rule and it just doesn’t seem like something that the state-of-the-art online banks would omit from their banks.

So when researching the last post about international wire transfers, I asked FNBO Direct why exactly they didn’t accept international wire transfers. They were kind enough to write back with this answer:

“Since FNBO Direct is an online bank, we need to be able to validate the source of all funds. As an on-going effort to fight money laundering, funds from outside of the US are difficult to confirm and validate. Therefore, we currently do not process any incoming or outgoing international wires.”

Let’s look at FNBO’s rule a little closer.

Online banks are efficient. They don’t like customers that require a lot of attention and are willing to cut their loses if it means making things easier overall. It seems like an international wire transfer is a pain in the butt for banks to deal with. It probably requires a couple of people to work on the transfer and this isn’t a justified use of company time for them.

They have too much to lose. The biggest fear of any bank customer is if your bank misplaces your funds. We trust our banks and if they lost my money, I would be shaken. Like the customer service rep said, “[these funds] are difficult to confirm and validate.” There’s a lot of shady activity that goes on with internationally with money. People trying to beat exchange rates, money launder, and avoid taxes are just the tip of the iceberg. For the amount of work involved and the chance of a huge problem arising, online banks would rather just not deal with this wire.

Online banks are still small. Most are efficient, but this usually means 1 worker is doing a lot of jobs. They don’t want to add on “Person in charge of international money wires” to someone’s job description and they certainly don’t want to hire new workers – inefficient use of money – to be in charge of these wires. Not enough people in the business means they can’t answer every request and this is one that probably isn’t an issue that often, at least compared to other banking issues.

This Has to Change

And I hope it’ll be soon. The world travelers out there are using online banks and I’m sure these banks get a good amount of complaints about not only no accepting international wires, but also not really advertising it all that well. In the previous post about international wires I still can’t locate the prices behind every banks international wire fee.

I understand that it’s a lot of work for these banks to accept the wires, but it’s something they need to do.

I’m disappointed in ING Direct for denying our wire,  making the process go on another week, and costing me an extra $10 to re-send the wire to my big bank. Should I have checked it out before hand? Of course. But it’s not like they had this information on the front page of their website.

I, like a lot of people who get denied, assumed it was common place for an online bank – who are so up-to-date with how people use their bank accounts and money – to allow me to send money from an international account to an American online savings account.

Bottom line: it needs to change, but who knows when it will.

Have you had any issues with international wire transfers? Share your stories in the comments and let us know what your banks are doing about them.

Photo: Dano

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We sent the transfer to her ING Direct account since it would be easier for her to transfer my portion to my account. Sending money internationally from the post office in Japan takes anywhere from 10 to 21 days.

Unfortunately, I received a letter from the bank around the 14th day. It stated that the funds had not been transferred because the bank we were sending the money to – ING Direct – couldn’t accept international wire transfers.

Thankfully, my home bank does so I went back to the post office the next day and had it re-sent for another ¥1,000 ($11) . The funds eventually arrived in my bank account about a week later.

The situation was a huge pain, but we were lucky. We didn’t need that money to arrive home for a mortgage, credit card bill, or student loan due that week. A lot of international wire transfers do have a sense of urgency to them, though. The money needs to get where it’s going and usually fast. Maybe the transfer needs to fund a vacation, an airplane ticket,  a hotel, or an emergency.

Before you go abroad, check with your bank to see if they accept international wire transfers.

Do yourself a favor and take 5 minutes to search your bank’s site for the information. If you can’t find it, call them and ask. If I would’ve done this before I left last July, I would’ve saved having to leave school to go to the bank, having to pay another ¥1,000 to re-send the funds, and a week of headaches.

Below I’ve inserted a cheat sheet for you to check if your bank accepts international wire transfers as well as a link to the page explaining the costs, limitations, and other details of their international wire transfer rules.

Does Your Bank Accept International Wire Transfers?

*Reminder, each bank charges a fee for receiving wires, on top of the fee of sending it*

Chase – Yes, but must sign up

Bank of America – Yes ($15)

Wells Fargo – Yes

Citi – Yes

ING Direct – No

Ally – No (p.4)

FNBO – No

HSBC – Yes ($12)

If your bank isn’t included in the list above, let me know in the comments and I’ll add it.

Photo: Neubie

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Thankfully, my good friend Hiro, a native of Japan, was nice enough to sit down and talk about how he sees personal finance. We discussed credit card use in Japan, retirement accounts, and who’s responsible for teaching money education.

I’ve lived in Japan for almost 11 months and was surprised by a lot of the comments Hiro made about personal finance.

If you have any questions for Hiro about Japan, personal finance, or Pikachu leave them below in the comments on this post. He’ll get back to you soon with an answer.

[If you can't view click here to go to the video page]

[:25] –  Meet Hiro

[:49] –  His credit cards and the popularity of plastic in Japan

[2:37] – Banks, ATMs, and debit cards in Japan.

[3:19] –  Similarities in retirement accounts between U.S. and Japan

[5:32] - What Hiro thought about using money in America

[7:30] – Where Japanese people learn about money

Don’t forget to leave your questions for Hiro in the comments below!

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Erik is a good friend of mine from college and has managed to travel to over 10 countries and 25 states on a tight budge all before he turned 23. In this episode Erik shares his favorite travel websites and hacks for keeping your domestic or international travel within your budget.

Erik and his girlfriend Amanda are also the creators of the web comic Clint Pidgewood so we discuss how this project came to light and the laughs you can expect from their twice-weekly comic.

You can download the podcast on iTunes or listen below.

If you’d like to subscribe to The Foreigner’s Finances Podcast you can through the podcast’s RSS feed.

The Foreigner’s Finances Podcast Episode 2

[00:23] - Welcome world traveler and good friend Erik Hajek from ClintPidgewood.com

[01:20] - Erik’s travel history

[01:58] - Erik’s favorite frugal travel tips

[06:10] – The best cheap airlines

[07:25] - Discussing road trips

[15:00] – Cheapest and best international destinations

[17:25] – The overrated aspect of the language barrier when traveling

[19:00] – How Erik talked me in to traveling to the border of North Korea

[21:25] – The creation of Clint Pidgewood

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Here are some of Erik’s favorite travel sites:

Air Asia – Cheap flights in southwest Asia

Cheapoair – Cheap flights around the world

Ryanair – Cheap flights within Europe

Megabus – Affordable bus rides around the U.S. and UK

Lonely Planet Forums – Helpful for planning trips with advice from travel experts

Wiki Travel – Wikipedia for travelers

Moon books – Travel books for any destination

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Thanks to Max for sharing his experience and enjoy his stories!

A: When were you in Laos?

M: I lived in Laos around 1999 – 2000 for a little over a year in total, living in both Luang Prabang and Vientiane.

A: What led to the decision for you to teach there?

M: I wanted to travel and live somewhere that was completely different from the United States, and I also wanted to teach English overseas. An opportunity arrived to live with a family in Luang Prabang in exchange for teaching English locally, so I jumped at the chance.

A: How did you find the job?

M: The family I lived with in Laos introduced me to local Lao teachers, who provided me with teaching opportunities at teacher training colleges as well as teaching younger students at night schools. The need and desire to learn English is very prevalent, so I also taught English out of my host family’s house, which was popular with kids and young adults in my village. It was all volunteer work, and one opportunity led to another. There was never a shortage of willing students.

A: What was the experience like?

M: It was truly one of the best experiences of my life, and I learned more from the people of Laos than I ever could have taught them in return. The great thing about teaching or working abroad is that it really gives you an opportunity to integrate into the community, make close friendships, and get to know both the people and the culture of a country. The people of Laos are extremely kind and generous, and I was accepted into their homes and lives wherever I lived or traveled.

Since I learned to speak Lao while living there, I was able to communicate with people directly, and this also allowed me to provide them with details about my own culture, so that we could get a better understanding of each other.

I am eternally grateful to the family I lived with and the Lao friends and acquaintances I met along the way for inviting me into their culture and giving me a better understanding of my own.

A: What was the cost of living?

M: The cost of living was extremely cheap. The Lao currency is the Kip, and with the unbelievable exchange rate to the U.S. Dollar, I was able to live for more than a year for well less than $1,000.

I lived extremely frugally, but compared to U.S. prices, everything I needed was next to nothing. Meals were just pennies, traveling across the country by bus was a few dollars, and even when I rented a home (an extremely nice home) in Vientiane, I paid practically nothing compared to U.S. rental prices.

I think speaking the language helped, as I was always able to pay what the locals paid, but even with the slightly inflated “foreigner” prices, traveling in Laos is still one of the most affordable destinations in the world. Of course, the downside to this is that Laos is one of the poorest countries in the world, which is why it is so affordable to foreigners.

A: Did Living under $1,000 a year include rent?

Actually, living under $1,000 for the year did include some rent. While I was living in Luang Prabang with my host family, I did not pay any rent, although I did help pay for food and some other expenses, but I did rent a very nice home while living in Vientiane with some friends, and we paid about the equivalent of $150 per month for several months.

I know it sounds unbelievable, but the exchange rate at the time worked extremely well in my favor. Many Lao people have family members in the United States from the Vietnam War era when the communist government took over in Laos (Laos was involved in the war in many aspects, although never officially according to the U.S. government), and these U.S. family members send money back home, which some people then use to build more “modern” homes than the traditional wooden stilt homes you’ll find across the country.

In addition, I lived simply and there aren’t really too many ways to spend a lot of money in Laos if you don’t go out of your way to do so. Travel by bus is cheap, I had “family” throughout the country I could stay with while traveling, and I spent much of my time teaching, so I just wasn’t spending a lot of money on a day-to-day basis.

My budget even included bribing government officials to receive a work visa in order to stay for so long beyond the standard tourist visa. I was officially working for a company out of Thailand that was located in Vientiane, although I never set foot in the factory. I was told if the police ever checked my visa that they would recognize the official’s name on it and know not to mess with me. Tourism was still relatively new when I was in Laos, so the prices for foreigners have probably gone up somewhat since then, but bargaining is the rule in Laos, so I’m sure it’s still quite affordable for travel.

A: What’s something unexpected about Laos that you wish you knew going in?

M: I don’t know if there is something necessarily that was unexpected about Laos that I wish I knew going in. I had a lot of time to prepare before I went, so I studied the language, the history, and everything else I could find out about the country. Of course, studying a country does not exactly prepare you for living in a country, but nothing I experienced while I was there would have made me wish I had chosen a different destination.

One thing about living abroad, especially for someone from a Western culture living in such a remote and different destination, is that you don’t realize how much you’ll miss the little things of your own country. Communication with my family was extremely difficult, as you couldn’t just easily pick up the phone and call home like you might do from Thailand or other more technologically advanced countries. I also just missed the little things about American everyday life like ordering a pizza or going out to the movies. However, I went into my experience full force and was prepared to give up everything I knew for the time I was there.

A: When did you come back?

M: I came back in late 2000. After living in Laos, I had so much more money left over that I decided to travel across India before coming back to America, so I spent about 8 weeks in India prior to coming home.

A: How was your time in India?

M: Well, where Laos was laid-back, slow-moving, and emerging from its ancient history, India was in-your-face, fast-paced, and a mix of modern and medieval. I knew when I got off the plane in the middle of the night in Calcutta and was surrounded by swarms of luggage-wallahs competing to carry my single bag a mere 100 feet that I was in for a completely different and unique experience.

After a few eye-opening days in Calcutta, I traveled by train all the way across the country to Bombay (Mumbai). Traveling by train is essential in India and an experience in itself. On that first train trip, I sprung for the extra comfort of a semi-private compartment, which I shared with two kind businessmen who introduced me to the politics, social classes, religions, and culture of India. It was an incredible introduction for my trip. From Mumbai, I meandered up to Agra and then around to Bodh Gaya until I returned to Calcutta to catch my plane home, with many little side-trips and excursions along the way.

India is an extremely diverse and beautiful country, from its many different religions and ancient architecture to the cultural diversity of its people, which I found endlessly interesting and enlightening, but it can also be an overwhelming experience when unexpected. I remember when visiting the Lonar meteor impact crater on my roundabout way to the Ajanta Caves that upon resting in my room after the long and bumpy bus ride, I opened my door to find more than a hundred children sitting outside just waiting for a chance to look at me, as if I was the attraction for them.

I often found myself surrounded by people like this when I was off the beaten path, and although it can seem like somewhat aggressive behavior in some regards, I usually found that it was fueled by curiosity instead. However, you definitely need to know how to stand your ground when traveling through India, as you will be met with a variety of inquiries and a barrage of beggars, especially at train stations and in the larger cities, where the truly hopeless children will break your heart with their poverty-stricken hands outstretched for charity.

Beyond this, the Indian people are generally warm and kind. I was invited into people’s homes for dinner, received politely when I asked questions on the street, and always met with good wishes wherever I traveled. The Indian people are extremely proactive and outgoing, which is why (I imagine) you can find Indian populations in almost every country throughout the world, including Laos.

One of the great things about traveling in India is that English is one of their main languages, so communication is easy and allows you to get to know everyday people on the street, and if you ever get confused when talking to someone, just nod your head slightly from side to side in the Indian manner, which generally seems to be a sign of agreement and understanding. Overall, I was incredibly overcome with India’s beauty, its history, and the diversity of its people, which have left a lasting impression on me long after I departed the land.

A: How was it re-adapting to America?

M: It was a bit of a culture shock coming back to America in some ways, but it’s also my homeland, so it was like stepping back into something very familiar and seeing it in a different light. It was such a profound experience for me personally that I found it hard to convey that experience to my friends and family in response to the common questions you get, like “What was it like?”, so I never felt like I could do the experience I felt justice. For a long time, I just wanted to go back or travel somewhere else, and I didn’t really want to jump back into the American lifestyle, whatever that may be.

A: How has your ESL experience helped you today?

M: I did teach in America for some time after I returned, but I don’t think it lived up to my experiences of teaching in Laos, so I gave up teaching a long time ago. My students in Laos were so eager to learn and thirsty for knowledge that it was a bit of a letdown to deal with the disciplinary requirements of teaching in U.S. public schools.

I don’t want to generalize all American students, but it was hard going from having students come to your home to ask you to teach them more to having to ask students to listen and writing disciplinary referrals for students who don’t know how lucky they are to have a chance to get an education. I don’t teach anymore, although I still imagine I may travel overseas to teach again someday in the future, but my ESL experiences and my overall experience of living in Laos has helped me live a fuller life and appreciate everything that I have been given in life.

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Thanks again to Max for sharing his story and make sure to check out MaximizingMoney.com, the financial blog that offers bonus opportunities, promotional deals, investment ideas, and discount offers to help people earn extra cash and make more money in their everyday financial transactions.

If you have any questions about Laos, feel free to leave them in the comments!

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I met Chris Kridakorn in 2007 when we both were part of our college’s China and Japan study abroad program for 15 weeks. Since then he’s been all around the globe, not just visiting, but claiming residence and studying.

Today, Chris is living in the heart of Bangkok, Thailand with his parents and we recently caught up over e-mail. In this exchange Chris talks about his journey, the cost of living in Bangkok, working at a Thai restaurant in Yokohama, the political problems in his country, and why he and his Dad don’t speak Thai to one another.

I really hope you enjoy this look at Chris’ life.

Austin: You’ve traveled and lived all over the world, but how did you end up in Thailand?

Chris: I was born in Naperville, Illinois (Austin note: where Chris and I met at college) and after I turned 5 my family moved back to Thailand. My family was originally living in Atlanta. We moved to Naperville because my dad got a job offer there. I attended school here in Thailand up until my sophomore year afterwards I moved back to the U.S. to attend high school and college. I had originally planned to work in the United States, but my parents wanted me to move back Thailand so I did.

I am a dual citizen of both Thailand and the U.S. I am a U.S. citizen by birth and a Thai citizen since both my parents are of Thai ethnicity and also hold Thai passports.

A: How did all of the moving affect learning to speak different languages?

C: English is actually my first language and Thai is my second. When I first moved to Thailand I began to forget English almost immediately. So in order to help me not forget English my Dad would always speak English to me, even today we still speak English. If he hadn’t done so I probably would’ve forgotten English completely within a year. I was 5, maybe 6 years old at the time.

I attended a lot of English classes and had several English tutors throughout elementary school. Once I got to junior high my parents decided to place me in an international school where everything is taught in English. When I moved back to the U.S. only my brother and I moved back. We lived with our legal guardian who took care of us.

A: After college you ended up living in Japan for a year. What brought you to Japan?

C: I was in Japan from September 2008 to December 2009. It was roughly one year and 3 months. After our China/Japan trip (Austin note: our 3 month study abroad program in 2007) the year before I had always wanted to come back and learn some more Japanese. So I searched for a Japanese Language school and enrolled for 5 terms of 3 months each.

During my stay in Japan I worked part-time at a Thai restaurant in Yokohama near where I lived. Life in Japan can be a little tough for a foreign student who speaks limited Japanese. I had a lot of trouble understanding people and understanding the language. Everything felt really expensive and overpriced, but it was fun nonetheless. I would love to go back to Japan one day and get a job, however at the moment I don’t have any plans to move anywhere domestically or internationally.

A: What was it like working at a Thai restaurant in Japan?

C: I really enjoyed working at a Thai restaurant. There were several Japanese people working there but the majority including the kitchen crew were all Thai. It wasn’t easy finding employment. I had looked around before getting the job at the Thai restaurant. I applied at TGI Fridays and Star Bucks but at the time my Japanese wasn’t strong enough. I ended up working at the Thai restaurant because I had a friend who was working there already. I had a pre-college visa which allowed me to work no more than 24 hours per week.

It was definitely an interesting and fun experience. It was my first time working with both Thai and Japanese people. The Thais people who spoke Japanese had to translate Thai for the Japanese people, and the Japanese people helped the Thais to communicate better with the customers. It would definitely be a very hard job if you didn’t speak either language.

A: Back to Thailand, what are the prices like for some average expenses like food, travel, and internet?

C: The currency in Thailand is called Baht. The current exchange rate is around 32-33 baht per dollar. I don’t think anything in Thailand is particularly expensive, food though however is relatively cheap. Your average meal at a street vendor or at a shop is no more than 100 baht ($3). A small bottle of water is about 10 baht (30 cents) a liter of milk is about 50 baht and a dozen eggs is about 60 baht.

Nicer restaurants cost more but usually no more than 300 – 500 baht per meal. Really nice restaurants are priced the same as restaurants in the US, around 10$ for a plate of something.

My internet which is 3 MB is 600 baht ($18) per month. For the maximum speed available which is 16 MB it’s a little over 2000 baht ($60) per month.

The cost of phones here is generally the same as the U.S., but can be more expensive in certain cases. I believe an iPhone right now costs a little bit more here than it does in the U.S.

Traveling in Thailand can be pretty cheap depending on your preferences. There is plenty of cheap lodging around Bangkok area hotels can be as cheap as a few hundred baht per night. The nicer hotels such as Sheraton, Hyatt, or Mariott are at least 3,000 baht per night. Although I’ve been told that the service here is just as good if not better than the hotels in the U.S. Transportation varies, if just in Bangkok taxi meters start at 35 baht ($1) the Sky Train and Subway tickets range from 15 – 60 baht and bus fares start at 8 baht the cost of bus fares depends on the type of bus and how far you travel.

A: What personal finance accounts do you have?

C: I currently have a savings account that earns less than 1% interest semi annually. I do not have any money invested at the moment but I have been thinking of investing money as soon as I have money to invest. I also don’t have any credit cards at least not yet. Also to give you a perspective on money your average college graduate here in Thailand earns about 15000 baht ($470) a month.

A: We’ve all seen a lot of news about the political issues, protests, and troubles Thailand is having right now. What’s life like around you?

C: (Sun. May 16th) As of today the government had declared martial law and now we have curfews. The demonstrations started about 2 months ago and the intensity of the protests increased with every passing week. It started to become dangerous to go out at night and people started going home earlier earlier. Sometimes I can’t go to work and sometimes it’s hard to come back after work.

This past Friday all the trains stopped at 5 P.M. instead of the usual 12 A.M. and many people were stuck at work. There are parts of Bangkok that are more dangerous than others including the protest sites. With every minute that passes by Thailand moves closer and closer to a civil war, it has never been this bad before. It definitely is scary with the violence going on around you.

When I watch the news it’s usual countries in Africa somewhere fighting and bombing, but now when I look at the news I see shooting and bombings in places that I’ve been to. I do feel like it’s somewhat dangerous to be traveling Bangkok right now. So I would suggest tourists looking to move or work here to stay away for a bit. However, other provinces in Thailand apart from Bangkok are still safe to go to.

(Tues. May 18th) The situation here is pretty bad and I’ve been unable to go to work for the past 2 days. Also I just found out that they decided at the last moment not declare martial law. I’ve noticed that people are stacking up on food and water, and gas stations are running out of gas. Gas trucks are unable to enter the city due to fear of being hijacked along with closed streets making it harder to move about. There are also people who are stuck within the war zone without food and are just afraid to leave their houses. I am just about to ask my boss for permission to stay at home another day and wait it out.

A: What are the differences between living in Thailand, America, and Japan?

C: I’ve been asked numerous times about life in Thailand vs. Japan vs. America, and its very hard to say for me since I have come to love all three countries. I love how Japan is rich with culture and history along with its delicious delicacies that I never get tired of. Japan is also a very clean country but at the same time it is very congested and the cost of living is very high. My dorm room was literally the size of a closet.

When I was living in the U.S., I had all the space I needed. I lived in a house with my own room. I had my own car and while many things can be considered expensive it was still cheaper than Japan. My life in the U.S. wasn’t really that different from your average college student. I went to school and I had several part-time jobs throughout my college career.

Thailand however, is very different from the U.S. and Japan. While Thailand might not be as clean as Japan, nor as big as the United States, I’ve always found my life here to be the most complete, partly because I have relatives here. The cost of living in Thailand is very cheap and the food here is just as good as anywhere else. However, much like many other developing countries Thailand has constant political uprisings. Furthermore, the cheap cost of living also means that wages here are also very low in comparison to Japan and the United States.

A: Thailand is a popular destination for vagabonders, vacationers, and foreigners looking for temporary employment. Is there a need for foreign ESL teachers in Thailand?

C: There is definitely a need for English teachers however, the demand here isn’t nearly as high compared to Japan. Unlike many Asian countries such as Japan, China, and even Korea; Thailand has many English speaking people. Generally the foreigners who come to teach English in Thailand are older with more teaching experience who teach at internationally schools.

There are also many tourists who are staying in Thailand and tutor English for extra pocket money. However, I’ve seen very few foreigners our age (23-25) that come to Thailand to work. Most foreigners our age come to travel. I had assumed that the idea of teaching English in Thailand isn’t as attractive as teaching in Japan for people our age.

If you have decided that Thailand is the place for you then there are several ways you might be able to work here. Especially right now Thailand has many international schools that demand not only English teachers but math, history, science, and etc. However, they generally tend to hire older and more experienced teachers to ensure the quality of their education is maintained. Thailand’s market at the moment is somewhat unstable due to political protests that have dragged on; and whether that has effected the English teaching market or not I am not sure.

There is a website that I’ve seen called www.ajarn.com that routinely posts teaching jobs for foreigners.

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A huge thanks to Chris for the interview. We all hope him and his family will be safe as Bangkok figures out their problems.

If you have any questions for Chris about life in Bangkok, duel-citizenship, Japan, or anything else feel free to ask in the comments below and he’ll get back to you.

Photos: Chris Kridakorn, laurinkofler, and Christian Haugen

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