Do you pick what college dorm you live in?
You can request a dorm building. but there are no guarantees you will get placed in it. The earlier you get your housing deposit and form in, the more likely you are to get your request. for a room mate- if you have a friend you want to room with-both of you must request the other to be paired up. Most colleges will send you your dorm and roommate information the end of July
How long do you have to live in a place to pick up an accent?
I have to disagree with never. People who move to a country with a different language than theirs, would for example eventually forget a lot of their native one after a few decades. So why shouldn't it be possible for you to pick up a different accent when completely immersed in it for years and years? I'd say at least 10 years, probably 20 or more before you'll sound like an Aussie.
If you could live at any store, which would you pick?
→If you could live at any store, which would you pick?MUJIThis store sells everything I need to survive, plus much more.FoodBedsBathEntertainmentClothes.And best of all, MUJI products all have a minimalist theme— everything sold in the store can be paired with each other in an aesthetically pleasing manner.Every clothing matches every bedsheet. Every desk fits well with every dinnerware. Every shampoo bottle complements every bookshelf. The entire store and its products looks as if it was designed by the same person.It's like IKEA + Walmart, but without all the different themes and styles to choose from.
If you could live in any era or century which one would you pick? What major event in the history of that era interests you the most?
I would go back to 11th century Europe and live as a storyteller, wandering from town to town singing, telling stories and playing the wood flute for food and lodging. I would dress in bright colors and be welcomed into the next town along the way, staying a few weeks at a time and entertaining everyone. I would write poetry and compose epic tales of the great heroes to tell. I don’t necessarily have a specific event in mind, though I would love to see my ancestors who came to Europe during the Norman Invasion in 1066. I mostly would want to bring joy to the people who’s lives were often hard.
If you had to pick one place to live in the US what state would want to live in?
I liked North Carolina and Tennessee. Nice people and such a beautiful environment. But there's something special about Colorado and her mountains, too.
Why did you choose to live in Thailand?
In 2004, I was laid off from the company I had worked at for 24 years. I finished my bachelor degree from the University of Waterloo and I began looking around for another job.Being over 50 years old made it difficult, and electronic technicians did not seem to be in demand as much as they were when I graduated from technical college, thirty years before.I had been attending dharma classes at a local restaurant, and one of the guest speakers, a nun, was talking about Right Thinking and Right Occupation and so on. I asked her, what an example of a good occupation would be. She said teaching is a good occupation. That got me thinking.I took a couple of teaching courses, a TEFL and a CELTA, and went on line to find a job somewhere. I have always been interested in Chinese culture, so I looked for a job in China.I got an offer right away, for a job in Harbin, but they wanted me there in 5 days, and would not pay for the flight. That meant I would be working 2 or 3 months for free.Then I saw an interesting webpage for a school in Thailand that was looking for native English speaking teachers from Canada, and they specifically mentioned they would help train new teachers. I started teaching in Thailand in 2005, and I haven’t regretted a moment of it.The following year I heard they were looking for a Science teacher. I showed them my diploma for Electronic Engineering Technician and they have let me teach Science and computers ever since.Communication is ‘patchy’ here, but I understand that I am officially registered as a “volunteer”, but as long as they pay me the same and let me teach the same, I don’t care what I am officially called.I plan to retire here when I can no longer teach, and I plan to die here. (hopefully many years from now)
Which would you pick to live in, Colorado, Nevada, or Arizona?
I think Denver, Phoenix, Tucson and Las Vegas suburbs would all fit that description. All of these cities have tons of open space on the fringes of town giving a much more rural feel to the burbs. Phoenix and Denver are the bigger, more sophisticated places for culture, arts, variety and a more urban core area (Denver more so). If you hate hot weather and the above sounds good to you Denver is the only choice. Did you love the climate in Utah? Go to Colorado. If it seems too big even on the fringes consider Fort Collins or Colorado Springs.Sick of snow? Consider a desert city. Again, for bigger and more booming Phoenix is best. If you like the idea of a place like Austen with an alternative vibe and culture then Tucson could be for you (poor choice if you dislike Mexican people). I don’t care for Vegas myself, but I appreciate the unique things it offers on entertainment. I find the surrounding area much more bleak than my Sonoran Desert with it’s majestic saguaros. All of these desert burgs are fast growing, affordable, and easy places to start over. It is going to be 104 today in Phoenix, and that is no where near a record. The desert Southwest is very hot in the summer. It is lovely in the winter (Vegas is chillier than Arizona). If that sounds good than join the rest of the crowd moving west.
If you could choose any city in the U.S. to live in which would you choose and why?
Assuming that I don’t need to try to move to Canada to avoid life (and very possibly death) under an absolute Trump dictatorship, my decision is most likely Ann Arbor, Michigan. It will help if the Michigan elections go in a better way than they have in recent years, though. I would really prefer to live somewhere that doesn’t have Republican legislators/governor passing laws.In my case with Ann Arbor, I know the “ropes” there very well, and I’ve often compared downtown Ann Arbor with a “street-level” NYC neighborhood with plenty of diversity. If you look up, you know you’re not in NYC…If money was no object, I would probably gravitate toward New York City. I’m learning my way around there to a degree, too. If money is no object, I wouldn’t even need to look at something “deep into Queens” or west of the Hudson as a financial refuge. Berkeley (more than San Francisco) would be a VERY strong competing option, as would something in the Los Angeles area. (Costa Mesa? Long Beach? Oh, OK…downtown!…again, money is no object.)Or…Pittsburgh, Portland, Chicago? If immigration wasn’t so difficult, Vancouver would, er, TRUMP all of these. (So would Toronto, but there’s too much winter!) In order to move to Canada permanently, they ask for massive financial contributions (I call them bribes) which aren’t at all within my means.Anywhere I end up, multicultural options are essential. The variety of restaurants, music, theater/theatre, etc. are good criteria to consider.