Help a Mom /Friend advise a daughter....
 

My DD is asking for input regarding requesting an assignment from the State Dept. She's in training for the Foreign Service and will choose a location sometime within the next 2 weeks. She is a strong, capable woman who has already spent 2 years in Africa in the Peace Corps.

I don't know anything about some of these places (note: I'm also posting elsewhere...I realize all the places are not in Asia....) Can you tell me first-hand about whether YOU would want to live and work (for the US Gov't) in any of these places??

I do not want to influence her decision; she is her own woman. I do, however, want to give an informed opinion. I realize you don't know HER. Please just respond based on what YOU would do...and I'll decifer from there...

TIA (truly),
sal


Asmara, Eritrea
Chennai, India
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Islamabad, Pakistan
Jakarta, Indonesia
Kabul, Afghanistan
Kathmandu, Nepal
Kigali, Rwanda
Kolonia, Micronesia
Lagos, Nigeria
Manila, Philippines
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Peshawar, Pakistan
Port Louis, Mauritius
Rangoon, Burma
Tel Aviv, Israel

Of the list, and places I know, Jakarta is the one place I wouldn't want to live. It's worse than Bangkok was when I arrived 14 years ago, and I never see any sign of it getting better.

rangoon, now called yangon is a laid back type place...the army rules with a tight fist...it is lovely but very provincial...

chiang mai is thailand's second biggest city, although many think of it as a town....it would be very desirable and easy access to bkk in a one hour very cheap flight would make for exciting weekend and holidays...thailand is fabulous and would be a great assignment...

the mauritius islands are a wonderful place....off east coast of africa...

Well, a grown woman who has scored high enough on the Foreign Service Exam to have qualified for a job with the State Dept knows a LOT more about these countries than you do or I do, but here are my thoughts. I live in Hong Kong and have traveled to many of the countries on her list. This are in a rough order of easiest posting to least easiest:

Chiang Mai Thailand is quite westernized, safe and would be a fine posting, she may in fact not find it that challenging. It is certainly not a hardship posting to live in Thailand. The people are very lovely and so is the food. Most every Western type good is available, the style of living is quite nice. It is quite heavily touristed, a big favorite on this board.

Tel Aviv would certainly be very easy to live in terms of apartments, every day life, etc. You might have safety concerns for her, but in general I think Israel is quite a nice place to live and work.

Manila would again be easy in terms of a transition from a western to Asian lifestyle. I find it just a little bit boring I have to say. The people however are extremely lovely, and it has nice beaches and beautiful countryside. There is a good bit of political unrest in the south, but seems to be kept down.

Chennai India would probably be the next easiest place to live and one of the most interesting IMO. Certainly one of the safest in terms of physical safety. I could live in India myself, it is one of my favorite countries anywhere.

I would live in Micronesia in a heartbeat assuming I had a big trunk of books with me to take up the slack moments. Wow, what an assignment if she is a diver and likes beaches and a relatively quiet life. I tried to get a job there myself with the US government many moons ago.

Mauritius is also supposed to be very beautiful, and I believe quite safe. Again you have to like beaches and a very quiet life.

I find it interesting that Burma is on the list, I did not think the US had much of a presence there, considering the US's view toward it. This would certainly be a very interesting assignment and she would be quite safe. I have never traveled there, as I don't really want to give the dictatorship my money, but if she has any interest in Asian cultures, this would be an interesting choice. I would take it over Thailand. (She can always travel to Thailand.)

Jakarta is not really bad, despite what Michaelbbk says, it is a huge, quite polluted city and is becoming more conservative in terms of the Muslim movement. However other than bad traffic, it is not a hard place to live, IMO, the people are generally very nice. I would take it over the countries below.

Pakistan would be challenging as a woman in some ways, and I think and there are some safety issues as she is working for the US government and this would certainly become known.

Nepal has had about 15 years of civil unrest by a Maoist insurgency, centered in Katmandu and the smaller villages. US State Dept personnel may again be a focus of attention, it is hard to say, as they may be viewed as supporting the King and government. I don't like Katmandu at all, I find it depressing, although the mountains are beautiful. I could not live there myself.

Bangladesh, Eritrea and Burkina Faso are very very poor and quite undeveloped. I believe that Burkinia Faso is the poorest country in the world in terms of per capita income. If she wants to "do good", these may be the places for her. Of the three, I think I would choose Bangladesh, only because I know the Indian culture well and would have the least hard time adjusting. As she has worked in Africa, she may prefer one of the two African nations.

I could not live in Nigeria. This is really the only place I have been in Africa and only for business, and it is just so so so corrupt that it takes your breath away. This is a place where people with money live behind high walls and the rest are just struggling to get by every day. And this in a country with oil.

From what I have read about Kabul, aid workers and State Dept workers live in little fortified compounds and are quite heavily guarded when they go out. I personally would not want to work there and have to live with that every day. I am sure she would be aware of the true situation better than I am.

Rwanda, I really don't know what to say about that country.

I'd certainly be glad to live in Chaing Mai, Thailand. Jakarta... maybe. A regular poster here, Marmot lives in Jakarta.

I've never seen worse quality air or water than in Kathmandu.

Given the behavior of the US government, I think I wouldn't choose to live anywhere in Pakistan or Afghanistan.

My own issues with the Burmese government would make it hard for me to live in Burma, but politics aside, I'd like to be in Rangoon.

I'd go stir crazy in Micronesia, but others might think it is paradise.

I haven't been to Chennai, but I think it would be a pretty good place to live for a while.

Several people on this board really like the Philippines. I can't give a personal opinion as I haven't been there yet. But I know a number of people who have lived in the Philippines and really liked it.

I've been to Africa four times and although I love it, would definitely stay away from Lagos. Chiangmai would be easy to live in. Happy Travels!

Kigali, Rwanda is simply WONDERFUL.
It is safe, clean, great roads... I can't rave about it enough.

The people are working hard to put the genocide behind them. My wife and I walked the streets at night without fear.

Rwanda is often called the Switzerland of Africa. I would take Rwanda over Switzerland any day.

have here go to my website wwwDOTwaynehazleDOTcom/eastafrica/

Thanks for the responses. I'll keep you posted...

BTW, Cicerone, thanks for the kind words re: how bright DD is. She really is something!

just fyi
if you search "switzerland of africa" on google, you will come up with at least 6 different african nations!

why does every nation want to be the switzerland of africa?

H, wayne. Having to install update on Adobe and then I'll check out your website thoroughly. Can't wait to see the pics!
sal

tel aviv is amazing, modern life, great place to live.
israelis are warm people...

chiang mai sounds like a nice place to be, different lifestyle.