OT....A hypothetical question (just for fun).......
- Thread starter CTOkie
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I'm perfectly content right here in Tulsa, so I'll say Oklahoma
This post was edited on 1/23 7:29 PM by soonerdave
This post was edited on 1/23 7:29 PM by soonerdave
Soonersincefitty
Sooner starter
Well, I'll stick with Texas because of the parameters of the OP, but, it goes without saying I have had a hell of a lot of good fun in Colorado.
Going across a frozen lake (Taylor) at 10K feet at 115 MPH on a high performance, water cooled Polaris snowmobile is a thrill that no drug or chick can provide.
(it's like, if something bad happens, well, you die...
However, it could be, I digress...
Going across a frozen lake (Taylor) at 10K feet at 115 MPH on a high performance, water cooled Polaris snowmobile is a thrill that no drug or chick can provide.
(it's like, if something bad happens, well, you die...
However, it could be, I digress...
.Well it certainly would not be iowa in spite of mild summers...
Either home sweet Oklahoma or heck I'd do deep sea fishing in the gulf of tejas and could live there. Never been to Europe but ancestry is partially from some Mill town in Switzerland and the Alsace-Lorraine region of France.
Either home sweet Oklahoma or heck I'd do deep sea fishing in the gulf of tejas and could live there. Never been to Europe but ancestry is partially from some Mill town in Switzerland and the Alsace-Lorraine region of France.
You done good, sybarite.
German is the ninth most spoken language on earth and the world's official co-language for science. English, the third most spoken, is the other. English is the dominant West Germanic language and the world's most spoken second language.
Our founding fathers considered German as the U. S. official language but fell one vote short. The subject was never brought up again, leaving the U. S. with no official language to this day.
German is the ninth most spoken language on earth and the world's official co-language for science. English, the third most spoken, is the other. English is the dominant West Germanic language and the world's most spoken second language.
Our founding fathers considered German as the U. S. official language but fell one vote short. The subject was never brought up again, leaving the U. S. with no official language to this day.
In science, there are few journals in German. The only one in our area was Protoplasma. At our Max-Planck-Institut (there were 38 different MPI institutes ranging from oceanography to physics. The primary funding was a large ownership of VW), there were four graduate students who were from Germany, Poland, Singapore, and Okinawa. There were no classes per se. As I understand, even the upper division science classes at the Universities used English language scientific texts. You were expected to know English well, and all papers were written in English. When we had invited lecturers, the gave their presentations in English. When we spoke to each other, it was a mixture of English and German. Although I had had three semesters of college German and had passed the national examination, I found that I couldn't speak a word that they understood. I learned German like a child, listening to the women in my lab during coffee break until I heard the language. Gradually, I added to my vocabulary and understanding. I never did do well on grammar, and they said my enunciation was terrible. But, I, like a child, could speak a lot of German and communicate effectively despite not being able to read using the words that I spoke. The written German in books and newspapers had nothing to do with the spoken language, just as in the US. When we left, I spoke about like a four or five-year old child, most of which I have forgotten in the past thirty-five years. I do pick it up rapidly when I hear it at an international airport. In the world of education, you really have to be fluent in English.
I've visited 50-60 different countries since foreign travel is my passion. But the OP limits our choices to U.S. states. My choice is easy since I live there now...California. Unbeatable weather, plenty to do, sheer beauty, nearby beaches, nearby mountains, high tech, great healthcare, beautiful Asian women (including the one looking over my shoulder as I type this), etc.
The lifestyles here vary greatly. You can live in a large world class city or be a farmer. If you're living on social security this is not the place. I would choose a tax free state like Nevada, Texas, or Florida.
The lifestyles here vary greatly. You can live in a large world class city or be a farmer. If you're living on social security this is not the place. I would choose a tax free state like Nevada, Texas, or Florida.
The best language teaching method in the world is parent method in teaching child. Assuming the student has the IQ of a two year old works wonders. I know high school seniors with two years of high school Spanish who cannot construct a sentence, but know lots of rules.
Some years back, I was dining with one of Ford Motor Company's most successful automobile dealers and during the time we were together he referred to himself as living a Sybarite lifestyle. Admittedly I didn't know what he meant, but I looked it up. No question about it. He did, and still does while giving great sums of money to the University of Texas.
I've been to 42 of the 50, so I won't speak to the 8 I haven't been to. That said, of the 42 I have been to, it's Alaska, no contest. That place is magical.
I live in California, and I love all it has to offer, but I also own a condo in Hawaii, which is a tempting choice. Whenever I am in Hawaii, I am amazed that I am simultaneously in Paradise and in the United States of America.
This post was edited on 1/25 1:03 AM by bullsbro
This post was edited on 1/25 1:03 AM by bullsbro
Scottsdale, Arizona without hesitation. In 1995 I decided to select a place to settle down (not to use the word "retire"). I created a list of things I wanted and things I didn't want in an area to live. Weather, taxes, cost and quality of living, crime rate, quality and proximity to high schools and universities, proximity to large airport (continue to work internationally), etc. I made trips to Bend, Oregon, many locations in SoCal, Tucson and Phoenix areas, Santa Fe, Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, Reno, Dallas, Houston, Austin, Barton Creek area, Tulsa, Savannah, Augusta, Atlanta, North and South Carolina and gulf coast Florida. All things considered I selected Scottsdale, Arizona and have not regretted the choice. Once I decided where then I worked on what. Lake front was on my list but quickly dropped off in Scottsdale. I went with golf course lot. Then I worked on a place where I was not required to break ground in a given period of time. I wanted a lot larger than an acre in a gated community. My list was narrowed to three locations in north Scottsdale. I can tee off in shorts on Saturday and drive two hours north and go snow skiing on Sunday. SoCal came in second. My brother lives in Newport Coast. His property taxes are outrageous.
Very impressive investigation, Scottsdale Sooner! And how did Dubai fit into this (given that your previous handle was Dubai Sooner)?
My wife and I love the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, but its just too hot in the summer for us to live year round. My wife's favorite is the Wigwam Resort because of the really cool Casitas and old style Arizona. We vacationed there four times, but my favorite is the Marriott Desert Ridge in Scottsdale. It's realllllly nice and has two great desert courses. I like the private patios the rooms have. We are in the process of trying to figure out a retirement strategy for the winter and the Scottsdale area is my pick.....the wife is in love with Florida. I think I can win out!
Bullsbro - Dubai never factored into my investigation. Although its legal to buy property the fact remains that one is always a visitor and anything could happen to completely take everything away from you. I wanted my daughter to attend high school in the US and experience life as an American. My wife only had green card so it was time to come home and establish a permanent base. I recognized these issues many years prior to making the move from Dubai to the good ole USA.
Oklabama - I looked from Marco Island to Panama City on west coast Florida. The areas I liked were not a place for teen age girl. It was geared purely for retirement. Florida has very odd zoning laws in certain areas. Beautiful communities adjacent to industrial complexes was not an option form me. It is hot in Arizona but no hotter than Dubai. The difference is Dubai had humidity of 90% and Scottsdale 15%. Once in the shade the heat is not bad at all in Az I know this is a cliche for the cool weather people. We designed misters into our pool patio area as many restaurants and bars in the area have. A little moisture in the area really cools things down quick. My wife is from Sakhalin Island, Russia where snow can be on the ground from early September to late May. She never complains about the heat in Arizona. I am very familiar with the Marriott Desert Ridge. I am 6 miles north and 5 miles east of this resort in the Pinnacle Peak area. I'm on the Pinnacle Course of Troon North Golf Club. If we are both in Arizona at the same time I would be pleased to meet up with you. North Scottsdale does not allow advertising sign boards, no electric or telephone lines above ground, business ID sign boards cannot be more than 12 feet or 15 feet, no street lights in communities and the home owner restriction are designed around blending into the boulders and are firm and unrelenting. These were pluses for us. My main concern was whether the wife and daughter would like the area. I scored 100 on that front.
Oklabama - I looked from Marco Island to Panama City on west coast Florida. The areas I liked were not a place for teen age girl. It was geared purely for retirement. Florida has very odd zoning laws in certain areas. Beautiful communities adjacent to industrial complexes was not an option form me. It is hot in Arizona but no hotter than Dubai. The difference is Dubai had humidity of 90% and Scottsdale 15%. Once in the shade the heat is not bad at all in Az I know this is a cliche for the cool weather people. We designed misters into our pool patio area as many restaurants and bars in the area have. A little moisture in the area really cools things down quick. My wife is from Sakhalin Island, Russia where snow can be on the ground from early September to late May. She never complains about the heat in Arizona. I am very familiar with the Marriott Desert Ridge. I am 6 miles north and 5 miles east of this resort in the Pinnacle Peak area. I'm on the Pinnacle Course of Troon North Golf Club. If we are both in Arizona at the same time I would be pleased to meet up with you. North Scottsdale does not allow advertising sign boards, no electric or telephone lines above ground, business ID sign boards cannot be more than 12 feet or 15 feet, no street lights in communities and the home owner restriction are designed around blending into the boulders and are firm and unrelenting. These were pluses for us. My main concern was whether the wife and daughter would like the area. I scored 100 on that front.
Scott's...Sooner, sounds like you have found your paradise in Arizona. Scottsdale is a great area, no doubt. Maybe we can meet up one day. This summer we are doing something we haven't done for over 30 years. We are taking a road trip. We are driving from Tulsa to Colorado and down through New Mexico and back to Tulsa through Texas to visit with my best friend for the last 53 years. I haven't flown the number of miles you have, but I have flown too many in and out of 74 different airports so the first vacation of my retirement isn't going to have anything to do with an airplane. LOL
I fully understand about the airports. It's a low point in one's life when the gate staff at Houston's International Terminal E are on first name basis. Same for the United cabin staff that fly Houston-Lagos-Houston. We decided this past holiday season that if we can't walk or drive its not on our schedule. Take care.
Bullsbro - I was sent to Dubai/Sharjah in 1980 for 9 months on a pipeline project. We relocated to Scottsdale in 2012. Of this I did 3 years in Saudi Arabia, and 3 years in Singapore (SingaporeSooner was my handle before DubaiSooner) and 3 years in Russia. For the most part my base was Dubai. Dubai didn't make my list of possible places to settle.
What part of Russia were you in? I've always wanted to visit St. Petersburg and Moscow, maybe do one of those river cruises there...
I spent about 8 years in and out of Far East Russia, Sakhalin Island. I did a JV (marriage) with a beautiful Russian girl from Sakhalin. We have a house in Aniva on the island. Also 2006-2008 I was in both Moscow and St. Petersburg as a consultant to Gazprom for the Nord Steam Project. We go to Russia about every summer on vacation.
