DEPLOYMENT IS OVER!

[COLOR="#cc8899"]So, I finished my 2nd deployment in the US Navy this week. After months underway, it feels good to be home. Port calls in Guam, Malaysia, and the Philippines this time around. I've now been to Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines. Before arriving in Japan in early 2011, I hadn't even left the country before. I've seen what genuine poverty looks like (most Americans have nothing to complain about - if you've got so much as running water and electricity, I don't want to hear a damned thing from you compared to what I saw in the Philippines and Thailand).

Really glad to have broadened my horizons. God bless America, we don't know how good we have it there.

What's ahead? I'll be in Japan through spring, then moving to Seoul, South Korea for a little over a year. It'll come at the cost of some freedoms I'm used to (having my own apartment, a curfew, etc) but I think I can do good work there. I'm looking forward to working with my brethren in the other services (primarily Army at Seoul) once again as well. I'm about sick of blue shirts and gray hulls for a while.[/COLOR]

Philippines, huh? I'd like to see your thoughts on the places you've been, but specifically there. It's.. interesting.

(also kudos on spelling it right)

So jelly I want to be in S.K.

Philippines, huh? I'd like to see your thoughts on the places you've been, but specifically there. It's.. interesting.

(also kudos on spelling it right)

[COLOR="#cc8899"]It was...interesting. There was a lot of random poverty, lots of crime. I got pretty scared when my cab driver got out of the cab after stopping at a random parking lot, then he walked behind the building for a minute. He came back and drove off without explaining. I didn't ask.

Lots of malls, including one right across the street. Friend had a phone stolen. [/COLOR]

Yep, phones often get stolen. Personal security is pretty important there, just to be honest from having lived there.

The mighty puce has returned. Welcome back!

I have no idea how much time you have to travel around at your own leisure but if you're in Seoul, Gangnam is an interesting area of Seoul to go exploring around if you like sightseeing in ultra rich people areas. Lotte World (a mall + amusement park in one) is also a really cool place to go. I believe there is a bar somewhere in Seoul that's physically inside a bus too but I don't know much about this bar.

Outside of Seoul, the city of Busan has some really good seafood but will take a few hours by train. Lots of restaurants right on the beach with a view of the ocean as well.

I have no idea how much time you have to travel around at your own leisure but if you're in Seoul, Gangnam is an interesting area of Seoul to go exploring around if you like sightseeing in ultra rich people areas. Lotte World (a mall + amusement park in one) is also a really cool place to go. I believe there is a bar somewhere in Seoul that's physically inside a bus too but I don't know much about this bar.

Outside of Seoul, the city of Busan has some really good seafood but will take a few hours by train. Lots of restaurants right on the beach with a view of the ocean as well.

[COLOR="#cc8899"]
I've been to Busan twice (once each cruise since I've been here). My ship goes there a lot, great city but very westernized. I'm definitely making a trip up to the DMZ at least once, and going to try any local food I can find.[/COLOR]

Hey welcome back! Nice that you managed to catch the less well-known bits of SEA. How did you like M'sia? Where in M'sia did you call at? I hardly go M'sia myself but I'm just curious.

Food! Share your food experiences!

Hadriel

Welcome home sailor! Hooyah!

Wb, guy!

Time to play a helluva League of Legends.

Hey welcome back! Nice that you managed to catch the less well-known bits of SEA. How did you like M'sia? Where in M'sia did you call at? I hardly go M'sia myself but I'm just curious.

Food! Share your food experiences!

Hadriel

Grilled Cuttlefish was good, mostly tried things I couldn't pronounce from random places. Fell in love with Vietnamese food and dimsum. Our port call was in Kuala Lumpur, which was really nice - that being said, SEA in general has a tendency towards wealthy cities surrounded by abject poverty. It's pretty jarring to see - Manila and Thailand were much worse about it than M'sia though.

That sadly is the fact about SEA. Wealth polarisation is quite severe in the places you mentioned, but at the same time it also has got to do with how well off the countries are in the first place. I'm thankful to be where I am. And we note that happiness is not the most common thing in the better-off parts of SEA.

Hadriel

what's your rate? I haven't gotten my feet wet yet. School for nukes is really long