compare and contrast

Can't believe I've been living here for a year now. (Well, a few days shy. a couple of weeks shy if we are getting technical here). The first few months were tough I have to admit. I was always ready to pack up and go back, believe me, if I could only find a plausible reason. I think if Greg came close to something I would perceive as 'maltreatment' I would have use that excuse and came flying home in a sec :) (He's a super good hubby and whatever 'maltreatment' excuse to fly back never appear).
I did eventually came to appreciate the 'good' side of living here.

peace and order. no illegal/bad cops milling around the metropolis looking for preys; kidnapping for ransom/carnapping is not considered a normal business operation; stealing/snatching are not the norm on busy market places.

roads and traffic. well-maintained roads; alternative modes of transport are very convenient; road rules observed more often than not.

the downside of this is that illegal manoeuvers cannot be executed to get to point B quicker. i often use them to get ahead in manila driving. (of course the reason it's illegal is because it is not safe.)

quality of foods. fresher and people more conscious of having healthier foods; less concern on being 'cheated' out on the value paid (buying things in japan is still the best though, you know you are paying for top quality).

economic/employment opportunities. fairer. when i read about people being hired and 'salaried' as trainees but they're doing a worker's full job ... this suddenly reminded me of someone ... grrr ... so sad as she has to do overtime and work like crazy. whereas it's not common here to be 'treated' like that at work.

downside of this - lots of laws and regulations that makes it hard for small-medium business people.

Those are the things I learned to appreciate. The only thing missing is having family and old friends nearby.