Thursday, November 29, 2007
Americans don't travel much outside of the US these days, and with other currencies approaching record highs, they are even more unlikely to do so. I suppose some politicians think this is a good thing, and some even see travel to the US being down 40+ percent these past couple years, as also a good thing. Far less information gets through the fences that way. And hey, a collapse of the housing market by 25% more or so would also be a good thing for those priced out of the market and still renting, right?
I'm a contrarian. In this economy, I want to travel, desperately, and try to find a country with sane policies that I'd like to live in, and contribute to. That place sure isn't America, at the moment... in years past, I'd merely migrate to another US state, but they all have begun to look the same to me. Chris Walen writes:
In the US, exports are up, but real disposable incomes are down nearly a percentage point.
I am thinking Australia is nicely situated, but - like many other countries - they are not exploiting their uranium reserve, they are burning coal like crazy, and they are encouraging Mercury filled lamps, which I think is fundamentally a bad idea.
But, although I'm thinking about the environment, I'm also thinking about how the labor market interacts with me... but bear with me for a tortured analogy. One justification for using mercury filled lamps is that they use so much less energy that they actually save on the mercury created by burning coal for that energy. (See above article)
Now - there are two major flaws with that argument. 1) The mercury contained in the coal is in ONE place, where it can be contained and scrubbed. The lamps are distributed nationwide - well, I've seen what happens to the used lamps - they are broken in the home, and/or dumped indiscriminately, which leads to more mercury in the environment that is harder to control.
2) Coal is not the only answer to the energy problem.
And 3) I hate the light produced by florescent bulbs. It's green and flickery.
A far, far, far better answer is to go gung ho on LED based lighting, and stick with incandescents for when heating is helpful, and go nuclear/wind/solar as fast as possible.
I have seen a lot of people conflating of the localness of the use regarding a technology vs the benefit. For example, it makes sense to locate a coal fired plant in a place without an inversion layer in the atmosphere, and to drive an electric car where there is an inversion layer. Similarly - it makes sense to build nuclear power plants where there are no fault lines, and solar/wind ones where there is solar and wind.
Other examples - It makes sense to be in an export business when your currency is poorly valued, and in an import business, when the currency is highly valued. For a while.
It makes sense to work overseas when you can earn more real money overseas, and makes sense to stay at home when you can earn more real money at home. It makes sense to travel, however, when your money is strong overseas, and to stay at home when it isn't.
These latter two statements are in conflict for me. I'm just one person. I don't move products around, just my labor, although I can do work anywhere there is decent internet infrastructure, and labor anywhere that pays, but first I have to get the deal setup. I can't really afford to travel right now, I need to be working...
I think, however, I'd rather be living in a net exporting country than a net importing one, which is why Australia is looking better and better all the time. Or maybe hong kong. Suggestions?
I'll miss America.
I'm a contrarian. In this economy, I want to travel, desperately, and try to find a country with sane policies that I'd like to live in, and contribute to. That place sure isn't America, at the moment... in years past, I'd merely migrate to another US state, but they all have begun to look the same to me. Chris Walen writes:
- How do we get America focused again on being a productive economy, and focus less on the manic, speculative economy?
In the US, exports are up, but real disposable incomes are down nearly a percentage point.
I am thinking Australia is nicely situated, but - like many other countries - they are not exploiting their uranium reserve, they are burning coal like crazy, and they are encouraging Mercury filled lamps, which I think is fundamentally a bad idea.
But, although I'm thinking about the environment, I'm also thinking about how the labor market interacts with me... but bear with me for a tortured analogy. One justification for using mercury filled lamps is that they use so much less energy that they actually save on the mercury created by burning coal for that energy. (See above article)
Now - there are two major flaws with that argument. 1) The mercury contained in the coal is in ONE place, where it can be contained and scrubbed. The lamps are distributed nationwide - well, I've seen what happens to the used lamps - they are broken in the home, and/or dumped indiscriminately, which leads to more mercury in the environment that is harder to control.
2) Coal is not the only answer to the energy problem.
And 3) I hate the light produced by florescent bulbs. It's green and flickery.
A far, far, far better answer is to go gung ho on LED based lighting, and stick with incandescents for when heating is helpful, and go nuclear/wind/solar as fast as possible.
I have seen a lot of people conflating of the localness of the use regarding a technology vs the benefit. For example, it makes sense to locate a coal fired plant in a place without an inversion layer in the atmosphere, and to drive an electric car where there is an inversion layer. Similarly - it makes sense to build nuclear power plants where there are no fault lines, and solar/wind ones where there is solar and wind.
Other examples - It makes sense to be in an export business when your currency is poorly valued, and in an import business, when the currency is highly valued. For a while.
It makes sense to work overseas when you can earn more real money overseas, and makes sense to stay at home when you can earn more real money at home. It makes sense to travel, however, when your money is strong overseas, and to stay at home when it isn't.
These latter two statements are in conflict for me. I'm just one person. I don't move products around, just my labor, although I can do work anywhere there is decent internet infrastructure, and labor anywhere that pays, but first I have to get the deal setup. I can't really afford to travel right now, I need to be working...
I think, however, I'd rather be living in a net exporting country than a net importing one, which is why Australia is looking better and better all the time. Or maybe hong kong. Suggestions?
I'll miss America.
Labels: environment, Ron Paul, travel
¶ 9:41 PM
Comments:
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I really like Canada, Mike. The lower population density and the friendliness of the people more than make up, in my opinion, for the rampant socialism.
As a matter of fact, the tax structure of their richest province, Alberta, is comparable to that in my current state of Illinois.
Edmonton has an excellent university, a thriving software industry (it's the home of Bioware) and an economy that is booming.
It reminds me a lot, really, of Dallas without the Baptists. (The lack of those means that there's legal gambling!)
Now their economy is oil-based, but at least for the next couple decades, that's going to be important. They're one of the US's prime suppliers, and if the Mideast continues to deteriorate, they're going to be more important, not less.
As a matter of fact, if I was 25 or 35 instead of 55, I would have headed there a couple of years ago. I've got marketable skills.
Tom
As a matter of fact, the tax structure of their richest province, Alberta, is comparable to that in my current state of Illinois.
Edmonton has an excellent university, a thriving software industry (it's the home of Bioware) and an economy that is booming.
It reminds me a lot, really, of Dallas without the Baptists. (The lack of those means that there's legal gambling!)
Now their economy is oil-based, but at least for the next couple decades, that's going to be important. They're one of the US's prime suppliers, and if the Mideast continues to deteriorate, they're going to be more important, not less.
As a matter of fact, if I was 25 or 35 instead of 55, I would have headed there a couple of years ago. I've got marketable skills.
Tom
This is going to sound harsh but, well, I think you're going to hear it from others.
If you leave the US because you can't stand the conditions, then the attitude of many US citizens is going to be, "Don't let the door hit you on the way out."
Yes, we've got problems, it's true. But so does everyone else. I've travelled extensively and no place is perfect.
Singapore, for example, is clean, pretty and is "easy" for English-only speakers. But you can't chew gum or curse in public for risk of being caned.
Scotland, to stick to the S's, has some of the friendliest people I've ever met, spectacular countryside and a wonderfully growing sense of self and independence, but is cold and wet with a green moss growing on everything (including some of those friendly people, I think).
And Hong Kong is, well, what can you say about Hong Kong? It's absolutely fabulous, one of the most incredible places I've ever been, home to Jackie Chan, a deep sea ocean port with extraordinary trade capabilities, and just about the best place in the world to get fed. Never mind that it persists in these manners solely due to the economic interests of the current "powers that be" in Beijing and that, with a different collection of senior party members, that could change.
Australia? Well, check into what it will cost you not to live there, but rather what the Australian government demands of those who come to live there more or less permanently. Their services to residents is excellent but only because those residents have, over the years, funded it. Outsiders who haven't contributed to the system aren't welcome to those benefits.
The world is a large and complex place. No one of us is likely to fix any major problems.
Instead, it is more likely that only through the combined will and action of many that significant changes will take place.
The grass is rarely greener for long. Beware the weather: it changes no matter where you are.
Life is supposed to be a struggle.
If you leave the US because you can't stand the conditions, then the attitude of many US citizens is going to be, "Don't let the door hit you on the way out."
Yes, we've got problems, it's true. But so does everyone else. I've travelled extensively and no place is perfect.
Singapore, for example, is clean, pretty and is "easy" for English-only speakers. But you can't chew gum or curse in public for risk of being caned.
Scotland, to stick to the S's, has some of the friendliest people I've ever met, spectacular countryside and a wonderfully growing sense of self and independence, but is cold and wet with a green moss growing on everything (including some of those friendly people, I think).
And Hong Kong is, well, what can you say about Hong Kong? It's absolutely fabulous, one of the most incredible places I've ever been, home to Jackie Chan, a deep sea ocean port with extraordinary trade capabilities, and just about the best place in the world to get fed. Never mind that it persists in these manners solely due to the economic interests of the current "powers that be" in Beijing and that, with a different collection of senior party members, that could change.
Australia? Well, check into what it will cost you not to live there, but rather what the Australian government demands of those who come to live there more or less permanently. Their services to residents is excellent but only because those residents have, over the years, funded it. Outsiders who haven't contributed to the system aren't welcome to those benefits.
The world is a large and complex place. No one of us is likely to fix any major problems.
Instead, it is more likely that only through the combined will and action of many that significant changes will take place.
The grass is rarely greener for long. Beware the weather: it changes no matter where you are.
Life is supposed to be a struggle.
Dear Ed:
You wrote:
If you leave the US because you can't stand the conditions, then the attitude of many US citizens is going to be, "Don't let the door hit you on the way out." Yes, we've got problems, it's true. But so does everyone else. I've travelled extensively and no place is perfect.
More Americans should travel more. It should be a revolving door, not a one way exit sign.
I have not travelled extensively.
I am not looking for perfection. Where I live now (nicaragua) is quite far from perfection, but has many attractions as well. Becoming a resident there - or elsewhere - is the option I'm exploring.
I have been locked up in my cubie for a long time, and although many employers had promised that I would ultimately get in a trip to china, russia, india, and australia - just to name the destinations that the last three employers promised at time of hire, none of which followed through.
My whole life - I only got a chance to take two trips out of the US - ever - on a corporate dime - and I had to seize those moments away from a VP that happened to not be paying attention. (In one case, I got the business, and the other (I'm told) resulted in nokia's relationship with Openedhand and the resulting nokia nseries, among other cool gear)
I'm a little bitter about all those broken promises... in particular, I'd hoped to meet the perfect girl, somewhere.....
So I long to travel and determine where I want to live for myself, thank you very much. And I'm doing it on my own dime.
You wrote:
Singapore, for example, is clean, pretty and is "easy" for English-only speakers. But you can't chew gum or curse in public for risk of being caned.
Neat. I don't curse or chew gum. People that curse in public should be caned! Can I smoke in my office? The girls look pretty... how's the environment? Surf? Did you check out all these things? no!
That's why I gotta go.
I've seriously considered going to Iraq - or better yet, Iran - to find out for myself what some place really is like.
You wrote:
Scotland, to stick to the S's, has some of the friendliest people I've ever met, spectacular countryside and a wonderfully growing sense of self and independence, but is cold and wet with a green moss growing on everything (including some of those friendly people, I think).
I am very much into sunshine, which is why Oregon and Boston (and Canada, tet) are not on my list. Oh, I could work in those locations 6 months out of the year, quite happily....
You wrote:
And Hong Kong is, well, what can you say about Hong Kong? It's absolutely fabulous, one of the most incredible places I've ever been, home to Jackie Chan, a deep sea ocean port with extraordinary trade capabilities, and just about the best place in the world to get fed. Never mind that it persists in these manners solely due to the economic interests of the current "powers that be" in Beijing and that, with a different collection of senior party members, that could change.
Hong Kong is number 2 on my list of cool places to visit. I'm told you can start a business there with a bare minimum of paperwork. I have most of a corp already ready to go, with a couple unique ideas, but the prospect US paperwork was getting me down, and currency exchange in Nicaragua (which otherwise has minimal paperwork) was going to be an issue - so perhaps Hong Kong is a better place to go.
I know I would have loved HK when I was younger, but I am looking for a bit slower pace of life now. If I had sufficient funding for teklibre I'd probably manage just fine from above, but at the moment it's just a one man shop.
You wrote:
Australia? Well, check into what it will cost you not to live there, but rather what the Australian government demands of those who come to live there more or less permanently. Their services to residents is excellent but only because those residents have, over the years, funded it. Outsiders who haven't contributed to the system aren't welcome to those benefits.
I've been working on that. It looks promising from where I sit - health is socialized and good, retirement looks more stable than the US's social security system by far, the economy's doing great, and they are still doing useful manufacturing and services, in a location convienent to other non-primarily-english-speaking countries.
And the female/male ratio looks good too. As does the surfing and the great barrier reef, and the technology sector.
But the only way to know for sure, is to go. For a long time. If I go, I have to make that big decision long before I hit 45, in this election cycle.
Back in June - I was saying - given a choice between Guilani and Clinton, I'd rather emigrate.
Things look a bit brighter now on the political front. I like to think that at the very least - the substance and decency of Paul has knocked Guilani down quite a bit.....
You wrote:
The world is a large and complex place.
And I'm gonna see more of it! And I wish more Americans could afford to see more of it. They might learn a thing or two.
One thing I've really noticed, living these past 7 months in Nicaragua, and helping run a friend's hostel is that Europeans, especially, tend to take a big trip after college, and wander the world. I think this is a fabulous idea, especially when most seem to be doing a year long trip on budgets that cost less than a single semester of school in the US. 6-10k spent on these trips is fairly typical.
Another thing I'm astonished at is at how little fear the female travelers express - they walk alone, carry money, haul their own baggage, etc - all with an expectation they might be robbed or assaulted - but with no huge fear about it - the thrill and fascination of the adventure drives them on, and they are aware of the low probabilities of real problems.
Americans are wimps in comparison, fearing totally irrational things.
To a man and woman - every last foreign traveler I've met in the last 6 months - and I've met over a hundred - has been appalled at the state of American television and news.
You wrote:
No one of us is likely to fix any major problems.
I'm tired of writing in english. It's someone else's turn in the barrel. I want to go back to writing code. Preferably good code that makes for a better world.
You wrote:
Instead, it is more likely that only through the combined will and action of many that significant changes will take place.
This mean you are voting for ron paul, and have convinced 10 other people to vote for him?
I know that group action works great for programming, but as someone that has never, ever, ever, had a candidate he voted for elected, have kind of lost hope in group action, and want to find a place where my skills are valued by society... and society values me.
I could stay, and volunteer for the Paul campaign, but I'm running on financial fumes and would rather see the world than try (and fail) to save the country.
You wrote:
The grass is rarely greener for long. Beware the weather: it changes no matter where you are. Life is supposed to be a struggle.
Yea, yea, I want to see some different kinds of grass, experience different weather, etc, don't shoot me for wanting to get the hell out of here for a while, hell, Ed, just tell the republicrats to add one (well, three would probably be an equivalent for me) to the immigration quotas on @#!@#! H1B programs if you wanna replace me, perhaps permanently.
In the US, nearly everywhere I've been, outside of California, I'm just an interchangable part, in a commodity profession. I'm tired of hearing that jive.
The only way to win is not to play. Engineers have no organization 'cept for inspiration from John Galt, and what did he do when he got fed up?
He went on strike. Took a couple nice trips.
You wrote:
If you leave the US because you can't stand the conditions, then the attitude of many US citizens is going to be, "Don't let the door hit you on the way out." Yes, we've got problems, it's true. But so does everyone else. I've travelled extensively and no place is perfect.
More Americans should travel more. It should be a revolving door, not a one way exit sign.
I have not travelled extensively.
I am not looking for perfection. Where I live now (nicaragua) is quite far from perfection, but has many attractions as well. Becoming a resident there - or elsewhere - is the option I'm exploring.
I have been locked up in my cubie for a long time, and although many employers had promised that I would ultimately get in a trip to china, russia, india, and australia - just to name the destinations that the last three employers promised at time of hire, none of which followed through.
My whole life - I only got a chance to take two trips out of the US - ever - on a corporate dime - and I had to seize those moments away from a VP that happened to not be paying attention. (In one case, I got the business, and the other (I'm told) resulted in nokia's relationship with Openedhand and the resulting nokia nseries, among other cool gear)
I'm a little bitter about all those broken promises... in particular, I'd hoped to meet the perfect girl, somewhere.....
So I long to travel and determine where I want to live for myself, thank you very much. And I'm doing it on my own dime.
You wrote:
Singapore, for example, is clean, pretty and is "easy" for English-only speakers. But you can't chew gum or curse in public for risk of being caned.
Neat. I don't curse or chew gum. People that curse in public should be caned! Can I smoke in my office? The girls look pretty... how's the environment? Surf? Did you check out all these things? no!
That's why I gotta go.
I've seriously considered going to Iraq - or better yet, Iran - to find out for myself what some place really is like.
You wrote:
Scotland, to stick to the S's, has some of the friendliest people I've ever met, spectacular countryside and a wonderfully growing sense of self and independence, but is cold and wet with a green moss growing on everything (including some of those friendly people, I think).
I am very much into sunshine, which is why Oregon and Boston (and Canada, tet) are not on my list. Oh, I could work in those locations 6 months out of the year, quite happily....
You wrote:
And Hong Kong is, well, what can you say about Hong Kong? It's absolutely fabulous, one of the most incredible places I've ever been, home to Jackie Chan, a deep sea ocean port with extraordinary trade capabilities, and just about the best place in the world to get fed. Never mind that it persists in these manners solely due to the economic interests of the current "powers that be" in Beijing and that, with a different collection of senior party members, that could change.
Hong Kong is number 2 on my list of cool places to visit. I'm told you can start a business there with a bare minimum of paperwork. I have most of a corp already ready to go, with a couple unique ideas, but the prospect US paperwork was getting me down, and currency exchange in Nicaragua (which otherwise has minimal paperwork) was going to be an issue - so perhaps Hong Kong is a better place to go.
I know I would have loved HK when I was younger, but I am looking for a bit slower pace of life now. If I had sufficient funding for teklibre I'd probably manage just fine from above, but at the moment it's just a one man shop.
You wrote:
Australia? Well, check into what it will cost you not to live there, but rather what the Australian government demands of those who come to live there more or less permanently. Their services to residents is excellent but only because those residents have, over the years, funded it. Outsiders who haven't contributed to the system aren't welcome to those benefits.
I've been working on that. It looks promising from where I sit - health is socialized and good, retirement looks more stable than the US's social security system by far, the economy's doing great, and they are still doing useful manufacturing and services, in a location convienent to other non-primarily-english-speaking countries.
And the female/male ratio looks good too. As does the surfing and the great barrier reef, and the technology sector.
But the only way to know for sure, is to go. For a long time. If I go, I have to make that big decision long before I hit 45, in this election cycle.
Back in June - I was saying - given a choice between Guilani and Clinton, I'd rather emigrate.
Things look a bit brighter now on the political front. I like to think that at the very least - the substance and decency of Paul has knocked Guilani down quite a bit.....
You wrote:
The world is a large and complex place.
And I'm gonna see more of it! And I wish more Americans could afford to see more of it. They might learn a thing or two.
One thing I've really noticed, living these past 7 months in Nicaragua, and helping run a friend's hostel is that Europeans, especially, tend to take a big trip after college, and wander the world. I think this is a fabulous idea, especially when most seem to be doing a year long trip on budgets that cost less than a single semester of school in the US. 6-10k spent on these trips is fairly typical.
Another thing I'm astonished at is at how little fear the female travelers express - they walk alone, carry money, haul their own baggage, etc - all with an expectation they might be robbed or assaulted - but with no huge fear about it - the thrill and fascination of the adventure drives them on, and they are aware of the low probabilities of real problems.
Americans are wimps in comparison, fearing totally irrational things.
To a man and woman - every last foreign traveler I've met in the last 6 months - and I've met over a hundred - has been appalled at the state of American television and news.
You wrote:
No one of us is likely to fix any major problems.
I'm tired of writing in english. It's someone else's turn in the barrel. I want to go back to writing code. Preferably good code that makes for a better world.
You wrote:
Instead, it is more likely that only through the combined will and action of many that significant changes will take place.
This mean you are voting for ron paul, and have convinced 10 other people to vote for him?
I know that group action works great for programming, but as someone that has never, ever, ever, had a candidate he voted for elected, have kind of lost hope in group action, and want to find a place where my skills are valued by society... and society values me.
I could stay, and volunteer for the Paul campaign, but I'm running on financial fumes and would rather see the world than try (and fail) to save the country.
You wrote:
The grass is rarely greener for long. Beware the weather: it changes no matter where you are. Life is supposed to be a struggle.
Yea, yea, I want to see some different kinds of grass, experience different weather, etc, don't shoot me for wanting to get the hell out of here for a while, hell, Ed, just tell the republicrats to add one (well, three would probably be an equivalent for me) to the immigration quotas on @#!@#! H1B programs if you wanna replace me, perhaps permanently.
In the US, nearly everywhere I've been, outside of California, I'm just an interchangable part, in a commodity profession. I'm tired of hearing that jive.
The only way to win is not to play. Engineers have no organization 'cept for inspiration from John Galt, and what did he do when he got fed up?
He went on strike. Took a couple nice trips.
Dude, you're right. You *NEED* to travel. No question about it. After I wrote code for 20+ years I got really, really tired of "relating" to a CRT for 9-10 hours a day. So I "jumped ship" and started teaching software instead of writing it. Now I program programmers and, yeah, it's a lot more rewarding.
And one of the big advantages is that I've been able to travel, mostly in the US but, over the 15 years after the first 20, I've been "off-shore" many times. (And about as much as I care to -- airplanes and hotels get rather old after that much travel.)
But the off-shore experience, the living life elsewhere effect is something that will change you, and it affects the core of your being in ways impossible to express.
If I had my choices, here's where I would go and what I would do.
Sit by the side of Loch Ness for a month and watch for Nessie. The weather is awful. Good. It cleanses the soul. I like the Scots a whole lot. I found them Earthy, human and in a oddly stodgy manner, not afraid of their juices: at one moment they'd seem very British but at the next, a single malt would be sitting before you from an unknown source and everyone would be looking to see what real self the alcohol would liberate.
And there be a bonnie lass or two in the Highlands, I'm sure.
Then I'd go to Fortaleza, Brazil to warm up. I haven't been there but an air traffic controller friend came "this close" to moving after spending many, many months. (ATCs are control freaks just like us computer hackers, you know?) John wasn't a surfer. Instead, he went for the sun and sex and my gut tells me it may have been a consequence of the latter that changed his mind. He's back here now but not talking too much. Something about the wife of someone of position down there. Sounds like poor judgement but the brain isn't located in that part of the anatomy so, ... ... Maybe the surf is good, too?
Back across the pond to Stockholm. Get a place in Gamla Stan, the old city at the core. Shoot for the summer and make a friend of someone with a sailboat. On a nice day you can sail out to one of the unpopulated islands in the Baltic and spend the day watching the clouds. If you're lucky, you might even see a Russian periscope as they run a practice drill on your little Eden. And yes, there are blue-eyed blondes in Sweden. And there are some stunning reds with skin like cream, and brunettes who, with a simple smile, will make you sigh. Never mind that the food is either beef and potatoes or fifty variants of Herring you'd rather not eat. Bring your own lunch.
One of the towns in Cinque Terra, Italy but watch your pocket in the cities you'll pass thorugh to get there. We're talking some serious pickpockets in Italy but, once you've run the gauntlet, stop and watch them "hit" the other foreigners. It's quite entertaining. Once in Cinque Terra, ignore the dirt and trash. Instead, watch the people live. It's slow. Each person has a lifetime to live and they savor each moment. I could die there but they'd ship my carcass away and defeat my whole purpose of spending forever there. But until I keel over in the dusty street, yeah, I could spend a lifetime there. Change your last name to Corleone, Mike, and maybe you'll find a doe-eyed brunette walking some lane one day.
Prague. Old. Ancient. But they have a strong sense of self and even in the Communist era, weren't afraid to push someone else's buttons. Yeah, I like their sense of Don't Try To F*** With Me!
Spend some time in Israel, not because it's right or wrong, but because its land is and has been contested for millenia, its religeon has divided the world over and over, and because seeing and experiencing all that will knock off all the sharp edges you never knew you had. Israel and the whole middle east is, unquestionably, an unsolvable problem. You'll learn to accept, and you'll want to know how to shoot a gun. Israel will do interesting things to your head.
Bangkok Thailand (child porn capitol of the world) -- eat, eat and eat. If you can swallow it, get it. If you can't, marvel at those who can and then order something else.
There must be another dozen places to go in southeast asia. Just pick a couple -- I don't think you can go wrong.
Xian China. Go see the terra cotta soldiers -- I can't, for the life of me, fathom just how really long that culture has been around. But spend most of your time in the city watching the people. They have lives, children and struggles. Watch the life. Pick one individual, see the minutae of their movements and try to imagine what they think, feel and want. You may then understand why the PRC causes me so much concern and simultaneously, gets so much of my respect. China is awesome. Beware. It's not bad -- it's just big beyond belief.
Then, it's time for a break. Head for Japan. Stay in Tokyo. Find the intersection that's in all the movies with the bronze statue of the little dog. Forget the statue and, instead, watch the teenage meat market that takes place there on a Saturday night. Talk about juice, Wow! Go to the Ramen Museum in Yokohama for a couple of meals. Better, go there for just about every meal. No wait, you need to walk down the street and pick a place at random every day. No, you should go to Kyoto and check-in to one of the monasteries that accept foreigners. Stay a couple of days without speaking a word. Instead, sit, eat vegan, and sit some more. Then go back to Tokyo to frizz up your brain. Go where the punk teenagers go and watch from afar. They don't like foreigners and they really don't like Americans so keep your distance but there's just something about a teenage girl with Gothic makeup wearing a white tutu that has to be seen to be believed.
Then come back to the US and spend a month in Mobile Alabama. God help you but you need to do it. It's part of the education.
And then, after all that, you'll know why some people pray to God every day for help.
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And one of the big advantages is that I've been able to travel, mostly in the US but, over the 15 years after the first 20, I've been "off-shore" many times. (And about as much as I care to -- airplanes and hotels get rather old after that much travel.)
But the off-shore experience, the living life elsewhere effect is something that will change you, and it affects the core of your being in ways impossible to express.
If I had my choices, here's where I would go and what I would do.
Sit by the side of Loch Ness for a month and watch for Nessie. The weather is awful. Good. It cleanses the soul. I like the Scots a whole lot. I found them Earthy, human and in a oddly stodgy manner, not afraid of their juices: at one moment they'd seem very British but at the next, a single malt would be sitting before you from an unknown source and everyone would be looking to see what real self the alcohol would liberate.
And there be a bonnie lass or two in the Highlands, I'm sure.
Then I'd go to Fortaleza, Brazil to warm up. I haven't been there but an air traffic controller friend came "this close" to moving after spending many, many months. (ATCs are control freaks just like us computer hackers, you know?) John wasn't a surfer. Instead, he went for the sun and sex and my gut tells me it may have been a consequence of the latter that changed his mind. He's back here now but not talking too much. Something about the wife of someone of position down there. Sounds like poor judgement but the brain isn't located in that part of the anatomy so, ... ... Maybe the surf is good, too?
Back across the pond to Stockholm. Get a place in Gamla Stan, the old city at the core. Shoot for the summer and make a friend of someone with a sailboat. On a nice day you can sail out to one of the unpopulated islands in the Baltic and spend the day watching the clouds. If you're lucky, you might even see a Russian periscope as they run a practice drill on your little Eden. And yes, there are blue-eyed blondes in Sweden. And there are some stunning reds with skin like cream, and brunettes who, with a simple smile, will make you sigh. Never mind that the food is either beef and potatoes or fifty variants of Herring you'd rather not eat. Bring your own lunch.
One of the towns in Cinque Terra, Italy but watch your pocket in the cities you'll pass thorugh to get there. We're talking some serious pickpockets in Italy but, once you've run the gauntlet, stop and watch them "hit" the other foreigners. It's quite entertaining. Once in Cinque Terra, ignore the dirt and trash. Instead, watch the people live. It's slow. Each person has a lifetime to live and they savor each moment. I could die there but they'd ship my carcass away and defeat my whole purpose of spending forever there. But until I keel over in the dusty street, yeah, I could spend a lifetime there. Change your last name to Corleone, Mike, and maybe you'll find a doe-eyed brunette walking some lane one day.
Prague. Old. Ancient. But they have a strong sense of self and even in the Communist era, weren't afraid to push someone else's buttons. Yeah, I like their sense of Don't Try To F*** With Me!
Spend some time in Israel, not because it's right or wrong, but because its land is and has been contested for millenia, its religeon has divided the world over and over, and because seeing and experiencing all that will knock off all the sharp edges you never knew you had. Israel and the whole middle east is, unquestionably, an unsolvable problem. You'll learn to accept, and you'll want to know how to shoot a gun. Israel will do interesting things to your head.
Bangkok Thailand (child porn capitol of the world) -- eat, eat and eat. If you can swallow it, get it. If you can't, marvel at those who can and then order something else.
There must be another dozen places to go in southeast asia. Just pick a couple -- I don't think you can go wrong.
Xian China. Go see the terra cotta soldiers -- I can't, for the life of me, fathom just how really long that culture has been around. But spend most of your time in the city watching the people. They have lives, children and struggles. Watch the life. Pick one individual, see the minutae of their movements and try to imagine what they think, feel and want. You may then understand why the PRC causes me so much concern and simultaneously, gets so much of my respect. China is awesome. Beware. It's not bad -- it's just big beyond belief.
Then, it's time for a break. Head for Japan. Stay in Tokyo. Find the intersection that's in all the movies with the bronze statue of the little dog. Forget the statue and, instead, watch the teenage meat market that takes place there on a Saturday night. Talk about juice, Wow! Go to the Ramen Museum in Yokohama for a couple of meals. Better, go there for just about every meal. No wait, you need to walk down the street and pick a place at random every day. No, you should go to Kyoto and check-in to one of the monasteries that accept foreigners. Stay a couple of days without speaking a word. Instead, sit, eat vegan, and sit some more. Then go back to Tokyo to frizz up your brain. Go where the punk teenagers go and watch from afar. They don't like foreigners and they really don't like Americans so keep your distance but there's just something about a teenage girl with Gothic makeup wearing a white tutu that has to be seen to be believed.
Then come back to the US and spend a month in Mobile Alabama. God help you but you need to do it. It's part of the education.
And then, after all that, you'll know why some people pray to God every day for help.
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