Post: #101

The best I can tell is that Sebastian is an Asian man who came to the US with big hopes and ended up having disappoint results.

He's posted previously admitting that he considers certain entire ethnic groups to be below him. He's also consistently jumped at any opportunity to criticize Western men who move to Asia.

My guess is he's jealous of their ability to do well sexually in Asia and rather than putting in the hard work to improve himself and have similar success, he's chosen to simply bend over backwards giving himself various justifications as to why other people's enjoyment of life isn't valid.

Even in this thread he's shown that he is clearly untrustworthy.

For example, in his most recent post, he claimed to have stated the following.

(06-03-2017 06:45 PM)Sebastian Wrote:  I didnt get salty. I simply said you should learn some cultures if you want to live there.

What he really said.

(05-20-2017 07:38 AM)Sebastian Wrote:  When you go to a certain country, you go there to live like one of them.

He's a dishonest individual.

Post: #102

Yes i am a racist at certain degree. I cant marry a certain ethic group of girls and i find it harder to get along with certain races of men.
I think everyone in states claims they are not racists. Whether they are honest or not, there are plenty of racism.
Also check out Racial Hierarchy written by Roosh on his blog. Unless you are Indian man, you shouldnt get upset with me lol

To be honest, i think i just cant have conversation with guys who fled western countries and went to 3rd world countries.
They just get mad if i say something like 'i see plenty of pretty girls in states' 'there are nice american girls'.
Its not their fault I believe. I think i should just talk with guys whos in western Europe since thats where i want to go.

And if you want to believe im very jealous of some guy ive never seen on interent, you can think that way to make yourself feel better.
Im very jealous of you

Have fun in china or philipphines. I will have fun when i go to france. Lets leave it at that.

Post: #103

(06-04-2017 12:12 AM)Sebastian Wrote:  They just get mad if i say something like 'i see plenty of pretty girls in states' 'there are nice american girls'.

Nah, why would we get mad? You can have "nice" American or French girls... more Asian girls for us, then.

Post: #104

(06-03-2017 11:58 AM)All or Nothing Wrote:  This is purely as a third person observer, but I am getting the sense that part of Suits' hostility towards Chinese culture has less to do with anything inherently wrong or backwards about Chinese and more towards the broader society itself.

I think it's a stretch to say that I am "hostile" towards Chinese culture. I simply recognize reality for what it is. I could very easily (and will) assemble a list of reasons why living in China is advantageous and I would recommend it to any man in a similar position as I was when I decided to live here.

But make no mistake: this is a third world country. If you come here without that expectation (and an awareness of what that means), you are in for a series of major disappointments. You will discover things that you believed to be normal human behaviour are by no means common in the world outside of Western society. You may well lose your faith in humanity when you see the level that humanity can reduce it to. But living in Africa would do that to you on an even greater level. Reality is disappointing.

I'm not stuck in Asia, however. I do enjoy life here. There are disadvantages, but there are major advantages as well. If I wanted to leave, I could and I would.

The reason why I listed in this thread various anti-social behaviours common in China was because another forum member wrote something that was absolutely ridiculous.

He stated, very clearly, that if you live somewhere you MUST go there to live as the locals.

There was no better way for me to point out the absurdity of his statement than to share what that would literally mean for someone living in China.

(06-03-2017 11:58 AM)All or Nothing Wrote:  Reading Suits' posts reminds me of Debito Arudou where he went into Japan with the hope of being accepted by mainstream society after learning the language and adopting some of the culture, only to be shoved to the periphery in perpetuity due to being ethnically different from the majority.

I may be wrong, but I couldn't help but pick up on the parallels between the tone and content of what Suits was saying and the case of Debito Arudou.

I never went to Asia hoping to be accepted as Asian. My main reason for spending time here in the first place was because I wanted to be a more interesting person.

The key difference between me and Debito Arudou is that while he has made a point out of drawing as much attention to himself as possible in Japan, I have, on the other hand, committed myself to drawing as little attention to myself as possible, earning as much money as possible and, when the time is right, moving onto greener pastures.

I had a lovely time in January in Malaysia. It took being back in China for a little while to appreciate it fully (as I never let myself come to conclusions about a new place quickly), but my thoughts have turned to Malaysia a lot since returning to Beijing. A completely different place that China. It has its problems, but I found many of the people to be very wholesome and genuine, rather than self-serving, incompetent and uncultured.

Being in Beijing is important to my goals right now (and offers a lot of advantages as a city), but I have no intention of growing old here.

Post: #105

(06-03-2017 04:37 PM)SamuelBRoberts Wrote:  Yeah, Debito is a uniquely weird character, and it's kind of hard to get a handle on the way in which he's weird unless you have a decent grasp of Japanese society.

The way I view Suit's complaints is this: there are certain things about a society, any society, which suck. But if you grow up in that society, you just kind of accept them as "the way things are", and you don't really think about them. For example, in the US, we think it's normal to have to drive to the store to buy what we need. I drove to my local grocery store this morning to get some dish soap, for instance. You might've gone too. I bet you didn't give it a second thought.

Driving to the store as opposed to walking is insanely unhealthy.

If you spend 20 minutes walking to the store, 20 minutes walking around the store, and 20 minutes coming back, you'll burn in the realm of 100 calories. Throw in all the other little things you drive to (your commute, for instance, or that time you had to go to the doctor's office) and you're looking at in the realm of 3500 calories a month or more. That's a pound of fat coming off, every month, just by living your life.

One of the biggest reasons Americans are so unhealthy and obese is that we drive everywhere instead of walking. But have you ever given a second thought to this? Have you ever said, "Man I hate driving everywhere. I wish I got to walk." If so, you're in the minority. 99% of Americans don't think this way.

But if someone were to move from Asia to the US, and live the exact same lifestyle they lived back home, eating the same foods, working the same job, going to the gym the same amount, they'd find themselves putting on a ton of weight. They'd probably say to themselves "Man, I miss walking everywhere. That was so good for my diet."

In the same way, there's stuff about China that sucks (Callousness, rampant cheating, etc.), but when you grow up with it as a part of life, you're inured to it. That's just how things are. But if you move in as a foreigner, all this stuff is new and shocking to you. You find it annoying and unpleasant in a way that someone who lived there all their life is won't. This isn't to say that the things Suits is describing don't bother Chinese people (No one likes to see people shitting on the side of the road), but they bother him worse than they would someone who spent their whole life in Beijing, just like a Chinese immigrant who moved here might find the pounds they were gaining now that they had to drive to work instead of walk infuriating.

That's my take on it, and it's definitely something to think about if you're seriously thinking about moving abroad.

That was one of the most well written summaries of cultural differences I've read ever. Truly. I have traveled and lived in many countries and you articulated so well what I had only vaguely ruminated on before.

You gave a digestible yet poignant example. Yet it doesn't end there. That one cultural issue you brought up, when magnified on a gross scale, leads to a nationwide obesity epidemic that kills millions. Just like that one little little cultural quirk of Chinese to not care so much about littering leads them to have cities where the sun cannot shine through smog for months and the earth, water, land, and air, is putrid.

Every culture has problems, and for sure some have more problems than others (when viewed from a classical liberal, judeo-christian, environmentally aesthetic perspective), but sometimes you just have to accept that on a macro level people simply have naturalized the dysfunctional cultural traits. They may intellectually grasp this, but on a deep emotional and cultural level these things will stay with them. You see this phenomenon when rich kids come from corrupt countries to study in pretigious western universities, only to come home and be just as corrupt themeselves, only more efficiently with the aid of a Western education and better articulation and refinement. It takes a lot of humility and introspection to break free from your dysfunctional shackles, while embracing the cultural virtues that you are blessed with, and move forward in your life.

Post: #106

(06-03-2017 04:37 PM)SamuelBRoberts Wrote:  Yeah, Debito is a uniquely weird character, and it's kind of hard to get a handle on the way in which he's weird unless you have a decent grasp of Japanese society.

The way I view Suit's complaints is this: there are certain things about a society, any society, which suck. But if you grow up in that society, you just kind of accept them as "the way things are", and you don't really think about them. For example, in the US, we think it's normal to have to drive to the store to buy what we need. I drove to my local grocery store this morning to get some dish soap, for instance. You might've gone too. I bet you didn't give it a second thought.

Driving to the store as opposed to walking is insanely unhealthy.

If you spend 20 minutes walking to the store, 20 minutes walking around the store, and 20 minutes coming back, you'll burn in the realm of 100 calories. Throw in all the other little things you drive to (your commute, for instance, or that time you had to go to the doctor's office) and you're looking at in the realm of 3500 calories a month or more. That's a pound of fat coming off, every month, just by living your life.

One of the biggest reasons Americans are so unhealthy and obese is that we drive everywhere instead of walking. But have you ever given a second thought to this? Have you ever said, "Man I hate driving everywhere. I wish I got to walk." If so, you're in the minority. 99% of Americans don't think this way.

But if someone were to move from Asia to the US, and live the exact same lifestyle they lived back home, eating the same foods, working the same job, going to the gym the same amount, they'd find themselves putting on a ton of weight. They'd probably say to themselves "Man, I miss walking everywhere. That was so good for my diet."

In the same way, there's stuff about China that sucks (Callousness, rampant cheating, etc.), but when you grow up with it as a part of life, you're inured to it. That's just how things are. But if you move in as a foreigner, all this stuff is new and shocking to you. You find it annoying and unpleasant in a way that someone who lived there all their life is won't. This isn't to say that the things Suits is describing don't bother Chinese people (No one likes to see people shitting on the side of the road), but they bother him worse than they would someone who spent their whole life in Beijing, just like a Chinese immigrant who moved here might find the pounds they were gaining now that they had to drive to work instead of walk infuriating.

That's my take on it, and it's definitely something to think about if you're seriously thinking about moving abroad.

haha The car thing is crazy in America. One of the things I miss about living overseas is not having to have a car. I enjoyed walking everywhere. Only on distant occasions did I miss a car.

While in America, people think I am crazy for walking a couple of blocks to a store. Most people will get into their cars for a 5 minute walk.

They simply can't comprehend when I walk 15 - 25 minutes to a grocery store to pick up a few items. Even riding a bike is too much for most.

Post: #107

(06-03-2017 03:23 PM)All or Nothing Wrote:  

(06-03-2017 03:17 PM)Off The Reservation Wrote:  Suits IS an entrepreneur.

I thought you had to have sales to be an entrepreneur or do you just make up rules on the fly?

I reject the word entrepreneur and any like it, because I don't think that creating value and not having a boss should be viewed as anything other than a perfectly normal thing to do.

Post: #108

(05-24-2017 07:39 AM)Suits Wrote:  Below average people don't feel pathetic and inferior.

They simply blame their inabilities and failings on unfavorable circumstances that don't allow their genius to bear fruit.

In our society, though, how does one even measure "below average"? There are guys in the manosphere who have good enough game to get an above-average notch count, but for whatever reason aren't able to have a successful relationship that produces children in a stable two-parent household. They taught that you have to practice game even in your long-term relationships, but in the end, their game wasn't enough to accomplish their relationship goals; something else was needed.

Even the suburban yuppie families usually don't have more than one or two kids, which puts them below the global average fertility rate of 2.5. By that standard, maybe third worlders living in mud huts are doing better than us at the moment, especially if we're helping them out with some free food and medical care and maybe even a chance to come to the first world as refugees. (In the end, though, their fertility rates are probably going to come down as well, once they start educating their girls, as pretty much every developing country aspires to do once they can afford it, lest they be seen as backward.)

Do we measure averageness by wealth? The average guy is a beta with a bunch of debt who slaves away under HR's watchful eye and ends up marrying some post-carousel chick. A lot of his paycheck goes to taxes to support the people who aren't working. Are the welfare recipients "below average" or are they above average, given that the amount of money they get per hour they spend at work is infinity, and produces a divide-by-zero error? Some of these welfare moms produce an above-average number of kids, so in that sense, they're the ones getting ahead while the taxpayers supporting them are chucks (chumps/cucks).

Averages don't even matter that much if society itself is going down the tubes. There can be losers in a winning society, but in the long term, there are no winners in a losing society. People speak of "enjoying the decline" rather than "profiting from the decline" because all that the decline is good for is short-term pleasure.

Ludwig von Mises Wrote:Everyone carries a part of society on his shoulders; no one is relieved of his share of responsibility by others. And no one can find a safe way out for himself if society is sweeping toward destruction. Therefore, everyone, in his own interests, must thrust himself vigorously into the intellectual battle. None can stand aside with unconcern; the interest of everyone hangs on the result. Whether he chooses or not, every man is drawn into the great historical struggle, the decisive battle into which our epoch has plunged us.

The people who are winners in a sick society might be losers in a healthy society, and the people who are losers in a sick society might be winners in a healthy society. If you're prospering now, it could mean that you're just really adaptable to every situation, or it could mean that you only do well in a sick society. So who's to say that those doing well today are really superior, or that their success right now is going to matter much in the end.

Also, even if society is healthy, some people just need to be born into the right moment in history to have the greatest impact. What if Charles Babbage had been born 100 years later (1891 instead of 1791); what might he have accomplished with the more advanced technology of that era?

Post: #109

(06-17-2017 07:57 AM)Jean Valjean Wrote:  

(05-24-2017 07:39 AM)Suits Wrote:  Below average people don't feel pathetic and inferior.

They simply blame their inabilities and failings on unfavorable circumstances that don't allow their genius to bear fruit.

In our society, though, how does one even measure "below average"?

We judge based on the number of professional whores a person has knowingly married.

Post: #110

All countries have trade-offs. The key is to not search in hope of the "perfect" country, but rather the country most likely to meet your endgame. For instance, the United States still has an excellent track record of helping entrepreneurs succeed. If you want a traditional wife, Vietnam will work better than living in the San Francisco Bay Area, even if the Bay Area might help you make your millions. The real point is to put in focus your life goals, and let the geography be a tool towards the fulfilment of your core mission.

Post: #111

(06-17-2017 08:14 AM)Suits Wrote:  We judge based on the number of professional whores a person has knowingly married.

Society does the same thing, though. There can be a single mom who's banging a bunch of losers, and society will give her food stamps and welfare. They're giving her the kind of financial support that in more traditional times, a husband would've provided.

In your dealings with others, you can choose to hang out with the winners, based on the theory of, "Time is better spent with them, because they've proven their ability to make the most of what resources they have, so we'll be able to further each other's success," or you can hang out with the losers, based on the theory of, "We're all in this together, and they need my help more than anyone."

Society has chosen to give a lot of its resources to the losers, because it figures, if you just leave them alone, they'll cause a bunch of problems. The ex-whore will beg in the streets, or shoplift, so you have to provide for her, and give her a comfortable life. You have to invest in her kids, by feeding them, sending them to school, etc. The problem with being generous is that it can encourage irresponsible behavior and even be misinterpreted as a token of respect and acceptance. Rather than feeling shamed, they start to feel emboldened to demand more than what they've already been given.

The church teaches that it's virtuous to focus on helping losers; the Scripture says that Jesus chose to feast with the publicans and sinners, saying, "They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." When the prodigal son came back, he got more lavish attention than the son who hadn't gone away to begin with. Etc., etc.

This has all filtered into our culture. The church found that they were able to recruit a lot of people by going to prisons, etc. and saying, "No matter what you've done, we won't judge you based on anything other than your belief in and obedience to this religion going forward. We'll even say you're a wiser and better person than all these productive members of society who scoff at our teaching because they think it's illogical." Eventually, the state found that it could get a lot of supporters by allying with this institution which had become so popular, and now even Donald Trump feels compelled to say that the Bible is his favorite book.

Now we have secular alternatives to the church that take this doctrine a step further. The church forgave all past mistakes, but demanded repentance. The SJWs don't even ask for that. They say, "We accept you if you're a jobless, overweight, gay, transgender slut -- and you don't even have to change! Just your belief and SJW activism make you superior to those privileged oppressors. You can even wear all those marginalized characteristics as a badge of pride."

If we measure superiority by strength, we have to acknowledge, the SJWs have in many ways gotten the upper hand in influencing our culture. A lot of successful and influential people -- the Bill Gateses, Warren Buffets, Mark Zuckbergs, George Soroses, etc. -- are sympathetic to their cause. Even here, we're not totally free from the SJWs' control, because we have to make certain concessions to them by censoring ourselves lest they attack.

Post: #112

I can think of at least one reason for not expatriating out of the US.

After traveling to a lot of the world, I've realized what a long learning curve it is to really get to know a place- the language, the culture, how things are done-- and to carve out a niche for yourself. Unless you are extraordinarily gifted or lucky, it takes even longer to substantially succeed within a new culture.

A lot of the travel advice on this forum is shared from a shorter-term perspective (i.e. less than 2 years) in a country. Stuff gets a lot more real the longer you stay.

But who doesn't really enjoy a place called home? Or their own homelands?

Only a strange person living in a strange set of circumstances.

Some countries take an enormous amount of time and energy to become integrated into. Those with super high social IQs may be able to do this faster or better, but for all intents and purposes, a man expatriating moves OUT of his area of knowledge (his homeland) and INTO and area of much less knowledge and street wisdom.

For example, I know of tons of people who thought Colombia was the place to be, and stayed there for anywhere from 2-5 years. But the ultimate realities of the culture eventually took their toll, and they packed up and moved back.

If you asked me 7 years ago, my plan was basically to expatriate from the USA. It was the ideal.

After so many years of traveling and living in different places, now I'm not so sure.

Post: #113

(06-17-2017 04:08 PM)Slam Wrote:  I can think of at least one reason for not expatriating out of the US.

After traveling to a lot of the world, I've realized what a long learning curve it is to really get to know a place- the language, the culture, how things are done-- and to carve out a niche for yourself. Unless you are extraordinarily gifted or lucky, it takes even longer to substantially succeed within a new culture.

A lot of the travel advice on this forum is shared from a shorter-term perspective (i.e. less than 2 years) in a country. Stuff gets a lot more real the longer you stay.

But who doesn't really enjoy a place called home? Or their own homelands?

Only a strange person living in a strange set of circumstances.

Some countries take an enormous amount of time and energy to become integrated into. Those with super high social IQs may be able to do this faster or better, but for all intents and purposes, a man expatriating moves OUT of his area of knowledge (his homeland) and INTO and area of much less knowledge and street wisdom.

For example, I know of tons of people who thought Colombia was the place to be, and stayed there for anywhere from 2-5 years. But the ultimate realities of the culture eventually took their toll, and they packed up and moved back.

If you asked me 7 years ago, my plan was basically to expatriate from the USA. It was the ideal.

After so many years of traveling and living in different places, now I'm not so sure.

Despite being young, I notice this aswell. I still want to travel all over the world, but I have concluded the digital nomad, going to all countries working life will not be for me.

Post: #114

I just spent two weeks in the Amazona in Peru. I am much more inspired about leaving the USA right now. Peru is a poor country, but there were plenty of ways in which it is better.

There is no feminist bullshit there. Women want to attract men. I saw very few tattoos on the Peruanas.

I had excellent food everywhere. You could buy fruit almost anyplace. Food was not the cartelized, industrialized crap we eat in the USA. I have wondered a lot about food in the USA. And there isn't anything that will change in the USA anytime soon, largely because Americans are way too fucking stupid to care.

Post: #115

(06-17-2017 04:08 PM)Slam Wrote:  Some countries take an enormous amount of time and energy to become integrated into.

This is an underappreciated point and a good reason not to be moving around constantly. Full integration isn't really possible but mere understanding can be a long project. You have to understand their situation fully in order to understand their incentives, which in turn affect how they communicate, interact and negotiate with you.

The list of requirements doesn't say you need to bring a copy of your identification but you do. Locals somehow know this.

Why won't any taxis stop for you? Is it how you're dressed? Where you're waiting? No. It's because the drivers are finishing their shift, and they're only taking rides that are going in that direction, the direction of where poor people like them live. Locals grew up with this knowledge implicitly so they don't stop to think that an outsider won't know.

The city has a dozen, independent bus systems. There is no integration between them. They all look different and have different schedules, which are not posted anywhere. Their fare policies are all different. For some, you pay a fixed amount to the driver. For others, you must have exact change. For some, you pay at the end. For some, you can board in the rear. For others, you need a pre-paid card. The routes do not have numbers. There is no map. There is no online page that includes them. Google Maps doesn't know about most of them. No one knows to get to somewhere by bus unless they've personally taken it. No guidebook can adequately explain this.

You ask someone for directions. As a reference point, they mention a building that is no longer there. There know it's not there anymore but that's their point of reference.

There are no street signs. Why would there be? Everyone from there already knows where everything is, even if they don't know the names of the streets where they live.

A friend pays your bus fare. You start to pass him the money but he says later. You think he means that it's an inconvenient moment. That's not what he means.

You bring wine to someone's house a gift. They look at you strangely. No one drinks wine.

You get invited to a party. You're imagining a house, but it's in a bar. Parties are in bars. People live with their parents, so they often can't host a party at home, plus who
would want to go to their small house in a sketchy part of town. If you've come from a typical American city, you might not be expecting this.

Paco, who never has any money, buys everyone drinks. Why? Yesterday was payday, when the whole country gets paid. That's why the bar is full. In a few days Paco will be back to being broke. This all makes sense when you understand how the locals think about money, when they get paid and how they like to spend money.

Post: #116

There's alot of truth in the comments about how life is better in the west than elsewhere. But there were some points that seemed missing

1. My guess is that most of the posters here are white, and thus taller than the average male in the US. If you are a short male or are not white (or worst of all, a short Asian male), then you'll definitely face more discrimination and disrespect. So it makes more sense to expat. It's not a fun feeling to go your whole life feeling inferior to whites, having trouble understand the culture as your parents raised you with their cultural beliefs, people treating you like you're not even a man and have a smaller dick, etc.

And no, I'm not whining and using this as a crutch and being a victim. I've traveled abroad and I did notice some of the problems previous posters mentioned about other countries. And I'm grateful for what I do have as my life could be worse, my parents are in good health, I got a solid education in the US, etc.

2. Alot of the negativity towards other countries seemed aimed towards China along with other 3rd-world countries like Thailand. What about wealthier countries like Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia? What about western countries with less feminism like Germany, France, Croatia, etc? Maybe expatting to those countries makes alot more sense for us than expatting to China or 3rd-world countries

(05-19-2017 02:17 AM)Suits Wrote:  The first 1-3 years are great, but after that the various inconveniences that come with living in a non-Western country begin to add up psychologically. Once the honeymoon period/adventure is over, many people give up and go home. The ones who stay tend not to be the successful types, but rather those who have so little going for them back home that doing so is not viable.

I've only lived abroad briefly. I disagree with your last comment. I knew some teachers who had been in the country for 10 years or so. They may have made meager English teacher salaries, but they were "successful" to me in that they were decent, happy people. I know because I've worked at office jobs in the US and had coworkers who made way more money than them but were unhappy assholes.

Post: #117

(06-17-2017 06:55 PM)ElFlaco Wrote:  

(06-17-2017 04:08 PM)Slam Wrote:  Some countries take an enormous amount of time and energy to become integrated into.

This is an underappreciated point and a good reason not to be moving around constantly. Full integration isn't really possible but mere understanding can be a long project. You have to understand their situation fully in order to understand their incentives, which in turn affect how they communicate, interact and negotiate with you.

The list of requirements doesn't say you need to bring a copy of your identification but you do. Locals somehow know this.

Why won't any taxis stop for you? Is it how you're dressed? Where you're waiting? No. It's because the drivers are finishing their shift, and they're only taking rides that are going in that direction, the direction of where poor people like them live. Locals grew up with this knowledge implicitly so they don't stop to think that an outsider won't know.

The city has a dozen, independent bus systems. There is no integration between them. They all look different and have different schedules, which are not posted anywhere. Their fare policies are all different. For some, you pay a fixed amount to the driver. For others, you must have exact change. For some, you pay at the end. For some, you can board in the rear. For others, you need a pre-paid card. The routes do not have numbers. There is no map. There is no online page that includes them. Google Maps doesn't know about most of them. No one knows to get to somewhere by bus unless they've personally taken it. No guidebook can adequately explain this.

You ask someone for directions. As a reference point, they mention a building that is no longer there. There know it's not there anymore but that's their point of reference.

There are no street signs. Why would there be? Everyone from there already knows where everything is, even if they don't know the names of the streets where they live.

A friend pays your bus fare. You start to pass him the money but he says later. You think he means that it's an inconvenient moment. That's not what he means.

You bring wine to someone's house a gift. They look at you strangely. No one drinks wine.

You get invited to a party. You're imagining a house, but it's in a bar. Parties are in bars. People live with their parents, so they often can't host a party at home, plus who
would want to go to their small house in a sketchy part of town. If you've come from a typical American city, you might not be expecting this.

Paco, who never has any money, buys everyone drinks. Why? Yesterday was payday, when the whole country gets paid. That's why the bar is full. In a few days Paco will be back to being broke. This all makes sense when you understand how the locals think about money, when they get paid and how they like to spend money.

Holy fuck man! You just described Mexico in a nutshell!!!! Your post had me on the floor rolling of laughter. Many thanks, much lulz, such wisdoms.

Post: #118

(06-17-2017 06:55 PM)ElFlaco Wrote:  

(06-17-2017 04:08 PM)Slam Wrote:  Some countries take an enormous amount of time and energy to become integrated into.

Why won't any taxis stop for you? Is it how you're dressed? Where you're waiting? No. It's because the drivers are finishing their shift, and they're only taking rides that are going in that direction, the direction of where poor people like them live. Locals grew up with this knowledge implicitly so they don't stop to think that an outsider won't know.

I've been living here a year, and only after I read this post do I now know why empty taxis were driving past me at 5am last night.

The rest was pretty hilarious reading being as I understand that stuff now but it still blows my mind.

Post: #119

From Kyle Trouble at Return of Kings: When the Little Inconveniences of Living Abroad Begin to Add Up

He recounts some bad experiences with customer service, being sick and doctor's appointments, and deliveries. Things that you might not notice during the honeymoon phase between being a tourist and a long-term resident.

Quote:It was these moments that make me ponder whether maybe people are [right] when they think I’m crazy for having moved abroad. It was these moments that make me wonder if I can really live abroad for the rest of my life.

I’ll admit, at first glance, some of these do seem petty. I consider it the price I pay to live abroad, and to live a good life devoid of all of the poisons of western culture. But no matter how patient and tolerant you are, these things can and will eat at you. The little things on a daily basis wear you down over time. What once was a cool and unique adventure—venturing out to DHL in the boonies, for example—becomes a massive waste of time and frustration.

Me, I can think of several things that I thought were cool/fun/interesting when I was Fresh Off The Boat -- my motto was 'go with the flow' -- that now have become annoyances that fester with each year. For example, vendors in the metro, church bells at all hours, stores running out of basic stuff they should be able to predict, no one having change (Kyle mentions this one, too).

Poor infrastructure / civil engineering would be another one. Just this week a 20-foot-diameter hole suddenly opened up on a major street. The same thing happened two months ago on a different highway. Two people died.

Post: #120

I started learning Russian a while ago so I wouldn't have to be stuck in the crumbling west. This decision had little to do with women, it was mostly a long term (ten-twenty year) guess about the possible future of various economies, both East and West. It's not a huge risk to learn a language. At the end of the day, I don't have to move, let alone move permanently.

Post: #121

(09-01-2017 02:01 PM)ElFlaco Wrote:  From Kyle Trouble at Return of Kings: When the Little Inconveniences of Living Abroad Begin to Add Up

He recounts some bad experiences with customer service, being sick and doctor's appointments, and deliveries. Things that you might not notice during the honeymoon phase between being a tourist and a long-term resident.

Quote:It was these moments that make me ponder whether maybe people are [right] when they think I’m crazy for having moved abroad. It was these moments that make me wonder if I can really live abroad for the rest of my life.

I’ll admit, at first glance, some of these do seem petty. I consider it the price I pay to live abroad, and to live a good life devoid of all of the poisons of western culture. But no matter how patient and tolerant you are, these things can and will eat at you. The little things on a daily basis wear you down over time. What once was a cool and unique adventure—venturing out to DHL in the boonies, for example—becomes a massive waste of time and frustration.

Me, I can think of several things that I thought were cool/fun/interesting when I was Fresh Off The Boat -- my motto was 'go with the flow' -- that now have become annoyances that fester with each year. For example, vendors in the metro, church bells at all hours, stores running out of basic stuff they should be able to predict, no one having change (Kyle mentions this one, too).

Poor infrastructure / civil engineering would be another one. Just this week a 20-foot-diameter hole suddenly opened up on a major street. The same thing happened two months ago on a different highway. Two people died.

1 - The loud trucks with speakerphones mounted on them, especially ones that go around early weekend mornings with a tape on loop saying "Gaaaaaaas, compre su gaaaaaaaas"

2 - Not finding shit open after 8pm or during lunch hour.

3 - Police corruption

4 - Every kid trying to sell you shit because you stand out by looking or dressing differently than the locals.

5 - Cabbies "not having cambio", nigga I know you're trying to shill me 30 pesos and keep them.

6 - Gas stations not selling you entire litres of petrol/gasoline.

Post: #122

(09-07-2017 01:50 PM)Cattle Rustler Wrote:  1 - The loud trucks with speakerphones mounted on them, especially ones that go around early weekend mornings with a tape on loop saying "Gaaaaaaas, compre su gaaaaaaaas"

And they buzz your intercom (can't be muted) before 8am.

Quote:2 - Not finding shit open after 8pm or during lunch hour.

Bakeries (fresh bread) that close between 10am and 4pm. Businesses that frequently run out of their main product (bistec at a taco stand).

Quote:3 - Police corruption

I've been stopped by the police three times in Mexico. Once they searched my backpack (hoping to find a laptop, I suspect), once they took (then returned) my camera, once they searched my pockets. Fortunately I was accompanied on all of these occasions.

Quote:5 - Cabbies "not having cambio", nigga I know you're trying to shill me 30 pesos and keep them.

Amen. I've solved this problem with Uber, mostly.

Post: #123

US is phenomenal for making money and getting rich. Also, best consumer market in the world, you can get ANYTHING easily.

Post: #124

I was gonna comment, but then I saw that half the people who posted have already been banned.

Nice forum

Post: #125

(09-08-2017 08:32 AM)digitalconquistador Wrote:  I was gonna comment, but then I saw that half the people who posted have already been banned.

Nice forum

Dozens of other members have contributed to this thread and not been banned.

Three people who have posted in this thread have been banned, but I'm guessing it is going to be four soon.

Looks like something is wrong with your math. Did you remember to square the cosine?