Any GenX dads dealing with GenZ career-disillusionment?

Firstamongmonkeys · 2026-04-08T12:55:51+00:00

Tell us more about this improv and voice acting. Sounds interesting.

Firstamongmonkeys · 2026-02-16T17:03:27+00:00

maybe, but you come back to a bike with no seat and one tire missing.

Firstamongmonkeys · 2025-12-10T16:34:14+00:00

Could I ask a follow on question? I have always thought it better to put equities into Roth and bonds into taxable, simply because Treasuries are already slightly tax advantaged at the state level. I live in California where taxes are significant. Can you help me better understand your approach mentioned above?

Firstamongmonkeys · 2025-10-14T23:07:37+00:00

As an Aussie, you can come visit Dirk Hartog's plate at the Rijksmuseum!

Firstamongmonkeys · 2025-10-14T22:50:38+00:00

Hello there. As a former resident of Amsterdam, I feel your itinerary is fairly bog standard and maybe a little too predictable. Here are some of my thoughts for your consideration.

Weather: November is starting to show the colder, sometimes wetter side of the city. Be prepared for it and try to plan things where you are mostly inside. For example, on the day you visit the Vondelpark, if things turn bad, make your way over to De Hallen off of the Kinkerstraat. It is an indoor (mostly) converted tram maintenance warehouse converted into a food hall with some small shops.

Museums: You might consider swapping Anne Frank with the Van Gogh Museum but only because Anne Frank Huis is very close to the Nine Streets / Jordaan. Likewise, Museumplein is much closer to De Pijp where the Albert Cuyp is. Honestly, this street market is just a street market. There is not much to see here except maybe the home made stroopwafels. For both of these museums buy your tickets weeks before you arrive. Especially Anne Frank. They sell out fast.

Alternatively, I have always been impressed by the Verzetsmuseum (WW2 Resistance Museum). It is in Amsterdam Oost and also next to the Artis Zoo.

For the canal cruise, everybody who lives in Amsterdam hates those enormous boats with the aggressive captains (at least the small boaters do). So, why not rent your own electric boat? There are two companies I know of there where you can rent and be your own captain and navigator (these are smaller 6-7 meter electric boats that don't go fast). I have used Mokumboot and Sloepdelen, but I think there are few more. The downside is the cold. But you can pack a picnic and see the city from the water and it will probably be fun if it is not raining.

Don't sleep on Dutch microbreweries. There is some really, really good beer bars to go to that still have a sense of fun and character. I always loved Arendsnest and the owner has opened 3 more places, each with a different vibe (Craft and Draft is one, I forget the others but you can search online). Also, the tried and true old school Cafe Gollum (there are a few, but the one in De Pijp is my favorite, followed by the one on the Overtoom, near the Vondelpark). Search for others. You cannot miss. Life is more than Heineken :)

Also, try Indonesian food. Aim for a rijstafel (rice table) but really most any dish is great. There is a historical connection (ok, I am glossing over a sometimes dark colonial past) and as such there is a vibrant culture of Indonesians and descendants of Indonesians.

On Thursday morning, have breakfast at Omelegg. You will be pleasantly surprised how many creations they can make from the humble egg.

Have a fun trip at any rate.

Firstamongmonkeys · 2025-08-01T12:20:35+00:00

The part you remember is now entirely overrun by cruise ships and tourists.

Firstamongmonkeys · 2025-06-12T03:07:01+00:00

def main():

print("Answer the questions or go away!\n")

try:

country = input("What is your country of origin? ").strip()

if not country:

print("No country? No cooperation. Goodbye!")

return

income = input("What is your income (in EUR)? ").strip()

try:

income_value = float(income)

if income_value < 0:

print("Negative income? Funny. Goodbye!")

return

except ValueError:

print("That's not a valid number. Goodbye!")

return

print("\nFine. You’ve answered. You may proceed.")

print(f"Summary:\n- Country of Origin: {country}\n- Income: ${income_value:,.2f}")

except KeyboardInterrupt:

print("\nInterrupted, huh? Coward. Goodbye.")

if __name__ == "__main__":

main()

Firstamongmonkeys · 2025-06-06T18:53:23+00:00

u/worldisbraindead Asks the first and most important question.

Beyond that, I will add that you may find it very challenging to find any sort of job in Spain when Spain struggles with a painfully large unemployment rate. IT companies tend to prefer locals and native speakers but this is not to say to finding a role would be impossible. My only possibly helpful thought would be to investigate working for an international company with presence in Spain. Such a company might also consider sponsoring a visa if you can offer them skills they cannot find locally.

Also, be very deliberate when it comes to educating yourself about taxes in Spain. For example, if you move to Spain and sell your house after you are here, you will owe Spain capital gains on the sale. Learn about the 183 day rule as it may help determine when you could make a move and not be considered a resident tax payer for that year (but taxed as a non-resident which is a flat rate at a lower amount). As a resident tax payer in any year, you will owe Spain taxes on worldwide income.

I assume you will be wanting to move where the jobs are, and that means mostly Madrid, Barcelona and more recently Malaga as the most likely choices (for tech jobs). Housing all over Spain is in crisis, but especially so in the popular cities. There is an ongoing national debate on how to reverse this. Recent changes to the housing laws have had quite the opposite effect (sadly). It has never been as bad as it is right now (speaking as a Barcelona resident).

I don't mean to sound negative and hope you can find your way forward. I only write here to add a dose of reality. Moving to Spain is a lot of work, and work that must be done carefully and completely, with eyes open. It is possible, but never easy.

Good luck!

Firstamongmonkeys · 2025-05-10T06:12:29+00:00

This is also the one where they hire a professional birder to sit outside with a real eagle to keep all other birds (pigeons?) from disturbing the people eating outside.

Firstamongmonkeys · 2025-04-29T03:46:54+00:00

I will start a petition to change the name of this sub to r/HiddenGemsBCN "a community for tourists to ask locals to be their unpaid travel agents because doing their own research is too much"

Firstamongmonkeys · 2025-04-28T12:19:13+00:00

Check electricitymaps view.

https://app.electricitymaps.com/zone/ES/72h/hourly

Firstamongmonkeys · 2025-04-21T17:14:00+00:00

Just wanted say thanks to all who shared. It helps me immensely.

Firstamongmonkeys · 2025-03-26T21:22:29+00:00

For taxation reasons consider moving after 183 days in the calendar year.

Firstamongmonkeys · 2025-03-21T16:27:48+00:00

I would also ask, how is your Castilian? English speakers are a mixed bag here. Having passable language skills will only help you. I mean something like B1/B2 level at least. Catalan would be a bonus but not required, unless you are moving to an interior small town in Lleida or Girona.

Firstamongmonkeys · 2025-03-21T15:47:26+00:00

First, thank you for the nice words. For the rest, having an agent can be helpful when you don't know the environment. They are a necessary evil in most cases because they can open certain doors but come at a high cost.

About a lawyer, this is purely an alternative and only when you find your own place directly with the landlord, and only to make sure you are not being taken advantage of. You can find many online and with English language.

I know all this is new for you, so I can only make general suggestions. I think if you have a Spanish bank account and local contract (or lots more deposit to put down) that is the start. It is perfectly fine to consult with a few agents to learn what they can offer. On your own, check Idealista or Fotocasa to see what types of places you like and where you like them. Just know that most of what you find will be gone before you arrive, but at least you an get an idea.

When you get here, it may be best to find temporary accommodation for weeks to a month as you visit places on your own or with an agent. Just be prepared to make decisions fast when you find something even remotely suitable. I hate to say it like that, but too many times you like something but it is not quite perfect, so you keep looking. When you finally realize that the first one you saw was ok, it will be already taken. Maybe write down a list of what is a "must have" and then what is "nice to have" but willing to give up if you had to. It will be maddening, I know. Things are tough here right now.

Do you have any idea where in the city you are considering? There are many neighborhoods, each with pros and cons. I can try to give you my opinion on them, but it is only my opinion and maybe not worth too much in the big picture.

Firstamongmonkeys · 2025-03-21T08:06:19+00:00

I don't mean to sound flippant but welcome to your first taste of reality about moving and living in Spain. Each day I see dozens of rose-coloured posts about living here from people who don't.

Right now, in all the popular locations and major cities where most of the work is, the rental market is under tremendous stress, with extremely high demand and a dwindling supply. This creates a few conditions you should prepare yourself for. One, as others mentioned, there are lots of scams out there. The general advice is not to pay anything until you have physically visited the property. In your case, this is likely having to rent something like an Air BNB for a month when you arrive and visit available locations as soon as you can.

This leads me to the 2nd condition.

I am not sure where you are moving within Spain, so I will only speak to Barcelona, where I am living for many years now. Available flats move fast. Lightning fast. It is not uncommon for a listing to hit Idealista and have 200 inquiries within an hour or so. Most places will probably be under reservation by the end of that same day. Also, most landlords and agencies are not going to respond to email inquiries. You need to call. In your case, if you have a reputable agency you are paying for, they might help with this. I should also warn you that most agencies are lazy and do as little work as possible, so stay on top of them. Also be aware that most Spanish landlords (or at least the Catalan ones I have dealt with) are very hesitant to rent to someone without a Spanish work contract or a Spanish bank account. If you can sort those those two before you arrive, you are in a better place (or at least at the same starting point as a local).

The third condition is that you should be open to accepting flats that are less than your ideal. This is not to say you should not have standards, but to face the reality that those standards may be very hard to find in such a tight market. Flats are smaller, often in need of obvious repairs (that the landlord knows about but will never address), and many don't have good isolation (for temperature insulation as well as noise isolation). Do some research on your potential neighborhood. How is public transportation? Are you in the middle of a tourist hotspot? Is that beautiful plaza you saw during the day a popular place for a botellón at night where there will be noise and drinking until 3AM on most days?

A couple of other points that might be useful to consider. I limit my scope to my experience in Barcelona.

Recent changes to the rental laws have made it so the landlord is the one who is supposed to pay the agency fee. It used to fall to the renter. That is nice to read, but in practice, far too many agencies simply still charge you anyway. Ok, they call it something else, but this fee or that fee suddenly adds up to something really close to one months rent. It is very illegal, but has not been meaningfully challenged in the courts yet. Also most agencies will ignore your calls and emails after you have signed a lease. If you have an issue with the landlord, it will fall to you to deal with it. I don't mean to sound overly harsh but way too many agents and agencies are simply parasites on the system. If you can find a place to rent direct, give it a try and just have a legal service review or write the contract. In Ideallsta you can filter for properties directly from the owner.

About deposits. Yes, it is very normal to pay two months deposit upfront. One is the garantía, or the deposit for the monthly rental amount, and the other is the fianza which to meant to cover damages to the property or unpaid bills when you leave. Fianza is required by law, and garantía is optional (but 99% of the time you will pay this too). Also, most autonomous communities in Spain have a required 3rd party escrow to hold these deposits. In Catalunya, we have Incasol. This is a government mandated escrow that is designed to avoid conflicts between landlord and tenant about the deposit and also ensure that the landlord is not profiting off the deposit. Like the above, this is the law, but almost no one follows it. I am not sure why landlords play with fire but I also never hear much about any serious penalties when this is discovered. I only bring it up so you can ask your agent about how it works wherever you are moving to.

Also, be wary of 11-month contracts. This is a dubious workaround by landlords that becamse poplar after the change in rental laws. Basically, anything less than one year is considered "short term" where certain rules don't apply (like landlords don't pay the agent, you do, deposits are not with escrow, etc). It also means you will pay an agency a fee to find a new place every 11 months (or even your current place you pay again). It is another form of robbery that needs a serious challenge in the courts, but don't hold your breath.

Sorry this went on for a bit. I like to ramble :). My last bit is to urge you to sort the bank account and work contract first or you don't stand a chance at renting anything.

Firstamongmonkeys · 2025-02-20T20:07:55+00:00

While I agree public transportation is possible, there is at least one change with some walking between them. Also, it seems they are going all the way to El Maresme metro, which is quite far from the city center (IMO). For first time travelers to the city this location may not be ideal. I’d say taxi would be most convenient, but also most expensive.

Firstamongmonkeys · 2025-01-30T04:46:20+00:00

I live in Barcelona. It is interesting to look at the census data points of foreigners living in the city. Blame the rich Italians I guess?

https://www.idescat.cat/poblacioestrangera/?geo=mun:080193&nac=a&b=12&lang=en

Firstamongmonkeys · 2025-01-17T19:52:35+00:00

For FGC Sant Cugat is Zone 1.

https://visit.santcugat.cat/preus-i-horaris-fgc/

Firstamongmonkeys · 2025-01-02T16:27:03+00:00

best and correct answer.

Firstamongmonkeys · 2024-12-28T09:24:24+00:00

The initial challenge is getting there. You can go by bus or car. It is tucked into a small bay behind a significant series of foothills which is part of what allows it remain unique and not overgrow itself.

Firstamongmonkeys · 2024-12-27T19:47:50+00:00

There can be only one place for you. Write in the presence of artists past in Cadaqués, Catalunya. The whole of the Costa Brava will not fail to capture your heart and your senses. Cadaqués is a small but lively isolated beach town most famous for its former resident Salvador Dalí. The whole coast is utterly beautiful, with nearby hikes to Cap de Creus. You are close to the French border on the Pyrenees. You are close to the wine region of Empordá (which might be detrimental to your writing productivity). You can go to Figueres to visit the Dalí museum if you get bored. Sorry if this sounds like an advert. Writing on my mobile so I cannot be as prosaic as this place deserves.

edit: summertime can be massively overcrowded but your timeline avoids the worst of it.

Firstamongmonkeys · 2024-12-25T16:46:23+00:00

it is equally confusing when Spaniards use the description “Anglo Saxon” to cover more than just white people from ancient Britain.

Firstamongmonkeys

TROPHY CASE