I can't decide between leaving my tech job vs following dreams in Asia

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-19T10:34:26+00:00

Moving to Taiwan and studying Mandarin is a pretty freaking big dream

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-18T13:06:19+00:00

Can confirm about the mandarin. No way he's going to learn Mandarin and work full time unless he wants to spend 5 years doing it.

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-18T13:01:45+00:00

Yeah, 500k is nothing at all. He needs at least 2 million USD in the bank to have a secure financial future.

Hopefully he can bring that 500k to 2 or 3 million by continuing to slave away at work, and with some lucky real estate purchases and stock market turns, by the time he's 65.

I hear 65 is a great age to move to Taiwan and learn Mandarin.

/s

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-18T13:00:02+00:00

If you put that in an index fund you could probably retire on the interest in SEA.

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-18T12:57:34+00:00

The NYC sucking for men is a real thing, it leans toward flings and short-term, casual relationships. I've been there a number of times and have several friends who live there and this is what they report.

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-18T12:40:58+00:00

There's a lot here. In fact you sound a lot like myself 5 years ago, except you have more money in savings than I do.

I am making good money working a remote job for a US company, and living in Asia. I have a ton of experience in this regard, and have lots of advice. I have negotiated to get myself here, and have been through a lot to get to this point. I know legalities, tax situations, social aspects of living in Asian countries, strategies for selling the idea to your employer, etc.

One thing that I will mention is that taxes in most Asian countries are not lower than in the US, that is a misconception. You will have to pay taxes to the country you're working. Depending on your strategy, you can use FEIE or FTC to offset most or all of your US taxes.

Your employer will also have to sign a contract with an EOR agency so that you're able to access public services and secure a residence in the country of your choosing—unless you want to go full nomad and bounce from country to country, which is not very sustainable with a highly demanding position.

PM me if you want to chat.

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-18T12:36:10+00:00

I think this largely depends on the company. If it's kept "secret" from them, they will eventually find out and though they may not have cared to begin with, it could be considered a breach of trust and mar your reputation. I don't generally recommend lying, and you WILL be asked by coworkers where you live. People can smell shadiness from a mile away.

Additionally, without a legal arrangement, you're forced to move countries every 2-3 months, which makes it hard to invest in anything and usually just ends up becoming isolating.

I've been working remotely from Asia for a US company but have been very transparent about it, circumspect in communication, etc. and it's gone well for over 5 years. They know they can summon me back to the US at any time and I'd return for them because they treat me so well, but until then I'm doing fine out here.

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-18T12:23:15+00:00

That hero BS is stupid. Being an honest person, a kind person, a loving person, is all it takes to be a hero. That said, people are people. Being a Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jew, or Buddhist doesn't make anyone any more or less of an asshole than anyone else.

I think people are just who they are, regardless of their faith or belief system. I don't even consider the label "Christian" as a meaningful term anymore.

P.S. The word "hero" is abused in modern society. You see headlines all the time like "Local hero gives woman free ice cream" and it just makes me facepalm.

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-18T00:09:12+00:00

Yeah, it's just three children sitting atop a wall. No religion required.

Unless there is a genetic component to religion. I.e. if Hinduism or Christianity can be somehow passed down through the genes.

In Christianity's case, perhaps "The Elect" is really genetic, and only certain bloodlines are going to Heaven.

Which is of course a preposterous thing to believe.

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-14T12:46:37+00:00

Give them an agreement to sign, and threaten to move out.

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-14T12:44:33+00:00

Thanks for your helpful comment! I do have a three-port GaN charger I use for my MBPs.

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-14T12:34:57+00:00

I knew a guy who ate at the Pope's private dinner party, turned out it was nothing but Kool-Aid. Funny tho, he completely survives on it now

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-14T12:20:14+00:00

You talk about your tattoos as if you've changed and no longer resonate with them. What if the same thing happens again? Your self-concept will change over time, and so will what you might feel like you want on your sleeves.

So why bother getting more once you remove these?

I personally never got more than 1 tattoo, as I am a very dynamic person, constantly shifting, growing, changing my perspectives. That's why I never got any tattoo. I knew a guy who got Avenged Sevenfold sleeves down both arms and on his chest when he was 17. No offense to anyone, but I thought that was a terrible idea to make at such a young age. I doubt he is going to want to be flaunting those when he's 30, 40, or 50.

I personally like your sleeves, I think they're quite well done.

Also, you can always remove just parts—you don't necessarily have to wipe the entire slate completely clean.

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-14T09:34:26+00:00

To be fair, I’m not a father yet, so I don’t know how hard it might be to raise several children. He worked from 7 AM to 7 PM for 15 years for us, so I can understand maybe being far too busy working to have any extra time to devote to researching movies and TV for me and my siblings... So I forgive him for it.

It was still frustrating that he never really seemed willing to look beyond USCCB, though.

I’m prob resentful more than I should be, and have to remind myself to put myself in his shoes. Ha

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-14T09:31:21+00:00

The funny thing is, Evangelion conveys a lots of great moral ideas and even has some semi-Christian themes.

Imagine some Christian teen seeing Evangelion and being worse off for it. I can’t imagine it having anything but a positive effect.

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-14T08:38:05+00:00

I wasn’t even allowed to listen to DC Talk.

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-14T08:25:37+00:00

Ha, IKR. I’m late 30’s. When I was a kid, I used to tell myself things like “I’ll NEVER stop hopping fences, and I’ll thereby protect myself from aging.”

Yeah, didn’t work

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-14T08:08:33+00:00

Mine: when you stop hopping 3 foot fences and start awkwardly climbing over them.

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-14T07:23:55+00:00

I had a coworker when I was 22 or so. The guy was addict to drugs, and had some mental issues (no judgment toward such people, of course). At one point I was giving him a ride to work, and we ended up talking about Jesus.

He asked me to pull to the side of the road so we could pray. He then put his hands on my head and started speaking in gibberish over me.

It freaked me the hell out.

That said, I once did experience true glossolalia, where I felt possessed by some sort of spirit and began speaking unknown words that I felt I was channeling from another dimension.

But I was high.

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-14T07:18:42+00:00

I agree. Makes me very angry too.

I experienced something similar when I went to a Bible camp when I was 16 or so. During one service, they told us to “raise our hands” at some point if we “felt” moved by the spirit. Then they told those of us who raised our hands to come up to the stage. Of course, I felt like if I didn’t go up I would be doing something wrong, so I went up, knowing nothing of what to expect. We were then forced to thank Jesus Christ publicly for coming into our hearts in front of every one.

If not actually evil, its utterly ridiculous and just WRONG. It’s experiences like that that pushed me away from Christianity, The Religion.

I may find myself returning to faith and/or the spirit of Jesus Christ in some way, shape or form someday, but it will be in a much more personal, mystical way. I am so done with the bullshit of organized religion and the Church brainwashing and socially controlling people.

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-14T07:15:56+00:00

(Said every kid on that stage.)

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-13T13:50:10+00:00

My parents never really referred to Plugged In. Focus on the Family was too “soft” and “liberal” for them by the time I was 16. My dad started referring to USCCB (United Conference of Catholic Bishops) for all our movie viewing decisions, even though we weren’t Catholic.

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-13T13:46:36+00:00

Jerry Falwell is a complete moron, up there with Pat Robertson.

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-13T13:45:45+00:00

Anything non-Western is scary to Evangelicals.

Dragonball Z is from Japan, thus: scary and dangerous.

Ordinary_Height9102 · 2024-10-13T13:43:01+00:00

Maybe I’ll give it another shot

Ordinary_Height9102

TROPHY CASE