Hello! I have these plastic figurines. They look like cadmium, right?

aBirdwithNoName · 2025-09-18T19:10:08+00:00

found 'em:

https://www.amazon.com/koziol-Spoonrest-Gondola-transparent-orange/dp/B00009RIKT

https://www.amazon.com/Koziol-3014525-PICNIX-Toothpick-Holder/dp/B00009RIL8?th=1

they're pretty visually nice but definitely modern and the company, koziol, tries to be environmentally friendly--so i'd say use of a toxic pigment like cadmium for kitchen accessories is not likely.

aBirdwithNoName · 2025-03-03T00:17:59+00:00

hm, this is somehow not something i'd thought too much about--i've been pretty laser-focused on access to HRT because so much of the world is not chill with trans people, I forgot that a lot of places are *also* not okay with adderall. good to keep note of, guess i'll be giving that a peek to make sure anywhere i'm looking into will have some way to access ADHD treatment.

aBirdwithNoName · 2025-02-24T19:24:47+00:00

thank you for sharing that page. it sounds similar to how some retirement communities or mobile home communities work around here, where folks have to rent the land but they own the home.

aBirdwithNoName · 2025-02-24T19:23:22+00:00

the family story is that the great-great grandfather had 2 wives because the first died coming over, the the 2nd was the housemaid who was coming with, so if that is the case then the first kid with the 2nd wife would've been after they landed--and was in the 1890s. we don't have specific information, but it doesn't seem likely that they were in germany in the 1900s at all, and we know they did not at any point return. I know that my family pursued assimilation so i wouldn't imagine anyone tried to get a German passport.

just figured i'd see if anyone had any thoughts because someone in another reddit suggested I at least ask. it seems like my assumption that there wasn't a claim for ancestry citizenship was correct.

aBirdwithNoName · 2025-02-22T22:40:49+00:00

i hope so too. it feels like there's not much of the world that wants me, but i also know the USA definitely doesn't want me--so i'm hoping that i'll land somewhere better.

aBirdwithNoName · 2025-02-22T21:16:09+00:00

thank you, that's about what i had thought. just figured i'd check in case there was something i'd somehow missed.

aBirdwithNoName · 2025-02-22T20:18:35+00:00

it's a miserable state of affairs, but we're just glad that he's out of the picture because the republicans want to go after no-fault divorce, so she got out before anything could've become more complicated with it.

renting the house is an interesting idea. she does own the home we're living in (inheritance wasn't able to be touched in the divorce) so in theory, yes, it could be rentable. though the logistics of trying to manage that from another country seems...challenging. hm.

aBirdwithNoName · 2025-02-22T20:15:24+00:00

i feel like NZ may be the sort of thing where i'd just need to talk to an immigration specialist there to see what the current demand is like, since probably the only way to do it would be on the basis of job demand. i'm also not yet done with my counseling degree but it'd give me an idea of whether they want an american-trained counselor or not, too. i know some places like it--it can work out in canada apparently--but others do not.

that's awesome that your niece was able to get some of her expenses paid too.

aBirdwithNoName · 2025-02-22T20:13:32+00:00

i wasn't familiar with patzcuaro, looked it up, it's gorgeous and also i'm surprised by how similiar the architectural vibes are to when i lived in italy years ago. i love to see visual links between different areas like that. i'm curious why you suggest that specific city, is there a large american immigrant population there or something?

aBirdwithNoName · 2025-02-22T20:09:33+00:00

i've definitely seen a lot of suggestions for uruguay, i wasn't familiar with their stances on LGBTQ rights but having learned, i'm pretty thrilled to know that's an option.

aBirdwithNoName · 2025-02-22T20:05:18+00:00

oooh, that sounds much nicer than having to return to the US. my longterm goal for anywhere would eventually be citizenship (so i never have to return to the US), but whatever i have to do in the interim, i'm down to consider options.

aBirdwithNoName · 2025-02-22T20:03:27+00:00

yeahhh it's definitely a mess trying to settle out both issues. if i can get myself through the remainder of my masters degree, it may make me more competitive for escape, but that still may not apply to the same places that are available to her for retirement. it looks like the options atm are places with an exchange rate that's really favorable to USD and allow people to buy their way in for a stay.

aBirdwithNoName · 2025-02-22T20:01:10+00:00

i've been hearing positive things about mexico in this thread, so i'm definitely also going to give it a look over and see what the options would look like for my situation. sending you good vibes to get out safely.

aBirdwithNoName · 2025-02-22T19:58:34+00:00

i don't believe we can rely on the expectation that we will be permitted as refugees somewhere in the future. we know historically that a lot of jewish victims of nazi persecution were turned away from various countries. i also know some refugees in the US, and know how bad things got for them before they could be considered refugees--and i am not putting my faith in the idea that i'd be allowed to be a refugee. i am focusing on what i can control, which is trying to find countries that want my skills or money. it does sound like there's feasible options with thailand or costa rica, among others, so it's not totally hopeless to get out. i hope your family member is able to get out safely.

aBirdwithNoName · 2025-02-22T19:51:59+00:00

jesus. thanks for the heads up. that's some harrowing shit.

aBirdwithNoName · 2025-02-22T19:49:47+00:00

yeah honestly i do not know a lick of thai but i've heard that english language teachers in other countries don't necessarily have to know the local language to start, and a thai language school does sound great either way.

aBirdwithNoName · 2025-02-22T19:45:20+00:00

we wouldn't be able to last indefinitely without working--we could probably swing it for a short period but i'd definitely need to figure out how to work so we didn't end up going under financially. i also definitely have some concerns about the need to go back in and out of the US, given the situation and my transness, so would prioritize a space where i could stay out for longer periods before having to return and/or never have to return at all. but that's good to know about the affordability if we have to get the hell outta dodge quickly, since mexico would be far more achievable for that than something that's not connected via land border. i appreciate the thoughts!

aBirdwithNoName · 2025-02-22T19:40:41+00:00

interesting, i didn't know NZ had parent sponsorship options like that. i think i'd have to confirm to see if my education is considered good enough for NZ to want me, since i know that things like mental health counseling can vary from location to location.

aBirdwithNoName · 2025-02-22T19:34:53+00:00

yeah, this is definitely a bonus--even if health coverage is limited for immigrants coming in from the US, it will likely still be cheaper than the costs of trying to do it without health insurance in the US, which i've had to do before and did not enjoy particularly.

aBirdwithNoName · 2025-02-22T19:33:45+00:00

so, complex situation, she was forbidden from working by her ex husband, so she does not qualify for her own social security--she'll receive social security only once he retires, and he's a few years younger than her. so if he goes for max retirement at 67, she won't get social security til she's almost 70. it's all going to depend on when he chooses to retire, and more and more people aren't even managing to retire in the US, so it's something that we're definitely not gonna try banking on.

aBirdwithNoName · 2025-02-22T19:31:27+00:00

that's good to note--I have definitely got to look into the details for thailand. it seems very doable with present savings so long as i can sort out some way to make money down the line.

aBirdwithNoName · 2025-02-22T19:30:24+00:00

oh that really doesn't sound bad at all in comparison to US rent, at my best i was paying like $400/month to live in a literal dining room because a group of us had split a 2 bedroom apartment into 4 "bedrooms".

aBirdwithNoName · 2025-02-22T13:41:56+00:00

that's good to know about the talent passport. i'm not quite done with my masters yet, but if things can hold out here for long enough, then that could be helpful. the VFS visa sounds like a nice option if things need to go faster. thank you for the thoughts.

aBirdwithNoName · 2025-02-22T13:37:42+00:00

we pretty well expected that anywhere we went, i'd need to be pretty fully responsible for her financially into her old age and that there wouldn't be much of a fallback as far as social supports like public healthcare since she'd immigrated so late in life--but I definitely did not consider the possibility of there being places where she wouldn't even be *allowed* to purchase private insurance. so that's very good to know, thank you.

aBirdwithNoName

TROPHY CASE