About afj21

Status:

Expatriate  

Gender:

Male

Currently Lives:

Citizen Of:

United States

Some Forum Posts:

China: Shunyi and Sanlitun - Beijing:

What are these areas like? i.e Traffic, things to do, safety Is there anywhere in Beijing where the air pollution is worse? If you want to get out of the city for a day, is it reasonable to find a park or green area where the air is reasonably clean?

China: Shunyi and Sanlitun - Beijing:

What are these areas like? i.e Traffic, things to do, safety Is there anywhere in Beijing where the air pollution is worse? If you want to get out of the city for a day, is it reasonable to find a park or green area where the air is reasonably clean?

China: Websites:

Hello Everyone, I am looking for some good websites for housing (Particularly Sanlitun or Chaoyang Park) auto purchasing, and general information about Beijing. If you know of any commonly used websites... please send them my way! Thank you and kind regards, AFJ

Uruguay: Got a crush on Uruguay...:

First, I think CrazyFarmer is probably the subject matter expert for all expats. His advice is pretty spot on 95% of the time. Second, I have lived here less than a year. I cannot share most anyone's hardships since my situation in the country is quite unique. >>If you're middle class making let's say $50,000 a year in the US, the drop will be painful.>> This is an understatement. Here are two examples that may help you figure it out. Example #1: A close friend of mine moved to Uruguay about 2 years ago after leaving a job that paid $80K/Year. Luckily, he had a load of savings and sold all of his belongings (House, car, ect.) before coming. He bought a modest 1 br/ 1bath apartment in Tres Cruces for $150K cash, speaks a decent amount of spanish and works at Zonamerica for $12K a year. He endured 20+ years of stress in an overseas government work environment and is enjoying the decompression that is Uruguay. Example #2: Another colleague of mine arrived to the country having saved about $10K, doesn't speak the language and had no prospects for work. I estimate his previous employer paid him between $50-60K a year. He was not one for conformity, he expected that people would jump all over him for work, but that didn't happen. After 4 months he left. My opinion is this, Uruguay has some potential but its best if you have a fair amount of money. Coming with nothing, knowing nothing, not speaking the language and having no job prospects will leave you feeling isolated, frustrated, and penniless. On the flip-side, if you have some technical, botanical, construction skills and a fair amount of savings. Perhaps you can get by if you live in the country somewhere and live off the land. > Appliances I know a lot of people that have owned there appliances for decades without any issues. In the 1 year that I've been here, I have not had any breakdowns or faulty equipment. We shall see what happens in the future. > Water Pumps I agree. The water pump in my apartment building recently went out. It's the same concept, a giant tank at the top of the building. The maintenance guys were here for 30 minutes or so and left. I wondered if they actually fixed it or just put a "Bandaid"on it. > Jobs There are jobs and it probably wouldn't take much to get one (If you know the right person). There are a couple of "Freezones" here in Montevideo that provide work for native English speakers: 1. Aguada Park http://www.aguadapark.com 2. Zonamerica http://web.zonamerica.com/home/ Also, if you take a course in the USA and get your Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate you could teach, but the pay is something like $400-500 a month, maybe more if you taught privately.

China: AIR QUALITY/POLLUTION:

My family and I will be moving to Beijing in about a year. We will stay approximately 3-5 years depending upon the needs of my employer. Here are my questions for now: 1. Pollution: How many days a week can I go outside with my children? Are there a lot of indoor gyms, w/swimming pools, running tracks, tennis courts, soccer fields, ect.? Do you recommend bringing our own air masks or are those easily found in the country? I have read that along with the pollution, there are a lot of dust storms. Are the apartments fitted with air filters and tightly sealed windows? SAFETY CONCERNS: Do the Chinese Police/Military have a presence? Will I be stopped on the street or in my home for an I.D. check or a random home inspection? Is it safe to walk the streets in the evenings or be in public places? What areas should we stay away from? What parts of the city should be considered "Off Limits"? Miscellaneous: Are there any large hardware stores in China similar to Lowes or Home Depot?

China: Pros and Cons?:

I might be moving to China with my wife who is a diplomat but spouses cannot work. I will be required to part ways with my current position and live, for 3 years, in Beijing, China without working. I know nothing about China, I don't speak Mandarin and I'm debating whether or not I can maintain my sanity for 3 years in China without working, Can someone please give me a detailed list of pros and cons? THANKS!

Uruguay: Entertainment:

It depends on the Movie... some are in English with Spanish subtitles. Others are in Spanish with English subtitles.

Uruguay: Fender Bender:

Today while driving down a back street I got into a very minor accident. I was driving and came upon a van backing up slowly. I stopped, put the 4-ways on, then put the car in reverse and started backing up. I went probably 20 feet then -Crunch- I made contact with a small car. I'm not sure if I backed into them or they ran into me. Anyway,only paint scrape occurred and we exchanged info but no report was done. What are the laws like around here? Should I expect terrible things? I took a dozen pictures or so just in case they decided to rip the bumper off and accuse me of doing worse.

Uruguay: golfing:

Do you have a question?

Uruguay: What is enough income for residency?:

Johnny, I do not know immigration law but here is my 2 cents. It would be tough on $1000 a month but possible given that you live an extremely simple life with no luxuries. One could easily adapt to $1000 a month. As far as a home or apartment, you could find something nice outside of Montevideo, however, you will not be able to live in the nicer parts of the city or a nice farm home. Think more Walden-esque.

Date Joined:

4/19/2015

Total Posts:

100

Posts/Day:

0.14