What cheered you up today?

[Matt308]

Cuz I don't want to stay with the Company. After 13 years i wanna move on. I live in a low-value part of the state. I have 100,000 in equity and but if i moved to where the jobs are in CA, the houses cost 400,000 - 500,000 +. I cant afford that.

100,000 in my pocket and i'll have to live in an apt.

or I can move to Costa Rica and sit on the beach and count money!

I did a quick perusal of Costa Rica. Land prices certainly are not what they are in Kalifornia, but they ain't cheap either. Apparently, the cheap days are long gone with the Europeans having discovered Costa Rica too. More power to you if you can pull it off. Wish I could. BTW I also read that crime is becoming rampant, with the influx of money. The havenots are stealing and burgaling from the haves. If there is one thing that I fear, it is someone robbing my castle.

 

[comiso90]

I imagine that was about to happen... with my luck Id start a business and have the local gangs want protection money

 

[Matt308]

You know comiso, it is a different world outside our borders. A buddy at work took a two year assignment in Indonesia. He was set up in a house and was expected to have a maid/cook and security. He didn't want any, neighbors informed him that there was not a security issue, but it was a custom in their country. So he did it.

Well come time to move, he hired some local help for $0.15/hour or some such ridiculously low rate. He was told to expect this, since bartering is a daily ritual apparently, but at around lunch time, they went on a sitdown strike refusing to work. He said he was willing to pay them MUCH more, but was told that they would lose face if he didn't go out and argue with them about the raise in wage. He said he felt like such an ass for faking his reluctance and then relenting. The workers were ecstatic with their new wage of $0.20/hour and he said he will never forget his own humiliation of his perceived portrayal of the stereotypical boorish american. Apparently he did no wrong in their eyes though.

 

[timshatz]

I imagine that was about to happen... with my luck Id start a business and have the local gangs want protection money

Heard that is happening to people who start companies in Bulgaria from Western European countries. Evidently, the gangs come in and start asking for protection money. As a consequence, the companies are starting to move back home.

The grass is always greener...

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Heard that is happening to people who start companies in Bulgaria from Western European countries. Evidently, the gangs come in and start asking for protection money. As a consequence, the companies are starting to move back home.

The grass is always greener...

Not gangs but Mafia. The Mafia over in Bulgaria runs everything. When I was deployed to Kosovo we had a 4 day R&R type thing in Sofia, Bulgaria. My wife flew down to stay in the Hotel (top floors reserved only for Army Personell and a MP squad deployed to the Hotel). Anyhow the Hotel was run by the Mafia (if you have money and the money does not stop coming they will do business with you), our personal taxi driver had ties to the Mafia. It was crazy...

 

[Matt308]

I have read that Bulgaria is one of the most corrupt places on the planet. You have to grease everyone's palms to do anything. Bribery is the name of the game.

 

[Erich]

Bulgaria, Rumania, - Hungary ( though getting better )

 

[Gnomey]

United beat Milan in the first leg of the Champions League semi's...

 

[timshatz]

Glad to see that 45 year long tryst with Communism didn't take. "Workers of the world unite- for the right price!".

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I have read that Bulgaria is one of the most corrupt places on the planet. You have to grease everyone's palms to do anything. Bribery is the name of the game.

I remember getting pulled over by a cop in Sofia, Bulgaria for a traffic violation. We gave him some US dollars and he left us alone. It is every where you go.

 

[Matt308]

Same with Mexico.

A pot of beans for dinner.

 

[DOUGRD]

A good friend of mine, who is Hindi, just moved back to India after living here in the U.S. for 20 years and he said the same thing about India. If you want to get anything done through any government type you got to grease a palm.

 

[Heinz]

Its friday arvo what else could cheer me up......

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Friday...

 

[Matt308]

Beautiful day and work has been productive.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

A week without Civettone...

 

[Matt308]

 

[mkloby]

3 flights left in C-12s, then off to helos...

 

[Matt308]

That's got to be exciting, mkloby. Which whirlibird will you start on?

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Probably a TH-67, same the Army uses at there flight school.