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China, close to family and side business opertiunities. I got a night time support gig. Even with kids, as we approach summer time, it's time to travel! None
by scruffyherder 8y ago
China, close to family and side business opertiunities. I got a night time support gig.
Even with kids, as we approach summer time, it's time to travel! None of this 2 week crap, take the full 2-3 months. Rent place via air-bnb and go live somewhere else, and see if you like it. I just always have a hotel for the first couple days when I arrive just in case of any SNAFU with airbnb, never go cheap on internet, and always have multiple ways of getting online.
Remember internet now isn't some 'nice to have' thing, if it's down you aren't billing, and if you aren't billing you are just throwing money out the window. I have 3 cell phones, each with a 4g+ chip from a different carrier, and I paid the extra cash to get a business grade internet hookup, because I want that 24x7x8 response SLA.
The best part, of course is the absolute freedom, the worst part can be the social isolation. I've found using shared office space from time to time being okay, or living somewhere more... bohemian than the typical urban environment a nice escape. My kids are 4 & 2, but they start kindergarden at 3 in China.
It's a big world, and a small world. Get passports, travel, see the world. If your wife is up to homeschooling then you can be free to go wherever you want to go, as long as they have iternet.
- jason_slack 8y agoThis is a great post. Seriously. I wish I had done this when my kids were young. And I just went to China for a few months and I too had 2 cells and a portable personal router and don’t forget VPN service!
- scruffyherder 8y agoI use an office I rent in Hong Kong as a hop, as well with a few servers I rent in the USA, and Germany. Keep eyes peeled on sites like low-end box, and look for dedicated hosting. It costs more, but you do get better service. As a plan B you can string together a bunch of VPS's if you want. In China nothing works forever, so always have many. And the CCP tends not to mess with business lines & VPN's as they know that you are too busy making money to be all political.
- TbobbyZ 8y agoAre you from China? I'm American, and doing this would be completely out of the norm for my culture.
- rahimnathwani 8y ago"...close to family..." "Are you from China?" Probably.
- TbobbyZ 8y agoMy family is from Europe. I've never been there. Grown up in America my whole life. Is it possible to have family living in a country you are not from? Yes..
- rahimnathwani 8y agoReplying to your pre-edit comment ("Growing up in America my whole life, it would be nuts to move there.'): I moved to China when I was 35. Before that I had always lived within 10km of where I was born (except for some years at university, which was 100km away). I am not ethnically Chinese. I had one acquaintance in Beijing. Whether or not my decision was 'nuts' is just a matter of perspective/mindset. "Is it possible to have family living in a country you are not from? Yes.." I didn't say it wasn't possible. But it's very very very rare for someone who is not Chinese to move to China to be near family. Why? Because 90% of foreigners who live in China don't know whether they'll be here 2 years from now. So it wouldn't make sense for their family members to move to China to be near them (except for a spouse/SO of course).
- scruffyherder 8y agoYes the typical English teacher is here on some "exotic dumplings tour", or just made a mistake thinking that anime is from here... But my family started going back and forth in the 1800's out here. The real shame is that of the land that is worth anything was sold for next to nothing long before my parents were born. I know I'm not typical, but really anyone can do it.