ya boy knocks chillin in venezuela listening to mixtapes on the beach. them memories doe
X 10000000You taking me back man
The cost of living abroad......
- Thread starter Malta
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X 10000000You taking me back man
Since this is likely going to be your new homebase, I think it would be best to check out Colombia and try to think about which country will develop more in the next 10 years. I know Venezuela was probably dope as hell, but since Chavez died there's been a lot of protests and civil unrest, they aren't even releasing crime stats right now but reading up independent sources have the murder rate in Caracas at 122 per 100,000It shouldn't be about being scared or not, you been all over the globe so it's obvious you ain't shook of a local, but you gotta ask if the risk is even worth it when there are similar places with far less crime and much more stable outlooks. Just read the contrasts in these articles -
Colombia
http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2...al-to-model-city-miracle-un-world-urban-forum
Venezuela
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/12/violent-crime-makes-venezuela-dangerous
Is it really worth it to take the risk? As far as housing I think you'd be able to find the same quality of life in South America as you have in Asia in regards to housing goes, I've seen tons of places that are very nice and between $200-400 from Colombia to Brazil, to Chile to Argentina etc. , the cost of living down there is higher than Asia but it's a difference of about $100-200 a month for similar apartments. You could also look at Cali and Bogota, I think Bogota is very cheap, but Medellin, Santa Marta and Barranquilla seem to be the cities stepping up the most.
Have you been to the cities that have more Afro Colombians? If so how would you compare them?
I don't know the exact population breakdown but Cartagena and Barranquilla have a good amount of Afro-latinos, that's part of the reason I picked to go there. There's a city in Colombia with 95% of the population being black, but I didn't know about it when I went and it's far inland like 10 hours from where I was. That said, black Colombians are in noticeable numbers in Barranquilla and Cartagena, I'd compare it to NYC in terms of notice-ability but like most of Latin America there's classicist discrimination on the same level as Brazil. The cities themselves, Barranquilla is a more modern city where as Cartagena is the tourist spot with all those colonial buildings, they are close enough to one another that you could drive to one if you're staying in the other in around 2 and half hours.
By the way @dc007 check out this dudes blog -
http://bishopstravels.wordpress.com/
Seems to heavily focus on Afro-Latinos in Brazil, Colombia, Panama.
http://bishopstravels.wordpress.com/
Seems to heavily focus on Afro-Latinos in Brazil, Colombia, Panama.
Yeah Fort Lee is expensive....I remember ordering a salad from some health food place/deli and when the delivery guy came through telling me $27 I honestly thought he either got the order wrong or came to the wrong apartment.I went to a Korean place in Fort Lee, NJ on Thursday and it was $54 for 3 of us, I couldn't imagine it only being $6 a person. You the Food Mane, so I know you wereout there.
Yeah but it wasn't even a stew...it was letuce, chicken (organic and vegetable fed...so that's an extra $6 per ounceI fukks with that sundubu heavy though, sucks that it's so expensive here.
) tomato and bell peppers with a side of balsamic vinaigrette 
Tommy Knocks
retired
Just read both articles. yea I remember cars not stopping in caracas at night and I remember the check points too. shyt was pretty crazy. I almost got kidnapped there, literally got trapped in a fake taxi and was being taken to a slum in the mountains without my consent. Long story how I managed to get out of that jam, but it cost me about $100. (which is like a stack to them)Since this is likely going to be your new homebase, I think it would be best to check out Colombia and try to think about which country will develop more in the next 10 years. I know Venezuela was probably dope as hell, but since Chavez died there's been a lot of protests and civil unrest, they aren't even releasing crime stats right now but reading up independent sources have the murder rate in Caracas at 122 per 100,000
Colombia
http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2...al-to-model-city-miracle-un-world-urban-forum
Venezuela
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/12/violent-crime-makes-venezuela-dangerous
Is it really worth it to take the risk? As far as housing I think you'd be able to find the same quality of life in South America as you have in Asia in regards to housing goes, I've seen tons of places that are very nice and between $200-400 from Colombia to Brazil, to Chile to Argentina etc. , the cost of living down there is higher than Asia but it's a difference of about $100-200 a month for similar apartments. You could also look at Cali and Bogota, I think Bogota is very cheap, but Medellin, Santa Marta and Barranquilla seem to be the cities stepping up the most.
yea I think colombia would be a better bet. I hear argentina is going back down in price again, but honestly, that place was kinda boring to me. I hear Chile is super expensive, pretty much LA prices. Bogota is cheap cause the weather is shyt and no one wants to live there. its the only city in S.A with London weather. Ill pass on that place. :keefnah:
I think Medellin is better, what you think about that place? have you been? Whats your take on Colombia?
I used to think about Brazil, but nah, all my brazilian friends are telling me its U.S prices now, and imports are taxed heavily. That no longer appeals to me. Brazil will be having some civil unrest in the near future, Im sure of that....
Cot damn, you were on the verge of being kidnapped and ransomed
I can only imagine how dope that place is for you to want to go back and live there in spite of that.I loved Colombia, I've said it before it's right there with Brazil for me, the only difference is I stayed in Brazil longer so I have more memories but I'd live in Colombia in a heartbeat. I didn't go to Medellin though, I stayed in Barranquilla & Cartagena, and I also got to check out Santa Marta as well. I never got to Medellin, wherever I go I like to be near water and Medellin being landlocked kept it off my radar, I've heard from friends it's dope as hell but that lack of large bodies of water is
to me. I loved Barranquilla though, and that was before it's recent modernization and growth, it being so close to Cartagena and Santa Marta and right on the Caribbean sea did it for me, the women were just 
on a per capita basis they were more attractive than Brazilians, it's just so hard to compete with the overwhelming number of bad broads in Brazil but Colombia is like the pound 4 pound champ. The atmosphere and how laid back it was is right up my alley, and the contrast between the 3 cities was another reason I liked it. Barranquilla is more serious and upscale, Cartagena is the touristy party spot, and Santa Marta is like the laid back spot that is a mixture of both of the others.I'd still live in Brazil, the dollar is really strong compared to the R$ right now, but I also think they're going to have some problems leading up to and after the Olympics. You can't spend as much as they have between the world cup and Olympics and not run into some major problems in the future.
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TheArchitect
All Star
Damn, I wanted to live in Brazil (maybe Rio or something) and teach for like a year or so...
Get your TEFL/TESOL, you can only stay 6 months if you're on a tourist visa though. If you can link up with a school that will give you a work visa you'd be able to stay longer, or you can say fukk it and be illegal there for however long you want if you like it
TheArchitect
All Star
Working on that now, actually...Just tutoring at the moment to boost my credentials a bit....Get your TEFL/TESOL, you can only stay 6 months if you're on a tourist visa though. If you can link up with a school that will give you a work visa you'd be able to stay longer, or you can say fukk it and be illegal there for however long you want if you like it
Haha, I ain't trying to get deported on some bullshyt...Would you see it would be worth it to stay/teach there? What are some pros and cons?
The TEFL/TESOL certificates are important even if you have a degree they can help you find work.
There are tons of illegal expatriated Americans down there, the penalties for overstaying your Visa in Brazil are so light (max fine of $425) that people do it all the time, then they marry a Brazilian or have a kid with one and they won't be deported. I was going to do it, and I had a woman I was in a relationship with there so by the time they caught on it would have been too late
I mean look at this quote from someone there -
That English school beef runs deep, got my mans deported over the word wars.For me, the pros were always that it was just a slower paced society, people seem more friendly, the weather is beautiful, the cost of living is lower, less stress, when I lived there I could have worked 20-25 hours a week and lived a middle class life with those paltry hours. For me, family and time are the only things I value, time spent working is time you lost out on living.
The cons are the bureaucracy, crime, cost of imported goods (clothing/electronics) is insane, you make far less down there than in the US and the culture shock at first, if you can get by that and understand that not everything there is like the US then you will love it . I can accept a slower lifestyle, that's just how my personality is.
TheArchitect
All Star
Hahaha, beef between schools? I wonder how that kind of shyt comes about....would be entertaining though....The TEFL/TESOL certificates are important even if you have a degree they can help you find work.
There are tons of illegal expatriated Americans down there, the penalties for overstaying your Visa in Brazil are so light (max fine of $425) that people do it all the time, then they marry a Brazilian or have a kid with one and they won't be deported. I was going to do it, and I had a woman I was in a relationship with there so by the time they caught on it would have been too late
I mean look at this quote from someone there -
For me, the pros were always that it was just a slower paced society, people seem more friendly, the weather is beautiful, the cost of living is lower, less stress, when I lived there I could have worked 20-25 hours a week and lived a middle class life with those paltry hours. For me, family and time are the only things I value, time spent working is time you lost out on living.
The cons are the bureaucracy, crime, cost of imported goods (clothing/electronics) is insane, you make far less down there than in the US and the culture shock at first, if you can get by that and understand that not everything there is like the US then you will love it . I can accept a slower lifestyle, that's just how my personality is.
Yeah, I'm trying to get away from American society, so I'm pretty sure this would be a breath of VERY fresh air. The only things that I can see myself really spending money on is my MA training; I'll be on some frugal shyt 90% of the time (good thing I have no children...
). I'll probably do a bit of going out, but I don't imagine places will run that high....How are the ladies? Are they anything like American women? It definitely ain't all I'm going out there for, but I can't just travel the world and have no experiences....
Do you smoke at all?
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Hahaha, beef between schools? I wonder how that kind of shyt comes about....would be entertaining though....
Yeah, I'm trying to get away from American society, so I'm pretty sure this would be a breath of VERY fresh air. The only things that I can see myself really spending money on is my MA training; I'll be on some frugal shyt 90% of the time (good thing I have no children...
How are the ladies? Are they anything like American women? It definitely ain't all I'm going out there for, but I can't just travel the world and have no experiences....
Just be prepared for a culture shock, it is different and it will take some time to get used to. The first time something happens that goes against what you're used to the immediate thought will be "fukk this shyt, I'm going home" but if you can get by that and accept the country for what it is you'll be like
by the end of it. All the dudes on here who have been to Brazil in the last year have that "long walk" in the airport, ask @Primetime21 or @dc007 about that shytty feeling of having to come back to the US. Women are women wherever you go their coding is the same at a base level, however the culture they live in has produced what some may say is superior model to the American variant
They are much more friendly, more ladylike and less guarded than American women, and I will make that broad sweeping generalization because everyone who goes says the same damn thing As far as looks go, they are playing a different game there, it's a sun culture and while obesity is a new problem there, the average woman weighs 30lbs less than the average American woman.