Thread: Why expats get trapped away from home

Originally Posted by ltnt

Originally Posted by beerlaodrinker

the industry I work in is quite fucked at the moment I

Have you tried New Guinea or South America? Lots of Nationalization going on BLD in your industry. I think like the steel industry now called the "Rust Belt," in America. You have crossover skills and loads of management experience, why not cast a few C.V.'s into the Offshore oil industry? Coal industry in China? Just thinking out loud. Good luck on the search.

Good idea, I will try the mining first and see how that pans out, PNG from what I am hearing is also becoming quite nationalised, South Americas a bit far plus I don't speak the lingo other than to order a beer, something will turn up sooner or later I think. Meanwhile Lao is still the base.

Originally Posted by nidhogg

Originally Posted by OckerRocker

There's nothing wrong with the article, smeg's representations are off the mark and just regurgitate his 'expats bad because smeg failed' ten-year droning on

A sensible discussion on expats/returning/settling - pros, cons, benefits etc would be quite interesting. Especially if we could agree on what an "expat" is in the first place!

But OP is not really meant to be a reasonable starting point for discussion, its just another troll bait for smeagles to hump his favourite leg.

It would be interesting. We could share our experiences - the problem with that is that those who aren't what I would call expats would call into question the lifestyle one has as a business expat.

Ok, my definition of 'Expatriate' is" An individual living in a country other than their country of citizenship, often temporarily and for work reasons."

Originally Posted by OckerRocker

Ok, my definition of 'Expatriate' is" An individual living in a country other than their country of citizenship, often temporarily and for work reasons."

An Ex-pat is someone living and working in a foreign country not of their birth. Nothing to do with temporary...in my opinion.

You could do a simply an Ex-pat is a person living abroad full time. As is my case now.

Could we just narrow it down to an expatriat is a person residing temporarily or permanently in a country other than that of their citizenship?

^ and ^^ This is why there is a problem without definition. Many people think you are only an "expat" if you are getting your salary from you "home" country (and the full package). Personally, I think they are a very small percentage of people who work away from their home country, and nowadays the "strict" definition is out dated.

But, that having been said, I would not really ever call myself an "expat". I am just someone who has always made a living overseas.....

Ex-Pat qualifications do vary as well occupations and pay scales...

^
Absolutely right. Most of my friends back home are still stuck on the hamster wheel and their only concerns are how to pay the mortgage and credit cards along with college for their kids. Some show interest and those are the ones who wish they could be doing the same thing I am doing.

All those living abroad and not working know it takes some effort to arrange the financial aspects. If one is working abroad, those same financial aspects do not exist, which makes things a little easier. It takes planning and effort to live abroad and not be working which has always been my goal.

Many are content to stay on the hamster wheel because it signifies security to them. This is how governments want it so that everyone is working until they die or can not physically contribute. I seem to not need this kind of life, as many on this forum feel the same. Our governments succeeded in brainwashing us all to a point, but just not completely like they want.

It takes a different breed of hamster to become an expat.

I've always wondered why people have to work till they die? Seems unfair to spend your youth working and your old age retired? I think you should reverse this cycle and spend your youth retired and old age working till you die...you determine when your old enough to start work of course...

^
I would vote for that even though I worked in the casinos at Lake Tahoe and had a great time while I was young. Later, I owned a bar in Park City, Utah before finally finishing my education at the University of Utah. Did a lot of powder skiing and partying. My younger years were great and I did a lot of things I would not be able to do if I started my profession earlier.

I told my sons to try and have fun while they were young but neither listened and both are now stuck on the hamster wheel.

Another option would be involuntary euthanasia at age 70. Forced retirement at age 55. Decent government pensions for those 15 years, then a quick little needle jab.

Originally Posted by Dan

Another option would be involuntary euthanasia at age 70. Forced retirement at age 55. Decent government pensions for those 15 years, then a quick little needle jab.

Let's hear it for Soylent Green!

You know it makes sense.

^to an idiot perhaps. You can have my needle.

Originally Posted by ltnt

^to an idiot perhaps. You can have my needle.

Originally Posted by ltnt

I've always wondered why people have to work till they die? Seems unfair to spend your youth working and your old age retired? I think you should reverse this cycle and spend your youth retired and old age working till you die...you determine when your old enough to start work of course...

Seems reasonable. But why do that too? I have barely worked full time since my 20s and hopefully never will again. There is so much more to life. Who wants to be cattle chewing the cud all day when you can be a wildcat living life to the full.

What if you overstay life past 70?

Originally Posted by Dan

Originally Posted by Luigi

I was just sent a reputation comment saying that the OP ended up teaching English in McDonald's here for a few hundred baht and wait for it.... food.

Originally Posted by Bogon

Why don't you guys contact the author of the article and see what he makes of this debate?

Here is his info...alanhroyal@gmail.com
(816) 519-1763 global phone number

Source - Contact | Alan Royal

I'm taking a wild guess that Runner stumbled across his Linkedin account and went from there.

Here is a quick extract...

An initial relocation to Asia, led to long term assignments in Indonesia, Hong Kong and Vietnam, where I have a track record of project delivery successes with regional responsibilities in 20+ SE Asia countries.
• As the first ex-pat elected as an officer of a Vietnamese state owned enterprise, I successfully initiated and delivered a 60 location parallel system data conversion over a weekend,
• In Indonesia I performed 3 concurrent acquisitions of purchased companies with no increase in enterprise headcount,
• In Vietnam I delivered over 15 infrastructure and system projects to modernize the government owned financial service subsidiaries over 5 years winning Celent’s Asia category project of the year.

Source - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanroyal

I think I see the difference between the OP and the author of the article.

So much hatred. You poor sod.

Originally Posted by Evilbaz

What if you overstay life past 70?

Gulag, oats and water.

Originally Posted by Evilbaz

What if you overstay life past 70?

Endless soft food for you.

Originally Posted by ltnt

Originally Posted by Evilbaz

What if you overstay life past 70?

Endless soft food for you.

Can I still drink from the fountain of youth which is LOS?

Sure you can Baz, just be sure to not over do it....

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

Could we just narrow it down to an expatriat is a person residing temporarily or permanently in a country other than that of their citizenship?

That's right. Work should not be a limiting factor on being an expat. There are plenty of people who live abroad but don't work (they are retired).

I would classify an expat as someone living in a foreign country, with an income stream from their homeland.