Thread: From Laos to Turkey - A Christmas story :)

Originally Posted by Simon43

I am confident that my idea will work if I actually get the ball rolling and create the first package of videos (complete primary grade 1 course). I just need to get off my backside and start creating the videos!!

Great idea Simon. Another enterprising chapter to add to your inventive autobiography.

Originally Posted by katie23

^he has the head of Candy for company.

Hey Simon, do some sightseeing and show us some pics, pretty please!

Take Candy's head with you on your exploration tours Simon and do a 'Where is Candy Today?' photo thread!

Originally Posted by Simon43

if I actually get the ball rolling and create the first package of videos

hire a cute media studies chick to help with filming and editing

Originally Posted by david44

Good luck Simon
Creation may be only half the battle.
Protecting your IP may be very very hard to enforce in China.
I have some experience.
I am not sure your goals but materials aimed at Hispanics in USA or Migrants in EU may be easier to register and monetize .
I humbly suggest you listen to expert advise before devoting too much effort on one market.

Perhaps an educational software firm is your route to market, use their expertise and take a royalty or %?

I suggest Pearson as I know them
Samsung and Cisco are also in this field and many others.

Your talent and personality may be a unique USP but test the water before devoting the rest of your time IMHO.

Sure like others I like to see more of SPort Louis 4 Bornes and the street life ,
Aside from airfare and living expenses what were ballpark total costs of visa , years residence in $ss?

The reason for choosing mainland China as a target customer is because I have many years of teaching experience with young kids in China. Like most kids, they like science topics, but it is often their mums who are pretty ruthless at wanting their offspring to get ahead. Couple that with the blocking of YouTube and you effectively have a captive audience (potentially a very large audience/customer base).

IP protection is an issue. I'm currently sorting out the WeChat payment software, since WeChat is definitely the preferred payment method in China. I actually want to charge a fee per lesson video. So charge say $2 per lesson video. That sum is probably low enough such that no-one will be bothered to copy/steal my videos, especially if my name/web domain is splattered all over them. One issue is that WeChat/Stripe charge a minimum commission fee for such micro-payments, such that I'd probably get $1 profit from a video that sells for $2. But with 100 million primary age kids in China........

I definitely need some sort of marketing help in China to promote me as the crazy Gweilo scientist...

Happy Chinese New Year! And a nice NY present for me >> my Premium visa has been issued by the Mauritius immigration office. I can now legally teach online/earn money from outside Mauritius, and sit on the beach in my spare time

Originally Posted by david44

With such tiny margins Wechat taking half your gross pre tax income needs thought.
What is your cost of acquisition?
What is your plan if your IP infringed?
Have you explored other markets?

The real kicker is how much time or money can you spen in the 76 Chinese IP courts

esp as this clause

"If the accused infringer can prove that they acted reasonably, the right holder will not be able to pursue litigation claims beyond ceasing the use of the infringing product."

https://uk.practicallaw.thomsonreuters.com/2-522-3909?transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Defaul t)&firstPage=true

It looks like a Chinese entrepreneur "buy " your 50 pages for a hundred bucks keep reselling/giving away as a loss leader until you can exhaust legal remedies

Yes, I am aware of this, and need to think about suitable protection. But it really is no different in the 'west' (I've been down this road many years ago with various inventions etc). A big business can steal/copy my idea and although I theoretically have protection under the law, in practice, they can just bleed me dry with my own lawyer fees etc...

The little guy rarely wins - I lost thousands of GBP trying to protect a couple of my inventions which were copied by UK companies and are now used/sold by them for the past 20 years (toddler wander alarm based on losing RF signal between toddler transmitter and mother's receiver, / DiSeqC 22KHz antenna switching circuit for satellite antenna LNBs).

Originally Posted by Simon43

Happy Chinese New Year!

Hong Bao Na Lai

I have been monitoring the cyclone off mauritius for friends in Tamatave and I see that it has deepened quickly and increased in intensity and veered toward you - stock up with food , water and battery power in case you have a few days while you have to stay indoors.

not sure how much cyclone experience you have , but if you are well above high tide mark and have some solid brick construction to shelter in , then you have no worries

Simons House Rental Checklist

pool- check,
nice small kitchen - check
area for antennas - check
near the beach - check
quiet - check
well above high tide mark - doh
solid brick construction to shelter in - doh

Originally Posted by baldrick

I have been monitoring the cyclone off mauritius for friends in Tamatave and I see that it has deepened quickly and increased in intensity and veered toward you - stock up with food , water and battery power in case you have a few days while you have to stay indoors.

not sure how much cyclone experience you have , but if you are well above high tide mark and have some solid brick construction to shelter in , then you have no worries

I receive the images directly from the NOAA weather satellites.

Here was the position of the cyclone yesterday at 7.45pm local time.



and then again this morning at 6.45am.



So it looks like it will pass the island OK. Right now, there is a Class 3 cyclone warning in force, so no-one is allowed outside. I already stocked up with food, lowered some of my antennas, covered the swimming pool etc. The wind is blustery, but not terrible, and I'm not near the beach, so no problems at all.

What's the surf like

Originally Posted by Joe 90

What's the surf like

I imagine a bit lie sex life, up and down, do you here teh waves crashing? Did the Chitty move for you.

Poor ole Simon from Kebabed to blown away , of course a typical night out for the Macc Lads

Simon, have you thought about buying a generator or one of the big power banks...

Originally Posted by Topper

Simon, have you thought about buying a generator or one of the big power banks...

To be honest, I don't really need the power that a generator provides. I only need to power my laptop and one LED lamp. I have a new car battery that I use to power my ham radio rig. So I also have a 500 watt 12 volts/220 volt inverter which can together power my laptop and lamp for a long, long time!

Originally Posted by Simon43

I only need to power my laptop and one LED lamp.

You don't have a refrigerator?

Originally Posted by happynz

You don't have a refrigerator?

Yes, but if you keep the fridge door closed, the temperature inside will remain cold for a few days. In any case, a fridge consumes very little electrical power, so can easily be powered by my inverter/battery.

Ah, that explains why my leccy bill for the two months I was away last year was only SR 48 (USD 13). Thx for the explanation.

Originally Posted by happynz

Ah, that explains why my leccy bill for the two months I was away last year was only SR 48 (USD 13). Thx for the explanation.

Yep - fridges are very energy-efficient, thanks to their good heat insulation (ie the heat outside the fridge can't get in!). The heavy consumers of electrical power are air-cons (I don't have any), and anything that creates a lot of heat (shower heaters, cookers etc).

a pro tip is to use an old bar fridge with the compressor and heat exchanger removed as your bush esky - just lay it on its back and ice lasts for 2 or 3 days

Originally Posted by Simon43

To be honest, I don't really need the power that a generator provides. I only need to power my laptop and one LED lamp. I have a new car battery that I use to power my ham radio rig. So I also have a 500 watt 12 volts/220 volt inverter which can together power my laptop and lamp for a long, long time!

What about your router? And how long will it power your laptop? Using car batteries with an inverter are common here.

Originally Posted by Topper

What about your router? And how long will it power your laptop? Using car batteries with an inverter are common here.

Well, I have no router! My plan was to rent the house, then to get the router and fibre-optic line reactivated, and I would 'struggle' until that moment with my mobile phone as an internet connection. (I had to wait for my resident's visa before I could sign the fibre line contract etc).

But having used my mobile phone for the past 4 weeks of teaching, I have found the mobile internet service to be fast and reliable. The good speed is because I'm not in a 'farang' community who are 'zooming' all day. My neighbours are all Indian families, who seem to prefer watching Indian movies on their TVs, rather than 'hogging' the cell-site like I do!

So for the moment, although I could get the fibre line reactivated (cost about $38 USD per month for 50 down, 25 up), I prefer not to add that expense for now, especially since unlimited mobile data is charged at just 15 rupees (about 30 US cents) per day!

My new car battery should power my laptop/mobile phone charger/ LED light for a few days, and then I have another battery in my car

^ what kind of speeds are you getting?

Good enough to zoom call apparently.