Ok I'm going crazy!

[valleydude]

I spent all night chatting with chicas and exchanging photos and I gotta go down there. I would live there in a minute! (At least in this moment haha!)

For all you guys are living down there or have lived there...

What in the world does it take for someone that just does not have the means to retire to live down there?

I'm a programmer and I have a lot of my experience in web development. If I could think of a site to generate some cash flow, I'd be down there and working via internet tomorrow. Unfortunately I know the reality of the web as far as making money and it just isn't what it's cracked up to be. I'm a hell of a worker, but I am not one to want the hassles of being self employed, so does anyone need someone to manage their sites or have an idea?

What's the best bet to land a job there? Teaching English? I could dig that. How would one go about that? Does anyone know a good reliable site/company for these types of jobs? I seriously want to check into it.

From what I have read here I could live good down there on $1500 a month. Maybe lowering my salary to $20,000 a year in exchange for telecommuting would be attractive?

I knew I shouldn't have reffered my little client base from freelancing to take a steady job!

Maybe I'll just work 80 hour weeks and head down there in 10 years?

Why can't I go back to my irresponsible 20's and call my Mom for money?

Like I said, I am going crazy!

V-Dude

[rj556]

... in response to Ok I'm going crazy!, posted by valleydude on Jan 9, 2005

valleydude,i might have some thing

[valleydude]

... in response to Re: Ok I'm going crazy!, posted by rj556 on Jan 9, 2005

Yeah? I am all ears!

V-Dude

[Seeker]

... in response to Ok I'm going crazy!, posted by valleydude on Jan 9, 2005

V-Dude,
I can totally identify with your thoughts on "going crazy" ." Making matters worse, I'm on vacation from work, but other responsibilities have kept me in town. This endless downpour doesn't help either, when I remember being in sunny and festive Santa Marta exactly a year ago.

I'll share some ideas with you that have helped me from going insane. As you know, I've begun meeting Colombianas and other Latinas through Match.com international. Honestly, my response rate has been about 20% but that is enough to keep me busy. It is especially nice to get e-mails from women who write you first. I'm writing a cute graphic designer from Puerto Vallarta in this way. My advice is to throw that net large and wide because you'll never know who you'll catch. One of the sweetest girls I found is a 22 year-old in a little remote Colombian town. The profile said she was interested in men from 21 to 30. Well I wrote her anyways (I'm 35) and to my surprise, she responded. Last night I signed up for MSN Messenger at her request and hopefully we'll talk later on today. Hopefully, all this ground work will improve my chances in May when I visit Colombia.

I'm also thinking of what else I can do between now and May to become a more attractive date. I've begun to look into gyms and plan on joining one soon. Also, last night I went to listen to a live Salsa band and I realized that I could really improve my steps. So I'm going to look into enrolling in Salsa classes pretty soon.

So there you have it. Look at the time between now and your next trip South as an opportunity to save money, improve your Spanish, learn Salsa or get fit and trim. We are the few, the sane, the Latina Seekers. Suerte!

[valleydude]

... in response to I empathize with you, posted by Seeker on Jan 9, 2005

Yeah but I can just go there and learn all this!

You know, don't tell anyone but I just got my 2 "Learn Salsa" DVD's in the mail yesterday. I also got some Spanish programs for Christmas. I guess it's time to hit the next level. I do need to work on my verb tenses really bad and need to learn some more nouns.

I have come back to earth a little since last night, but I am going to still consider going there. I am thinking of ways to swing down there more often right now. Maybe that will ease these thoughts. What's the deal with us anyway?
We are surrounded by all the latinas here in Southern California, but it is totally different from going to the source? Why in the world is that? Here I am bored with girls and when I went down there, I was ready to start chasing even though I was with someone. Here I am ready to settle and down there I am ready to chase away. Maybe it is my pre-mid life crisis?

V-Dude

[Seeker]

... in response to Re: I empathize with you - I do too., posted by valleydude on Jan 9, 2005

An e-mail would be great.

[valleydude]

... in response to Need the Salsa DVD info porfavor!, posted by Seeker on Jan 10, 2005

I just checked and your email isn't available.
Have you got a junk account that I can write to?

Otherwise, the names of the series are Invitation to Dance and Cal Pozo's learn to Dance.

I can't recommend either as I haven't watched them yet. I'll get to it probably this week sometime and I'll let you know.

I have both Salsa ones under the series and one was like 10 dollars and the other 15. I got a wherehouse.com gift card for Christmas and used it. The bill with shipping was $25.56. I can't say that I recommend wherehouse. I just had the gift card.

V-Dude

[Seeker]

... in response to Re: Need the Salsa DVD info porfavor!, posted by valleydude on Jan 11, 2005

.

[kented]

... in response to Re: I empathize with you - I do too., posted by valleydude on Jan 9, 2005

In LA, the situation is against the women.  There are fewer economic opportunities, the culture encourages men who are unfaithful and women are not valued.  The women in the US don't have those problems.  They have the Latina beauty and the Latina spirit but they also have loads of options.  

Last night at the Suns game, not one of the Suns dancers is clearly better looking than my wife.  Why does this gorgeous 30 year-old Latina love this 57 year old gringo.  I'm in shape (I run marathons) but her late husband was older than me and fat.  She lvoes me because I tkae care of her.  

The fact is the odds improve astronomically in LA becasue of the abopve factors.

[Jeff S]

... in response to Ok I'm going crazy!, posted by valleydude on Jan 9, 2005

Hey V-Dude:

Here's what I'd do. Work a week or two play two or three...

http://www.escapeartist.com/efam20/line_handling.html

- Jeff

[valleydude]

... in response to Re: Ok I'm going crazy!, posted by Jeff S on Jan 9, 2005

Thanks! Really interesting. I book marked that page. That's actually kind of nice, no sending or resumes.

Do you do it like it's mentioned on the page?
Just post a bulletin? I imagine it's like anything else, you get to know the captains and then you pretty much
are set when you need work?

I mellowed out since yesterday, but I am still checking all this out. I would have left last night if I could have.
I am really going to check into all of this. Unless of course I come to my senses.

V-Dude

[utopiacowboy]

... in response to Ok I'm going crazy!, posted by valleydude on Jan 9, 2005

As much as I like Colombia and my wife still owns her apartment in Medellin, I would never live there until I retire. Even then I would go somewhere more secure like Monteria or Covenas. The problem is you have to live like a Colombian. My wife's life was full of 6 day work weeks for $7200 a year which is considered good there. It makes me wonder about the quality of life for the 90 odd people she supervised in the textile plant shop that she was in charge of. The 80 hour weeks on the 10 year plan sounds good to me.

[Kiltboy1]

... in response to Re: Ok I'm going crazy!, posted by utopiacowboy on Jan 9, 2005

Yes

But Colombians get about 3-4 weeks paid vacation days a year and also there are at least 2 mondays in every month that is a national holiday, so if you add it up, they do not work that much more then we do with our 2 weeks a year vacation days

[utopiacowboy]

... in response to Re: Re: Ok I'm going crazy!, posted by Kiltboy1 on Jan 9, 2005

You're right. I am aware of how much vacation time my wife received back in Colombia. That was the only thing that allowed her to see her children several times a year. Nevertheless, it was still a miserable life.

[zack]

... in response to Ok I'm going crazy!, posted by valleydude on Jan 9, 2005

What is the best and fasted way to live in Colombia- a good topic for discussion. I see your point. I wouldn't mind living there either. But I have to admit, to live there as a married man would be very diffucult ;o)

I am not an expert on this subject, but I remember a gringo discussing how he opened an orphanage in Colombia. It was rewarding for him both morally and financially, but I don't know if that is your "cup of tea." Sorry, I wish I knew the answers to your questions.

Zack