When every day is a weekend
September 13, 2007
I guy from Belgium I had been out drinking with a couple of times who is currently on a year’s leave of absence from his job said to me, “everday feels like a weekend”. This is one of the nice things about working while traveling, but it can be difficult at times. Everyone around you is on holidays and enjoying themselves so it is sometimes difficult to get motivated to sit at a computer for long periods of time.
Here are some tips you can at least try to keep some balance in your life if you are working on the road:
- Try to stick to a Monday to Friday schedule. It is very easy when you are traveling to lose track of the days. By at least working hard Monday through to Thursday you can then give yourself some time off on the “weekened”.
- When you are on the internet, do all of the important, must do tasks first before spending time checking your stats, reading forums and blogs.
- Set yourself weekly and monthly goals and stick to them
- Wake up at regular times
- Work hard trying to make money writing articles, getting links to cover what you will spend say on a tour or a night out
I must be honest though, as much as I would like to follow the above tips, I am failing miserably.
Living and working overseas destinations: Cambodia
June 25, 2007
Following on from my post on living overseas, I am going to profile some of the countries I have been to for the suitability for living in to develop your internet business or perhaps to even start your own non-internet related business.
Cambodia
Famous for: Angkor Wot, Khmer Rouge, Killing Fields
Visas: Cambodia is perhaps one of the easiest countries to obtain a business visa for a 6 month or 12 month period. It is called a business visa pretty much in name only, because you can basically work, run a business or even just lay on the beach. You don’t need any proof of income, as Cambodians typically just expect you to be able to support yourself.
Living Costs: Cambodia is a very cheap place to live. A small apartment in the capital Phnom Penh can be rented for around $200 a month. A fan room with a shared bathroom in a cheap hotel starts from around $3 a night. There are even places in Sihanoukville which advertise free accommodation as long as you eat in their restaurant, which might not be the best option, but it does show that you can live for next to nothing. Food, beer is also cheap.
Infrastructure: Power outages are fairly common. Internet access can be a little expensive and is not super fast, although I am sure this should only improve. Roads between major cities are pretty good and transport is plentiful.
Downsides: Cambodia is an extremely poor country. The Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot killed over 2 million people, just over 30 years ago, which not surprisingly left a huge scar on the country and the people. Health care is very limited. Any major illnesses people (with insurance) are evacuated to neighboring Thailand. Land mines are still a problem in less frequented areas. Corruption is rife.
Upsides: Other than the cheap cost of living, the people are warm and friendly. It can be a good base for visiting neighboring Vietnam, Thailand and Laos. Several foreign banks are now operating in Cambodia improving the financial infrastructure. There is a fairly large expatriate community who work mostly for NGOs.
Running a business: There are plenty of good opportunities to start your own business in Cambodia. Many foreigners run bars, restaurants and hotels.
This is a good article on setting up your own bar in Cambodia.
Travel to develop your internet business - where to go
June 21, 2007
Regarding my post: traveling to develop your internet business, Claire asks:
That being said, I have to say your blog post on how to reduce your living expenses by going abroad is very well thought out. However, if you don’t happen to be a citizen of that country, won’t they eventually kick you out? I would like to do this in two or three years and I am now investigating my choices but I am finding that my best choice may be in the U.S.!
My experience only extends to Asia but I believe there a number of countries in the world which let you stay for periods beyond a short vacation period.
Generally poorer, less developed countries allow foreigners to live for extended periods without having to hold down a job, or run a business, particularly in South East Asia. The governments of these countries welcome foreigners, often to stay as long as they want, as they believe that they bring in valuable foreign currency and investment.
Since local people’s salaries are so low, it is unlikely that foreigners will be taking away jobs from local people. Immigration officials basically assume that all westerners are rich and let anyone in.
Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and India allow foreigners to apply for visas that are longer than the usual one month tourist visas, that most countries seem to offer. Generally there are no special requirements to get a visa for people from most western countries. As Lonely Planet says, “if you have the cash, they have a visa”.
Cambodia offers a 6 and 12 month business visa. Once you have the visa you are basically free to work, start a business or lay on the beach for as long as you want. Thailand has become stricter in allowing people who do not have proper business visas to stay in the country long term. At one time Thailand was the place for foreigners to escape from the western rat race.
The big disclaimer to this post is that visa conditions and regulations can change at anytime. Immigration officials are corrupt and can change fees/rules at anytime they see fit. It is important when dealing with officials in any country, but particularly Asia to stay calm, don’t argue and to dress conservatively. Follow the laws and rules of your chosen country and you won’t have a problem.
Don’t let your possessions own you
June 18, 2007
I have started a new category to my blog on Mobile Living. It is to write about my experiences working while traveling around the world. I finally bought a PDF version of the the “4 Hour Working Week” by Tim Ferrris from Powells. I am not sure why, but Amazon weren’t selling an electronic version. Some of the things he writes about I am already doing, but some other things I think I believe I can work into my life and business.
I have lived overseas for more than 10 years now and have moved house more times than I can remember. I have never owned any expensive furniture. I know my family laugh at me because I don’t like buying “stuff”. Whenever I moved I tended to just buy the minimal amount of household goods to live comfortably. I have also been surprised by the amount of free furniture and electrical goods I could get from friends. This worked especially well in Japan where you actually need to pay people to dispose of furniture and electrical goods. I was even able to sell some of the items I got for free.
Space being a premium in Japan they sleep on futons, which are nothing more than a fairly thin mattress and duvet. They also sit on the floor at a low coffee like table called a “kotatsu” which has a heating element underneath the table to heat your legs during winter. Adopting the Japanese Zen minimalist approach is one way of avoiding buying a lot of stuff.
If you would like to travel more for longer period of time, it is important not to accumulate or grow attached to your possessions. You need to ask yourself, are they really that important? They could very well be the things which are holding you back, if you would like to go traveling for a long period of time. Storage is fairly expensive and unless you pack things away well, they will slowly deteriorate. It is probably cheaper to sell or give things away and buying new household goods on your return. Electronic items like TVs and DVD players only get cheaper and eventually have no resale value.
Renting your place as a furnished property, presents new problems. Tenants may not treat your furniture well and some places have laws which you need to follow, like making your furniture fire-proof. Another option could be lending items to your friends and family. Again there is no guarantee they will take good care of them.
