There are always going to be places where computer nomads will never be able to get any work done. They are few, fortunately, but here is a description of my experience at one.
Wat Ram Poeng is a Buddhist temple outside Chiang Mai, Thailand. I spent a week there learning vipassana meditation at the Northern Insight Meditation Center, where meditation has been taught to foreigners since 1975.
Upon arrival at the temple’s foreign meditation office students are required to submit copies of their passport and visa, white flowers and orange or yellow candles. Then they are shown their room. It is a simple affair, with a fan but no hot water or mattress on the small cot – only a mat about an inch thick. There was construction going on nearby to build new quarters for foreign meditation students.
After a few hours waiting in our room our group, about ten of us, met at the meditation office to begin our training. We were taught three basic techniques. Walking meditation involves slow, deliberate toe to toe steps followed by a three step turn and then walking again. Sitting meditation is done cross-legged with a focus on the rising and falling of the stomach during breathing. The opening ritual, or warm-up, involved a complex series of bowing and prostrating. I eventually gave up trying to remember the various steps.
Since I couldn’t cross one of my legs, due to tendonitis, I was allowed to sit in a folding chair. We started off meditating for six hours a day. It was gradually increased to nine hours when I left.
Life at the temple was fascinating. Our sleeping hours were supposed to be from 10 PM to 4 AM, but I always slept earlier because six hours was not enough for me. Mornings were my favorite time. When the 4 AM gong, as loud as a siren, sounded all hell broke loose. An amazing symphony of jungle racket, a cacophony of howling dogs, chanting monks and electric razors (for shaving heads) erupted. One creature — I don’t know if it was insect, bird or lizard — sounded something like a bunch of rusty, aging cranes right outside my window. It was like the soundtrack of a grade B safari film. Anybody that wanted to sleep in late would have a hard time.
After meditation for an hour and a half the 6 AM bell rang for breakfast. There were two lines for food, one for vegetarian. Sometimes the food was excellent, like rice noodle soup or curry. Other times it was tasteless: mushy rice with boiled, unseasoned squash. There were no chairs. Diners squatted on the floor, reciting chants in Pali paying homage to the Buddha’s teachings before they took a bite of their (by then) cold food. Because of my leg, I ate by myself outside of the dining hall in a banquet area with tables and chairs, accompanied by begging dogs.
Wat Ram Poeng has many interesting sights. Thailand is still very much an animistic culture, in addition to Buddhist, and trees are often venerated. One particularly huge tree at the temple received special treatment. Its trunk was wrapped in golden banners. It was surrounded by burnt candles and incense sticks from when the tree (or the spirit residing within) was being paid respects. The tree was surrounded by a large, open well-lawned yard. Other, smaller trees, also received similar treatment on a smaller scale. Hindu sculptures are common in Thai temples.
In Buddhist Thailand temples, called wats, are not a single building like a church but a complex of buildings, a community of monks and laypersons. The complex typically centers around a religious monument, or stupa. Other structures include offices, dormitories, schools, cafeteria and library. In older Thai cities like Chiang Mai you often can’t walk a block without encountering another temple.
Wat Ram Poeng also provides community services. A ramshackle shanty had no chairs or table, only an elevated platform for a monk to sit and receive visitors bowing respectfully below him. Outside a strange photo of a man and woman holding hands, each with the left half of their body portrayed as a skeleton, perplexed me. I eventually concluded the monk was a marriage counselor.
Next to the meditation office is the administrative office where temple visitors stop to make a contribution. All over Thailand you see shops that specialize in items to purchase for temple donations. Many are pre-packaged kits that look like Easter baskets filled with items such as medicine, incense, snack foods and toiletries. You can also purchase these items at the temple. If you have a significant donation to make, you may get moved to the top of the list for an immediate audience with the abbot.
The daily routine for foreign meditation students was rigorous, to say the least. It is lonely. You are left alone in your room all day. Leave your ipod at home. Distractions like books, music and computers are not permitted. You are not allowed to talk to anyone except your meditation teacher, who is also the temple abbot (not to be confused with the monk who gives the basic techniques on the first day). Once a day you have a face to face meeting with the teacher. He answers any questions you have about your practice.
My most typical question was how to concentrate better. He tried to reassure me, explaining the need for patience and how eventually the mind will become quiet and meditation can begin. Since then, I have met three students who also studied meditation at the same time I was at Wat Ram Poeng. None were able to complete the 10 day course, most having departed after three or four days. I stayed for seven days. I am sure if I had the perseverance to stay longer it could have been a much more beneficial experience.
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Posted by Wade as Places at 12:32 AM EST
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Virtually all countries require work permits or visas before you can work there legally. Most will only allow foreign workers to fill positions if there are no locals who are qualified. Some countries even require an employer to release wanted ads in newspapers for a particular position for a specified time period. If no qualified local responds to the ad, then a foreigner can be hired for the position.
Different countries have a different set of requirements and standards for those who wish to obtain work permits. One of the best ways to find out how you can obtain a working visa is to ask expats or prospective employers.
The following site will link you to some pages that will provide some information on travel requirements and obtaining work permits:
Foreign Consular Offices and Embassies in the U.S.
This is a complete listing of foreign consulates and embassies throughout the United States. It is useful and usually necessary to contact them to inquire about visa requirements before planning any overseas trip.
Remember that trying to find an overseas job is much like looking for any other job. You must be able to sell yourself. A first impression, or good packaging, will do you wonders, but it is far more important to have quality within that package than anything else.
Finding decent-paying computer work overseas, especially after arrival, is feasible but difficult. I recommend telecommuting with a company in your home country. It is easier to find work, the pay is better, and you can take advantage of good dollar exchange rates and low costs of living.
Posted by Wade as Jobs, Plan at 7:58 AM EST
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The following are directories of consultants on the Internet. These can also be useful for marketing your own consulting services:
Guru.com
This directory of “gurus” has lists of gigs and gurus. Many job postings specify whether the work is to be done on-site or off-site.
Consultant Directory
This is an extensive directory of consultants listed by category with keyword search functions. There is no listing of job postings.
Freelancers Network
Another large database, this consultant directory also has listings of thousands of consultants worldwide along with extensive search capability. You can also search and post specific projects.
Posted by Wade as Tools, Jobs, Money at 7:54 AM EST
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If you think there are problems telecommuting from home — the distractions, setting up a home office, communicating with coworkers — consider the potential hang-ups when you’re telecommuting from Bolivia to Buffalo. Most telecommuters work from home one or two days a week. You’re gone for weeks, months or even forever. Nomadic telecommuters do not have a cozy home office to work from. Their office changes from hotel to hotel every day. You can dispel any thoughts of amenities such as ergonomic chairs and office romance. I sometimes stick a pillow behind my lower back when using straight-back chairs without a cushion.
Obviously, an office in most affordable hotels, recreational vehicles or campsites is not for people who require a strictly ergonomic work environment. I’ve typed on my laptop computer several hours a day for years on plain old tables without any physical problems. Ergonomic experts claim the arm should be at a 90 degree angle when typing at a keyboard. You might be able to improvise by resting your arms on a rolled-up towel in front of your laptop while typing or sitting on pillows to elevate you closer to the keyboard. Few less than world class hotels in developing countries cater to business customers with amenities like data lines and office chairs, and they are usually too expensive for a nomad.
Hotel room selection is an important decision. You need at least a chair with a back and a table you can work at. A telephone may or may not be essential, depending on how often you have to contact your clients. Some cheap hotels have in-room Internet but no phone, and that is much preferable to a phone but no Internet. Try to get a place with in-room Internet, either cable or wi-fi. If I can’t get that, I often choose a hotel because of its proximity to an Internet café. Another option is to use space in the hotel office for a few hours day (at an extra fee, of course). If you’re going to stay in a place for longer, rent a place where you can get broadband.
Posted by Wade as Places, Jobs, Plan at 7:51 AM EST
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You just might want to leave that laptop at home.
Multifunction PDA/cell phone hybrids include the Nokia Communicator, the Blackberry and the Palm Treo. This is a good idea for many, including those who want to reduce the number of gadgets to carry around. I carry both because I need the larger display of a dedicated PDA for images and as an ebook reader.
They do much more than a cell phone. These all-in-one performers allow you to send and receive calls, faxes, and e-mail around the world. A built in browser lets you surf the web on the fly. The personal organizer helps you keep track of meetings and contacts. These phones typically offer hands-free function with features that also include SMS, contacts, notes, calendar, clock, world time and an alarm clock.
Posted by Wade as Tools at 7:48 AM EST
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If you want to continue to communicate with home and get mail there are many mail forwarding services that cater to nomads. They will provide you with a permanent address, then hold your mail until they from you with instructions on where and how to send it. Even local mail box rental services will take care of this for you. I suggest using a local service if you will be spending several months at one location. For real nomads try one of the international mail-forwarding specialists listed below. When choosing a mail forwarder, make sure you understand their rates and that they don’t charge two or three times what UPS or the U.S. Postal Service charges for shipping your mail.
Some forwarders offer a “toss the junk mail” to save you money on shipping. Some even set up an Internet account where you can see a list of your mail. Then you can decide what to throw away or forward to you in Iceland. Also, make sure you’re going to be at the place when you expect your mail to arrive. When moving around frequently you may need to use an express method while overseas. The cheapest overseas express method from the States is Global Priority shipping from the U.S. Postal Service.
Posted by Wade as Plan at 7:46 AM EST
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From croc-filled rain forests to desert cattle drives, from beaches with the world’s best surfing, to the urban delights of Sydney’s world-famous opera house, it’s hard to imagine a more diverse and romantic destination.
In my travels throughout Asia I have met many Australians. In fact, most of my friends – or mates, as they say — are Aussies. I enjoy their easy-going, fun-loving attitude more than the occasional arrogance you might encounter from a Brit, Canuck or Yank. If you happen to visit Australia’s wild west, where Perth is the largest city, you may have trouble understanding them. I hung around with a couple Aussie miners from near Perth while holidaying in the Philippines. They were great drinking buddies, despite my not being able to understand half of what they said.
As for the women, I can’t speak much from personal experience. Sailors I have spoken with raved about Perth as a favorite port of call. They particularly enjoyed being greeted by the hundreds of young Aussie women waiting for them at the dock.
Romantic opportunities abound. The urban centers of Sydney and Melbourne offer all the sophisticated city delights, from opera to casinos, one could ask. Red meat lovers will find the quality of beef and lamb every bit as good as the American versions. While Aussies may scoff at popular American beers such as Budweiser and Miller as “beer flavored water,” their wines are world class award winners.
If the seaside is your idea of romance, Australia is a vast dream. It boasts more beaches than any other nation, including the world famous Great Barrier Reef. Sample the local vintage in the vineyards of the New South Wales wine country. Nature lovers may find relaxing at a spa in a rainforest more their style. Escape the mainland, if you must, with a visit to the World Heritage site, Fraser Island, the world’s largest sand island, and enjoy the many lakes and rainforest.
A stay in this diverse island nation with your Aussie lover will be an event you will never forget.
Posted by Wade as Places, Romance at 7:48 AM EST
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Web sites are appearing that can save you the cost of a hotel room. They match people who are willing to offer a free bed, couch or floor to total strangers. Vagabonds seeking a free place to stay register at sites like CouchSurfing.com and GlobalFreeloaders.com. Believe it or not, there are thousands of people around the world willing to let you sack out on their floor. Lucky folks might even end up in a bed. For example, I went to CouchSurfing.com and found 18 people in my current town, Chiang Mai, Thailand, willing to put up with you. GlobalFreeloaders.com lists over 14,000 members in the United States. I’m thinking about offering my extra bedroom.
Posted by Wade as Places, Lifestyle at 3:52 AM EST
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Your tool for this venture into a nomadic lifestyle is simple: a laptop computer. Don’t think you need to lug around more than a five pound computer. Actually, you can get by without a computer. There are thousands of cybercafes around the world, from tiny provincial capitals to busy cities. The famous backpacker hangout in Bangkok, Khao San Road, has numerous cybercafes with countless cheap and plentiful computers with Internet connections. I’ve used cybercafes worldwide from Phnom Penh to Rio de Janeiro with good results. A portable printer is not necessary since you’ll be sending your work over the Internet. Many third-world countries have poor telephone systems, but cell phones are ubiquitous even in poor, remote parts of the world.
Posted by Wade as Tools, Jobs at 5:16 AM EST
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If you haven’t traveled overseas before, it can seem like landing on a different planet. If you’re traveling to look for a prospective lover, you’re in for a great time. Don’t hesitate to travel alone. You don’t have to be alone for long. Don’t feel you have to make some contacts before you travel.
Expect unusual reactions when people find out you are planning a trip to travel alone overseas. I used to read a book on Thailand while on the bus to work. I got some surprising comments. One woman on the bus said her male friend was looking for an Asian wife because he was fed up with American women. A man warned me that communist guerillas were planning an imminent invasion (that was early 1984, and we’re still waiting). Another woman groaned in disbelief when she found out I was going to Asia, of all places, alone, for a vacation!
Planning Your Trip
This book is designed to supplement, not compete with, information available in commercial travel guides. There are many excellent travel guides available, and I will make some recommendations at the end of this chapter. I recommend you read up on the country you plan to visit before you leave. If nothing else, a good travel book tells you what to expect. That and good planning can save you time and money and enhance the enjoyment of your trip. Do your research before you leave rather than waste precious time while overseas. The more you know about the culture and country you visit, the more you’ll enjoy your trip.
Traveling alone can sound intimidating to rookie travelers, even if you have someone special waiting for you at the airport. Some people — undoubtedly those who don’t enjoy life to the fullest — may tell you that it’s unsafe, that all kinds of potential mishaps await people who travel overseas alone. They’ll talk about terrorists, communists, wars, thieves, malaria, even AIDS — anything to keep you from going abroad and having the time of your life. They haven’t got the guts to go themselves and are jealous.
Several people may ask you why you traveled alone overseas, without any friends or contacts to meet when you arrive. It comes down to two fears: Weren’t you lonely? Weren’t you afraid? You need not be either. It is safer walking down the streets of Bangkok than in most American cities. As for loneliness, it is ironic that people should be concerned about that, of all things. One reason you’re going to travel to exotic places is to get rid of loneliness. Most people, once they know what they’re doing, will feel less lonely during their travels than they ever have.
Making Friends after Arrival
Should you decide to travel overseas without previous contacts, you will meet interesting people after arriving. The easiest way is to just head for the singles bars. Don’t overlook the opportunity to meet and make friends during your travels. It can actually be easier to make interesting friends overseas than it is in your home country. There are many English-speakers living and traveling in popular travel destinations. The best places to meet them are in the bars and restaurants frequented by international travelers and businessmen.
People in many parts of the world are open, friendly and interested in getting to know you. Chances are they will take you to meet their families, who will be extremely hospitable. They will be eager to help make your trip to their country as enjoyable as possible.
You will find many places to meet people: thriving open markets, universities, stores and discos. Just hanging out in one of these places gives you an excellent chance of meeting a friendly and nice-looking local eager to practice their English on a native speaker. This is especially true of university areas, where you are most likely to meet a young, English-speaking student for companionship. Most people in the tourist service business also speak good English.
Posted by Wade as Romance, Lifestyle at 5:14 AM EST
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