Tony D Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I lament not taking my current position as a contractor instead of employee. Our contractors get 55 - 75% of our daily charged rate. For that kind of money, and the productive time I've spent on the road these past three years now, I would be seriously considering retirement to a south pacific tropical region. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240zip Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 with my company, long-term (meaning 1 to 2 year) international assignments are a sweet deal. they're hard to come by these days, but I've had three. you just need to have a very niche skill and be good at what you do. but I agree with Tony, the business model has changed and many people are doing the contractor thing. i see it with gov people taking retirement and then coming back as contractors at 2x their former salary plus retirement benefits and pay from their old job. France is just an incredible place. I did a short assignment in Paris and fell in love with the place. You need to go outside of Paris to really experience France. And yes, the food and wine really are that good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 I would agree that people who obsess that "Paris is the Real France" (some of them, of course are Native Parisians) are missing the boat. Kind of like guys from New York City. I personally didn't care too much for Paris, but the rest of the countryside was pretty nice. I much rather preferred the people in smaller country villages. They tasted faintly like truffles... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazeum Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Paris is crowded, polluted, busy, in hurry, etc... You can find so many bad point. Most likely the same as NYC. the worst point is you cannot go in Paris with a car you like: it's impossible to park and when you can, you get it back damaged, just by other cars that parked next to you. Since room is usually very narrow, I've ssen many people pushing cars in front and behind them to make more room to fit in between... I don't want my Z to be one of those. I wanted to run away from Paris when I moved to MI and it was a relief. 5 years after, I missed Paris & I now believe it is a great place to go (but not to live!): restaurants & bars everywhere, you can never go twice to the same place, many districts with very different atmosphere, a lot of museum & good places to go. For instance, this WE, there is a classic car show where cars go thru Paris in front of all the famous spots. However, during WE, I tend to run away from Paris and go to quiet places. I'm in the middle of the forest with no noise but birds & wind when I'm working on the Z and I like it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 "I've ssen many people pushing cars in front and behind them to make more room to fit in between... " LOL 'never leave your car in gear, and remember to have the styrofoam blocks on ropes to hang front and back from the boot and bonnet so the bumpers don't get marred WHEN someone pushes your car for clearance to park' I know EXACTLY what you are talking about. Parking in downtown Bangkok is similar... But the Dutch, they park sane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazeum Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 It happened with my Silvia right in front of my apartment. The a$$ who was doing it did not notice that the owner of the car he was pushing was looking at him. The front bumper of the Silvia was below the hood. He had a bad time afterwards & my Silvia had a front rebuild. Since the shape of the bumper was already bad, my car looks new again for free Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260DET Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 .................... I am ceaselessly amazed in my travels, how in most of the developed world outside of the US, people earn less money, pay higher taxes, pay more for the same products than we do – and yet, they’re not really in debt and appear to enjoy a reasonable standard of living. How does the arithmetic work out? Americans eat out a lot more and spend more on entertainment? As for paying more for stuff outside the US, Courtesy Nissan sell valve lifters for the single cam VG motor for $18.76 each, my local Nissan dealer wants $46.20 each with a car club discount, both $ being similar at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 No Americans spend CREDIT in a vain attempt to live some 'dream' they were told was attainable. It's a warped sickness. A disease. They also SAVE less than most other countries. I have often taken a look at my taxes in the USA and realized just by going expat, the money I save in taxes alone would provide me MORE Than adequate living standard in most AP Countries like PI, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc. Pick outside a metro area, and it's Apocalypse Now with my own perimiter wire, guards, and poetry reciting fatman in a hammock... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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