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Remember the 7 expat categories from last week? Well I have to say that Manila is paradise for a few of them… I come through here from time to time on business and it definitely ranks as one of my favorite places in Asia– cheap, modern, relatively clean, but still with a hint
It normally takes me less than five minutes to pack, even for a three week trip. In this case, though, I’m having a tough time– too many climate zones in Asia, too many events. I need to cram SCUBA gear, beach clothes, professional attire, and formal wear all into one little suitcase… …
Sometimes I wake up and don’t know what continent I’m on. I’m serious. It last happened a week ago when I woke up in the very elegant Cosmo 100 hotel in downtown Bogota… I had to look around the room for clues and within 60 seconds finally realized that I was in Colombia.
I can barely type today… I’m actually one-handing it this morning. Why? Because my other hand is thrust victoriously in the air celebrating the renomination of Comrade Bernanke to his post at the Federal Reserve. Yes, the man who has overseen the most unprecedented expansion of the central bank’s balance sheet in history
People ask me this question all the time: “Simon, I really want to leave the country, but where should I go?” Quite literally, there is a world of possibilities out there, each full of richness and opportunity. But as you could imagine, it depends on what kind of person you are. What would
I received quite a few interesting comments this week (many of which I kept private at the request of the sender). Remember, posting a comment to the site is the best way to reach me: I read all of them personally. Email goes to support staff. – SOLDIERS IN THE STREETS- Kelly asked
I know what you’re thinking. “Why the hell would he be in Colombia?” I get that a lot. The vast majority of the world only knows two things about Colombia– drugs and terrorism (though in all fairness, ‘one man’s freedom fighter…’) People recall hearing about kidnappings, lawlessness, and of course that scene from
A sample of basic household items in case you are wondering what is the cost of living in Bogota, Colombia– All prices have been converted to US Dollars at 2,000 Colombian Pesos (COP) per dollar. Cost of living in Bogota, Colombia as of August 2009 @ 2,000 Colombian Pesos (COP) / Dollar Apples,
Greetings! I’m going to dive right into the questions from this week: == TRANSPORTING GOLD OUT OF THE COUNTRY == I appreciate all the comments and anecdotes in response to Tuesday’s letter about my run-in with TSA. . Based on the questions I received, there are a couple of things that should be
It was a nice enough place… about 1500 square feet, 3 bedrooms, nicely furnished, and even had a sliver of an ocean view. Best of all, it wasn’t in gringo-ville. “How much rent are they asking?” I posed to the real estate agent who was fawning closely on my heels. He reeked of
For Latin Americans, Miami has been a lot of things– the major financial center, the cultural Mecca, prime tourist destination, the business capital, and a symbol of international success. The city made its riches and opportunities available to all nationalities, reaching the point during the most recent real estate boom where one could
Did you ever notice that when you put the words “The” and “IRS” together it spells “Theirs” ? How appropriate. One of “Theirs” initiatives that I pay attention to is its voluntary disclosure program. This program provides steps for people who have not reported overseas income (and bank accounts) to come clean without
It’s no secret that China is already starting to dominate the world economy. Understanding the country, its culture, and its economic infrastructure, however, is a daunting task, particularly for outsiders. Official reports and media accounts are hardly worth basing an investment opinion on– it’s critical to have boots on the ground. I have
I’m going to let you in on a few secrets. I’ve learned through a great deal of experience over the last several years about travel. People often ask me about my travel habits because I do so much of it… and one of the common questions I get is “How much do you
Travel mishaps occur from time to time… though the airline completely losing my reservation is a new one for me. I was all set to leave Europe a few days ago when a rather unfortunate ‘booking oversight’ derailed my plans for spending the weekend in New York City. In this case, I was
