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Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 4:36pm On Dec 27, 2022 |
iamL: I haven't been to Kenya or Zambia, so I don't know. However, Kenya has a vibrant capital city and an active startup scene. So you'll have to do your own research, to see what works for you, or not. If you're tired of living in Nigeria, then make an exit plan and make the first move toward it today. It could be as simple as filling out a passport application, if you don't have one. It's one step in the direction you want to go. 2 Likes 1 Share |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 3:25pm On Dec 27, 2022 |
Blurpy: Brazil is great, you should check it out. My fiancee is also a healthcare professional, but in order to get the freedom to remain traveling with me indefinitely, she made the transition. She didn't move into tech though. I had her learn Social Media Management, so she could start a digital agency. Managing the online presence of healthcare businesses, and businesses in other fields. She's intelligent, and learned what she needed to and launched the business quickly. Within 6 months, she was already making as much as what her full time healthcare job paid. Fast forward a few years, and she has a few employees doing most of the grunt work, and she's making about 5x what her 9-5 salary used to be. Plus the freedom of not having to go back to Russia, to work. The difference between people who receive advice and succeed and those who don't, is action. Great business ideas and great advice are completely useless without taking true action on them. 5 Likes 3 Shares |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 7:16pm On Dec 26, 2022 |
bepositive11: You're correct. However, as I said, I have my personal reasons for not using Linkedin. It goes beyond its effectiveness, or lack thereof, but more of a platform culture incongruence. And yes, I'd rather not get into the weeds of these things on this thread. 2 Likes |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 7:08pm On Dec 26, 2022 |
topsquino: I haven't done extensive traveling in Africa, but I do know getting an identical standard of things cost more in Africa than SE Asia and LatAm. So a decent $800-$1000/month 1-BR airbnb apartment in Bogota, Colombia or Buenos Aires, Argentina might cost $1,500-$2500/month in Abuja or Addis Ababa. Keep in mind, you'll be getting lower value for your money in both Abuja and Addis, because you're in a less developed location. Power outages, unreliable internet and more things that rarely happen in most of SE Asia and LatAm. If this is your first time venturing out of Nigeria and you're the type who thrives on familiar environments, then maybe visit Accra, Ghana for a bit. It should be familiar territory. You could switch it up to nearby places like Cotonou, for a different language culture. Outside West Africa, South Africa is a good option. Sure, people will have their reservations about xenophobia and all in SA, but if you go to cities with fewer Nigerians, you might be better off. Addis Ababa is also a nice place, if you like Ethiopian women (who wouldn't? ). The city is decent, but as I said before, the airbnb apartment costs are highly inflated. This is a problem in many parts of Africa. Since safety is often a problem in Africa, you don't want to put yourself in unnecessary danger by trying to stay in a bad neighborhood. You don't need to stay at the best, but as you said, a nice middle-class place. I wouldn't really recommend North Africa, but some people I know, like Morocco. |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 5:06pm On Dec 26, 2022 |
flyinnizam: Not too sure what you mean, but I believe anywhere in the world, transactions are done by the exchange of legal tender for goods and services. If you mean a language barrier, English is often spoken in many places in the world. In Spanish-speaking places, I speak Spanish. In Portuguese-speaking ones, I speak Portuguese. In places like South East Asia, it's more challenging, but it's generally not rocket science to transact, even with zero language understanding. |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 4:58pm On Dec 26, 2022 |
bepositive11: I'm not sure if this is a real question, as it would suggest Linkedin is the primary source of clients, for a business. It's just one of the numerous faucets attached to the river. Personally, I choose not to turn that one. We have many direct and indirect, front end and back end project-acquisition channels, so we're fine. |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 4:55pm On Dec 26, 2022 |
pak: I think what you're dealing with is more of a priority issue than a lack of time. People make time for things that truly matter to them. It's simple. If you want to "push your adventures beyond the shores of Nigeria and Africa," you need a visa. To get a visa, you need to make time. So the only question left to ask yourself is, is it worth your time? If it is, you'll make time. Otherwise, feel free to hop on a plane to visa-free locations like Maldives. Although places like this offer nothing but high-cost, low-immersion beach resort type of experiences. And congrats on running a profitable startup. 3 Likes |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 4:38pm On Dec 26, 2022 |
topsquino: This will be long. I saw your question earlier, and see you removed the income figures. Good idea to do so. With that income, you'll be fine as a single guy, in LatAm. In Western Europe, you might struggle, but places like Lisbon can work. I also think you might be underestimating the cost of living a decent life in African countries. It's often more expensive than Asia or LatAm, to live the same quality of life. Airbnb apartments in Abuja and Addis Ababa are more expensive than those across SE Asia and LatAm, on average. I guess the main problem then becomes getting visas, since I assume you're traveling on a Nigerian passport. To your questions: 1. Honestly, I don't know of any good qualities Nigerians are known for in places I've been. It's all been negative. The only significant positive of Nigerians in the US is that, Nigerian-Americans are the most educated sub-group of people in the US. So the stock of Nigerians you find in the US are generally more educated than the general American population. I don't know if any other group has recently displaced Nigerians, but it's been this way for many years, in the US. So Nigerians in the US are considered relatively smart. 2. Nigerians are certainly known as fraudsters around the world (rightly so, if we're being honest). In South East Asia, a lot of Nigerians are also into drug dealing, so that becomes a problem for any other black person. Sometimes random people come up to me in Asia and ask if I know where they can get drugs. Simply because they assume most blacks know at least one drug dealer, if they're not a drug dealer themselves 3. If you're single, don't just grab any ol' random girl and start traveling with her. I'd say set out on your own, and see what the world holds for you. If you're an outgoing person with good social skills, you'll have so much fun and the freedom of being single. 4. This is a multi-layered question, and I can write a whole book about it. However, everyone is different. Some people thrive best by operating solo. Some are pack animals. Are you the kind of person who desperately needs to be in a relationship to feel validated? If you are, then seeing couples holding hands and kissing on the beach, while you're sitting alone on the sand might make you feel inadequate. If you're like me, and these things have nearly zero impact on you, then you'll go out and enjoy the world. You'll meet so many people and develop so many friendships. On the other hand, if you set out from the very start with a partner, this has pros and cons. For context, I traveled solo for about 2 years, before I met my now fiancee. We've been traveling together, for nearly 4 years. Pros of traveling solo: a. I think the biggest pro of being a single (and outgoing) person traveling solo is that you get to meet so much more people. When you're a couple, you're both wrapped in your own bubble, and operate mostly in isolation of those around you. There will be quick interactions and stuff, but you're generally not going to leave your partner to go hang out with random strangers. When you're single, going to hang out with random strangers who then become acquaintances and friends is the routine. b. Less expensive: Obviously it costs less to travel solo, vs a partner you're financially responsible for. In my case, this doesn't apply much, for different reasons. My lady cooks like 90% of our meals, and even before her, I used to cook most of my meals myself. I prefer home-cooked meals to eating out. I always have. So this saves a considerable amount of money. Also, my lady makes decent money from her business. So even though, as a more traditional man, I prefer to handle most things, she can take care of herself. She's not a liability and doesn't have a liability mindset. This is the kind of girl I don't mind spending on. The only thing I let her pay for are her main flight tickets. I made it that way from the start, because at the beginning, I had to make sure she wasn't just there to freeload on my travel lifestyle and resources. Cons of traveling solo: a. Like I said before, quiet and shy people might deal with loneliness and sometimes even depression. b. If you're a guy, you might find yourself constantly trying to get the next girl on a date, or something. Especially if you're someone who struggles to get girls in general. This leads to frustration, for some. So, in a nutshell, my advice is to travel for a while by yourself. After some time, consider getting a girl for a long-term thing. I don't know how old you are, but whatever you do, do not go traveling with a liability mindset partner. Ask yourself, if you were broke, would she spend her own money on you, until you got back on your feet? If you can't answer that with a confident yes, then don't travel with a partner like that. This applies to both men and women. It goes both ways. 5 Likes 2 Shares |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 3:44pm On Dec 26, 2022 |
NNEVERAGAINN: Sorry, can't help with this. 2 Likes |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 3:43pm On Dec 26, 2022 |
Love800: I started learning both Spanish and Portuguese on an app called Duolingo. It's free and it's great. You can learn the basics there. You can learn many languages on the app. |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 3:39pm On Dec 26, 2022 |
Originalsly: Haha, I know better than to take the bait 2 Likes |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 3:35pm On Dec 26, 2022 |
Heroicvic: Only Nigerian citizens have access to a Nigerian passport. Same thing with every other country. So, yes. I relocated from Nigeria with a green card in hand. So I didn't have to go through the trouble of "getting papers" when I got to the US, or anything. FYI, a green card holder is not a US citizen. You become eligible for citizenship after living there and having that green card for 5 years. 1 Like |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 3:32pm On Dec 26, 2022 |
tellsblinks: Thanks. It would be to focus all energy and resources in fewer things. I've owned so many businesses, many of which didn't do well, because I was trying to simultaneously run too many things. When that happens, time, funds and resources become insufficient for each project, and some wither and die. So I've come to learn it's better to go full-ass on one or two things, than to half-ass a bunch of things. 3 Likes |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 3:29pm On Dec 26, 2022 |
Hotty321: You don't really need a "science" background to get into tech. You just need average to above average IQ. Meaning, you need to have a problem-solving mental capacity. Look into Data Analysis, Cybersecurity, UI/UX Design. If you want to challenge yourself more, look into learning programming languages, depending on what you want to use your skills to do. 2 Likes 1 Share |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 3:23pm On Dec 26, 2022 |
Pallium: Thanks. Is she also a nairalander? Do you speak Russian? No, she doesn't use Nairaland, and no, I don't speak Russian. Other than a few words and phrases, that is. She speaks English. She wants me to learn more Russian, but I'm not doing that now, because I like to focus on 1-2 things at a time. And that focus in the language department is currently on getting my Spanish to a higher level of fluency, and Portuguese (to an extent). I'd rather be really good at one thing than be mediocre at three, because I spread myself thin. We spend more time in Spanish-speaking countries, so my Spanish skills have been very useful for daily life. She can't speak any Spanish. What do I like about Naija? I love Naija music, and I was definitely a big advocate for what's now called "Afrobeats," in its early days. I literally had to force my friends in naija, back in the day, to listen to Nigerian music. Remember when people thought it wasn't cool to listen to it? And only Tupac, Biggie, R. Kelly, Mase and the likes were cool. I was very busy introducing people to music from Remedies, Plantashun Boiz, Ruff Rugged & Raw etc, as a kid in the late 90s. To 6ft+, Modenine, Terry tha Rapman, Ruleclean and the whole Swat Root. Trybesmen and The Tribe, and everyone who was putting out good music. Too many people dismissed them back then, as "jobless youths," but not me. These days, I walk around in malls, beaches, airports, clubs and the most random places around the world, and hear Naija music being played loud. I'm proud how far it has come, from the days I was forcing people in naija to listen to cassette tapes of naija songs I recorded from random FM radio shows. And music video clips I'd dub from AIT Primetime . When was the last time you have been to Nigeria? 4ish years ago. When you have a dream, what is usually the language you speak in it? English is the only language I've spoken primarily, all my life, so English. 2 Likes |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 3:01pm On Dec 26, 2022 |
Fearyourcreator: I answered this question in the original post. All pictures posted are taken on my phone, and none of them has been edited in any way. That's how I took them. The pics with a wider angle and mostly deeper colors were taken on my Samsung s10e. Yes, that's my main phone. I don't chase "latest and greatest." The other pics with a more standard 50mm-type view were taken with a HTC One A9. |
Celebrities / Re: Random Question For Nairalanders (what Does This Mean?) by ramalot(m): 12:55am On Dec 26, 2022 |
Ballzproblem2: Thanks, but it's fine. I'll wait until they reactivate it, or the ban expires tomorrow night. I did post with a different account I have. |
Celebrities / Re: Random Question For Nairalanders (what Does This Mean?) by ramalot(m): 11:11pm On Dec 25, 2022 |
Justwise and DisGuy Hi, it appears the Nairaland spam bot restricted my posting access to my thread and the Travel section https://www.nairaland.com/7484940/lived-visited-over-30-countries Happened after I posted a google link about an hour ago. Not sure why. Please restore access, so I can answer additional pending questions people have. Thanks. |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 8:53pm On Dec 25, 2022 |
Hotty321: Same to you. |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 8:31pm On Dec 25, 2022 |
77up: She's Russian, and yes, she's lovely. I haven't been to Jamaica, so I only know Jamaican girls in the US, and a few I've met in other places. Honestly, I don't have too many positives to say about them, other than they're usually good dancers. I love to dance, so I like girls who know how to dance too. Other than that, their looks generally aren't impressive. They can also be a bit confrontational. The days of Pablo Escobar are long gone. It's kinda like someone asking you if all the things they heard about Abacha still exists. Sure, there are some faint remnants, but in general, no. If you're wondering if people still sell drugs in Colombia, yes, they do. Cocaine and marijuana are legal in Colombia, for a small amount of personal consumption. I don't smoke or do drugs, so I don't engage any of that. 4 Likes |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 7:00pm On Dec 25, 2022 |
tellsblinks: Sorry, but I don't use Linkedin. All the best. |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 6:58pm On Dec 25, 2022 |
Nwanna2588: If you're a low-income earner, start by traveling within Nigeria, or take a road trip to Benin Republic. It takes money to travel properly, so you'll have to work on your marketable skills. Learn tech skills that offer decent pay and remote options. You can't learn them overnight, and there are no shortcuts. However, if you start today and focus really hard, in 12 months, your life could be different. All the best. 5 Likes 1 Share |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 6:52pm On Dec 25, 2022 |
bepositive11: Has it been worth it? I'd say it has been the best decision I have ever made in my life. In all aspects of life. My only regret is that I didn't leave the US sooner, to start traveling this way. Drawbacks? There haven't been any notable drawbacks for me, personally. Though I haven't had to deal with these things, here are some drawbacks some people I know who live a similar life face: 1. Loneliness: Some people who travel alone deal with loneliness, especially if they're not socially outgoing people. When I was traveling alone initially, before my fiancee came into the picture, I never dealt with loneliness though. That's because I've always been social, and can get along with nearly any category of people, anywhere. So I quickly made friends in each place I landed, and had a great time with them, for the duration of my stay. All while meeting other new people. Whenever time I spent alone, it was because I wanted to be alone and enjoy that alone-time, or to focus on work. 2. Professional setbacks: Some people don't plan this kind of life properly, and end up feeling behind their peers back home, if they're not advancing professionally. Mostly people without significant tech or digital skills. Personally, I've always been focused on building my own thing. Since I can do that from anywhere, my location has never affected my professional progress. 3. Personal/romantic life: Some people end up feeling dissatisfied with their love lives, because their friends are all getting married or having kids. Meanwhile, they're only having short-term relationships they can't take along with them when they're leaving a country. Rinse and repeat in a new country. This makes some guys feel frustrated. Personally, before my fiancee, I was perfectly happy and loved traveling around as a single guy. I've never been one to compare myself or timeline in life to anyone else's. That's a recipe for depression. Since she started traveling with me (several years ago), it's also been awesome. So I'm happy I've had the opportunity to experience the best of both worlds. Single travel and coupled travel. 3 Likes |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 6:35pm On Dec 25, 2022 |
Demmylove: By graphic design, I mean things like one-off logo design or flyer designs. This is because the barrier to entry is low, so the overall value assigned to it by the free market is also low. This means you're unlikely to get enough good paying one-time graphic design gigs to sustain yourself, as a beginner. Your best bet with it would be to get a paid job, where you do in-house graphic design for a company, but remotely. People who do well with graphic design have stuck with it for a very long time and built a reputation and a higher price-floor. UI/UX design on the other hand puts you in tech, and your starting pay in that field will be significantly higher than a graphic designer. Both require effort, but pitch your tent in the right place, to make the kind of money you want to make. 1 Like |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 5:19pm On Dec 25, 2022 |
bepositive11: That's a good idea, but unfortunately, when mods move a post to the home page, the original post can no longer be edited. So Justwise and DisGuy, if you can make it so people can't quote the original post, that would be great. 2 Likes |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 4:49pm On Dec 25, 2022 |
Nwanna2588: No idea. I believe there's a different thread discussing this |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 4:47pm On Dec 25, 2022 |
dyera: That's a more complex question than it might seem, as the US is a very large country. The easier way to approach it is at a city and neighborhood level. Whatever state you consider, you have to look into the crime rates of each city. Even at that, some neighborhoods in most cities are either good, ok or bad. NYC has its safe, ok and terrible areas. So does Miami, Atlanta etc. Even Chicago has good and safe neighborhoods, as most of the violent crime is concentrated in the South Side of Chicago. If you're a multi-millionaire though, feel free to buy property in Hollywood Hills and move in next door to the stars |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 4:25pm On Dec 25, 2022 |
bepositive11: In the US. The US has it's faults, but it's where I'd rather be. Haven't found a different place that's worth the trouble of going the residency route. 2 Likes |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 4:13pm On Dec 25, 2022 |
dyera: I said in the post that I never actually made it to Japan. |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 4:12pm On Dec 25, 2022 |
ferhyntorlah: Haha, I know how that goes. I was hoping it won't get moved to the home page, just to keep the thread on topic, but it's all good. It's not as bad as some threads get. It's still relatively on topic and salvageable. And for the passport pic, it had zero personally identifiable information. Just booklet fronts that could be anybody's. 1 Like |
Travel / Re: I Have Lived in (or Visited) over 30 Countries. Ask Me Almost Anything (+ Pics) by ramalot(m): 3:58pm On Dec 25, 2022 |
Itzteewhy: Nothing in life worth having or doing is easy. Yes, you have to start somewhere. Even if that means hunting down the last existing cybercafe in your city, to get it done. Even if it means searching for a computer rental program in your city. Google "laptop rentals in [enter your city]." Yes, laptop rentals exist in Nigeria. I know, because someone I offered a lucrative job once gave me an excuse of not having a laptop, and that there was nowhere to rent one. One quick google search later, and I sent him to a rental location in Abuja. Where there's a will, there's a way. At the end of the day, it's all in your hands. A cybercafe might be your most affordable option. Also see if there's a library in your city that offers free internet access. As you said, you gotta start somewhere. So do exactly that. Personal anecdote: The first step that directly resulted in me becoming a US citizen started in a cybercafe, in a dusty Nigerian town, as a teenager. 5 Likes 1 Share |
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