Back from another Overseas Reconnaissance Trip
 

Back from a Reconnaissance trip to the Middle East. It's a strange set of days when you feel more welcomed and better treated in the UAE than you do in the US. (In China they eat dogs so no need to visit there.)

Also, I am realizing that as fuel becomes more and more expensive, it will make sense to be close to a major port city. This last trip was full of delays and some mechanicals and FULL planes with the US airline leg of my trip; thus I am realizing just how fragile the air transport system is: being close to train or ship transport will be important.

Anyway, on my return back, the US customs/border patrol gave me the 20 questions again at Kennedy....either they randomly insult people or they have some not-so-nice things about me in their database. This time they asked me how much money I was travelling with among other very detailed questions.

Coming back to the police state of the US, the airport was again like return of the living dead. The next time you are out start watching people's faces. It's really amazing how "zombied" out and unhappy people look.

Observations: flying over Kansas and Colorado there were dust clouds. having grown up in Denver I have never seen dust clouds over that large of an area before. It was a little surreal. Probably just a little topsoil but it still raised the hairs on my neck as you recall that the plains had a major crop failure just as the Great Depression was starting.

Observations: gasoline in UAE is about $2.50 a gallon and they have some very nice chilean wines there. Also, I had the good fortune to stay in a villa on one of the palm islands...it was slightly surreal and the man made beaches are nice, but it is still crazy when you look at the foundations of these huge buildings. That said, families everywhere swimming, having fun, and it definately reminded me of the "old days" in the states.

Observations: the UAE newspapers are full of "shit is hitting the fan in the US" and currency depegging pro-con news stories juxtaposed against "Gulf Countries have never been wealthier before due to high oil prices".

Observations: inflation is rampant in the UAE 14-20%. People are not happy about that. The answer is clearly for the UAE to de-peg from the USD....it's an even larger problem over there than I realized. There is a black market for cement and steel and price-fixed contracts no longer exist. Speaking of which, there is even more building going on there than there was 2 years ago.

Conclussion: getting close to hitting the eject handle and I swear to God not a day goes by that something happens that makes me realize "taking a 3-5 year working vacation from the US" is the best decision (for me). Now if I can just freaking pick the right drop zone....

(also, I don't read the doom and gloom US news when I am not in the US. I cannot tell you how good this makes me feel!)



SELL THE HOUSE
SELL THE CAR
SELL THE KIDS
FIND SOMEONE ELSE
FORGET IT
I'M NEVER COMING BACK
FORGET IT

Re: Back from another Overseas Reconnaissance Trip
 

welcome back to the land of the free :wink: what's wrong with eating dogs anyway?

I'm glad you're actively searching out possible landing spots. One thing to think about though, is the food situation might be a physical one as opposed to a fiat one. So, you may want to prep for such a scenario even outside the states.

I have plans to exit the country as well but first thing I'm going to do is bring some food preps to southeast asia. I know the rice situation there is getting worse, but the currency situation is not.

The one thing I realized recently researching preps is that the U.S. is still the most convenient place to purchase anything "exotic" like mylar bags, or freeze dried foods or bullion. I bet it's much more difficult and expensive to get those supplies in other countries, especially the developing ones. Anyone have a theory as to why that is?

Re: Back from another Overseas Reconnaissance Trip
 

Thanks, Dog.

Re: Back from another Overseas Reconnaissance Trip
 

What's wrong with eating humans?

Re: Back from another Overseas Reconnaissance Trip
 

Full of chemicals.

Re: Back from another Overseas Reconnaissance Trip
 

Thank's for the update, Dog! Sagi, is doing the same thing right now in New Zealand then he is on to Australia. He has a thread over in the GIM pm stock section with his thoughts so far on NZ.

Re: Back from another Overseas Reconnaissance Trip
 

I was in Dubai in late 2005, and while it seemed like a nice place to visit, I wouldn't want to live there. They may not have the same kind of crumbling economy that the US does, but they have other serious problems. It's basically a theocratic dictatorship, with some pseudo-capitalism thrown in for good measure. Everything's fine until you make a mistake or happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and then all bets are off.

As for NZ: take it from someone who lives there, it sucks. Horrible, awful, ugly, smelly, socialist, crime-ridden. You don't want to live here. Australia, though -- that's where you want to be!

Re: Back from another Overseas Reconnaissance Trip
 

Too right! Thats where all the kiwi's have racked off to (new zealanders for those that don't know)

Re: Back from another Overseas Reconnaissance Trip
 

At the airport? What's the general reaction?

Re: Back from another Overseas Reconnaissance Trip
 

It's also known as "keeping a low profile". I don't want to stand out, for good or for bad. I'm happy to be another faceless piece of meat as far as TSA is concerned.

Re: Back from another Overseas Reconnaissance Trip
 

no, i mean the people in the terminals, waiting for their departures or busting chops to make their connecting flight.

yes, i agree that keeping a low profile with the TSA and Border Patrol people is a good idea.

Re: Back from another Overseas Reconnaissance Trip
 

Sounds like Amerika: "It's basically a theocratic dictatorship, with some pseudo-capitalism thrown in for good measure. Everything's fine until you make a mistake or happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and then all bets are off."

Re: Back from another Overseas Reconnaissance Trip
 

True enough. It took me a lifetime to learn the rules that apply in the US and most western countries. Unfortunately, I don't have another lifetime to figure out the often-different rules in the mideast.

Things like: Women have separate beaches. They have to cover their faces at certain times. Your hand can be cut off for stealing. You can be killed for looking at a woman the wrong way at the wrong time (what way and when, I have no idea). People wear cloth hats whose colors have some important meaning that I don't understand. Drug possession or use can result in death. Going certain places at certain times an in certain ways is illegal for a non-Muslim (around mosques, plus who knows what else). They have strange rules for traffic accidents -- something like the bigger vehicle is always at fault. Etc, etc. I've also heard that Westerners are favorite targets for crimes, both as a target and as a patsy.

I would be more likely to consider such a move if the penalties didn't so often include death or some form of bodily harm.

Re: Back from another Overseas Reconnaissance Trip
 

yes, you do have to know the rules and keep your wits about you...