Back to Travels Correspondence
Another option is to set up another company and do certain operations under its name. That’s all I can think of.
Yeah I’m totally going to bill him for consulting services, either from KetaDesign or my personal business account (graphic design). Since I wrote you I got a random request through the Madison‘s website (occasionally people don’t grasp that I am a publisher, not an actual lumber wholesaler) for five containers of lumber. I sent it to the Chinese guy . . . he said if he gets an order through that he will for sure give me commission. I just have to keep my mouth shut, and him too.
Yah, I like to get my fingers into everything. Ethics is another issue. If you can keep things separate and not let them influence you, then I do not see any ethical problem.
Concerning the commission, I’ve been told that before, and the temptation is to ignore you when the money rolls in. Perhaps you could look into signing some agreement between both parties for a percentage. Or forward their mails or something. I’ve been screwed plenty of times on this.
Got a friend visiting, and could be “interesting”. He will stay for a month, he loves his alcohol, occasionally gets into fights, generally a black sheep and problem with him.
First of all I wouldn’t immediately believe his story about Brooke. Guys sometimes can be so completely full of shit. It might be true, but you really have no way of confirming at this point.
Caught Brooke being unfaithful at least twice, and she admitted it with Jim, and slept over at his place once, long story. But in my own dog damn bed, I only heard about that just before I left, and makes me want to puke. Brooke was seeing a psychologist for a long time after we broke up and who told her she should forget about me. I would guess because she was having problems with her conscience. But the point is that he told me about this in a very uncontrite way while pointing his finger in my face. Totally different than trying to come clean with me in some sort of respectful way. But he’s basically an alcoholic, and I guess he just wanted to get it off his chest after all these years. But I chewed him out and he acknowledged his error (of delivery, and many other issues). I guess not seeing him for two years will keep him on his toes more.
You did mention him a bit, you said some guy that did something you consider unforgivable.
Yah, I consider that unforgiveable. But he saved my ass with the plane ticket, so I guess I can just let it go, but just be more careful from now on. He’s also settled down some over the years.
I’ll just say if he does come, make it so that you guys are not together 100% of the time. Explain that you have to work for many hours a day or whatever . . . during daytime hours most travelling people understand that their hosts still have their own lives to take care off. Then you won’t get totally sick of him and easily irritated. Also I wouldn’t introduce him to your friends. Remember what happened with Craig, it didn’t work out so well. Besides, I don’t think these nice Muslim boys would appreciate a shit talking, half drunken visitor dude messing up their happy space.
Well, Craig wasn’t a problem with my friends but between me and him. He does not have a logical business mind like me, and I could not explain to him my point of view. I won a “contract”, he schmoozed in and started taking some of my work for himself, and I threw him out of my caravan truck onto the street as a result. Long story, but he was screwing me over, although he does not see it that way. Now I think we’re basically okay, but have agreed to avoid doing anything resembling business together.
For Jim, will tell him to be careful, because I do not want to ruffle feathers, develop some bad reputation, and then lose some of my prized parking spots. I think he will understand that. What he does on the Greek side without affecting me is open game. They are aggressive there and can learn some humility. Or maybe Jim will get his head kicked in, and it really isn’t my problem.
Well, will be picking him up in a few days, so we’ll see!
All you have to do is provide him a place to sleep, and information of sights to visit. You don’t have to be available for him all day every day. And you could always set up the tent for him every afternoon, just in case he turns out to be a big bad snorer! haha.
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Back now, tomorrow is Thursday, back to work (wrote most of my thing this morning). People are offering me all sorts of shady deals re: lumber contact info, banks, selling into China. It seems I am suddenly in the Wild West. Tempting, but bad news because if I take it it becomes known that I am not longer unbiased. Will discuss with Zara (she will shut the idea down, I know. But I think I might be able to eek some consultation services out of it, to balance all these cancellations I am getting).
well, a lot of that might be spam gigs if you are getting into some stream of internet traffic. Concerning the unbiased thing, not sure I understand. I think you can make extra money on the side without compromising anything. As long as you don’t accept some huge advertisement or whatever in exchange for writing some lies, or covering up something. Keep that totally separate. Another option is to set up another company and do certain operations under its name. That’s all I can think of. Got a friend visiting, and could be “interesting”. He will stay for a month, he loves his alcohol, occasionally gets into fights, generally a black sheep and problem with him. Before I left Prague he pointed his finger in my face and in a very uncontrite manner told me how he facked my girlfriend at that time (Brooke) in my own bed. Never wanted to have anything to do with him again, but we would exchange short emails over these last two years. Stumbled on an old email of his in an old account which got screwed up for a very short period, just at the time that I was desperate to borrow money for a plane ticket to go tree planting. Didn’t mention that but he weaned that out of me, and soon enough he was lending me the money. Now that I did not make enough over the summer to pay him back, I felt obligated to at least invite him down here. GULP!
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I still have this address, but rarely check it. I check my school address more often, bsmamline.edu . Well i guess it has been a long time. I started law school in August at Hamline in St Paul. My wife Diana and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary last January. We were almost in Prague last New Year’s. We went to Bulgaria, where Diana is from, and were hoping to visit Cechy for a couple days, but in the end it seemed a little too complicated on our with our schedule.
Coolness and I updated your email address in book.
So you tied the knot eh? Was through Bulgaria a few times and find the chicks there rather hot, so congrats. Not sure if I’ll ever slow down enough for that, as I’m feeling an urge to speed up instead, but never say never, eh?
Cool you’re equipping yourself with some weapons to fight the evil man. I’ve been trying to get myself involved in that more too, and hope to continue in that direction.
I’m still traveling on the road. From what you’ve said below, I gather I’ve been sending you my travel blob updates? Cant think of any other time I would have slowed down in front of a curve than when i was driving through Kosovo. My heart sure lept out of its socket at that point! It was almost 30 below and I was in the middle of nowhere, by myself, so it could have turned into an unpleasant affair.
Good to chat with you again, and hope you don’t mind me getting down to business. The reason why I approached everyone in my address book is part of my endeavours to find new customers. Here is one I set up recently for my London Translations, using the local sim card I bought there when staying with my cousin. Of course it’s total hogwash, but who would know, and I doubt anyone will be visiting these places without sending an email first. Just part of my experimentation to improve my webrankings and all that.
Anyway, approaching everyone has given me an opportunity to touch base with a lot of people, which has been cool.
But like I said, if you feel unconfortable about posting your address etc., no problem at all! Have a good one and was fun to chat again. I occasionally reminisce of that time those Czechs threw us out of that pub, when we were just sitting there listening to live music. Since then I’ve grown more intolerant to such behaviour, and if something like that were to happen today, I think things could have become much more heated. But it’s fun thinking about it!
Other than that, I was working as a community organizer in Duluth for the past four years, working on affordable housing and health care access issues and organizing low income renters to hold slumlords accountable. Now I’m finally going to law school to get some new tools to fight the man. Go Obama! What’s new with you? I saw some of your travel pictures a while back; looked like fun. Are you still living in Prague? Been out to see Jaroslav lately? I was sharing your winter driving wisdom with a classmate from Texas the other day. “Slow down before the turn.” Great to hear from you! Ben
> hey dude,
> how’s it hangin? Long time no talk. This still your email address
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I am so glad something is working out. World is falling to pieces, of course I would like to buy some discounted property which will go up in value later.
Well, no matter how hard things get, globalisation will only increase, and hence also translations. It is an industry which has been growing at 20% a year I’m told. Too bad I missed the boat. But I can always jump on later. I’m good at organising things and just need to advertise and get customers or something. Otherwise, have been getting bored of it, and probably wouldn’t mind trying something totally different. Can always do the kenax thing on the side. Did I tell you I applied to google in California? First major company I applied to forever. Read up on them on the internet and I like their corporate culture. Saw some video about them too. Young kids working in shorts and sandles, and they have a foosball table there too. Just like my thing. And I’ve always admired their decisions, which seem to make good sense all the time. That could be cool. And I would make enough to pay others to keep working on kenax. No need to throw it into the garbage. But I want to exercise my brain more, and not even kenax can offer me that.
So far we are thrying to at least finish the palace and do not even attempt to think what will be later. How long can we hold on to it. Story of our life, we always have a rotten timing, time to get out of this stupid business which we do not even enjoy anymore. For now I am more concerned about Jana then anything else. Unfortunatelly I can not do anything about either situation. What I can do is to help you buy new phone so you can be connected. You will pay me later when you make your money. Anyway you have a nameday coming on Nov. 4, Christmas and your birthday in Feb. Could combine these days since I will not see you till then anyway and help ou to buy the beast. What do you think????
In Nicosia now ready to pick up Jimbo and the stupid store is closed. Every Wednesday they shut down early apparently. But that’s just the siesta island life that I like, and one just has to learn to wait. Will come back tomorrow and check out what they are selling.
Wheater is IK, getting colder but still sunny and beautiful days. I walked and walked and walked today, did not want to go home. I take the little boat to Granville Island and walk around False Creek or I go on the seawall here and enjoy the fall colours. What is the weathere like there? take care and good luck xxxxxxooooomamjamama
Weather is in the perfect zone still, but I admit I have to enter the sea slower every day. Still takes less than 30 seconds, and I still sweat when I walk around for more than 5 minutes, so basically perfect temperature that Vancouver can only dream they could get for longer than a week during the summers. These two months are always glorious and I am glad I made it here for that. And the evenings are getting cool enough that I can drape my sleeping bag over me a bit, so it is just about in the optimum zone. Problem is, as it cools down and more comfortable outside, the water gets colder, so there really is no perfect. Should be still perfect until the end of this month. latero
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Ahoj Kajo! So how is it going? I hope you didnt get into any or at least any big troubles!!! How was the weekend?
Was a nice drive. Drove to Kyrenia for the customs thing, then all the way to the tip of the Karpaz peninsula, even swam to the next island, but the land was too sharp to walk on. Wanted to walk to the other side and consider swimming to the next island out. It was weird how the ground was totally different from the ground on the peninsula (the swim to this next island was only 10 metres). It was as if a plane had dropped a bunch of cement powder, because every rock was glued in its place. There were some nice crystal rocks but I could not remove or budge them. When I managed to find a loose rock I tried to smash out of its place a nice crystal rock I wanted, but I only succeeded in smashing up the crystal rock, so I gave up on that.
No big troubles yet but we’ve occasionally gotten into heated arguments. Long story from our past. He tends to get aggressive and negative when drunk, which is pretty well every day now. But at least I get to have as much beer as him, and he is paying for all my food. We got into an argument because he was making me spend way more money than I am budgeted for, so he said he’d pay for all my expenses while here, and he said I do not have to pay him the 1200$ I borrowed to fly out to Canada. That is not what I intended and said if he refuses to take the money (which he is vowing), I’ll just give it to charity in his name or something. These are the silly arguments we get into. But I think I may have found another translation project, so hopefully my financial situation will keep improving. Running a bit out of cash.
And yes, it sucks to pay for the freaking insuarence! They didnt tell you before?
I have insurance but this is some customs thing. No country has yet made me pay customs. After all, I technically don’t live here, because I drive back and forth on both sides of the island. Once I save up enough cash I’ll go talk to them. Don’t see why I should pay this. Or maybe I’ll just sneak across the border and sail out from the Greek side. I don’t see why I should have to pay 60 lira a month.
Anyway, the weather here is better, for past 4 days it was sunny and quite warm but it is going to change tomorrow (for about 6 months). And i do not want to sound depressing again. It is not that bad. Maybe my friend will go to Cyprus for a week in late October, if so and if he wouldnt mind i can send you something. If there is something you’d like, please let me know so i can take care of it in time.
I’m still struggling with the pocketpc thing. Is he in Czech? If he happens to run across a used one (must also be unblocked) for one or two thousand crowns, that would be cool, but don’t want to stress anyone out.
I miss the sun and the roaring of the sea and everything. Enjoy it for me! And keep me informed!o) miss you. bananaK
Yah, it was a nice storm a few days ago. Yesterday it rained enough for me to get on my pauncha rainjacket and wash the truck. I put a bucket under the left side of the front bumper, where the water drizzles from the caravan truck. It fills up fairly fast, during which I run around with a little spunge and now the truck is nice and clean. My friend said his dad used to paint his truck using a roller, and that it looked fine, so I’m excited to run out today and buy myself one so that I can finally paint it the green colour that I purchased just before I left Prague. I’ve been saving up to rent a spray gun and some hall space, but this will be easier and much cheaper. Then I’ll put my big BimBUS sign on the side. Will have to send you some picks, heh heh.
laterbananarama :0)
Ok, i think i sort of get it now!!! huray!o) I love long emails as to me it seems that i am the one who tends to type long emails but gets back very short response back or non :o) hahah it is true though, sop dont be shy and bomb me with long emails and your bonbonky,jo! Ok, now not sure if you have some privacy as you are expecting the visiteurrr… please keep away from boozing and if you have to at least keep away from fire! i am thinking of you. if you have time keep me updated, i will try to keep your spirit up!!! :o) take care xoxoxobanana
ahhh, what lovely letters. I only have to think of you and my spirit goes up. :0) As for the bonbonky, that will probably take time to develop. So far I’ve been saving emails with my customers, showing how concerned I am for quality and talking about various terminology, so that will be good to link to from my Czech CV, and I will hide the bonbonky. For example, when I chew out Czechs, such as in banks. Those letters can be funny and my mom always gets a kick out of them. Too bad I lost all my previous emails when my harddrive got fried. But I’d also like to analyse certain things. Like how things can be said in fewer words in Czech, but to sound good they have to be worded totally differently in English. Guess some good examples come up when I have certain translations. We’ll see. Well, have a good one you greatest of people. :0)
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wHAT IS SEO ??? aM WORKING ON A WEB SITE and have started a my space but need to build it up!!!! How is the old city? Any help with promotion would be great!!!!
SEO is Search Engine Optimisation.
It’s the primary way I’ve been looking for customers these last two years, and I’ve learned a lot, but promoting bands is a bit different, but I like to learn and am already promoting a couple of bands. A slightly different area but still within internet promotion. I’ve also recently got into trying to sell photographs over the internet, so if you know anyone who is trying to sell paintings or photos or whatever, I can easily expand in that direction as well.
Perhaps I could help you with developing the website. Recently I learned Flash. For example one site I made was for a Czech pub in Cyprus. But they didn’t pay me so I stopped working on it.
Would need to know how I could help you, as band promotion is a new area for me. So that it would score high on google in “Fatty lumpkin”, but they got big competition from the same named band in the US. But they were number one at least for “fatty lumpkin Czech band”, but recently I had to move the site to a new webserver, so perhaps it has suffered. Will check it out today. I also want to make a myspace site for them, when I get around to that. The best is if you combine it all with an html page, a myspace account, and a bunch of utube videos. It is important how you interlink them and keywords and all that, so if you want my help, we’d need to email a bunch, regarding choice of keywords and all that.
I’m no longer in Prague but left more than two years ago. Was getting sick of the place and the people were getting sour for me. Too much gossip and was no longer the fun party place it used to be. So I finally achieved by big dream of moving into a truck to travel around the world. One of the reasons I moved to Prague because it was central in Europe and thought I could travel a lot, but never could get to that, mostly because my business kept me pinned to my couch. So I decided I would take it with me. Now I float around the world and love it, but I ran out of gas cash, have been earning very little the last two years, but at least I’ve learned how to survive on 10 bucks a day, seeing I don’t pay rent, or caravan electricity (have solar panels). Check it out at kenax.net/travel if ya like. Right now I’m in Cyprus, but eventually hope to drive to Thailand and just keep going and going and going. But the temperature here is good for me, and the people kind and safe. I’m parked right on the beach and love stepping out barefoot onto the sand in the mornings to take a dump behind a bush, brush my teeth and spit in the ocean, before I drive to town and steal free travel internet from the local university, heh heh. Other times it may be a marina. Love surviving in this goofy way, and most importantly travel. During the summers I’ve been flying elsewhere because it gets 50C here and way too hot for me. Have a good one dude
Lick’n’Laugh> >
cool shit dude, you also have a MySpace account? That’s pretty important for bands. I can help you promote your band if you like. Been studying SEO for several years now, and a bit of an expert (or exprd?).
HELLO OLD AND NEW FRIENDS…. EX’S AND NEW ONES…… i AM contacting you all together to let you know that l have got the band and myself on to the utube!!! Am slowlyyy…y getting in touch with all the new technology avaliable….. seems to be updating all the time and the amount of spies out there must be in the millions!!!! The good old world and it’s inhabitants seem to be doing a bit of shifting for better or worse l wonder? Have look at Lick’n’Laugh on the utube…. l am doing a bit of beatnik lyrics with a number of musicians. Keeping on!!! that is plan A,B and C ….. Good luck … Keep on the boogie @@@@@@@ Bye David
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sounds like a definite possibility. What’s the temperature there over the winter? The only major problem I see is getting there. Picked up Jimbo at the airport and on the way back to my beach was pulled over by the cops who pointed out to me that I have not been paying customs on my vehicle, which I find odd because I’m not importing it etc. Maybe they think because it’s an island its a big deal or something. So they want towards a thousand bucks. Of course the solution to that could be simply getting off the island from the Greek side, but I’m worried that the Greeks wont let me get off the island because I came onto it from the Turkish side. Think they mentioned something like that to me once, but I can check it out, or just try to wing it. The car ferry even shuts down apparently at a certain time of the year (at least to Egypt), but perhaps I could look into it over the internet or something. Would have to pay for EU insurance as well to drive across the border and into Greece. Would at least be exciting to do something different. What if I got some big project or something? Could I make it sporadic hours in case something like that came across? Just bought a 3G modem for internet. Do they have that in Greece at the moment, or a signal for that in your house? Waiting for some payments and could have roughly a thousand bucks in the bank, so about now would be the time to make a decision on this. But if I get all the way there and you decide during the trial period that your not satisfied, it could rather screw me I think. Waddayatink?
i’ll be working in Northern greece over the winter… got a place there which needs fixing! Island of Thassos, just along from the Turkish border. i’m offering full board + 7 Euros per hour in-the-hand all you have to find is your beer (etc) money… work up to 60 hours pw. One month trial starting November.. On on til March/April If you need time to work on your own stuff as well, that’s also fine. It will be fun as well!! Let me know what you think
> > You hankering down for the winter, or what? Work? Hobby?
Cool tips below and wish I had money to burn to play in the stock market and all that. Put some of my economics education to use, but I find it interesting anyway. Back on the island and aggressively looking for work. After slamming all those trees into the ground had plenty of time to reflect on things and decided to be more practical about my approach to getting customers. But building on my previous work and trying to tie it all together, so hopefully something will work out. About a month left of decent weather and then “winter” starts creeping in. Ol’ Jimbo coming down for a month visit. Hope we don’t kill each other. Owe him the favour since he lent me planefare to get out planting. If things don’t pan out after a month may start to look for manual work or something on the south side. Need to save up for another plane fare for hopefully a longer season of tree planting, perhaps five months, so that I can save something. But would rather avoid all that and become successful at this. Crossin my fingers. If I get enough work but not too much, some construction work for you sounds like a great way to keep the circulation going. :0)
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I got some cash coming in soon and I’d rather drive there in go in for the long hall with you. Although may consider tree planting again, as that can give me good cash. But it’s brutal work, hard on my body, and I’d need to put in more than 3 months to make up for the plane ticket. But there’s still time to discuss all that. Was thinking that you could perhaps pay me 4 Euro an hour, and use 3 an hour to pay off my debt to you. But we can talk about that over some delicious beers later. Think this reconstruction would interest me and don’t really have the cash to fly around and test things out. Feel my days may be numbered on this island (gun pointed to my head recently, other issues, and a general feeling). Could be time to move. Reconstruction could be a good learning experience, and may do same if I ever have cash in the future. Number below should be correct. How bout I try smsing you? Had my phone off for a while before I received this letter. I sleep strangish hours. Getting old?
if you not got this text then number below is probably wrong – seems short! i’m gonna be in Thassos last week in November thru March next year. Thereafter will move 90kms north into Bulgarian mountains where i have 6 properties need doing up!! No shortage of work for them as wishes.. fab environment. If you want to fly over to have a look, then you can go extract the piggy once you’re sure you happy with job. Over to you
> > You still on the same mofone number?
same Cyprus Turkish number, which should be: Turk Cyprus: +90 5338 I leave it on most of the time. Okay, will research it and try to figure something out. When’s the earliest I can get there? Would prefer to drive out, and hang around in the “north” over the summer. Will you be working on your Bulgarian unit in the summer?
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Lookin forward. Another point occurred to me today. I’ve been getting some work and trying to scrounge enough cash to get down there. Also, I just got hooked up to 3G internet here and paid for two months in advance. So for those two reasons plus to take advantage of the sun while its still nice here, thought a good time to split might be around the middle of December, meaning it might take me until around Christmas to get there. Where do you plan to be for Christmas and will you be there? I can always hang around until you get there if you’ll be elsewhere. Hope I wont freeze! Yup, I’m Czech, so I got EU passport.
think your gut feeling is probably right.. i used to get similar agro after 6 months in Greece (before the EU). And whatever you have to do to get piggy out will surely not get easier with time.. and as you say, you have the cash now. You not really risking much coz i’m sure you’ll handle the work at Thasos; only doubt is you getting on with the rest of the team. And you will be in right from the start of the reconstruction so should learn a lot more than you would tree-planting! Look forward to discussion over the beers… im now back in Prague, getting in training.
> PS do you have a European passport?
> PPS 60 hours is up to you. If im providing your bed and board, 40
> hours would do.
I got some cash coming in soon and I’d rather drive there in go in for the long hall with you. Although may consider treeplanting again, as that can give me good cash. But it’s brutal work, hard on my body, and I’d need to put in more than 3 months to make up for the plane ticket. But there’s still time to discuss all that. Was thinking that you could perhaps pay me 4 Euro an hour, and use 3 an hour to pay off my debt to you. But we can talk about that over some delicious beers later. Think this reconstruction would interest me and don’t really have the cash to fly around and test things out. Feel my days may be numbered on this island (gun pointed to my head recently, other issues, and a general feeling). Could be time to move. Reconstruction could be a good learning experience, and may do same if I ever have cash in the future. Number below should be correct. How bout I try smsing you? Had my phone off for a while before I received this letter. I sleep strangish hours. Getting old?
> ˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇˇ
hey dude, was wondering if 60 hours a week was a minimum requirement. I’d like to keep working on my pages on the side. Too much inactivity makes it suffer in its internet rankings. A few hours a day would be cool. Lookin forward!
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We are a family operation managing private custom boat tours in the beautiful Palawan area, and are happy to help travelers with their plans through the Philippines, having traveled a lot of it ourselves and planning to visit it all. These pages in this section cover my various solo travels through Europe before meeting my wife.