Announcing, the9to5alternative.com
If you are reading this, then get your butt over to my new domain, the9to5alternative.com.
Trust me, it's much cooler.
About
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Hello!
For my current job, I travel to various cities around the world to collect/analyze cost-of-living data. When I'm not traveling, I live in Boston. This blog is a collection of my experiences on the road and other various interests. Read more here. You can get in touch with me at the9to5alternative (at) gmail (dot) com.
11 January 2009
10 January 2009
New design, on the way
Happy Saturday, folks. Another cold one in Boston, with half a foot of snow expected this evening.
Just a quick announcement, and then I'll let you get back to enjoying your weekend. Tomorrow night, the new design for this site will be ready! Get pumped.
05 January 2009
Winter survey assignment
"Now when I was a little chap I had a passion for maps. I would look for hours at South America, or Africa, or Australia, and lose myself in all the glories of exploration. At that time there were many blank spaces on the earth, and when I saw one that looked particularly inviting on a map (but they all look that) I would put my finger on it and say, `When I grow up I will go there.' The North Pole was one of these places, I remember. Well, I haven't been there yet, and shall not try now. The glamour's off. Other places were scattered about the Equator, and in every sort of latitude all over the two hemispheres. I have been in some of them, and . . . well, we won't talk about that. But there was one yet--the biggest, the most blank, so to speak-- that I had a hankering after.
Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness, 1902
My heart may be pounding, literally, for the next few weeks, because I am THAT excited. Africa! This afternoon, I received my February survey assignment. Here are the cities I will be visiting:
Kigali, Rwanda
Abuja, Nigeria
Lagos, Nigeria
Ibadan, Nigeria
Accra, Ghana
Abuja, Nigeria
Lagos, Nigeria
Ibadan, Nigeria
Accra, Ghana
What an opportunity. By week's end, I should have my itinerary finalized, so I will post details as they arrive. For now, I know that in Rwanda and Abuja, Nigeria, I will be traveling with and training one of our new surveyors. Should make for an interesting dynamic, but I'm looking forward to it.
Details to come...
[if you have any information about these cities, please don't hesitate to contact me - always looking for tips on what to do, where to go, etc.]
01 January 2009
Make concrete goals, not sweeping resolutions
Note 1: quick shoutout to two of my most cherished friends, Matt and Grace Anne, who recently got engaged - I cannot express how happy and excited I am for their future. In case you are reading this, I just wanted to remind you that "Alan" is an excellent name for a first-born son...
Note 2 : this post is longer than usual. Read time is approximately 5 minutes.
What a year. A lot has happened in the last 12 months, both in my life and around the world. Before I start thinking about the year ahead, I reflected about all the major events...
In my life:
- For 2 months, I worked for an Internet start-up company, Moving Off Campus. As I collected and organized data, I listened to three full audio books - the final Harry Potter book was amazing.
- I graduated Washington University with a Bachelor's degree in International Studies and minors in French and Business.
- I spent 3.5 weeks traveling with my brother and two friends to Israel, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia. In Serbia, the Crown Prince and Princess hosted us at the Royal Palace.
- I relocated to Cambridge, MA and started a job with AIRINC, an information services company that designs, provides data for, and supports expatriate compensation packages for global companies. As a surveyor, I travel 4 times a year to collect pricing data and, so far, have had the opportunity to travel to Jamaica, St. Vincent, Grenada, Russia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkmenistan.
Around the world:
- Kosovo declared independence from Serbia, and while the United States, Britain, Germany, France, and several other nations recognize it as a sovereign and independent state, many still do not.
- Fidel Castro stepped down as Cuba's leader.
- In America, the S&P500, an oft-used metric for the stock market, plummeted roughly 40%. Despite the financial turbulence, Barack Obama, once a virtually unknown politician, was elected the country's 44th president. Tina Fey also did a remarkable impersonation of Sarah Palin.
- In the Middle East, fighting between Israel and Hamas has continued.
- Scientists fround frozen water on Mars.
- Russia elected a new president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, but Vladimir Putin still maintains power as Prime Minister. In August, Russia and Georgia engaged in a serious conflict over South Ossetia, catching the world's attention.
- Terrorism surfaced in Mumbai.
- In Geneva, Switzerland, the Large Hadron Collider was completed. Nine days later, operations were halted due to magnetic issues. No more experiments until summer of 2009.
- Michael Phelps won 8 Gold Medals at the Beijing Olympics, beating Mark Spitz's previous record of 7.
And there's so much more. These were the world events that caught my attention - which ones caught yours?
On January 1st, 2008, one year ago today, I wrote about how making concrete goals is much more beneficial than making broad, sweeping resolutions. Here's an excerpt:
Instead of "getting in better shape," why not try to run a mile under 7
minutes or do 20 pull-ups without stopping? Instead of "eating better,"
cook a balanced meal at home twice a week. If you want to do something
advantageous for your life, there's probably a way to quantify it.
Goals that are well-defined are much easier to tackle psychologically!
This year, following the unconvential advice of Chris Guillebeau, I conducted a basic version of his Annual Review. On the airplane from Nashville to Boston earlier this week, I thought about all that I had accomplished last year, and what kinds of goals I wanted to make for 2009. Here's what I came up with:
My mantra in 2009 will be the "Year of Discipline."
I look forward to a fruitful first year in the real world. I created a healthy list of goals to help trigger that productivity, but only with noticeable level of discipline will I be able to achieve them all. Each quarter (every 3 months), I will review my progress and report my results through this blog.
The goals, in no particular order:
- Run 5 miles in 35 minutes.
- Reach conversational level in Spanish.
- Read and take notes on 3 books from the Personal MBA's recommended reading list of 77 books. At this point in my life, I can't see myself taking out more loans for business school. The Personal MBA will serve as my business school replacement, and over the next few years I hope to create a categorized portfolio of notes from each of the 77 books.
- Compose a photo-journal coffee table book of my abroad experience in Nepal.
- Expand my blogging audience to at least 100 RSS subscribers.
- Clean up my 40 page research paper on vertical farming and send it to Dickson Despommier at Columbia University. I have a business idea to build a vertical farm in Nashville, and I think this is a solid first step.
- Complete the Hundred Pushups challenge
What goals have you made for 2009? Any suggestions?
31 December 2008
Happy New Year!
To the folks still glued to their computer screens, the happiest of New Years! I'm sending good vibes to each and every one of you. It's snowing like mad in Boston, with expected wind gusts of up to 40mph this evening. Looks like I'll be staying in one place.
Tomorrow, you can look forward to a 2008 wrap up, and my goals and resolutions for 2009.
Take the remaining hours of this year and think about all that has happened. What a whopping year. Be safe tonight!
Until the 1st.
Photo credit, maquillage
22 December 2008
Rationally addicted to travel
From the Freakonomics blog:
Travel Addicts
By Daniel Hamermesh
My wife announced yesterday that she is “traveled out.” I’m not surprised — I am too: Since mid-August we’ve taken trips (mostly long weekends) to Istanbul, Munich, French Switzerland, northeast Italy, Amsterdam, Dublin, London, Barcelona, and, starting tomorrow, Paris plus London again.
Her comment illustrates her diminishing marginal utility of travel. Today we’re planning next summer’s vacation, a week starting after a conference I have in Lisbon. I suggested to my wife: “Wouldn’t you rather go to a beach and relax after all the travel we’ve just done?” She said no; she realizes by that time she’ll want to travel around more than she does right now.
She knows how rationally addicted she is to travel. Fortunately it’s an addiction we share — and I bet this is a pretty common kind of joint rational addiction of long-term married couples.
By Daniel Hamermesh
My wife announced yesterday that she is “traveled out.” I’m not surprised — I am too: Since mid-August we’ve taken trips (mostly long weekends) to Istanbul, Munich, French Switzerland, northeast Italy, Amsterdam, Dublin, London, Barcelona, and, starting tomorrow, Paris plus London again.
Her comment illustrates her diminishing marginal utility of travel. Today we’re planning next summer’s vacation, a week starting after a conference I have in Lisbon. I suggested to my wife: “Wouldn’t you rather go to a beach and relax after all the travel we’ve just done?” She said no; she realizes by that time she’ll want to travel around more than she does right now.
She knows how rationally addicted she is to travel. Fortunately it’s an addiction we share — and I bet this is a pretty common kind of joint rational addiction of long-term married couples.
I am also "rationally addicted" to travel. After 33 days in Europe and Asia, I was more than ready to come home, fully aware that after a few weeks of the good 'ole USA, I would be ready to hit the road again. The grass is always greener?
What about you? Are you rationally addicted to anything?
21 December 2008
What you should know before going to America
Nature unleashed its fury upon Boston this weekend with the first major snowstorm of the winter. While I romped around outside on Friday and Saturday (in an epic game of snow football), Sunday has been lazy. Really lazy. Football, food, and laptop. At 4:30pm I felt daring and poured myself a glass of milk. Gosh I love milk. For the last hour, I've been surfing the Internet via StumbleUpon, finding all kinds of cool stuff. What a day.
Just came across an amusing forum post titled, What You Should Know Before Going to America. Great travel humor. Enjoy.
##
I'm going back to the US for Christmas tomorrow! Yay!
My travel agent has, thoughtfully, seen fit to provide me with a pamphlet of helpful tips to make my overseas travel less of an anxiety-filled social minefield riddled with white people and guns. I got such a kick out of these that I wanted to share. (I picked most of the fun ones. There are a lot of boring tips too.)
* The yen is very strong against the dollar right now. This will make goods in America seem very cheap -- an excellent opportunity for shopping! However, remember to be polite in your use of money -- America is in the middle of economic malaise right now, and Japanese people with wads of money in their hand might be looked on with envy. Besides, if you are obviously wealthy in an American city, you may be robbed.
* For our valued customers who work in the automotive industry [#1 employer where I live], we advise discretion. If you must say where you work, the preferred phrasing is [English] "I work at the car company".
* Most Americans are very polite, particularly outside of the big cities. However, outside of the big cities, everyone owns guns. Inside the big cities, almost everyone owns guns. Let's be polite together!
* If you go shopping at an American department store, they will ask you if you want to open a credit card account. They are *not* asking whether you want to use a credit card. This may seem strange but it is an American custom to offer customers a credit card, in order to make them spend more money. We suggest politely declining offers of credit cards. You may have to politely decline several times. Don't think of this as rude, the Americans have to do it too.
* Most Americans think we look like Chinese or Koreans. Try not to be too offended.
* Most Americans will think that a Japanese person standing on the street is an American, unless they are holding a camera. If you are not comfortable speaking English, you might try bringing along a camera to say "I am a tourist, please don't expect me to speak English." Except, don't try this in the big cities -- tourists get mugged in big cities.
* Americans have a social institution called a "gratuity". Basically, the price on the menu at any place which serves food is not the real price. The real price is 20% higher. You have to calculate 20%, write it under the subtotal, and sum to arrive at the real price. Taxis work the same way. It is considered very rude not to pay the "gratuity".
* In general, Americans consider it impolite to discuss politics. However, this January Obama will become the new president, and many people are excited! If they ask you what you think of him, a safe answer is [English] "Obama is really cool." or [English] "Obama speaks so well. Not like me. Hehe." Be very careful when pronouncing his name. O BA MA, just like Obama City. [Ask me later. Hilarity abounds.]
* Most big cities have Japanese food available. You may have to look hard, though -- ask your hotel for some place to eat tempura. Restaurants which say they serve sushi probably only serve makizushi, like California rolls. (Americans think California rolls are [English] "sushi".) If a restaurant says [English] "Asian" they really mean Chinese. They are probably not really Chinese, either.
* Ladies: if you shop for clothes, ask for where to find [English] "petite". It means normal sized. Ladies who are petite may have difficulty finding clothes which fit in America, except at specialty shops.
* McDonalds: Has no teriyaki burger in America. Portions are bigger and food is cheaper. Sometimes the person taking the order does not speak English. Please relax! They probably understand the set menu, although it is called [English] "combo", and you can hold up the number with your hands as shown. [Snip of chart for how Americans count on their fingers, which is actually different than how Japanese people count on their fingers, hence the need for a chart.]
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to finish work and start packing. Toothbrush, shirts, camera, bullet-proof vest, wad of monopoly money, you know, the bare necessities.
My travel agent has, thoughtfully, seen fit to provide me with a pamphlet of helpful tips to make my overseas travel less of an anxiety-filled social minefield riddled with white people and guns. I got such a kick out of these that I wanted to share. (I picked most of the fun ones. There are a lot of boring tips too.)
* The yen is very strong against the dollar right now. This will make goods in America seem very cheap -- an excellent opportunity for shopping! However, remember to be polite in your use of money -- America is in the middle of economic malaise right now, and Japanese people with wads of money in their hand might be looked on with envy. Besides, if you are obviously wealthy in an American city, you may be robbed.
* For our valued customers who work in the automotive industry [#1 employer where I live], we advise discretion. If you must say where you work, the preferred phrasing is [English] "I work at the car company".
* Most Americans are very polite, particularly outside of the big cities. However, outside of the big cities, everyone owns guns. Inside the big cities, almost everyone owns guns. Let's be polite together!
* If you go shopping at an American department store, they will ask you if you want to open a credit card account. They are *not* asking whether you want to use a credit card. This may seem strange but it is an American custom to offer customers a credit card, in order to make them spend more money. We suggest politely declining offers of credit cards. You may have to politely decline several times. Don't think of this as rude, the Americans have to do it too.
* Most Americans think we look like Chinese or Koreans. Try not to be too offended.
* Most Americans will think that a Japanese person standing on the street is an American, unless they are holding a camera. If you are not comfortable speaking English, you might try bringing along a camera to say "I am a tourist, please don't expect me to speak English." Except, don't try this in the big cities -- tourists get mugged in big cities.
* Americans have a social institution called a "gratuity". Basically, the price on the menu at any place which serves food is not the real price. The real price is 20% higher. You have to calculate 20%, write it under the subtotal, and sum to arrive at the real price. Taxis work the same way. It is considered very rude not to pay the "gratuity".
* In general, Americans consider it impolite to discuss politics. However, this January Obama will become the new president, and many people are excited! If they ask you what you think of him, a safe answer is [English] "Obama is really cool." or [English] "Obama speaks so well. Not like me. Hehe." Be very careful when pronouncing his name. O BA MA, just like Obama City. [Ask me later. Hilarity abounds.]
* Most big cities have Japanese food available. You may have to look hard, though -- ask your hotel for some place to eat tempura. Restaurants which say they serve sushi probably only serve makizushi, like California rolls. (Americans think California rolls are [English] "sushi".) If a restaurant says [English] "Asian" they really mean Chinese. They are probably not really Chinese, either.
* Ladies: if you shop for clothes, ask for where to find [English] "petite". It means normal sized. Ladies who are petite may have difficulty finding clothes which fit in America, except at specialty shops.
* McDonalds: Has no teriyaki burger in America. Portions are bigger and food is cheaper. Sometimes the person taking the order does not speak English. Please relax! They probably understand the set menu, although it is called [English] "combo", and you can hold up the number with your hands as shown. [Snip of chart for how Americans count on their fingers, which is actually different than how Japanese people count on their fingers, hence the need for a chart.]
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to finish work and start packing. Toothbrush, shirts, camera, bullet-proof vest, wad of monopoly money, you know, the bare necessities.
18 December 2008
And the winner is?
I recently announced that I will be redesigning this blog, and I held a contest to see what kinds of changes you all would like to see on the new site. While I have my own vision of the layout and its various features, I want to hear as many opinions as possible. A big thank you to everyone (all 3 of you!) who entered the contest - your comments are greatly appreciated! Here's what you had to say, with my respective responses:
Christina -
Since you travel quite frequently for your job and a lot of your entries are about or influenced by the places you visit, I'd like to see a feature that enables a reader to organize or view your entries by your destinations. I think your blog attracts people who are interested in traveling and your perspective on the places you go to (I am at least) and it would be cool to see all the places you've gone to and the entries that have developed from them. For those entries that are not travel-related, maybe you can organize those into a separate category. Just a thought. This is additional but even a fun visual map that links to your entries might be kind of cool that includes travel tips, fun facts about the place, etc.
This idea is very interesting, and one that could certainly enhance the reader's experience on the site. Not only could I sort my posts by geography, but I could create country/city profiles of all the places that I travel to. Great suggestion!
Mark -
I'm a big sucker for readability and formatting. The site as it is now is pretty nice - easy to read and clear - but that doesn't mean it can't be better. The biggest websites are always redesigning their pages based on usability and presentation (like where the reader's eye is attracted to), it often is a headache for readers but in the end makes the site better. ESPN, Facebook, and Deadspin (and all Gawker blogs I assume) are some of the ones who tend to change the most frequently. So I guess I'm looking for a new design that can change in the future based on feedback? Haha, this may be a lot to ask for.
Also make it so to post a comment you don't have to fill out that annoying letter/number match thing.
Mark, I'll see what I can do about filling out the letter/number combination for all comments. It's annoying but prevents spam comments from getting through. I think there is a widget that can be integrated into Wordpress (Akismet?) to help with spam, though. Regarding a layout that is adaptable to future feedback - good call. This suggestion actually helped me realize that I need a premium, customizable theme with room for expansion. Some of them are pretty expensive though...
Dan P. -
Are International posters eligible for the contest?
I would like to see you add some kind of plug-in that facilitates looking at your pictures... like a slideshow within a post. I don't know if I've seen that yet, but if you can find I think it would be really cool. [update: www.slide.com]
Buenos Dias Dan P. - yes international posters are certainly eligible! If you haven't noticed by now, I am a huge fan of photography, and if there's anything I will focus on with the new site design, it's a more captive and fluid integration of images. I will definitely check out slide.com. Also, I have come across many Flickr-based photo widgets, so I have many options to explore.
Since you travel quite frequently for your job and a lot of your entries are about or influenced by the places you visit, I'd like to see a feature that enables a reader to organize or view your entries by your destinations. I think your blog attracts people who are interested in traveling and your perspective on the places you go to (I am at least) and it would be cool to see all the places you've gone to and the entries that have developed from them. For those entries that are not travel-related, maybe you can organize those into a separate category. Just a thought. This is additional but even a fun visual map that links to your entries might be kind of cool that includes travel tips, fun facts about the place, etc.
This idea is very interesting, and one that could certainly enhance the reader's experience on the site. Not only could I sort my posts by geography, but I could create country/city profiles of all the places that I travel to. Great suggestion!
Mark -
I'm a big sucker for readability and formatting. The site as it is now is pretty nice - easy to read and clear - but that doesn't mean it can't be better. The biggest websites are always redesigning their pages based on usability and presentation (like where the reader's eye is attracted to), it often is a headache for readers but in the end makes the site better. ESPN, Facebook, and Deadspin (and all Gawker blogs I assume) are some of the ones who tend to change the most frequently. So I guess I'm looking for a new design that can change in the future based on feedback? Haha, this may be a lot to ask for.
Also make it so to post a comment you don't have to fill out that annoying letter/number match thing.
Mark, I'll see what I can do about filling out the letter/number combination for all comments. It's annoying but prevents spam comments from getting through. I think there is a widget that can be integrated into Wordpress (Akismet?) to help with spam, though. Regarding a layout that is adaptable to future feedback - good call. This suggestion actually helped me realize that I need a premium, customizable theme with room for expansion. Some of them are pretty expensive though...
Dan P. -
Are International posters eligible for the contest?
I would like to see you add some kind of plug-in that facilitates looking at your pictures... like a slideshow within a post. I don't know if I've seen that yet, but if you can find I think it would be really cool. [update: www.slide.com]
Buenos Dias Dan P. - yes international posters are certainly eligible! If you haven't noticed by now, I am a huge fan of photography, and if there's anything I will focus on with the new site design, it's a more captive and fluid integration of images. I will definitely check out slide.com. Also, I have come across many Flickr-based photo widgets, so I have many options to explore.
Drum roll please...and the winner is...
Christina! Your comment really interests me - on one hand, it fits the current "mold" of the site, and on the other, it adds a new element of content, information that (as I said before) could certainly enhance the reader's experience. I will email you on Friday for post-contest details.
Again, thank you for your comments. I am excited about the new site design! Hoping to have it up by the new year...
16 December 2008
Last minute alternative gift ideas
Still scrounging around town, looking for that perfect present? Here are a few of the more charitable, 'feel good' ideas that have caught my attention over the last few months:
Buy a pair of TOMS shoes.
For every pair that you buy, the company will donate a pair of shoes to a child in need. They are modeled after South American sandals and are SUPER comfortable and come in a variety of styles for both men and women. In the past I have bought two pairs for myself and one for my sister for her birthday. Hi Abby!
Buy a gift subscription to GOOD magazine.
The $20 you pay for 6 issues goes to a nonprofit organization of your choosing. Past magazine themes include Food, Technology, Sustainability, and China, to name a few. It's a really interesting read - the information graphics that are scattered throughout each issue are worth every penny, trust me.
Donate specific goods and services to third world recipients.
Between World Vision's musthavegifts.org and Oxfam's ethical gift guide, you can buy a single goat, 10 fruit trees, meals for 90 children, the list is endless.
Become a philanthropic capitalist through Kiva.org
If anyone is looking to give me a gift, this is my first choice :) Literally, one of the most interesting social entrepreneurial ventures in a long time. Pay out micro-finance loans to individuals with specific projects and goals. Browse by geography and sector.
Other ideas:
-invest in one share of stock via oneshare.com - shares are muuuuch cheaper this holiday season
-books on tape
-create a calendar of your personal photos with blurb.com
-adopt an animal through the World Wildlife Federation - my dad adopted a whale for the family when I was much younger!
-become a "smarter gifter" by browsing and comparing non-profit organizations on intelligentgiving.com
##
Thursday is the last day to enter my contest! All you have to do is send me a comment with suggestions for the redesign of this site. Click here to enter and read current submissions.
14 December 2008
Honestly, who throws a shoe?
President Bush, speaking at a press conference in Baghdad this afternoon, was forced to duck at the stand as a shoe, hurled from Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi from the Al-Baghdadia television network, narrowly missed his head. Bush has got some serious reflexes!
