India. Just about any city. The air pollution, the smell of human waste, piles of plastic waste everywhere. Rats everywhere. Locals spitting strange red stuff on walls everywhere. Restaurants that put a used cup from one table on your table after just shaking the water out, no cleaning.

Jakarta was pretty nasty on air pollution too, I felt sticky all over just being outside for half an hour.

Netherlands is dirty in its own way. Everything looks clean but people don’t wash their hands after going to the toilet, like that’s just not a thing there. Now imagine all the things those people touch that you also touch. Also they don’t use gloves when handling food. Now imagine those two things together. Gross.

Most interviews I had in the last 10 years use video. You might be able to lie your way out of the female voice but lying your way out of having an obvious man face, a non-US accent, and a look that obviously doesn’t match your name would take politician level lying. They won’t care if you say you are transitioning, or your race. They will care if they pick-up on the fact you are being dishonest with them.

You can get stuff shipped by DHL, UPS, FedEX fast enough. But that does need someone in the US to do the shipping.

Your girlfriend knows you are doing this, right? She has to file correct taxes and state that the income you make is hers. That income really has to go into her bank account or it could get messy with banks when they freeze transactions and ask for a wage slip and job contract in your name.

You are right if you are underweight or have other medical issues. Otherwise drinking water cures dehydration too. Definitely not indian tap water though.

Been there. Done that.

India has that effect on the human body. But going to hospital with food poisoning is pointless, there is nothing they can do for you. You just have to get it out of your system and you will be fine.

Only if you eat cooked meals at sit down places three times a day. And even if you do there are usually reasonable options about.

There appears to be a strong random element to these checks. I get asked for paperwork on utterly random transfers.

It seems more likely on anything over 10k.

It’s definitely got worse in the last few years.

Some of the questions they ask are total nonsense. Sometimes it feels like they are trying to provoke a response so they can claim you didn’t cooperate and they can keep the money.

There is no standard measure of quality of life. It’s up to each person to decide on the things that make them happy.

You can get a US forwarding address from mailboxes etc. You order to that address and mailboxes etc forward your packages to your local store. It takes an extra 4 days or so and the costs depend on weight.

Yes. You can always ask for a discount. You won’t always get it but asking costs nothing.

I rarely book for a month at a time though. I usually book for a week or two and extended if I feel like it.

In practice it’s possible.

Don’t do it, the risks far outweigh the benefits.

Fair enough. But after booking a few smelly airbnbs I went to hotels and never looked back. I’d love a kitchen, but I love a clean place with no damp smells and no suprise charges more.

Yes. I don’t really have a problem with working and sleeping in the same small room, I get that some people hate this.

Hotels. Airbnb tends to be drama. Hotels actually train people to do their jobs.

That’s what I was getting at. Internet access in Romania is far ahead of the US. It’s not fair to say everything is better in the US.

It does? That’s not the intent.

What kind of internet do you have in Romania? How’s much does it cost?

“Traveller”. “Digital Nomad” is a pretentious title.

I normally go for Costa Basmati. I’m a fan of Selinas Costa whole grain, but it’s hard to find.

Whaaaat? I don’t see how you could compare the two. They are worlds apart.