Smelly Swiss Dilettante

Where are you and where are you going?
Noedig
Posts: 191
Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2014 10:15 pm

Re: Smelly Swiss Dilettante

Post by Noedig »

Jean

So.... what did you decide? Any advice in October would be after the fact, so I won't give any, other than to point out that you seem to be switching plans a great deal, hopefully persisting with each course of action long enough to be really confident that you understand why it is not for you and what might be better, before giving up. Falling heavily in love is another massive distraction.

I truly hope it is working out for you. Finding out how and with whom you want to spend your life, is even more important than planning for FI.

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Jean
Posts: 1890
Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2013 8:49 am
Location: Switzterland

Re: Smelly Swiss Dilettante

Post by Jean »

I choosed not to do the degree. I went to classes one day. I saw that I was able to understand everything, give smart answer to the teacher´s question. I also saw that I don´t want to commute everyday or move to an other city. My friend network has too much value.
I don´t regret it now. Things are working out very well.
I´m already FI now (I rent a house, tenant is nice and happy, me too, I get money, and spend little enough from it to feel safe). I applied to the degree because I feared to get bored.
But this summer was extremly not boring, as I said.

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Jean
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Location: Switzterland

Re: Smelly Swiss Dilettante

Post by Jean »

I live in my car. got it for 500.-
My tenant is still paying his rent. He doesn't cause me any trouble and even makes me gift. I only have 53'000.- left on the mortgage, now at 2.65% (instead of 1.4%) because it's too small to get a fixed rate. But I found someone who would have interest to lend me this money at 1.5%.
I met someone great. Lot of projects.
I play crusader kings 2 a lot. I love making strategies.
I'm doing fine, but I spent so much time playing this game... It's very satisfying, but I sometime think I should invest this freetime in something else.

FBeyer
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Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2015 3:25 am

Re: Smelly Swiss Dilettante

Post by FBeyer »

Just so you don't feel completely alone: I play a lot of Offworld Trading Company and Overwatch at the moment. Games are working out great as relaxation currently.

Jason

Re: Smelly Swiss Dilettante

Post by Jason »

If I'm understanding this correctly, you are Swiss, extremely educated, very lazy, own a home but live in a car, value current friendships, obsessed with utility and play video games.

Just trying to get a feel here.

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Jean
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Location: Switzterland

Re: Smelly Swiss Dilettante

Post by Jean »

That's quite accurate.
But i'm not obsesed with utility , it's just there are thing in the world that could be better, and I have so much spare time. Or maybe I should repay this mortgage quicker?
I don't have any positive constraint, so I just do what I feel like doing at any moment, but sometime there is some guilt.
Playing video games is not bad, It's just that it's enough to feel good, without the need to do anything else.

Jason

Re: Smelly Swiss Dilettante

Post by Jason »

I understand. I indulge in Fail Videos. Douchebags crashing sports cars, idiots falling through the ice. Seems Europeans are always destroying houses by cutting down trees in the wrong direction.

Guilt is a bitch. But what's that expression "If men could find solace in their own chambers, their would be less cruelty in the world."

Something like that.

Stahlmann
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Re: Smelly Swiss Dilettante

Post by Stahlmann »

Jean wrote:
Tue Jan 31, 2017 6:57 pm
...
How hard is it to "get in" to Switzerland?
I am keen on: mountains+"social system" that can share (no extreme income distribution, but still I can save and then move to East Europe).
I would be interested in working as mechanical engineer.
I know German, but this German accent.
I thought about tackling Germany, gainig there experience and finally landing in Switzerland. I heard that the accent barrier is pretty big.

One of my acquaintes from my local at the moment is working in one of the biggest companies in the world, but in Switzerland. It was combination of good politics, good marks, good understanding of the science (we speak about technical uni, so there is this difference between two last qualities :lol: ).

I kindly please for longer reply :D .
If people from Austria are reading it (from the newsfeed), they comments are also welcome.

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Jean
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Location: Switzterland

Re: Smelly Swiss Dilettante

Post by Jean »

I made a lot of different song.
I even had a gig Idea, which I would know how to sell, and for which I see the value it has for other humans.

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Jean
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Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2013 8:49 am
Location: Switzterland

Re: Smelly Swiss Dilettante

Post by Jean »

It has been a long time.
House rental is still doing great. My tenant is great. Last week he said "we always picture the master in the big house and servants in a small house in the garden, but here it's the opposite" I think he is learning how his need are keeping him from being free. I had similar feeling of inspiring people quite often during the last month, and it really feels great. I really believe that using less is the only hope we have as a specie or individuals. All those who fail at this aren't going to live.

I have been working on my house and started to build a tiny appartment in the garage. It's awesome to see how fast it progress. I can find a good balance between going forward with this project, meeting friends, getting stuff from the internet, etc...

I made a two week stay in a community farm in november. It was great. They work a lot, but once my house is remodeled enough to yield enough for me and a family, I could totally see me working in this community. I would like to be a part of a community, because it makes me happier and owning a part of a food producing unit with those very great people would be a good way to feel safe.

I'm still thinking about studying medicine.

I made two albums, they are here for you to listen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-F57mblL3w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwbIbwR24rQ

It's self doxing, but I'm unemployable, FI, armed and not treathening, so I don't think it's a problem.

I feel a terrible urge to travel to the US. I would like to go to Isle Royale and the Black Hills and a few place in between. Isle Royale will only be accessible from may, which sucks, because it will be right when I should work on the house a lot (because i'll have my permit and nice weather).

My value providing project is to go around and ask people a lot of questions. I could work a lot during the next month and fly to chicago in may if I did enough work. I find it stupid to fly. I'm really torn. If I fly, I would like to interview one person every other day. Some forum members between chicago, the black hills and the transcanadian highway could be a good idea. I want to orientate my questions around spirituality and religion, but on a very personnal level. I want to proof peoples self consistency. I wan't to know how do they feel the divine. I'm not going to be hostile. I wan't to know what creates the divine or a connection to it in humans. I would be especially interested in interviewing native americans. This is because I'm personally very interested in our prechristian religion, and as native american have been forced out of it much more recently, some might have kept more from it in their household tradition than us, and as they are much closer relative to us than african, I might remind more of it than when in Africa (whose spirituallity fellt totally alien to me, altough interesting, and it was great to know for me that they haven't really succumbed to christianity). I realise that what I wright might be offensive to some, but I hope that someone will recognise what I mean and point me to interesting persons. I would also be very intersted to interview abrahamic believers and atheist. I will probably judge the people I interview, but I won't be mean. I'll just ask question and try to find consistency in people's beliefs.
My agenda is to have Europe covered in forest again so we can live again.

I really would like to brige the gaps between leftist ungrowhtist, right wing pagans, and erers. To me it's all the same goal, and it's different parts of the solution to avoid chtullu when he'll fall upon us.

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Chris
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Re: Smelly Swiss Dilettante

Post by Chris »

Jean wrote:
Fri Jan 26, 2018 9:34 pm
I feel a terrible urge to travel to the US. I would like to go to Isle Royale and the Black Hills and a few place in between.
...
I would be especially interested in interviewing native americans.
The Black Hills was one of my favorite summer trips. Several state parks in the area too. Lots of pine tree forests -- like near the Grand Canyon -- but without the huge crowds. Wind Cave (an underground national park) was incredible. The Badlands are also in that part of the state. And as you are probably aware, so are some Native American reservations, along with Wounded Knee.

I hope you like driving! There aren't any major airports nearby. And a lot of things (including roads) shut down during any part of the year that is not summer.

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Jean
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Location: Switzterland

Re: Smelly Swiss Dilettante

Post by Jean »

I planed to hitchhike from chicago.

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Jean
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Re: Smelly Swiss Dilettante

Post by Jean »

Most things are doing great. I'll start studying medicine in september, and i'm on my way to Vienna, and then Norway. It's the first time in a year that i don't have a computer with me for more than a few days. I hope to start writing. Only problem is that i haven't got my building permit yet and having no windows and no toilet is annoying.

JollyScot
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Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2015 3:44 am

Re: Smelly Swiss Dilettante

Post by JollyScot »

I lived in Switzerland for a while and one of the reasons I left was that I found it too expensive to make the early retirement plan work. After reading your journal a little it looks as though I didn't manage to think through the options quite enough. Maybe had I expanded my net wider than Zurich it could have been fine. That said my entrie network there was the throw your money out the window expat group.

It is interesting how you have made things work, good luck with the medicine hope you get a lot out of it. I see you are struggling to find exactly what it is you want to do, I can understand that after spending the last 3 years going through different plans.

I loved Vienna when I was there, one of my favourite places enjoy the trip, not been to Norway but one day may make the trip.

FBeyer
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Re: Smelly Swiss Dilettante

Post by FBeyer »

Jean wrote:
Tue Jul 10, 2018 9:38 am
... I hope to start writing.
Well, you are already. What do you want to write?
Why medicine? It's a far cry from engineering, and didactics wise it's a three-ringed-shit-circus of memorization to get through medical studies, as opposed to engineering which is a lot more about models and abstractions. I find that very different personality types tend towards these two disciplines, but somehow you've decided to join the two.

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Jean
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Location: Switzterland

Re: Smelly Swiss Dilettante

Post by Jean »

I could invest my time to get monney or to become a doctor. I think an ability to cure people is going to be worth more than any property title in the future.
I'de like to write some sci-fi. For now, sleeping replaced gaming. I have nice dreams.
Switzerland can be cheap, but yes, expats community sucks, they only complain and consume.

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Jean
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Location: Switzterland

Re: Smelly Swiss Dilettante

Post by Jean »

I reread my journal, i'm proud to see i haven't had a job for four years. Many thing have changed for the better. I don't accomplish much, but i listened to my music, and i really like it. Maybe i have too low expectations.

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Jean
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Location: Switzterland

Re: Smelly Swiss Dilettante

Post by Jean »

Ok, as i'll start Med school in à week, i'll put down my number to get an approval boost.
My income is 700.- à month from my rental property.
My expenses are:
50.- utilities
50.- health insurances(2500.- yearly déductible)
150.-food
70.- car insurances and taxes, soon to be sold
50.-gasoline
100.-mortgage interests, soon to be 50.-

Si 470.- in total, soon to be 300.-
Mortgage is 50'000 at 2.65, it'll be refinanced at 1.5% in 2weeks.
I put all my extra money toward the mortgage or construction matériels.
I work à few days à year for 100.- à days, i mostly use it as my allowance for social events.

I expect to have some extra expenses due to university. I expect to cover them by tutoring physics chemistry and statistics to my fellow students. I think it Will be more efficient than going to those classes to refresh my knowledges, because i had à lot of those in my previous degree.
I'm the first surprised to see how much room i've got despite my low income. The only thing i'de buy with more money would be plane tickets. So it's better for everyone if i don't increase my income before having babies.

FBeyer
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Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2015 3:25 am

Re: Smelly Swiss Dilettante

Post by FBeyer »

Jean wrote:
Thu Jul 12, 2018 7:17 am
...
I'de like to write some sci-fi. For now, sleeping replaced gaming...
1) Me too!
and
2) Smart move! I'm only slowly learning that until you fix your sleep, nothing else you do will impact your health enough to make it worthwhile.

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Jean
Posts: 1890
Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2013 8:49 am
Location: Switzterland

Re: Smelly Swiss Dilettante

Post by Jean »

I'm blessed with good sleep. This is probably the fondation of my tremendously good health.

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