Not made for consuming ~ Bos journal

[bos]

Have you been to Switzerland finaly?

Hey Jean! Not only that, I have even talked to recruiters in Switzerland and got advice from a guy who made the move
Unfortunately, the job market, not just in Switzerland but in tech overall, isn't great right now. There have been a lot of recent layoffs. The job I currently have is great, so that makes me more hesitant to move.The salaries I am seeing are solid, but housing is still a bit of unclear. I hear such different numbers on rent from people living in Zurich.
So the plan is still there, I just need some more time to prepare the move. Convincing DW of the plan is part of that preparation. She's excited about the outdoor life in Switzerland but is concerned about making new friends. It's a challenge we'll need to navigate.

[Jean]

making friend can be hard. people will assume that you allready have enough friends, and wont propose you any activity. You need to invite people yourself at the beggining. joining a club works well too.
edit: my unsolicited advice was about switzerland, in case in wasn't clear.

[bos]

I discovered that my city offers a variety of state-sponsored classes. You pay a small fee and they teach you a skill for a period between 3 till 6 months. While initially I took my languages classes at this institute when I migrated, I only recently realised the wide range of other interesting skills they can teach you.

I enrolled in a woodworking class with a friend. 3 hours of lessons a week for around 3 months. Each participant selects a project and the teacher will guide us with the tools and technique. Having visited a few extremely wealthy persons this year, I noticed that almost all their cabinets were handmade and fitted to the space. It's so beautiful and has become a future goal of me to create for my house.

Additionally, I signed up for figure drawing. I can draw and took many figure drawing classes at University. Two years ago I wanted to continue, but only found private ateliers that provided figure drawing classes for 15 euro per hour. Fortunately , the state classes are more much affordable at around 2 euro per hour.

Living in a social state that takes 50% of my salary can be frustrating sometimes, but if you make an effort you can actually find many similar opportunities like the one above. Free museums on particular days, discounted classes, free education days, discounts on sports. In this system, the initiative lies with the individual. the state won't come to you with money but offers valuable resources for those who seek.

[mountainFrugal]

Figure drawing lessons for that cheap is a great find. Have you made anything yet in the woodworking class?

[bos]

Figure drawing lessons for that cheap is a great find. Have you made anything yet in the woodworking class?

A box! It's a very beginner class, so hand-tools only. I actually have some experience, because my grandfather is a wood-worker. As a kid he would help me with making a rabbit cage or similar projects. I was around 8 years old at the time and only now I realise now that I mostly was a helping hand and he did all the work

I hope to learn about all the power tools too, but it seems like a good idea to start with the basics first.

[bos]

The new year is here and it's time for reflections.

How many books did I read last year?
From the top of my head:
Guns gems and steel
Saving time Jenny Odell
Re-read Cloud money
The molecule of more
How to talk to anyone
Stop reading the news
The Paper menagerie
Currently I am reading Anna Karenina from Tolstoy

Surprisingly, it's not the towering pile I pictured in my head. I thought I was reading all the time this year. Maybe blame it on my newfound obsession with Substack blogs to my RSS feed.

Net worth increase
In 2023 I used a minimalistic approach to finance tracking. Despite not being a fan of the spreadsheet tracking, I did track my monthly cost and income so I can calculate my saving rate. This year I had an average saving rate of 72%

My net worth increased around 40% percent. It's my 4th year of working full-time, so the jumps are still big.

Skills
I drew a lot this year and I am very happy about that. I always drew, but now I made a conscious effort to get better. I am studying the online classes of Watts atelier from San Jose.
I have been enjoying the progress and are noticeably getting better. With my improved skills I made two painting this year as birthday presents. People love it. My mom even shed a little tear this Christmas when she opened the present. It shows that people don't care about the object, but the effort and appreciation from the person.

Work's doing okay, considering all the tech layoffs. Remote work is over and from next week I am expected two times a week in the office.

Traveling
Tons of traveling has been done. In total around 8 weeks. I have mixed feelings about this. I love slow traveling, but it's a form of traveling that is difficult when being employed. I went over the whole island in Taiwan for a duration of 5 week. This was amazing. I learned some basic Chinese and rented a cheap scooter to get around. Such a diverse country. I also did a mixture of camping trips and stayed two weeks in Amsterdam.

I am looking forward to 2024. I am feeling sharp and excited about all the news things that are coming. Today marks the kick-off of my three-month no-buying (conscious buying). I will write on that journey in a few weeks

[delay]

Happy new year! Looking forward to read how your three-month-no-buying period goes.

[Jean]

hi, how covinced is your wife about moving to CH now?

[bos]

hi, how covinced is your wife about moving to CH now?

We have planned a cheap camping trip to the Interlaken area for the summer. Hopefully that will help us decide. The move will definitely take at least another 1-2 years because of current visa problems.

Which area are you from?

[Jean]

around Biel/Bienne, so not too far from interlaken.
I think I know enough about traveling cheaply, including in switzerland, to make a conversation with me about your travel plan worth your time. Feel welcome to.contact me if you want to.

[bos]

around Biel/Bienne, so not too far from interlaken.
I think I know enough about traveling cheaply, including in switzerland, to make a conversation with me about your travel plan worth your time. Feel welcome to.contact me if you want to.

Thanks for the offer! Let me write your a PM

[bos]

The drawing course is going well. If I set a specific time for myself to draw, I won't keep questioning if I really want to draw or if it's the right hobby. Just sit down, start drawing, and soon I feel happy about getting started.

I recently saw something surprising. A popular art streamer, someone I really admire for his skills, almost cried during a live stream. A viewer bought his drawing course, He'd been stressed, thinking no one wanted it. He thanked the buyer and even called his daughter into the stream to share the news. This made me think back about my days in art school and glad that I choose to make it my hobby and not my career.

I hang drawing that I like on my wall. They motivate me and remind me of my goals when I walk by. @mountainFrugal maybe a painting swap this year? I want to learn to oil paint this summer

[mountainFrugal]

@mountainFrugal maybe a painting swap this year?

Sounds good. We could start with exchanging some painted postcards.

[bos]

I visited @Jean with DW in Switzerland and had an amazing time. It's the first time I met someone from the forum and I'm glad that we met. Thanks again Jean and partner. We found it inspiring and a lot of fun.

@Jean took us on beautiful long hikes, we swam together in mountain lakes and they taught us how to rock climb. Rock climbing was amazing. I almost forgot how it feels when you have a risk to consider when doing sport. You noticed that throughout the mountain areas. Warning signs of coming prepared, and reminders of the challenges nature gives us (rock slides, flash floods, storms). That little bit of added risk is great and makes it more exciting. The low countries I'm from there is no risk when outdoors. You could not get lost or get hurt, because of land being flat and extreme density.

As I have written earlier, I got interested in Switzerland as an possible option to move to. It provides the opportunity to maximise income and outdoor life simultaneously. A one-week trip does not give answers yet, but it helps with starting the discussion with DW. I think we both realised there is a balance possible between work and outdoor leisure. But to find that balance we don't need to make the move perse. We also realised that in our current area we don't have maximised the outdoor possibilities yet. There are also plenty of lakes here, boats to take and wild camping possibilities. Yes, it's not like Switzerland, but I feel we first need to find the limits of our current area, before even considering a move.
Exploring and taking full advantage of what's available locally might provide the fulfillment we're seeking without the need for relocation.

[bos]

Had an amazing dinner party last week. They offer the chance to bring together a wide range of interesting people and are affordable compared to eating out. One of the people at the dinner party was a tattoo artist. I have no tattoos and am not interested in getting one, but I do love to draw. She had all her tools with her and showed me how to make a tattoo on fake skin to practice. It was super fun, and I was surprised at how well my drawing skills on paper translated to making a tattoo. She said if I practice a little more, I might be able to set a tattoo in her studio.
I have a tiny table in my apartment, but I often invite other couples for dinner. We can't host more than 2-3 other people because it just doesn't fit. After the dinner party last night, I'm considering picking up a larger secondhand table to be able to invite more people.

Another person at the party started his sabbatical/unpaid leave two months ago and is planning to do this for at least six months. He is re-read lots of books and getting back into shape mentally and physically. I can also imagine taking a sabbatical before I turn 30 to "test" being retired. Such a test would likely provide a lot of information about what life would be like if I actually retired.

[bos]

I’m back for 1 week at work after the ERE Europe meetup, which was a unique experience. People from all kinds of backgrounds and ages came together, leading to some really interesting conversations.

There was a lot to talk about at the meetup, and now I have a lot to think about. While the bigger life questions might take some time to figure out, I’ve already answered a simpler one: whether to get a pressure cooker or a slow cooker. @Jean showed amazing pea soup with his pressure cooker. @guitarplayer told about the overnight tasty meals in the slowcooker. I found a second-hand Instant Pot with both functions at a great price. After cleaning it up, I’ve been using it to cook black beans, lentils, and chicken. Tasty and cost-efficient.

@guitarplayer beaten me in a burpees contest, which reminded me that all you need is the basics to stay fit! Since I got back, I’ve started doing Navy Seals burpees every morning. I’m up to 12 in a row and aiming for 20.

I’ve continue to be consistent with drawing every day, spending 1-2 hours every morning before work. You can check out a sketch I made during the meetup of @Jean picking berries here at the forum: viewtopic.php?t=13053&start=40

The company stocks I partly get paid in went up unexpectedly. I sold some and bought oil paints, brushes, and a pochade box (painter box). I’m excited to start painting along with drawing and hope to do some outdoor painting in the future.

[jacob]

@Jean showed amazing pea soup with his pressure cooker.
@guitarplayer told about the overnight tasty meals in the slowcooker.

Recipes?

[Jean]

Your fry some onions and smoked pig belly, you add the peas, you add water, you wait until it's cooked.
It tastes better reheated. You can replace the pig belly by other parts, like feet, or skip the pigvaltogether, but then you should fry the onions in lard.

[loutfard]

Your fry some onions and smoked pig belly, you add the peas, you add water, you wait until it's cooked.
It tastes better reheated. You can replace the pig belly by other parts, like feet, or skip the pigvaltogether, but then you should fry the onions in lard.

Also Jean, could you please share your vegetarian carbonara recipe? I only half remember how you made it, but the taste I do remember. It was delicious.

[Jean]

500g spaghetti, preferably bronze extruded, if you have teflon extruded spaghetti, cook them in less water.
One big eggplant
Oil
4 eggs
200g cheese (purist recipe is pecorino romano, but a lot of other cheese do work, the latvian tilsit worked great)
Salt
Pepper

Cut eggplant in dices.
You soak eggplants in oil for some hours.In a pan, you stir fry diced onion and eggplants (if you didn't have time to soak them, add a lot of oil) with pepper. Reserve when ready.
At the same time, cook spaghetti,
And at the same time, mix eggs and grated cheese and pepper.
When spagheti are cooked, take the water away, but keep some of the water. It should be starchy. If not, you cooked in too much water.
Add the fried eggplant and onion.
Add the egg cheese mix, and mix with the spaghetti. Add some of the water from the pasta while you mix, until it looks creamy.
Eat.
If you like meat, replace soaked eggplant with bacon and oil with lard (quite a lot).
If you have a big food budget or live in italy, you can use guanciale instead of bacon, and then you don't have to add lard and pepper.