Cambodia Kicking My Butt

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Adama
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Joined: August 23rd, 2009, 2:37 pm

Re: Cambodia Kicking My Butt

Post by Adama »

A similar thing happened to me, when I abandoned my life to leave for Germany. I think I had around $1500 maybe $2000. I was using my debit card, and each time I used it, they charged me a $1.00 international transaction fee, which also didn't help and made me take out cash in bundles.

At first I was staying with two sisters, but the one sister started bringing great wrath against me and was acting like a sociopath, with her yelling and antisocial behavior. She kicked me out, and I took a train to a major city. There I met up with a man I met on a previous trip. He let me stay with him but he charged me money. Finally though, he took me to an apartment complex that would take me. My rent was $200 a month. I was in a major city but all the way in the industrialized section.

The strange thing though, is that I was a straight walk from downtown. I lived on a major road.

Then I met a girl who helped me out and gave me some money. She bought me some clothes and helped me with rent. That fell out too, because she was a club type person, who loved men feeling all over her body, and I wasn't going to allow that. She dumped me when I called her on that. She wasn't going to let me prevent her from having fun, so she dumped me.

Finally I got a job, making about $7 hr, but still, I had another roommate who was just looking for trouble.

The financial pressure was part of the reason I moved back to the states though, to pursue education.

It may be possible to find a woman who's willing to pay the bills. The only thing though, if she is not a nice person, she may kick you out on a whim when you stand up to her when she crosses a line she expects to be able to cross freely (walking all over you).
Adama
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Joined: August 23rd, 2009, 2:37 pm

Re: Cambodia Kicking My Butt

Post by Adama »

hammanta wrote:Jesus what a nightmare. Do you not have a credit card? $1000 really?

My rules of travel:

1) Always have travel insurance
2) Have two wallets: One with cash for the day and a credit card. Leave the other wallet in the room in a secure spot with debit card and another credit card.
3) Keep wallet deep in a bookbag when walking the street.
4) Rarely trust anyone, especially if the person is a stranger off the street
5) Don't do anything you did.

Just curious. Tell me more about travel insurance. I've never used it.

I like the two wallets idea, and I've done that too. One is for public use and just has a little bit of money, and the other is well hidden and has the items that are hard to replace.

As for the wallet in the bookbag, I used to do that, and I was so insecure about losing the bookbag somewhere that it literally hugged onto my arm everywhere I went. Even if I was eating in a restaurant, that bag would be wrapped around my elbow. Now I just put my wallet or passport in a pocked other than the back pocket, to make pick pocketing harder.

I think you can meet good people in the street, as long as they aren't "street people" who HANG OUT on the street and they aren't hustlers. Meeting random people outside is okay. It is mostly if they just lounge around all day and/or when they are hustlers.

It's unfortunately he lost hundreds of dollars the way he did. Now the question is, will God come to his rescue or is this the last of him?
Adama
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Posts: 6193
Joined: August 23rd, 2009, 2:37 pm

Re: Cambodia Kicking My Butt

Post by Adama »

Oh yeah. So the reason why I abandoned everything to move to Germany was, I had a two week vacation there and kissed four women. Whereas up to that point in my life, except for a kiss I had with a neighbor girl when I was just a little kid, I never had any kisses before that.
ChinaFan
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Joined: July 1st, 2016, 7:01 pm

Re: Cambodia Kicking My Butt

Post by ChinaFan »

I've sort of been in your situation. I had a place to live abroad, but occasionally had business troubles.

You live, you learn. No shame in going home, getting a simple place to live, a simple job and repaying any loan you took out for return airfare.

A few of my suggestions for future trips :

Research the costs for you to live comfortably. Then save up 20% more than that. Comfort is better than stress, right?

Find 2 or 3 expats living in your destination that you can ask questions and who wouldn't mind showing you around if you buy them a few drinks or a meal. Minimize your time being a tourist and maximize your time being a knowledgeable expat.

Learn basics of the language of a country you visit. Where is the bathroom? How much is this? Thank you. I don't speak Cambodian. A little language is a big bridge. Locals will try to look out for you because you tried to walk in their ways. Use a language learning app like HelloTalk to practice.

Be realistic about your earning potential abroad. Give yourself time to visit language schools and introduce yourself. Research English teaching online or conversational English over Skype, What's app etc. When you are more comfortable, you will probably get some chances to be a private tutor for a decent rate.

When you meet a woman, have her checked out by an expat and a local who knows about local-foreign interactions. Some friendly girls make terrible wives and some supershy or even aloof girls make great wives. You might be the first foreigner they interact with. They need time to come out of their shells.

Plan to do a little tourism and enjoy the natural and cultural peculiarities of the country you visit. Try to find out the economical but bearable ways to get around. Private vans can get pricey and add up over time.

Get vaccinated and get health (at least catastrophic, eg. Aetna International) insurance, it won't be fun to be sick abroad. You'll need some savings to pay the deductible, but after that, insurance pays.

Remember, financially, no one is responsible for you while abroad. Be honest and return home to work if necessary. No shame in that.
hammanta
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Posts: 652
Joined: July 14th, 2013, 9:36 am
Location: East Coast of USA

Re: Cambodia Kicking My Butt

Post by hammanta »

Adama wrote:
hammanta wrote:Jesus what a nightmare. Do you not have a credit card? $1000 really?

My rules of travel:

1) Always have travel insurance
2) Have two wallets: One with cash for the day and a credit card. Leave the other wallet in the room in a secure spot with debit card and another credit card.
3) Keep wallet deep in a bookbag when walking the street.
4) Rarely trust anyone, especially if the person is a stranger off the street
5) Don't do anything you did.

Just curious. Tell me more about travel insurance. I've never used it.

I like the two wallets idea, and I've done that too. One is for public use and just has a little bit of money, and the other is well hidden and has the items that are hard to replace.

As for the wallet in the bookbag, I used to do that, and I was so insecure about losing the bookbag somewhere that it literally hugged onto my arm everywhere I went. Even if I was eating in a restaurant, that bag would be wrapped around my elbow. Now I just put my wallet or passport in a pocked other than the back pocket, to make pick pocketing harder.

I think you can meet good people in the street, as long as they aren't "street people" who HANG OUT on the street and they aren't hustlers. Meeting random people outside is okay. It is mostly if they just lounge around all day and/or when they are hustlers.

It's unfortunately he lost hundreds of dollars the way he did. Now the question is, will God come to his rescue or is this the last of him?
I've purchased on my last couple trips. I buy with Travel Guard which is generally the top of the line company for this sort of thing. Depending on your coverage plan you will generally be covered in case of national emergencies and evacuations up to like $50,000, any illnesses or injuries that require medical treatment up to $25,000 (as long as you weren't doing dangerous activities), flight and hotel costs that maybe incurred as a result of cancellations or delays, lost baggage, ect. Not sure if they cover stolen items but possibly.

I paid around $140 for my plan which covered me for 5 weeks in multiple countries. You can buy a lot cheaper through airlines although they are less inclusive. I bought Philippine Airlines travel insurance for my flights to Batanes. It cost like $30 for two people. Our flights were canceled for 2 days due to a typhoon and they are reimbursing me for all my extra hotel stays and hotels that I missed in another location along with any other expenses like food and taxis as a result of the cancellation if you have proof (receipts). I will be reimbursed something like $200 which wouldn't have happened if I didn't have it.

I recommend the more inclusive plans for medical reasons. I'm pretty adventurous and liberal with the places I go and food I eat so its good to have that reassurance. There are some countries that will not treat you unless you can prove you can pay. It would be pretty shitty if you get appendicitis on a trip to Asia and the Docs refuse to treat you.
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Cornfed
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Re: Cambodia Kicking My Butt

Post by Cornfed »

Adama wrote:Just curious. Tell me more about travel insurance. I've never used it.
Strange, I thought this was something everyone who travelled internationally knew about, a bit like passports and currency exchange. In certain countries insurance could mean the difference between a minor traffic accident causing you a broken leg resulting in either a minor inconvenience or a lingering death you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. If you can't afford travel insurance you can't afford to travel.
hammanta
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Posts: 652
Joined: July 14th, 2013, 9:36 am
Location: East Coast of USA

Re: Cambodia Kicking My Butt

Post by hammanta »

Cornfed wrote:
Adama wrote:Just curious. Tell me more about travel insurance. I've never used it.
Strange, I thought this was something everyone who travelled internationally knew about, a bit like passports and currency exchange. In certain countries insurance could mean the difference between a minor traffic accident causing you a broken leg resulting in either a minor inconvenience or a lingering death you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. If you can't afford travel insurance you can't afford to travel.
You'd be surprised. I probably traveled internationally 5 or 6 times before ever purchasing it. And I had traveled to some hell holes like Honduras and Haiti to boot. Lucky I didn't wind up in major trouble looking back.

What made me look into it was I had a scare in a hotel in Philippines where I developed a rapid fever, uncontrollable shakes, vomit, etc. It came on me all of a sudden. Thought I contracted malaria. I toughed it out and it subsided by the next day. Got to thinking what the hell I would do if I had a severe emergency overseas. Now I don't leave U.S. without it.
droid
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Joined: September 19th, 2013, 11:38 pm

Re: Cambodia Kicking My Butt

Post by droid »

Good points guys, but you'll probably have to *cough up* the dough cash anyways.
That's the way insurance works as far as I've seen, even if you may later hope to make a claim with receipts or what not. Not saying don't get insurance, but still need a decent stash for any kind of emergency.
1)Too much of one thing defeats the purpose.
2)Everybody is full of it. What's your hypocrisy?
hammanta
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Joined: July 14th, 2013, 9:36 am
Location: East Coast of USA

Re: Cambodia Kicking My Butt

Post by hammanta »

droid wrote:Good points guys, but you'll probably have to *cough up* the dough cash anyways.
That's the way insurance works as far as I've seen, even if you may later hope to make a claim with receipts or what not. Not saying don't get insurance, but still need a decent stash for any kind of emergency.
For the most part yes you pay up front and then get reimbursed. But I can't imagine them making you pay for some life threatening infectious disease or injury where treatment will run several thousand and expect you to front it first. At that point the hospital would just need proof you have coverage then proceed. But in most third world countries most doctors visits are cheap as hell anyways.
MrMan
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Re: Cambodia Kicking My Butt

Post by MrMan »

I saw a couple of ads for English teachers on Dave's ESL cafe:

http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/index.cgi?read=44386
http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/index.cgi?read=44303

Both are for teaching small children.

You could also look up Vietnam or Thailand teaching jobs, hop on the cheap bus, full of chickens, and go across the border. You could pick the country with the cheapest or easiest visa requirements. It really helps to have experience and a decent resume.

When I first went to Indonesia, I had about $700 something dollars and $700 something dollars on my credit card for the plane ticket over there. I decided not to sign with the guy I went over there to work for so he did not reimburse the ticket. Fair enough. I trusted God to provide for me, and he did. I've been in other tight financial scrapes like that, and the Lord has brought me through.

If I'm in a crowded place where I think I could get pick-pocketed, I usually put my wallet in a front pocket of my pants. It has worked for me so far. I haven't been pickpocketed, but I think a guy got some money out of my wallet and a camera of mine once, but not the credit cards. I try to keep a credit card (actually I have a few) for emergencies while traveling. You need them for deposits in hotels a lot of times, anyway. ATM cards are useful, too, but not if they are in your wallet. You can get a passport holder you wear around your neck to hold a few items. Those are a little harder to pickpocket, but its safer if you tuck in your shirt. Money belts are uncomfortable, but they may be safer than keeping things in a wallet.

Do you have any relatives who can western union or moneygram you some money if things get bad.
Adama
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Re: Cambodia Kicking My Butt

Post by Adama »

I actually went to see doctors many times while I was in Germany, now that I think back on it. At least six times. Four times they actually only wanted $5 cash. One time I went to a clinic. I don't remember how much I paid but it probably was next to nothing since I can't remember.

I'm sure if it had been in the States, I would have been paying upwards of $200 for each visit, which would leave me about $1200 or more in the hole.

I really do think in many ways the USA may be further down the rabbit hole than other places in the world.
A. Boyce
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Joined: August 27th, 2017, 2:33 pm

Re: Cambodia Kicking My Butt

Post by A. Boyce »

I wanted to thank you guys, and also give you an update on my situation.

I had a buddy back home in Denver send me $350, and I have done a much better job keeping the vultures away. I have a job interview on Monday at this place called Western International School in Phnom Penh.

I want to be happier abroad, you know, and I decided to dig-in and not give up.

The food here is fantastic, fresh, and cheap. This, the place has going for it. Otherwise, I want to work a little, and then hopefully move to Bangkok. I will make sure to have a job lined up, before I go this time.

It's just everywhere you go, "tuk-tuk? Meth? Weed? Little girl? Little boy?" This is a sick country, and you all have more class, honor, dignity, humanity, and brains, in your little toenail, than the whole filthy country.

But, things are looking up. I want to thank you guys. I was on the edge before you know, but it is getting better. Thanks guys. Be in touch again, real soon.
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Cornfed
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Re: Cambodia Kicking My Butt

Post by Cornfed »

If you are not a troll and on the level, which I don't think you are, for f***s sake go home and replan.
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Zambales
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Re: Cambodia Kicking My Butt

Post by Zambales »

Adama wrote: Just curious. Tell me more about travel insurance. I've never used it.
Put it this way, Adama, if you did have an accident, you'd be praying more than usual. :)
droid
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Joined: September 19th, 2013, 11:38 pm

Re: Cambodia Kicking My Butt

Post by droid »

Hey what's up guys, I just made it to phnog phenn today this place is a lot different than I imagined. Quite a lot of differences from Vietnam actually. I don't think i will meet the OP since i'm going tomorrow to the Ankorg wat temple. The place is not worth more than a couple days to be honest.
I will report some more later tonigh when i return to the hotel.
1)Too much of one thing defeats the purpose.
2)Everybody is full of it. What's your hypocrisy?
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