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 Would you survive in foreign urban environment ? (3)

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Would you survive in foreign urban environment ?

Have you ever wondered what would you do if you were exposed to a non-friendly foreign urban environment, where you don't have any friends and everything around you seems unfamiliar ?

What if you were stuck in a big city ? Where would you get your first money for food and drinks. What if you were forced to leave the country or would need the money for further travel ?

What are your experiences ? Do you have any creative ideas ? Looking on the Web I couldn't find nothing firm to be of a real help.

Since I watched the movie Pursuit of Happyness I always questioned myself what would I do. Few days ago my friend, who, half a year ago, embarked on a travel around the world, contacted me from Brasil and asked me for money to return home. Wages were too low there for him to earn for an airplane ticket. He was stuck in Brasil and his visa expiration date was closing fast. His morale was low and he gave up on his round the world trip. Did he have any options ? I didn't have money to give him but a good advice would surely help too. But, I didn't have any !

Is there a recipe that would work anywhere in the world ? Probably different cultures offer different opportunities ? Whatever you would do must surely be legal. But what ?

What kind of abilities should one poses to help him better survive in a foreign urban environment ?

I would like to hear a word from world travelers, creative people, local people that are in contact with travelers, anyone.

Any essays, short hints and references are warmly welcome. I'll explore them and create a gift for world travelers to be better off than my friend.

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I think I have a good chance of surviving in an foreign urban environment because I am fluent in two languages (English and Spanish). This means that I can communicate in many parts of the world.

Side: bilingual
1 point

see what you need in foreign environment

good looks (obvious)

something about their culture

good behaviour (must)

a local guide (if you are alien to that place)

a cute shameless smile (plays good role when you did a mistake)

respect others and their culture and belief

never laugh or criticize their thinking

with all this i hope anyone can survive anywhere in world except bermuda triangle!

Side: essentials
1 point

It sucks to hear about your friend. But definetely, Brasil wasn't a good option of a place to go to without a concrete plan to make money beforehand. Brazilians themselves, and I'm talking about people with college degrees, are struggling to make money just to buy things more basic than a plane ticket (which is considered a luxury to the average Brazilian). In an environment like this, skills don't really count because opportunity isn't there on the first place. There was a big fuss about how valuable is a college degree in Brasil a few years ago after a news report showed many lawyers and engineers lining up hoping to get a position as jenitors. If it's hard for them, imagine to a foreigner who can't even speak the language... Conclusion: always have an escape plan before considering going to under-developed countries...

When it comes to developed countries though, the story might change a bit. For example, in Japan, anyone fluent in English (not only native speakers) can easily find part-time jobs teaching, which might pay 20 to 30 dollars per hour. It's only a matter of patience to find students (the website www.findateacher.com helps a lot of people)... Also, since they love foreign faces, if you are persistent enough you can get a job as an extra on movies or TV shows, which pay relatively well... I had a friend who managed to live only with the English teaching and the TV thing, not only in Japan but also in India...

So yeah, of course it depends on where you are... If you go to a place where the locals themselves are in trouble, it's unlikely that you will manage to do much better without proper planning. I guess the best you can do is wait to be deported =P

Hope it helped =)

Side: be deported