Thanks for the great, informative reply. I was a bit confused about the identity of SteemEducation, so thanks too for clarifying that. It definitely seems like I should look into it and take advantage of it. I'll also check out SteemStem.
As for discord, I'm also not a chat person. A bit too "millenial" for me, and the few times I went on, I did not find it very helpful. Maybe it is for others, but I'm content to communicate by the main Steemit channel.
p.s. Just minutes ago, my upvote reached $2.00! Woohoo! In celebration, I'm passing that amount on to the first Steemian worthy of it. In gratitude and in hope of further success for all.
WooHoo! I cannot thank you enough. I am not in SE Asia throwing money around - I am here because it is cheap. And in this crazy time - that $2 might be worth enough to pay the rent next month.
And in return you can have my 40% SEVEN CENTS! I feel so impressed with myself, but my power is weak since I'm just voting like crazy today.
Definitely lurk in those tags and make friends. You will see quite a number of people getting good regular payouts. Why I have not gotten all my notes and started posting things like "Intro to Macro Economics" is a mystery. I was teaching at the Master's Level and must have 50 courses on my various drives.
I'm glad to meet another non-chatter. It kills me that so many are in there talking away when they should be out here commenting!
Back at cha! For the past 5 years, I was working in Singapore (only as an editor, not as a well-paid exec or salesman or any position like that), so I managed to save a bit. And that's why I'm living here, cuz if I went back to Canada and tried to live on my savings, I'd be dead (broke!) in a few years.
Here, I can live for a few years, and if my small handfuls of cryptos and precious metals appreciate in value to the expected levels, maybe I can afford to live here for a century or more. (Not sure if my math is correct ...) And if I can support / assist any others who deserve or need it, I am pleased and fulfilled.
I'll lurk in those bright corners, after I update my files for coming posts. Much thanks.
Chatting is chatter. Quite pointless and insignificant. Good only for the ego, ergo NOT GOOD. (That sentence turned out nice!)
Further upvotes on this comment stream are now strictly forbidden, and will be dealt with harshly. Cheers for now.
lol - And my vote is so high now. I was on a roll- awake too long and finally passed out. I'm going over to freewrite and upvote some of my friends on that tag.
The only need I can see for chat is something like technical discussions where "real people" would not be interested or would be led astray by not understanding what is going on. But here they are like party rooms - lets all go get drunk and we'll post on steemit if we need to have a fight and downvote each other. Such a waste!
You are in Singapore? That's one I have not gotten to as I heard it was very expensive?? North America is a loss right now, bad food, police state, bad economy and mean people. I'm so glad I'm out and recommend anyone to leave.
No. I was in Singapore from 2012 till July this year. Yes, it's fairly expensive (particularly rent, car, alcohol and tobacco), but one can also find great cheap food everywhere, taxis and public transportation is cheap.
It gets quite a few tourists, but I don't see the attraction. On the other hand, it's an all round great place to live. But only if you're making money.
My home country of Canada is OK, but its economy will tank along with the US / EU / Japan economies in 2018 or so. I'm sure the entire world will suffer from the coming crash, but countries such as these in SE Asia are still growing, and they have much more cohesive societies than in the west, so I believe they might survive relatively unscathed, and hopefully thrive.
The sense of family and community is very striking to me here. They work in "gangs." Every task has 4 employees plus onlookers. Back in the states it's every man for himself. In my first hotel in the first week, the cleaning ladies were in the elevator riding up and down for about an hour scrubbing like crazy with toothbrushes and so happy! I had to keep going up and down and they were just thrilled to see me each time and got out to give me room when I had a big load of junk I was taking up.
I used to be in management and I was thinking of who I could have ever convinced to do this job - and so happily! It was one of my shocking moments here, as is entering a 711 at 3 am and finding 10 people thrilled to be tearing the place apart to scrub it and greeting me like their long-lost cousin.
Yep. Just a brief reply. I find that most people thru-out SE Asia tend to be rather cheerful and content, REGARDLESS of the circumstances of their lives. Many of them earn minimal incomes, and of course, they might try every day to sell more goods or somehow earn more money.
But that is secondary. If the money does not come today or ever, it's hardly a matter of any great concern to them. (And they don't have maxed-out credit cards.)
They work happily, they relax happily, and they live happily. More cheer to them!