Would you take a 2-3 year hiatus from gun ownership for a lot of money?

[atek3]

In 2008 I graduate from grad school, and most of the really lucrative job offers for the kinds of careers i'm thinking about would involve relocating to NYC, boston, london, dubai. hong kong, or shanghai. Don't get me wrong, I'm a through and through gun nut. But 3 years in a place like shanghai would basically give me the resume needed to live anywhere, and plus I'd make enough money to buy all the guns I'll need... for life.

Seems like a classic question of time preference... do I trade current enjoyment for a lot of future enjoyment...

Any recommendations? I hear BB IPSC is pretty big in HK and the UK, at least I could practice a lot, maybe shoot my guns when I come home on vacation?

atek3

 

[Third_Rail]

Well, what's your safety worth?


Rather, what's it worth to you to be able to secure your own safety and not have to rely on others?

 

[BigFatKen]

move

But make sure you can pay the rent for a nice place.

A friend once made $12,000/yr in South Milwaukee. His rent was maybe $200.
He was offfered a job in Chicago at $20,000. He would have to pay $1000 rent/ mo for the same kind of place. A net loss and a harder job.

Look before you leap. When I lived in west Bradenton, FL, I shot very little for four years. But I carried so I always a friend.

Another friend lived in Janesville, Wi. He shot a lot and turned down a job in Boston. Mistake. In a downsize, his next job offer was in CA.

He is the guy I have mensioned as living in Los Banos (the toilet)

 

[atek3]

safety always weighs in my consideration, but for the purposes of this exercise, take safety out of the equation.

atek3

 

[EmGeeGeorge]

yes.

 

[Geno]

No, not for love nor for money!

No, not for love nor for money! The problem is not face-value of not owning firearms. It's not being able to defend yourself. Having lived over-seas, I know fact-firm that foreigners are frequent targets for theft and violence. There are plenty of good-paying jobs where guns are allowed. Also, higher pay, higher tax, higher cost of living. In the end, I'll bet you break even or worse, come up shorter of funds. Re: the experience? Sure, great point. Again, it's available state-side in safe, gun-friendly areas.

Doc2005

 

[atek3]

the way I see the safety is like this. Suppose your company offered you 3,000 dollars a week to not wear your seat belt for 3 years when you were the driver. I don't know about you but I'd probably take it. Sure I'd adjust my behavior, fly more often, take taxis, get rides, buy a volvo, avoid driving in chaotic environments, but I think the same idea applies to guns. If I lived in a place with no guns, I'd go back to training martial arts, I'd carry whatever weapons were still legal, I'd avoid bad areas, etc. etc.
I mean, seriously, when was the last time you read about a young professional american getting fatally injured in a mugging in hong kong, shanghai, dubai, etc. ?

atek3

 

[psyopspec]

I would do it, particularly for the foreign living experience. Life is fragile and short - that's why I carry in the first place. It's also why I'll occasionally go outside of my comfort zone for the purposes of making the most of it.

 

[dfaugh]

If you truly think the monetary value of these positions (but it would need to be substantial) will outweigh the temporary loss of being armed, I'd do it. BUT, learn some martial arts, before and during.

I know this is a gun board, but I think too many people here rely on being armed for self-defense, and assume that these are the best/only options available. I don't know anywhere in the world (and I've been a few places) where they don't teach the martial arts.

 

[pcosmar]

Your primary weapon is between your ears. I have been un-armed for 26 years (my own fault) and I have lived and traveled many cities.Portland Or. Miami, Detriot Etc. It can be done.
BTW, I am 5,8' and 145lb. and no bad-a**. just stay smart.

 

[Euclidean]

Well, how are you any worse off than I am? I've a job where I am forbidden to carry and I live in Texas, a place regarded world wide as having great gun laws! And this isn't a guaranteed temporary thing for me, nor am I getting paid any sort of money to be subjected to these conditions.

Fight for your rights wherever you are, and do what you've got to do. Human dignity is in peril across the globe. It should not matter where you live or what you do as far as determining your civil rights, but the way of the world is that it does matter. We know this is of course evil, but fighting or creating evil is the crux of our existence. Maybe your experience can help us create more people in the world who will think about their natural rights as humans and begin to demand them.

 

[Abby]

In a heartbeat. If I were in your shoes, though, only for the opportunity to live and work overseas.

I've been out of high school for ten years, and I've spent....[thinking]...probably four of those years outside the U.S. The experience of travel is fundamental.

We gun people get a little worked up about this stuff, but the chances you'll die because you don't have a firearm in any given 2 or 3 year period are very low (unless you're doing something insane, and it doesn't sound like you are). We all take chances in life. Some of them are worth it. Some are not.

I wish I knew how to do links, but LawDog posted a wonderful entry on the combat mindset on his blog recently that applies.
http://thelawdogfiles.blogspot.com/2006_10_01_thelawdogfiles_archive.html

Hey! Apparently I DO know how to do links!

 

[MyRoad]

We all die eventually, in the mean time, you have to live. I say go for it. If you step back and imagine your whole life, this opportunity could open doors that effect the quality of years of living. When you're on your death bed, I doubt you'll say "I should have watched more TV, and I should have bought more guns" -- but you might say, "I should have lived in Shanghai when I had the chance!"

When I moved to Oregon, there was a six month waiting period as I established residency before I could apply for a CCW. Should I not have moved here because I was forced to go unarmed for six months? I actually learned a lot during that time. Safety is 99% perspective.

Just my humble opinion.

 

[Stainless Chili]

Sure. Sell your stuff or plant a lock box / gun safe at a relatives house.

Enjoy the world. Return and buy the guns the want, and even a few that you need.

= = = = = = = = = = = = =

He is the guy I have mensioned as living in Los Banos (the toilet)

Ugg! I've passed through several times. LB is the terminus of a test drainage system for the San Joiquin Valley. It didn't work, though. The saline groundwater created a dead zone. To the East is Merced, where Stone's Gun Shop is having problems. Further to the east are the foothills of the sierra Nevada mountains.

 

[twoblink]

Ironically,

If you look "white or black", you have a VERY GOOD chance of making A LOT OF MONEY in Asia.

Me, I look asian (that's because I am!!) and I speak fluent English. But I am at a great disadvantage, because even though I might be as skilled or more skilled, nobody here in Taiwan cares..

They want someone who "looks white". We have a bunch of Canadians here who were bums and squatters in Canada, but they live like kings here, because they look white.

It never ceases to amaze me, the amount of Racial discrimination that occurs not only in Taiwan, but in Hong Kong and China as well; against Chinese people.

If my wife teaches English, she gets paid about $10 an hour. If a guy that looks white teaches English, regardless of his English abilities; he will be paid $25 an hour or up.

Also..

"Saving money" in Asia is excellent, so long as you spend it in Asia.

My rent is $275 a month, my total expenses here in Taiwan per month is about $1000 for rent, utilities, food, and entertainment for both myself and my wife. Sounds great right? But understand, the average secretary here makes about $800 a month.

So it's "relative". Making money in the states and spending it here is great... Doesn't work that well the other way around.

any questions you want to ask, feel free to PM me.

If you decide to come to Taiwan, let me know, I can try to explain the lay of the land for you..

My feelings about Taiwan? But for the fact I have family, friends, and my wife here, I'd move out tomorrow. The people are horrible, and it's a bit like the old West, might makes right. Nobody cares about logic nor right from wrong. They ask two questions:

1) Who do you know? (Networking)
2) Can you kick my ass?

The person with the most to lose, loses here in Asia. Just FYI. The people here have no concept of hygiene, nor manners.

''blink

 

[atek3]

hey twoblink, tell us what you really think

atek3

 

[biere]

Your education has taken a lot of time and money to create.

To some extent this oppurtunity would be a similar investment, you will learn all sorts of stuff and as mentioned it looks good on that resume thing.

I do want to know if you are thinking it will pay you all sorts of money while you are doing it, or are you saying it will let you make more money during the rest of your career?

If you are saying it pays more immediately I think a lot of that will be chewed up in living expenses, clothing expenses, food expenses, and all the other stuff that comes with travel and life far from home.

If you are saying it will help you be worth more long term, that I would agree with and that is the only reason I would even consider it.

I personally would stay in the USA just because I have traveled a little bit when I was younger and I figured out quickly I am more at home in the woods than in london or some other place.

But then again you have set your education to lead you to this fork in the road. So to me I figure you will always be wondering what would have happened if you turn this oppurtunity down.

I have a relative who went to new york for a summer internship between her junior and senior years of college. Big company, paid her a whole lot for that summer, she learned so much about life as well as what that sort of job is like that it was well worth it.

All the money she made was chewed up in living expenses, caring for clothes and knowing her, buying a few more "business" outfits. They paid her enough she was not homeless, but they did not pay her enough that she was living the easy life.

Basically that summer taught her she won't be one of the cut throats in new york making the big money and spending the big money.

But it looks good on that resume thing, it is something she will never wonder about in the future, and she feels it was well worth it to see that part of the world and how some of the really really big companies do things.

Guns are not everything as others have said. But money is also not everything.

 

[strambo]

I'd do it, besides out of everybody who says "don't" how many do you think actually carry nearly 24/7? Maybe they do, this is THR...I'd love to but my civilian jobs didn't allow it and car break ins are common. That means 5 days per week I'm not armed to, from or at work. Probably the same for many folks in states with great gun laws...like mine.

Two years is nothing, it will go by quick and be a great experience. If you have good common sense and awareness, you'll be fine. In Iraq I had plenty of guns, grenades...but who cares? The primary threat was a car bomb...can't shoot that from inside an armored sedan. We stayed alive by thinking and avoiding trouble (and some luck) and never fired a shot. Singapore is the one big city (actually more a city-state ) I've been in that I would feel perfectly safe without any firearms. Can you get a job there? Not that I wouldn't want firearms...just there crime would really fall off the list of reasons. Terrorism perhaps, I know Al Queda has cased the place, seen the surveillance footage.

 

[Combat-wombat]

Contrary to the idea one can get from reading these forums too much, there's way more to life than guns. Plenty of people survive just fine without 'em.

It sounds like this would be a prudent decision to make, and it's better to look at the bigger picture. Do whatever you feel will enhance your life the most.

 

[Eightball]

1) Who do you know? (Networking)
2) Can you kick my ass?

Two good questions to ask anyone you meet, no matter where you live .

 

[gezzer]

No life is to short and I learned a long time ago MOney is not the best thing, enjoying life is.

Eightball, love your sig Thanks!!

 

[hillbilly]

When I was a lot younger, there would have been a lot of things I would have done and put up with to get a "bunch" of money.

Now that I am a bit older, I would not be near as willing to do something just because of the money I "might" make.

I am old enough to realize that life is very short, and that we get one trip around in this world.

I am a lot less likely to spend time doing things that I don't like or care to do, but that would make me some money, than I am to spend time doing things that I love to do, being with people I love to be with, doing things that I am interested in doing.

If you want and desire to go live overseas and experience a new culture, and think it would be fun, do it.

However, if you are going to do this ONLY for the money that you might wind up making, then I'd say going over there will only become something you will regret, as you will not be able to get the time back.

hillbilly

 

[browningguy]

I have, went to England for 5 years and basically could only have a shotgun.

I'd be careful about the money also, I do a lot of business in KL, Shanghai, London etc. and those places are not cheap to maintain any decent lifestyle. As far as NY, my oldest daughter finished grad. school and moved there, 490 Sq. Ft. apartment is $1850 per month in Soho.

And very few people actually save much money, there is just so much to see and do that you wind up spending it. My wife loved to catch the weekend trips to Amsterdam, on 199 GBP for a weekend with room, but going to the diamond cutting district sure was expensive.

 

[Eightball]

Eightball, love your sig Thanks!!

NP, man. I also love my sig, thanks for the line .

 

[ETXhiker]

NYC, boston, london, dubai. hong kong, or shanghai.

Hmmm...
NYC, Boston - Maybe if the money is right.

London - Oh, yes, yes. Gun laws are idiotic, but London rocks.

Dubai - My wife went there on a six month assignment, lasted three weeks and got the heck out of there. Might be better for a man, but I wouldn't go there unless the money was outrageous. Probably dangerous for a non-Muslim.

Hong Kong or Shanghai - Sounds like it might be a cool experience.

I consider the limited foreign travel I've done (Russia, England, South Africa) to be some of the richest and memorable experiences of my life. I'd be very tempted if offered a good job in such interesting places.