I have recently posted some photos (here, here, and here) I took of graffiti while in Spain (which seem to be very popular according to Google Images), so here is yet another. This one was taken in Tarifa, Spain, which is at the southern tip of the country. From the location where this photo was taken, you can see Morocco and Africa in the distance across the Strait of Gibraltar, and to the west is the Atlantic Ocean, and to the east is Mediterranean. The graffiti isn't what makes this picture for me, it is really the location that makes this one special. Both of these photos were taken around the same time, but with different camera settings.

See more photos of Tarifa here

Graffiti, Tarifa, Spain - looking towards Morocco

Graffiti, Tarifa, Spain - looking towards Morocco

Graffiti, Tarifa, Spain - taken in sunset mode

Graffiti, Tarifa, Spain - taken in sunset mode
See more photos of Tarifa here

You may be interested in travel related shopping.

Related Links:
Tarifa, Spain
Tangier, Morocco
A day trip to Gibraltar
More graffiti pics
Ocean Beach Graffiti, San Diego, California

Labels: graffiti, photos, spain, tarifa, travel

Disclaimer: I should preface this article by saying that I do not currently have the job I love. This is really an article based on my thoughts, and one that can hopefully one day help me.

The situation

Perfect hit - Photo credit cloud_nineThe situation I seem to perpetually be in is one where my job is tolerable and pays decently with decent benefits, however I know that it is not the right place for me to be. In today's economy, conventional wisdom seems to say you should stick with something that is decent, however I don't necessarily agree with that. Sure, people are out of work and some would do anything for a job, but does that mean I have to tolerate something I don't enjoy? I'm not talking about walking out on a job, I'm just talking about actively pursuing something better. What inevitably happens with me is that I look for months and months at job listings, but I know that all would simply be lateral moves, just a band aid so to speak. And again, conventional wisdom says a job is a job, but quite honestly in my opinion conventional wisdom has never made people truly happy, it's the out of the box thinking that seems to reap the rewards. So what I want is to push my limits and find the "right" job rather than just another job that will fizzle after a year or so.

My predicament
By training I am a software engineer. I truly do not mind doing this work. What I mind is the mindset that seems to come along with most typical corporate environments. The need to keep producing and work more hours, without a concern of management for employees' personal lives. From my experience, most places that are corporate seem to expect that everyone should want to work as much as possible, to suck every last ounce of productivity out of their days. And if they are really productive, they simply get more work rather than a pat on the back for a job well done and some time off. And when it comes to time off, though I am lucky to get a generous four weeks, I also am sort of forced to implicitly think that this is enough, that most people get less thus I am lucky. And when I use it, rather than a "enjoy your time off, you deserve it", I get the wiseass comments like "Who approved this?" or am made to feel like I am getting more than I should. What it must be like to work somewhere where management treat everyone fairly and actually care about your personal life! On top of this, it seems that corporate environments seem to breed negativity, something of which I am guilty of participating in more than I care to admit. I have had two co-workers leave the company, one to attempt to start a coffee cart, and another to open a pet business, and both were not sent off with well wishes, but were chastised behind their back for doing so.


So what do you/I want?

My job - Photo credit estonMost people seem to accept the status quo, and that if things are decent that is as good as they can or will get. So as in my situation, many people say that I should be lucky or thankful to have what I have (which I truly am), but at the same time I don't think just because everyone else accepts something as a "success" that I should have to feel the same way. Sure, things could be a lot worse, I could have bad co-workers, worse bosses, less vacation, a more rigid schedule with longer hours, the list goes on, but does this excempt me from having my own lofty goals or ambitions? Just because everyone else accepts certains things doesn't mean we all have to. Certain lives work for certain people, but not everyone sees things the same way. Because most people barely even get paid time off does that mean I should start believing that two weeks is great? No, I still firmly belive that everyone should get 4 to 6 weeks paid time off.

So what do I want? Quite simply, I want to work somewhere that I can apply my specific skill set to help make the world a better place. Sitting in a cubilce writing code for Company X doesn't feed that criteria. A company or organization that can harness my skills and directly apply them to making the world a better place. And to surround myself with people who feel the same thing and care about work and life, and not just work. People who can share in life outside of work as friends and who can separate the need to work with the need to enjoy life, and who can inspire you to be a better person, and not just a better worker.


Where to look?

I heart my job - Photo credit cobalt123So we have now reached the point where I don't have any answers. The run of the mill job boards like Montster and Career Builder seem to be corporate breeding grounds, looking for more drones. Craigslist seems to be a bit better for interesting opportunities, but Craigslist is also notorious for surfacing people who are flakes. I don't know if that extends into the job postings as well, but I can say for sure there are always a lot of start up opportunities on there, which typically don't pay. So for this question, I don't have a good answer for where to look for your perfect job. I suppose it depends what you are looking for. I am starting to really believe that I can look and look and will never find my perfect job, I think one day it will find me. Good old networking probably is the best way to find the perfect job.

Is it possible in today's economy?
I believe it is, yes. The economy may be bad and people may be getting laid off, but if you are a self starter the claim is that economic down times can be one of the best times to start a new enterprise. You just have to know where to look for your niche. And regardless, even though times are bad when I browse the help wanted sections there are plenty of opportunities.

What do you think?
Share your thoughts. Where are the best places to look for extraordinary jobs? Are those jobs still out there right now? Are good employees staying put?

You may be interested in Idealist Cafe recommended books.

Labels: 9to5, how-to, inspiration, lifestyle, personal development, work

In typical internet fashion, I found one thing and followed a link, then followed another, then another, which somehow landed me a million miles away from where I started.

It all began when I finally decided to sign up for twitter. There are a select few bloggers who I follow regularly, so I decided I may as well follow their twitter too. I think they all use it properly and will not overwhelm me... So anyway, I'm reading Timothy Ferriss' latest Tweets and see one where he posted a list of the most expensive keywords. I have to say, while on the one hand I am quite surprised, on the other I am not shocked at all. I had figured the most expensive would be travel related or vacation related. But as it turns out some of the most expensive keywords are related to law, lawyers, and dui.

At upwards of $50 per click were the keywords settlements, loans, mesothelioma (who would think of that? not me!), and dui. Of course there are a bunch of variations, but even funnier is the one for mesothelioma lawyers san diego. Do that many people need this sort of help??

Interesting information there...

Labels: keywords, random, seo

I just finished adding a page about my travels in Granada, Spain. Here is an excerpt:


View from hotel looking up to la AlhambraGranada is a great city, and there is plenty to see and do there. Of course visiting la Alhambra is necessary, but there is quite a bit of other sightseeing to do as well. I was able to see pretty much la Alhambra in its entirety in one day, but it involved a lot of walking. If you are willing to walk it is even accessible by foot from the city. From the main plaza in town you can just walk up the hill for probably 20 minutes or so and you are there. I did learn that it is easiest to buy tickets for entry online, otherwise you have to wait in line and you risk the possibility of not even getting in, since they limit the number of tickets per day. I arrived mid morning, waiting in line for probably 45 minutes, but still had plenty of time."


View from hotel looking up to la AlhambraOnce you are done with la Alhambra, you can get to eating, drinking, and people watching. There are great kebab and showarma shops, and most bars serve free tapas with each drink that you order. If you're into people watching, it appears that Granada is quite a bohemian city, at least by my western standards. I saw a lot of hippie-ish looking people, which was quite interesting against the Moorish and Moroccan backdrop which seemed prevalent in the city. All in all, it was quite a fun time, and I would certainly like to go back at some point.

Read more here.

You may be interested in travel shopping.

Related Links:
Granada Photos

Labels: granada, photos, spain, travel

I am a frequent reader of Chris Guillebeau over at The Art of Non Comformity. He seems to be a good guy and have some great advice on unconventional life strategies. I read enough, actually maybe too much, about personal development and non conventional living, so sometimes I just skim a lot of these articles. I am at a point in my life where I know what I need to know to make a change, now it's up to me to finally put into action what I have been reading for the past few years. For some reason I just can't seem to get over the invisible hump I am facing. There are times when I am flowing with ideas, inspiration, and creativity, yet at other times I get down on myself and wonder what the heck I am doing. During these times, the inspiration fades and I find myself cursing these people whos websites I follow, wondering how they've made it happen while I seem to be running in place.

Anyway, when I read this latest post over at The Art of Non Comformity, it was truly inspirational to me. It was the first time in reading his blog that he shared a lot the struggles he's been having as of late. Not that I am happy he is struggling and second guessing himself, but seeing someone who in my eyes has been rather successful strugglimg with issues tht are similiar to what I and we all face each day makes him a bit more of an inspiration. So head over there and check him out.

Also, a new motto to live by?

I just finished reading Ayn Rand's We The Living, which lead me to do some research about Rand herself. During that time I stumbled onto a quote of hers which I'd like to make me new motto.

The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.

Labels: fear, inspiration, personal development, unconventional living

At home and when I'm out I always try to avoid wasting plastic bags, and actually I try to not even use them when possible. But when I do get them, I always re-use or return them to the store for recycling. I can not ever bring myself to throw an empty plastic bag into another plastic bag, which is usually lining the trash!

In my office, each desk has a trash can, and each trash can is lined with a plastic bag. Well, recently I realized that if I put anything into the trash at my desk, even just a tiny little piece of trash, that it gets replaced at night by the cleaning crew. It just seems so wasteful to replace that bag every night, especially when I work so hard to avoid ever throwing out plastic bags.

So here is my tip for all you office workers who are trying to be green. Rather than put your trash into your own bin at your desk, use a community trash in a kitchen or break room. That way your personal trash will never get dumped and you will save one bag per day!

Labels: 9to5, tips, trash

Today I had the pleasant surprise of stumbling upon a flower delivery company that specializes in organic and sustainable flower bouquets. I will admit that I am not a huge fan of commercialized holidays such as Valentine's Day, however when it comes down to it I still do these silly things that you're supposed to do when you are in a loving relationship. So needless to say, as I was browsing Google to see what my options were for the big day, I saw this site, Organic Bouquets, which stuck out when surrounded by the others; FTD, 1800flowers, and ProFlowers.

Knowing quite a bit about the organic market, I assumed that these flowers would be pricier than the other sites, however I was proven wrong. The selection was just as good, and when it came to prices and shipping they were very competitive.

Also, it appears as they are the real deal. They are organic, eco-friendly, and socially responsible, all the way from the flowers and growing methods to the packaging to their offerings of carbon offsets. I even saw that some of the flowers are grown right here in California, and others are certified Fair Trade.

To be quite honest I was going to go with whatever company could offer me the best deal, but when the price matching came down the less than $1, with all the environmental and sustainable perks of this company, they won me as a customer. I realize the best way to go is to go local, and support local business, but on a holiday like Valentine's I really just want to go with convenience, and this saves me from tracking down a local farm or florist farm can provide the same organic flowers for the same price with close to the same convenience.

Take a look at the company to learn more.

Labels: flowers, organic, valentine's day

Excerpt from my travel section about my day trip to Tangier, Morocco from Spain:





Medina stalls in Tangier, Morocco
During my trip to Spain, one of the things that I wanted to do was a day trip to Morocco. I had really wanted to make a few days of it and head to Rabat and Marrakesh, but I didn't have the time so I stuck with the day trip. I had also heard good things about Tarifa, Spain, so after my stay in Granada I went to Tarifa where I was able to get a fast ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar into Tangier. The other option was to go to Algeciras, Spain, and take the ferry from there, but apparently there's not much to see there which is what made me pick Tarifa.


Prior to my trip I found a lot of confusing information about the trip to Tangier, but I will say that it is a piece of cake. From Tarifa it was about 60 Euros for a round trip ticket. You simply walk into the terminal and buy your ticket and you're on the next boat to Africa! There is only one terminal, and one boat which leaves hourly if I remember correctly. Keep in mind that there is a one or two hour time difference between the two countries, and also try to get an early start so you don't find yourself in Tangier after dark. Make sure you have your passport, and prepare for some serious culture shock. On the boat you can get your entry stamp in your passport which allows you to walk right off the boat and into the city. Some people seemed to say not to do it on the boat, but I did and I was able to get right off and go on my way -- in fact it looked like people who hadn't gotten their passport stamped on the boat were turned around and had to go back and get one.



View of Tangier, Morocco entering ferry terminalThere are official guides right at the port who are supposedly licensed to give tours, if that's your thing, I would recommend going with one of them, otherwise prepare to be bombarded by locals who want to sell you things and give you "official" tours. With a prepared head and some self confidence I walked right by the guides and headed right into the medina. But that didn't last long, as I soon saw how skilled these people are at making you second guess yourself. In retrospect I should have stuck with my instincts, but being a newbie in the city and trying to find my way around while having these touts tell me I wouldn't be safe and would only find my way with their help, my confidence was lowered and I "accidentally" ended up with someone showing me around. Of course, after 10 minutes he tried to charge me an arm and a leg and threatened me. I promptly gave him the equivalent of about 2 euros -- about 80% less than he wanted -- and quickly lost him.


If I went again, I probably would do the same thing, with the exception of letting myself get suckered by the touts. Other than that one incident I had no problem with feeling unsafe, in fact after I lost him I soon befriended a few day trippers from Mexico and we had a great afternoon. I then spent the last hour alone again, and had no problems. The locals are very adept at finding people straight off the ferry who have yet to find their bearings. If you can get through that you should really be able to enjoy your trip. Even if you don't know where you are, pretend that you do and whatever you do, don't tell anyone it's your first trip to Tangier!


In an afternoon there isn't a whole lot to do other than wander around, laugh a little, and maybe try your hand at bargaining. Just remember that these people making their living doing what they do, and don't feel pressured. Also, even
though you will probably feel lost, trust your intuition because you most likely won't get lost. You may temporarily lose your bearings, but most roads and alleys lead to someone where you can catch your bearings.


Some highlights for me where getting lost in the medina, having lunch in the Petit Socco with my new friends, the Grand Socco, the Kasbah, and heading further away from the medina where I was able to catch a look at the "real" Tangier that most day trippers don't see.



Read the entire post and see the photos here


Related Links:
My Travels
Morocco Travel Photos

Labels: morocco, photos, tangier, travel