I love the fact that you are not fake instagramming your new life. While there are many enviable adventures along the way I do appreciate the hard knock stories, too. Especially when I see your resilience and how you always manage to come out in a good way.
I envy you many things: a fabulous apartment in a fabulous city that you will make all your own literally from the studs up. Your exercise commitment despite setbacks, your wife’s vegan cooking and party extravaganzas.
Your Malaysia trip least of all. We spent some time there (do go to our blog for a few posts) and weren’t terribly impressed. The tea plantations were a bust, very very touristy. In fact we were often time very shocked by the amount of trash on beaches. We did like the city murals. I am sure you will find great food, because you always do.
Thanks! My instagram itself looks pretty idyllic. But this newsletter is about adulting, which is the real side of all this business. Porto is a dream, but not every dream is without its dark corners.
Sad to hear you didn't have a great time in Malaysia. We have done Borneo and loved seeing some pretty insane wildlife but were sad to see how fucked it was from all the palm oil plantations. I think that these days it's hard to avoid trash on the beaches anywhere in that region, because there's just so much trash in the ocean there. Bali was a nightmare for that. We are excited to unlock the peninsula and see what it has to offer!
At least good food hopefully!
Thanks for the kind words as always. And for sharing your Malaya post!
Dear Don, we've never met, but I follow your substack. I do hope all those "lost in translation" issues come to an end. It has been difficult these late years between owners/architetcts/builders here in Porto(gal) ;)
I live between Douro valley and VNGaia, so let's try to meet someday. I may be helpful in those connections. Cheers! Filipe
Thanks for the note, Filipe! Lost in translation is definitely a natural thing for immigrants working in a new system in a language they're still learning. We're definitely happy with our builder and our architect (who is a good friend). But surprises are born in the gap between expectations and reality. We are learning quickly from the school of hard knocks. I'm sure they're just as frustrated with us as we are with them. Ha!
I would be more than happy to meet up some time. We are in downtown Porto and don't have a car, so it would have to be on the train line or close by.
I love the fact that you are not fake instagramming your new life. While there are many enviable adventures along the way I do appreciate the hard knock stories, too. Especially when I see your resilience and how you always manage to come out in a good way.
I envy you many things: a fabulous apartment in a fabulous city that you will make all your own literally from the studs up. Your exercise commitment despite setbacks, your wife’s vegan cooking and party extravaganzas.
Your Malaysia trip least of all. We spent some time there (do go to our blog for a few posts) and weren’t terribly impressed. The tea plantations were a bust, very very touristy. In fact we were often time very shocked by the amount of trash on beaches. We did like the city murals. I am sure you will find great food, because you always do.
Thanks! My instagram itself looks pretty idyllic. But this newsletter is about adulting, which is the real side of all this business. Porto is a dream, but not every dream is without its dark corners.
Sad to hear you didn't have a great time in Malaysia. We have done Borneo and loved seeing some pretty insane wildlife but were sad to see how fucked it was from all the palm oil plantations. I think that these days it's hard to avoid trash on the beaches anywhere in that region, because there's just so much trash in the ocean there. Bali was a nightmare for that. We are excited to unlock the peninsula and see what it has to offer!
At least good food hopefully!
Thanks for the kind words as always. And for sharing your Malaya post!
Dear Don, we've never met, but I follow your substack. I do hope all those "lost in translation" issues come to an end. It has been difficult these late years between owners/architetcts/builders here in Porto(gal) ;)
I live between Douro valley and VNGaia, so let's try to meet someday. I may be helpful in those connections. Cheers! Filipe
Thanks for the note, Filipe! Lost in translation is definitely a natural thing for immigrants working in a new system in a language they're still learning. We're definitely happy with our builder and our architect (who is a good friend). But surprises are born in the gap between expectations and reality. We are learning quickly from the school of hard knocks. I'm sure they're just as frustrated with us as we are with them. Ha!
I would be more than happy to meet up some time. We are in downtown Porto and don't have a car, so it would have to be on the train line or close by.