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safety of home

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by txsportsscribe, Nov 28, 2008.

  1. txsportsscribe

    txsportsscribe Active Member

    i'm curious, for anyone here who was considering the jukarta, indonesia, job (or any other in a spot far away from the security blanket of the good ol' usa), has what is happening right now in india changed your mind about working around the globe?

    i can understand some journalists' lure of covering a war zone but at least in those cases, there appears to be at least a modicum of security with the u.s. military there, but there's no way i'd want to be somewhere that terrorist attackers are looking for american citizens to kill or take hostage and you're pretty much on your own.
     
  2. Songbird

    Songbird Well-Known Member

    I've thought about that, about the "security of being on American soil" and such. I still threw my hat into the Jakarta ring. I'm not sure there's really a safe zone anywhere anymore, even here. You never know if terror cells are in Dubuque or Toledo or College Station or State College or Sheboygan or San Diego waiting to be activated. You could be at the supermarket tomorrow and boom goes the dynamite. Even if you took out the terror cell equation, plenty of homegrown crazies here who don't give a shit about the sanctity of life and will take out groups of people anytime, anyplace.

    So, you just live for the moment and try not to worry about that which you cannot control.
     
  3. wicked

    wicked Well-Known Member

    I was in Northern Ireland not long ago. My dad, a Catholic, was raised in a mostly Protestant neighborhood and lived there at the onset of The Troubles.

    My belief always has been, don't do/say anything stupid, and know your surroundings. I wasn't gonna wear an orange sweatshirt while walking down the Falls Road. Sometimes you're not lucky; your number has come up. But in general, keep your eyes open and you'll be fine.
     
  4. wicked

    wicked Well-Known Member

    And I really, really hope Oklahoma City eliminated any shred of security that anyone would have about being on "U.S. soil," since that's probably the last place (other than Sheboygan) that one could envision terrorists striking.
     
  5. txsportsscribe

    txsportsscribe Active Member

    maybe it's an age thing, too. were i still in my 20s or maybe even 30s, i would've considered the jakarta job but in my mid-40s i'm just too old. i agree that there may not be any safe zones left anywhere but when you hear the terrorists were searching out americans and brits, that's a bit scary.
     
  6. Songbird

    Songbird Well-Known Member

    They could do it in your neighborhood, too.

    And you're not too old for Jakarta. Throw your name into the mix and see what happens.
     
  7. TrooperBari

    TrooperBari Well-Known Member

    Considered it, took it, living here now. What happened in India is definite food for thought, no question. Like Xan said, though, where in the world are you going to go that's truly "safe"? Even Singapore has crime nowadays.

    For me, it was pretty simple. I want to see the world, and I want to stay in journalism. Indonesia and India are two of the few markets where print journalism is actually growing, so I took a chance and signed on with a start-up. My friends and family think I'm nuts, of course, but they've known that for years. India wasn't an option for me, mostly because I know feck all about cricket.

    If I wanted to stay safe and comfy, I would've stayed at my hometown paper or put down roots when I had a gig in Hawaii. As it is, I'll happily trade in that notion of security for years of new experiences in Asia, Africa, Europe or wherever the winds take me and let my younger siblings worry about giving our parents grandchildren.
     
  8. Kamaki

    Kamaki Member

    Fear not, Trooper, living as an ex-pat gives one plenty of opportunities to give parents some grandchildren.

    However, the likelihood that you or they will ever see such children is questionable.
     
  9. KJIM

    KJIM Well-Known Member

    I feel safer in my community here in the middle of Muslim Morocco than I did in my neighborhood near Detroit.

    I'll turn 40 during my service here, and I'm considering staying on another year. My plans also include taking the Foreign Service test and applying for jobs with USAid and Peace Corps. I definitely like the international thing and hope to stay abroad for 5-10 more years.

    Please don't tell my parents.
     
  10. TrooperBari

    TrooperBari Well-Known Member

    Thank you for encouragement (?), but one of the trade-offs for being a desk editor at this start-up is 6-day, 60-hour weeks. Between that and my non-existent Bahasa, there will be no social life for the forseeable future.
     
  11. Mark2010

    Mark2010 Active Member

    So, in general, is it what you thought it would be? Do you like it thus far?

    Are you hauling in serious coin for all your sacrifices?
     
  12. TrooperBari

    TrooperBari Well-Known Member

    Serious coin ... you're a funny guy, Mark. ;) I actually took a $5,000/yr. pay cut to come here, but I get to keep a great deal more of what I make thanks to a friendly exchange rate and cheap cost of living.

    It's pretty much as I expected — utter chaos and constant growing pains while building something that looks like it could survive, and thrive, for quite some time. I'd be able to enjoy it more with another set of capable hands, but it beats anything I'd be able to do in the US at this point in my career.
     
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