Mods, please delete if not allowed, but I'm interested in buying one of these and can't find a used one in my area. Please feel free to DM if you have one and are interested in talking. Thanks!
Hello all,
I'm looking into somewhere in southern France where I could spend roughly 3 months. The idea is essentially a winter retreat in which I will quit working and mainly read, exercise, cook, walk around, and unwind. To be clear, I will not be any burden on the healthcare system as the point is for me to just stop and chill for a given period.
It doesn't need to be a particularly exciting town or city, but I don't mind a bit of life around the place.
My main requirements are:
Budget-wise, I'm not looking for luxury; just a simple furnished studio/one-bedroom, ideally somewhere where living costs are reasonable compared to Paris.
My first thought was Montpellier as I have been there before and quite liked it; however, there may be other valid options that are cheaper and/or warmer. Sete also seemed lovely. I'm sure there are more possibilities besides.
Do you have any hidden gems or clever ideas for where might be a good spot?
Thank you in advance.
I'm investigating somewhere in Portugal to spend roughly 3 months. The idea is essentially a quiet winter retreat in which I will quit working and mainly read, exercise, cook, walk around, and unwind. To be clear, I will not be any burden on the healthcare system as the point is for me to just stop and chill for a given period.
It doesn't need to be a particularly exciting town or city, but I don't mind a bit of life around the place.
My main requirements are:
Budget-wise, I'm not looking for luxury; just a simple furnished studio/one-bedroom, ideally somewhere where living costs are cheaper than what you would find in the capital.
Do you have any hidden gems or clever ideas for where might be a good spot? Thank you in advance.
Hey all! I have had the good fortune to move with my job to France and work remotely. I'll probably stick around here for a year, and my hope is to get up to a strong B2 and have confidence dealing with conversation.
Background: In 2025, I did a lot of the groundwork with French, getting myself up to, I'd say, a soft B1. Over many months, I worked diligently through books to build vocabulary, work on grammar, conversational practice, audio listening with podcasts etc. I eventually got a tutor, and she was impressed with my level of pronunciation. The experience gave me some basic confidence to work with the language, and now that I have landed in the country, I am hoping to build on that into something significant.
I would say that understanding what people are saying is by far the most difficult thing for me. That is why my plan, as currently outlined, is very heavy on conversation and getting my brain attuned to processing what I am hearing in the moment. So far since landing here, I've been trying to challenge myself with basic things in restaurants, cafes, retail, etc., with moderate success.
Below is my plan. I am hoping you can critique or add to what else I could or should be doing. Please note that I have to keep a limit on my interaction with technology in terms of typing or using a phone, so some of the typical app recommendations are not applicable. This is due to health reasons (chronic nerve pain in my arms). Talking to people over video call is not a problem, however.
French Learning Plan
Private tutoring
The overall philosophy is to spend most of my time speaking and understanding French in realistic situations, using grammar and apps only as tools to support that goal rather than as the primary method of learning.
Looking forward to what you all think. Thank you for your contributions in advance!
(Had to use L Instead of lipid as it flagged my post automatically).
My dermatologist has been trying to sell me on SkinCeuticals for a while, and while I do think she genuinely means it when she says that this is the best of the best in terms of quality with maximized results, she is also running a business and has to make money, even offering to cut me a deal that's cheaper than what you would pay for on the internet.
With a little digging, I found out about this Skinfix product, which may or may not be a viable alternative. My main problem is some dehydration that has turned into red patches across the T-zone. We have done microneedling and IPL, and I am now following up with an improved routine.
This includes graduating beyond the LaRoche Posay Cicplast Baume B5 as my standard daily moisturizer. A HA serum will also be in the mix. What I need is a good strong moisturizer that is fit for my oily skin, and I was recommended the Skinceutical one.
So can anyone vouch for this or do you have another alternative that is closer? Thanks!
I am completely oblivious to how long it will take before AI becomes well-trained enough that it no longer needs experts from the general population to train it up. My general understanding is that we're in some kind of transitionary period where our education, knowledge, and abilities are being turned into data that the AI can use to improve, but then there will be a tipping point where we're no longer needed.
Perhaps I'm completely wrong on that but that's the gist. I'm wondering how much longer we can expect work from these kinds of companies to carry on. Will it be a couple of years, even more? Wondering if there's any kind of speculation from experts in the field that you may be aware of. Thanks.
Edit: Should have mentioned to remove residency/visas out of the equation as that isn't an issue for me personally (EU citizen).
I've only visited these places but have met a few people along the way who made it long term, whether by renting or otherwise. I'm curious about those who bought property somewhere affordable to effectively bypass the crazy housing prices in their country of origin, whether it be the US, UK, or whatever, and then continued with some kind of remote income that bypasses the need to work locally. How has it worked out for you?
On the face of it, it seems like the dream: perhaps buying somewhere outright for a fraction of the cost, great weather, cheap cost of living, high earning, chill lifestyle. There are obvious hurdles that a quick Google search will pull up, like potentially poorer services, slow bureaucracy, and challenges with language learning that may also translate to social isolation and boredom.
I am sure that there are more problems beyond this, and I'd like to know the reality. Perhaps property taxes are an issue, or residency requirements dictating a certain amount of time that must be spent in the country in order to maintain your place? (I heard something about this in relation to British home owners who had a holiday home in Spain, something like requiring minimum 6 months of the year being spent there).
If you have pursued this in some fashion, how has it worked out for you?
For personal reasons, I may take an extended break in the coming months after close to a year of working for Mercor full time. I've been on something like 20+ contracts and an array of projects as a reviewer and writer. I am known to several EPMs, SPLs, and TLs, and have built a good name as a reliable and hard worker. I am hoping this will stand to me when I return so I can reach out to them and ask if they will take me on whatever is available at that time.
More formally, is there a way to go about this? I know the weekly check in could be used to just say 0 availability each week. Just wondering is there a proper procedure to let Mercor know or my intention to return despite the leave.
Perhaps the wrong flair, but anyway.
I'm a socially awkward individual tasked with reading a poem at a wedding. I haven't been given the poem yet (I assume they will give it ahead of time), but I've never read anything at a wedding or big gathering and am a bit freaked out admittedly. Have little experience with weddings in general.
I do not know the process of when to go up or what to do besides reading the thing. Does the priest dictate the order of affairs? Would he announce that so and so will now come up and read a poem from X? Or do I have to know on my own according to some schedule?
When I go up and start speaking...do I just read the poem or say something else (even an introduction or exit like thank you?). I assume I go up and say "(Title), by (Author)," then read the poem, and exit the altar/mic after it ends.
I know this is very silly and I'm probably overthinking everything. It would just help to know what to do. Thanks in advance.