u/ups_and_downs973

This post isn't really realted to life in China per SE but I'm just curious to hear others opinions on this. For those who have also lived here for several years have you noticed a shift in favour of China from your home countries and has that affected how people interact or respond to you living there?

In the past year alone I've had dozens of people who had never expressed any interest in China whatsoever reach out to me about life here, it seems like everyone I know has visited China recently whether for a layover or designated trip.

I consider it a good thing overall that people are broadening their horizons but it also slightly irks me that when I first told people I wanted to move to China it was met with a lot of skepticism and 'why though?'s. Now those same people are posting online about how amazing their trip was and how they wish they could live here.

Look, I know it's petty and irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, and of course it stems mostly from jealousy but I have a genuine burning hatred for travel vloggers and influencers and everytime they pop up on my socials feed it ruins my day.

I have no interest in being a travel vloggers or anything of the sort but I am so sick of seeing them get for free or get paid for what I have to work and save my entire life for. And they are almost always the worst type of people. They're arrogant, vain, ignorant and generally have zero consideration for their surroundings or etiquette for the places they're in.

I am so sick of seeing them act like they are experts on a place they've visited for like a week and promoting the same shitty restaurants, tourist traps or whatever else they've just seen in someone else's video and are rehashing as their own 'hidden gem'. I'm sick of seeing people lick their boots like they're some modern day Marco Polo because people do zero research of their own and rely on these fuckwads to spoonfeed them where to go and what to do.

I've only ever come across one travel influencer who I didn't find insufferable and they blocked me after they visited my home country and I called them out in the comments for sharing information that was blatantly wrong.

There is zero reason for this post but there it is. Have a nice weekend. Unless you're a travel vlogger, in that case fuck you.

I've been here for a few years and while I don't see myself staying forever I've managed to save a nice little pot now and would like to start planning ahead. Most people on here will suggest investing into an index fund but as an Irish citizen I don't have access to the s&p afaik, and Ireland has one of the highest capital gains taxes so it doesn't seem like a great move. Alternatively I could look into a private pension but I don't really know how it works if I open that in Ireland but live abroad. Assuming I don't return to Ireland regardless of where I eventually end up, how can I plan savings without knowing for sure where my forever home will be?

Any Irish in this group I'd appreciate your input as to what your savings strategy looks like. Cheers.