Real life help & advice

[Skill_Caster]

Risk vs. reward. A relationship can provide greater gains, but also greater loses.

 

EDIT: Bleh, double post. Another example of risk vs. reward. Click 'post' again with the doubt it initially posted for double-security, risk posting twice and looking unorganized and/or pathetic and less helpful. Disregard.

[tripsis]

Oh, and a relationship. I didn't mention it because you seem like you don't have time to dedicate to another person, but it would probaably help you big time to get a girlfriend.

Disagree. Platonic friends would be better, that's less likely to crash and burn so even if he becomes dependent on them, he'll be fine.

I agree. If you're emotionally unstable, a relationship is not a good decision. First of all, if you have such huge motivation problems, it would probably be difficult to even get into a relationship. And if you can't emotionally "be there" for yourself, you can't expect to be able to emotionally be there for someone else. Walking into a relationship like that is setting yourself up for disaster.

 

Stick with friends, try to find new hobbies, force yourself to go out, and set goals. Goals can be anything: from serious stuff to sillier stuff (like eating at every restaurant in an x mile radius). But having a goal - regardless of what it is - will give you a purpose and something to look forward to.

[Iamdan]

My girlfriend is going to Beijing and wants to bring me back cheap stuff, but I have no idea what. Any ideas? She suggested a fake rolex but I wouldn't wear it as I have a watch I like. The only thing I can think of is clothes but there is the sizing issue.

 

Maybe raw denim is cheap there..

[Guest Rob]

My girlfriend is going to Beijing and wants to bring me back cheap stuff, but I have no idea what. Any ideas? She suggested a fake rolex but I wouldn't wear it as I have a watch I like. The only thing I can think of is clothes but there is the sizing issue.

 

Maybe raw denim is cheap there..

 

Any electronics you can get for about a tenth of what you would pay for down here, from what I've been told.

[Napalm]

My girlfriend is going to Beijing and wants to bring me back cheap stuff, but I have no idea what. Any ideas? She suggested a fake rolex but I wouldn't wear it as I have a watch I like. The only thing I can think of is clothes but there is the sizing issue.

 

Maybe raw denim is cheap there..

 

I know a dude who went there and said you can get some really nice suits for practically nothing. They tailored it for him at the moment, though, so I don't know if she'll be able to get one for you.

 

Also, I'd say do not get electronics. While they are cheap, chances are they are knock off stuff. Like, the same dude bought some ridiculously large pendrives which, when the guy who was selling them showed him, they worked, but as soon as he got to try them on any other computer they didn't work at all.

 

Same dude, he saw some supposedly real rollex being sold for very cheap prices, he didn't buy them, but then he was told by some other dude that sometimes those are actually real, and stolen from the factory by workers, and they sell them that cheap because it's the only way to get rid of them.

[Zierro]

So my girlfriend had an exam today and we were going to meet up before the exam.

She didn't message me at all before she went, so I thought she was sleeping through the exam. Since I'm not allowed to hang out with her or call her (her parents despise me) I had a friend call, and he stupidly said he was calling to remind her that she had an exam today.

 

So yeah, I need a reason for her to give her aprents as to why a distant-ish friend who isn't taking that exam called to tell her to remember it. And I kind of need a reason within 2 hours.

 

Tell her parents to go [bleep] themselves and pick her up outside her bedroom window with your Harley-Davidson.

[Omar]

My girlfriend is going to Beijing and wants to bring me back cheap stuff, but I have no idea what. Any ideas? She suggested a fake rolex but I wouldn't wear it as I have a watch I like. The only thing I can think of is clothes but there is the sizing issue.

 

Maybe raw denim is cheap there..

 

I know a dude who went there and said you can get some really nice suits for practically nothing. They tailored it for him at the moment, though, so I don't know if she'll be able to get one for you.

We went through this already. No good MTM shops in Beijing.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/china/583705-what-buy-beijing-where-buy.html

According to these guys there isn't much you can get, save for China-made electronics, which are very cheap, whereas imported electronics are equally expensive. I think it will be really obvious your watch is fake if you buy a Rolex, unless you look like you can afford it. I don't think you really need furniture, but it seems it's worth considering.

Raw denim is usually more of a Japanese thing. They're the ones who saw an opening in the selvedge market in the first place, which is why many brands who sell selvedge jeans rarely get their fabric from the US. If you want a pair (halleluiah!), check styleforum and superfuture, you can get them for cheap.

You might find SuFu's travel guide useful, by the way. Under Cities, click Beijing and you should get a good idea of what stores there are (mainstream though).

http://www.superfuture.com/supertravel/supergeocities/beijing

[Iamdan]

I had a look online and it seems Beijing isn't a great place to shop like I thought it would have been :/

 

I wouldn't mind the witcher 2 but she doesn't want to bring back something illegal. (unlike the fake rolex. Women..)

 

I was thinking raw denim if I could get it for like $60, but too much more and I would have a hard time justifying it when I'm saving for a ute, pilot license and house and my butt looks great in the jeans I have anyway :P

[Guest Rob]

I don't think fake Rolexs are illegal, they're just knockoffs. Trying to sell it to someone saying it's a real Rolex would be illegal, though.

[Aten]

Lately, I've been having a lot of qualms and doubts about my future. I realize that I'm still young, but all around me I see these people that look like they've got their lives all planned out and are working diligently towards whatever goals they have. When I take a look at myself, it's apparent that I'm not good at anything, nor have I discovered what I'm truly passionate about. I'm currently in my 2nd year of college studying engineering, but I'm not sure what I'm doing here. I maintain decent grades in school, though I honestly don't enjoy the material. While some of the content taught is "cool", I can't imagine immersing myself in it for the rest of my life. A large part of why I'm even in this major is due to my parents; in high school, I was very antisocial because my mom, dad, and mentors were always forcing me to constantly do homework and to constantly participate in competitions. My father attempted to persuade me that engineering was the best option for me because of "my excellent grades in math and physics", even though it was really because I was made to spend so much time on these subjects that I didn't have any room to explore other fields. Additionally, "it makes big bucks and that's what counts."

 

However, now that I'm at college, it seems a largely bottled up part of me has finally been released. No longer under the strict eyes of my parents, I am free to do as I wish and I have spent my last 2 years trying to figure out what I want to do. My first impression is that the world is absolutely enormous; I feel almost overwhelmed. My second impression is that despite trying several new fields through elective courses, I'm still not particularly sparked by anything (philosophy, history, economics, accounting, literature, chemistry, pure math, sociology).

 

Okay, to cut to the chase, essentially what's happening right now is that I'm seriously considering making a controversially large change in my life's direction. I am considering transferring out of engineering and moving to a music program. When I was a kid, I learned to play the violin and in my early days I thoroughly enjoyed classical music. I studied hard in theory, but my parents (in keeping with their strict and grueling regimes) raised me harshly in the field of practice. I came to hate the instrument, and dropped it completely after 7 years in junior year. It's been 4 years since, and I miss music a lot.

 

I was very immature back then, and lacked the ambition/motivation/drive to achieve my goals. Now that I have grown up a little bit, I am more willing to work hard instead of just collapsing under any sort of pressure. My upbringing was excellent; I should thank my parents for showing me that hard work is the only thing that can bring success (I am not naturally gifted at anything, so I often started everything a step behind a lot of kids) rather than blaming them for "killing" my interest (for lack of a better word).

 

Right now, I guess these are the options I have...

- Drop engineering entirely and switch to the music program at my school

- Drop engineering entirely and switch to the music program at another school, whether Canadian, American, or overseas

- Maintain engineering and attempt a music minor to see whether I still have any chance of pursuing music permanently, then resorting to another option listed the year following

- Finish engineering and pursue music in grad school

- Finish engineering, pursue engineering in grad school/find an engineering job, and merely keep music as a hobby

 

It's been 4 years, and I don't know where my abilities stand anymore. I simply do not feel any ambition or interest at all in my current major, and life just feels like a long drag towards a piece of paper. In my dreams, option 2 would be ideal, but it seems the least realistic/practical. As previously mentioned, I don't have much else in my life. I'm not really good at anything, so if I drop engineering and my music doesn't work out, I will have nothing left. This is a rather scary prospect. The best option right now in my eyes is to give music a shot as an aside, but my school's music program is tiny and I don't even think we have a violin teacher here. I am considering putting in the effort to travel to a nearby, larger university and consulting the instructor there.

 

I don't really know what my endgoal is. I don't even know whether or not I will be happy having music completely surround my life. Also, will I be able to make enough money to keep myself alive? Jobs are much more limited than in the engineering industry. I think in a perfect world, I would like to either be a travelling soloist or the concertmaster of a large orchestra. I just want to be a part of something wonderful, be able to be a part of incredible music... It seems really hit and miss though, and I'd be lying if I said the thought of all this didn't scare me senseless. Additionally, it seems everybody in music school has done nothing but music since they were 5 and I feel my past experience doesn't stack up. However, isn't that somewhat unfair? I have these dreams, and I want to at least give them a shot, but why is my past limiting me? Or are these just excuses?

 

I really don't know what to do though. The thought of converting to music has been on my mind ever since I came to college, but the security of my program both in the perspective of the next 5 years of my life as well as my future career has kept me in my seat. I guess it's the risk of taking that jump to something that may or may not be better (and may or may not bring colour to my life) versus the safety of a stable and blossoming industry (albeit, in my eyes, dull and uninteresting).

 

Can anybody who is studying in music help me out/provide any experiences or advice that they may have? I would also greatly appreciate any insight on anything I've said from anyone =) I realize I'm still a pretty immature and "lost" kid, but ultimately I want to live my life fully and happily while avoiding doing anything incredibly stupid that could jeopardize my future.

 

Thanks a lot guys, sorry for the huge chunk of text :(

[kamykazee]

For the part that you joine a University with a profile nowhere near what you enjoy doing - that happened to me aswell. Unfortunetly i had to choose an area of expertise that would bring money in. Sadly this is a world in which we must adapt our Shifting back to you, i would say that having a stable source of income should be an important consideration in any future plans, and i think you made a wise choice in not simply giving it up. You could try music as a hobby or as a minor or even try it at another, more suited, college after you've finished this one. How many years do you have until graduation?

 

Consider that if you manage a solid source of income, by means of a degree in engineering, then you could easily pursue a music occupation without the worries of a possible lack of income. Above all, though, you need to be positively sure that music is truly something you enjoy doing and not just a pleasant reminiscence of past years. You should be confident that it wouldn't turn out to be only a short period of enjoyment and afterwards you again found that it's not what you wanted to do. I know that will be hard but it could spare you alot of trouble and would tremendously help you in making a decision that best suits you.

 

If it helps i haven't exactly found out what i wanted to do with my life either, although i'm 21. I can see where my life is going and i'm content with it, possibly because i don't know what are the things i would actually enjoy doing.

[Shiny]

I would go for this option -

 

- Maintain engineering and attempt a music minor to see whether I still have any chance of pursuing music permanently, then resorting to another option listed the year following

 

I feel as if it has the best balance between safety and branching out. You are able to experience music t a hgiher level, while still working on engineering which it sounds like you are good at. You can then decide if music is your passion and go from there.

[Napalm]

I'd say the obvious choice is not to drop engineering. You could end up just as dissapointed with music. I'd slowly start to pick up music again, but as a hobby, in your free time, rather than dedicating yourself entirely to it. See how you feel about it, try to meet people who plan to live as musicians, and the most important thing is to wait. Make sure you really want to do this, and it isn't just something you've become fixated with.

 

How much longer do you have until you finish studying engineering? If what you fear is losing your chance to finish your studies and then falling behind on them, then I'd consider graduating from college first and then moving over to music. It's never too late, really, and don't worry about people that have their lives planned out, chances are, those plans aren't going to follow through. It's OK not to know where your life is going.

 

Sorry I couldn't be of more help, and good luck.

[Crocefisso]

Oh, and a relationship. I didn't mention it because you seem like you don't have time to dedicate to another person, but it would probaably help you big time to get a girlfriend.

Disagree. Platonic friends would be better, that's less likely to crash and burn so even if he becomes dependent on them, he'll be fine.

 

:thumbup: Brilliant post

[Omar]

Attenuation, I hate to recommend this, but maybe you could start by browsing /mu/ on 4chan. It's a great place to get back into music. Though it is quite full of pretentious people who think their taste is the only good taste, there's plenty of sharing going around. If you've still got your violin, think about playing along.

People say degrees in music are risky, but that's only really true if you're planning on being a musician. Degrees can help you become a teacher, which makes a ton of money if you've got proof you know your stuff. You can also perform in orchestras, etc. Releasing music is just as hard (consider Thou have released 25 albums, EPs and LPs, in 5-6 years...), but more rewarding perhaps.

[Tesset]

Last night, I left my headphones outside in the rain. I can't decide if they're safe or not...

[Hawks]

There's no reason they'd hurt you, I'm fairly certain. Especially if you get all the visible parts dry first... (ie I think you're thinking of shock etc) Or let them sit in a tub of rice for a few days. The real question is whether they'd still work, which as they're headphones, I don't see why not; they're not terribly complicated.

[justcallmedaddy]

I can't get a job. After submitting my weak-ass resume, I never get called. I want to follow up and call the companies (fast food places and stores), but I don't know what to say. I can't get a job without work experience and I can't get work experience without a job.

 

@who_am_i Safetywise, your headphones should be fine.

[Zierro]

I can't get a job. After submitting my weak-ass resume, I never get called. I want to follow up and call the companies (fast food places and stores), but I don't know what to say. I can't get a job without work experience and I can't get work experience without a job.

 

@who_am_i Safetywise, your headphones should be fine.

 

That's the part where you lie about having a job and that it closed for business so there is no way they can contact them. I don't understand how some people expect you to start from scratch when you literally can't.

 

 

EDIT: These are the only times I condone lying.

[Guest Rob]

Or find a friend/family member who owns a business and have them claim you worked for them and are the best worker out there.

[Ouchy]

Last night, I left my headphones outside in the rain. I can't decide if they're safe or not...

 

You should be fine. It's wiring running to a small speaker. You shouldn't get a shock or anything. Worst thing that might happens is that they no longer worked. As hawkxs rightly said, put them in a bag of rice. This is so it absorbs all the moisture out of them. Leave them in there for a few days.

 

Were they an expensive pair of headphones are just some cheapies?

[Tesset]

Cheap headphones. I wore them yesterday, without doing anything with rice or anything, and they worked fine. So yeah.

[Omar]

I once left a Mario Pinball cartridge out in the rain and I was really scared I would get shocked when I turned on my GBA, but I really wanted to play. I was so glad when I didn't die.

[Johannas]

I used to play mario on the original game boy.

 

...but only on the toilet.

 

The cartridge fell in once, (before the water got dirty :thumbup: )

 

Dried it off with a hair-dryer and left it overnight in a cupboard - worked fine for my 7.30am the next day.

 

I was not so lucky when my phone went in the washing machine though :angry:

[Giordano]

Ha, my phone fell into the toilet once (it was clean, don't worry). It was still working, but the GUI would glitch sometimes and the audio was not understandable. I wonder if the rice trick would of worked then.