The 4-Hour Workweek, Expanded and Update - Timothy Ferriss [114]
Both VoIPBuster and RebTel can provide “alias” numbers. Enter a friend’s overseas number on their sites, and both will give you a local number in your area code that will forward to your friend. VoIPBuster also acts as a cheaper Skype with free calls to more than 20 countries.
International Multi-Band and GSM-Compatible Phones
My World Phone (www.myworldphone.com)
I’m partial to Nokia phones. Ensure whichever phone you purchase is “unlocked”—that the SIM card can be swapped out in different countries with different providers.
World Electronics USA (www.worldelectronicsusa.com)
Good explanation of which GSM frequencies and “bands” function in which countries, which will determine which phone you purchase for travel (and perhaps home).
Tools for Off-the-Beaten Path
Satellite Phones (www.satphonestore.com)
If you will be in the mountains of Nepal or on a remote island and want the peace of mind (or headache) of having a phone nearby, these phones work via satellite instead of towers. Iridium has been recommended for widest reception (pole to pole), with GlobalStar in second place (three continents). Rent or purchase.
Pocket-size Solar Panels (www.solio.com)
Satellite phones and other small electronics are of little use (skipping stones, perhaps?) if their batteries die. Solio is about the size of two packs of cards and fans out into small solar panels. I was surprised to find that it charged my cell phone in less than 15 minutes—more than twice as fast as a wall outlet. Adapters are available for almost anything.
What to Do Once You Get There—Career Experiments and More
Verge Magazine (see Restricted Reading appendix)
Meet Up (www.meetup.com)
Search by city and activity to find people who share similar interests all over the world.
Become a Travel Writer (www.writtenroad.com)
Get paid to travel the world and record your thoughts? This is a dream job for millions. Get the inside scoop on the travel publishing world from veteran Jen Leo, author of Sand in My Bra and Other Misadventures: Funny Women Write from the Road. This blog was a Frommer’s Budget Travel Top Choice and also features great practical articles about low-tech travel and going gadgetless.
Teach Engrish (www.eslcafe.com)
Dave’s ESL Café is one of the oldest and most useful resources for teachers, would-be teachers, and learners of English. Features discussion boards and “teachers wanted” job postings worldwide.
Turn Your Brain into Play-Doh (www.jiwire.com)
Travel the world so you can instant message (IM) with your friends in the U.S. This site lists more than 150,000 hotspots where you can feed your information OCD. Be ashamed if this becomes your default activity. If you’re bored, just remember—it’s your fault. I’ve been there, so I’m not preaching. It happens to the best of us from time to time, but get more creative.
Test a New Career Part- or Full-Time: Working Overseas (www.workingoverseas.com)
This encyclopedia is an exhaustive menu of options for the globally minded, compiled and updated by Jean-Marc Hachey, former international careers editor of Transitions Abroad magazine.
World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (www.wwoof.com)
Learn and then teach sustainable organic farming techniques in dozens of countries, including Turkey, New Zealand, Norway, and French Polynesia.
Chat and E-mail in a Language You Don’t Know
Google Chat Bots (http://bit.ly/imbot)
Use this to chat in real time using almost any language. Instant message (IM) directly from your Gmail e-mail account with anyone in the world.
Nice Translator (www.nicetranslator.com) and Free Translation (www.freetranslation.com)
Translate text from English into a dozen languages and vice versa. Surprisingly accurate, though the lost-in-translation 10–20% can get you in trouble. Nice Translator is faster and can be used on the iPhone.
Become Fluent in Record Time
Language Addicts and Accelerated Learning
For all things language related, from detailed how-to articles (how to reactivate forgotten languages, memorize 1,000 words