This week I’m writing from Leopold Cafe, in the heart of Colaba district, downtown Mumbai. This cafe, established 1871, is best known as centrepiece hangout in classic novel, Shantaram, based on the true story by Gregory David Roberts.

Shantaram was frequently recommended while traveling through India last year, and grace linked me with a copy in Berlin. It rapidly became one of my favourite books of all time. Exciting, descriptive, immersive, raw, and real. Captures the Mumbai experience entirely.

I’ve discovered that reading great books while writing one’s own (Plan Sea), increases quality of one’s writing. This has helped shape everything from richer descriptions, engaging narratives, even scientific relativity, such as from Stephen Hawking’s final book, Brief Answers to Big Questions.

On our way south through India to Sri Lanka, following twelve days in Delhi, we extended our stay in Mumbai another night. First thing Saturday morning we ride the train to northern Goa, our home for the next couple of weeks.

I’ve had a non-stop fever for ten days, regular bouts of predictable stomach ailments, in a bit of a lull after dramatic shift from previous domestic routine. Goa should help correct this, and Vipassana will certainly chill everything out.

Lately, I’m questioning why I travel at all, having found comforts of home and a veritable family. Travel seemed to be my searching for something. Having found, whatever, travel now seems for the sake of, drawing out a three month trip on different motivations. All of this is providing excellent philosophical musing for the final chapter of my book. I’m learning what I truly desire from life, and if there’s any hope for me, or humanity.

With that, here’s a recap of the past week in travel life.

Day Trip to Haryana

After meeting domainer friend Govind at Kashmiri Gate station for breakfast, we embarked on the three hour bus ride to Karnal City, Haryana.

Upon reaching our destination, the bus didn’t stop, requiring bursting onto the pavement below, through three men who’d jumped into the doorway of the bus. Pedestrians were stunned at the appearance of a random gora (foreigner) in a very local area. In the melee I lost my treasured water bottle from Auroville, but disappointment lasted seconds. Physical attachment, and all that.

At the office of Haryana School of Internet Marketing (HSIM), I was welcomed with a bouquet of roses. Following introductions to the very noble staff, I chatted in the office with Govind, Navn from my GameX 2018 team, and several team members. Heaping platters of snacks arrived, which I assumed was lunch. They laughed at me – lunch was yet to come!

Indeed, with three tables linked together, the entire office of around sixteen people sat around to eat. Each person prepared a dish to share, complemented by rice, roti and lassi. I sampled certain foods for the first time, such as a paneer casserole that was most divine. There were also various curries and salads. I could barely eat any more, but stuffed myself out of courtesy.

Following lunch, I was asked to introduce myself, and share career advice. I started with my story – how SEA came about – and my experience in the Internet world. For advice, I urged the young professionals to look to the future to predict and adapt for coming trends. Instead of stuck in the lull of present day saturation, early adopters have the advantage of added time and knowledge to assert authority. I cited examples such as Solid and Holochain, how Linked Data will change marketing, and P2P’s coming disruption of web hosting. I received a round of applause, and a hefty book on Hindu philosophy.

Slowly ambling back to smaller office, I was soon whisked away by one of the ladies, whose sister and brother-in-law arrived. Taking me to their house, I met the elderly parents and kids, before further snacks and desserts were served. It was the most food I’d eaten in years.

With a thunderstorm pouring down and dark falling, I said farewell to the staff, then dropped off at bus stop. The bus barely paused, resulting in a gigantic leap over puddles to hurtle myself on the bus. The passengers were amazed. One was so impressed he paid for my bus ticket, spending the next hour chatting about life in Delhi.

Thank you HSIM for the warm welcome. The humble generosity of Indians lends great appeal to the magic of the nation as a whole. The West can learn lessons on service and courtesy from its Asian siblings.

Review of BlogX 2019

BlogX 2019 was my second successive BlogX. Last year I moderated a panel on the future of Internet growth in India. Invited back, on the morning of February 8, at Delhi’s Eros Hotel, I co-hosted an energetic half hour about Podcasting with the excellent Bijay Gautum.

My credentials? In the early 2000s, I ran one of the most successful and popular Internet radio station directories, UMFM. UK’s Knowledge Magazine dubbed me “one of the pioneers of Internet radio”. While I took a decade break shortly after arriving in Melbourne, with increasing stability in my life podcasts will return. Thank goodness Bijay is proficient in the ins and outs of the podcasting world. It’s come a long way, yet so few bloggers incorporate it in their work.

Other guests discussed influencer marketing, the power of video blogging, and importance of interactive content. There was a blogathon sponsored by Air Asia, with contestants acting out flight scenes in Hindi. A superb buffet lunch was served, allowing for useful mingling between speakers, and prior acquaintances.

While slow starting, BlogX’s energy and intensity picked up over the day, and was a solid production in the end. Gracious thanks to Noopur and Sarvesh at Techmagnate for having me back, and I hope to see you all soon.

Supersonic Bonobo Weekend in Pune

Much of this three month trip has been an easy itinerary to craft. Starting in Delhi, moving south towards Sri Lanka, a few milestones along the way. Intentionally, a few pockets left open for spontaneity. One can go mad from overly rigorous planning, and one often misses out on some exceptional experiences.

This weekend is one of those open periods, between Mumbai and Goa. Perhaps we’d like Mumbai enough to stay longer, or prefer to spend an extra weekend beside ocean and beach. Either was ideal, but this spare weekend happens to feature Bonobo‘s live appearance at VH1 Supersonic Festival in Pune, three hours east of Mumbai. No plans, no commitments, flexibility to go with the flow, opened possibilities in a new city, with one of my favourite artists.

In the end, I was daunted by the prospect of a commercial mega festival, with 16+ age group, hectic to get to, and from there to Goa. I need chill and silence, writing by the waves of the ocean. Remain in one place for a while. In the end, we extended our stay at Mumbai’s Carlton Hotel, and booked a train from Mumbai to Goa on Saturday for two extra Goan nights.

Days to Come

Next week we’ll check in from Arambol, Goa, our home for two weeks. I’ll be back in the Plan Sea writing groove, finishing its final edit. Review of the train journey to Goa.

To complement these personal adventures, we have a slew of fresh content suited for digital nomads and inquisitive travelers. How To Pack for Epic Adventures, 15-20 Places to Visit in India, Tips to Book Indian Train Tickets, and further commentaries on the world.

Have a great week, and keep the dreams alive!

Sea

The post Writing From Leopold Cafe, Heartbeat of Shantaram appeared first on Digital Nomad.

It’s been quiet at DigitalNomad.Blog, as has been life itself. Not to worry… excitement has returned!

I spent the past few months laboriously typing away at my book, Plan Sea. The second draft is pretty much finished, and the Plan Sea book is scheduled for a June 13 launch.

We mostly stayed indoors in a warm home near Krakow, sheltered from plummeting, freezing temperatures, and thick snow. My first, extended domestic period in years. I was extremely productive, learning about things like Solid and becoming a certified Holochain developer, while contemplating some of the bigger questions in life. Had a real great opportunity to slow down and learn even deeper what’s happening in the world. It’s not good. A few reasons for optimism, but it needs more courage from more people to unchain themselves from modern ideological slavery.

Making dramatic changes to daily routine, I found the happiest balance and inner peace. Every morning, waking early, meditated, straight into writing. No internet, no news, no email, no social media, no distractions – nothing – while inspiring music played in background. Writing for several hours, a break for lunch, catch up on work matters, everything under control. The lack of stress from online news, opinion and social nonsense makes a gargantuan impact, habits that won’t soon return.

Furthermore, as I resolve remaining attachments in life, I focus on the things I wish to do. Right now, main focus is split between finishing Plan Sea, and positioning Mother.Domains as a pioneer in next-gen Internet. When complete, focus will shift to music, film and art. A few, select work projects. Some further, major changes in business are on tap.

I’m refreshed, recharged, and motivated to enact remaining tweaks required to set free.

First… the matter of a three month trip through India and Sri Lanka.

The (Budget) Adventures Continue

I’m writing from a rooftop apartment in south Delhi, close to the heart of Mehrauli Village. Using airbnb credit, I saved €30 off a week’s stay, running €18 a night. In the past weeks I’ve booked €16 flights within India, sub-€300 flights to India on good airlines, found 3-star hotels for €30, further hidden gems for €10 a night, and a week of an executive King room with a balcony in Goa for €77 (€11 per night). I’m traveling with somebody – making certain luxuries half price. Daily life including all meals and local transport is around €12 each.

There is an art to finding great travel deals. I argue the less money one has to travel, the more open one becomes for incredible experiences. Put in the time to research, practice making and living by decisions, and it becomes easier and easier. Every single day is an adventure, and exciting. Hard to remember living in pyjamas for months in a comfortable home and routine.

BlogX in Delhi

This Friday February 8 I return to the stage of BlogX, India’s premier national conference for bloggers and vloggers. This time around, I’m moderating several panels of top Indian bloggers, and chatting the future of interactive content.

Content to discuss? The Internet is about to be disrupted, from web 3.0’s Linked Data, the post-blockchain space, and advances in augmented reality. The days of Facebook and Google are, mercifully, numbered. Changes are coming. Embrace them, prepare for them, help pioneer. Save the planet, one decision at a time.

BlogX 2019 topics include insights into Podcasts and SEO, “Video is the New Influencer: Top Trends & How to Master Them“, “Harnessing the power of modern age Influencer and affiliate Marketing“, “Interactive Content that Moves the Needle“, with blogathons and competitions. A super lunch is served, and a VIP afterparty, as well as unsurpassed networking opportunities.

BlogX 2019 happens at the Eros Hotel, Nehru Place, New Delhi, on Friday February 8. For more information, check out https://blogx.in

Coming up next week

From Mumbai, we’ll review BlogX and our Delhi experience, looking ahead to the return to Goa. Nice weather (did you know Delhi gets cold?), beaches, ocean, and inspiring surrounds for writing.

This stunning, mysterious year continues…

xxx

The post Back on the Road, Nomadic in Delhi appeared first on Digital Nomad.

We’ve taken some time away from the regular online channels to focus on writing, learning and developing new technologies, and enjoying life itself.

Ten days after deactivating my Facebook, I let everybody know I will soon be deleting it, and much of my other, so-called, social media.

I’m putting together a lengthy Medium article about the marriage of Big Tech and US intelligence, and its role in the failing social-economic system of today. To put short, I am vastly disappointed with this artificial, money-centric world purported by America, and its cronies in Australia, the UK, even Canada and New Zealand. I want no further involvement other than to work towards a world I want to be a part of.

I hope the progressive young generations of the West shine through, and that they can see through the nonsense world that has been hurled at them. No wonder so many people are suicidal.

Some people treated the news as if I was departing forever, never to be seen again. This is symbolic of our slavery to technology, and the mainstream expectation that all of us regularly participate in it. Life goes on!

All I’m doing is shunning the status quo, and playing a role in developing the next generation of Internet – that of decentralisation. It is a paradigm of thought, but various beta flavours of it are coming soon. Many of which, particularly those pushed by the typical corporate giants, will not be truly decentralised whatsover. This is a reaction to such forces.

I’m also setting out to prove that we need not rely on big technology networks or social media for our projects to thrive. We have become too passive and dependent on certain networks, forgetting that industry has thrived for hundreds of years, and life for many millions, before our crazed affliction with digital devices and addictive apps. Humans will endlessly discover ingenious means of promotion and trade.

So, all is good here. I’m not sitting around doing nothing, but I am finally starting to make some decisions I should have made a long time ago. And, that is to let go, of attachment, to technology.

If you help seeing what you can do to make changes in your own (online) life, say hello any time.

Road Trip from Krakow to Dresden, Cologne to Berlin

Last week we embarked on a seven day road trip, starting from our home base in Krakow, Poland.

After a drive of around seven hours, the first night’s stop was in Dresden, the German city near the Polish border. I found an excellent deal on a converted ship, that is now a hotel on the landmark Elbe river.

The next day, we drove to Cologne, to stay with old friends – the same first place I stayed after departing India, following eight months in Asia. I’m mentoring a friend and developing the technical strategy for Memtell, a family memory bank project.

In Cologne, we visited an awesome new community centre, full of artists and tech enthusiasts. Jono and I worked all day from the StartPlatz co-working space. On the Thursday evening, the four of us shared feedback and ideas on our various projects, lasting well into the night.

Return to Berlin

The impetus of the entire trip was the David August concert in Berlin. Despite a brief stop through Berlin a few months earlier, this was a visit to the city I lived in before Krakow for around 3 1/2 months.

David August performed his impressive solo show at Columbiahalle, a former US Air Force hangar. He performed selections from his recent D’Angelo album, with a few teasers of his magnificent back catalogue. He remains my favourite artist in the world at the moment.

We stayed in the Tempelhof area of Berlin, beside old Tempelhof Airport, which was rebuilt and expanded by the Nazis. Since being out of commission, it has been preserved, featuring the occasional underground rave, and now home to temporary housing of thousands of asylum seeking migrants.

Our hotel was the unique Scube Park Hotel complex, comprised of little boxes for rooms. Overnight, with subzero temperatures, earned our room the name, Ice Cube.

On Sunday I drove through Berlin showing particular highlights, from Kreuzberg, getting lost in the busy tourist pedestrian part of Brandenburg Gate, and through to the Vietnamese centre of Don Xuan.

After a brief drive down Sandinostrasse, we headed back for the rapid six hour drive to Krakow. Home to cute cats and a warm, loving home.

India on the Horizon

Travel plans for a ten week trip to India and Sri Lanka are shaping up, and soon to be fully confirmed. With the receipt of my Indian business visa, we are tracking flight prices on Skyscanner.

We’ll be in India from February 1st for two months, starting in Delhi, and making our way through Mumbai, Goa, Bangalore, Tiruvannamalai, Auroville and Kochi. At the end of March one of my dearest friends celebrates his wedding in Sri Lanka. We’ll spend a few weeks working from the beach there, and back to Europe.

The more I settle into domestic life here, the more I see 2019 as invaluable for productivity and the growth of some of my biggest life projects. Aside from my Plan Sea book tour, I expect to be Europe based through the summer, and then figure out the steps to visit New Zealand around the turn of 2020. I would like to explore China on the way. I have no real idea or inclination, and it doesn’t really matter anyway.

More to come, but some exciting travel stories and lessons to be shared soon.

Back to work

Not much more to update. These regular adventure stories will make way for the original intent of DigitalNomad.Blog, which is valuable tips, guides and lessons for the digital nomad lifestyle.

I’ll also soon be sharing more of the next exciting, next generation technology I’m working on. This may be my main opportunity to make a sizable impact in society and for the near future of humanity. Time will tell.

Have a great time, wherever you are, and don’t forget to dream. Step by step, piece by piece, they are bound to happen.

The post A Road Trip Through Dresden, Cologne, Berlin appeared first on Digital Nomad.

Halfway through an anticipated six months tenure in the quiet Krakow suburb of Zielonki, future prospects are becoming clearer.

Upon regular, deeper reflection, my heart and mind are guiding me in a particular direction. The long term plan is organically evolving, without forcing anything.

Travel plans for 2019 are taking shape. Two months, mostly business, back in India, my second ten-day Vipassana silent meditation, and a few weeks in Sri Lanka for a friend’s wedding.

At this point, I’m not sure what follows. It could absolutely be anywhere.

After that…

All Signs are Pointing to New Zealand

A close confidante and fellow disruptor recently encouraged me to visit New Zealand sooner than later, and “see what they’ve been up to”. There are numerous personal reasons and work opportunities that would adequately served in NZ, including half my family.

Editing and fine tuning my Plan Sea book has been a helpful exercise. I now see the purpose of this entire year and a half journey, reflected on with feelings in my heart, backed by the constant thoughtfulness of my mind, leading to coming frontiers.

With no real sense of home, and no place to go, everywhere is an option. Recently enjoying my taste of settled down life in a loving home, impressed by long-bubbling inspiration driving recent creations, I’m ready to move towards more of that.

One place I’ve never lived is New Zealand – my father’s country. I spent 12 years in mother’s Canada, Melbourne for another dozen, and grew up in Singapore – 15 years.

With Brexit looming, and escalating, unpleasant right-vs-left hostilities in Europe, I don’t think the UK – my birthplace – or Europe are realistic, beyond summer visits. Little interest in North America whatsoever.

New Zealand is remote – one of the drawbacks for a regular traveler, but also a benefit for a quiet life. Still close to vibrant Asia-Pacific capitals. NZ is beautiful, safe, peaceful, humble. I’m impressed with the direction of the new government, led by the dynamic, progressive, Jacinda Ardern.

Taking the slow way around the world to get there, but, around the turn of 2020, I expect to be in New Zealand. A slow building up of roots, an eventual home of my very own, one to grow for the rest of my life.

In the case of a prospective social apocalypse, New Zealand is just about the safest place on the planet.

Initiative Q is a mainstream money scheme

The week was highlighted by the publishing of my first article on Medium.

Enraged by the pyramid scheme marketing campaign of a faraway future payment system and millions of gullible blind followers, I composed a special feature, “Is Initiative Q a Scam? Money is a Scam”.

The piece documents my long-held apathy towards the con of the wider money world, while breaking down Initiative Q’s dodgy claims, which include enriching each subscriber with around $100,000 within a few years.

When you dig deeper, you’ll see Q’s impetus is through discrediting Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. The hypocrisy is in Q’s means of using cryptocurrency and reserving ERC-20.

Blockchain technology was created as a reaction to central controls, including corrupt institutions such as governments, banks and many corporations.

We don’t need a slightly more improved version of PayPal – society needs a whole new mindset, not governed by patriarchy or hindered by money. The Initiative Q scheme article touches this in depth. Lower transaction fees are not the point.

The broken money world and the patriarchal quest for power will be the root cause of any social collapse – something that is coming in the next year or two. Initiative Q is a frustrating but solid example of how low we’ve fallen.

As a marketing gimmick, it’s brilliant.

Start the Day with Positive News

Each and every day, the first site I visit is Positive News.

This mostly female team, of journalists and editors, looks at the positives in the world and the news, a refreshing break from the majority of information we’re battered with.

I post much of it on GASHE, to help balance out some of the less pleasant reports from around the world people have to be aware of. Part of the responsibility of consciousness is sharing what you know, or continue to question what’s happening.

If you still need to take a break from it all, I highly recommend Vipassana meditation. It’s life changing.

Next Krakow Digital Nomads Meetup: Wednesday November 7

The third of our monthly Krakow Digital Nomads meetups is scheduled for Wednesday November 7 at the excellent MAK cafe.

MAK is nomad-friendly, with heaps of power outlets, solid wifi, and a tasty, affordable menu. Coconut milk for coffee is always an encouraging sign!

It all kicks off from 5pm, nice and chilled, and people can head out after if they so desire.

More details on the third Krakow Digital Nomads meetup here…

This Week’s Music Feature: Masia One

This past month has been filled with talented international artist friends promoting new releases. We’re recently profiled Thumpermonkey and Strangers on a Plane, in the wake of the new albums – from some of my oldest friends in the world.

This week, we feature fellow Singaporean-Canadian Masia, who I first met in Toronto in the mid 00’s. We’ve since reconnected several times in Singapore, and I’m a big fan of her spirit and vibe.

Masia One, often referred to as the “Reggae Queen of South East Asia“, blends Jamaican inspiration and Asian lifestyle with hip hop beats and rapped sentimentality. Eight tracks comprise her new album, Far East Empress.

Check the article on Masia One’s Far East Empress here…

Plan Sea Book Update

Earlier this week, I sent out the first-ever newsletter to the (small) Plan Sea book mailing list. I updated subscribers with a gist of the entire trip that began in June 2017.

I also revealed the probable official launch date: February 28 or March 1, 2019. We’ll likely be in Goa, India.

This is like a pseudo-February 29 – the date I launched my first book in 1996, and Mother.Domains (officially) more recently in 2016. I find something enticingly magical about this date.

If you want an advance copy of Plan Sea, the page will be available within the next few weeks. We’ll have a limited edition hardcover edition, paperbacks, and e-Books. All pre-orders will receive their copies before everybody else, and an exclusive, advance e-Book if desired. Maybe even some preview chapters

More info: https://planseabook.com

That’s all for the week, while new adventures loom

Another quiet week ahead here in Krakow, highlighted by the next Krakow Digital Nomads meet up, and a TEDx talk on the hot topic of air pollution in Poland.

After that, life gets exciting again. We head on a week-long road trip to Cologne and Berlin. Catching up and brainstorming with old friends, then a David August concert. Possibly Maribou State.

Not much time left in 2018, meaning a couple of more peaceful and productive months, before life gets crazy again. It could very well be crazy until landing in New Zealand.

Looks like something big to announce in the next week or two.

Enjoy your weekend

The post Travel Leads The Heart Home appeared first on Digital Nomad.

In the middle of the week, four of us headed to the Polish mountainside town of Zakopane.

At the foot of the Tatra mountain range, and two hours south from Krakow, Zakopane is considered the “winter capital of Poland“. While popular year round, the town’s population is a little under 30,000 people.

With nearby ski and snowboard slopes, the town is home to many of the affluent, from Poland, Russia and other neighbouring Slavic countries. There are excellent restaurants, shops, lodging, and street food stalls.

High winds prevented the running of cable cars, so we took a minibus to the top. Celebrating a friend’s birthday, we enjoyed a warm honey wine on the town part at the top of the hill.

On the way down, we slipped and slid down moist soil and rocks, through a forest, over a bridge, and then down the grassy banks. Lunch at a lovely restaurant, with hot honey beer, and then a walk through town.

Nomads seeking a chilled setting with impressive views, in an abundance of alpine nature, should consider a visit.

Photos from Zakopane

Classical Sounds, Inspired Experiences

The night after the inspiring Zakopane adventure, we discovered composer and pianist Ludovico Einaudi.

In great spirits, working at creative approaches to world issues, we listened to DJ Pholl’s Bad Ass: Violin, Cello etc playlist on Deezer. The series from Einaudi is particularly breathtaking.

While he will appear in an upcoming feature, here’s one of his masterpieces for now. If you like and/or respect classical orchestral, enjoy the beauty and confident complexity of Ludovico’s Primavera.

Plan Sea Book Progress

In the past week was a momentous step in the evolution of the Plan Sea book.

After recently concluding the written narrative, this next phase is the first big round of editing, and preparing the book for publishing.

The process entails copying each of the chapters and sections of the book from my original OpenOffice file, and pasting them into smaller text files. Each section has its own text file, allowing for more specific editing, without the clutter of length, and distraction of formatting.

Then, the text files are imported into a program like Adobe InDesign, shaped by the master styles. Fine tuning and final edits from there.

With this progress, it’s looking like the editing should be complete by the year’s end. A few weeks polishing the layout design. Off to the printers, ready for February.

Unofficially, I’m targeting a February 28/March 1 launch of Plan Sea, around where February 29 would be. This could mean we launch in Goa, India. Some sort of world “tour” afterward.

Advance, limited edition hardcover copies will be available soon, and you’ll receive both your copy and an e-Book version before anybody else. I really hope you like it.

Visit https://planseabook.com for updates and details.

The Week Ahead

A weekend of creative work, and then Hallowe’en comes to Krakow. We’re looking at checking out Forklog’s Hallowe’en bash on Wednesday the 31st.

Otherwise, we are bunked in, and working hard. On everything from rolling out Nomadic.Cloud, updating Mother.Domains, theio.io, a travel service for digital nomads, and The Truf. More to come on all of these shortly.

Next Krakow Digital Nomads meetup coming as well, likely the week after, destined for the excellent MAK cafe. We’ll organise it soon.

Have a great, productive, uplifting time, stay inspired, and keep plugging away. Things could not be much more beautiful here.

Sea

The post The Mountains of Zakopane appeared first on Digital Nomad.

We return to a “normal” rhythm here at DigitalNomad.Blog.

Like one of those things pretty much everybody else in most of the world has: A home, a routine, abundant cuddles.

Travel has slowed down. I’ve been building a home and relationships from a warm, comfortable, loving house near Krakow, Poland.

Considering that life has been non-stop on the road for nearly a year and a half, there is much energy bubbling up. I’ve learned that inspiration is repressed and regenerating while in motion, only to be unlocked upon the extended relaxation of body and mind.

I am learning so many new things, and loving that there is not a rush for anything. If anything, I can’t slow down life and love enough.

As, nothing is forever, and even the best times, with the best intentions, must, and will, pass.

The Comforts of a Home

It may sound trivial to most, that having a home is a wondrous thing.

Not for somebody who has traveled constantly nearly a year and a half,  bouncing between travel and part time housing the past five years. Before that, moved around a lot, all the way back to childhood.

My longest stays in one place during this trip were the three weeks I stayed in Kampot, Cambodia, albeit distracted by a breakup.

There have been two week periods in each of Auroville (twice), Chiang Mai, and Decin. South Korea bounced between 2-3 different places a week for three months, India is always non-stop.

Three months at Sandino Hostel in Berlin doesn’t quite count, living outdoors in a tent, sharing facilities with thirty people, under the whims of a lovely but over-anxious tyrant. Hostels are far too distracting from which to work, and Berlin in summer is a stellar party city.

Now, here I am, in Zielonki, near Krakow, halfway through about six months, and everything leaps to incredible levels. Falling into place.

The near-term goal is to start building roots in New Zealand from the start of 2020, and set up the infrastructure for a global organisation I will develop to take on the world.

Find some land, ideally on a hill in a forest overlooking the sea. Build my own home and studio, one from which I can blossom and live in comfortably until the end of my life.

Relearning Advanced Programming

I’m a senior web programmer of nearly 19 years, but for the past decade I have mostly loathed it. The main reason is the vast amounts of computer time and mental resources it requires focusing on programming – learning, tweaking, bug fixing, improving. I don’t want to be in front of a computer this much!

But, the realist in me sees the opportunity. My companies and projects need great advancements in developments and applications. We don’t have the budget for other programmers. I am a former ace programmer.

So, I’ve dusted off my programming hat, and put my resentments aside, to pour some legitimate passion back into code.

The Next Generation Internet

Instead of build something on current/outdated technologies, my interests are pioneering next generation applications. Why waste months or years learning, developing and maintaining things that are already obsolete?

Here are some of the languages I’ve been studying:

• Solid – This is the creation of Tim Berners-Lee, widely acknowledged as the “founder” of the Internet. Yes, this Internet. Tim remains frustrated that the Internet has still yet to fulfill his original vision, and he’s taken a year off his normal job to do something about that. Solid is an open source, simple and secure spec that puts user’s data and creations solely in their control. It starts by setting up an ID authentication “Solid server”, so I registered an incredible domain for it, that our future projects will use to validate users.
  
• Holochain – The premise of Solid is actually the same idea I had for a massive Holochain social/self app. Holochain is like a more ethical and environmentally-conscious blockchain, while elevating disruptive decentralized benefits. I’ve started contemplating hosting and social dApps (decentralized applications), on major scales.
  
•  PHP7.2 – I began my programming career by tackling PHP3 back in 2000. This is back when page extensions had .php3 at the end of them. I spent a day refreshing my knowledge of PHP and seeing what the new versions have to offer.
  
• Gutenberg (WordPress) – I have to say, I like Gutenberg, the new visual editor in WordPress. Despite initial reluctance, it’s natural, highly powerful, and easy to piece together writing, from drafts to published blogs.
  
• Also dabbling in Composer, Node.Js, Rust, and a hell of a lot of command line interface server installations.
  

Strangers on a Plane – Wings

This week’s musical feature is from some of my closest, oldest friends in the world. Evren and Courteney produce and perform as talented Toronto duo, Strangers on a Plane.

They recently released their debut EP, Wings. Check out our review of Strangers on a Plane – Wings here…

The 2019 Trip Takes Shape

Trip planning opens the imagination to all sorts of possibilities. By considering things like departure/arrival cities and times, you visualise being there, and when, and how.

As longtime readers of this blog will attest, I enjoy contemplating all sorts of possibilities. Then, as necessary plans lock in, it shapes a well-planned trip along the way.

For instance, I’ve been invited to one of my dearest friend’s weddings in Sri Lanka, at the end of March. This paves the way for two months in India leading up to it, after BlogX in Delhi, my first trip to Rajastan, then heading south. Vipassana.

Things like visa applications and legal stay lengths factor in, but you work around those to carve out a trip. They are like an advantage in that way.

Starting to scout flight prices on Skyscanner, looks like I’m leaving Poland at the end of January, straight to Delhi.

After India? Absolutely no idea. Don’t want to know yet. The Plan Sea book tour around Europe would be a nice spring and summer, but after that it could be China. Korea/Japan. South East Asia.

And.. I’m thinking long and hard about New Zealand after that. A summer there to get some life roots set up, maybe the van, find some land, and get an idea what I’m going to need.

Our lives are not a tree, but a forest. They take time, accept it.

One more thing, we’ll be back in Berlin November 16-17, for the David August concert. And, hopefully, Maribou State, the next night.

Have a lovely weekend x

The post Reprogramming Ourselves From The Comforts of Home appeared first on Digital Nomad.

Strangers on a Plane is musically traveled and gifted Canadian couple, Evren Oz and Courteney Brookes-Buxton.

Evren has enjoyed a successful, decades-long hip hop and beats career, as a solo artist, with live funk Rhymestone, or alongside CB-B as Strangers on a Plane.

Beyond several well-received solo albums, Evren’s professional production credits include a 2nd place Eurovision song, plus Superbowl and Toyota ads. Canadians may also recognise Evren as the onetime voice of Captain Morgan.

Brooks-Buxton is a sensational singer, sharing deep sentimentality across layers of levels. As a child she featured in four choirs, honing her craft and versatility from an early age. You can hear her heart in what she sings.

Their synergy and cohesion came naturally together in the musically collaborative form of Strangers on a Plane.

Lovers on a Plane

Just before Evren and Courteney met, over a decade ago, they were, literally, strangers on a plane. Randomly sitting beside each other on a jet from Amsterdam to Toronto, Evren, always the charismatic conversationalist, couldn’t believe his good fortune.

After their initial rapport, linked through a mutual passion for music, they bonded quickly, nearly inseparable.

Years later, Evren proposed to Courteney on a Westjet flight, coming full circle.

On a musical front, Evren’s beat production and songwriting were an ideal complement for Courteney’s approach to singing and lyricism.

They are parents to two precociously talented, home schooled children, each with musical and creative skills of their own. It makes for an inspiring, relaxed home environment.

The fruits of labour of their lives together can be heard on every song in Wings.

Review of Wings by Strangers on a Plane

Strangers on a Plane dazzle and delight, with shades of trip hop, some funk fused in, and kaleidoscopic melodies scattered across pleasant basslines.

There is some comfort emanating through the beauty of sadness, and through the motivational joy of hope.

All My Life – Ambient, reverberating. Super start. I admit I have an emotional attachment to this song. The day after my break up in Jan, Evren called me in Cambodia to lift me up. He played me the raw versions, and still, today, I hear the pain, the love, in every note.

Of course, we regularly fall back into Complacency (see video below). The same old mistakes and habits.

Forevermore is a very nice song. Inspired, inspiring, assured. Lovely bass lick. Life is coming back.

In its polished demeanor, Look at Me sounds like a next-gen Toyota ad, driving through the grid of T.O.

Lonely – A timeless classic. I first heard the original in Evren’s studio in a warehouse in Toronto, over fifteen years ago. A simply melody and a voice. It has been waiting for the right time to come to light, and it scrubs up magnificently with SOAP.

Be Still is a hit in the making. It has a real confidence about it.

Everything lands softly with Someday, a rousing, piano and voice piece. The other song Evren sent me back in the dungeon in Cambodia, helping instill hope in the universe, in the process. We know, Someday, it’s all going to be okay again.

A spiritual journey and learning about love later, life is the happiest it’s ever been. Strangers on a Plane have been making a life this for years.

Strangers on a Plane have excelled with their debut release, and their long history of live greatness suggests the best is yet to come.

Music Videos from Strangers on a Plane

Complacency is the first official music video from Wings, and you can check it here.

For more from Strangers on a Plane

Strangers on a Plane – Official Website

Bandcamp page for Strangers on a Plane

Strangers on a Plane – Facebook

Instagram – Strangers on a Plane

Live world tour dates TBA! Album launch party Friday October 19 in Toronto.

Last week we featured the latest album release of Thumpermonkey – another band we first discovered in the UMFM era of the early 2000s. It was a golden era, and a new one is here.

The post Strangers on a Plane’s Wings appeared first on Digital Nomad.

The holy grail of a nomadic blogging career is the point you begin to monetize your blog.

We’re happy to report that here at DigitalNomad.Blog, we have started earning our first regular (micro)payments for our quality, original writing.

You’ve no doubt been presented with numerous how-to lists about blog monetization, and what you need to do to monetize your blog. This is not one of these articles.

Most of those solutions require a considerable amount of traffic, or some investment to begin with. This is highly unhelpful for the vast majority of new blogs and bloggers.

What we’ve discovered, and successfully implemented, is a solution that starts earning you cash and cryptocurrency as soon as you install a simple WordPress plugin. Then it’s up to you to build reputation and traffic to increase your earnings, while continuously publishing quality content.

Here’s how you can monetize your blog with SteemPress.

Introducing SteemIt – Blockchain’s pioneering social media network

Steemit is a massive, rapidly growing social network, and a pioneer in the blockchain world.

It’s special because it is the first, and best known, social network in the blossoming blockchain space.

Indeed, every thread, post, action and reward is stored permanently on a custom, decentralized blockchain.

One of the great features is there are no human editors or idealistic publishers sitting in the way. This is one of the inherent and most important benefits of blockchain networks, and decentralized, autonomous organisations (DAO).

It’s open, uncensored, permanent – meaning once you submit, it is online forever. Nobody can take your content down, edit or censor it.

Steemit is far from the prettiest or the most intuitive application, but it’s the first. Much respect for that, and the fact that Steemit continues to grow in popularity is a great sign for the blockchain community.

Posts to the blockchain are made available in categories, such as tags, and under headings like Trending, New, Promoted. Readers can “upvote” articles and comments they like, while commenting on each article.

There is a computed calculation of each article and comment, determined by the popularity (“influence”) of those voting on your article, and this generates a financial value for each article.

How much does Steemit pay for articles?

I kid you not, many articles make from USD$500-1000 per article.

The value of articles is based on your reputation score, Steem Power, and the collective reputation and Steem Power of those who upvote and comment on your articles.

You’ll wonder about this immediately, when your first perfectly crafted article receives $0.02 – if you’re lucky. While totally crap posts are raking in hundreds of dollars.

In our own experience, many of our recent articles pay in the $2-3 range. The Introducing David August re-post earned around $5, while our article on desk tech earned nearly $40. Since then, we’ve boosted our default rating from 26 to 50, making a noticeable difference between cents and dollars.

Earning $40 per article, 3-5 days a week, and suddenly that’s an awesome side hustle income, getting paid to write. Even if it doesn’t start lucratively, imagine what weeks or months of spare time effort will bring. A responsible and determined nomad starts the hard work now, for prosperity down the line.

This week we plugged in our Blog.Mother.Domains to SteemPress, and republished one of our recent hit articles – RunCloud vs ServerPilot. Steemit payout in 24 hours: $3.54.

You can accumulate your Steem Dollars and influence tokens (Steem Power), or transfer it via exchanges, almost immediately, to USD.

SteemPress – a WordPress Plugin to Monetize Your Blog on Steemit

So, what is this magical WordPress plugin that helps monetize your blog?

SteemPress is developed by Martin Lees, a longtime Steemit user, who saw a need for such a solution in the web-to-blockchain space.

This allows the re-publishing of WordPress content, via a delay you set, to the Steemit network, where Likes, Resteems, and Comments interaction help build the value of financial rewards for your work.

If you’re really keen on writing, perhaps you maintain multiple blogs under different categories, that you can publish from regularly. It all adds up, dollars at a time, helping build up your reputation and your payouts, and at some point it should bring a decent side income.

You may even get to the level of many of these Steemit authors earning $500-1000 per article. Our aim is to be at this point within the next year.

How To Set Up SteemPress on your WordPress Blog

It’s easy to install the SteemPress plugin on your WordPress site, and start to monetize your blog.

1. Download the SteemPress plugin – ideally through the Plugins > Add New section of your WordPress installation
   
2. Search for the SteemPress plugin – and Install / Activate SteemPress
3. Edit the SteemPress settings – This is found under Settings > SteemPress
   
4. Retrieve your Steemit Private Posting Key – This is found in the Permissions section of your Steemit profile
5. Reward: 50/50 is a good start– Until you know for sure whether you want 100% Steem Power, or pay for each article. Best to accumulate as much SP as you can to start, as it will result in bigger payouts
   
6. Delay Posts: 5-7 days recommended. This is because search engines will penalize you for duplicate content. While it’s nice to be monetizing content on your blog, you don’t want it at the expense of SEO visibility on Google. Hence, 7200 (5 days) or 10080 (7 days) is  useful.
   
7. Press submit – perhaps twice – and it will eventually connect to the Steemit server. If there are any errors at the bottom, make sure your Private Posting Key is 100% the same, your username is accurate, and your Internet connection is solid.

One very important tip on Tags – SteemPress, at the moment, lists your submitted tags in alphabetical order. This means, irrespective of the tags you enter, the first in the alphabet will be the first, and main, category, in Steemit. This is very important.

Hence, if your blog is about technology, the only tags you want to add to the WordPress article should come after T – such as Writing. Otherwise, your obscure, “digitalnomad” tag, will have virtually no visibility.

Any problems or questions at all, feel free to post in our new Digital.Nomadic.Cloud online community forums.

Check Out Steemit and start monetizing your blog with SteemPress

Voila! You have now connected your WordPress blog with the Steemit social network, via the SteemPress plugin.

The longest part of the process will be activating your new Steemit account, as there is a short wait list. In the meantime, you can set up the StreemPress plugin, as much as possible, and keep writing!

Then, once everything is up and running, you’ll be able to post to the Steemit network, and start earning money off your original stories and quality content.

After you sign up and logon, follow me on Steemit! My handle is @seapilot.

Share Instagram, Twitter, YouTube to Steemit

Furthermore, you can also monetize your social media posts, such as Instagram photos, tweets, and YouTube videos.

Check out Share2Steem here – monetizing your social media activities.

The post How to Monetize your Blog with SteemPress appeared first on Digital Nomad.

There is a special, chilling kind of silence you can hear, the sound when love is sucked out instantly from a previously warm and amicable situation.

It’s the electrical wires, buzzing with heightened intensity. The throbbing of the walls. The coldness in the wind against the windows.

Concern and naive, but tender, sympathy from the four eyes of two cats, who, with little else to monitor in their leisurely lives, can sense a tide has changed.

Trying to sleep, first separately, then together. Even though so close, yet millions of miles of dreams away. Barely sleeping, lucid dreaming. An odd and chillingly prophetic one of seeking sleep on a simple couch outside.

Pre-5am wake ups. Stirring under the BPM of unseen clocks, ticking towards an expiry exponentially sooner than the pleasant one uniquely, mutually envisioned. Those, frolicking on tropical Sri Lanka beaches, post celebrations of long time friends’ matrimony.

A warm send off, to life-affirming cross-country bike rides for one; the latest chapters of the characteristically rudderless unknown for another.

In different directions, brought acrimoniously ahead of schedule through the virile divisiveness of the hoax of politics, the divisions further widen.

It appears, when you can see the end in sight, when the ending is agreed and respectfully planned for, in the end it is the ending that decides.

Stay Patient, Stay Honest

In the end, it didn’t end – communication brought a new beginning. And an even closer, intimate connection.

In Krakow until the end of the year, likely towards the end of January. Something beautiful came out of the blue, stronger and stronger.

Despite resistance and every wall thrown up. Things to finish up.

Stay calm, stay calm. Stay chill, stay chill.

Persistently, patience required.

Have faith in love.

Have a great week x

The post When Relationships Print An Expiry Date appeared first on Digital Nomad.

On my third visit to Poland’s capital, I enjoyed a terrific weekend in Warsaw.

My first time was a simple rush from north to south of the city on the Metro, transferring cross-country buses. The second, we stayed in a nice apartment, but in a quiet and sketchy area, not impressed with the nearby old quarter area, overrun by tourists.

Third time lucky, Warsaw showed an attractive side and energy that impressed, warranting further visits.

The purpose of this visit was a short-notice concert, with Maribou State performing live at the T-Mobile Festival in Warsaw.

Maribou State are presently one of my two or three favourite acts in the world, and I was yet to see them live. With the chance to discover techno marching band outfit, Meute, and tickets very reasonably priced, it was an easy decision.

We drove from Krakow, stopping at an excellent roadside restaurant for traditional Polish food. On Friday we visited Warsaw’s Planetarium, walking back alongside the Vistula River.

Sunday, the day after the concert, we strolled through beautifully lush Lazienki Park, the former royal gardens of the Polish capital.

Budget Accommodation Uncovers Authentic Gems

For the past 16 months, out of necessity, I have traveled almost everywhere on an extreme budget.

Flights, buses or accommodation are only possible if I find a great deal. For transportation, this means around €20 or less, and accommodation as low as one can reasonably find.

This weekend in Warsaw we drove from Krakow, sharing around €45 in petrol between two. For accommodation, my careful research found us two nights stay at a quaint, authentic Polish apartment in Molotow, €45 total.

The location was perfect, a 20 minute walk from the Nowry Teatr concert venue. 15 minutes walk from Lazienki Park and the Vistula riverside.

The ground floor apartment is small and humble, but shouldn’t life and travel be filled with humbling experiences? You learn nothing about a city or society staying at 4 star hotels that offer the exact same interior and luxuries found everywhere.

Our cute little granny flat saved us hundreds of Euros. The authentic Warsawian experience included the sweet host gentleman, who showed us the unique systems of curtains and electricity, patient with our struggles entering the property. Once, I headed for a shower, and opened his apartment door by mistake!

The kitchenette allowed us to further save money by shopping at one of the nearby supermarkets, and hot coffee was offered to us daily.

I appreciate having a travel partner who complains about nothing. This modesty I find very attractive.

It’s another reminder that we are truly lucky for much of what is offered to us in this world. Why do we complain at all?

Maribou State Live at T-Mobile Festival, Warsaw

In one of a handful of warm up shows ahead of their Kingdoms in Colour tour starting this month, Maribou State rocked the stage at T-Mobile Festival last weekend in Warsaw.

Playing a majority of works from their new album, Kingdoms in Colour, there was the occasional classic – such as the synth-friendly JNT.

Predictably a little disjointed at times, it was enjoyable to hear live interpretations of tracks that are so well produced. Despite a few glitches, there were many smiles and laughs. They looked pleased, and relaxed, to be performing much of this new material – perhaps, the first time ever live, anywhere.

Following Maribou State was techno marching band Meute, who rocked the crowd with their high energy renditions of electronica classics.

Exhausted and satisfied, we departed before the Justice DJ set, but T-Mobile Festival was a great success.

Music Can Bring Peace to the World

One of the greatest injustices in the modern world is the situation in Palestine.

Often, the mainstream media ignores it, instead focusing on the so-called “terrorism” threat, propagated by the same powers who most benefit – weaponry, reconstruction, finance, media, pharma, food, etc. This anti-Islam theme creates less sympathy to the Palestinian cause, in flickers of distracted, brainwashed humans scanning news headlines and sound bites.

Violence should not be either side’s solution. It does nobody any favors, lest of all, reputation or true karmic honor. But, it’s the bitter reality here, and everywhere else these wars have long been fought.

If you’ve forever lived your life on the West side of the propaganda wall, you have no idea what life is like in many places. Think of Damascus, Tehran, Palestine, even Russia. I’m sure North Korea holds a lot of pleasant, unexpected surprises. Your own open-minded world explorations to new fronteirs and cultures will help you unearth the truth in a lot of ways.

This Boiler Room video shows you scenes in Palestine, similar to party life in many cities around the world – metropolitan, stylish, bohemian, alternative. Tehran looks like a cool city. Damascus used to, before the proxy war for global superpowers completely devastated it.

And people wonder why switched-on Syrians are fleeing for better lives elsewhere? Wouldn’t you do the same?

DJ Sama plays a rocking techno set in her native Palestine. Check it out.

The Lows of Uncertainty

I had a fully up and down week, with the air of uncertainty over my forthcoming UK trip, supposed to begin next week.

Then the starker matter of having completely exhausted my finances, and the longest I have ever gone without new work. While I have some valuable cryptocurrency I can withdraw, it’s depleting what is essentially my long term savings.

Further confusing, I’m in a completely unexpected, wholly comfortable place in life and new relationship right now. I met somebody at the beginning of this trip, that has endured much longer than anticipated. This is why I remain in Krakow.

As my walls and barriers come down, I ask myself, “What more do I want from life?”

However, somebody always wants more than the other person, and that was an intense conversation this week. My enlightenment this year included the revelations of the impermanence of everything, hence enjoying the beautiful moments while you have them, and the openness of true love. This is not shared by a deeply intelligent person nearing 40, seeking to build a serious long term relationship with somebody committed.

Mid-week, the day after, I had an awful, listless day. Frustrated with work, I considered all the possibilities.

Once a year I contemplate a steady, “normal”, job working for an established company, earn a regular paycheque, have a base, a place, a regular crew. I looked up jobs in London and Krakow, with many intriguing options in the former.

With a flight to London in less than a week, these could be the unnecessarily abbreviated final days in Krakow. Could need to start a whole new life all over again, from scratch, on nothing.

After We Bottom Out, We Rise Again

The day after, following a deep sleep, I had a breakthrough. A 6am start to the day led to one of my most productive and positive days of the year. I made great progress on Nomadic.Cloud, the Digital.Nomadic.Cloud online digital nomads community, and other initiatives. Further inspired, I even started laying out my upcoming book for print – a huge milestone!

I hear that most people give up when they are closest to success, at the final hurdle. So often we cannot see how close we are, despite months, often years, of hard work. Every little piece of positive action is a small push of momentum, that all accumulate bit by bit, slowly, steadily.

Work this little bit harder, get over the finishing line, and reap the benefits. A few more small sacrifices now, should translate into sustained success in the not-too-distant future.

Hence, I’m cancelling my UK trip, offloading my Maribou State ticket, and staying in Krakow. Keep up this work momentum, continue building a beautiful thing I have blossoming here, while we have this rare window and opportunity.

And life should take care of the rest. Whatever is supposed to happen, will. This is why you must cherish every moment. As things do, and will, change.

Have a good weekend x

very special p.s – Just before sending this, I was invited to the wedding of one of my best friends. The date and location is perfect. Looks like I will be visiting Sri Lanka at the end of March! I RSVPed for two, with a couple of hotel reservations made.

The post Wonderful Weekend in Warsaw appeared first on Digital Nomad.