Take on immigration and whatnot - overwhelmed by ghosts of decisions unmakable

[Moach]

This one is big... huge, if not bigger still....

anyways, I have come to a point in life where everything, and I really do mean it, hangs in the balance - and a set of rather major decisions are pending for which I am in now way informed well enough to make


Still, I do not come here to make a poll about what I should do with my life... THAT would be insane, even for my standards - but I do need to gather some rather critical bits of data in order to proceed...

Thus, I have decided to let in the help of a few of the best brains I know where to find....


so let me paint you a picture, and show you just WHY i haven't been making any progress on the G42 or pretty much anything else right now... h:

A snipped of recent history: (please bear with me, this is important - i'll try to keep it short)



thing #1 - how my day job evaporated at room temperature

it seems "free" is a terrible business when it comes to profit :facepalm:

the company I worked for suddenly realized that with the insane tax load on labor in this failure of a country, you just can't have a game studio and make profit on page banners - even at 2 million 'uniques' a day... (it was made pretty clear on occasion, this ain't the case in the civilized world)

anyhow, long story short, me and the crew got the proverbial plugs pulled late last year - yet, in Brazil you make more money being fired like this than by actually working for about 6 months....




thing #2 - a job interview very interesting for many reasons except the aforementioned 'job'


what do you do right after you're tossed out on your own? - go find a job! simple enough right? - well not always... still, being a very specialized programmer really does help in cases like this...

I arrived for an interview about a gig involving some educational games... The guy doing the hiring was a very interesting chap, some 50-something years old maybe, looked like someone serious enough so that what happened next would come as a complete shock

On we went, discussing wild ideas for what the game he had brought me there to discuss was gonna be like... there were two geeks of distinct generations trading various science factoids back and forth - upon some unrecalled subject, I eventually introduced my idea for an invention of mine, which I hadn't really considered - til' now!

the invention, of course, cannot be disclosed in detail, lest I ruin my patent rights on the thing - but let's just go with the notion that it improves a thing or two on a concept called the 'Baylin Rotary Engine'

(i'll wait until you're done googl'ing that)


Anyhow - I never really thought my 'inventions' had any real merit - being the brain fart of a geek with ADD who had a flight deck built around his home PC....

Back to the meeting, I remember saying at one point "...no, this ain't like the Wankel - It's something new!" and from that line onwards - the 'gig' that had led me there went down to the dogs - and the talk was taken onto a whole new matter, one that as this man claimed - should be my life's priority at this point!




thing #3 - my new life priority at this point

well then, first things first - remember where I am -- this ain't no civilized country I live in, it's the friggin' jungle! no world-changing innovation will come out of a place that has it ingrained in culture the idea that "work is tiresome enough, and the next coconut is just about to fall of that tree..."

fact - nobody invests on anything new in Brazil, not unless it's making money beforehand - or it's a ripoff of something created overseas, Thus "invention" is considered a very expensive hobby and/or something childish and irresponsible to pursue.

thus, it was solidly reckoned that if this invention is ever to be invented - it will first involve immigration!

it was also pointed out by my would-be employer that in a best case scenario "you'd become a millionaire, and I'll be missing a programmer for my game" - and even in a less than ideal scenario, he said, it could still warrant me a scholarship in a major technology hub or something to that end....



sounds enticing, no? -- sure did for me... but here's what happened next:



thing #4 - divorce ain't fun


guess what?! turns out, while if my career (whatever that is, at this point) has any future it lay somewhere over the Equator, my dear wife absolutely cannot (and would not) abandon hers here in order to follow me....

with an insta-impasse being struck, there was no way in this galaxy for this relationship to work - this turned out so overwhelming, that even before xmas, it was me out of the door.... wned: - quite a grumpy new year


we're still friends, me and my ex - yet I'm glad I got to keep the dog....


nevertheless - divorce sucks! :blackeye:





and now, well - there's VERY little left for one to lose, isn't there? :tumbleweed:



so enter "danger mode" and let's get me out of this backwards, senseless no man's land ASAP, and besides sneaking across some fence in the desert, i'm going all out and trying all paths available for one skilled in technical trades to move legally into the 'real world' - turns out, there are indeed a few such paths :thumbup:


but then again, we haven't really decided WHERE to settle, have we?

well then, my invention-inspiring friend did say he had an acquaintance in Santa Monica, CA who either owned, or was elsewise involved with a company that specialized in bringing inventions such as mine to life...

that made me consider moving to California for a while...

but then again, US immigration is known to be tough on us latitude-challenged folk... so that'd be an inefficient move for me, all things considered -- plus, (and most important) the general LA area is a mighty costly place to live (yet not more so than São Paulo, there's something really wrong with this place) - so that's a fact...


And I had heard that Canada has some welcoming programs for skilled workers, and a brief yet enlightening research revealed that I qualify as being eligible for the 'federal skilled trades program'.

Canada, eh? I though - and started tossing the google earth globe around idly refining my search from country, to district, and then to town....

Since I had California in mind at that time, my search was generally directed westwards... zoom in on Vancouver, BC


* something then clicked in my brain *


do not ask me what, how or why - a place I have never been to before in my life felt more like home at that moment than I had known it was possible for 'home' to feel like....

sounds weird? it is!

but then again, I never did feel at home in Brazil - I have a large difficulty managing the cultural conversions between the local interpretations of 'right' and 'wrong', and people often get angry at me for pointing out and questioning evil things that ought not be tolerated yet somehow are, and nobody ever talks about them seriously....


Today, I just carried on the continuous bombardment of resumés directed towards the Vancouver area - there are a LOT of game companies there! yay! - One of which really caught my eye, and had me itching to hear a response.... Noteworthy: job hunting gets VERY frustrating on weekends!

Then, Boy O, Boy! Indeed I'll be a merry geek once I manage to migrate my game making career northwards -- so many ideas come to mind, even to start my own studio once effectively settled... to make my OWN games, much like a brother of mine did with an idea that was indeed half of my own authoring back in concept stage



But are we not forgetting something??? what of the revolutionary new engine, my invention?!


I have yet to find a way to integrate my critically time-prioritized relocation with this new 'top priority' of mine....


this is where I become vastly overwhelmed by decisions, and find that i'm plodding through a mire of half-made choices and fail miserably to keep my head from departing into a flat-spin


from this point on, '*' indicates points of major uncertainty which are open for your insight - This is due to the fact that I cannot objectively weigh in the pro's and con's from my current, rather unfavorable position



* should I really prioritize the new revolutionary thing? - I was advised this way by a respectable peer, who at his own loss (he still has no programmer) had me thinking truly BIG for once... The next step would be to pursue a patent (* provisional?)

* If so, should not academia be considered? - I am not formally educated in the crafts of mechanical engineering, which would be required reading for someone inventing an engine, i guess... however, those things cost much many moneys - and would delay my rather urgent relocation needs until a lot later this year, (* should I go for a study visa?)

* A job offer would have be abroad in no time - the immigration website was kind enough to dub me 'eligible' based on my trade (never had I felt so uplifted by the words of a machine) - yet, such demanding advances on game-dev career may prove counteractive to the notion of prioritizing my revolutionary invention thing

* Without an offer, the immigration process takes over a year... I have no wits left to withstand 'life' (better call it 'survival') in Brazil for that long... I'm grieved enough as is, and have pretty well confirmed that the problems leading to my untimely divorce will repeat themselves with any other women I meet - an effective doom of 'alone forever', should I not swiftly alter my geographic status, promptly befalls - let alone the million other career-related things that command urgency

* A study visa could get me started, and the permanent residence processes could be dealt with during the length of whatever course I tend to... Yet it has been VERY hard to determine just what field of study to apply for... * there is a lot left to learn on game programming, so that's an attractive thought - * or maybe there's some course on something that would bridge the gap between my programming skills and those needed to pursue my more ambitious inventor goals....




so there you have it, like it or not (I really don't) -- IT'S TOUGH! :download:


then I ask you, elite few who did bother to read all the way down... what would you do? (there are NO wrong answers, really!)

about the invention, please, try not to infer any unlikelihood of success based on the lack of details disclosed - for the sake of argument, let's assume it really IS all that. (lest the whole point become moot)


and lastly - yes, beer has been considered - but overruled in favor of less carbohydrate-intensive vodka

 

[BruceJohnJennerLawso]

Wow, talk about a huge post.

At least try to be grateful that "alone forever" in your case is only geographic, not permanent, like others of us here...

 

[Moach]

noticed the first guy to reply (i though maybe nobody would) is by all chances - Canadian!

should I take that as a sign? - wait, do i believe in such nonsense as 'signs?' :blink:



as a word of hope for all members of the geek kind - turns out, ex-wife tells me women nowadays tend to like a man with brains! (and not only the zombie ones)

 

[BruceJohnJennerLawso]

noticed the first guy to reply (i though maybe nobody would) is by all chances - Canadian!

should I take that as a sign? - wait, do i believe in such nonsense as 'signs?' :blink:

Well Canada would be a good place to immigrate to, provided you can provide some good skills (no worries there). Most people are pretty friendly too, although I cant speak for BC myself. Thats not to say that Canadians never oppose immigration, but the attitude towards it isnt nearly as heated as the whole US-Mexico illegal immigrants/drug trade/gun violence thing.

Actually, maybe you should consider coming to the Kitchener-Waterloo area. If you really are sharp with computer programming, I'd bet you wouldn't have any troubles finding work with a company like desire2learn or RIM. The tech companies in the area are often hiring from what I can tell.

as a word of hope for all members of the geek kind - turns out, ex-wife tells me women nowadays tend to like a man with brains! (and not only the zombie ones)

(large exaggerated sigh) I'll believe it when I see it I guess. Forgive my massive pessimism at the moment.

 

[MattBaker]

First I feel I have to thank you for sharing this information and listen to some guys whose only quality is flying virtual spacecraft to other planets.:lol:

If I'd be in your situation I would find a job in Canada, so you have a stable income, can get easier into the country and get used to the country because you'll probably meet a lot of folks there.
Then if you got settled at your new home, which would take a year for me, I would get in contact with university folks, maybe professors whatsoever who have a working knowledge in the subject of your invention and could help you build up something with it. In my experience it's always quite hard to achieve such a huge goal yourself but maybe you and some other smart guy, who has his mechanical engineering degree and is trustworthy enough not to flip you over when you get successful, can start something which could also help if you need money to build up a company, two guys have more money than one.

So in my opinion you should try to get into Canada with a stable job and start with the invention a few months later with the help of a knowledgeable, trustworthy friend.


And about the women issue: In my opinion it's often great not to have someone else around all the time. If you meet the one you want to spend the rest of your life with, get her. But don't pressure yourself in that issue. Women, as well as money won't make you happy solely but in a combination with a lot of other factors and you can be happy without having them.
But I feel like that's an issue you have to find an answer for yourself since that's really dependent on your character and I know guys who'd rather die than being without a girlfriend for a week while I'm more comfortable without one.

 

[Codz]

Wow, I'm sure you know that we can only offer advice and personal anecdotes. While the background wasn't as complex as yours, I was in a situation earlier last year where I had to make a choice about where "home" truly was after some unforeseen events. Either I stayed where I was in Atlanta, or make a massive leap of faith and move across the country to Seattle (quite close to Vancouver) with no gaurantee of anything other than lodging. I decided to make that leap into something totally alien and new, and honestly in the long run it's been fantastic. A new area, new people, and new experiences. I'd say go for it.

 

[paddy2]

One thing that sprung to mind was if you enter on a type "A" visa and then change direction which would require a type "B" visa, do you have to leave, reapply and then reenter. i.e. a student becoming a worker becoming a free lance

 

[dgatsoulis]

Sorry to hear that you had to go through a divorce at such young age Moach.
Luckily you don't have any kids yet, but that doesn't make the ordeal a whole lot easier.

I wish I could help with knowledge on the subject areas of engineering or programming, but don't have any.

What I have is a similar but smaller scale experience (minus the invention) that includes canceling an engagement and moving to another city to start my own bussiness. Can't say that it worked out for me very well.
But that doesn't mean that I am going to advise you to stay put and feel content with what you have.

About your question:
Like you said, there isn't a wrong answer here. MattBaker's advise is very sensible, but I am not so sure about Canada. Not that it's not a great place to go to for pursuing both fields you are interested in, but knowing people in a foreign place is important.

Do you know someone there? At least in California you have that guy's friend in Santa Monica, who is also supposed to be knowledgable in the invention bussiness.

Also, you mentioned the best case scenario. What's the worst case scenario and where do you fall back to, if it becomes a reality?

 

[BruceJohnJennerLawso]

Sorry to hear that you had to go through a divorce at such young age Moach.
Luckily you don't have any kids yet, but that doesn't make the ordeal a whole lot easier.

I wish I could help with knowledge on the subject areas of engineering or programming, but don't have any.

What I have is a similar but smaller scale experience (minus the invention) that includes canceling an engagement and moving to another city to start my own bussiness. Can't say that it worked out for me very well.
But that doesn't mean that I am going to advise you to stay put and feel content with what you have.

About your question:
Like you said, there isn't a wrong answer here. MattBaker's advise is very sensible, but I am not so sure about Canada. Not that it's not a great place to go to for pursuing both fields you are interested in, but knowing people in a foreign place is important.

Do you know someone there? At least in California you have that guy's friend in Santa Monica, who is also supposed to be knowledgable in the invention bussiness.

Also, you mentioned the best case scenario. What's the worst case scenario and where do you fall back to, if it becomes a reality?

Ive always wanted to ask actually, what was your business? Are you still running it?

 

[dgatsoulis]

Ive always wanted to ask actually, what was your business? Are you still running it?

I'll PM you not to jack the thread.

 

[Codz]

To add to what I previously said, I'd pursue a job and housing first for a year or two, then look into more formal education or try to enlist help with your idea. Essentially what MattBaker said.

 

[Moach]

worst case scenario for me is right now - unemployed, unmarried, stuck in a land that offers me little other than grief and grudge...

as i said, there's VERY little to lose at this point - which somehow may be a good thing, if you think about it, then there's only to gain :hmm:


worth noting, I do not know anyone anywhere - wherever I go, I'll be on my own, and I'm really fine with that... Last month I've had the joy of spending two weeks living with my father in his house/sailboat, aboard which my trip took me across a number of borders around the general Bahamas area...

I found out that I manage going around 'solo' much more fluidly in places such s the US than I do back in Brazil...

somehow, my natural response to do things they way they are supposed to be done falls harshly out of place in my native land, where it seems bending every rule to one's whim is the cultural norm upon all and every human interaction (and one is considered foolish and naive for not doing so)

naturally, this leads to me making friends in a surprisingly rate... this does not happen in Brazil - ppl here are weird



so it's really more a question of 'what and how' than one of 'if'


from your valuable insight, I now start to converge on a notion that moving in with a stable job could offer more benefits than most of the other alternatives - and to cherry the top, that one actually ends up with me making money, rather than burning away my reserves


I do think it's time I put the cork on the things people around me (specially family) here are saying - Having lived so long in a place that has traded right for wrong in so many ways, it does feel heavily like they too cannot properly weigh the pro's and con's of such decisions realistically....

My father, not residing in Brazil for some years now, does advise in the same way - To secure a profitable landing, and THEN proceed into uncovered territory


This gathering of advice, however unfit you may feel to give it, has proved immensely constructive - largely more than I had anticipated - for it helps prove one thing which I had been suspecting all along

combining the knowledge that most of my local peers either have a very distorted view of the world or are as desperate to escape as myself, with that advice coming from abroad really does match the input from my father, which contrasts with everyone else here, the conclusion seems to reveal itself:

He's the one who is right! -- People here don't know what they're saying!


for that I thank you, all of you! - you have eased my mind of a burden beyond reckoning!



It is now a LOT clearer to me how priorities oughta be sorted out - and I shall stop taking in any input from the biased viewpoints of local family, who although filled with good intentions, simply don't know what they're talking about :thumbup:



Probe be with you!

...and wish me luck!

 

[RisingFury]

First off, I'm really sorry about the string of difficult events you've had to go through. My parents divorced when I was a kid and I know how much it sucks...

That said, I'm a more conservative person when it comes to taking risks. I don't gamble. I prefer a stable increase over a quick and risky reward, so my answer and analysis of the situation will be biased in that way, but will hopefully remain cold.



Be careful! Just because you immigrate somewhere does not mean that your problems will end. They could increase - tenfold!



I know you asked not to speculate on the invention itself, but it would not be honest of me to not address it.

For one, you said yourself you're not educated in mechanical engineering. So you have to ask yourself if your confidence in your invention is justified. I'm a Physics student myself and I can tell you is that as I learn more things about Physics, my confidence in my knowledge has actually *decreased*!

The reason for that being is that I found out just how ignorant I was before. My eyes were opens to just how many things I didn't know and I now know that there are things I'll never learn. I'm thus less quick to throw out answers as if they were definitive.

This reaction is not unique to me. Many students of Physics and Engineering go through that. So ask yourself: Are you really sure that the invention would work? Are you sure because you've tested it or just because you have a design in your head that you think would work?



The second thing you should worry about is... are you the first to invent this particular engine? What if someone already holds a patent to an engine similar enough, that your patent application would be rejected?
You should know that there are companies that apply for patents to certain inventions that never actually intend to develop the invention. The only reason they go for the patent is to deny someone else the same invention.
There are many 'dirty tricks' that float around.



Just because you move to Canada, US, Europe or any other place does not mean you'll be awarded a patent and will be able to attract an investor to fund your invention. If I understand you correctly, you're talking about an internal combustion engine. Keep in mind that you're going up against giants here - Rolls Royce, Bentley, Ferrari, Mercedes, BMW, Volkswagen, Ford,... companies with 100 years of experience in designing and building internal combustion engines. And I remember the fuss around Mazda's attempt at a rotary engine that was short lived. Even one of the giants couldn't do it. Isn't it a bit of a stretch to think that you could?

With today's drive towards sustainability and eco-friendliness, I'm not sure that there's still a great great potential for internal combustion engine development. What development there is, is generally headed in the direction of making existing engines more efficient, not creating systems from scratch. People are realizing that the current combustion engine technology is a dinosaur and is only here to get us to the point where electricity or other means of propulsion become viable for everyone...



Now to answer the questions you've posed:

"should I really prioritize the new revolutionary thing?"

In my opinion? Absolutely not!!! You have no guarantee that you'll succeed. You can end up spending all of your money pursuing something that can just drain your resources. If you do intend to pursue this invention, you should do it as a hobby and not as your primary means of survival.

You're a programmer. That's a respectable job that offers decent pay that rewards you with certain luxuries. Why throw all that away in search of a dream that may or may not increase the quality of your life?


"If so, should not academia be considered?"

If you intend to educate yourself, I admire and support you there. Even if you don't end up pursuing this invention, having a formal education will make you a qualified worker. Even if you end up with the same job of programming, you'll be able to do that job more effectively. Math, Physics and Engineering knowledge and skill is very applicable when programming.

Though you did mention ADD - do you actually have ADD or is that a self-diagnosis?

If you have it and take medication for it, be warned: Getting an education is NOT EASY. It involved endless hours of studying and often even memorizing equations and formulas and derivations. I've been to the point where I just wanted to drop out and cry for a month.



"A job offer would have be abroad in no time"

You're probably right about there. US and Canada are currently good places if you intend to continue your career in programming. I'm sure you could get a job there.
As I said before, I wouldn't recommend just leaving everything and pursuing your invention with no safety net. I'd keep my profession / job and try to get the patent on the side. That way, if it succeeds it'll be great and you can retire and if it fails, you'll still live your life in relative luxury.

As far as prospects for game development go... it seems that EA is slowly devouring the last of the large game studios that are just in it for the quick buck. With only a few good studios and distributes left, a large indie game market has opened up. We've seen games like Minecraft and KSP go A LONG WAY. The formula in many of the cases that have succeeded so far seems to be: "Silly + Creative + Death and destruction = Fun".



"Without an offer, the immigration process takes over a year... I have no wits left to withstand 'life' (better call it 'survival') in Brazil for that long..."

This might indicate another problem you're having... It's true that you can't choose where you're be born and if you could, you probably wouldn't choose Brasil... but not everything about where you live is bad. Try to find the things you like and surround yourself with them, if you can. If you can't find them, you can still immigrate, but be patient. A year might sound long, but given the amount of money needed and stress immigration would bring, a year might not be such a long time. Above all else, no matter what happens in your life, be patient. Patience will benefit you more than anything else.

I don't think you should consider immigration just because you want to run away. US / Canada / Europe / Australia / ... aren't these magical lands. No matter how much every Amrrrrcan will try to convince you that US is the best country in the world lol::rofl: hope all you Amrrrrcans can appreciate the joke), it might not be the place you see described on the immigration website. You might end up not resolving the issues you have right now, but just feeling bad in a different location...



"A study visa could get me started, and the permanent residence processes could be dealt with during the length of whatever course I tend to... Yet it has been VERY hard to determine just what field of study to apply for..."

If you do intend to study in US or Canada beware - the tuition fees are insane. I live in a country where education is free (well, there are expenses, but they're related to living) and I can appreciate the gift society's given me. When I'm done with my education, I will be a highly trained, highly competitive person, capable of solving problems in my field. I'll be able to start working without having to worry about the thousands of dollars of debt that student loans can trap you in.

Another thing is that studying takes a lot of time. It's unlikely you'd be able to keep a job in programming and still be able to study. A few hours of studying per day really drains your mind. Even a part time, low paying job would be difficult to hold, so if you do intend to study, make sure you have a lot of money saved up before you start!!! Potentially enough to keep yourself going for years!

As for the fields of study... Math, Physics, Computer science, game development, software engineering and a few others can enrich your current career. But if you do intend to go through with your career as an inventor, I'd recommend Mechanical Engineering or something along those lines.



I've gone on for quite a while, so to sum it up...
If it was me, I would seriously consider immigration, however, I would keep the invention as a hobby and keep my primary career as a programmer. If I did go through with education, I'd choose Math, Physics, Software engineering, game programming or Computer science. A degree in Physics and general experience in programming can even open up fields like Computational physics - construction of computer simulations to solve real world problems...

That said, if I was going through with it, I'd make sure I have a lot of money saved up. Just moving takes a lot. Just getting the plane ticket and all your luggage there is expensive. Then you need to either buy an apartment / house or rent something - potentially for months or years. There's no guarantee that you'll get a job right away and you need a safety net.

I'd take a year or two to save up enough money, do the research and preparation and get started on the paperwork on the road to citizenship.


That said... I'm not you. I don't know you, beyond the posts I've read on OF and beyond the details of your life you've shared. I don't know how you live and how you think. This is a decision you'll have to make for yourself.

Whatever you decide, good luck!

---------- Post added at 01:04 ---------- Previous post was at 00:54 ----------

Took me a while to write my post, so it doesn't include this, but...

as i said, there's VERY little to lose at this point

Your life is worth much more than you think. Even if you are at the bottom, you still have your life to lose. You are unique. Once you die, humanity will lose the uniqueness that is you. All your thoughts, all your ideas will be gone and the course of human history will be different.


You've affected the lives of some of the people on this forum, including mine. No Moach = No G42, which I and a bunch of other people are looking forward to.



For now, I'd suggest you just get a job and get back on your two feet. Once you're standing tall again, you can chase your dreams

---------- Post added at 01:34 ---------- Previous post was at 01:04 ----------

Maybe you just need some free hugs...

 

[Moach]

wehoa! and i thought i was the one with the keyboard-happy fingers :lol:



one thing at a time, let's see...


I am not formally educated in engineering, but I do have knowledge of various subjects from hobby research and more often than not, from the research that goes into programming things (take the G42, for instance)

I was also advised by a trusted engineer that it was a sound concept, and more of it could only be found by constructing a combustion-ready prototype. Most of the strictly mechanical sense of it was proven by having it built in Autodesk Inventor (that thing is AWESOME) - a tool advanced in such ways it allows you to drag components around and see what does what and what gets in the way.


but even I ain't crazy enough to pursue that without a fallback - and for crazy, I got ADD - diagnosed by a specialized psychiatrist - I got my Ritalin now, it works fine!


Indeed, all the things you have advised against are those that match what my immediate local family are proposing... those are things all derived from the notion to squander away my cash reserves pursuing education on a field that leads only to uncertainty, in my case.


that ain't gonna fly!


as for finding programming jobs, indeed - there seems to be more openings than I can handle at the time... I have been avoiding EA, being that they're, you know - EVIL, and I have read the most awful things about the work environment they breed in there....

but in two short days of actively pursing such a path (I only started now after returning from my dad-boat vacation and a few days of utter mayhem and jet lag), I have already managed to send out more then a few contacts to various openings - of which, of course I do have my fingers crossed for some favorites


Now, I am well aware that immigration ain't magic - I have done my homework (plus I did live in the Netherlands for a while back in '04) - I am well aware of what to expect...

what it seems most times is that people may fail to truly grasp how inhospitable my current habitat is becoming - and not just for myself, everyone here has a HUGE problem, and nobody has the guts to bring it up....

But of course, I do expect there to be problems - those are an universal constant (physicists should perhaps call it 'P')

It is the manner in which problems are handled in my native land that is quite simply incompatible with my natural response (the 'correct' way is for 'losers', it appears) - and for that, I have already verified that an instant improvement will come by relocating somewhere... sane...


plus - as you have mentioned, programming is a respectable job, right? - well, where I come from there are so many no-can-do posers passing for such professionals, that our rates will sink to as low as they are willing to take... which is really low!
'real' programmers are then a minority, bleared my the muck of self-proclaimed computer jocks that in only a few months invariantly reveal their true incompetence for all to behold - and we hard working coders will suffer them plenty.



anyways - this has been insightful beyond my wildest hope - little did i think anybody would care to even reply - what a wondrous surprise it has been

and now I am well aware of what to do, and how to sort out my priorities!



thanks to all once more! :tiphat:

 

[statickid]

Notice: I did not take the time to read the last giant post, but here are my :2cents: for the first one...

First of all, I live a hop skip jump from B.C. and I LOVE Vancouver and Victoria. My wife and I visit those towns every time we're feeling like burning up hundred dollar bills. Excellent culture, nightlife, pubs, and restaurants. I know that's not your main concern, but being newly single maybe its a bonus.

Secondly, I'd stick with your trade for now. I'll try to keep this short and to the point. This area (B.C. and Washington) is just crawling with programmers and programming jobs. Don't forget to check out Microsoft :shifty: they treat employees very well and would no doubt making a move to the states a breeze. They may even have a diversification policy and program for helping skilled folks get jobs.

About 12 years ago I started working on an "invention," a math book, actually. I've been through school and at least 5 jobs since then, and worked on my project all the while. Just last year I finally got my copyright documents and am getting ready to publish my book, which contains information that I would like to be first in the field with. I can't say for sure, but I just feel like if you get an engineering degree you'll end up working for someone and it really won't do much for turning your idea into money. Another option is patenting it and selling the patent to a company that builds engines.

Lastly I've been through a rough bit relationship wise and I gotta say, traveling the world and abandoning the familiar environment is amazingly uplifting for the mind.

 

[llarian]

Moach ... oh boy, what can I say?

Having been married twice and divorced twice (I won, custody of the kids and no alimony), you are better off being single. In this life you can only trust blood, and none of us marry blood.

Trust me also that there is a far worse position you can be in. So long as you have your freedom, you have not run out of options. Really, trust me on this one ... from first hand experience.

You're young. No matter what you can still rebuild. It just takes perserverence and courage.

 

[Hielor]

I agree with RisingFury.

Software engineer is a respectable, well-paying job. You can pursue your ideas as a hobby in your spare time.

As for it being specifically an engine--to be brutally honest, your idea probably won't go anywhere other than, at the best, an interesting prototype vehicle. The Wankel, for all its advantages over traditional internal combustion engines, has been abandoned by its only supporter (Mazda). There's little room for a completely new idea in internal combustion engines that will take quite a few years to develop properly, when all of the consumer and industry interest is turning towards more efficient electrics and hybrids.

Doesn't matter what the old guy told you. Get a real job, and if you want to have a hobby of making unique engines on the side, you can finance that with a normal career. If on the off chance it turns out to be something fantastic, you can pursue it as a source of income once it's working.

 

[Urwumpe]

Well, life can really suck sometimes, doesn't it?

I think the most important things have already been said and I can only agree to them:

1. If you are a good game developer, you can also learn to develop business software. It is not as much a change in technology, as a change in mind.

2. It is impossible to have a wife that fits to your job. And the other way around is not easier: A job that suits your wife is somewhere between ruler of the world and CEO of Volkswagen. Don't believe her, if she tells you that "As long as you are happy with your job, I will be happy with you". This only results in a "Are you happy?" a few minutes later, because there is always hope that you might decide to become CEO of a big company.

2a) And you should be aware: You can't just be a game developer for 16 hours, husband and father for 2 hours every day. Your day is limited and you can't have it all. And it is not bad to be not a developer sometimes. Everybody can learn to program. But not everybody can find solutions and deal with customers without going mad. That requires social skills and new forms of creativity... and you can get this only by freeing your mind from game development from time to time.

3. Programming at work and programming at home as hobby at the same time is very hard. I currently experience it myself. The coding creativity gets drained a lot at work, and the capacity is nearly empty when you come home. You need to find a way to refresh your brain for creativity quickly at home. It is likely easier if your real job is less about programming and more about leading.

4. And don't immigrate to Germany. While we have a great brazilian diaspora here and immigration is not that tough for people who are smarter than the bureaucrats and have a good professional background, there is one factor that makes us a bad choice: Our IT industry is extremely limited in capacity, because we are ruled by email printers. If we have a successful software product or a successful technology in Germany, it is a pure accident, not because we are really having the environment for continued and repeated innovation in IT. It had been that way when Zuse made his first computer and never changed. It is not a war that you would want to fight, if you have the choice as immigrant. I considered emmigrating at one point, but found a job that was too tempting to not follow.

4. Wankel engines failed by being different and by their corrosion. Other engines will also have these problems. We could also have climate condititioning in cars using nothing else but air for cooling. But the technology would be different and the car industry does not like changes, because it is a large and slow dinosaur. I don't want to sound too negative by it, after all I come from a car industry place here, but you have to simply remember: Your new technology has to be repaired by the local mechanic in a distant place who does not know what the R&D department knows. You can't present him a Space Shuttle and claim that he will know what to do. It takes years, maybe decades, to introduce a new technology into the car industry and it requires a lot of endurance and willpower to not let the technology fail before being introduced.

So, better ask yourself now, where the focus in life for you is:
Door 1: Be a game developer, maybe somewhere abroad, likely with a fair amount of job insecurity like always in creative places.
Door 2: Be a husband. Even if it means trading exciting creativity for job security and stable income. And some boring predictivity, that is required to not make the other human in the relationship crazy.
Door 3: Innovate the car industry. Which is a full-time job for decades, requires a lot of travelling and fighting battles with really experienced old gangsters. Nothing that wifes like to know. And nothing that allows developing games in your freetime, because you have no free time. But in the end, it offers huge rewards or epic failures.

 

[Moach]

1. If you are a good game developer, you can also learn to develop business software. It is not as much a change in technology, as a change in mind.

I have considered this... in a way, if one can program a game, he may very well program a vast array of different things, considering the immensely broad assortment of science topics that go into making such "toys"

2. It is impossible to have a wife that fits to your job. And the other way around is not easier: A job that suits your wife is somewhere between ruler of the world and CEO of Volkswagen. Don't believe her, if she tells you that "As long as you are happy with your job, I will be happy with you". This only results in a "Are you happy?" a few minutes later, because there is always hope that you might decide to become CEO of a big company.

so true!

2a) And you should be aware: You can't just be a game developer for 16 hours, husband and father for 2 hours every day. Your day is limited and you can't have it all. And it is not bad to be not a developer sometimes. Everybody can learn to program. But not everybody can find solutions and deal with customers without going mad. That requires social skills and new forms of creativity... and you can get this only by freeing your mind from game development from time to time.

luckily for me, my only "child" is my beloved french bulldog, 'Poppins'

3. Programming at work and programming at home as hobby at the same time is very hard. I currently experience it myself. The coding creativity gets drained a lot at work, and the capacity is nearly empty when you come home. You need to find a way to refresh your brain for creativity quickly at home. It is likely easier if your real job is less about programming and more about leading.

yes - I do recall having this problem during the good early days of work trying to juggle the G42... you just can't do it unless you're unreasonably well organized and/or waive any notion of a social life

4. And don't immigrate to Germany. While we have a great brazilian diaspora here and immigration is not that tough for people who are smarter than the bureaucrats and have a good professional background, there is one factor that makes us a bad choice: Our IT industry is extremely limited in capacity, because we are ruled by email printers. If we have a successful software product or a successful technology in Germany, it is a pure accident, not because we are really having the environment for continued and repeated innovation in IT. It had been that way when Zuse made his first computer and never changed. It is not a war that you would want to fight, if you have the choice as immigrant. I considered emmigrating at one point, but found a job that was too tempting to not follow.

Worry not, I hadn't even really considered that.... Even though, I did enjoy the few brief days I spent in Germany back in my exchange to the Netherlands in '04 - we were located so close to the border, every now and then we'd go over for some sightseeing and excellent beer!

Yet my utter failure to communicate in German (and/or Dutch, for that matter) leaves me to disconsider non-english destinations for my 'quest'...

Anyways, I'm pretty much settled on settling in Vancouver now :hmm:

4. Wankel engines failed by being different and by their corrosion. Other engines will also have these problems. We could also have climate condititioning in cars using nothing else but air for cooling. But the technology would be different and the car industry does not like changes, because it is a large and slow dinosaur. I don't want to sound too negative by it, after all I come from a car industry place here, but you have to simply remember: Your new technology has to be repaired by the local mechanic in a distant place who does not know what the R&D department knows. You can't present him a Space Shuttle and claim that he will know what to do. It takes years, maybe decades, to introduce a new technology into the car industry and it requires a lot of endurance and willpower to not let the technology fail before being introduced.

While my design did specifically target a handful of Wankel-derived problems and avoided many others simply by using a mostly unrelated approach - I am too aware that the motor industry is no place for new revolutionary ideas...

I've heard all sorts of tales with ingenious innovators getting top dollar to make sure their invention never hits the press - and one and another of inventors who simply disappeared and where never seen again :shifty:

gotta say, I do not like those odds...



At this point, it has pretty much been decided that the only SANE course of action is that advised by my father (and confirmed by the rest of you)

it goes a long way to show just how far the general Brazilian crown has their notions of civilized life bent into an unrecognizable writhen blob of incoherence....

something about this place and it's evil ways has people lose track of what's important and what should stay second to said important things - It is madness, I tells ya! :facepalm:


A million thanks, everyone! - If i had known before just how valuable this muster has been, I'd probably have done it sooner :tiphat:


Probe be with you!

 

[fsci123]

I would definitely recommend you come to America. There are many job opportunities and there will probably be people you will meet who also come from Brazil.