You can probably find a cat sitter who will come to your house for an hour or two every day, but it may cost some. You can have them come over a few times before you leave to play with cats so they get used to it. I am not on Facebook, but I think that is the most likely place to find people like this.
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Sounds like something out of Migrante by author J.W. Henley, the story of Rizal, one of thousands of Filipino fishermen in the Taiwan fleet. (jwhenley.com)
Rizal hears of work in a fishing fleet in a far-off placeâTaiwan. In a matter of weeks, he finds himself whisked away to a new world, standing on the deck of an old, rusting tub, the youngest of a greenhorn crew.
The dream quickly turns nightmare⌠Rizal learns fast that life in the Taiwan fleet isnât anything like it was made out to be. Gone are thoughts of earning big money, sending some home to his mother and child. The message he and his crewman receive is clear. Work, take what we give you, be grateful, and above all, be silent.
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Damn.
What happens in SE Asia that Iâve read at least is truly medieval.
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You can (or at least you used to be able to), but itâs not like itâs a cheap option. Last time I checked, taking a container ship somewhere was at least like double/triple the price of a plane ticket, and itâs something people do for the experience rather than to save money.
Youâd probably be better off with a cheap flight to somewhere cheap, like the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, etc.
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Yeah stick with the tried and true classics.
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For vacation?
Right now hospitality is struggling to hire staff. You could probably get a paid for ticket to a nice remote luxury hotel in Europe and they will provide food and accommodation as we approach spring/summer.
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I have a friend that house /cat sits for us when we travel
You need to cultivate such friends
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I donât know everything but usually big ships need licensed crew but cruise ships need a lot of workers on board
Itâs something like over 1000 workers on a cruise ship carrying 3000 passengers
It can be fun but I understand itâs long hours of hard work for about 300 usd a month
You sleep in windowless cabins with several other people and when you go topside you go to work
Itâs a hard life and may make you more depressed
But some people do it for a few months just for the experience. At some ports you are allowed off for a bit of sight seeing
There are vids on YouTube made by cruise ship workers check them out
Getting transport in container ships are usually more than flying and it ainât no cruise ship
Donât know bout pet hotels there but here they cost 100usd per Day. So not a solution
I like this idea a lot. Mr. Luthiers, I think Andrew is suggesting that you could get seasonal work in a nice location (maybe hotel or resort) in Europe. Apply for jobs and make clear that you have English and Chinese skills.
Even if itâs a lowly job that doesnât pay much, at least the trip wonât cost more than price of airfare as youâre likely have room and board provided. And when youâre not on the clock youâre relaxing in a nice resort location in another country.
Bonus: If you just look at it as an excuse for a seasonal getaway, then thereâs no need to feel anxiety about âthatâs not the type of job I want to doâ or anything else. Just use it as a means to go somewhere new, interact with different people, break out of a rut, or whatever.
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Very good idea. I love it. Taiwanese can get working visa in EU countries
Depends on age, right? Under 30? Maybe 35?
Yea, Iâm 41 so I doubt I can get working holiday visas anymore, plus it doesnât seem like a lot of such visas are issued.
Is age an issue? Plus I doubt I can just go there visa free and be able to work, at least not let border agents know that. I know thereâs working holiday visa but you have to be under 30. I mean I donât think I should be gone for too long as I still have to somehow pay rent for my shop when I am gone too.
Ah fun times. I was fantasizing about this about a decade ago and did a bunch of research.
Cargo ships can carry a maximum of 12 passengers although most vessels only have accommodation for 4 to 6 passengers.
In all cases a good level of general health and unaided mobility is required (steep gangways and internal stairways).
Age restrictions apply to most services; generally lower age limit is 5 and upper 78 years (to 79th birthday). One operator permits passengers up to 84 years (to 85th birthday) subject to medical certification and on selcted voyages only.
The reason for these restrictions is that in order to carry more than 12 people, international regulations require the ship to have a resident medical professional which can be quite expensive. And given that there isnât one, you need to ensure that you are in good shape and will not fall ill during the trip which can take weeks.
I know youâre generalizing, but an almost equal number of those guys (and as far as I know theyâre all guys) are Indonesian or Thai.
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If you speak mandarin, you can get a job at a casino in Manila and make serious coin as a dealer. They will pay for your accommodation
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You have some military experience right? You could do a working holiday in Ukraine.
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Harsh ! Good chance his cats will be orphaned with that working holiday
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If you like the idea of working in a hotel, what about Fiji? Nice scuba diving if you go to the islands. Iâm sure they would appreciate and Chinese ability, everyone speaks English there. No personal experience but getting working visas looks pretty easy. Fijians are lovely people too 
I was also going to suggest picking fruit in Australia but you probably wonât feel like youâve gotten away from Taiwan and probably more difficult from a visa perspective.
If working isnât neeeded/wanted, why not spend some time in parts the world that donât require a lot of money? Cambodia, Vietnam?
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