Archives For November 30, 1999

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Expensifiers at Pecana cafe in Montevideo, one of our favorite 10 AM spots

If you’re unfamiliar with our annual Expensify Offshore expeditions, we have a dedicated webpage here to help spark the flame! Otherwise, some tl;dr background:

  1. A complete Expensify Offshore spans four weeks, and occurs once per year. It is always opt-in, meaning any employee can elect not to attend, partially attend, or fully attend.
  2. The employees vote democratically on the destination, which at bare minimum must be internet-friendly and relatively easy on the wallet.
  3. The company coordinates and communicates the essentials, including general itineraries, to-and-from travel, basic lodging, and special events.
  4. Employees self-select to lead or support priority projects dictated by a mix of customer needs and personal interest. The projects are optional, supplementary to daily responsibilities, and ideally completed during the time abroad.

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The Arrival

I was a couple days early to Expensify Offshore 2017 in Uruguay.

After six feature films in the nosebleeds of Copa Airlines and a taxi ride at the mercy of Google Translate, I stumbled out onto Montevideo’s Calle Blandengues around 2 AM local time. Historically, this was a Jewish neighborhood and absolutely worth a morning wander, so I left my curiosities for the moment in favor of meeting my Airbnb host, Ramiro.

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Do You Speak Tech?

 —  February 3, 2015 — Leave a comment
Don't get lost in a new environment, get acclimated!

Don’t get lost in a new environment, get acclimated!

Have you ever been to a foreign country and didn’t speak the language? Adventurous but also challenging, right? Sure, these days you can rely on using English almost anywhere you go, but there’s still a lot that gets lost in translation or is just plain impossible to translate. Local dishes, alcoholic beverages, and swear words, are just the tip of the iceberg. The fact is, speaking the local language, or at least trying to, shows interest and respect for the local culture and earns you respect in return. It also make life much easier whether you are trying to order coffee or give directions to the airport.  Continue Reading…