Solved How realistic are my goals?

[Cedric62]

I am sorry for your situation, get back to work is easier if you get back on your area.

About system administration if you don't like poking with this stuff I am concerned you won't find enough engagement in pursuing it.

If you are looking for some job inspirations, if you are a good with the tools and you are retired mixing amazon, uber, and perhaps trying to get a license as Handy-Man can give you a way to integrate your pension with the pace that works best for you.

I had a ton of hand tools, but they got "misplaced" by my son when I put them into storage. Also, I have bad knee and a bad shoulder from repetative stress, so manual labor is out of the picture at my age. Oh, I like poking this stuff just fine, its the hardware failures I don't like so well. I admit, that there is virtually zero chance of me working in the tech field, but I think that I will play around with FreeBSD from time to time, in order take my mind off of other things. Well, I've managed to break Xfce twice, but then I got it working again, so I cannot be completely useless.

 

[blackbird9]

One thing a friend of mine mentioned to me is tutoring english lessons to kids in other countries over the internet. Parents in some countries such as china are very keen to teach their kids english, and particularly like being taught by a native english speaker. I haven't tried this myself but it has the advantage of not requiring any physical work, although it might mean working nights if you're teaching people in different timezones. I haven't investgiated it myself, so I don't know much about it, but it might be something you could look into. I have no idea what the earning potential is. Possibly you might need some kind of teaching qualification. Anyway, just a suggestion.

 

[Cedric62]

One thing a friend of mine mentioned to me is tutoring english lessons to kids in other countries over the internet. Parents in some countries such as china are very keen to teach their kids english, and particularly like being taught by a native english speaker. I haven't tried this myself but it has the advantage of not requiring any physical work, although it might mean working nights if you're teaching people in different timezones. I haven't investgiated it myself, so I don't know much about it, but it might be something you could look into. I have no idea what the earning potential is. Possibly you might need some kind of teaching qualification. Anyway, just a suggestion.

Very very interesting. You wouldn't happen to have the names of any organizations you could send me in a private message?

 

[blackbird9]

Sorry I don't know much about it, I was told about it years ago. I have read recently that online tutoring is a big thing in england over the last few years as well, not just english language but all kinds of subjects. But I guess for that you have to know school curriculum, exams, etc. Private tutors here can earn quite good money too.

Why Private Tutors in London Are in High Demand Now

Why are private tutors in London still in high demand in 2026? Nearly half of secondary pupils have used them – the UK's top rate. Uncover drivers like intense academic pressure, post-COVID learning gaps, VAT ripple effects on private schools, and more. Explore one-to-one benefits, inequality...

manningstutors.co.uk

That's probably not the same thing as giving chinese or vietnamese kids practice in speaking english, I would imagine the requirements for actual tutoring would be somewhat higher.

 

[blackbird9]

This might give you some ideas. I know the demand in china is or was very high, it was a guy I know in shanghai that I used to work with who told me about it. I do remember he said the chinese school teachers aren't all that good because they teach english but with chinese pronounciation and they make all kinds of mistakes... so everyone wants their kid to learn from a native english speaker, especially US english. Of course if you can speak some chinese or other asian language then you have a big advantage too, sadly I don't!

12 Companies to Teach English Online to Chinese Students | JIMMYESL

So you’ve decided to teach English online to Chinese students – by the way, it’s a great idea: the demand is sky-high! But you don’t want to start on your own, and you are not sure which company is…

jimmyesl.com

This is the idea, you do it over the internet and teach the kids how to pronounce words, what things mean, the usual stuff. I think especially working with young kids it's probably not very difficult academically, but you might have to be up at 1 AM when it's afternoon in shenzhen or wherever! I never looked into it seriously because I was too busy working in computing. I don't know what kind of money you can make doing this, it might not be a great deal, unless you put a lot of hours in or something. The nice thing about it is you can do it from home just with a laptop. Anyway, it crossed my mind as something you might be able to look into while you look after your wife etc. I don't have any direct experience of doing this though, that's about as much as I know!

 

[Cedric62]

Of course if you can speak some chinese or other asian language then you have a big advantage too

Well, I actually have some experience with both Tagolog and Visayan, but I don't think that will be of much use. I took a Mandarin course about twenty five years ago, but I really don't remember much of it at all. I think that I learned how to say "good morning boss" and that was about it. My wife has some friends who live in Mainand China, I will try and pick their brains. Thanks for the idea, I'm a native English speaker, maybe I can talk to the people runinng the program.

 

[bgavin]

Movies and cartoons with a language track helps with immersion.

 

[Phishfry]

Lot of my friends that retired from work at Norfolk Shipyard but drove from deep in NC. Good paying jobs worth the drive. NE. N.Carolina considered a poor area.
So when they retired there were not many opportunities to stay busy.

I had a ton of hand tools, but they got "misplaced" by my son when I put them into storage. Also, I have bad knee and a bad shoulder from repetative stress, so manual labor is out of the picture at my age.

Yes this is like shipyard life. You get beat up pretty good working outdoors in all seasons.

What my retired friends did to stay active:

Parts store driver-
Hotrod Builder-
Bitcoin Mogul-

 

[Cedric62]

Hotrod Builder

Hotrod Builder! I like the sound of that one, it sounds even better than being a bikini inspector. Not sure if my wife will like me spending money on cars again, but who knows. You're right about one thing, there are not many oppurtunites in this area, and I don't really want to work at Home Depot. Well, I used to have an online account with Charles Schwab years ago, maybe I will that again, and maybe also look at teaching English.

 

[Cedric62]

This might give you some ideas. I know the demand in china is or was very high, it was a guy I know in shanghai that I used to work with who told me about it. I do remember he said the chinese school teachers aren't all that good because they teach english but with chinese pronounciation and they make all kinds of mistakes... so everyone wants their kid to learn from a native english speaker, especially US english. Of course if you can speak some chinese or other asian language then you have a big advantage too, sadly I don't!

12 Companies to Teach English Online to Chinese Students | JIMMYESL

So you’ve decided to teach English online to Chinese students – by the way, it’s a great idea: the demand is sky-high! But you don’t want to start on your own, and you are not sure which company is…

jimmyesl.com

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This is the idea, you do it over the internet and teach the kids how to pronounce words, what things mean, the usual stuff. I think especially working with young kids it's probably not very difficult academically, but you might have to be up at 1 AM when it's afternoon in shenzhen or wherever! I never looked into it seriously because I was too busy working in computing. I don't know what kind of money you can make doing this, it might not be a great deal, unless you put a lot of hours in or something. The nice thing about it is you can do it from home just with a laptop. Anyway, it crossed my mind as something you might be able to look into while you look after your wife etc. I don't have any direct experience of doing this though, that's about as much as I know!

A friend of my wife recommended VipKid. She said that a lot of the other once are fake, but VipKid is supposed to be reliable. However, I looked at the requirements on their website, and they are pretty stiff. Still, it doesn't hurt sending them a message. After all, how many people with a four year degree are going to want be up late at night, teaching kids over the Internet. They cannot be getting that many candidates who meet those requirements.