As is my job as a software developer from Venezuela

▶

1. The Environment: Noise and Civility

The environment directly affects my work setting. Here, civility and respect for the law are, in many cases, nonexistent. A few anecdotes will help you understand the situation:

• Unsanctioned Noise: If someone wants to have a party at full volume from 10 PM until 4 AM, affecting the entire neighborhood, they can do so without any sanction.
• Everyday Anomalies: I am in the capital (Caracas), in a central area (near the Sabana Grande Boulevard), yet I've experienced situations like neighbors climbing onto my roof for no apparent reason, or living in buildings where the upstairs neighbor intentionally makes disturbing noises. Reporting these situations is almost impossible.
• Unattended Alarms: Currently, I have an alarm blaring since 2 AM (I think from a commercial establishment). No one is attending to it. They will surely deactivate it in the morning as if nothing happened.

Although fortunately I no longer suffer these inconveniences, the environmental situation for the citizens can be very stressful.

2. ⚡ Critical Services: Electricity and Internet

As a developer, I directly depend on electricity and the internet.

• A. Electricity and Voltage Drops
  Electrical stability depends on the time of year.
• Fluctuations: We are in a hot period (a kind of summer). I assume that the increased consumption of air conditioners and fans, especially in the country's interior, causes voltage fluctuations (known as "drops" or "bajones") to start during peak hours (between 1 PM and 5 PM).
• Equipment Risk: These voltage drops or spikes are very problematic, as they can damage equipment. That's why my devices are connected to a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply/battery), but my desktop PC (gamer), upon initializing the graphics card, consumes more than the UPS can handle and shuts down.
• Strategy: To mitigate the risk, I disconnect my main PC around 1 AM, when the fluctuations begin. Then I use a laptop for lighter work (office automation, writing books or posts), which is more efficient and can be easily disconnected to work on battery power.

B. Internet Blockages

The internet service is "bad news" and its quality is lamentable, especially because I do not have fiber optic in my area (despite being in the capital).

National Service (CANTV): The national service (CANTV) has blocks against certain websites.

• External Blocks: Other websites are blocked directly by the sanctions from the United States.
• Solution: I consume online resources (like Blender or Unreal courses) through Satellite Internet. If I tried to use CANTV, the low speed, failures, and blockages would make it impossible to consume content or work without dying in the attempt, since using a VPN does not improve the speed.

3. Job Offers and Stress

Although I don't work for anyone (it's a personal decision), it's important to mention the work context.

• Dreadful Salaries: The minimum wage is less than $5. The base salary used to calculate the rest of the wages is very low, which means most salaries in the professional environment are deficient.
• Office Stress: The only thing that generates stress for me is the idea of having to work for someone, in an office environment where I feel obligated to sit and cannot leave, like a “modern slavery.”

4. Work Schedule: The Early Morning

Due to the combination of noise and voltage fluctuations, my main work schedule is centered on the early morning.

• Reason: Voltage fluctuations occur in the afternoon and noise increases when people wake up.
• My Routine: I start my day around 4 AM and begin recording my online training videos (my main job) at 5:20 AM.
• Personal Advantage: This schedule allows me to say that by 8 or 9 in the morning, I have already completed the heaviest part of my work, which I consider an advantage over most people.

With this, I hope you can understand my way of life and work here in Venezuela. It is not a complaint, but a way to share my experience.