Hello, I know this is an unusual story here at DP but I hope to find someone with some effective advice to help me so if you have five minutes free, sit down and prepare to listen to this unusual story of mine, because this is the first time I am doing this in my entire life As many of you may know, being myself a DP member since 2005, I am a 22 years old Italian student from Rome. I was born in Rome, with my mother from there, so half of the family is there. However, my father is Iranian and is more than 30 years that he is living here in Italy. He is an Italian citizen and he went away from his country when the revolution happened because he did not agree with the actual status of things. For this reason, and for having married a Christian woman, my father cannot go to Iran anymore, nor can I. I know this sounds like a stupid thing, and in fact it is imho, thanks to what happens in that country. So, I have never met half of my family and maybe I never will; my grandmother died and I haven't even seen a picture of her, and I only have now contacts with my family with yahoo messenger, which they have access since a little time. That is, a question that I thought unresolved for so many years came to my mind again and yet I am here questioning myself how can I see my family for the first time in 22 years. It is my right to do it, like any other human person in this world. In these days this is the question that is struggling me, and i think I have finally found a solution to the question. I may go to Dubai, in United Emirates, and being this near to Iran my family could visit me there. Unfortunately both my family there and me haven't got the money to make so long flights (and in my case, hotel stays as well), so I need to find a way to earn the money I need to make this dream of my life to come true. Going to Dubai is the only chance I have to see the more I can of my family, that they can easily travel there without many complications for what I was told. I have made a research with Expedia and I have seen that if I want to stay a week in Dubai (I think this is a reasonable time frame to know the most I can of my family, and let them travel to visit me), including flight from Rome, would cost me approximately $5k. I would also need at least $1k available for emergencies and don't know what else, it would be the first time for me that I would make such a long trip so far from my home. That is, I need approx $6k-$7k to realize my dream. Now here it comes the question to experienced DP members. Is there a way to earn that amount online, with some activity or work to undertake? I currently do Google Adsense but my income do not exceed $2-$3 a day. I am also a full-time university student so I don't have many free hours available, but if I know there is a certain way to meet this goal, I would struggle for it. Please, if you can, advice me on what I could do to obtain as soon as possible what I need to visit my family. Most of all, I know that my grandfather won't live forever so I need a feasible way to go to that city in the shortest time possible. Any suggestion is greatly appreciated Thank you from the deep of my heart and for having listened a story that I have told for the first time ever to the world! Falco85 a.k.a. Alessandro
Wow, what an amazing story (or it will be at least if you get a chance to meet them). I would put up a blog about your story. Submit a press release. Get some buzz going on the social bookmarking sites and start taking donations. If girls can raise money for breast implants (http://myfreeimplants.com/) Im sure you would be able to raise at least a little for your cause. Best of luck. EDIT: If you do this, put me down for a $10 donation. Or better yet, want a free domain and hosting for it? (make sure you accept paypal for the donations)
Do you have any assets? A car, house, etc that you could take a bank loan out on? If it is that important to you, I would look for other means to get the money, rather than solely focusing on using the internet as the source.
No I'm not looking for donations. I have my dignity to preserve I need advice, that is. And no, I don't have any assets I am a student. Noone gives loans to student as well... tried it!
I bet there's someone in Dubai that wouldn't mind letting you stay with them for just a week after they hear this amazing story. There is no need to pay $5,000 in hotel fees...
What I really need is the flight ticket and some money for emergencies: I wouldn't leave Italy without a dime in my pocket as anyone wouldn't Someone to stay... it would be great. But who can I trust there? It's an unknown world to me!
I would better do a research "about" expedia. For instance, search for "EXPEDIA COMPLAINTS" in Google or Yahoo. You will be surprised about how EXPEDIA can ruin your trips. Personally, they tried to scam me (1,254.95 U$D) Good luck
Wasnt there just some EXPEDIA scandle with them deleting parts of wikipedia when it talked about their customer service, complaints, etc?
Expedia was just the first thing I thought of to look for such trip. I wouldn't trust to book on hotel online by myself being an unknown area I'd prefer to rely on trusted services
YEP, someone was deleting negative aspects of EXPEDIA in wikipedia. If you go to wikipedia and check the entry for EXPEDIA (look at the history) you will see that one section called "controversies" is missing in the current version. Another section called "customer feedback" was erased a couple of times.
You may want to check out the Robin Hood Fund, provided that you don't feel it would be an issue for your pride. These are people looking to fund wishes like yours. Alternately, maybe there is an equivalent to Prosper's individual<->individual loan available in Italy - do some google searching to see.