‘Historic move’: Saudi football clubs to play in Iran as travel ban lifted

Saudi Pro League clubs will play their Champions League games in Iran after both countries agreed to resume home-and-away matches, the Asian Football Confederation said.

Sorry guys, I asked a question and ran. Busy days. So, let me explain why I asked that question. I asked it because I am one of those fortunate ones that financial I could retire any time. I do not have any loans. I could have probably retired five years ago and if I cut some corners like Zinsky suggested, probably ten years ago. But I work because

a) I love what I do
b) the lives of some people depends on my being there.
c) I do not have anything better to do.

This brings me to two points:

1. If I were living in a more interesting place where I felt culturally closer to people in my age group, perhaps I would have retired. This perhaps would have win me over a) and b). I especially do not like the lives of Iranians in my age group. We do the weekly mehmoonies, outings, and whatever. But they circle around food (mostly for women), alcohol (mostly for men), and luxury (car, house, ...) These things kept us busy for a few decades but am now done with it all. There is nothing intelectual in these for me, and at the same time the simple pleasures of life has escaped us.  Sitting at a corner cafe, sipping on tea or coffee, is something that I seem to crave at this stage. Sitting at the Starbucks and having the tired conversation of republicans or democrats one more time is just not appealing to me. So, I stay at work.

2. I realize that financially, I am not a typical american. Most are not as well off as I am or any of you are. So, I do not feel we are a good group to judge how well off the society is. For example, there are currently over 3.5 million people in this country who are 60 or older who still are paying student loans. They collectively owe over 20 billion $$$. Many expect to never pay off their loans and take some of it to grave! In addition to these, many at our age have to work because their kids are in college, have house payments, car payment, .... They system has suckered them into getting into debt and so now they owe the income of the rest of their lives to the man! This is the bulk of the population.

So, the reason Americans work so long into their retirement years is usually not because they want to but because they have to. And those few who can retire early do not do so probably because they do not anything appealing to do for a long time.

Now in comparison, Zinsky has mentioned this already that people in europe have a well protected retirement and summer time off. They work so they can live rather than live to work. There are exceptions here. Germans are more live to work kind of people. Southern europe is the opposite. I feel more and more aligning with this type of life style which is why I have been looking to move. Also, and important, but unpopular comparison is the comparison with people who live in Iran. My cousin was in the EMS system in Tehran, managing some part of the ambulance system in the city. He made far less money than I do, and only owns a very small apartment outside of Tehran. But was able to retire at age of 50, lives not luxurious at all, but can make ends meet, next to his mother and brother's family. Clearly he is impacted by the poor conditions of the country, but imagine if the economy were a little better than what it is now. I wonder whether I would have preferred that to this.