Marcello Arrambide is a really interesting guy that I recently started reading and don’t know that well. What I do know is that he’s incredibly smart, well traveled, a good writer with a good eye, and his photos are excellent. In my book, that makes him a travel blogger that a lot more people should start following and reading.
His blog is Wandering Trader’s Travels, which gives you a quick look at one reason he is so interesting — he is traveling all over the world, making money for his travels by day trading on stocks. Not a typical story for a travel blogger. His travel blog is the only one I have seen that has posts on how to day trade. This is someone I need to sit down, have a few beers with, and pick his brain.
Go check out his website, follow him on Twitter, and get to know him a little better from his Lucky 13:
1 – biggest dinner tab you have ever been a part of (not that you necessarily paid)?
$470, It was a friend’s birthday party and I double booked that night. So once I arrived everyone was finished with their entire dinner and I offered to pay the bill since I missed the entire thing. I didn’t even get some bread!
2 – you have a unique job on the road, day trading stocks, approximately how much time per week do you spend on that task?
What I do is I maximize my time when the market is moving well and stay away when it isn’t. Typically I will trade about 7.5 hours to 17.5 hours a week. If there is a crisis like the recent one in Egypt I will trade longer since there typically are more opportunities in the market in times of crisis. Last Friday I traded almost the entire day because the market was moving that well.
3 – best movie that no one has heard of?
Most people I speak to haven’t heard of The Insider
4 – Fill in the blank: if I knew I was never going to be arrested, I would ________.
I would be lame and say I would rob a bank but I literally thought of this question for over 20 minutes and thats the best I can come up with! Who wouldn’t want to pay all your friend’s and family’s bills off and travel the world practically free?
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE_V9Sl84NU&feature=related
5 – what sporting event do you most want to see live?
I love soccer and when I was living in Buenos Aires I heard of the undying chaos that ensues during a La Boca and River Plate soccer game called the Super Classico.
This game is more intense than a Yankees and Red Sox World Series. I was able to attend a game but not the super clasico, would love to come back and see that game. They even have a grave yard on site where they bury hardcore fans, who does that?
6 – word or phrase that makes you cringe when you see it or hear it?
birthday present coming...
“buddy”, hey buddy, thanks buddy, good to see you buddy. What do I look like a 2 year old? lol
7 – rudest thing you have ever seen in person?
My uncle was in the bathroom at Buenos Aires Train station when a random man just walked to him and started, how do I say this nicely, started to caress his Mr. Wiggles. My uncle politely said no when he turned around and went to the man in the next urinal. It was like seeing frogger in the bathroom. Classic!
8 – everyone has done something so bad, or embarrassing or just plain weird that they wouldn’t tell anyone else on the planet… when you read that you thought of something… what year did it happen?
2010… and I’m scared of the follow up question after this
9 – what is your ideal dinner party? You and 4 others.
Einstein – for his sheer intelligence and different way of seeing the world. Warren Buffet – for his brilliance in business. Ghandi – To learn not about his religion, but his way of life. My grandmother – Because a grandmother’s love can never be replaced (unfortunately she can’t be enlightened because she only speaks spanish! lol)
10 – who is your favorite relative and why?
My Uncle Augusto, he died of a brain tumor when I was young but he was the only person that could cheer me up no matter what was wrong.
now, there is a movie I want to see
11 – who plays you in the movie about your life?
Robert Downey Jr because he is the perfect blend of smart ass, dynamic, brilliance, cunningness, and has also had his share of mistakes to overcome.
12 – what is your favorite television show?
Soprano’s because it reminds me of the life I lived in Sicily. The mafia is so real and eerie and they always do everything in style! I remember I walked into a cafe and saw 20 yr olds with $2k Armani suits on. I walked out of the restaurant without my breakfast and luckily they let me keep my wallet.
13 – you are at the Pearly Gates, what question do you most fear from St. Peter?
Cover Charge is 20 bucks! LOL.
Love this interview and knowing Marcello personally we can envision him answering every question. I love that he admitted to spending 20 minutes to answer question number 4. I have so been there and spent forever trying to answer a question to only come up with nothing. I could totally see Robert Downey Playing you as well. Let the casting begin! Oh, one more thing…Now I really want to know what happened in 2010!
hahah #6 cracks me up. So that’s what goes on in guy’s bathrooms. Thats like a girl going to pee in a stall and another girl peeking through the cracks to watch you or some weird crap like that hah.
So “Mr. Wiggles” was your nice way of putting it?! LOL. I stayed with Marcello in Buenos Aires and this interview perfectly reflects who he is. Good stuff.
Great interview! Marcello seems really funny. I’d love to have a drink with him sometime and hear that embarrassing story 🙂
Hey buddy, nice interview! 😉 I’m so sad that Marcello & I weren’t able to meet up in BsAs when I was there. I would have loved to have met him in person. I like that we both have jobs, but still travel the world. We have found the elusive balance!!!
Wow, that’s a big tab….
$470. ouch
Gosh, that’s a novel way to earn money on the road — though I guess it’s even more wifi-dependent than writing! Marcello, do you just close your positions when you go unplugged? I mean, do you plan for unplugged time?
I just discovered his blog recently too. I agree it is very interesting. Great interview.
Marcello is good people. Another great one in the series Michael, these are always hilarious.
That sounds like an intimidating dinner party.
I like his photography and attitude. And that is one great way of making money when on the road! I didn’t like the 470$ tab though…
I’m also curious as to what happened in 2010? 😉
Theodora- the way that I normally trade I usually close all my positions by the end of the day. So I usually day trade between abt 9.30 am to 11am. That is the emini S&P, currently I have started trading crude and that can be a bit more sporadic. I use fundamental analysis for the crude which allows me to trade it over consecutive days or weeks where as the emini S&P is just technical analysis (charts and stuff) where I need to be connected.
Laura-if everyone keeps asking I’m going to have to start giving hints! Lol