Comments on: Cultural Counterweights https://www.gregtodiffer.com/cultural-counterweights/ Stories, rants & observations about expat life in Asia's craziest city Tue, 03 Apr 2018 01:13:56 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.5 By: Greg https://www.gregtodiffer.com/cultural-counterweights/#comment-1327 Tue, 03 Apr 2018 01:13:56 +0000 http://gregtodiffer.dreamhosters.com/?p=170#comment-1327 In reply to Jerome.

Hey Jerome, thanks! Glad to hear it’s a universal need – I imagine my wife would need a few Thai friends as well if we ever moved back to Canada. Now that I have a kid, I get out a lot less often now, but I still have my go-to friends who act as a release valve when I need to vent about expat things. 🙂

]]> By: Jerome https://www.gregtodiffer.com/cultural-counterweights/#comment-1326 Mon, 02 Apr 2018 21:51:15 +0000 http://gregtodiffer.dreamhosters.com/?p=170#comment-1326 Japanese say that the rain makes you turn bald, so that’s an another one 🙂

Just discover this blog and this note resonates quite a bit with me, after 13 years in Japan and counting (and obviously not being from here) : I definitely need my buddies to keep my sane, share some common cultural jokes and a love of cheese (ok I’m from France) that my significant other doesn’t get.

I’ll bookmark your blog, I’ll come again!

]]> By: Frodo Douchebaggins https://www.gregtodiffer.com/cultural-counterweights/#comment-498 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 02:43:25 +0000 http://gregtodiffer.dreamhosters.com/?p=170#comment-498 Strangely enough, I had a bit of the reverse experience: I had to fly 12,000 kms to find a woman who shares my AWESOME taste in music, even if she has been a bit slow to cotton to Little Feat.

]]> By: Megan https://www.gregtodiffer.com/cultural-counterweights/#comment-497 Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:04:03 +0000 http://gregtodiffer.dreamhosters.com/?p=170#comment-497 Well, I don't have a Thai girlfriend, and I had to import a boyfriend here from the U.S., but I can still understand what you mean, just in terms of friendships. I've had really great friends from different countries, but there are some things people who aren't from the U.S. aren't going to understand. There's a real comfort in having the same cultural background as somebody…but it's not everything, as you know!

]]> By: Karl https://www.gregtodiffer.com/cultural-counterweights/#comment-496 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 20:50:39 +0000 http://gregtodiffer.dreamhosters.com/?p=170#comment-496 Greg – true enough! These superstitions, are they believed by the younger Thais? From what I've seen on you FB page, the young 'uns seem to be more… progressive than their parents might be. I agree whole heartfelt that you need to have a "relief valve" – something that centers and grounds you when the going gets weird, and I imagine that finding that outlet in a foreign culture can be a challenge sometimes – that's why it's good that Aom understands this need, as any caring partner should.
Me, I like to shoot people, but it's too cold out for that right now…
Miss you, big guy – wish we could get together for a beer!

]]> By: Warren https://www.gregtodiffer.com/cultural-counterweights/#comment-495 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 07:26:17 +0000 http://gregtodiffer.dreamhosters.com/?p=170#comment-495 Well I'm no Asian Bill Nye nor Korean though I am Chinese American. Growing up I too I was subjected to a lot of hocus pocus beliefs and superstitions. Some of the weird beliefs originated hundreds of years ago like I was told never to sleep with my hair still wet or else I'll catch a cold. You'll find such advice in ancient Chinese text.

Others are more recent, for instance don't sleep with an AC or fan on. I guess us Asians are good at fabricating stuff to scare the crap out of each other. I mean really, have you seen some of the horror flicks that come out of Asia??

]]> By: Greg https://www.gregtodiffer.com/cultural-counterweights/#comment-494 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 04:13:07 +0000 http://gregtodiffer.dreamhosters.com/?p=170#comment-494 Vin, that's interesting. My cousin – who lives in Seoul – was telling me recently that people there don't sleep with fans or air-con on because you can die. She said it was likely a rumor started to cover up the fact that some Koreans committed suicide in their bedrooms, which is culturally taboo there. But still.. people are terrified of fans when they sleep. We need an Asian Bill Nye. 😀
Karl – Yeah, I guess there will always be differences between the sexes, but when you add in the cultural chasm, they become even more pronounced, as does the need to connect back to the 'Motherland'. At any rate, we can all agree on one thing: men like boobs.

]]> By: Karl N https://www.gregtodiffer.com/cultural-counterweights/#comment-493 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 03:13:04 +0000 http://gregtodiffer.dreamhosters.com/?p=170#comment-493 Hey G! Another great post, but one comment – your observations are not just limited to PFAC – what you describe is the age old "differences between the sexes". Elyssa and I go through this too, so don't for a
second think that it has anything to do with the racial differences!

]]> By: Jay https://www.gregtodiffer.com/cultural-counterweights/#comment-492 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 02:04:48 +0000 http://gregtodiffer.dreamhosters.com/?p=170#comment-492 Good post Greg. Like the new layout!

]]> By: entropy01 https://www.gregtodiffer.com/cultural-counterweights/#comment-491 Thu, 09 Dec 2010 22:59:34 +0000 http://gregtodiffer.dreamhosters.com/?p=170#comment-491 Perhaps you'd have to have been there…. But that's poetry:

[..] something that can help settle any cultural butterflies that might rear their ugly, acid-tongued heads.

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