Comments on: How Expat Life Forces You to Open Your Eyes

By: Greg

Greg — Mon, 04 Jun 2018 07:09:24 +0000

In reply to Rob. As I've said many time, religion will be the end of us all.

By: Rob

Rob — Thu, 31 May 2018 14:18:58 +0000

If there was no religion in the world how many lives would not end so soon? From the Crusades to the Holocaust to Bosnia to the Middle East and beyond. Yes people will say there is there is Salvation in God…Higher Power…blah blah blah. Religion, tribalism-I want my own lad/country and only my kind should live here, and of course money have killed more people than any political or ideological dispute over mankind’s existence. You are different because of how you look, where you come from, the God you pray to etc. so you do not deserve to live where I do or at all. Get out of my backyard or my goons will make sure you leave or worse…sad state of affairs we live in this world.

By: dwight

dwight — Thu, 19 Oct 2017 21:49:21 +0000

The duality of man. The Jungian thing, sir.

By: Greg

Greg — Mon, 25 Sep 2017 04:39:43 +0000

In reply to LindaJoyce. Thanks Linda, yeah, it's certainly not something that tops most lists of the benefits of being an expat, but it certainly ends up being the most important one. You pose an interesting question - how many people would just shrug if you gave them the opportunity to have their preconceived notions blown up?

By: LindaJoyce

LindaJoyce — Sun, 24 Sep 2017 18:04:07 +0000

People back home will have many ideas about why you are so lucky to be living abroad, exotic location, weather, food – you know the list. Little do they imagine the top benefit being a widening of the mind. And if they did, would they be brave enough to glimpse the world as it really is?
Keep caring and bleeding, my friend. Otherwise, nothing will ever change.

By: Greg

Greg — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 09:25:31 +0000

In reply to Paul. Thanks Paul, it's interesting to note the differences in places, as well as how we perceive them.

By: Paul

Paul — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 08:38:43 +0000

Amen, Greg. I was just back in the West and realized how my own perspectives have altered, both toward cynicism and breathless joy. I no longer care about many of the things I thought I could not live without (like driving, having a big house) and I am quickly weary of those who act as though they are the center of the universe. The joy that happens, however, must also be noted. Something happens when I encounter the almost pathological friendliness of Westerners, their quick apologies for no reason, their weird sense of space. Inside I laugh hysterically, and not cynically. Not that I don’t find Thailand and Thais worthy of the same admiration, I do, but for different reasons. But the wave of silly friendliness there…well, it just takes my breath away. Does this mean either place “wins”?? Oh heavens, not in my heart or mind. This means only that, while our “old world” can piss us off, each of our worlds give us the ability to find great joy in the other.

By: Greg

Greg — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 05:10:09 +0000

In reply to Amy.

Thanks Amy, yeah, but I guess we’re lucky that we’re insulated from it a bit by the language barrier. I know which photo you’re talking about, the one of Alan Kurdi…I can barely even look at that photo without getting tears in my eyes, and I’ve -never- had a photo affect me that way before. Our little snow globe of humanity needs a big shake and a hard reset so we can focus on the things that matter.

By: Amy

Amy — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 18:43:52 +0000

I feel the same way, Greg. I was deeply touched by the horrible photo of the poor drown Syrian toddler refugee washed up on the beach. And I wince with real pain with any story about a mistreated child, ever since becoming a parent. Stuff like these pompous ceremonial celebrity worship, sports and other superficial crap has not mattered to me in years. I think it has more to do with the kind of person you are rather than whether you live in a foreign country.Thailand has plenty of vapid interests as well that are kind of bothersome.

By: Greg

Greg — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 02:57:43 +0000

In reply to Tommy. Thanks Tommy. Yeah, it's certainly not an isolated incident and there have been (and are) comparatively worse things going on, but it just pissed me off. If we can't solve issues like these that should be relatively easy to at least attempt to stop, then how will be ever stop the big ones?