An internet group called InterNations contacted me about featuring my blog on their web site. They asked that I put their badge on my blog (you can see it on the right, a bit too big for my tastes), fill out a questionnaire and send them a photo. I spent a bit of time thinking of answers to their questions and began to ruminate on a post about expatriation in general and my experience specifically. The photo I picked is above; Here is the rather simplistic questionnaire and my attempt to describe this adventure I'm on.
1.
Please tell
us a little bit about yourself. Who you are, where you come from, when you
moved to Thailand, etc.
Born in Ohio in the U.S. Midwest, the son of a
plastics salesman and his Canadian bride, I grew up after World War II in the
south and as a teenager in Southern California in the 1950s. I was married
twice and helped raise four kids, now grown. My working life included careers in journalism,
entertainment public relations, and magazine publishing. Twenty-five years ago I
redefined myself as an academic, got a Ph.D. in environmental history and
taught classes in philosophy and U.S. history. After retiring, I traveled the world and five years ago settled
permanently as an expat in Thailand.
Now I teach English several days a week to monks.
2.
When and why
did you decide to start blogging about your experiences?
In the spring of 2006, I began writing an opinionated blog about my
travels and thoughts on spirituality and world events, not to mention the
perils and pleasures of aging. I chose for the title "Religion, Sex &
Politics" because I was taught these were topics that should never be
discussed in polite company. But
they happen to be the categories of life that interest me most.
3.
Do you have any
favorite blog entries of yours?
All of them (and none).
I've written more than 500 posts and almost never go back to read over
them. The most popular have been
posts about the conflict over ordaining women as nuns in Thai Buddhism and the
playground for sexpats in Pattaya. It's more of a sequential memoir than a
travel journal, but my life in Bangkok always provides food for thought. I'm happiest when I've succeeded in
saying something honest about myself. Quite often these are confessions of
failure and hope for acceptance. As
for religion, I've traveled a path from practicing as a devout Catholic (with
social justice leanings) to a deep respect for the Thai mix of Buddhism,
Brahmanism and magical animism.
Mostly the spirituality I affirm is all about being a good person in
this world with no thought for institutional rules and an afterlife.
4.
Tell us about
the ways your new life in Thailand differs from that back home. Did you have trouble
getting used to the new circumstances? Did you experience culture shock?
Before I left the U.S., I was a elderly, retired bachelor
living in a converted garage in northern California whose major daily event was
a trip to the café for cappuccino.
Now I'm married to a wonderful Thai woman and we live in a 9th floor apartment
with a spectacular view of the city I have come to love. I took to expatriation
like a duck takes to water and never experienced culture shock. This is perhaps because I visited
Thailand three times before moving here for good, and an old friend living in
Bangkok and Surin schooled me in the ways of Thai culture. At the end of my first year, another
friend nominated me as expat rookie of the year, which pleased me enormously. I am fascinated every day by the life I
lead here and the adventures that take place all around me.
5.
Do you think
you were fully prepared for what awaited you in Thailand? If you could, would
you change some decisions/preparations you made?
When I was younger I traveled to many foreign places,
living in London for two years in the 1960s, and in the years after retiring
from teaching I spent extended periods in Buenos Aires and in Tamil Nadu, India. Although I never dreamed of
expatriation in Asia (Paris or Mexico was a more likely choice), on my first
visit to Thailand, a side trip after India, I became quickly hooked and never
looked back. If I had it to do
over again, I would have moved to Southeast Asia at a younger age. Learning Thai when I still had my
hearing and memory would have helped.
6.
Every expat
knows that expat life comes with some hilarious anecdotes and funny
experiences. Care to share one with us?
At first, it was impossible for me to figure out why
Thais, even in the big metropolis of Bangkok, walked so slowly. I constantly
found myself rushing to get passed them, like the broken field running of a
quarterback. Eventually I had an
epiphany: The real goal is not to get anywhere quickly but to stroll leisurely
and enjoy the sights. Thailand taught me this.
7.
Which three
tips would you like to give future expats before they embark on their new life
in Thailand?
First, stop thinking in dollars, Fahrenheit
temperatures, the 12-hour clock, distances in miles and weight in pounds;
Thailand and the rest of the world do it differently. Second, don't try to sit on your heels or eat food as spicy
as the Thais like it; you have to be born here for that. Finally, keep an open mind and jettison
your preconceptions about differences between human beings.
8.
How is the
expat community in Thailand? Did you have a hard time finding like-minded
people or fellow expats?
Expats come to Thailand for work, retirement, the
beaches, or sex. And too many of
them constantly bitch and moan about Thais and Thai culture on the expat Internet
discussion boards, or in letters to the editors at the two English newspapers
in Bangkok. Politically, they side
with the upper-class royalists against the democratic aspirations of the
majority of Thais who live outside the capital. I've found that many of those who move here to retire and/or
come to find a life partner generally keep an open mind and are curious about
their new home. My friends read
articles and books, and attend talks on politics, Buddhism and culture
organized by the Foreign Correspondents Club, the Siam Society, Little Bang Sangha, Bangkok Art & Culture Center, and the National Museum Volunteers.
Bangkok is a big city; it has something for everyone.
9.
How would you
summarize your expat life in Thailand in a single, catchy sentence?