by Heinrich manoeuvre » Sat Jan 30, 2010 10:41 am
Isn’t expat living in SEA the equivalent of a drug itself? For a start, the fundamental reason for moving here is to escape one reality replacing it with an alternate reality? Escaping a reality of western constraints, values, social expectations, and conditionings because we are not willing to pay that particular piper his fee?
And like a drug habit, doesn’t the expat experience anywhere in SEA, stand the threat of having the supply cut off at any time? The only way a westerner can truly live here with any reasonable amount of rights of a long-term stay from extended visas is to marry a local. Even so, the business, or property is never yours; you can believe it is if you want to but it is not. It belongs firstly to your spouse, secondly to her immediate family and lastly to the state itself.
You are just a proxy citizen, queuing up for your daily fix of expat heaven.
And never mind the illicit drug use, long term expats can easily become big-time boozers out of frustration, boredom or a feeling of isolation. Consistently high intakes of alcohol can also cause psychotic outbursts, or regardless, causes cellular degeneration As for the cigs…..the freedom to be able to smoke anywhere one pleases as opposed to the restrictions in the West would multiply a tobacco habit by 5.
There are many kinds of freedoms and many kinds of prisons. We are all on the run from madness, and have been since Daniel Defoe's dream of an island paradise.
Isn’t expat living in SEA the equivalent of a drug itself? For a start, the fundamental reason for moving here is to escape one reality replacing it with an alternate reality? Escaping a reality of western constraints, values, social expectations, and conditionings because we are not willing to pay that particular piper his fee?
And like a drug habit, doesn’t the expat experience anywhere in SEA, stand the threat of having the supply cut off at any time? The only way a westerner can truly live here with any reasonable amount of rights of a long-term stay from extended visas is to marry a local. Even so, the business, or property is never yours; you can believe it is if you want to but it is not. It belongs firstly to your spouse, secondly to her immediate family and lastly to the state itself.
You are just a proxy citizen, queuing up for your daily fix of expat heaven.
And never mind the illicit drug use, long term expats can easily become big-time boozers out of frustration, boredom or a feeling of isolation. Consistently high intakes of alcohol can also cause psychotic outbursts, or regardless, causes cellular degeneration As for the cigs…..the freedom to be able to smoke anywhere one pleases as opposed to the restrictions in the West would multiply a tobacco habit by 5.
There are many kinds of freedoms and many kinds of prisons. We are all on the run from madness, and have been since Daniel Defoe's dream of an island paradise.