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Where in the world would you like to live? For me I need a warm climate to be happy, more so now than before.
It's 28 degrees celcius here (83 fahr.) and I am freezing cold.
I am staying at a friends place for a few days and he has the aircon set at 28, I had to sneak it to 30 before I catch cold and die of it.
Funny, first time I came to Bangkok I could barely breathe due to the heat and humidity...
... It was in 1995 and I walked out of the airport, as soon as the doors opened and I stepped out into the Thai heat I seriously found myself GASPING for breathe. I felt like someone had sucked the oxygen out of the air, I swallowed large gulps of air while I acclimatised as quickly as possible. As soon as I got my breath back I jumped into an air conditioned taxi.
Remember I was 26 years old, a professional athlete and worked out every day - I was very fit. Also I am Australian and we are used to the heat, it was the humidity for me then that nearly floored me.... and the air pollution.
Today I have been in Thailand for 14 months with only short breaks. I dislike aircon in general and more so here. In my apartment I use an electric fan to keep the air circulating and to keep cool. This way I have become used to the Thai weather - well almost as used to it as the Thais, I do not think anyone ever fully gets used to tropical weather.
Every now and then a burst of cold aircon is a welcome refreshment, but sitting here in my friends place with the aircon now set at 30 degrees C (I changed it when he wasn't watching) I am nearly shivering with the cold.
My best friend here - Enzo - returns to Paris soon, he has been here 2 years now. I cannot imagine how it will feel for him to return to a snowy European Chistmas.
In fact being an Aussie I cannot imagine an snowy Christmas, for us Christmas is BBQ and beer and the beach, but getting back to the story....
I have to wonder now how much else living in Asia has changed me.
I know when I went to England for a month the food there gave me diahorrea for the first 3 days - until I started eating Asiatic style foods again and took all the horrible processed foods out of my diet again. Funnily enough when I stayed at a mates place for 3 weeks in London he wanted to go out and eat at all these restraunts but I preferred to stay in and cook Thai style food myself (and protein drinks).
I was talking to a friend the other day who went back to France for an extended period recently and he claims he had culture shock upon his return 'home'. I say 'home' as he himself now says France is no longer my home, I was born there, I grew up there, all my family are there - but my friends and my life is in Thailand - I no longer feel like France is home.
I know he is not the only one.
In London I missed Thailand, I missed the food, the people, the parties, and my friends. Whereas I never missed Australia when I left there. Sure I would like to catch up with my friends but Australia holds nothing for me, no future, no career, nothing.
Freezing cold 14 Deg C (57F) in The English Summer - Not Happy
I feel like Thailand is my home now. I have a future here, my accomplishments are admired, I am treated well and my career is taking off, not just locally but Internationally too.
Soon as I am able I am going to start travelling again to check out a few more countries that I think would be suitable places to live. I want to go to South America, I would like to have a look around China (though I doubt I would end up living there), also I want to go back to Cambodia for an extended visit and I would also like to have a look at Poland and Lithuania again (though the winters there rule out permanent residence).
What about you? Where in the world would you like to live? Have you tried it yet?
The first time I came to Thailand I disliked it intensely. The 2nd time I came here I thought it was ok, but 3 weeks and I had enough, I just had to leave - I went to Europe for 3 months.
The 3rd time in Thailand my friend Michael said "You are welcome to come and stay with me anytime", I answered "Thanks, but I am never coming back to this country again I hate it"
And now....?
I love it.
The difference between being a tourist with every low class scumbag trying to rip you off, tourist chasing taxi drivers and scaming touts really got me down, not to mention the girls you meet as a tourist. I had a very bad image of Thailand.
Now I live here, I can speak enough Thai to make a joke when these sorts of people talk to me and they (generally) leave me alone with a laugh, and I keep away from the tourist traps as much as possible.
But it doesn't change the fact at 30deg C I feel like I am freezing, I am off for a walk outside, to pick up some dinner and see what there is to see tonight - something is always happening in Bangkok.
Where in the world would you like to live? Maybe where you are now is not the best place for you or your skills? It's an option.
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