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expats - the better people?

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  1. #1

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    expats - the better people?

    interesting. but in my opinion not 100% correct. what do you think? can you find yourself inhere?

    http://www.theage.com.au/travel/blog...711-2psde.html


  2. #2

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    they still seem to live life as though they're on a permanent holiday.
    There's a refreshing lack of pretension among expat communities.

    virago likes this.

  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by Claire ex-ax:
    thought exactly the same! if living in HK is kind of holiday, ... good god!
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  4. #4

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    There's a refreshing lack of pretension among expat communities.

    Expats, in general, are friendly.


    Not 100% correct? Talk about making an understatement, hehehe.

    Hmm...maybe that journalist should try interviewing some folks on geoexpat here, it will give him a new "perspective" on those two statements.
    Natfixit likes this.

  5. #5

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    The author is generalizing. I met some terrific ex-pats in Hong Kong recently. Likewise, I met a selection of ex-pats who were racist, insular and boring...all the wit and charm of a house brick. They were also hostile to newcomers.

    The Honkies I went out with were for the most part welcoming and friendly.

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  6. #6

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    I have found this article relates well to expats in Thailand and Vietnam more than it does Hong Kong.

    With the crowds of people, intense competition, shaky world economy and extremely high cost of living... most expats here are just as stressed and depressed as the locals.

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  7. #7

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    Capital cities in Australia can be pretty cliquey places, where everyone already has their mates and they're not much interested in finding any more. For expats, however, there's a constant revolving world of friends as old mates move out of your life and new people appear. It creates a culture of openness.
    Strangely, I found that the more dangerous a country is, the friendlier its expat population will be. Maybe that's just a numbers thing – with fewer expats around they're still a novelty. There's not the "just another Aussie" thing you might find in, say, London.


    It is true (not about the whole dangerous thing), but in London I felt incredibly isolated, met no one, and generally had a bad time. There is a certain veil you can live behind and create a new identity/beginning for yourself when you go to a foreign country, especially one with a different language that you learn. That said, clearly a lot of the author's generalizations are just a bit stretched. :P
    TankerMan likes this.

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by closedcasket:
    most expats here are just as stressed and depressed as the locals.
    I'm not...

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by INXS:
    I'm not...
    I consider you an immigrant, not an expat
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  10. #10

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    Solidops is going to shit a brick.

    INXS, virago, usehername and 4 others like this.

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