Thanks -- that is pretty close to what I'd like to do. I remember from my 2014 trip that Snoozer was settling in for a good long stay (I went back to my thread, and found where he said three months). But even though Pattaya is definitely Mongerville on steroids, the diving was kind of mucky and I might find out Phuket is a better choice for me.
It doesn't surprise me that a month's rent in a condo can cost less than a week's stay in a hotel. Staying that way, staying that long, also gives one time for a much more in-depth experience of the place. I haven't come to that point in my life, though, at which I can stay out-of-town for a month or two ... but that time is coming, and maybe soon.
(On edit: What is "low season" in Pattaya?)
I'm still "Just A Lurker."
The Chinese virus infected the Western world with Chinese-style totalitarian politics. - Gladiator
The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary. – H. L. Mencken
Exactly .......
Don't know what would be different if I was retired and lived in the states. Except my bills being higher, only thing that may be different from some, would be family, but like many I know you can always hop on a plane, to visit.
Oh yeah what would be different, let me see? I would have to have a winter wardrobe, I would have to shovel snow on occasion, oh yeah couldn't play golf as often, because of the higher priced greens fee. Would have to pay more for my heating neccesites, during the winter months. My housing costs would be higher. I would be chasing women probably in their 40's or 50's, so I could get laid . And would have to listen to their 40 and 50 year old complaints about the men that had been in their lives.
I am sure there are a lot or many other things that may or could be different, but I have to stop now from listing them, because I am depressing myself!
Why should I limit myself to only one woman when I can have as many women as I want?
George Gershwin
I spent the last 10 - 12 of my working years planning retirement. I was getting sick and tired of living in the US... the fact that I was living in the armpit of the world, Camden County, NJ, didn't help either. I retired with comfortable pension income that I probably could have marked time in NJ for the rest of my life. However, I had no intention of spending another minute longer in the house I had lived in for the past 25 1/2 years. I remember locking the doors for the last time, and then driving off. My wife turned to me and asked, "Don't you want to look at the house for the last time?" I shook my head and said, "No...I'm never looking back." I think not having a lot of family in the States made it easier for me to part ways. I still think a lot about my brother and the friends I left behind, but thanks to modern technology, I can keep in touch with them as much (or as little as I wish). I was also getting disgusted with the direction the US had taken over the past 20 years... and every time I flip on the US news channels down here, the country appears to worsen, IMHO. I will be the first to say that Colombia is not for everyone, and that it takes some getting used to, but at least here, I feel a sense of freedom I hadn't felt in the US for a very long time. I don't mean to sound unpatriotic, because I still love my country, but not so much its government (and perhaps, its society).
I enjoy my trips back to the States. Seeing old friends and familiar places warms my heart and makes me smile. Dropping in on my old American Legion buddies, Monday lunches with retired co-workers, mini-reunions with high school classmates, and unplanned road trips are a few of the things I like to do when back in NJ. Last August, I flew to the States solo for the purpose of attending my 45th High School Reunion at the Jersey Shore. It was held at the old firehouse where we had our 7th and 8th grade dances. That was a ton of nostalgia for all us. Throughout the remainder of my stay in NJ, I was able to spend time with classmates I hadn't seen in a long time... some since Richard Nixon was in office. My two weeks at the Jersey Shore were priceless. But you know what? After the first week, I was beginning to miss my home... and paisita wife. In many ways, I've "gone local" and adapted to the sometimes odd ways of the paisas. Yet, in other respects, I've clung to certain American traits and traditions that have helped me survive, and maintain my sanity, in my new adopted land.
Just like the Lewis and Clark Expedition, it helps to have a "Sacajawea" at your side who can help you ride the figurative rapids and bridge the cultural and social gaps of your new homeland. In my case, I am fortunate. My paisa wife does an excellent job of keeping my ass out of the fire. In all honesty, I doubt that I could have thrived, the way I have, in my adopted country without her.
Last edited by BlueDevil; 10-06-2016 at 11:42 PM.
Blue Devil
Oh, I see what you mean ... I was thinking about how we shared the 3-bedroom flat in Laureles, last April.
I suppose it would be a friendly gesture, to have a spare bedroom for a visiting monger; but I am too used to living alone, to having my own space that's all my own. And it's not as though I'd need the extra income. I'm living comfortably on-my-own in one of the USA's most expensive counties to live in; why would I need a roomie to make ends meet, in my Third World Punani Paradise?
I might want to make room for a night nurse, though ...
yeah mi understand that totally......cause mi coming up on it now and you really do want "a degree of tranquility with little drama" when in your 60's
yeah banging different hot gurls every day or every other day is great when you a younger expat....but as you get older it really does wear on you.....
especially if you got the gurls coming back for more and more and you can't keep up with the "when mi gonna see you" shit......
that and some of the losers that you come across gets tiring too......no shows......show up late.....cancellations....disappearing acts...ha ha
just finding dem hot gurls continuously for this guy gets real old quick too....pulling dem off the street you often end up with hardcores.....
or fuck and run gurls....lol.....or druggies......or psychos....or just plain nasty over the hill hookers.......lol
then you got the gurls that don't want to cook or clean....or they only want to do this position or that position.....or dem lookie for extra dollars
or they don't want to do any more BBBJ's or Anal........tranquility with little drama sounds awesome to this guy.......for at least a couple weeks
I understand that all too well. This is not the America we grew up in; the boundaries haven't changed, but the politics and the society have slid a long way downhill. Is there any need to recount the ways? I'm just glad we can still "vote with our feet," and I hope that when I'm ready to GTFO, the going will still be good.
When I go, I won't be looking for "someplace like the old USA;" if I want that, I can stay at home. I know there will be things I miss about it (I can think of a few), but I wouldn't move unless it was clear to me that I'd have far more to gain than I'd be giving up.
A bit of coincidence ... tomorrow is my 45th reunion. I'm a lot closer to it, though, about 25 miles one-way.I enjoy my trips back to the States. Seeing old friends and familiar places warms my heart and makes me smile. Dropping in on my old American Legion buddies, Monday lunches with retired co-workers, mini-reunions with high school classmates, and unplanned road trips are a few of the things I like to do when back in NJ. Last August, I flew to the States solo for the purpose of attending my 45th High School Reunion at the Jersey Shore. It was held at the old firehouse where we had our 7th and 8th grade dances. That was a ton of nostalgia for all us. Throughout the remainder of my stay in NJ, I was able to spend time with classmates I hadn't seen in a long time... some since Richard Nixon was in office. My two weeks at the Jersey Shore were priceless. But you know what? After the first week, I was beginning to miss my home... and paisita wife.
When we got together at La Pampa, there seemed to be no question that you're happy together. That is a wonderful thing ... I don't see it for myself, though; I've been single all my life, and by now I'm quite set in my ways. But I know the old adage, "never say never."In many ways, I've "gone local" and adapted to the sometimes odd ways of the paisas. Yet, in other respects, I've clung to certain American traits and traditions that have helped me survive, and maintain my sanity, in my new adopted land.
Just like the Lewis and Clark Expedition, it helps to have a "Sacajawea" at your side who can help you ride the figurative rapids and bridge the cultural and social gaps of your new homeland. In my case, I am fortunate. My paisa wife does an excellent job of keeping my ass out of the fire. In all honesty, I doubt that I could have thrived, the way I have, in my adopted country without her.
boy mi can relate to this....tell ya after spending every day with local Jamaicans around you......it wears on you......
specially in a poverty stricken country like Jamaica....everyday der someone that has their hand out looking for some dollars....
some days it's over a dozen for this guy......bad enuff when dem offer a service like a BBBJ.....but for doing nuthin for da money......it gets real old
that and all the loud music and voices all over da place.....and it starts first thing in the morning....blah blah blah...or BOOM BOOM BOOM......lol
so after 3 months in paradise mi look forward to the break......recharge the batteries....peace and quiet...saves on da money....but no pussy....lol
yeah you slow down when you have a GFE......and they not to thrilled if they find out you banging one of der cousins or sistas......ha ha
but the feeling among most Jamaican gurls is that as long as dem staying/living with their guy....their guy can go out and sex who they want...
cause der man loves dem and not the gurls they are out sexing...lol...mi know some guys that have a gurl living with dem and have a gf or two also...
This is a good point. When I hear about guys who go to Pattaya they say the same thing. There are a lot more options in a larger city. Some people like the small town feel where they tend to know many of the expats, but others like the options for doing different things and eating different foods and such... There seems to be a few very good options out there, although I have not visited Columbia or Pattaya to be able to say. I know in the Dominican Republic, living here is different than vacationing here. So its probably best to spend some extra time in the place you think you may want to live in order to find out if its right for you.
Years ago, before I found out about the D.R., I bought the lecture set (MP3/PDF) from International Living's 2010 "Ultimate Conference" in Panama ... one of the early lectures was about this one couple's "6-3-6" plan for in-depth exploration to choose their new home. 6-3-6 meant that they started out with 6 weeks in the first place they were checking out ... followed that with 3 months, exploring some other destinations that fascinated them ... and then 6 months in a destination that's a strong candidate for "The Place."
Pretty obvious how something like this could work out ... the idea is to spend a few months living (not as a tourist) in your "dream destination," living more like the way you do at home, rather than the way you do on vacation. Not quite the same, of course; you want to take time to enjoy the things that draw you to the destination in the first place. (Hopefully there's more than just playing around with the chicas!)
Another thing I've heard is that it's a good idea to spend a couple of months living in your chosen destination, in the season when the weather's at its least appealing. I'm looking to get out of the four-season environment (in Maryland, that's spring, summer, fall, winter; in Canada, I've heard their seasons are almost-winter, winter, still-winter, and road-repair season.) The tropics generally have two seasons, dry and rainy, and two months in the rainy season might dampen my enthusiasm for living year-round in "de Islands, mon;" but that remains to be seen.
Well, when the time is right, I'll just have to "operate and find out."
Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
- Benjamin Franklin
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