Stickman Readers' Submissions August 6th, 2009

The Pattaya Life

Isn't it a matter of your attitude when defining most of our experiences here?

In 7 years I have been involved in some real estate transactions, bought, driven and sold a car, have owned a few motorbikes, been hospitalized twice and have had three affairs longer than a year and found my pension gets me by with no losses
in principal..

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As a 63 year old USA boy, I lived half of my 20s in Europe and the last 7 in Thailand, 2 in Patong and the past 5 in Pattaya. I think I can see patterns that develop..

For me, nothing nearly so dire as I often hear of happens with the exception of much younger ladies from a totally different culture and a totally different agenda and the struggles one can have with the ladies of hoped for easy gains. The
magic that can happen with them is beyond any part of my earlier life and I know many guys who feel the same. If you are bored in Pattaya, it is your own fault.

When I hear tales of travails, sometimes I will fly off to Cambodia or the Philippines. To me Cambodia still feels like war and suffering and makes Pattaya look clean and modern (no small accomplishment) and, Manila and its boys with shotguns everywhere
in those islands of undeniable American influence scare me with the potential for violence, the abundant beggars, and general filth. The Philippines may speak English, but I am in no hurry to go again.. What I am getting at is that I have found
myself more comfortable here than in my home country by far and that all my life I have heard people around me complain about how things are and I have seen it is up to me to make myself happy.

I can walk home from Walking street at 3 AM, some 2 kilometres. If it is that far, and have no fear. I can get a meal any time for 50 baht ($1.50?).

My last visit to America was to Dallas, Texas in the days when the coup went on during September of 2006. I saw misery all around me back in the land of milk and honey. I still love my home country but seem to have no place there unless it is in solitude.
One morning I went to a McDonalds for breakfast as I hadn't had one of those for years and sort of thought it might be nice. As I waited with the other old boys, some of whom seemed double or triple my body weight, I noticed I was going to
pay $7.00 and men were glaring at anyone in front of line. I changed my ticket so I could fly back early. A stranger in a strange land. Sitting in cars they owe more than its value, looking at sad worried faces, just doesn't seem like fun.
And masturbation is best left to 14 year olds. (Here's a business idea- open a masturbation school at LAX or JFK for returning expats who have forgotten how.)

That same year I had flown to Budapest to visit an old friend and found Europe as gloomy and depressing as America…with plenty of scams for lonely boys too. Women are willing to let you be a fool anywhere on earth and at any time. It simply
costs a lot less here and they weigh half as much.

Yes, guys I know we live with poorly educated people who have no idea where they really stand in the world and their exhausted or drunken parents seem to think the only way they can survive is from the daughter's bodies. And I know we
are seen as opportunities. Well, I grew up in a tourist town during the summers and saw how my people got all they could off travellers. None of this is new. It simply must be recognized and prevented by the payee! That's you and me.

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I like reading some of the guys at this site. Chiang Mai Kelly seems to enjoy Thailand for what it is with frankness and realism and why shouldn't he? Dana is writer of rare talent I have met several times and enjoy his humour greatly,
and this man Korski is a great read as well with his education and research. Great stuff! All sorts of people write in here from failed businesses and exoduses to returns and all kinds of adventures that beat living through one's children
as is the western mature folk's option. We can learn from each other at this site.

It's helpful when folks point out the giant scams that can happen here. We need the attention to such BS so they slow down at least. These folks have never been conquered and know little of the humility a people can benefit from in that
circumstance. The money doesn't trickle down but I have seen some hard working people succeed. Things are possible here and I ain't ready to leave.

The fellows I meet who are ten years or more advanced over me both in life and in living here tell me that Thailand swings back and forth and eventually does the right thing. That seems to be starting now as I can't imagine much more
wrong that could happen. Maybe, but the guys here who write in are not mainstream men in their home countries. We are likely to stay and it seems ok to me that "normal" guys are upset with injustices. Rightfully so and fair enough.

So, if you want to try Iceland or something like that, go ahead, man. I'm here until I can see something better, and, I just CAN'T…

The key to this place is going with the flow and learning how to manage that young thing sleeping while you do your things.

Wasn't it Margaret Meade who penned "Where ever you go, there you are."

Thanks, Stick, for this forum and the cast of people who write in, great stuff. Some of us broken toys can be quite amusing.

Pattaya Gary

Stickman's thoughts:

The key to life is being happy – and you seem to have found happiness. Well done!

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