4.5 years ago I relocated from the small town of Bjerringbro in Denmark (population 7,000) to Singapore. It was quite a culture shock coming from a small town to a very big city in south east asia. After 3 years in Singapore I had to try something else. I felt claustrophobic in Singapore and having spent many a holiday in land of the smiles Thailand, my destiny was sealed and when I got the opportunity I moved to Bangkok.
With a population of more than 14 mill. in Bangkok you would expect it to be equally or more claustrophobic compared to Singapore but that was really never the case. I always felt amazing when I lived in Thailand. The food is amazing, the people are amazing, the climate is amazing and not to forget the cost of living is amazing. To be honest I loved it there and one of the explanations might be that I was lucky enough to find the love of my life there.
However over the course of my period in asia I travelled more than 100 days a year. Many years it was around 150 day and it wore me out. The glamour of the business traveller is highly overrated. I am however eternally grateful for all the opportunities it gave me to see the world. In my years there I always worked on contracts and having to deal with negotiating a new contract almost constantly it gave me a bit of stress. Always having to negotiate and worry where the next asignment was going to take me, so I started looking for something permanent and for a job and a company I could stay with for years to come. I wanted a permanent base and a place to call home.
I found my home here (hopefully) and arrived end of May. Yesterday it was exactly four weeks ago.
I am trying to fit in here but the culture shock is a bit more than I expected. Being from Denmark I should know how it would be like but it is still there - perhaps I've just gotten too used to the 'asian way'? So what is this culture shock thing for me well e.g.:
- The climate is a bit depressing and we are in summer not to forget. When I looked at a person in Thailand and smiled, I would get a smile back immediately. When I smile at someone here, they look away.
- The prices here are horrendous. Especially when you are used to eating out all the time and going out whenever you feel like it. Simply not possible here as it would ruin you the first month.
- Everything is closed when I am not working. Sunday is ruhe tag I believe it is called and the 'ruhe' is like a grave.
There are also positives:
- I now actually only have to work between 40-50 hours a week.
- I get 25 days of annual leave (in asia I had 19).
- Everything seems to be working, especially the public transport.
- There's no direct language barrier here.
- The cops here are not the mafia, always wanting instant fines
So all in all I guess it is just a period I need to get through.... and I will for sure...
For now I am still alone here. My fiance is still in Bangkok but she will be here within the next two weeks and I am so excited about that. Not just because she is coming but because I found out - after staying here in Switzerland for two weeks - that I am going to be a dad in January. We simply didn't know when I left. so what a suprise. I am so excited as this will be my first child we have all the papers ready too and will get married as soon as possible when she gets here.
So a new life starts. I found a new home for us from the 1st of September. So new home, new country, new language, new climate, new job, new colleagues, new family sitaution... everything seems to have changed
Hope some of you made it to the bottom of the post. I wrote a lot more than initially planned but that was my introduction. Hope you are all well and perhaps I will meet some of you around somewhere in the future, who knows.
Keep up the good work !!
-