Suspended Reality

---

The Asia expat scene, I am finding, is one big “suspended reality.” I borrow this term from a writer friend here in Bangkok, and I find it quite fitting.

Life in Bangkok is an especially extreme version of this suspended reality. Men enjoy a veritable sexual playground; 27-year olds go into semi-early retirement (no, I’m not talking about myself here!), and Thanksgiving is celebrated on the beach in 90 degree weather. Perhaps most prominently, life is one long party made up of individual parties that seem to stretch into each other. Like it or not, for now it is my reality.

So, when I went to Hong Kong, I enjoyed a pleasant respite from that reality of mine. Pollution, while still present, does not overwhelm one with the stench from open sewers. Professional, conservative attire is more the norm. Attractive men in my age vicinity actually made an effort to speak to me and ask me out.

Yet, as Hong Kong does a tempered version of the expat suspended reality, my weekend stay did involve parties that stretched into one another. From Friday night happy hour and bar-hopping; to a 6 hour booze cruise to a beach on an old Hong Kong junk boat; to Saturday night dinner and dancing; and finally Sunday evening nightcaps overlooking the Hong Kong bay, I kept thinking, “Whose life is this?” Don’t get me wrong. It was a great time.

However, even as my friends in Hong Kong tried to convince me to move there, it was more than obvious that the high-end banking scene isn’t much more my scene than provided by the many vagabonds that are sort of just hanging out in Bangkok.

For now I tread water. Hopefully, my 3 week break in the US for the holidays will give this wanderer a bit more direction.

---

Photos

Baz and Anita
New friends, gracious hosts, fellow Asia party animals and citizens of the world

Partying Hong Kong expat style
Drinking on a boat starting at 10:30 am, swim to shore, take shorts off to moon everyone, then party some more!

Comments

[liz]

i know exactly where you can find your scene
cincinnati! it's the land of conservative married lardasses who like playing cornhole and eating chili. not a beach or a club in sight. it's so you!

[Aurora]

Wish I enjoyed life as u actually did
Hello dear daughter, Just checking out your pictures of Hongkong. Been there twice but too afraid to roam around by myself. Cowardice is not a good trait.