Would you believe that it has been seven years since I moved to Bangkok? Sure enough, Halloween marks the anniversary of my one-way THAI Airways flight from New York to Bangkok (a nonstop long since discontinued), and 2005 was the departure date. Now I look at New York, cleaning up from severe flooding, from an ironically dry Bangkok.
It is hard to believe that so much time has passed but at the same time (and I know it is a cliche) it seems like the time has flown by. I was having lunch yesterday with another expat, a Chinese one, who commented that most foreigners living here don’t last that long. Then he told me about another guy, an American, who has been here for something like fifty years. Maybe he was trying to tell me that seven years really isn’t so long!
In either case, Halloween marks a milestone and Tawn and I are at a point in our relationship where a decisive majority of our time together has been spent living in Bangkok. I’m sure this has had some effect on it, although I would have to think a lot harder to identify what that effect is. Topic for a future blog post.
In other news, we are scheduled to fly to Shanghai for five nights starting Saturday. The Chinese embassy has approved Tawn’s visa but, strangely, has rejected mine citing lack of proof of financial means to travel. Say what? I suspect they are just yanking my chain because I’m an American. Have sent the travel agency back with a raft of documentation proving that I will not under up on the Communist Party dole while traveling there.
christao408 
Time really flies, you are right. Happy Anniversary!
Congrats on your seven years and a relationship based on trust, companionship, communication and love always a lasts. I see that between you and Tawn.Have a good time in Shanghai and hope you get your visa confusion straightened out so you can go and enjoy your time there.Happy Halloween.
You have the worst time with getting travel permits! I do hope the confusion is removed. Happy Anniversary! (Shanghai sound like a lovely anniversary spot!!!
Hmm. Let’s see. Seven years ago, I was watching Kung Fu‘s “A Small Beheading”. Doh. Non sequiter.
It couldn’t have been easy trying to adjust to life in a very different culture. I really admire your positive attitude in trying to learn and adapt to the culture and also working hard on your relationship.
Surely they do not celebrate a Celtic holiday in Thailand. That’s akin to me, a Celt, celebrating the Chinese New Year.
Happy Anniversary to you and Tawn. I hope the Chinese embassy will relent. Laughed at the last sentence in the last paragraph. Really!!
Wow, seven years. Does it feel like home yet (or maybe it has since day one…)? & ah, the ever cautious Chinese government! Hope that you can get all your documents sorted out soon. I know what it feels like to deal with all the paperwork. Have fun in Shanghai! Seriously, we keep missing each other but it seems we’ve been in very similar locations this whole past year.
Congratulations to you and Tawn — you are a great couple, and I hope you have many times 7 more years together!
Well you did abandon living in the US and have lived in Bangkok for seven years now. I suppose China is where other American expatriots end up because it is quite a nice place to stay.Definitely a lot of New Yorkers will be looking for other places to stay…..
Happy Anniversary! Enjoy your little vacation.
Happy Anniversary! Please give a big hug to Tawn for me! That’s interesting, 2005 was the year when I travelled the most (6 trips) to BKK, deciding if I should buy a business and settle with my then-bf over there. Thai Airways was heavy promoting this direct flight service from NYC as I remember. As of today, I’m still stuck in NYC, hopefully flying back home this Saturday.They’ll issue you a visa eventually, all you need is pay the going rate, right?
Happy Anniversary! It must be so nice to be planted down somewhere; I can’t imagine being in the same place for so long but it’s a dream I’ve carried for a long time (though God only knows where that will end up being)…
happy anniversary! looks like you’ll need to be a fashion designer of tawn’s calibre before you’re allowed to step foot in shanghai!
@jace1982 – Ain’t that the truth? See you in a few days.
Happy Anniversary!