the House of Waris

You may ask yourself: after all the complaining I've done, what's the plus side to living here? Well, the main thing is that I have joined the ranks of people who actually do something they said they were going to do, rather than blowing smoke at the sky and talking shit over beers. This may not be a major perk for most people, but being legit is one of my biggest motivations in life.
And, babies, it's cheap as hell to live over here.
Some things that are within the budget:
Huge, dirt cheap apartment with all the furniture included.
Cleaning ladies.
Chauffeur.
Dining allowance.
Access to any club you want.
Taxis any time the car service is tied up.
No drink or meal is outside your means (within reason!).
Anything you see in the mall (with the exception of fine jewelry) you can have, with little planning. (IE, if you splurge on a bag, you probably only want to do that once a paycheck).
Travel to pretty much anywhere in SE Asia for about 200 dollars.

Social Perks:
Never again will I sneer at the problems of, say, A- list celebrities or Princess Di.

Rich, pampered, isolated, and watched by thousands of staring eyes, unable to find a mate, paranoid, "representing" an entire culture, feeling like you have to look good all the time...these are the problems you face, obviously on a much smaller scale, over here as an Ex pat.


However, almost anyone you fancy could be "yours", including some of the most legitimately gorgeous men I've seen of any race. Getting them to talk to you...well, that's another story. :)

Some other perks:

The existential crisis I felt I was facing in the US is just a dim memory. Oh, yeah...everyone WAS gettin' hitched, and havin' kids, and turning into Desperate Housewives....well, f- 'em. Time to pull a Bourdain and jet out of here.

I was talking to Ankit last night (he's back!! with a deep tan and some perspective. He landed in NAIA airport on Monday night, went to work, and texted me Tuesday AM- "I'm back in town honey.") and he was explaining how he feels it's best to be with "your own people" but when it comes to Americans "they have a different thought", which is that they're done with the US, they've seen it all, and they don't miss it much. Now, this is partially true. There's nothing for me in the US, not really. He laughs that of the 40 or so Americans he's met, they all say this.
Gee. Well, it's true.

The rat race? The incandescent rage that comes over you when YET ANOTHER girlfriend throws away her independence, artistic dreams, and life to some schlub who can't find his own beer with both hands and a flashlight? The inability to find a job despite an impeccable resume? The cost of living that makes you want to hang yourself but not before robbing a bank? Hipsters? Bluetooth headsets? SUVs? Thousands of ex- boyfriends who are now marrying some ditz with a penchant for capri pants?

Yeah.....I'll pass, thanks.
Of course, I miss my buddies, and certain things, but overall, I'm done with the US for now. Not to say I won't come back for visits, but really? What is there for me now?

If you asked me "but where will you go after this?" I would say I don't know, but if I had to guess, I would say "India." Just like two years ago when I told my mom "I think my true identity may be "ex-pat", and it turned out to be true, I think (although it may be wrong) now that I'm over here, this may be the first step on a long trip, literally around the world, to find something. Like everyone who comes to the East, it's to find something, no one knows what, but I'll tell you another perk of living here is that you can REALLY hear your "third eye".

Since I've been here my natural intuition is on high all the time. Right before I left the States I was shopping with my mom at Anthropologie, and I saw a hot pink coffee table book labeled "India" and I remember clearly having the thought "I'll be headed there, too." Also it features a contribution by one of the most fascinating creatures of all time: the man behind "House of Waris". I won't go into boring detail, but he's someone I'm very interested in, from all dimensions.
When or how I don't know I'll get there, but all things in good time.