Too Much Of A Good Thing

[GuestHouse]

Back in my university days I was almost always broke, but with weekend work I occasionally had a few spare pennies and would 'splash out' on two cans of Boddies. I'd share these with the guy I shared digs with and I tell you it was a good a drink as I've ever had.

Back in the early 90s here in Thailand English books were almost impossible to find - good cheese was a pipe dream. But now and again someone would come back from R&R with the UK papers, a pile of books and a pack of cheese, pork pies, Marmite, or perhaps real biscuits - Shared amongst many there was never going to be more than a taste - but heaven on earth.

I found the same in Saudi, good coffee, my favourite tea bags or a chocolate from home - The scarcity, and sharing with friends a scarce 'goodie' from home adding to the enjoyment.

Now here we are in the land of plenty - but with plenty comes a lack of real appreciation.

So is there such a thing as too much of a good thing?

[JUDAS]

Absolutely, just work in a chocolate factory for a while to really understand the point

[elkangorito]

I firmly believe in the old saying, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder".

[Moonrakers]

When I worked in Greece, we were all so poor that even getting the laundry done was a luxury.

The alcohol was free though

[tutsiwarrior]

when I moved to my present accommodation on the beach in north central Vietnam to my delight I found that there was rideable surf and that I could finally realize my dream of previous glory with a new surfboard...

well, past 3 days there's been storm surf, the leading edge of a big one heading this way off the South China Sea and I see from the news today that the main part is gonna make landfall sometime soon and my little bungalow is right on the trajectory... the tide came up to a few feet of my door step last night...

lord have mercy...

[Tonto21]

To appreciate the sun, a little rain must fall. My reason for going back to work.

[thequick7]

when I moved to my present accommodation on the beach in north central Vietnam to my delight I found that there was rideable surf and that I could finally realize my dream of previous glory with a new surfboard...

well, past 3 days there's been storm surf, the leading edge of a big one heading this way off the South China Sea and I see from the news today that the main part is gonna make landfall sometime soon and my little bungalow is right on the trajectory... the tide came up to a few feet of my door step last night...

lord have mercy...

sorry to hear the surf got blown out. where bouts is this beach, mite hav to take a look when i get to vietnam!?! hav u ever come across a beach in thailand with consistent rideable surf? the only beach i hav ever seen is nai harn south phuket...

[tutsiwarrior]

when I moved to my present accommodation on the beach in north central Vietnam to my delight I found that there was rideable surf and that I could finally realize my dream of previous glory with a new surfboard...

well, past 3 days there's been storm surf, the leading edge of a big one heading this way off the South China Sea and I see from the news today that the main part is gonna make landfall sometime soon and my little bungalow is right on the trajectory... the tide came up to a few feet of my door step last night...

lord have mercy...

sorry to hear the surf got blown out. where bouts is this beach, mite hav to take a look when i get to vietnam!?! hav u ever come across a beach in thailand with consistent rideable surf? the only beach i hav ever seen is nai harn south phuket...

sent you a pm, check it out...

[longstebe]

I'm a greedy little bastard so my answer is no.

[Thakkar]

Sometimes memory deceives us.

I remember a particular kind of biscuit I'd had at a friends' as a kid and loved it. But they were a little expensive and my parents would never buy them for me. Then I received an entire box from an uncle as a birthday gift. I ate one a day, savoring every bite and only occasionally, with great fanfare, doling out a few crumbs to my hapless younger brother. Two decades later, I saw the same biscuits at a supermarket. Delighted and excited, I bought two boxes, one for my brother.

When I tried one, it was a fairly big disappointment. And the memory came back that this was exactly how they had tasted two decades ago; not really that great at all. My brother called to ask why the hel_l I sent him a box; he had never liked them. I was thus alerted that we should examine our memories from time to time and scrutinize same for accuracy.

But yes, there is a tipping point where choice becomes too much choice and familiarity breeds disparagement. I'm constantly (and futilely) reminding my kids how lucky they are.

[canuckamuck]

You won't get spoiled in here.

[Kwasaki]

A bit around the other way for me l have found and discovered things here in Thailand l never had seen or enjoyed before in UK.

OK no wise cracks please.

[LanxangBillybob]

in economics it's called 'the law of diminishing marginal utility'

[IanForbes]

Interesting topic. Yah, I think a person can get too much of a good thing. Fortunately, I programmed my entire adult career around not being bored. I enjoy variety and even when things are good I'll move on to greener pastures when I feel a need for a change. I was never unfaithful to either of my two wives, but when they got bored and decided to end our marriage they actually did me a favour. There is no way I would return to the monogamous life style. I'm having too much fun being single. My sex life was never this active even when I was in my twenties. It even extends to my personal interests of fishing, hunting, art, photography and travel. I go wherever I want, when I want, and stay as long as I wish. Even after a few days of good fishing in one location I want to see somewhere new. If I'm still enjoying myself then I stay as long as I wish.

It is hard for me to relate to the negative feelings that some expats have for Thailand, but then I don't have to deal with it on a constant basis. When things start going sour I pick up and move. Not everyone has that option. I didn't have that option when I was raising a family, building my own home and working a full time job. My time was too filled to get bored and I went to bed exhausted every night.

[Berkshire]

Yes, sometimes there can be too much of a good thing. But at least in the LOS, you have the option to turn it off for awhile and go without. You can always turn it back on when you've tortured yourself long enough.

[473geo]

Yes, alcohol is good for you in moderation, but you can easily have too much.

[canuckamuck]

Well there are things here that help balance the 'too much of a good thing' scenario:

High risk driving, low safety standards, the near impossibility to have a deep intellectual conversation with locals, Stalking store staff that have no idea how to answer your questions, endemic inefficiency in all things, high probability of being the fall guy if an incident occurs, little chance of winning legal challenges, and of course the visa game.

So not quite Utopia, but it can feel that way when you have got some of that sorted.

Edit: I forgot corruption at all levels of interaction

Edited October 6, 2010 by canuckamuck

[Berkshire]

Well there are things here that help balance the 'too much of a good thing' scenario:

High risk driving, low safety standards, the near impossibility to have a deep intellectual conversation with locals, Stalking store staff that have no idea how to answer your questions, endemic inefficiency in all things, high probability of being the fall guy if an incident occurs, little chance of winning legal challenges, and of course the visa game.

So not quite Utopia, but it can feel that way when you have got some of that sorted.

Edit: I forgot corruption at all levels of interaction

I think there are a few folks out there who think like you, so don't get all hypersensitive on me because this is not directed at you personally. Firstly, I can go ANYWHERE on this planet and make a long list of complaints about why that place sucks. But if I were to dwell on the negatives of those places, day after day, I would think that I'd get so morbidly depressed that I'd have no choice but to put a gun to my head. Why would I want to do that? Sure Thailand has its faults, but if it doesn't impact me personally in my life every day, why worry about it? I have no control over it. Anymore than world famine, Afican tribal wars, and the price of rice in China. All of those things that you mentioned, they will not change in our lifetimes. If it bothered me to the point that I couldn't stand it, I'd leave.

What DO I worry about? Well the sinking dollar is sort of a bummer. That sucks. And the weather lately....should I wash my car? Darn, it's just going to get dirty again. Should I go and workout today? Man, feeling a little lazy. That's about it. It's not wearing rose colored-glasses or ignoring reality. It's playing the cards that have been dealt. No place is perfect. Not even close. Best of luck.

[canuckamuck]

I think there are a few folks out there who think like you, so don't get all hypersensitive on me because this is not directed at you personally. Firstly, I can go ANYWHERE on this planet and make a long list of complaints about why that place sucks. But if I were to dwell on the negatives of those places, day after day, I would think that I'd get so morbidly depressed that I'd have no choice but to put a gun to my head. Why would I want to do that? Sure Thailand has its faults, but if it doesn't impact me personally in my life every day, why worry about it? I have no control over it. Anymore than world famine, Afican tribal wars, and the price of rice in China. All of those things that you mentioned, they will not change in our lifetimes. If it bothered me to the point that I couldn't stand it, I'd leave.

What DO I worry about? Well the sinking dollar is sort of a bummer. That sucks. And the weather lately....should I wash my car? Darn, it's just going to get dirty again. Should I go and workout today? Man, feeling a little lazy. That's about it. It's not wearing rose colored-glasses or ignoring reality. It's playing the cards that have been dealt. No place is perfect. Not even close. Best of luck.

Never mentioned I was dwelling on any of that, just disputing the too much of a good thing angle.

some of those things I mentioned are too much for some people, and others act like those issues don't exist at all.

I'm not here for the girls or the bars so two of the main justifications people use for living here doesn't factor in for me.

Being a realist doesn't bring me down, I am happy here, just not blind.