Dear Folks, Here in Thailand, I would be very surprised if our primary needs are not being met, fully, and satisfactorily, at minimal cost, compared to some people living elsewhere. Therefore, we do not need to be overly concerned about not having our primary needs met, as Farang living here. However, I ask you: Are your secondary needs being met, while living here, fully and completely? Also, what do we mean by Primary Needs and Secondary Needs….and do you know? If you do not know, then why not itemize them, hierarchically: PRIMARY NEEDS: Oxygenation: Continuous gas exchange to support cellular respiration. Hydration: Fluid intake to maintain blood plasma volume and cellular osmolarity. Nutrition: Macronutrient and micronutrient consumption for ATP synthesis and tissue repair. Thermoregulation: Maintenance of core body temperature within a strict physiological range via environmental shelter or behavioral adaptation. (This is why I use ACs, 24/7/365, by the way…) Sleep: Cyclical neurological suppression required for metabolic waste clearance and functional restoration. (The GD cocks crowing interfere with this primary need of mine, but I don’t know about you.) SECONDARY NEEDS: Security and Stability: Establishing predictability in the immediate environment. This includes physical safety, physical resource accumulation, and protection from external threats. Social Cohesion: Integration into kin or peer networks. This facilitates mutual defense, resource sharing, and reproductive opportunity. Esteem and Status: Acquisition of competence and subsequent recognition within a social hierarchy. This drives optimal resource allocation and mating selection. Cognitive Actualization: The pursuit of systemic understanding, skill mastery, and the terminal utilization of individual physiological and cognitive capacities. IMPORTANT NOTE: The so-called Sexual Need is not important for our survival in Thailand Here is why: Innate Origin: The reproductive drive is biologically intrinsic and genetically programmed rather than environmentally acquired. Neuroendocrine Regulation: Motivation and arousal are modulated directly by the basal physiological systems, specifically the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and steroidal hormone concentrations. Individual Homeostasis: Prolonged deprivation of sexual activity does not disrupt internal physiological balance. An individual organism will not experience systemic organ failure or death due to a lack of sexual release. This is why, if one is deprived from sexual contact, one will not suffer any deleterious consequences. And so, one might ask the question: Are your Secondary Needs being met in Thailand? Might they be better met in some other country, such as China? Personally, I am beginning to wonder. I have a few friends who have invited me to China. But still, until this morning, I have decided to remain here, for now. What about you? Best regards, Gamma Another Note: I would say that my needs might be better met, here in Thailand, if I were to do a bit more planning. I have never had a massage, for example.