The ONLY farang on the block syndrome

[JJGreen]

You might have encountered this. Farangs jealousy guarding their status as the only farang on the block (apartment/soi/village)

Heck, I felt this way a few times…a certain joy at not having seen other farangs for a day or two, no farangs at the local mall, no other farangs while walking the streets. When I’d see another farang, viewing him/her as an intruder on my turf. 
These days, it doesn’t bother me at all 

 

Why do some farangs want to be the ‘only farang’?

[villagefarang]

I have never had the feeling and I find it disturbing that people might actually be that petty in their behavior.

[JAFO]

@JJ green,

 

Where are you coming up with this stuff? Your Vent thread about coffee and other insignificant things seems odd. Now this one. Whats up with all your posts? Just curious

 

To this one. I have never even felt anything as you mentioned. Seems silly. If I see a foreigner I see a foreigner. If a foreigner moved by me I'd say Hello like I do to my other neighbors. In the US I saw people all the time, a neighbor moves in they move in. Why do folks alienate foreigners here? They are just people ya know. 

 

 

[JJGreen]

3 minutes ago, JAFO said:

@JJ green,

 

Where are you coming up with this stuff? Your Vent thread about coffee and other insignificant things seems odd. Now this one. Whats up with all your posts? Just curious

 

To this one. I have never even felt anything as you mentioned. Seems silly. If I see a foreigner I see a foreigner. If a foreigner moved by me I'd say Hello like I do to my other neighbors. In the US I saw people all the time, a neighbor moves in they move in. Why do folks alienate foreigners here? They are just people ya know. 

 

 

 

Just having a conversation JAFO

[JJGreen]

42 minutes ago, villagefarang said:

I have never had the feeling and I find it disturbing that people might actually be that petty in their behavior.

 

Not everyone has good observation skills of what is around them.

Aspects of petty behaviour or what seems petty behaviour to others is present in everyone. Just depends how you view it

Edited August 17, 2016 by JJGreen

[villagefarang]

2 minutes ago, JJGreen said:

 

Not everyoneeveryone has good observation skills of what is around them.

Aspects of petty behaviour or what seems petty behaviour to others is present in everyone. Just depends how you view it

I think it is possible you are projecting and not viewing or observing.

[HooHaa]

I can't see why I would give it much thought.

 

But then I often wonder why so many here are utterly concerned with the visas, work permits, marital history and sexual proclivities of other people whose  lives do not affect them. 

 

It all seems depressingly parochial.

[JJGreen]

8 minutes ago, villagefarang said:

I think it is possible you are projecting and not viewing or observing.

 

Nothing to project. I keep an open mind on most things.

I'm not saying this is a common syndrome but it is real. The majority of farangs I encounter aren't this way.

I accept you haven't observed personally, but I and others I've spoken with have, so let's move on dude. 

[villagefarang]

Perhaps you could enlighten us as to why some farangs want to be the ‘only farang’ since heck you have felt this way a few times.

[GarryP]

If you are the only farang, you are special/different. There is no one else like you in the area. However, if another westerner moves in to your neighborhood, your uniqueness (for want of another word) ceases to exist.

 

At times in the distant past I have enjoyed the status of being the only farang in the soi, building, office, etc but now I could not give a rat's arse how many of us there are in the neighborhood.  

[JJGreen]

2 minutes ago, villagefarang said:

Perhaps you could enlighten us as to why some farangs want to be the ‘only farang’ since heck you have felt this way a few times.

dude...I already touched on it in my OP. The point of a forum is discussion which is now opened up to hear from a variety of people. If i wanted only to talk about myself I'd write a blog.

I will discuss thoughts and observations further as required but I will give other members an opportunity to first post , whether they agree with me or not

[NickJ]

When I was staying at the gf's place. I was overjoyed to see another farang. Only saw the same guy three or four times. He never returned my waves or nods. Maybe he felt that way.

[Fabricus]

12 minutes ago, JJGreen said:

dude...I already touched on it in my OP. The point of a forum is discussion which is now opened up to hear from a variety of people. If i wanted only to talk about myself I'd write a blog.

I will discuss thoughts and observations further as required but I will give other members an opportunity to first post , whether they agree with me or not

 

I've always found lone westerners to be quite friendly.

 

Often they seem lonely and eager to chat.

[1FinickyOne]

Never had such a problem here... I tend to be friendly and always say hello to the farang I see in our small city at the mall and such... we do not have a lot around the area, and I can often help the newbies along with some tips or just say hello.

 

I do find more and more often that an occasional person does not welcome a conversation though most do. I have no idea what their reasoning might be... if that is what you are referring to... 

 

Then again, I come from an age long ago, first here in 1974 and it was customary of the few backpackers and farang that you would encounter to stop and chat and exchange information... but there are so many many farang here now that it doesn't make sense to me that they might consider another stepping on their turf... 'but who knows what xxxx lurks in the minds of men'

[colinneil]

OP i am the only farang in my village.

I wish there were others, sometimes not having other farangs around can be difficult.

I have a few farang friends who visit me regularly and believe me that is a joy.

Always try to be nice to people as you never know the day when you might need their help.

[JAFO]

1 hour ago, JJGreen said:

 

Just having a conversation JAFO

Fair enough but I think you are bored 

[JJGreen]

8 minutes ago, JAFO said:

Fair enough but I think you are bored 

content and happy with life...usually too many options in a day

[JHolmesJr]

2 hours ago, JAFO said:

@JJ green,

 

Where are you coming up with this stuff? Your Vent thread about coffee and other insignificant things seems odd. Now this one. Whats up with all your posts? Just curious

 

 

It's called banter, yo!

[JAFO]

8 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

 

It's called banter, yo!

 

I get it, I do. But some seem so silly. Be like me starting a thread saying. "So I got up this morning and stubbed my toe on the step in the bathroom and spilled my OJ. How about your day?"  "You ever done that?" It is like the other thread about his Mocha Coffee. For Christ sake. Get out and find a friend.

 

That aside and back to the OP, I tend to agree with VillageFarang. I would like to know more about why JJGreen has had the "Only Farang on the block syndrome".  What drives it? How does he cope with it? I know I never have. In fact as I said I do not really pay attention. I am just a homeowner in a neighborhood like anyone else. Some foreigners are really odd ducks. 

 

 

 

 

[JJGreen]

28 minutes ago, JAFO said:

 

I get it, I do. But some seem so silly. Be like me starting a thread saying. "So I got up this morning and stubbed my toe on the step in the bathroom and spilled my OJ. How about your day?"  "You ever done that?" It is like the other thread about his Mocha Coffee. For Christ sake. Get out and find a friend.

 

That aside and back to the OP, I tend to agree with VillageFarang. I would like to know more about why JJGreen has had the "Only Farang on the block syndrome".  What drives it? How does he cope with it? I know I never have. In fact as I said I do not really pay attention. I am just a homeowner in a neighborhood like anyone else. Some foreigners are really odd ducks. 

 

 

 

 

Each thread is a seperate entity  JAFO, there is no need to try and link any thread as having relevance to any another.  Some are more serious than others. 

Thanks for posting.

 

 

 

[kkerry]

 

[JJGreen]

2 hours ago, kenk24 said:

 

 

I do find more and more often that an occasional person does not welcome a conversation though most do. I have no idea what their reasoning might be... if that is what you are referring to... 

 

 

kenk, that wasn't what I was referring to but it could be part of it for sure. There could be lots of reasons somepne doesn't want to engage in a conversation; Having an off day, different language speaker, introvert, unsociable, wary, etcetera.

 

The guys I refer to enjoy their status as the only farang in their area. I can't comment on all reasons why that could be the case, which is why I started a topic here to get experiences of others.

 

Interesting u say you find more and more often people don't want a conversation. Any reason you can pinpoint there?

[dick dasterdly]

Obviously I've a skewed vantage point living in a tourist area, but fortunate enough to live in a v quiet area.  There's a Western type house next door, and a 'shack' type house the other side for workers to cut grass etc. in the vicinity.

 

Do I care about any neighbours living next door - no.  As long as they are reasonably friendly ("hello" is fine) and don't have any kittens or chickens - long story.....

 

But then I'm v lucky only to have been inflicted with Western neighbours for a year during my time here.

Edited August 17, 2016 by dick dasterdly

[JJGreen]

3 hours ago, NickJ said:

When I was staying at the gf's place. I was overjoyed to see another farang. Only saw the same guy three or four times. He never returned my waves or nods. Maybe he felt that way.

He sounds like a candidate.

 

Visited a GF in her home village a few times. One farang lived there. On my daily walks I saw him, laughing and joking with villagers in his wife's shop. At my approach his face would darken and he disappeared from view... on three occasions.

I made no attempt to engage with him at any time and I had no desire to do so...but why he wanted to run and hide at my approach seemed odd.

I asked the GFs family about him and they said he was sociable and active in the village but no farang friends came to visit him.

I surmised he viewed me as treading on his turf...

He could have been hiding out from authorities i guess...

[dick dasterdly]

8 minutes ago, JJGreen said:

He sounds like a candidate.

 

Visited a GF in her home village a few times. One farang lived there. On my daily walks I saw him, laughing and joking with villagers in his wife's shop. At my approach his face would darken and he disappeared from view... on three occasions.

I made no attempt to engage with him at any time and I had no desire to do so...but why he wanted to run and hide at my approach seemed odd.

I asked the GFs family about him and they said he was sociable and active in the village but no farang friends came to visit him.

I surmised he viewed me as treading on his turf...

He could have been hiding out from authorities i guess...

This is obviously the differentiator - the only Western person in the area.

[Fabricus]

13 minutes ago, JJGreen said:

He sounds like a candidate.

 

Visited a GF in her home village a few times. One farang lived there. On my daily walks I saw him, laughing and joking with villagers in his wife's shop. At my approach his face would darken and he disappeared from view... on three occasions.

I made no attempt to engage with him at any time and I had no desire to do so...but why he wanted to run and hide at my approach seemed odd.

I asked the GFs family about him and they said he was sociable and active in the village but no farang friends came to visit him.

I surmised he viewed me as treading on his turf...

He could have been hiding out from authorities i guess...

 

I have encountered something similar in Isaan. But it was along time ago. I had the feeling the other guy kind of resented my presence. I never really figured out why.

 

In Pattani things are different. I've met four other farangs over the last five years. One was a Frenchman walking (yes, walking) from BKK to Malaysia. He was fine. And I've met three English teachers. They too were okay.

 

On one occasion I also met a couple of German bikers who'd come up to Pattani from Malaysia and had got lost in the old town. That's pretty dangerous shit. We chatted for a while, and then I told them how to head back down south to the border. They too were friendly and normal. 

 

 

[JHolmesJr]

17 minutes ago, JJGreen said:

 

I made no attempt to engage with him at any time and I had no desire to do so...but why he wanted to run and hide at my approach seemed odd.

 

 

you get that sometimes….usually in people who have been approached too many times for a loan. 

[DoctorG]

The first time I lived in China I was (I believe) the only white guy in a city of around 2 million Chinese.

I will admit to an initial buzz at being the centre of attention everywhere I went but that soon wore off and I would have loved the occasional chat with another Westerner.

Hardly anyone outside of the university spoke any English so loneliness became a factor, even for an isolationist like me.

 

[NickJ]

I always go out of my way to acknowledge a fellow farang. Met a great guy last month waiting for the same movie we were about to watch. Turned out he is from my hometown. Been here longer than me.

Never give up as you never know who you will meet.

Manners, being polite. Is free.

[chrisinth]

4 hours ago, GarryP said:

If you are the only farang, you are special/different. There is no one else like you in the area. However, if another westerner moves in to your neighborhood, your uniqueness (for want of another word) ceases to exist.

 

At times in the distant past I have enjoyed the status of being the only farang in the soi, building, office, etc but now I could not give a rat's arse how many of us there are in the neighborhood.  

 

I'm the only white face in the office at the minute.

 

It's quite overpowering. Until one of the girls tells me to do something.

 

Reality shattered.

 

Damn..........................