We are fa-mi-ly!

One of the best parts of living abroad is all the interesting expats you meet. We've met some real characters in our 7 point something years abroad.

There's Steven*, the grumpy middle-aged man who lived in the same serviced apartment building when we first moved to Thailand. He'd walk into the common lounge, take all the cookies from the cookie jar, and then walk up to his room without saying a word to any of us. He bragged about how he had ordered the best cable TV package and would lock himself in his room all night to watch American TV shows. For this, he came to Thailand.** 

And Helen, the woman who left her husband and two teenage daughters in Canada to have a big adventure in Asia. Helen, day 1 of 2-year contract: I moved abroad because I've always wanted to do this, so my family encouraged me and here I am! Helen, day 2 through day 730 of 2-year contract: OK I've had my adventure, I want to go home. 

Then there's David, the old school New Yorker, who claimed to have coached a basketball team in the hood  to victory - by having basketball practice in his classroom - and who couldn't use a computer. "I come from the original cut and paste!" he laughed that brusque New Yorker laugh, snipping the air with his two fingers. He lasted a  year. 

And as you learn about their history, you start to understand the motivation for their move: a better career, more money, an adventure, to escape. Escape what? An estranged wife, alcoholism, child support payments. You know, the usual. 

But you also meet some great friends. You work with them, travel with them, live with them. You trade secrets on how to survive daily life. You laugh at each other's cultural faux pas and cry together when you are homesick and frustrated. You eat Thanksgiving dinner together in 100 degree heat and have a gift exchange under the "Christmas plant." And then, slowly, you become family.

But not the let's-keep-it-surface-level-so-we-can-enjoy-Christmas family. They're the type of family you can truly be yourself around. They know your history and your quirks, and they love you for and in spite of them. They inspire you to be a kinder and more generous person, and they call you out when you act like a jerk.

Moving back to Asia has been difficult for many reasons, but we are so happy to be amongst family again. Kirk and Julie live right around the corner. We pop over for Friday night drinks on the deck and take their daughter, Lily, to the park (not in that order). Jim stops by with Subway sandwiches on his way to ultimate frisbee. There is a calm comfort in knowing you have good friends nearby, people who love you for more than just your dashing good looks and gobs of money. (OK, we don't have friends that like us for those reasons - yet.)

This break, Tim and Gretchen and their two kiddos came out for a visit from Thailand. We'd originally talked about travelling together to Vietnam, but in my deep depression I couldn't muster up the energy or enthusiasm to go anywhere. I thought they'd head somewhere on their own, surely annoyed with us for not making the effort to meet them. But like a proper family, they would have none of my self-indulgent self pity. They would meet us in Macau, come back to Hong Kong with us, and dammit I would have fun if it was the last thing I did.

We did have fun in Mac-Wow (see previous blog post) and Hong Kong was a blast with them as well. We cruised around the city together, went Halloween costume shopping, took the kids to the park, the guys visited the race track and played softball together. Many thanks to Tim, Gretchen, Donovan, and Gephen for joining us in Hong Kong! And now that we're family, can we borrow some money?

Just monkeyin' around in Victoria Park.

Just monkeyin' around at home.

The Pettine-DePointes.

Tim's bringin' sexy Mac! Het got a
brand new Macbook Pro here in HK!

Family picture : ) 

* Names have been changed to protect the innocent. 

**Disclaimer: To be fair, when we moved to our first apartment in Bangkok, we also got the best cable package. But we had to have this to fulfill our most important marriage vows: supporting each other's obsessions with American football and American Idol.