Many people ask me why I did it. Why I left the states to live in a third world country. At third word pay.
As I watch the old man squat by the side of the street, washing the plate he will soon serve me my Kwea Tau Korging on, I have to pause and ask myself the same question, yet, strangely, while I know the sanitation may leave a lot to be desired, his food is good.
I take the offered plate of noodles, pay him his 1000 rupees (roughly 10 cents) and eat my meal slowly, all the while choking on the air in Jakarta, air that by its own thickness is itself almost its own food group.
So, I gave up the luxury of the States, the high paying jobs, the nice house, the two cars, the picket fence and now live as they do. I guess the main reason is…I no longer care any more how thick my towels are.
Let me explain. You see, I found out a long time ago that no matter how much I made, how much money I was paid, that I still seemed to live paycheck to paycheck. If I were being paid a thousand a month, I was spending a thousand a month, if five thousand, I spent five thousand. You get the idea.
Always living within my means, it’s just that my life style was becoming more and more luxurious. I went from buying towels at Wal-Mart, to buying them at exclusive boutiques, going from “Martha Stewart” to “Pierre Cardin”. From simple cotton of simple design, to designer name brands purchased at shops few were privileged to enter much less shop at. In other words, my towels were getting thicker and thicker!
Was I happier? Not really. Dryer maybe, but not much else changed.
There were other reasons, reasons we will get into as my story unfolds, but basically, this was the main one….
Good day readers….
Till my next post….