A secret for those of you reading this forum....

u my friend, understand

Thanks for posting your thoughts.

HaileyinHongKong wrote:

Thanks for posting your thoughts.

Thanks for reading them...

Thank you for your kind advice Betsy

Thank you for posting your thoughts Eric. You're absolutely right, you will get out of Expat-blog exactly what you put into it. I can tell you that from my own personal experience as a member of the Expat-blog Experts Team.

I have volunteered hundreds of hours of my time helping members from all over the world, mostly on the Brazil Forum and Canada Forum among others. It has involved lots of work on my part, but if you could read some of the private messages that I have received like, "I've finally arrived in Brazil and realized my dream of marrying the one that I love" or "Thanks so very much for all your help and information which got me through all the bureaucracy involved in coming to Brazil", etc., there is nothing that could possibly be more gratifying.

It's clear that you have the Expat-blog spirit, and that you are a very valued addition to our ranks!

Cheers,
William James Woodward, EB Experts Team

You get out of life, what you put into it and the same goes for this forum. 

stumpy wrote:

You get out of life, what you put into it and the same goes for this forum. 

Close, but no cigar.

I have found, over many years of being nice to people, you tend to get far more out than you put in.
Many a time I've done a small thing for someone and they've returned with something massive.
Of course, many times you get almost nothing in return but, in my humble opinion, putting a smile onto a face that hasn't seen one in years is a pretty big reward for a good deed.

The (in my opinion) most positive aspect of our human society is that you get what you deserve.
Somebody who tends to complain about how bad life is treating her/him will be treated badly by life.
Somebody who is paranoid about others cheating her/him will be cheated.
But somebody who is friendly will meet many smiles.
Somebody who is honest will not be lied to.
And somebody who is trustful will be trusted.

I personally always have my door open, even when not at home, because the "danger" that a friend comes by and cannot come in is far greater than that a thief comes and wants to take things away. Those who lock everything three times will be lonely forever, but I want my life ruled by friends rather than criminals.
(Funnily, the one and only time my house was broken into, the robber broke and came in through a window from the back, not knowing that the front door was open ...)

Edit: I will also post this to the "positive thoughts" threat.

Thank you .... nice information

beppi wrote:

Somebody who tends to complain about how bad life is treating her/him will be treated badly by life.
Somebody who is paranoid about others cheating her/him will be cheated.
But somebody who is friendly will meet many smiles.
Somebody who is honest will not be lied to.
And somebody who is trustful will be trusted.

Amen.

But if I left my door open around here, I'd have no furniture and there would be dogs sleeping on my floor.

HaileyinHongKong wrote:

But if I left my door open around here, I'd have no furniture and there would be dogs sleeping on my floor.

Have you tried?
I have (in various countries, but not yet Hong Kong) - and the only time anything was stolen (in Taiwan) the thief broke through a window from the back, not knowing that the front door was unlocked!

I've never done anything like that here.  Where I come from, people keep their doors unlocked all the time, but around here even windows on the 20th floor that no one could ever possibly climb into have bars.

I was told the bars on windows in Asian cities are against accidentally falling.
Since I don't like to live in a prison, I always removed them. I never fell.

Chinese people generally avoid sunlight at all costs.  Windows are kept as covered as possible 24/7.  I don't see how people can fall out on anything even close to a regular basis.  As far as I know, all those bars are to keep people out.

These bars are here in Jordan very common too.
Besides to keep the uninvited guests outside, its also a handy thing to keep the children safe while they playing on the balcony AND  the people use it as drying rack.
And very sometimes I see very pretty ones so it can be decorative too.

But we are very  now

HaileyinHongKong wrote:

I don't see how people can fall out on anything even close to a regular basis.  As far as I know, all those bars are to keep people out.

Strange... in the nearly 13 years I've been living here in Brazil I can't remember a single week that has gone by that the Brazilian newspapers and TV haven't had a report about somebody (almost always a child) falling out of a window somewhere in China and getting trapped in the bars or falling to their death. It seems like the Chinese firefighters rescue kids from highrise buildings with a greater frequency than their US counterparts rescue cats from trees and telephone poles. I guess that it just happens so often that the Chinese media doesn't think it's newsworthy anymore!

Here in Brazil the bars on windows are definitely to keep the would-be robbers out. Even on the tallest skyscrapers in São Paulo you'll see bars and wonder why anybody living so far from the street level could possibly need them, but here the crooks will rapel down from the roof to get in if that's necessary! Wonder if greasing the window sills wouldn't be more effective?

Somewhere in China