Why Asia? Simple economics.

For the past five or so years, I've been living in various places in Asia. Friends 'back home' in the 'States' and new friends met here have questioned my choice to live away from my native culture as well as my family and friends. The answer -- at a profound level -- is, in part, simple economics.

Currently, my home is a very comfortable and almost elegant apartment on a tropical island in Malaysia. It's a bit pricey for Asia but still nearly affordable. Thanks to a friend visiting from the U.S. who fell in love with the island and decided to stay for several months, we've been able to share the cost of a penthouse overlooking a gorgeous bay and deep green rainforest. I'm not certain I'll be able to stay here forever but in the meantime, it is a real pleasure to be surrounded by such beauty.

Here's the thought: to live on a tropical island in an exotic location is actually much more affordable than a small apartment in a city suburb nearly anywhere in the U.S.  The rent is comparable to a one bedroom "hole in the wall" back in the U.S. The daily cost of living is so much lower and the food much fresher! There are surprising conveniences -- water delivery for pennies, taxis arrive within 5 minutes of your call, housekeeping and laundry services are cheap and usually easy to find.

I find myself wondering why any reasonable person would choose to live a life of poverty in a so-called "First World" country when life in the "developing world" is so much more affordable. Further, living in poverty in the U.S. is agonizing. Increasingly, Americans are facing the effects of 'the economic downturn' both financially and emotionally. Bombarded by the media which daily reports disasters, it seems the atmosphere in the U.S. is charged with fear. People are depressed -- and they too often get more so as there seems to be such a general spirit of despair. We Americans seem humiliated when we have less 'spending power.' I have been there -- sneaking into the local foodbank because there was less than $10 left in the bank. We seem to be in a daily struggle with the question, "Is my net worth all there is to my self-worth?"

On the other hand, most people in Asia are much poorer than many empoverished Americans but there's a much more uplifting spirit here. People seem to have more fun! They have festivals and community gatherings to attend, riding their motorcycles or bikes or walking if they can't afford a vehicle. In most Asian countries, people are used to being poor and have strategies to cope.
          
Some years ago, my life in the U.S. was turned upside down by illness. I had to withdraw most of my retirement funds to meet daily expenses. Unable to work, I was very lucky that I was able to receive various kinds of federal and state support to cover the many medical visits and keep some food on the table. I will be forever grateful for the social services provided in the U.S. that got me through that difficult time.

One happy day, a friend called me and said he had started an English language school in China. Did I want to come teach? It took me 5 seconds to get over my surprise and say, "Yes!"

I found myself a few months later in the desert of north China teaching in a hospital and a graduate school of a medical college. The doctors and nurses in my classes hauled me around to both Western and Chinese traditional doctors -- and I began to get a bit better. I'm told I must deal with chronic illness for the rest of my days, but I can now get up in the morning, feed and clothe myself, even part-time share knowledge and experience in classes. The real surprise, though, is how much better I feel not having to struggle with the intense anxieties around not having enough money to support myself. As a result, I am less stressed and therefore less ill. This is because the costs to meet the basic survival needs are so much more reasonable in most parts of Asia than in the U.S.

So here's the real question of the day:  Has the cost of living in the First World simply gotten too high for the survival of the Middle Class? Creative, artistic, intelligent, well-educated people are dying -- some at their own hands -- because the struggle to survive is too stressful. Baby Boomers like me are quickly reaching 'retirement age' but cannot afford to stop working. Do we work ourselves into the grave or is there another, more reasonable way to live?  What other assets do I have besides my tiny bank balance? I'm living in Asia these days in part to see if I can find some answers to these questions.