The Grouchy Gweilo
Who is The Grouchy Gweilo?
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That . . .is a secret. Thou shalt never know the true identity of The Grouchy Gweilo. As the old Chinese Proverb says: When you go up to the mountain too often, you will eventually encounter the tiger. In this context? Don’t go looking for Grouchy Gweilo’s actual name. You may get injured! Generally? TGGL is a United States Ex-Pat who is an executive in a financial related company and who has worked in the US (mostly NYC), London, Dublin, Bermuda and, now, Hong Kong. In addition, TGGL has also traveled the world extensively for business and pleasure. He is a pleasant curmudgeon, and an affable, married man in his early 50s with a quick wit and a sharp tongue who is just as likely to say “get the frigg off my lawn” as he is to say “cogito ergo sum” or “I’m buying – let’s do shots!”
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So, this site is placed before all as a testament, a record, perhaps, a warning, perhaps, a guidepost, more likely, for all those grouchy, opinionated Americans who go abroad seeking a better way of life, a better sense of being a citizen of the world and who, instead receive the true enlightenment of the cold, hard fact that, no matter where you go? . . . . there you are. Which means : people all over the world are the same , crazy, opinionated, irascible, drunken, wild, friendly, people that you left at home, they just talk funny . . . not that that is a bad thing mind you. But – I will say that, if you are looking for a superior society on planet earth, one that is so well cultured, advanced and, well, better than your own that you can just settle down and stop looking? Give it up. People all over the world are just as much a pain in the @ss as the folks you left back home in Cheboygan, only , perhaps, even more so. But they are also amazing , too.
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So, who ARE the people you meet all over the world? They are just like everyone else: friendly, standoffish, funny, serious, beautiful, ugly, inciteful, blank, creative, unimaginative, clever and dim and . . . well, in a word, wonderful. The imperfect, perfect pageant that is homo sapiens (who you calling homo?!).
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Don’t like meeting people? Of course you don’t. The familiar beckons to us all. As Jackie Gleason once, famously, said: “Hey you kids get off of that fence!!” But – early on - we note that life forces you to meet new people. It's impossible not to. Try being born without meeting your mom. I dare you.
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So – what to do about that? The whole meeting new people thing? Well, simple: you better well make the damn best of it, you dolt.
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So – this site is for all those reluctant travelers, business trip warriors, and, especially, stay-at-home-wannabees who are, for whatever the reason, forced to travel to Hong Kong and Southeast Asia and particularly, those who are forced to live here in “Honkers” Yep - adding an annoying (to locals) nickname is step numero uno to becoming a grouchy gweilo – but it will take a very, very long time until you are “THE” Grouchy Gweilo. That title must be earned!
