Wanderlust

Tiffany in Seoul introduced me to Semipermanent, a video series she and friends have launched about being expats in Korea. (I heard from her in response to my New York Times story about hiking in Korea and visiting my expat brother.) My favorite lines from the first episode come from Haider, an American who has lived in Seoul for seven years and says things like:

There are great cities in America that I could live in, but it’s an egotistical thing. I like being a foreigner. I like being an expat. Being transplanted has this unique feel that I think I’m kind of addicted to.

And, about the slew of expats arriving now:

They realize that Asia is the Europe of our generation.

The greatest sign of vitality in Singapore Europeans that I can see is the furious hurry in writing for the mail. To all sorts of claims and invitations, the reply is, “But it’s mail day, you know,” or, “I’m writing for the mail,” or, “I’m awfully behind hand with my letters,” or, “I can’t stir till the mail’s gone!”

—From “The Golden Chersonese and the Way Thither” by Isabella Bird. Imagine what they would’ve done with Facebook.