Making friends as an expat

Although I live some of the time in Cambodia and have a few friends here the majority of my friends are in Vietnam. I have been exceedingly fortunate to find friends there that are loving, caring and just warm people. How I managed to meet so many wonderful Vietnamese people is a mystery. One particularly I shall call L is very dear to me. I have not been good friendship material and probably still am challenged at making and keeping friends. Here in Cambodia I am lucky to have a few Khmer friends that will always ask about me, make sure I am okay, wonder if I have eaten enough and If I'm happy.

The majority though are simply wonderful Vietnamese friends that have so many wonderful qualities. I will leave on 19 October and be gone wandering this world until June 2020. I will live in Vietnam when I come back.

So I am unsure how I did this but it's been a joy to me and I treasure each friend particularly L. She has this warm and affectionate and loving personality. I am forever grateful to her for her wondrous ways.

Many were met almost accidentally. I could say to find social places or cultural events but I did not do that. Only by happenstance and accident was I fortunate to have friends there. I love it though. L is a spark to my life. Thank you Vietnam. You made this old retired guy feel good about friendship again.

I am a student. Making new friendships is always easy in a school environment, regardless of location. I also work in the medical field, where people rely on their friends for emotional/psychological support. I am fortunate in this respect. I can live anywhere in the world and easily find new friends.

Is this different in other occupations? If you move to another country for work, do you not have an automatic support system from those with whom you work?

Best way to make friends is by just being you! If you see that anyone begin to like you as you are that is a beginning of a friendship.

But you need tools even to be you; One. Language spoken at the place where you are. Two. Places where other people are, workplace, school, different kind of activity gatherings, parties etc. bottom line is you have something to do at a place where other people also have something to do then it's only a matter of time some of them become your friends. Three. Have enough spare time to spend on to maintain friendships which you have newly started, sometimes on nonsens since it also is a part of making and keeping friendships.

Regarding challenges: There are no challenges as long as you remains as yourself all the time. But if you change your attitude time to time without having a fairly straight line, that takes you to a certain stage that you don't know exactly what to do and how to react in different situations with different people, that's the challenge. So challenge is in you and not in the place where you are.

Be real, be authentic, be genuine.

You attract what you project.

Treat others like they are your siblings, simple as that, and let the rest take care of itself.

Shawn_Chang wrote:

Treat others like they are your siblings, simple as that, and let the rest take care of itself.

Pull their hair and call them fat?

Khalida.UNC wrote:

Shawn_Chang wrote:

Treat others like they are your siblings, simple as that, and let the rest take care of itself.

Pull their hair and call them fat?

I won't be able to stop laughing for a good while

finnbo wrote:

Khalida.UNC wrote:

Shawn_Chang wrote:

Treat others like they are your siblings, simple as that, and let the rest take care of itself.

Pull their hair and call them fat?

I won't be able to stop laughing for a good while

That is all I ask.

Thats offensive but in principle yes. At least soon remain only those thinking similar

Helloo nice to meet you all. Im dmd from Sri Lanka. 🇱🇰

Sometimes you have to unfollow people in real life. The moment it becomes clear that your journey no longer match ... check out. There is plenty of wisdom in giving yourself the permission to do so....In the end, you will be glad you did... Wisdom is Key

This is Essa from KSA but recently living and studying in Bournemouth. Nice to meet you all....

Nice to meet you too

Hello Karahan,

If you're looking to make friends with people who live in Istanbul, you have more chances of getting acquainted by seeking them out on the Istanbul forum.

All the best,

Diksha
Team Expat.com

Hi Diksha
I was wondering to ask you is there a form for Bournemouth here ? if so Can you please provide me that. I couldn't find here.

with regards
Essa