Expat wives

Expat wives

I am writing to refute Rosaline's misconception (The Jakarta
Post, Dec. 4: On decency) that "we all know it is like a dream
for expatriates who live in Indonesia. They have all the comforts
imaginable, an easy life, lots of money."

Show me an expatriate male with an easy life, and I'll show
you someone whose company will be sending him home soon; he's
obviously not working hard enough. It is we expat wives who are
living the dream; we are the ones "enjoying the high standard of
living with drivers and maids".

But our dream can be a nightmare, too, because our husbands
are so overworked, overstressed and overtired that they are
turning into frustrated boors like the one in the Pondok Indah
Mall parking lot (Show some decency! on Dec. 2).

We, too, would like to say to our husbands: be yourself.
Because most of us know that the men we married have mentally
divorced us and are now married to their jobs.

CAROLYN EMMETT

Jakarta