Ex-Pat Extraordinaire

Billy & Akaisha Kaderli

World travel offers the opportunity to meet other roamers from around the globe. On Wednesdays here in Chiang Mai, Thailand, there is a standing invitation for a small group of us Ex-pats to meet for lunch at a local restaurant. It's an international group so topics of conversation run the gamut. Several years ago we met Steve Kramer, a very successful retiree, who turned his hobby/passion of photography into a business.  Well traveled, well read and now a locally famous photography instructor, we figured his approach to living in foreign countries was worth passing on to our readers. So please enjoy this short visit with a very witty, multi-talented friend! All of the photos in this piece are of Steve's work, and we felt they, too, needed to be showcased.

How do you deal with healthcare?

Thoughtfully. I prefer an eclectic assortment of practitioners. If my problem can be best dealt with using modern medicine, I use a western style doctor and western medicines. But many health care needs can be better served with more traditional Chinese acupuncture or herbal medicines, perhaps Indian Auyurvedic medical treatments will be more effective for other problems. Those folks have been at it for a lot longer than our western medicine, and it's a shame to pass up the opportunity to make use of it when needed. If your only tool is a hammer, you try to treat every problem with a nail.

Obviously that doesn't work as well as a fully stocked toolbox.

Understanding the Asian thought process, and realizing that the western way is not necessarily best. It is so foreign to me as an American, that even today I have difficulty trying to figure out why certain things are done the way they are. My first instinct is to say 'Hey! That's not how to do it!' Then I realize that they have been doing it that way for the past 5,000 years and it works for them!

If someone wanted to retire here in Thailand what would be your advice?

First, the real key is flexibility. You must be able to cope with absolutely anything at any time, no matter how stressful or disappointing it may be. You can't always get a Big Mac and have it your way. Next, be sure of your finances. Then decide if it's big city living, small town communities, beach resorts or mountain forests that make you more comfortable, and pick a place. Plan to 'live' there for one year. That's all. One year. Not as a tourist. Rent a home and deal with the day-to-day challenges that we all face. Getting a telephone, water delivery, Immigration, medical care, foods, friends, etc. See what life is like for someone living here. It's very, very different from the tourist view. Remember this; you aren't stapled into place. You can always change your mind if you don't care for it. But if you do enjoy your year, just stay where you are and enjoy!

I do miss certain things about the US. I miss .... I miss.... err.... I miss.... No... I guess I don't.

Wait... I miss "Jimmy Dean Pork Breakfast Sausage!" (Jones Brown 'n Serve just aren't as good!) Krispy Kream Donuts? Virtually everything else is already here, even Ben & Jerry's ice cream. We could use an "Outback" or "Lone Star" steak house, but we settle for Sizzler.

How do you stay busy here in Thailand?

My God!! The real question is; how do I find the time to do all the things available here that interest me! Every sport, every hobby, every diversion from needle point to championship golf courses. Rock climbing, river rafting, elephant riding, sight seeing, studying anything from Thai cooking, massage, martial arts, language arts. Everything you enjoy doing in the US you can find here in Thailand. However, be advised that the ski season is very, very short. Last year it was on a Thursday. If TV is your pleasure, we get about 50 English language channels, same as you'd get in NYC. Of course there are also plenty of stations broadcasting in Spanish, Chinese, French, German, and of course, Thai.

Do you rent or own your residence? Why?

There are certain laws dealing with foreigners owning property here in the Land of Smiles. Unfortunately these laws change with the winds. Right now, it is illegal for a foreigner to own 'land' here, but if we obtain a 30 year lease we can build and own our own homes on the land. We are permitted to own condominiums provided the condo building is 51% Thai owned. Personally, we chose to rent our condo. We like the freedom that this gives us. Rent is cheap, and value is good. Should we wish to live in a bigger or smaller place, all we have to do is move.

What got you interested in photography?

Don't tell anyone, but it was a very kinky girlfriend that I had when I was 23..... Unfortunately, 'kink' could only hold my interest just so long, and I began to realize that this was a new way to see the world around me. As Proust says; "The voyage of discovery is not traveling to new lands; it's seeing with new eyes." But.... add those new eyes to new lands and every time I turn around I experience another 'Kodak Moment." You can too... In Thailand

If you travel to Chiang Mai, Thailand, be sure to take advantage of Steve's photography courses. You can see more of his  work on his website,  PhotoEnvisions. He features Professional Freelance Photography, freelance photography covering travel, photojournalism, nature, people, culture, gardens, flowers, etc., from SE Asia, Asia, Europe, Thailand, Travel, Micronesia, Japan, and the European Alps. Photographs for magazines, calendar, greeting cards, and gifts. People From All Over the Globe.

To read more interviews with Expats, Early Retirees and Interesting Characters, click here

Billy and Akaisha continue to journal and photograph their world travels

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