Yeah, it sucks. My Lao boyfriend of 4 years, today went back to Bangkok. He has been with me again for 90 days (the 4th time since october 2006). Except for 8 days, which I had to spend abroad for work, we have been together for this somewhat extensive period (in fact, it's over before you know it).

Each time, he going home is something I dread. Especially when I come home to an empty house. Nobody to cook for me, no thai/lao music from sanook.com, nobody telling me to put the TV volume down, because the woman next door might complain, nobody to nag me about going to the local bar at 10 PM sharp. Just silence.

The immigration laws in the Netherlands are to blame for all of this. I know he can do an exam, which would enable us to get a provisional stay. Without him passing the exam, he cannot apply for provisional stay, and needs to apply for a tourist visa (90 days in NL, 90 days out and the cycle continues).

From the first time he came to visit me, he did learn Dutch, and this time around, he was offered a job (he isn't supposed to be working on a tourist visa, but we have taken this risk), and his Dutch improved beyond belief, apparently it's much better to be forced to use it in the flesh so to speak, as from a bunch of books. Anyway, it's bloody silent in my appartment, and while he is still in the air, no phone contact either. Of course in 7 weeks, I'll be going to Thailand (and Laos, Cambodia and maybe Malaysia this time), so we can be together again for 3 weeks, then it's anoter 3 weeks and he will be back in the Netherlands. Counting the days already.

Just a whinge from a silent appartment.

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