Disparaging views do not reflect reality of expatriate lifestyles

I refer to Jason Wordie's last two Then & Now columns.

I have met him on a few occasions and am a fan of his column. His work is generally well-researched and supported with references to books on the subject, or other sources.

The first column on "third culture kids" ("The exbrat curse", June 14) is a subject that many are acquainted with. I arrived in Hong Kong in 1960 and was wholly educated here.

The problem with this article is the cynical and spiteful tone. He talks of "more pitiful bi-products', "expat brats" and "their parents' underlying prejudices and unthinkingly patronising attitudes". This is not the language of an objective historian, but someone with an axe to grind. In his article ("Caliban and the mirror", June 21) replying to critics of his first column, he cites "a numerically significant minority" who fit the description in his column.

Where are these cases documented and what are the significant numbers? While I have met an insignificant number of third culture kids who behave like this, I know literally hundreds who do not.

There is no doubt we enjoyed a lot of privilege under the colonial system.