It’s said about a person living abroad that he or she returns a skunk, a monk, a drunk, a chunk or a hunk. “Hunks, Monks Chunks & Drunks” was cited in print in November 2007, in an article about Iraq. “There’s a saying in the State Department that people who come to difficult posts such as Yemen well end up one of five ways – as a skunk, monk, drunk, chunk, or hunk” was cited in print in April 2013.
 
It’s not known who originated the saying.
 
“There are three ways to come out of this lockdown. A hunk, a chunk or a drunk. Your choice!” was said about the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic quarantines.
   
     
World-Wide-Matel
Random Thoughts
Posted by Broadnax on November 25, 2007 12:29 AM
Hunks, Monks Chunks & Drunks
 
They told us before we came to Iraq that we would end up becoming one of those things above.  The first two are easy here in Al Asad, the third not so much and the last one probably not at all. There are lots of gyms around here and Marines take full advantage of them, so pretty much everybody qualifies as a hunk by civilians standards. They have a 1000lb club (which means lifting more than 1000lbs in a combination of bench press, dead lift and squat).  It is a big club.

I don’t know about monks.  Life is austere but the similarity ends there.
   
Baghdad: In the Zone
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2008
First Posting
(...)
Among many sayings here, one is, “You can go home either a skunk, monk (isolated), a hunk, a chunk or a drunk.”
 
just one more detour
Friday, November 5, 2010
chunk-drunk-hunk-monk
Coping mechanisms are grand, aren’t they?

The ways in which we deal with stress, although many, can be distilled into the basic four pathways:  chunk-drunk-hunk-monk.  Living abroad, not only do you face the regular everyday stress points, but a whole slew of additional ones.  My sister introduced me to these four general categories, which are related to high stress locations, which I do think Hawiyah (not even Taif), Saudi Arabia is one.
       
JetCareers
GX, Jul 17, 2012
What happens while living on an island?
 
You become a monk, a hunk, a chunk, or a drunk. You can pick 2, if you’re so inclined.
   
Sand Through My Toes
6 August 2012
Chunk, Hunk, or Monk?
Wow, who would you be if you were away from home for a year?  We were given three options and were to think about what we would become while on this assignment.
 
Chunk — ahh, there are great smelling desserts on the cart; how about a midnight snack, chow hall open 24 hours
 
Hunk — release a bit of stress, enjoy time with folks in a new environment and get yourself buff
 
Monk — quiet time in the rack with a movie and/or a good book (well, All Fifty Shades are almost completed)
 
BritishExpats.com
Bahtatboy
Nov 3rd 2012, 2:11 pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Millhouse
There are five basic pathways to living here: Chunk, Drunk, Hunk, Skunk or Monk.
 
Not heard this. Am I close?
 
Chunk: eat, drink and get fat?
Drunk: life-time membership at The Jebel Ali Club?
Hunk: the sporty lifestyle?
Skunk: life-time membership at Jockey’s, Marines Bar and The York?
Monk: too ugly, mean or smelly to get laid?
     
BritishExpats.com
Fossildog
Feb 11th 2013, 5:23 pm
(...)
Reminds me of the old adage about people out here failing into one of the five expat types, drunk, skunk, monk, chunk or hunk. Drunk and chunk seem to be the most popular choices by far.
 
Wanderlust
Thursday, April 4, 2013
A hunk, a chunk, and more; or, Quick cash now!
Much earlier I wrote about a common Gitmo saying—-you leave Gitmo either a hunk, a chunk, or a drunk. I heard an even better (and probably truer) version: You leave a hunk, a chunk, a drunk. . . or a monk.
 
YemenEm
Chunk or Hunk?
Posted on April 22, 2013 by YemenEm
There’s a saying in the State Department that people who come to difficult posts such as Yemen well end up one of five ways – as a skunk, monk, drunk, chunk, or hunk. Those first two refer to losing the will to clean oneself (and probably wallowing in depression as well) and to not getting any tail, respectively. The second two refer to a person getting fat, or getting phat, respectively.