|
Squishy fuzzy yummy thoughts
Archives:
|
Friday, January 17, 2003
I want to stay in Asia.
posted by wtanaka at 1/17/2003 07:46:00 AM
I met this guy named Robin in "Banana Guesthouse" here in Chiang Mai. We chatted about buddhist culture vs. christian cultures, and how in christianity, salvation comes from without, whereas in buddhism, salvation comes from within.
In christianity, it is not okay for you to be yourself -- you are inherently flawed. In buddhism, it is okay for you to be yourself, if you can only find it within.
Only after you die might you be saved, vs. you might possibly become enlightened during your lifetime.
Living for the future, vs. Living in the present.
I notice that in America, many people live for the future. You go to school not to experience school, but instead to prepare you for the workforce. You go through work not to experience the work, but instead to ensure you have money for your retirement.
posted by wtanaka at 1/17/2003 07:44:00 AM
After reading some emails from other travellers, I realized that one other thing that I will come back with is a lot of perspective on what the world has to offer -- that there are a lot of choices of lifestyle available out there, and that the world of the salaryman (which I was satisfied, but not elated with, before) is a mere one choice.
Most people want to be expanding their skills, expanding their experience, and expanding their bank account all at the same time. I think I will try (as best as possible) to avoid doing things in the future that only give one or two (or none) of those things to me.
posted by wtanaka at 1/17/2003 07:26:00 AM
So my adopted sister in Cambodia wrote me an email. It appears that she sent it to me by forwarding a spam message, changing the subject, and adding her text above the spam. Which I find incredibly novel.
posted by wtanaka at 1/17/2003 07:00:00 AM
Wednesday, January 15, 2003
Several places that I have been so far, I've wanted to stop and live. For example, I would like to live in a Chinese speaking country for a while (perhaps Beijing, or perhaps Taipei), and learn Chinese, and perhaps work on technology related things and live in a place with a lower cost of living than in the United States,
But the thing that is keeping me from deciding to do that is that I want to be earning money in an economically strong country, so that I have more of it. When I think about this, this doesn't seem to be too exciting of a goal, yet that's one of the strong things that is really motivating me to move back to the U.S.
I've also found that I enjoy just spending time with people (even strangers) than I ever have before. Yet, at the same time, I have this nagging feeling in my head that I should be out producing something, or accomplishing something, however vague that might be. Have something concrete, maybe even tangible to look back upon and point at, and say "I did that."
Even now, I feel as though I spend a lot of time writing email to people. It's very rewarding to me, and makes me feel connected to the world, in some ways. Yet it takes a lot of time (in front of a computer, no less), and some other times I wonder if I shouldn't be out doing something else.
*sigh*
posted by wtanaka at 1/15/2003 02:27:00 AM
I gave my passport to a travel agent here in Bangkok and am heading out on a bus tonight for Chiang Mai. The hope is that I'll come back to Bangkok, pick up the passport (with Lao and Chinese visas attached) and head up to Vientiane, then into Tibet.
posted by wtanaka at 1/15/2003 01:58:00 AM
Hearing about life in a poor country is such a pale shadow of the experience of actually being there.
posted by wtanaka at 1/15/2003 01:57:00 AM
Tuesday, January 14, 2003
Money is pretty important because it buys you freedom. But if you have a lot of freedom from having a lot of money, and you don't have any goals, you end up having more money than you know what to do with, and will end up with (as a friend of mine just put it) eccentric things like a bowling alley in your house. How much freedom do I need? Enough to get me to my goals. What are they? I think I'll get back to that one later.
posted by wtanaka at 1/14/2003 09:12:00 PM
Monday, January 13, 2003
Kids at Angkor:
Girl: "but you said maybe!"
John: "99% of the time, maybe means 'no.'"
Girl: "actually, 99% of the time, maybe means 'yes'"
John: "why don't you give me that for free?"
Girl: "okay. I give you this for free if you give me 2 dollars for free."
Wesley: "I already have too many T-shirts. Want to buy my shirt?"
Girl: "How much?"
Wesley: "20 dollars."
Girl: "If I had 20 dollars, I wouldn't need to sell you a T-shirt."
posted by wtanaka at 1/13/2003 08:10:00 AM
I met Masa's friend in his village -- the one next to the monestary and the killing fields memorial in Siam Reap. He talked to me for over an hour, I think, while Masa and John were passed out on a wooden platform. Hearing him talk was moving.
Of losing his parents, siblings, and family during the Pol Pot regime.
Of a friend of the family taking care of him in his village.
Of taking some of that friends cows down the road.
Of how the road was the front line that day during the 1997 coup.
Of how Hun Sen's troops were on one side and the other party's troops on the other.
Of how he hid behind a well with his friend.
Of how there were landmines -- "bombs... boom"
Of how the cows heard the gunfire and ran, and were killed -- "boom."
Of how the family friend couldn't support him after his cows were killed.
Of how he decided to move to the monestary.
Of how the monks are helping him by teaching him English and paying for his schooling.
Of how his brother joined the army to fight against Hun Sen's party.
Of how he is sad when people die, no reason.
posted by wtanaka at 1/13/2003 08:07:00 AM
Cambodia was quite an experience. Walking up to any of the more popular temples at Angkor involves little kids running up to you yelling...
"sir, you come back and then buy one from me okay?"
"sir, where you from?"
"sir, you think about it and let me know okay?"
"sir, i'll remember you, will you remember me?"
"sir, you want cold drinks?"
If you talk to them for a few minutes, more kids converge on you, pulling on your shirt, your arm, your bag.. Then, after a while, they stop being sales people and start being kids. After I kept telling one girl that no, I actually didn't even really want any of those post cards, I asked her if I could take her picture. I showed it to her on my camera and she was completely delighted... As I was leaving she grabbed my hand and put a bracelet on it.
I say, "no, no thank you..."
She says, in that heart-melting way, "please..."
I give her my mood ring -- the one that I converted into a simple black ring when I removed the plastic cover from it in Taiwan. She asks me if I have a picture to give her. I tell her that I don't. But she asks for some contact information, so I give her my email address and she promises to write to me.
Later on that day (my third day of three in Angkor), I asked Masa, who was driving John and I around Angkor, if he could take us past Angkor Wat again. I see the girl on the corner of the main intersection in front of Angkor Wat, and I give her my pass. She was really thrilled. All the kids around her kept trying to take it from her.
I hope I hear from her.. my new adopted younger sister..
|
|
