“If you wanna be cool, follow one simple rule and stick to the stuff you know- follow the status quo” –High School Musical
Well, one thing I’ve learned over the past four months in Southeast Asia is that the ‘status’ is not ‘quo’. Learning what’s “normal” in America is and what’s “normal” in Asia these four months is, has really made me question the relativity of normality.
I have come to the conclusion that while America could change some things, many things are just not… nor should never be… normal!
I’ll leave it to you, reader, to decide which is which:
(hope you have a good laugh)
1. A snake falling inches from your head while scrubbing your laundry in a bucket (M.E. in Cambodia)
2. Being asked to sign a SAVE THE DOG campaign while blogging in a coffee shop (Vietnam)
3. Nightly head checks sound like this: “dirt, stick, leaf, dirt… just dirt… oh wait… there’s lice…” (Cambodia, Thailand)
4. Having tarantula thrown on you at the bus stop by the kids selling it; who think it’s funny (Cambodia)
5. Being invited to the neighbor’s house to try their fresh bee hive/larva/honey (Cambodia)
6. On the way to town you get stopped behind: cows, dogs, mopeds, chickens, bikes… and more cows (Cambodia, Philippines)
7. While talking your nightly bucket shower you witness at least 3 other creatures finding their dinner in your shower space (Cambodia)
8. While walking down the street on an average day, people clap and ask for your autograph just because you’re Caucasian (Philippines)
9. After being bit by a strange centipede, and while a native is rubbing a flower on your bite, you have to ask… “Poisonous like a cobra or poisonous like a bee?” (Cambodia)
10. Kids think it’s funny to chuck the volleyball at you after it rolls through the chicken guts/graveyard/ashes mixture… yeah that is just never normal; and brings dodge-ball to a whole new level! (Cambodia)
11. Learning how to gut a fish from a woman in high heels… that may happen in the States, but it was new for me! (Philippines)
12. Any local form of transportation has about 30 people inside and 3-7 people on the roof (Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia)
13. Traffic lights??… I don’t even remember what they are! (Asia)
14. flushing toilet paper isn’t a thing and most bathrooms (comfort rooms, water closets, CR, WC) have a B.Y.O.T.P. policy (Bring your own toilet paper)
While there are so many unique aspects to the Asian culture, I have loved every second of these past four months and would not change my experiences for anything! I can’t believe Africa is just around the corner!
Thanks for reading and for following my journey
Blessings
