Now that we’ve been in Asia for a few months, we’ve realized we’ve grown accustomed to things that are not normal in Western society… I wanted to share them with you before I forget how different things are here than in the States…
In Thailand…
Songthaews are the most common mode of transportation. No seatbelts, just a little pickup truck with a row of seats and a canopy on the back!
Personal Buddha altars are present at nearly every business or household. Each morning, fresh treats such as cakes, beer, soda, fruit or meat are offered on the altar to Buddha.
In Cambodia…
Tuk-tuks are the most common mode of transportation. Basically it’s a little carriage towed by a motorbike, again no seatbelts or doors, but fun and cheap to ride in!
Burning trash every night is done by businesses and personal households. It fills the skies with smoke and a musty smell!
Rice is a staple eaten at every meal. It’s filling and goes with everything, even Watermelon!
In Vietnam…
Sweeping is a frequent occurrence. On one of our runs, we even noticed a woman sweeping the beach to clean the trash!
Torn bills aren’t always accepted at businesses and vendors, so we make sure our bills are whole!
Coffee shops are on every corner! It’s a normal to see a row of chairs in front of one or two big screen TVs showing a movie while music blares as if it were a club scene! The funniest part about it is that everyone there is calm and motionless in the chairs!
Living in Asia has been fun as we’ve acclimated to so many things…:
Squatty potties, a lack of toilet paper or soap in public restrooms, bucket showers, cold showers, teeny tiny portion sizes, transporting anything and everything on a motorbike, mystery meat in your food, pumpkin and sweet potato soup or coffee, and coffee with sweetened condensed milk rather than cream!
I’m continually reminded of how many conveniences I can live without! Many things we consider non-negotiables in the US are actually luxuries that the rest of the world doesn’t even know exists! The saying, less is more, really is true!
