Sunday, March 28, 2010

New Appreciations

I just finished reading Blood Meridian, by Cormac McCarthy. I tried reading it just one year ago, but I cast it aside in disinterest by page sixty. This time around, I was wholly absorbed in every page. It makes me wonder at past versions of myself who were too dense or close-minded for certain appreciations. I can't fathom what specific changes took place in the folds of my pale brain that allowed me to enjoy the book now, when I was rather put off by it before. This also makes me wonder at my current self and what appreciations I lack through my present denseness. What things will my future selves be able to appreciate through awakenings yet to be?

Thursday, March 11, 2010

I'm United States of American

For those of you who cannot stomach patriotism, read no further.

I'm proud to be an American. No, that's not it. I'm happy to be American. No, actually, I think I'm happy to be from America. It's something I don't care to rationalize or put into words. All I can say is that whenever I leave and come back, I swoon over this place--this land of the free--this home of the brave--with their purple mountains majesty and such. Other countries are good too, but this one is great.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

So long, Asia

So Long, Asia--your southeastern portion anyway. We've had some good times, but it's time for me to leave. We got along well mostly, but our backgrounds are too different to keep this up any longer. Let's keep in touch and I hope our paths cross again someday.

Goodbye SE Asian food. It took my bowels a few weeks to get used to you, but I glad they finally came around. My love and appreciation for rice and its derivatives blossomed these last few months. I wish we didn't have to part, but I'll always savor you in memory--your pickled vegetables, stubby bananas, sticky rice, fresh coconuts, and all your cheap exotic fruit. I'll miss you all.

Farewell SE Asian weather. You surprised me with rain a few times, but were pretty consistent otherwise. I'd almost call you climate rather than weather. If I wanted to know what the day would bring, I could just look at one of those yearly charts with two big parabolas for temperature and rainfall. Overall you were a bit too hot and humid for my liking, but farewell nevertheless.

Goodbye SE Asian architecture. From temples to telephone poles, you were built mostly of concrete, but I liked you anyway. Your use of bamboo, corrugated metal, and tarps was truly inspiring. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

See you later, SE Asian beer. You were refreshing at times, but that's about all.

Take care, SE Asian people. Firstly, let me apologize for lumping you all together as one people--you varied greatly from region to region, but you were all consistently helpful and usually wore a smile. I was always amazed at your heat tolerance, wearing black jeans and long-sleeves in tropical heat. A good number of you tried to swindle me, but that's alright, I don't blame you--I'd try to swindle me too. Farewell, and thanks for putting up with my monoligualism .

So long, Asia. I'm going home.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Engrish and other Asia-isms





Not really any water rights here.






Efficient oil disposal










It's hard to read, but: Cock Testicle. Either boiled, stir fried, or steamed.




The dark want to be light, and the light want to be dark. We're all after the same shade. I hope the kit doesn't actually include a stethoscope.




Too much whitening cream.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

These Roads

These roads are filled with wandering souls
like a cast full of actors without any roles
like birds without hives and bees without nests
they wander about on undefined quests.

They left their homes for a faraway land
hoping to find some untrodden sand.
With minimal possessions and a few foreign bills
they keep going forward with unwavering wills.

What do they seek? What do they find?
The meaning of life or peace of mind?
Or maybe they find that for what they roam
was never really all that far from home.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Vipassana: Part II

I forgot to tell about this one thing:
On the last day during the final moments of noble silence, we were practicing a meta-meditation where you focus on spreading your positive thoughts and energy to others. During the instruction, a fly landed on my right thigh. I put out my hand and it landed on my finger. I put up my other hand, and it WALKED from one hand to the other like an obedient bird accepting its new perch . I'd never felt so trusted by a fly before.