Thanksgiving and Thankful
I almost forgot that it was Thanksgiving here, but our language teacher reminded us the day before to not skip class on THanksgiving day. It is so warm here, and since I really enjoy the food, I wasn't really feeling like I was missing out on much. One of the women who works at the guest house that I am staying at invited me to an American stlye buffet restaurant that night called, "Sizzla." WOW!! I think it is considered a delicacy here, but that was the worst meal that I've had!! They had a variety of not great meat, cold veggies, and old fries. I had eaten about 3/4 of the food that I'd taken, when I decided that I had eaten enough. I had taken a yucky piece of chicken that I wasn't going to finish, but she informed me that you're fined if you do not finish your meal here: it costs double, so I decided to finish my meal, and that was my Thanksgiving!!
It really is amazing though how easy it is for us Americans to slip into our bubble world, get down because we don't have the new IPOD, and forget how truly lucky we are for everything that we do have in the United States. I've already met so many cool people here who have lived and traveled the world, and they have vivid and terrible stories to tell about the poverty in places like India and Brasil. It makes me so sad hearing about it.
I really feel like to a certain degree, I escaped Southern California. Living there, there was so much to be grateful for, and yet that culture breeds complete dissatisfaction, total insecurity, and constant desire for more, more, more: to have more money, to be more beautiful, to have a better car, to the point where I feel like as a whole, few people feel comfortable enough to be real, and people's priorities are completely backwards. I won't go off, but I feel strongly enough about it that I could probably write a 10 page essay on the topic. If I go back to the US, I am definitely going to settle in the Pacific Northwest.
In conclusion: Experiencing Thailand, and meeting other travelers has increased my awareness about the big world around me, and really leaves me with a sense of gratitude on Thanksgiving Day 2005!! Is there a greater gift than travel, awareness, and gratitude? I think not!! HAPPY BE-LATED THANKSGIVING DAY!!!
It really is amazing though how easy it is for us Americans to slip into our bubble world, get down because we don't have the new IPOD, and forget how truly lucky we are for everything that we do have in the United States. I've already met so many cool people here who have lived and traveled the world, and they have vivid and terrible stories to tell about the poverty in places like India and Brasil. It makes me so sad hearing about it.
I really feel like to a certain degree, I escaped Southern California. Living there, there was so much to be grateful for, and yet that culture breeds complete dissatisfaction, total insecurity, and constant desire for more, more, more: to have more money, to be more beautiful, to have a better car, to the point where I feel like as a whole, few people feel comfortable enough to be real, and people's priorities are completely backwards. I won't go off, but I feel strongly enough about it that I could probably write a 10 page essay on the topic. If I go back to the US, I am definitely going to settle in the Pacific Northwest.
In conclusion: Experiencing Thailand, and meeting other travelers has increased my awareness about the big world around me, and really leaves me with a sense of gratitude on Thanksgiving Day 2005!! Is there a greater gift than travel, awareness, and gratitude? I think not!! HAPPY BE-LATED THANKSGIVING DAY!!!
posted by meagan at 6:23 AM
3 Comments:
Hey, Kiddo.
I was thinking about you on Thanksgiving, afraid that you might not eat more than normal. It's good to know that my concerns were for naught. Happy belated TG.
:=) Steve
hey:
I forgot to warn you that the Sizzler in Chaing Mai may be the worst place to eat in Northern Thailand. At least you explained why my bill was so high, as none of us finished our food. At least the service was bad. Doug
Hi Brave and Wise Meagan,
It's good to read your views on the 'being real' stuff. You are in a valuable position to be a message deliverer of sorts to us in the states [and elsewhere] as your travels allow you to meet and experience people of the 'real world'. It's these lessons and reminders that I appreciate this blog so much, thanks!
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