Good morning from Turkey Day in SE Asia (though I’ll probably get this out to you guys by your turkey day)! I’m writing this from a dorm room in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia right now. I have Dutch, Japanese, Finnish and German people sleeping around me so I’m trying to type very quietly as I write this. This will be my third day in Malaysia.
So far, the country has been a bust. Day one was chasing a mythical “free” 2 month tourist visa for Thailand. It ended up not being free by any means, it took half a day of waiting and halfway through I opted out of the application process. You get 60 days from when you enter Thailand, you can’t leave the country and it was $35 USD for the application. Seeing as how I haven’t been running with a plan, that seemed like a pretty limited rabbit hole to dive down so I bailed. Unfortunately I was with two friends that were also applying so I sat quietly, hungry and under caffeinated. I can enter Thailand and get 30 days free just by being from the U.S. They ended up getting rejected themselves due to some regulation they didn’t know about going into it. Least to say, that day was a wash. Day two was a falling out for my friends and I. One flew out to Thailand to resolve his visa issue and I had a gut instinct that going lone wolf was in my best interest. That, coupled with my first taste of travelers’ sickness made for a pretty hostel bound day. That didn’t stop me from eating the best Indian food of my life…twice.
Starting a new page hopefully this Asian Thanksgiving. My dorm mates are cool, my hostel is hosting a BBQ tonight for dinner and my stomach has yet to decide if yesterday is going to carry over into today (I have a goodish feeling). So, feeling pretty good of my situation. I’m very happy that I’m not traveling isolated parts of Indonesia on a scooter like I have been for a lot of the last month. I think that would be a little too lonely for me. So today I might see some sights and do a little KL exploration before dinner.
So I thought this would be a fantastic opportunity to get a little corny and writing down the things that I’m grateful for. Back home around the stuffing and (burnt) candied yams there are little bowls with corn kernels scattered on the table. Every time you have a thought of something your grateful for you silently put a kernel into the bowl. At the end of the meal you have a bowl filled with all the things your thankful for in your life. It’s a beautiful ritual. Your plates may be empty but your gratitude is brimming. So, I don’t have the bowl or the kernels this year but I can continue the tradition here. And don’t fret, I’ll refrain from getting too sappy. I’m directing this at all the things that I’ve learned to live without in these past two months. I don’t need to mention anything about the people I’m grateful for, I trust they know.
I don’t know exactly where to begin. I’m just going to start rolling with the small things that I’ve been exposed to and hopefully it will go from there. I’m grateful for hand towels, always next to the sink in the states, promising dry hands. I’m grateful for no humidity, letting me sleep without feeling clammy. For grass to walk on (didn’t think I’d be grateful for grass). For level sidewalks. For the shower and the toilet being separated so the seat is dry and your pants don’t come back up soaked from the last person’s shower. On that note, for toilets that can handle TP. They have these cute albeit disgusting little trash cans for used TP here due to lack of good plumbing.
I’m grateful for familiarity. I think two months has provided me a little exposure to this culture (while still quite limited) but there is nothing here that provides the comforts of the familiar sounds, smells, sights and faces of home. I’m comfortable with most of the obvious nuances. I think being in a foreign land always provides a little if not sometimes a lot of alienation. So far, so good in embracing it.
I’m grateful for being able to drive. I’ve spent 10 days on a scooter so far. I love that feeling. The wind, the squirreliness and the cheap gas. But there’s nothing like the traditional western road trip. A car full of friends or just a loved one. A destination. Highway sunsets. Pandora (not available over here). Cruise control and a windshield. I’ve covered a couple hundred miles on two wheels on windy, cracked and broken pavement. The States have it pretty nice.
Strangely enough, I’m grateful for fast food restaurants around every corner. Hold on, let me explain this one cuz it’s complicated. I rarely eat it and have my opinions about the entire business. Having so many of them, for me, is discouragement to be a customer. When I round a corner and see those Golden Arches now, it’s more tempting. I’ve been throwing myself into the crockpot of foreign food pretty hard these last two months. Some weeks are full of new eateries and dishes. Some are stuck on nasi goreng. But when I see a Burger King or even a Starbucks it has turned into an opportunity. I could choose to have a double burger and fries. I could order a $3 cup of black coffee (there’s still something off with the couple that I’ve tried). I have done it a couple times, I admit. And it’s good. Best to save that for the rainy days though.
I’m grateful for football…and ya I mean American football. You gotta be really clear about that with all these Europeans. There’s nothing like sitting down at a barstool with some friends and watch some other people be awesome.
The one I want to end on though, as I’ve heard about the flakes starting to fly already back home, I’m grateful for cold weather. Wearing jackets…pants for that matter. It was raining when I was changing hostels yesterday. I threw on my shell for about two blocks and decided that I’d rather be wet from rain than my own sweat. An umbrella would work. No jackets though. I would love to go for a walk in the snow or make a fire and have some wine or ski. Actually, I can make it much more clear. I would love to be cold. I’ve had goosebumps once in the last two months. I was walking by the ocean with my friend Anna and it started to rain. The wind picked up a little. I got that shiver… you know the one. We just stood there and straight savored it.
I’m sure that this will fall on deaf ears as my friends and family are wishing they could swap my beach with their snow. Believe me, in the end I’m grateful for this journey. I feel that everyday. I’m psyched that life is a lot more challenging everyday. The perspective is incredible. I’ve got too many things that I am grateful for about this part of the world. But I’m going to keep them to myself for now. For now, on this hot and humid Turkey Day, I’m grateful for home and everyone and everything that I’m missing today. Because if there wasn’t anyone or anything that I am missing, would I really be grateful for them?
Cheers everybody! Over eat and enjoy the stuffing!
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