The travels and musings of a farang in Southeast Asia: patience Aigo patience

So on Sunday i finaly decided that I needed to accept the fact that I would be fairly independent here. I figured that it was probably time I learned how to be comfy alone anyways.

So I decide to spend the day on the beach with a book and a towel. (I actually brought nothing else, since I heard of the massive theft that occurs on the beaches. I hid a few bills in the pages of the books though. Just to paint you the picture). So it started to get really windy and I thought it might be a good idea to head over to the pool instead. On the way I see Jade, one of the volunteers and we start talking. Next thing I know its three hours later and we are at an icecream shop with one of the vietnamese students. Jade and I also wound up hanging out all day yesterday as well; at the beach, out to meals and to exersize.

Although I was a little pathetic. I've been kinda complaining, although mostly too myself, that compared to Nongkhai, the people here hardly ever go out. This is especially disturbing because our classroom is in a bar!!! So during dinner Jade decides we should go out tonight, not late mind you but just out. So I go home and shower and then see National Treasure on TV, so I start watching. Next thing I know its almost an hour later and I'm ready for bed. So I force myself out and head out to Kimmy's bar. To no avail, unfortunately. After a pool game, jenga game and some weird domino's game, plus a shot, I am literally falling asleep so I head to bed.

Either way, its starting to get better, like of course it would. I just have such high expectations for myself and my surroundings. Once I drop those, I find that I do alot better. Once I am comfortable somewhere, I am great, and amazing, its just getting comfortable for me that is the problem. This is why I could never be a true backpacker. Most people when they experience culture shock, they love EVERYTHING about the place, then after a while hate it. Usually most backpackers don't stay long enough for it to hit a middle ground. I am the opposite. I immediately am critical of everything until I reach a comfort level with it. So if I truly backpacked, I would be hating my life every 3-5 days, and that would really suck.

While it is getting better, I think this site will be alot more difficult then Nongkhai. Nongkhai to me was just one big party, one big ball of fun, I suppose. Here, its going to be alot different and challenge me alot more. I need that though. I have been pampered and had everything given to me on a silver spoon for so long, that everytime I come up against something even remotely challenging, I run the other way instead of face it head on. I need to learn how to keep doing that, especially if I want to survive Oakland city schools. Not that anything I will face is to hard, but I have a habit, as I'm sure you are all aware of making a "mountain out of a mole hill." So for example, there are alot of girls here compared to boys, and while there were lots of girls in Nongkhai, there were enough boys to balance them out. Here that is not the case, and I need to be able to not feel so defensive around girl groups as I have in the past. I also need to get more comfortable doing things on my own, and not just waiting for others to give me something to do. This is my one time, probably, to be in Vietnam and I shouldn't waste it by needless worry. I'd also like to be more comfortable talking to people I don't know. I have been taught since the beginning of time to avoid strangers and to fear people I don't know. Well now, at 23, when I walk into a bar or other unstructured environment I do not even look at someone I don't know. I'm trying to change that, so that I can meet other people and see what they have to offer. We'll see how it goes.

Enough analyzation. Here are a few pictures that I have taken of the place I will call home for 3 weeks. Now that I have settled I will explain more about what I am doing in upcoming entries!