A Moment of Reflection

Gellin' like Magellan, on the rocks at Stanley, Hong Kong

I left in a hurry.  I did, somewhat purposefully, close to zero research.  I didn't have a clue why I was going where I was going, or what I was looking for (nor do I still).  My knowledge of Asia had come from the 9th grade history, some business school case studies, word-of-mouth, and the discovery channel (seldom covered).  I guess I wanted to see first-hand.

The factor having the most profound impact on my experience thus far is the language barrier1.  It makes true immersion virtually impossible under these time constraints.  This was not like my week in Buenos Aires, where the porteños and I had two languages in common2 and therefore fitting right in (i.e. doing nothing and smoking cigarettes) was a breeze.  Instead, my most "immersive" experiences have come, naturally, when language is removed from the equation:  on the road, playing sports, eating.  These instances for me have been short but noteworthy - not for their shocking contrast to western norms, but rather for how much common ground there is: you're playing different sports, but you're playing for ultimately the same reasons - competition, excercise, fun; you're driving under wildly different laws, but you're still driving with the ultimate goal of getting where you're going without anyone getting hurt.  Within these arenas, you encounter every type of person - the asshole driver, the helpful pedestrian, the guy who doesn't want to let you play, the guy who encourages you and gives you advice - just as you would anywhere else.

The concept of "a people" gives way quickly to the concept of "people."  The North Vietnamese didn't treat me any different than the South Vietnamese.  The Chinese didn't treat me like much at all - but that's cause they didn't having a GD clue what I was talking about and I was on too short time to bother.  The con artists treated me like a bank - but not because they were Chinese, because they were con artists.  And the Hong Kong Koopa Troopas (bc Hong Kong still sounds like a Supermario level) fall under the same umbrella - from attempted pickpockets to helpful subway riders.  Does the fact that "People are People" is a mid-eighties new-wave hit by Depeche Mode cheapen the fact that it's more or less my creedo at this point?  Probably.  But I'm gonna post the link to the video anyway.  Enjoy.  Time for Cambodia.

1 - That, or Vietnamese food being so cheap and awesome.
2 - OK, 1.5 to be harsh but fair to my Spanish.