How is it that pure Geographical separation results in such an enormous paradigm shift? I'm quite literally in an alien world. I could be in Mars for all the similarities this place has with where I’m from.
· Pedestrians have the right of way. Not in the rule books rotting in the city archives. On the street. Every single street. Even at 1 am.
· The people are intellectually capable of recognizing a moment that warrants a ‘Thank you’ or an ‘Excuse me’ or an ‘I’m sorry’. And no opportunity is missed or misused.
· There are actual people on the street. Not mindless worker drones intent on getting through the day without any incidents. There are actual living, breathing individual people who are living life and not watching it from the sidelines.
· People like what they do. Or atleast they’ve learned to like it. A bus driver either likes to be a bus driver, or has told himself, “Look, it looks like you’re gonna be a bus driver. Might as well embrace it. Or atleast, try to.” And not “Bus driver, schmus driver. I wanted to be an engineer. My life sucks.” Makes immeasurable difference in their interactions and work ethic.
· The concept of a niche market exists. (Love that word!) I want to eat an authentic South-Western Coastal Vietnamese feast. Possible. I want a fluorescent pink pair of trousers made of hemp. Sure, just get down to 4th Avenue and …. I want to sit and eat freshly baked croissants, listening to Jazz music in a Harry Potter themed bistro. One of those just opened up downtown. No, for real.
· Work opportunities. Have a summer off? Want a part time job? Hotel receptionist. Dolphin trainer. Museum guide. Ferry operator. Hot dog vendor. Be what you want to be.
· Don’t want a job? Wanna chill out? Sure. Head to the beach and soak up some sun. Head to the park and lie on the grass. Go rollerblading with friends in the park. Hike up any trail and camp out in the woods. Rent a bike and pedal across the city. Head downtown on weekends for the street entertainment. Attend a block party. Watch a play in one of the hundred theatres across town. Star in a play with your friends. Organize a block party. Pick a street corner and start dancing. Walk out of your hostel room, collapse on a mound of grass and stay there undisturbed till night fall.
I can go on and on for hours. Why is it that life is so different one landmass away? Did we evolve from a different, slightly dumber breed of ape? Or did we evolve differently into a slightly dumber species of human? For the life of me, I can’t fathom why.
You can bullshit all you want about poverty and population being the cause of under-development and other poop like us having a better culture, but I’m not buying it. Culture of our ancestors, may they rest in peace, counts for shit. Divorce rates are down in our land because our culture has thought us to stick with one marriage? So its better stay with someone you don’t respect or love anymore, and destroy both lives just to protect one’s culture? That’s ridiculous. People get divorced for a reason. Because its just not working between them. Its not an arbitrary whimsical thing. The people who are happy with each other are happy. The people who are not, are not. And they should move on. Its as simple as that. Culture counts for squat. We are individual people. Not a herd of sheep being reined in by an invisible fence.
I digress. Bottom line, the life I thought I was living so far is not living. I realized that now. I have nothing left for me in my old realm. I’m moving on and never turning back. As unlikely as it seems, if someone really decides that enough is enough and turns it around for the folks back home, then good. But it won’t concern me one bit. Thirty years from now, every last thread that ties me to my almost-former life will be severed. And any progeny of mine will remain blissfully unaware of his dad’s primeval origins.
Laugh if you want. Scoff at my silly idealistic, uninformed notions. I call it as I see it. You’re free to agree, applaud or disapprove. See if I give a shit. Go on.
