Everyone lives in a bubble

I went up to Sugarland, Texas this weekend to see some of my family that I hadn't seen since I acquired the label of "world traveler." I don't really think the label fits me. Sure, I've been further away from the USA than most of the people I know, but I still have seen only a tiny part of Southeast Asia. There's a whole lot left in the world unseen by my eyes and untouched by the soles of my sneakers.

I went up to see my cousin Linda in a dance recital. Her high school Stars team put on a terrific dancing show. Most of the dances combined elements of ballet and cheerleading, with an occasional bit of tap dancing. I've never seen Linda dance before. It was impressive. She can spin like a top, prance like a deer and lift up other girls like a ballet dancer. And she could keep up step for step with Britney Spears in any routine from her music videos.

I also saw my cousin Tori. She had a baby while I was away. Her daughter Alex is adorable. And I met her husband Monty for the first time as well. It was a tough delivery for Tori, but I think she is feeling better now. Thank God that Alex is healthy.

There were so many family members that I saw this weekend. There just wasn't even time to really catch up with them all. And I won't have enough time because I leave in a month. I'll miss everyone.

I've adjusted fairly well to being back in America. I'm amazed at how traffic actually moves. Bangkok traffic makes Austin traffic look very organized. And traffic in Vietnam makes Bangkok traffic look organized. When I was in Thailand, I missed Mexican food and homecooking. Now I enjoy eating them, but I miss Thai food. I tried making some Tom Yum Kung, spicy prawn soup. It was okay but too bland. Not spicy enough. And I miss the excitement of traveling and experiencing Thai culture. The Thai people are so friendly and inclusive. So these two months in America are a transition, an in-between time.

I'm definitely looking forward to going back to Thailand. Having a girlfriend waiting for me is a big part of it. That's one reason I'm eager to go, but that's not all. I just miss the adventure. I miss the friendships I made too. Right now I'm working a lot as a substitute teacher. It's similar to my work in Thailand in many ways. But I don't hang out with friends like I did in Thailand. I had lots of fun on a regular basis. I don't go out as much now. I hang out at home with mom and dad, which is fine. But it's a little boring sometimes. We did go to a Bob Marley Festival in Austin. That was pretty cool. Things will probably change a bit when my brother comes back from college next weekend. He knows how to have fun.

And life has changed a lot since I left. About a dozen of my friends and/or acquaintances have gotten married. I've heard of other surprises as well. And I guess many of my friends are too busy to write. Others things amaze me too. My cousins have grown and matured so much in 10 months. It's true what they say: You can never go home again. Because home is just an idea. Your idea of home is not reality. When you come back everything has changed.

I think one of the most irritating things about not being in Thailand has been just a lack of understanding. Most Americans don't go to Asia. Many Americans I speak to don't know anything about Thailand. Some people asked if they speak Taiwanese.

I've told some of the middle school and high school kids about my experiences. Usually they're curious. Some of the kids laugh at me when I say a phrase in Thai. The kids try to imitate me and they can't. They really laughed when I told them about squat toilets. I'm not ever sure how that came up in conversation. And lots of the teachers I meet say they wouldn't want to go that far away. Lots of people limit themselves. They're afraid of leaving America. They're comfortable in their own bubbles.

The pictures I've shown don't do a very good job of sharing my experience. And my stories aren't any better. It's really frustrating because I can't really share it. If I say something was beautiful, you can only think of what you know or try to imagine from looking at my photos. But you'll never see what I saw unless you go to the same place. You are limited by your point of view, by your bubble. Everyone lives in a bubble. I just live in a different one. One that includes parts of Asia. I hope some of my friends and family will visit me when I go back. If not, just keep reading. I'll continue to share my experiences in this limited way.

More about Songkran

I forgot to mention that Songkran is the Thai New Year celebration. Thais celebrate Chinese New Year, New Year's Day on Jan. 1st and of course their own New Year. They'll take any excuse to party. If you want to read more about Songkran, check out this blog of a friend of mine in Bangkok. http://www.ram-z-online.com/blog/

Me and Neil at Brookstock (a benefit concert for Mission Waco) 

Songkran (Thailand Water Festival) 

Crazy Thai Water Festival

I talked to Tan on the phone today and she told me that the Songkran Festival is going on right now. It's a very interesting Thai celebration. Thai people take water hoses, squirt guns, water balloons or anything to get each other wet. They also throw powder on each other. Sounds like fun. April is the hottest month of the year in Thailand. I think it is a Buddhist holiday. Songkran also sounds like it gets out of control. Guys like to get girls wet and then grab them. It sounds like it might be the Thai equivalent of a Mardi Gras party. Tan doesn't want to go out during Songkran because the Bangkok police won't do anything to control the craziness. Some girls complained about it on the news. I wish I could see it. I'll have to stay for it sometime.

What I've been up to for two weeks

So for about two weeks I've been back in the US of A. I've been working by day as a substitute teacher and by night I AM BATMAN! Um... sorry. As I was saying, I am working almost everyday because there is a shortage of substitutes. It's a little strange working at the schools where I went to middle school and high school. I've seen some of my old teachers and my mom also works at the schools.

I've taken lots of pictures and put them in an album called Austin. Check out my travel photos link. I took some pictures of some murals on the old Tower Records building. The CD shop closed down and now some of the murals are covered with graffiti. It's sad. I liked that place. Austin has a lot of unique stores and live music clubs and bars. Every year more of them seem to go out of business.

I also went to the Arboretum and took pictures of the marble cow statues there. And a girl in Amy's Ice Cream showed off by tossing ice cream and catching it in a scooper.

It's a nice time of year to be in Texas. The trees are green. The weather is a little cool. It's Spring.

My brother came down from UT Dallas to visit me last weekend. Sam, our friend, brought him. He's like another brother to me. We saw a Dr. Seuss art exhibit http://www.arton5th.com

This weekend I went back to visit my alma mater, Baylor University. The Baylor Bears Lady backetball team won the national championship! The whole campus seemed to still be happy about that. I actually met Sofia Young, the Championship Game MVP. She was at the concert/crush event. One of my friends knows her and invited her to come. I worked and lived at Brooks Residence Hall when I was in college. I went back to see a student concert at Brooks. It was for Mission Waco, a really good charity that helps the homeless. It was an awesome show by Ethan Durelle. Check them out at http://www.ethandurelle.net They are hoping to tour in Asia in the future, hopefully Japan. Maybe I can convince them to go to Thailand.

I really enjoyed seeing all my college buddies. I hope I can make another trip up to Waco soon. Well I'm being told to go to sleep by my mom. Good night!

Life in Austin, Texas

The pictures include the marble statues of cows in the Arboretum, murals in the downtown area, my dad holding our family's dog, and a girl catching a scoop of ice cream at Amy's.