Things I've learned from my travels, accompanied by photos of my final stop: Hawaii:
Feel free to ask questions about my experiences from Hawaii. Though I'm not posting specifically about it here, there are some fun stories.
Feel free to ask questions about my experiences from Hawaii. Though I'm not posting specifically about it here, there are some fun stories.
1.
From New Zealand: take everything people tell
you with a grain of salt. Especially when people are telling you things along
the lines of “Everyone in New Zealand is so nice!” There are nice people in
every country. There are also people who aren't worth your time. Every country
has great people, and grumpy people. Don't be naïve the way I was and assume
when people say, “Oh, everyone's so great!” that everyone will be great. That
will not be the case.
4.
From Hawaii: Men are shameless. Tell them you
have a boyfriend, and they'll continue their attempted advances. Tell them
you're a lesbian and your girlfriend is the girl next to you and they still
won't go away. Instruct them to go one way because you're going the other, and
they'll keep following you. As with making friends, the second you're
uncomfortable, get out of the situation. Don't prolong peeling off the
band-aid. It won't get any easier, and it's likely you won't get a real “out”
where you can get out easily.
7.
From Hawaii: All, this is information that I
have not released previously. To anyone. This is because it is not a fact I was
entirely aware of.
I am a straightedge. A square. I follow the rules and I do not do what is not allowed or inappropriate. Nine times out of ten, (probably more like 99 times out of 100) I will do the right thing.
I first suspected this in my Freshman English class, when my teacher told the class to settle down and read. When the class did not settle in a few moments, I took it upon myself to hush them. My teacher then shrugged her shoulders at me and shook her head, as if it was not worth it. Granted, I was a Montessori child in my first week of public school madness, but I was shocked that these students could not follow such simple instructions.
Since then, there were always people more straightedge than me, so I enjoyed that I was not entirely a “goody two shoes.” However, the more people I meet, and the more people I talk to, I learn that I am just that. It is characteristic for me to follow the rules within reason, obey the law likewise, and almost always do what is expected of me.
I'm not disappointed by this, nor am I concerned. I am not particularly happy either. I'm just stating that at the present time, given my compatriots and their habits and pastimes, I run by the book. Do with that information what you would like. It's likely that I will forget I wrote this, and move on with my life.
I am a straightedge. A square. I follow the rules and I do not do what is not allowed or inappropriate. Nine times out of ten, (probably more like 99 times out of 100) I will do the right thing.
I first suspected this in my Freshman English class, when my teacher told the class to settle down and read. When the class did not settle in a few moments, I took it upon myself to hush them. My teacher then shrugged her shoulders at me and shook her head, as if it was not worth it. Granted, I was a Montessori child in my first week of public school madness, but I was shocked that these students could not follow such simple instructions.
Since then, there were always people more straightedge than me, so I enjoyed that I was not entirely a “goody two shoes.” However, the more people I meet, and the more people I talk to, I learn that I am just that. It is characteristic for me to follow the rules within reason, obey the law likewise, and almost always do what is expected of me.
I'm not disappointed by this, nor am I concerned. I am not particularly happy either. I'm just stating that at the present time, given my compatriots and their habits and pastimes, I run by the book. Do with that information what you would like. It's likely that I will forget I wrote this, and move on with my life.
9.
From everywhere: Asians (much like men) often
will not pick up on social cues. If you leave two feet in front of you in line,
they'll still snuggle up to your backside as it's as attractive as Beyonce's.
If you move forward, or to the side, giving yourself space away from them, it's
highly likely they'll just step closer to you.
Picking up on social cues, while in situations like that, where they are merely an annoyance, can be an important thing. For example...
Picking up on social cues, while in situations like that, where they are merely an annoyance, can be an important thing. For example...
10. From
Malaysia: wear clothes suitable for the place you are. If it's inappropriate to
show ankles in the society you're in, don't show your ankles. It's as simple as
that. These people are welcoming you into their culture, and you don't need to
stir up anything (nor do you need annoying and barbarian cat calls at you
constantly).
11. From
everywhere: Always carry hand sanitizer. Make it standard. When I traveled the
South Island with a car, I carried a huge bottle of it. There will not always
be soap. Even in New Zealand, as forward and modern and up to date as they like
to think they are. Most of their public bathrooms do not have soap. Same goes for
Australia, and Hawaii. Plus, there are just so many germs and scary foreign
things that you could potentially get. It's worth it to be a germ-aphobe for a
while. You'll be touching a hundred “press to walk” buttons, that EVERYONE
touches, along with door handles and sink faucets and toilets... and all the
things we don't want to think about them touching.
12. Hawaii: Always carry a backpack. Drawstring
bags pretending to be backpacks do not count. Neither do shoulder bags, as I
previously thought. The little drawstring Massey bag I pretended was a backpack
through New Zealand has withered from use. Shoulder bags hurt, when carrying a
laptop, for a long period of time. Always have a backpack. Seriously.
This experience, these last six months, have been some of the most amazing, wonderful, special times of my life. I've grown personally, intellectually, and physically. Thanks to everyone for reading... and until further notice, or my adventures continue, this blog is officially suspended.
Peace out and love and whatnot.
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