As I was eating dinner tonight, I stopped eating for a moment and studied the scene around me. I was the only Westerner in sight, eating cheap Thai food from a street vendor, and weirdly enough, I felt completely at home.
I didn’t feel foreign or alienated, or like I was in Wonderland. I just felt like a normal person eating his dinner, and I smiled. For once, it didn’t seem like people were staring at me, or that I was the odd one out. It was just another daily routine, and it was no big deal.
It’s funny. Sometimes, I feel like a celebrity, walking down the street as every Thai person stares at me with wonderment. While other times, I feel like a total outcast, like people are purposefully ignoring me and turning the other way. I’m sure it’s all just in my head, but it’s hard not to think about it. It makes me wonder if actual celebrities feel the same way; that they just want to be treated like everyone else. Standing out and getting extra attention can be pretty cool, but it can also be daunting. It all depends on how you perceive it, I suppose.
March 14, 2012 at 11:10 pm |
Hi, Skyler,
I finally found my way over here this evening. I was born in Thailand, actually, although I remember none of it b/c I lived there during the earliest couple of years of my life. You make it sound fun, adventuresome; I’ve been meaning for a while to visit again. Anyway, I enjoyed looking around your site, reading your writing and thoughts– they’re so honest, refreshing. Here’s to the new world we’re waiting for… – Hui Sun
March 15, 2012 at 12:07 pm |
Hui, thank you for your support. Indeed, Thailand was quite an adventure for me, and I highly recommend visiting there again whenever you get the chance. It definitely presents a more laid back pace of life that is more in line with humanity’s true nature than what is currently present in the majority of locales in the West.