Hello all,
As many of the people who have read this know, I've been in Thailand for well over a year (more like a year and a half!) and I have been enjoying it, with the occasional speed bump or two.
I've learned that time is not the major concern of many of the people here, where being a little bit late to things is not the end of the world. I've learned that communication can be extremely difficult, but if you slow it down, take it calmly, and use your whole body as an instrument, it makes it easier. I've also learned that this isn't always true, because one party of the conversation is non-receptive to the signals you send.
I've learned that once you get over the hump of "this is really difficult" and keep trying to learn, it will happen; it's like a dam, you keep adding on the pressure, and the effort, building more and more, and that wall eventually has to let something through.
I've learned that, although many of the staff I have taught are scared of speaking this foreign language, they can warm up, and show their efforts through another medium.
I also learned to promote and encourage students to come speak to me, even if I'm working (and I don't want to be interrupted) because it helps them to try more frequently.
Most importantly, I've learned that progress happens; sometimes it's almost instantaneous, sometimes it's as slow as plate tectonics, but it is, and you are getting somewhere. Don't lose hope.
About the other things: I remember one person telling me that I would miss home and my country. I also remember me responding with "Yeah, but I've been away from 'home' since I was 18, because I went too school." Her response: "And that was only a few hours away from home, Thailand isn't."
I look back on that and here I am, thinking "Yeah, I haven't gotten that huge wave of nostalgia yet, just the bits and pieces."
Now, thought, as the time to return to my home country creeps closer, the homesick feelings are also magnifying. Maybe it is the fact that the access I was used to is going to come back to me, the friends I haven't seen face-to-face are going to be in slapping distance. Well, I'm not suggesting that I really might hit them, eh, maybe I am. It's all out of love and my "oddities."
If you didn't pick up on it, I'm the old guy.
In Thailand, I haven't traveled as much as I'd like, but I haven't not traveled as much as I haven't liked, either. Luckily, with the friends I recently made, traveling becomes more of a probability than a hopeful possibility.
Isn't that a funny thing, though? For me, I have been making excuses to travel by myself, mostly because I work. I find that I travel more frequently (locally) by myself when I don't have someone else relying on me. When I have friends involved, I more frequently travel long-distances.
Before I get too far off track in my thoughts, I shall stop here for now.
Hello there,
If this is your first visit, welcome! Wilkommen! ยินดีต้อนรับ! ("Yin-Dee-Dohn-rahb. If this isn't, well, hello again.)
Being away from something, it seems, can be both a relief and a reason to feel guilty. It's a relief because it lightens the (self-created) load, but it brings on the guilt because there is that nagging thought in your mind: "You should've been able to keep up, why didn't you?"
Again, I've been away from this, not sharing all of the adventures I've had, but at the same time, I've been trying to make adventures happen. So far, I have had a few, and I have made an agenda to have even more. This year, I will do way too much in too little time, wearing a smile-grimace, haHA! It's one thing to talk about the goals I have and the things I want to do, but it's a totally different ballpark when I actually make the motions towards doing those things. It may be a hit, it may be a miss, but at least it's something and I can say I did it without a tinge of remorse for lying. (Not that I would lie about the place I have or have not been to before...)
As a way to try to improve myself, I decided to take action on a few things.
I signed up for an online course in Financial Literacy
I started a 30-Day Yoga Challenge
I have set plans for at least one exciting/big event for each month until June
I picked up a class to start learning German (Yes, I'm still trying to learn Swedish and Russian, but I'm taking a few steps back from them in order to try focusing on only one language at a time)
Looking at this, I am starting to recognize the Mind-Body-Spirit connection in which I had been slacking on. I was consuming myself with work, and losing the joy and motivation in doing it, as well as feeling a little out of place, falling into more and more slumps. There was always an excuse to not go out, and by the time going out actually happened (which took an immense amount time's notice to plan said outing), it would be a major disappointment. The joy of going out became null, the joy of working was wearing down, and I was losing overall energy to do anything. Obviously, this was doing no good for anyone: me, my work, or my friends. I knew this wasn't depression, but I was letting my environment affect me negatively, and that was something I could control. The choice was mine to whether I would keep letting it do that to me, or not.
Now, looking back on the past few months. If one were to ask me about how I celebrated the holidays, they would need to remember that 1) I wasn't in the US and 2) many of the people are Buddhist. You would be surprised to how many people asked me if people in Thailand celebrated Thanksgiving (*cough* AMERICAN HOLIDAY). Honestly, that's like asking someone from the United States celebrated Songkran (the Thai New Year) or the French Independence Day. Most people in Thailand don't even know what Thanksgiving is. Well, actually, a few do, and what they know is that a lot of food is eaten.... because that's what a lot of their teachers inform them (many teachers are not from the US, and they teach what they know about the US culture, which is really funny, and somewhat true).
So, back to the topic of celebrating the holidays, I didn't really celebrate them in any big way because there aren't many people to celebrate them with, that understand the importance of the holiday, per se. That is, until recently. I didn't celebrate Thanksgiving, but I did celebrate Christmas and the New Year in a quiet manner. About two months ago, I met some long-term foreigners, and although as a traveler, we must expand our horizons, we do take comfort in some of the familiarity, particularly then someone speaks your language, or the shared feeling of humorous discomfort when you are lost and have no idea how to explain yourself, or what you want, through the exchange of personal anecdotes. "hashtag" #beentheredonethat.
It's funny how foreigners often flock together, but at the same time, it makes sense to be attracted to something that brings you comfort. For example, I have a tendency to eat chocolate. Not every day, but it does occur every month. I'm sure that, when I'm back in the United States, I will be drawn into any place that sells pizza or pasta. It doesn't help that I haven't had a good serving of either of these dishes for quite some time. Just a few of the minor things I miss.
Speaking of things I miss, Tex-Mex is totally one of those, but I encountered some on one of my trips. On seeing this, I couldn't help myself but say: "WE ARE GOING THERE." It may have been a little dramatic, but a girl's gotta get what a girl's gotta get: her tacos and burritos!
On our way!
Now, let's talk about the travels of late. I finally experienced Chiang Mai, and it did not disappoint. Based on all the talk of "cold weather" by the Thai people, I expected it to be in the 60s (Fahrenheit). It wasn't. It was more like the high 70's-85 degree weather. The trip itself was exhilarating and busy! I attended my first Thai wedding, the after party, a temple in the mountains, ate lunch at a reservoir (that involved eating live shrimp), got a great city view while eating dinner with friends, and visited the infamous Sunday night Walking street (a long road that becomes crowded with many markets and people every Sunday). Pictures should say a thousand words, so let's see how many words and describe these:
View from the Temple
Butterfly Pea Sweet Milk
I should mention that coffee in this area (Chiang Mai) reminded me much of home, in the presentation and the concept of getting fancy. Espresso art unforgotten.
Historical Wall around the city
We visited a gorgeous hotel, Dhara Dhevi, which my friend used to work at and it was a trip on its own. This included gorging on desserts from a pastry shop, which appeared to be run by a French pastry chef.
Pastries
TukTuk
Rainbows
Now that the New year has passed, I shall update everyone of the fate of my future here in Thailand. As of December of 2014, I have been informed that my contract at my current workplace has been extended. This means that I will remain in Thailand for another year (until February 2016). I am more than excited to continue my journey here; I look forward to the next few years learning, and finding new adventures abroad and new friends all over the world.
Hello, all,
As often as I have mentioned, I apologize for my frequent absences. Lately, I have become more of a recluse and I'm coming to the realization of this. It's not really something I want to admit as a problem, I've been avoiding doing so, but it is something that is hindering me in productivity and progression.
I think this is actually a problem many people have; many fearful people have it, and people who are really successful happen to overcome this difficulty. What difficulty am I talking about? Putting yourself out there, on the line, in the danger zone in order to try to accomplish something in which there is a good chance you might fail. That is probably one of the most frightening thoughts for me to have, not dying, not public speaking, but taking a huge jump. At the same time, I know that, if I do it, I may just experience the exhilaration that those risk-takers get. It is a scary and exciting thing. The problem, often, though, to why a lot of people are not taking as many risks; i.e. taking the 'safe route' by studying a profession in which there is "job security," is because the generations before us tell us that we need to get a job and be able to support ourselves and our potential families. That's a really stressful goal that that generation has imposed on ours. Of course, the key reason for that is because of how they were raised and how they survived, it wasn't necessarily by being creative (although there were many stand-out people who were), but by taking a profession that guaranteed a long-term income....mostly. The other thing is, because of all of the economic boom in that generation, the job market was quite optimal, so it was much easier to get a job. In the present, the job market isn't at it's best; there aren't a lot of fantastic jobs for just-out-of-college graduates, and the process to get a job tends to be extremely stressful, with questions like "How does my resumé look? Do I have enough references? What about my education history? Was I involved in enough clubs? Do I have enough internship experience? What about community service?" All of this is in addition to the quality of our transcripts. It's unbelievably stressful as each person approaches the job market. Even to get into a university, it is a minor anxiety attack with each college application.
Now, I'm not saying that everyone has had this experience, and even my own mother is extremely supportive of any idea I have, and is a great guide in telling me which ideas are a bit too doughy and need more time to rise. That being said, there are many pessimistic people that have inserted their "what if's" of negativity and failure, and that with each failure, you are less. This, again, is EXTREMELY daunting.
Now, let's look at educators. Take, for example, this. Education is becoming more and more standardized, which it really shouldn't be. I don't blame the teachers in any way. In fact, I have become much more concerned with the education system, and how statistics and data is gaining more control on how our upcoming generations are being educated. That is a problem, a HUGE problem. The more people rely on numbers as a value of "intellect," the more they are limiting the quality of the education the students receive. When people become so dependent on what percent their child gets, it corrupts their education, because now all the educators become dependent on having a good percentage, giving unnecessary "good" scores. Even in the United States, this is becoming a problem, where our education is becoming standardized, and the education provided by our instructors is being limited to the "necessities to pass the standardized exams." Every time I think about standardizing education, I think of this:
Everyone will be the same, and to have only the same is boring.
In fact, after seeing a list of grades that students received on an exam in their class, (In Thailand), all I could say was, "Wow, that's impossible." If you ask me why, it is because, if, out of thirty students, the lowest score was an 87%, you have to question the validity of the exam.
That being said, I actually don't believe in giving a quantitative value until the age of ten or eleven, for competition. As a child is growing up, they are in the process of developing their personality, and the basic skills, to which should be "pass/fail" or "goal achieved/ goal needs work," because to give a percent of how well a child did when they are young, say five or six years old, initiates unnecessary competition and stress in a child because they want to please their parents.
At the same time, it is not only the teacher's responsibility to educate their child, but the parent's as well to motivate and encourage learning (not enforce it). In Thailand, I see a lot of parents that enforce extra education, but I have witnessed parents who encourage it as well;I often see these children doing much better, and not being as shy to try harder than the children whose parents send them to private tutoring but do not add much positive reinforcement. It is a little bit disappointing.
For the idealists, they have many ideas, but, like many of mine, they tend to be incomplete before they move onto a new idea. This is okay if one is by themselves thinking, although it often acts as a hindrance but, if a group of people is involved, whoever is the leader cannot completely change an idea in motion without discussing it with the rest of the group; that is, unless the group is a flock of sheep. It can be completely frustrating, but it is a learning experience. I may become a more decisive and proactive leader, after having experienced a messy collaboration like this.
Beyond that, I do have some hope for the future, but what I must do is re-immerse myself into society, and learn to focus on one project at a time, and take a few risks in order to make progress. Either way, taking a risk has positive benefits: if I succeed, it is a big pay-off. If I fail, it is a lesson learned of what not to do for next time.
But I'll never know unless I try. And to go about life passively is an unattractive characteristic.
If you have been keeping up with my (lackadaisical, to say the least) posting, you will have already noticed that I have finally made an update.
Now, I would like to show a picture, or two, of my most recent adventures.
About a month ago, I visited Bangkok to see my BALLER of a mother, as she dropped by the country on her way to Vietnam for a conference with HVO. (And there is quite the a nifty anecdote that I can share, you know. Anyways, I went to Bangkok with one of my closest friends, of whom made friends with me and has made my stay in Thailand much smoother than it would have been without her. There are not enough words I can say to show my appreciation for her!
It is safe to say that the trip, although too short, was a much needed break and a fun adventure.
Now, back to the scene of work. I should mention, that since I work with adults who happen to be shy and, while they wish to learn, they don't wish to speak because they know "a little bit." It is one of the most frustrating things, as someone who wants to make progress: the lack of confidence. Confidence is such a key in something like this, especially, because the only way to really improve is to practice. The concept of "I can't do this perfectly, so I'm not even going to try," is a major point to failure. Think about it, if everyone followed this idea, we would have no athletes, no Nobel-prize awarded scientists, no progression whatsoever.
Hey, look, my workplace has had it's 11th anniversary!
I think it's a cute picture, especially with the flag. CUPCAKE!
In lieu of future plans, I am unsure of what they will be or where I will go, but this is the time that I really need to start my strategic planning. Some of it might include coming back to the US to do extra learning and practice. Some of it might include traveling around some more before I return to the States, but I'm not sure yet, we'll see. I need to be skill-building.
As for children and teaching them. Let me tell you, while they are the most receptive to learning new things, they are also your harshest critics, which make them the best at improving you. When they are bored, they will tell you or act out. When they are excited, they will show it. When they like something, they ask for more; when they don't, they do something else.
They also have their own hierarchy: the ones who understand what they learn show it, and happen to take over lessons, taking away from the slower learners.
That being said, everyday is different, as long as you make it different. Some days are terrible, and you may wonder why you are somewhere, while other days remind you that you love what you're doing now with simple moments.
The project I have been working on are doing okay, though, I must say, I have been reminded, more than once, of why I do not enjoy group projects, dues to the fact that I end up receiving the load of the work, and have the group take the credit, because, you know, that's how group projects work. I don't mind doing the work, as long as I'm informed that I'm in control, so that, if I'm doing all the work, I also have all the control. While I don't mind suggestions, in group work, suggestions must be backed up with the basis that the person will come through, if they want the suggestion to be tried. Otherwise, the group member (who is not able to back up their thoughts) has no power of influence. The problem is, many people are asking for different things but are not doing much in giving back. That must be the Thai way. In addition, I must mention that I'm becoming quite frustrated with one of the staff. Although they have quite good intentions, their unplanned style of taking students out of a class is a nag. They would do this, unannounced (before class), while in the middle of a session, then return them to the class by the time that the class is being quizzed. That is not okay. Also, when there is a new student who has just came in, and it is only fifteen minutes after meeting them, it is not a great idea to see if they are good. Fifteen minutes is not enough to tell someone's complete skill. In addition to that, it is not optimal to pull out the teacher in the middle of a class to interview a student. The key problem I have is that a lot of decisions are being made that involve me, but without informing me or asking for my opinion. The only times these decisions should really be made are in the hiring process of in letting someone go. When a person is a contributor, they must be permitted the same amount of input as the rest of the group.
That's my rant for the time being.
Traveling has become an option, and I feel the desire to do more traveling, to continue seeing the world around because, as of right now, I have been feeling a bit stagnant. Stagnancy leads to restlessness and decrease in self-worth, neither of which progress to better things if not acted upon soon. What happens to an animal if they stay in the cage for too long?
Also, I would love to update on my language learning, My Spanish is pretty horrible at this time, but it's re-improving. I will have to keep practicing that everyday. My Russian is pretty awful, as well, but, at least I know that this is my first time learning it, so I know it's going to be difficult, and Russian, itself, is a very difficult language. *PHEW!*
Apologies for the all-over the place soliloquy, things have been feeling a little all-over the place, not to mention the construction happening in my complex at 7 A.M. I'm pretty sure we have a rule against that for residential areas. That being said, it is a good alarm clock and a great way to get me out of the building.
For final updates, I finally went out with my girls last week to a concert of Joey Boy, a Thai celebrity, and the them of the party was "Mad Hatter" so people wore all kinds of hats. I was unaware of this until we got to the venue, so I made my own hat.
It worked out quite well. We danced, we joked, we played with lights; it was a blast.
As you can tell, We're very photogenic
These ladies are crazier than I am, and I'm more than glad that I have had the fortune of meeting them. Unfortunately, they also have threatened to kidnap me if I decide to go off to another country. I tell you, they are crazy. It's fantastic.
Well,
It has been quite a while, hasn't it? I must apologize, my state of absence could be excusable, but let's just say it is only partially excusable.
The key topic of today focuses around relationships.
Right now, I must admit that I am absolutely grateful for the people I have in my life now, whether they are ten minutes away or halfway around the world. I am grateful for my friends, my family, the people who have shaped me to be who I am, and the people who will help me along the way in the adventure we know as life.
Let's go with some updates. It is September, over a week after my sister's birthday, almost two weeks since I last saw my mom, and over a year since I landed on the soil of Thailand. Woah. It has already been a year?!
One (not so kind and revered) person once said, "The people who say that time flies don't do anything. I've done a lot, and time takes forever."
I honestly couldn't agree less with this concept, and debate that it should be the opposite. Time flies when we're doing a lot, and when we are really enjoying ourselves, whereas when we're doing nothing, or loathing what we do, it creeps like the snail up your wall after a heavy rain. I just realized that it has been almost half a year since I started a second job, and saving money to send back home. I've tried to take on new jobs, and ended business agreements. I've worked on projects and programs for my different locations of work. In less than a month, I may be doing something way too awesome, more than I (and maybe others) expected. Yeah, a lot's been going on, and it feels like time is a blurring, bustling by loud and noisily.
As for the weather, rainy season began in May, but it hasn't been too noticeable until recently. The rain is becoming heavier, but it is not bad. There is an occasional flooding of some roads, but life goes on. Thankfully, the rainy season will end in two months, and that will be when high season begins again, woohoo! Time, both the past and future, really does fly when I take a moment to sit and think about it. Of course, that means I cannot sit and wait too long or I will lose some important moments.
Now that updates have been made: I'm alive, not sick, nothing is broken, not pregnant, not married, I think it's safe to say we should return to the topic at hand: relationships and depending on people.
As I mentioned before, I am so grateful for everyone in my life. Okay, I'm grateful for people in my life now, and was grateful for people in my life in the past when things were okay between us (even if, now, they are not). Often, we are not aware of these people who provide positive influences or energy to our lives because we are so self-absorbed. I'm not using 'self-absorbed' in a negative way but, rather, as a way to be honest; we sometimes forget the world around us because we let ourselves be consumed by our problems, work, or other stresses in our lives.
These other people are great in helping us remember that we aren't the only ones with problems and there is often a solution to the problems we have, and even go to the extent of helping us find the solution(s) to ameliorate them.
I am thankful for my mother, who is determined to Skype with me every week, reminding me why I decided to take on Thailand, for settling my nerves when I become frazzled, for cautioning me when I should be aware of potential problems, for insisting that have as much fun as I can, and if things run out, I have a flight home at any time.
I am thankful for the friends that have tried to Skype with me at least once since I've been out of the country, updating me on their lives and asking me about mine, for giving me support and being (or feigning, either way, it's appreciated) amazement for what I am doing.
I am thankful for all of the people, really, back in the United States(and abroad), that have kept in touch.
I am thankful for my aunt for when I first arrived, naively. I am thankful for her pushing me into preparation of things, for informing me of the "Thai way," and for helping me get a job.
I am thankful for the friends I have made here, that have helped me socialize and not be a total recluse, teaching me their language and to enjoy life, even if money is tight.
I am thankful for all of the people who have helped me at my work, in scheduling, in motivating, in participating, asking questions and learning.
Lastly, I am thankful for all of the people I have met in Thailand who have given without expecting to receive, who have opened themselves to help others do the same, and who have taught me some pretty valuable lessons about life, whether that are aware of it or not.
Now, the key connection between all of these groups is that I have been able to depend on them. The dependability of a person strongly affects the relationship you may have with them. More dependable people often tend to have a closer bond with you; less dependable people tend to be more of just a person passing by.
Why is this?
If the reason isn't obvious, it's because we look for people that we can depend on when we are in states of vulnerability and insecurity. When someone who says they will be there when you need them happens to disappear when you feel you need them most, it could crush a person. I think, in a way, dependability is correlated with trust and honesty, and trust is often broken with the latter group.
Of course, sometimes we do not always rely on dependability to be friends or be connected to someone, and this can lead to often feeling left out or ignored, depending on how much of yourself you invest in that relationship.
For example, there is that one person you know is 'flaky,' and you make plans with them; if you're not too invested, you already have one, or a few back-up plans, and do not feel too affected. If you are, you have no extra plans, have declined invitations, etc, and only learn at the last minute that you friend "cannot go out tonight," (which either may or may not be true), so now you're stuck at home, in the outfit you were planning to wear, you are smelling nice, and your hair looks presentable, after having taken the effort to actually shower, only to put it all away, and take another shower to go cry yourself to sleep because you are too embarrassed to be caught out by the people whose invitations you declined because you would have to explain being stood up.
That is quite the bruise to your ego, and if you do continue this to yourself, your outlook on people and you changes. You may question your own value as a person, which really shouldn't be the case.
Luckily, you may also have some dependable associate-kind of friends, who you know are flexible to changes without asking too many questions. They may not be you presumed "friend," but they do serve as quite the band-aid at this time. Take a look again, and evaluate your standards of that person, because they might be the better friend.
Back to the topic again, dependability is extremely important; Dependability to stick to a plan, dependability to cancel them with time to spare, dependability to be present or listening when a friend needs to talk, even dependability to depend on others. Dependability helps create a stable relationship of trust, and knowing that you can trust someone makes your life that much better.
Sorry if I got too deep, let me make it up to you with this playlist. Feel free to comment, I love hearing from people, even if they are my family... well, most of them. Some people I just need time away to change.
Well,
It's been the week, as in Week Number 2 of my second session. So far, there is some progress. but I always worry.
As of recent, the director of the hospital I work at currently accepted a position at a hospital in Mongolia, which I think is amazing, but it also concerns me slightly because technically, he was the one who signed my contract. Now, this may not seem like a big deal, but I have a "What If" person who brings in the worry, and what they said was "He didn't sign the contract. That means that he is not obligated to honor it. He can cancel it at any time." So, in a way, this is kind of scary, and somewhat of a possible wake-up call. At the same time, it's also giving me a push to continue in keeping all of my options valid, and working on making new opportunities available. One of the things I realize that I must do is, continue working on my business plan, and compiling my efforts, my notes, my research, and whatever I find that could be useful. It looks like I need to build a "Business Plan" binder, which I don't think is a bad idea, that way everything is contained and somewhat organized. Who knows? I may go insane with a laminator or sheet protectors!
Now, the upside of this new hospital director is that he comes from another hospital branch, and, if he is not busy, I can talk to him, and inform him about what I do, and how I do it so that he may consider my business proposal for his previous hospital, which also means more work in the future. Plus, now, one of my friends, who works at another hospital branch, wants to bring me with her to that location at least once a week to teach those employees. Let's just say, there are a lot of unlocked doors that I can choose from.
Now, onto other things. Today (where I am), it is Friday, the twentieth. Tomorrow will be the twenty-first. That will mean that, as of tomorrow, I have officially worked for two months straight without a day off. It's nice because I'm always doing something and have a little bit of pocket change. It is also nice that working everyday reduces my opportunity to go shopping, so I'm spending more time saving my money rather than dawdling it away. Each time I receive any cash, I like to put it into a savings jar. In fact, by next week, I will be able to afford a 4-5 day trip to Europe! It may not seem like a lot to you, but it is a lot to me. Honestly, I probably won't even use the money for that, because I'm working on the "Build Your Future" concept, meaning, I will be spending money on things I will need for my business, and the steps I need to take in order to make my business prosper (aka lose money for the first year or so, then break even, then profit). Cheers to making your way into adulthood. What makes me excited is keeping up with friends' and colleagues' happenings. There are at least two other girls that I know who have just started up their own businesses, and I can't wait to see where they go from here.
In lieu of the title, I would like to bring up the few things that I miss from America. Maybe I will sound spoiled, maybe not, I'm not really sure. I love Thailand, do not misinterpret otherwise, but I do admit that there are some things I dearly miss.
Fresh Spinach- I miss this so much! These greens basically were my main salad food because they were juicy, velvety, and not bitter. They made my perfecto salad. It is nearly impossible to find legitimate spinach in Thailand, much less, an amazing salad, though I have come close.
Organized Public Transportation- technically, there is a 'bus system,' aka colored trucks with benches in the bed that kind of follow a route. But, there is no bus stop, no schedule, or explanation of bus routes whatsoever. They kind of just come when they come, and you have to hail it if you want to get on. Oh, and you need to be able to read Thai to know where they are going... (Luckily, I have learned some of the alphabet and practiced enough to understand some routes)
Tex-Mex and Tacos- I miss those darn taco bells, and Moe's burritos! I mean, technically I could make the filling for any of the tacos, burritos, or enchiladas (they have rice, black beans, cumin, salt, coriander, corn, tomatoes, garlic, meat, etc.) but I would have to spend a lot in order to purchase tortilla or taco shells. I suppose that I had better learn how to make those.
I suppose that's really about it of the things I miss. Some of video online about what people miss come off, not to sound cruel, sheltered. This, of course, is due to their personal experiences from 'home.' For example, a girl who is abroad, she loves Sweden, but, as she spoke of the things she missed, she became really emotional. While I do understand her viewpoints that some of the conveniences of America are not available, and I know that this isn't her daily life problem, I would probably tell her to take a breath, and re-examine what she is getting emotional about. They are material things.
The reality is: traveling shouldn't be about what you have or what you don't have, it should be about what you do with what you have, who you meet, what you learn and gain, because those are things you will end up always having around to replay. If you would like to know that video I am referring to, check it out here. If you focus on things and objects, you really lose the purpose of why you went somewhere. Then it's less fun.
That's all I have about being abroad, missing things, and why.. for now. Must return to teaching!
Hello, you lovely person who just happened to stumble upon this page,
Today, I would like to indulge in the title of this post. As a part of many professions, it is an essential detail of the job to dedicate time for the purpose of 1) assisting a customer, 2) assisting a coworker 3) assisting our bosses, or 4) helping our workplace overall. With that in mind, we must learn how to manage our time. Yes, "Time Management", as if we can not get enough education or reiteration about the need to learn it. But really, we can't. In high school, we needed to learn time management so that we could accomplish studying for exams, playing on our school athletics teams, taking lessons to learn how to play a musical instrument, and maybe working a part-time job. That, of course, was majorly dedicated to Monday through Friday. Then comes college, and what a joy! You now have some freedom, right? Of course.....NOT. Here, your time management skills must evolve into not only studying and (maybe) a part-time job, but also paying taxes (if you hadn't already started paying them with that initial part-time job), finding an internship (or four), participating in the recreational sports team, joining a club, paying rent, and the most important part, having a social life!
After successfully achieving your undergraduate degree, it's time to run with 'big dogs,' and try to obtain your first "real-world" job, aka the one that you are supposed to take seriously, as it could move you on up the professional ladder in the work world. You've have some training from your college years, in trying to keep up with paying your living expenses and managing your time to turn in papers and projects while working, now you must try to put all of that hard-earned (and somewhat expensive) education to good use. The catch is, now you must be doing it without the training wheels that your parents had provided. For many of the American readers, that means, the people reminding us when our rent is due, asking how much it is for the month, and providing a check; or reminding us about when our taxes are due and helping us calculate and file our taxes. For the first few years in this so-called "real world," we still have the assistance provided from our parents with learning how to file taxes, because only a few fine people in the States really understand how that works. For the other aspects of life, we learn the statement, "I gave you the essentials, now you're on your own, kid."
Now, in the world of so-called adults, we must learn how to balance our professional life with our social life. Humans are naturally social creatures. We need to bond with somebody in order to be content with the life we have. We also need to work in order to support ourselves and try to survive (with dignity or pride). Sometimes the professional workplace acts as a social environment as well, satiating that need to communicate and connect with another. Other times, it doesn't. This is where the time management skills are necessary. One must learn to balance working with meeting new people, participating in a club, going out with friends, or going on a date with your possible life partner. Not only does your social life include the meeting people, but also exercising. As you get older, exercise becomes more important to maintain your desired body shape and health. Of course, you can always get two birds with one stone and combine exercising with going out with friends.
Now, for me, my purpose of traveling was to gain life experiences and possibly add more skills to my resume. When I first came to Thailand, the only people I knew were my aunt, uncle, and cousin. So, I had a very small social circle. Not only did I have a small network, but, when it came to the socialization with other people, they did not expand much. This was safe and it was something I knew. At first, it was okay, but as time went on, and there was no progression in expanding my network (partially my fault), I went out on my own to start meeting people and not staying in a bubble. Luckily, my efforts were met with success, as I starting exchanging contact information and making plans with new people. More people means more socialization. I also received more work (private tutoring), which is definitely a plus. Now, with pleasure of making friends and being able to go out comes responsibility of needing to know when to say "no" to an invitation. For the very social people, it is quite difficult to say no to joining someone for an outing, but as part of growing up and time management, when you have a major project that is important to your income, you must place that higher in your list of priorities over hanging out with a person with whom you can see after you finish. Of course, this can become more difficult if said person is moving, or has a limited time in which they will also be available. Decision-making in life isn't always easy, no matter how old you are.
On to my final point, I really want to talk about making time for yourself. My current work involves a lot of socialization and a lot of talking, both are things that I love and happen to be pretty decent at doing. I have the joy to do this every day, Monday through Sunday, with all age groups, skill levels, and multiple cultures (Thai and Russian). It's wonderful. Now, while it is great, and I love the talking, and I get to socialize at work and with friends outside of work, I also need to reserve time to being by myself, hence the title, including "Self-Love." As people, we must find a little bit of time to be by ourselves and "reboot." Being out with people is great, especially when you are not working, but when we spend a lot of time giving it to others, we aren't able meditate on our personal self. I know it sounds weird and maybe doesn't make sense but think about this situation:
You are writing a message, essay, or just something, and you are simultaneously talking to a friend. After a few minutes of talking, you look down at what you wrote and realize that some of the conversation you had with your friend (or what your friend said) has been written in the message. Your brain had been too busy receiving information, that it couldn't correctly put out what you intended.
That's what I mean by needing some alone time. If you need a better explanation, consider Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
You start with the very bottom, the most basic of needs (Physiological). As you accomplish the bottom tier, you move on up to achieve and satiate the next tier of needs (Safety), you continue completing each tier until you can achieve the highest (Self-Actualization), which is where you need that alone time. Spending a lot of time with others can wear you out because you are exerting some energy into this exchange. We need this Self-Actualization time for self-development. If you look, you can see in the topmost level of needs: creativity, spontaneity, problem, lack of prejudice, and acceptance of facts. If you ask many of my friends or close family members, they will tell you that I am creative and spontaneous. This comes from my alone time. This alone time gives me no influence of others, just me.
This is especially important in the contribution to my third level of needs: Love/Belonging. Part of my contributions to friendship is my creativity in cooking. I love cooking, and I love developing the new dishes, or experimenting.
Check these out!
What is it? Mango cheesecake with a mango curd. Where did I get the idea? Well, one of my friends had many mangoes, so I used the mangoes to make a mango curd (Top Right image), and I convinced another friend (Zamoza) that we should make a cheesecake. So, I made my creative idea into a social event. It was successful. I gave three cheesecakes away, and each person loved them. This cooking time was both my solo (my meditation in cooking) and social (with friends) time.
Going back to time management, it can be quite difficult to make time for myself because I am fairly busy making time for other OR making preparations for the time I am making for others. If you haven't picked it up from this post, a lot of my time, whether is is at work, or outside of work, is dedicated to others. Even with this schedule, I would like to add more events in, like running a marathon or volunteering, and learning how to manage that time, is extremely important, because I still need to reserve time for myself. So, don't forget, it is important to remember to make time for yourself, not only for others. You're not selfish if you do, you're self-saving.
If you didn't pick up on it, I'm the old guy.
