Things I learned and witnessed in Asia


Things I learned from my jaunt through Asia:

OVERALL:  THE PEOPLE ARE WONDERFUL!!! (1-12 BELOW)


1. I despise selfie sticks with a passion. They all need to be eradicated from existence. Narcisstick is a perfect name for them!!!!!  I believe I have reached my breaking point and will now start breaking them!!!!!

 
2. Vietnam is one of the most beautiful countries with friendly people and an up and coming economy that will flourish for years. The food was probably one of my most favorite in the world.

The best food--6
Vietnamese food

3. The US just didn’t do damage to Vietnam during the war but it spilled out into other countries causing a chain reaction-Cambodia and Pol Pot, Land mines and bombs in Laos. This just touches the surface of things. The effects are still seen today. This was a perfect example of leaders to institute their own twisted ways of thinking on the populations
4. In Cambodia I noticed a strong hint of French Revolution Reign of Terror tactics used…..wiping out traces of Cambodia’s History with the systematic annihilation of people that were educated or religious leaders or even knew a foreign language. Also he tried to start their history over with Year 0, I noticed a strong similarity with what Robespierre did with the new French Revolution Calendar which wiped out traces of Religious and Royalist Influence Interesting to note that Pol Pot was educated in France, although he failed out of school. The killing fields and the Prison was very hard for me to be at. Finally Khmer Rouge=Jacobin Party!!!!! PERFECT EXAMPLE OF HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF!!!!

IMG_4715
History repeats itself years later-Louis 16 and Marie Antoinette being executed, Maximillian Robespierre being executed, Directoire giving up power to Napoleon-All had consequence’s eerily similar in Asia.
Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng_-31
Killing Fields in Cambodia-the result of a crazy leader with Marxist inspired and French Revolution thought=2-3 million educated dead and the loss of an entire generation

5. Beer Lao is one of my favorite beers on the planets!!!! I never got tired of drinking it and the Beer Lao Gold and Dark are some of my favorites!!!! A friend of mine George Marinkovich who lives in Thailand said “BeerLao is the best beer in THAILAND.”

Beer Lao
Beer Lao

6. Laos is probably one of the most beautiful and scenic countries in the world with low clouds and beautiful majestic mountains. The people are friendly, the food is spicy, and the beer is cold. What more could you ask for in life?

Waterfall in Laos
Waterfall in Laos

7. After talking to many people in Vietnam. I figured out that the Vietnam War was just another war that shows it is very difficult to defeat guerrilla warfare. It is also a great example of how people fighting for an ideological cause can always trump over a strong power. Shows that ideas are stronger than money. Just ask Napoleon in his march through Spain to take over Portugal, or Britain during the American Revolution. You get invited into a country, you better know the land or you will fail.

Tunnels close to North and South Vietnamese border
Tunnels close to North and South Vietnamese border

8. Many of these countries do not use supermarkets to buy food. They have local markets in each city. Fresh food=no preservatives=no frozen food= a healthy lifestyle and a lot of walking!!!!!

Markets are the way to go
Markets are the way to go

9. I had a blast traveling with my cousins Zach, Kelley, and David for the first part of the trip. We have already started planning another trip in a couple years!!!!! Vietnam Cousins forever!!!!  The people i met along the way both locals and foreigners really made my trip a great one, especially traveling to the villages

The Cousins invade Vietnam
The Cousins invade Vietnam

10. I believe that Singapore is a perfected version of the UAE. The food is great yet expensive and it has perfected a blend of food a and cultures that share a common understanding of each other in just 50 short years. Well Done!!!!!

The skyline!!!
The skyline!!!

11.  I love pork and think that it should be a staple in everyones diets.  I also like pigs too, so I have a conflict of interest!!!

Smoked Ribs
Smoked Ribs

VS.

Cute Animals
lovely pigs

12.  Barring a twist of fate by one of the many deities that humanity worships or a natural disaster i am positive I will live here and work here(SE Asia) in a couple of years. Endless opportunities for work and/or to start a small business will arise in the future.  Perhaps I will live and work here for the long haul.  Usually what I say or do happens, because I make it happen.