A Far Away Place

Posted for the RBJ July 2007 Collaboration

"Is there a particular, far away place you've always dreamed of going to, but for one reason or another you could never go? And once you got there, what would you do? What places would you see?

Living in Cambodia for nine years, China for four, the Philippines for another four, and now the US for two years (so far) and traveling whenever opportunity arises, I do think of myself as a well-traveled person. But after running a mental list of the countries that I have either lived in or visited makes me skeptical. I no longer feel well-traveled; instead, I feel that there is still so much I need to witness and experience.

Yet after having written all of that I realize that despite all the traveling I want to do there is only one thing I want to do even more. However, it does still involve traveling but that isn’t the main component. That one thing I want to do is: scuba diving. So, I want to travel to all the various islands of Oceania—Tuvalu, Palau, Solomon Islands, PNG, you name it—to go scuba diving.

Am I twisting the question a little too much?

It’s a completely different world underwater and being in that world is a sensational experience. For approximately 45 minutes you forget about the other world—the one you have to live in with all of life’s trials and tribulations. You become so focused on taking in and enjoying what you see around you. The corals, the fishes… Even adjusting your buoyancy excites you.

(Unfortunately, I have to stay away from eating seafood for a while after scuba diving.)

Why Oceania? Well, it’s a part of the world that I’ve studied in-depth for several years for the (slow) effects globalization has on its culture but I’ve never actually experienced it for myself and I want to before globalization fully kicks in. Aside from my scholarly interests, I know it has great diving as well.

I do want to see as much of the world as possible for the cultural experience (as cliché as that may sound), and I know that if I travel to the right places I’ll be able to go scuba diving as well.

…

Anyway, I feel as if I deviated from the question but who are you to tell me that I’m right or wrong with where I want to go? If I want to go to Oceania, then off to Oceania I go. If I want to go underwater, then I’m off to go scuba diving.

Summer Stressing

Over the past couple days I've been trying to complete a ten-page long case study based on two interviews that were around two hours each. I was unable to attend the interviews so I had to listen to the tape recordings. It was tedious but I am pleased to say that I just finished it and sent it off half an hour ago. However, there will be two more interviews tomorrow--both of which I will be attending--so it means that I will have to do the same thing all over again. At least once that's all over I can say I am more or less done with my internship. I'll still have to maintain contact with my supervisor to continue editing the case study until it is absolutely perfect but I'm hoping that won't be too strenous.

Unfortunately, I do have more work bothering me. None of which are related to my internship, mind you.

I still need to write up letters inviting panelists to a diversity forum that the student organization I'm leading this upcoming academic year is hosting and then send those out. Then I need to work on some informational forms and questionnaires to include in the student packets for the new student orientation.

In addition, my boyfriend and I are trying to raise some $7,000 from various academic departments and organizations to bring Loung Ung to speak on-campus. We're planning a three day long panel on the Cambodian Genocide but the entire event depends on whether or not we can bring Loung Ung. If we can't get Loung Ung, then hopefully we'll have enough funds to have Chanrithy Him speak instead.

Am I stressing? Just a little. However, I'm confident all of this will (soon) get done one way or another. I only hope I can enjoy my remaining three weeks of holiday before I return to Portland.

*Passes out*

Currently scrambling to get quite a bit of work done...

...But I'm lacking motivation.

Bonbons Pour Tes Yeux

I am going to apologize now because I simply could not resist after I saw the photos of Victoria and David Beckham for W magazine. They're a good looking couple to photograph and seem to elude to having a great relationship so it would only seem natural for them to be photographed like this.

As an artist and avid fan of art, I adore aesthically pleasing, sensual, and black-and-white photographs.

As a typical human being, I do enjoy seeing celebrity photos.

Accomplishments Thus Far

I thought I would give an update of what I've accomplished so far on my 'Twenty Things to Do During My Twentieth Year List.'

1. Visit a new country or state.
2. Ask one person whom I have just met what his/her favourite book is and read it.
3. Dive into my closet and sort out the clothes I want to give to charity. I shouldn't have done this so early because I often feel like I don't have enough to wear.
4. Make use of my scuba diver's license and actually go diving. I have more plans to go diving again!
5. Finish a painting/drawing/sketch/anything artistic I start but never finish. It wasn't very pretty and below the "artistic standards" I set for myself but at least I finished it.
6. Buy things I like for my siblings and not end up keeping it for myself.
7. Go camping.
8. Get a new and completely different hairstyle. [Note: This may be next one...]
9. Go somewhere with someone without actually knowing where I'm going.
10. Exercise regularly. Seriously.
11. Get my driver's license. I got my Philippines' one and I may get my Oregon one before the year ends.
12. Go skinny dipping.
13. Spend an entire weekend volunteering.
14. Cook a friend (or a group of friends) an entire meal—appetizer, main course, and dessert.
15. Make Dean's List.
16. Sing a song at full volume in public. Ok, maybe in front of an audience of one or two people. [Note: My boyfriend is trying to convince me to sing a duet with him.]
17. Have a decent conversation with my dad.
18. Do a new sport (skiing? bungee jumping? sky diving?)
19. Get a new piercing.
20. Sponsor a child's education for a year.

See? I'm working on my list. Slowly but surely.

Filipino Fads

The ability of Filipinos to easily succumb to the latest materialistic trend brought in from abroad is something that I find depressing but even more pathetic. Whenever something new from the alluring western world enters the Philippines everything and everyone turns crazy—countless stores carrying the latest craze opens up; advertisements sprawl across billboards along the major highways; Filipinos will travel and stand in line forever to possess not one, not two, but one too many items that is the latest craze; knock-offs proliferate for those who are unable to afford the real deal and for those wishing to profit from the fad.

The latest example of this insanity is Krispy Kreme, which hit the Philippines and infected practically everyone—except for me, of course. Within a few months the third Krispy Kreme store within Metro Manila opened and it also happened to be the first drive-through Krispy Kreme store in Asia (and it was proudly advertised like that). Yes, there are currently only three but people just cannot get enough of it.

However, the trend eventually slows down as the next one rapidly catches on. Before we had Krispy Kreme the donut fad was Go Nuts Donuts, which gained popularity mostly because it was said to be just like Krispy Kreme from the US. Upon hearing this I knew it was only a matter of time before Krispy Kreme came through the Philippines’ increasingly perforated borders. Apparently the founder of it used to work for Krispy Kreme and managed to get a hold of the recipes.

I'll admit that I’ve had Krispy Kreme here in the Philippines once and it was with several non-Filipino friends from college who just wanted to see what all the commotion was about (the first drive-through store had just opened). The line for it was unbelievably long but at least we managed to obtain free honey-glazed donuts before buying half a dozen more, which I couldn't even finish because I felt so disgusted. I’m sorry but I prefer Portland’s Voodoo Donuts. Cock and balls, anyone?

Two non-consumable examples of western items that have gained a cult-like following in this beloved country of mine are Crocs and Havaianas. There are a handful of other examples I get irritated just by thinking about it.

I’m just disappointed with all the materialism that this country is experiencing. The country’s economy has improved tremendously over the years but I feel like a large part of it was and is driven by consumerism, which isn’t exactly what I would call sustainable development. Although there are some investments resulting from the consumerism (think: new Krispy Kreme stores being built) I, again, don't think that they're that sustainable either.

Cupcake

I want to bite my teeth into a pretty, whimsical, and sweet layer of icing and then the warm, moist, and chocolate cake.

Mmm.

I feel like a cupcake.

Procastination... Then a Harry Potter Spoiler!

Am I a lazy and unmotivated person who will never accomplish anything of significance? Or am I suffering from the incurable disease of 'procastination'? Or are they both more or less the same? I currently have a plethora of things I must finish... soon, but I simply can't bring myself to do so. Not a good thing at all considering what I need to do are actually somewhat important.

It's not that I'm not aware of what needs to be done. Quite the opposite, actually. Everything is plastered in my memory, written (neatly) in my trusty planner, and included in detail on my daily, weekly, and even monthly to-do lists. However, once everything is dutifully noted and I know what to do (by when and at times even where) sometimes I'm just too tired to follow-through. It's horrible and I despise it. This is something I must work on during Fall semester.

Help?

On a different note, I haven't been doing much lately (surprise, surprise!) but I have seen 'Transformers' and 'Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix.' I enjoyed 'Transformers' even though it was rather long, contained a rather dry first-hour, and filled with lots of explosions. As for 'Harry Potter,' I've never been fan of the series but the movie was amusing (I am an easily amused person). The only negative comment I can think of right now is that the actors look much too old for the characters they're portraying. Oh, and Sirius Black dies... But you would already know that if you read the books.

Beach Bumming

It was only upon returning to the bustling city life when I decided that I prefer the laidback lifestyle only offered by the beach. I do enjoy tanning on the sand while listening to the waves crash and sipping cool, girly alcoholic drinks. But what I enjoy more than that is being plagued by the heat and sunshine only to escape it by jumping into the water to snorkel or, better yet, to scuba dive. I feel like I am one of the ocean’s many mistresses, and I love it.

I must recover from the nostalgic longing of the beach bum’s life that I have so easily succumbed to. However, it shouldn’t be too long from now since it has been a week since I left the beach.