Visiting the developing world is a lot like taking a heavy psychedelic drug. You are voluntarily ripping your self out of the ordinary and understandable. You willingly stress your body by visiting the different, unknown, and incredibly strange. There are a couple of reasons for doing this.
First, you gain something from these experiences. You have a better understanding for the world, the way that it works around you and other parts far away that are not seen everyday. You gain insight into yourself. You learn what parts of your character belong to you and what parts are impositions of culture and social graces. Are your limits, comforts, and even aspirations really yours?
The second reason: the other world is great. You like it. Maybe sometimes even more than the world you deal with on a daily basis. Every task is a challenge, every bit of human interaction is significant because it requires something above the daily intelligences and assumptions of communicating at home. In short, every minute is an adventure.
On two occasion going to meet Tine turned into an exercise in reverse culture shock. Stepping into that coffee shop was like tumbling through the rabbit hole, stopping for tea with the Cheshire Cat, getting to the other side, ready and wanting for Red Queen but just finding the kid and Fineline on the couch back in Phoenix waiting to play Fiffa. X-box controller in hand. Say Branden, you wanna be France or Barcelona? What?
No holy cows. No people staring. No food for less than a dollar. No leaves for plates. Health code regulations? HEALTH CODE REGULATIONS!
It was warm, friendly, and familiar. There was music in 4/4 time, fresh paint on the walls, and people slicked out in gear that you would expect from any number of the drab/chic cities of the US.
To be honest it was a nice retreat from the past month plus of insanity. Despite the trivia on the plasma screen T.V.s the place had infinately more class than anything that has ever existed in Phoenix. I was content. The company was good. It must have been because after a remarkably quick conversation I was agreeing that going to Turkey would be a great idea. Just for the record, I was right.
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As we both know, anxiety and over-analyzation are the enemies of good, honest, creative flow. Being confronted with your frank, genuine and oh yes, HILARIOUS storytelling of the world I am sort-of kind-of about to enter is acting as the proverbial fire under my ass. I'm gonna go get me some scholarships. thanks homeslice.
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