Asian Adventures all started one day after reminiscing on my four years spent in Asia.
During my time in Asia I taught English and Mathematics in Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand to students of various ages and socio-economic backgrounds. Most of my spare time was spent visiting neighboring countries such as: Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, and Cambodia. In the course of this time I developed a great fondness and admiration for this continent.
Initially, my fondness wasn’t automatic though; it took some time to adjust. During my first stint in Taiwan it proved to be overwhelming at times. One of the first aspects of the Asian culture I had to adjust to was getting used to the density of the population. Things I took for granted in the West such as taking the bus or the subway were a chore in the East. Whenever I took the subway I would get 'sucked' in by the crowd of commuters or whenever I took the bus I would be forced to stand during the entire trip not being able to move like I was in a can of sardines! Taking public transportation was one of my worst annoyances. Among others were not being able to communicate with locals, a sense of loneliness while adjusting to living in a foreign land and not having access to necessities I took for granted back home such as a burger and fries or an ice cold bottle of Sierra Nevada beer! In retrospect, these were all miniscule inconveniences that initially seemed bigger than they were. As each successive day went by so did my culture shock, it wasn't long before I was hanging out with locals and getting on as I would in the West. I have to admit there were a few instances where I felt like packing it up and going back home but what kept me was what I would be going back to, the all too ordinary materialistic western world.
Once adjusted I became more fascinated with Asia and it wasn’t too long after my stint in Taiwan I took another teaching opportunity in Japan. I worked with a school that was formerly known as Nova. Nova was like a corporation of schools that were run all over Japan; they even had commercials on TV! Japan, to me was very westernized like the States; they had paved roads, solid infrastructure, and Karaoke! So in some ways, I felt like I was still at home. I felt the Japanese were great people and thoroughly enjoyed visiting such places as Kyoto, Nara, and Kobe.
After my stint in Japan, I did return to the States for a few years and took a hiatus from my asian adventures. When the Asian bug bit me again, I decided to take up another teaching gig in Thailand – this time I would be teaching Math instead of English. There is a lot to be said about Thailand. One thing is for certain; Thais are among the most hospitable people I have came across in my travels across Asia.
You may wonder what one can gain from an experience such as this? In short, it is a great character builder and a great way to broaden your understanding and appreciation for other cultures.
There are still countries in Asia I would love to visit, namely Nepal, India, and Tibet.
For those of you who are considering living in Asia for a while, I say go for it! It’s a great learning experience.