5 Things I Miss About South East Asia

5. The Craziness

Where do I even begin? When I first saw a family of four riding a scooter I was like, “Wow! Safety is a flexible concept here!” Little did I know that the ongoing record is seven — two kids standing; the father, another two kids sitting and the mother carrying a child!

If I actually stop to think about it, I realize what was crazy to me might have been just a mild culture shock. I mean, I always wonder what the ladies in Muslim Malaysia think when they see the foreigners in tiny bikinis; do they think they’re crazy?

To be honest, I don’t know, and I love it! When you visit such different countries and cultures, you see peculiar things every day. From the big ones, like massive temples, to the small ones, like the way they drink their tea and coffee.

Slowly you appreciate their way, but also your way. There is no right or wrong; it’s just different. And I suppose it’s the different that I miss the most — because if I wanted to see what I already know, I’d be better off staying at home.

Tinou Bao