Daejeon

Pase los ultimo dos dias en mi cuidad natal, Daejeon. Daejeon tiene un lema, es daejeon. !Que simple! Pero es verdad, Daejeon es muy comodo y tiene todo lo necesario, excepto Taco Bell.

En la noche del Miercoles, encontre con mis viejos amigos y tocar musica en un bar maravillosa. El dueno de bar le permite los extranjeros hacer lo que quieron, todo bebe y pagar un poco. !Es loco! Cero que es impresionante que muchas extanjeros buenos han vivido alli por muchos anos y todavia (hang out) juntos. (Como se dice 'hang out'?) Yo siempre (miss) Daejeon pero siento bien sabiendo que esta alli y esta divertido.

En la noche del jueves, conoci a un profesor de aleman que habla espanol con fluidez. Tuvimos una buena conversacion en espanol. Le explique por qué quiero aprender el idioma y cómo puedo mejorar. El dijo que mi pronunciacion es mejor que la mayoria de los gringos y que no necesito vivir en Argentina para estar cerca de fluidez. Pero es uno de mi suenos todavia.

¿Es posible aprender un idioma bien mientras viven en un país que no lo habla?

Espero que si!

mi mision nuevo

Hoy es una dia especial. Voy a reanudar mi diario pero ahora voy a escribir y pensar en espanol. Si puedes, por favor trate de tranducirlo en una otra idioma y por favor corrige mis errores!

Estoy estudiando espanol en Starbucks. Siempre estoy feliz cuando estoy en Starbucks. Porque? Starbucks tiene una droga feliz? No se y no quiero anunciar pero es verdad. No tiene razon por que Starbucks esta muy caro y estoy muy barato.

Anoche tuve un sueno impresionante. Realizado que estoy muy barato. En este sueno, mi tia me pregunto por que mis ropas son tan viejos y porque ando en todos partes. Lo hago porque puedo y por eso voy a ser rico, o no?

que te parece?

america 2010

I'm in america, surrounded by cat fur and lephrachauns. The sky is insane, it rains, it storms, the houses shake, then it all subsides, and the sky is painted velvet rage and the air holds a feeling of confessions.

Doo the Barber

Doo the barber was very concerned about his country's image, at times too much. Just after waking for my 1st morning in Laos, Doo intercepted me on my way to find coffee. He gave me a thumb's up for the mohawk and invited me into his home/barber shop for some Laos whiskey. I declined but promised to return after my morning routine.

Chris and I were immediately welcomed into his family. Mother, sister-in-law, nieces and friends went about their lives as we sat on rusted benches and drank the 10$ bottle of whiskey he provided. I brought the guitar over and played my Thai songs while his 2 year old niece filled in the Thai lyrics I couldn't pronounce. We were having the perfect Saturday afternoon. Doo, with limited English, was a good conversationalist an excellent teacher of Laos language and an ambassador as well. I was asking him why Laotians aren't aggressive towards selling to foreigners like their fellow impoverished neighbors Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. He said, "it's tradition. I have no money or oil. I can die, OK, but a Lao man can never do that."

We gladly bought the 2nd bottle and then Doo took an unfortunate turn for the worse. His face was getting redder by the drink and, as the darkness fell, it was obvious that he'd reached his limit. But he still insisted on "taking care of us." -this was repeated to a annoying extent throughout the night. At first it was humorous that this man who couldn't sit up, and had a hard time keeping eye contact but still thought he was "taking care of us." "Don't drink so much, I worry about you, I take care of you," Doo would slur to Chris and I who were very much under control and were basically carrying him around. "Yes Doo, I love you too, yes, you take care of me," I kept repeating as I slowly walked him around. Eventually, we had to scold the Barber, much as his mom had earlier when she wanted quiet for her TV time. "OK, go home, go to bed Doo," Chris emphatically said and, finally, he did. We watched him walk slanted down the street to his shop and crash into a parked truck. We watched intently as Doo, our caretaker and guardian, eventually stumbled home successfully.

Thailand musings...

We feel our roots grow under this bamboo palace. As we drive the dirt road, dust engulphing, the muslims stare under dark scarves and they show bright smiles. I want to say 'thank you' and 'I'm sorry.' Thank you for reminding us how it's possible to live. I'm sorry, in advance, for taking part in the destruction of this isolated paradise. You have lots of time still. I wish you take in every breath from this jungle, listen to all the forest life still fortunate enough to live, let the tide cleanse and experience this Thailand, your home, like a Farang(foreigner) who prepares to leave.

Loas

Koh Lanta