So I’ve been thinking… what is it about hanging out with non-English
speaking people in south east asia that gives me such a buzz? For example; when
you are in a restaurant where no-one speaks English, you manage to order
something and then you say thank you in their language and both you and the
waiter leave that interaction feeling really special. Why doesn’t that happen
at home, in our own language where we should be able to communicate so much
more effectively?
In these situations I think that you take more time to stop,
observe, and connect with the person in front of you. When you don’t have the
words you have to use your intuition and gestures, you have to step out of
yourself and give a little more. You can’t get away with taking that person for
granted. This creates an overwhelming feeling that doesn’t seem to happen at home so
often. These types of interactions are what I think I will miss most about
South East Asia… I don’t want to stop connecting with the people around me, I
need to bring this home.
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