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1. Never forget who you are, where you've been, and at least a rough idea of where you're going.
2. No matter how seemingly genuinely nice and helpful a tour guide appears, don't forget to keep their potential motives in mind.
3. Although, sometimes ignorance is bliss.
4. Anyone and everyone is a tour guide.
5. Transportation legroom is inversely proportional to tiredness.
6. "I need you to hurry up now, 'cause I can't wait much longer." -Kanye West
7. 900+ year old ruins are pretty cool.
8. It's always a good idea to settle expectations upfront to avoid feeling let down afterwards.
9. Always know your expectations.
10. 1 USD is always more valuable, anywhere, than its equivalent in another currency.
11. Initial price is relative to the concerned parties, their relationship up to that point, and their individual moods precisely at the time of transaction.
12. Never forget what you learned from homework.
13. Make sure you got the correct assignment and completely finish your homework. It'll only benefit you. Just when you need it.
14. Everyone's a student.
15. A smile isn't always friendly & doesn't necessarily entail caring.
16. Never underestimate the value of a trustworthy local.
17. Learn, and always REMEMBER, to say hello.
18. Don't let the past ruin the future for you. Learn the lessons you need and move forward.
19. "Don't look back in anger." -Oasis
20. Always remember the contents of your pockets. You know, the walls have eyes.
21. Tonal languages are really difficult.
22. Take care of yourself. You're the person in the best position do it.
23. Facebook is awesome everywhere in the world.
24. Don't let one good experience hold you back from another opportunity. Afterall, you may enjoy the other thing even more.
25. There aren't ever enough seconds in a minute, minutes in an hour, hours in the day, days in the week, weeks in the month, or months in the year.
26. Sometimes air-conditioning is invaluable.
27. The required amount of water for the human body is directly correlated to the number of degrees above 29C.
28. While there, remember the reasons that you went to that place.
29. You will always be as happy, or otherwise, as you think you will be.
30. Not all hotels are created equal.
31. When riding on the back of a motorcycle: the more free hands, the better.
32. Even when creating and receiving familiar sounds or symbols, your conversation partner is not always speaking the same language.
33. The fun factor of being sick isn't positive anywhere you go.
34. Rivers are elementally interesting places.
35. You never end up exactly where you expect, and that's usually a good thing.
36. Comfort is subject to Murphy's Law.
37. Don't judge a book by its cover.
38. Discomfort builds character. So they say.
39. The design, engineering, and manufacturing of fans are truly impressive.
40. Technology works as well as, and in the manner that, you think it does.
41. Alright functions as hello anywhere in the United Kingdom.
42. It's astonishingly easy to fake a landmine injury.
43. Independent consultants are always more interesting than the alternatives. But they aren't necessarily better.
44. Strike while the iron is hot.
45. People on vacation, especially in coastal areas, are inherently laid-back.
46. Too much relaxation isn't always a good thing.
47. Everything has it's time or season.
48. Being able to perform basic math calculations (quickly) is preferred. And either doing so or not doing so is equally frustrating.
49. The night time is the right time. But circumstances also dictate appropriateness and suitability.
50. Everyone's exotic to someone. Somewhere.
51. Fishing is what it's cracked up to be.
52. Gambling isn't.
53. The milkshake machine isn't necessarily broken, and the 'mix' isn't necessarily 'out'.
54. Sometimes, people are just nice for no reason at all.
55. Seafood in a land-locked region is weird.
56. Injuries always take longer to heal than you imagine.
57. Hindsight is earned, and is a valuable trait.
58. Volunteers might say or appear so, but probably aren't lacking in resources.
59. The simplest way to make money is to keep what you already have.
60. Those actually in need probably can't tell you.
61. 'Native experiences' are nice, but usually overrated.
62. The most effective tools are usually the ones easiest to find.
63. You can exercise anywhere. But you don't have to.
64. People are people. For the most part.
65. Don't expect too much out of yourself or others - and that way you'll always be pleasantly surprised with whatever happens.
66. 97% of the time, water and/or sleep are the best medicine for anything that ails you.
67. An object in motion remains in motion, and similarly, an object at rest remains at rest, until an outside force is applied. -originally Galileo's concept of inertia, and eventually Newton's First Law of Motion
68. You can do whatever you want to do. But you should also understand the potential consequences ahead of time.
69. Across the board, Occam's Razor applies and things typically are the way they seem.
70. When in doubt, animals will always bring a smile to a child's face.
71. Physics 101: That which goes up must come down, and consequently, that which goes down must come up.
72. Thank you is appreciated in any language.
73. Zippered pockets are usually the most effective first line of defense.
74. Go out of your way to meet locals wherever you go - you'll never be disappointed.
75. Don't take anything, especially yourself, too seriously.
76. Batteries reach full discharge mode at the most inopportune times.
77. Even if someone may be small and poor, they can have an amazingly high tolerance for alcohol.
78. That which should be universal is usually the first thing not to be so.
79. Vocabulary isn't required to be persuasive.
80. Con artists come in all shapes, sizes, genders, and ages.
81. "We have no reason to mistrust our world, for it is not against us. Has it terrors, they are our terrors.." -Rainer Maria Rilke
82. Cambodian children only own one set of pants and underwear, and no shirts. And of the former, both are perpetually in the wash.
83. Left to their own devices, trees get very old.
84. 'What's your name?' is always a simple way to begin a conversation.
85. The romanized 'Th-' spelling in THailand wasn't a mistake.
86. Pol Pot targeted people just like himself: idiots.
87. Americans are rich.
88. Everyone is well-endowed in some way(s).
89. Taxi is understood everywhere.
90. Don't fear giving or generosity. Many more people need resources much more than you do & will put them to better use than you ever could.
91. Once in a while, you need to be taken for a ride.
92. Young animals of any type are invariably cute.
93. Be slow to anger. But in some cases, remember that eventually getting there is important.
94. Watching sunrises and sunsets is good for the soul.
95. Robbery is the oldest and highest art form.
96. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." -Franklin D. Roosevelt
97. Mosquitoes suck.
98. Travel guidebooks are useful, but are neither the only nor the best source of information.
99. All people enjoy some or all of the following: shirts, books, postcards, and magnets.
100. A proper hat is just what you need.
101. A group's picture-taking capacity is endless.
102. If time travel existed, we probably wouldn't even know about it.
103. Accents are intriguing, frustrating or not, and deceiving.
104. There's a huge variety of jobs out there.
105. Wondering 'what if..' might be a natural thing to do, and may or may not be useful.
106. Most Europeans enjoy wearing swim suits everywhere they go. Small ones. And no one knows why - even them.
107. Generally, people want to find out what they don't know.
108. Gem sales is always a scam of some kind.
109. Pretty much anything can be converted to sweat.
110. Electricity is more straightforward than you imagine. But knowing its dangers is important.
111. Facts and sayings about monkeys are typically true.
112. Something led to the past that you may have forgotten.
113. In past lives, we were most likely all at crocodiles at some point.
114. Being exploited never hurts as much as you expect.
115. Everything is negotiable.
116. "Whether you think you can, or you can't, you're right." -Henry Ford
117. If you squint your eyes and tilt your head to one side, a 2 looks remarkably like a 5.
118. Friendship, regardless of recency or duration, is priceless.
119. Irregardless is a nonstandard word.
120. Convenience comes at a premium. Its worth is another, ad hoc issue.
121. "Just do it." -Nike
122. Traffic accidents hurt and, if possible, should be avoided.
123. Fine dust isn't attractive.
124. Any type of music affects your mood.
125. "The first cut is the deepest." -Cat Stevens
126. 'OK' might simply entail acknowledgment, possible acceptance, maybe tolerance, or even something completely else.
127. Same same, but different. -Thai cultural slogan
128. Sunk costs are unrecoverable.
129. Honesty is the best policy. But not the only policy.
130. Eating usually makes you feel better.
131. The customer isn't always right.
132. 'Never' and 'always' are difficult words to use.
133. Definitions are important, but keep in mind that most things have more than one.
134. Even bad jokes are funny.
135. "Never stop exploring." -The North Face
136. Stop to smell the roses. Or at least, stop and smell the roses.
137. You hesitate, you die.
138. Shopping around never hurts.
139. Learn when to keep playing and when to stop and cut your losses.
140. The first step is the hardest and most intimidating, but muster the courage to take it & you will never regret the path that follows.
141. Carpe Diem.
142. Pay attention to your instincts. Tremendous knowledge can exist in the midst of lacking full comprehension.
143. Zombies are usually hokey, but always creepy.
144. There's strength in numbers.
145. Compared to its equivalent nearly anywhere else, Korean beer is terrible.
146. The need for applying sunscreen increases as you get closer to the equator.
147. For better or worse, police officers are human.
148. Learn to tell the difference between those who are & those who aren't your friends. And remember that the former are few & far between.
149. Words are both meaningful and meaningless at the same time.
150. "Silence is golden." -AMC Theatres
151. Be careful with whom you associate.
152. "True love is fleeting, but herpes lasts a lifetime." -Anonymous
153. Your mother was right: no one likes a freeloader.
154. Singing is never a bad decision.
155. Parting is such sweet sorrow.
156. It takes quite awhile to come up with a positive outcome that resulted from regret.
157. "The world is not enough." -Neal Purvis
158. You can buy anything - but don't neglect your duty to be a smart shopper.
159. Money is a powerful thing & its pursuit leads to some strange circumstances.
160. We're all in this together.
161. Rain might be uncomfortable, but it isn't painful.
162. Materialism should never be an ultimate goal - but there's nothing wrong with it when it serves as a means to achieve or is a byproduct of achieving a more noble purpose.
163. If you want or expect to always be happy, you're in for a surprise.
164. "Tourists don't know where they've been. Travelers don't know where they're going." -Paul Theroux
165. You get out of it what you put into it.
166. Understanding what someone needs without needing to ask them is an admirable skill.
167. "Grammar: The difference between knowing your shit and knowing you're shit." -absolutelymadness.tumblr.com
168. Adventures find some people more easily than others & the reason is one of the great mysteries of the universe.
169. "Good judgment can come from bad experiences; good experiences can come from bad judgment." -Rolf Potts
170. "Don't ever look back." -Katy Perry
171. The city of Pattaya is 60% Thai, 30% Russian, 0.4% North American, 74% beaches, 55% bikinis, 63% nightlife, 39% prostitution, 22% criminal, and 96% awesome.
172. "Love the skin that you're in." -Oil of Olay
173. The beach has no place for protection.
174. Air dry in front of a fan on a hot day, but don't forget to wear a helmet. It'll blow your mind.
175. "You've come a long way, baby." -Virginia Slims
176. Realistically, only one person cares about your intentions. And you don't have to look very far to find them.
177. If you're a creature of comfort or especially risk averse, you might want to reconsider hopping on the back of a motorcycle before complete inspection and consideration.
178. "...But the vagrant owns the whole vast earth that ends only at the nonexistent horizon." -Isabelle Eberhardt
179. Removing words is a surefire path to honest communication.
180. Don't worry too much about the future. It'll all work out how you want it to.
181. People don't like having their identity questioned.
182. You can find 'America's Best _____' anywhere in the world. And that product may very possibly be better than the original.
183. Keep your eye on the ball.
184. The world needs more - and better - repackagers than Taco Bell.
thats a long list. love 179
ReplyDeleteoh...its me, eric. i thought my google account would provide that
ReplyDeleteYeah, long laundry list, but I feel like it's still a small fraction of what living in Asia taught me (or at least reminded). And I found most of these to be true - surely you also did! Ah yes, #179: sometimes there nothing better than simplifying..
ReplyDelete