Billings_MT

Well as most of you know, I've been away for the past two weeks visiting the states with my father. The first leg of our journey was to Billings.

I got to experience a rather wide variety of things while I was there.


I got to see the most snow I've ever seen in my life.

I got to hang out with people from an entirely different culture.

I got go hiking in frigid weather.

I got to eat wild game.

I got to snowboard.

I got to watch a movie on a 10 feet screen.

I got to learn some stuff about video editing.

I got to sit in a hot tub while 15 inches of snow fell around me.

I got to make a snow midget.

I got to drift in an Audi.


Well that's just the gist of it really.

Americans are interesting people. They are not unlike Malaysians in many ways, yet differ from us in more ways than I thought possible.

When it comes to teenagers, the core elements remain.

The desire to be accepted, to be appraised, to be with the 'in' crowd. Teenagers will be teenagers. You get the point.

But looking beyond that and more into their culture, that's where the differences lay.


Americans have a heightened sense of individuality. They also often have the desire to express that individuality. So between that and a fear of offending others, a balance must be struck. Of course this doesn't refer to all Americans. Just some.

Another thing about them. They are way more upfront about things. Something I've decided that I like. Oftentimes when they have something on their mind that they want to say, they will, unless they think it might severely offend someone maybe. It goes back to the precarious balancing thing. And then you'll have those that'll say anything anyways. Which kinda reminds me of Ty, you stereotypical American kid. But I love you, so you'll forgive me. =)

They are also way more friendly to strangers. I don't know how far that friendliness stretches, but for most of the part they seem pretty helpful.

Back to the kids of America. They all seem to mature so much faster than they do here. They grow up at an earlier age you might say. They also value creativity and intellect. What I am unsure of however, is whether they grow in depth at an earlier age, or whether they just aren't willing to be vulnerable.

That's one thing about their culture that's similar to ours. They are conditioned to think that they are supposed to be strong individuals, with nothing to pull them down. They always have that happy go lucky, trivial attitude that majority of the teenagers here have too.

All the above statements are of course based on my limited interaction with them and may of course be inaccurate. Feel free to right my wrongs... =P


So anyways there are some funny things about America. Like the way they drive on the other side of the road, which pretty much freaked the hell outta me for the first day or so. (definitely or so) They also don't care much for instant coffee, which starts to make sense when you see the number of their coffee shops. There is also possibly not a single building without WiFi. It's too easy to stay connected there. And the internet speeds they get there are so fast, it's disgusting really. It's practically been torture since I've gotten home. Which leads me to another facet.

The temperature and humidity. While I was there the temperatures were always lingering around zero degrees Celsius, with a variance of about 4. Humidity levels were also incredibly low.

So instead of suffering for 2 weeks, I decided to get used to the weather there.

I did.

Big mistake.

YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HOT AND HUMID IT IS IN MALAYSIA.

My air conditioning unit is blasting air that's as cold as it can, and I'm shirtless and still hot. -.-'


Anyways after Billings, we dropped by Grand Rapids to visit my sister.

I got to check out the campus, and their rock climbing gym. Which is awesome might I add.

I also got to compress some philosophical discussions into neat 30 minute sections. Now though I wish they could have been longer, they'll have to suffice till Sarah gets back in the summer.


Now that pretty much sums up my trip to the states. A detailed story would take way too long to write here so just ask me in real life. I'm also not going to post up any photos because the internet here is just too much of a pain to use. When I get my external hard drive I'll edit some of the footage I caught and I'll post it up here.


So the journey home took 34 hours all in all. The longest portions being a 12 hour flight, a 7 hour flight, and an 8 hour transit in Singapore. The rest went somewhere. But it wasn't all wasted time. On one of the flights I looked out of the window and saw some clouds, which prompted the following poem.


I gaze down upon white curtains of clouds,
With the knowledge that you are gazing back up.

And while I see a veil that separates us,
You see a dog, your gramma's face, or whatever it is you see.

An obstruction to what could be something beautiful,
Is seen by you as the object of beauty itself.

I'm sure that we're both staring at the same cloud,
Sure that if not for it our eyes would meet.

And while I write this bold metaphor,
You gaze at this friendship, and think it beautiful.