Last time I returned from Cambodia, I was a victim of reverse culture shock and was angry at everything. How dare we Australians live with such affluence over the safety net of our dole-bludging-condoning democratic government? How can you brag about the A-Grade leather of your couch when there are families selling their children for a meal?!
I didn't host any form of tolerance during my six month period of ambivalence in Melbourne. I was a bitter bitch bitchin' bout bloody everything..but this time is different...those things definitely still exist, but now I'm looking at things from another angle: How lucky we are as Australians to be able to have such lovely things at our fingertips with the support of a caring government who treats all of us as humans with rights. Good on you for being able to afford such a lovely leather couch...did the cows have to scream louder for that price?
Things are the way they are. The two worlds that I have each of my feet in can't be compared and be angry over. That energy should be channelled into the Developing side of my self/work to aspire to the Developed side of my self/work.
7 more weeks till my return, so to psych myself up and recharge, I'm going to enjoy what's readily available here in my 1st world that is unavailable in my 3rd world home: Indie gigs, Melbourne breakfasts, perfectly brewed lattes, Korean hairdressers, traffic rules and drinkable tap-water. ESPECIALLY the tap-water. I feel my teeth strengthening already.
