The Other Half

Even though I'm not in the US yet, I have entered back into the developed world, the "other half." The land of man-made glories - cathedrals and skyscrapers acting as mountains of concrete, stone, glass and marble, a long history and continued proliferation of art and music, adornment and showing of wealth in fashion and life, and the encouraged consumption of indulgences (being in Italy, centrally food). Walking along a large sidewalk covered in an arch, passing shops and cafes, I felt proud of our achievements. What a fine world we can make!

Drawing on the experiences from the first part of my trip, I came to realize how fleeting these achievements are. Having seen Angkor and now, Roman, ruins, I know that while a strong civilization provides plenty of joy and pleasure to its people, it only lasts as long as the civilization itself. Like all things, its a cycle - our sources of wealth can go away and with them, our ability to enjoy finer things and build our worlds with style.

When that happens, we are back to the simple, poor life, one that exists today in so many parts of the world. Knowing that is can happen makes you wonder - what is the meaning of all of life's luxuries? Clearly, they aren't central to living, they are merely nice-to-haves, something we should appreciate while we have them, but don't need to depend on. Does that cause us to look at our lives differently? Eating, shopping, having, planning - are we consciously choosing how to spend our thought energy or time? So many things present themselves to us, but not all of them are real.

Besides being able to sift through our needs, I also realized the pressure of the modern world to be better. Coming back into a world where so many things are right - clean, in order, on time - I realize that we very quickly pick out the small percent of things are not right - seeing the flaws. Whereas in a world like the one in Cambodia, where so many things are not right, we are much more likely to accept these inconveniences and instead focus on the good things. Another pitfall we can maybe overcome.

The Good and the Bad

The truth, of course, is that all countries deserve to become modernized. How can we deprive the people of its benefits? From assuring basic needs like having three meals a day and advanced medical care, to providing richer opportunities like access to education, the ability to actually choose your job (and have a variety of fields to choose from) and improve your life.

It's just that with these benefits, life becomes more complex. There is a push and a pull to each benefit and only the most skillful can balance the two sides successfully. How many people have lost sight of what life is really about and become dedicated to material possessions? Gaining goods is alluring to all humans, but it's also a trap that keeps us wanting more, and becoming less fulfilled as we attain it. Or, how many people become daunted and confused by what to do with their lives? (ahem). The developing world is sadly deprived of opportunity. So why, once we have it, does it become a source of stress rather than gratitude?

True to Vijay's comments in the last post - the lesson here is balance. (1) Knowing the bad aspect of something as well as the good and (2) the ability to stay in balance. The problem is that so few people, let alone entire societies, are good at balance. The human response to good is to give me more of it. Yes, this is the fire of capitalism which has enriched societies worldwide. But look at what happens when we don't look after the greater system: "unfortunate" downsides occur like damage to environment or loss of culture. Or perhaps, in the race, "minor" details are overlooked, like the fact that many mortgage-backed securities weren't backed by much at all. From individual effects, like childhood obesity to greater effects like the financial crisis occurring today, we can't just accept modernization (loosely termed) with open arms. The bad must be recognized, accepted and accounted for.

Can we really expect the next soon-to-be-modern country to see through modernization's ills and stay balanced? Interestingly enough, the principle of accepting the bad and staying balanced is central in Buddhism, the dominating religion of the people here. Maybe, if nobody else, these people stand a chance.

Modernization - Beware

I have to say I was a bit deflated on the bus ride from the border to Bangkok. Was Thailand going to be a modernized place? The highway was large and paved, with green reflective signs above, just like the US. Sigh. But soon we drove by traditional houses and in Bangkok proper there was a wonderful mix of old and new, sort of like Hong Kong.

What is it about modernized countries that bores many travelers...or in other words, what is it about developing countries that draws such a loyal following? In a word, the answer is Authenticity. Developing countries still exhibit signs of real life. People go to markets, make food at home, share with their neighbors, are generally warm and friendly, have some guiding life philosophy usually wrapped up in rich culture, and more importantly, are not tainted by the ills of modern society: greed, violence, certain health problems, among others. In their simplicity and authenticity, they seem happy.

We envy them for that, and at the same time, feel lucky enough to be invited into that peaceful existence during our visit. If we could, we would protect them from modernization: save yourself! keep your chopped mango instead of packaged potato chips! play games outside instead of on the computer! In what direction is modernization taking them? If we could envision the future state of these countries, is America really the model?

It would be nice to think that we could learn from the West's mistakes and help these countries grow into something more balanced and holistic than our countries are. A country that stays grounded rather than swimming in excess and one that looks after its environment. But alas, it's not likely to happen that way: there isn't someone in charge of Development across the globe that is looking at development and its problems as a larger system. (Oh where are our systems engineers when you need them?). Already, families here watch TV 24/7 and eat Pringles. Modern packaging - plastic of all kinds - litters the streets. ETC.

Where we will turn in 50 years to observe and experience authentic, untainted, and dare I say, happy, societies? Are there enough remote tribes to quell the desires of searching travelers, and once they are found, how soon else will they become tainted? Because unfortunately and ironically, tourism is the numero uno way (or is it TV?) to kick off the process of modernization.

It's not all that bleak. But there is a wonderful and interesting world out there - and a lot that we "lucky" ones - people born in modern countries - can learn from it. Maybe by taking back some of their old world ways, we can make our own societies, and lives, more balanced.