39 hours, 9000+ miles

Coming to you live from the Singapore Airport, it’s Ray! Sleep deprived and currently comprised of pre-packaged plane meals, the 9,000+ miles I have floated over are quite taxing yet my positive disposition is carrying me through the fluorescent, tech-savvy spaces I inhabit; simply reminding myself that these are the steps necessary for me to arrive to Indonesia is what is keeping my inner flame burning bright.

International travel is intense! I have already flown on two double-decker planes that had rows and rows of babies, airplane pillows, tvs, and beautiful and varying types of people. The hiss of the air vents coupled with announcements made in both English and Cantonese have made the insides of the airplane feel like a bustling micro city, where all on board are destined for the same place but for different reasons.  

It has also been quite an experience to walk through the airports and see all the familiar la-de-da stores like Gucci, Swarovski, and Juicy Couture; a fellow CLSP participant remarked (while we were in the Hong Kong airport) that the presence of these stores creates a pseudo-America to demonstrate the wealth and success these “newly” developed countries have cultivated. I would think that representing the endemic nature of a place, rather than trying to cater to those from foreign environments, could make for a wealthier atmosphere when compared to the Western monoculture. But what is “endemic” or local anyway?

There are quite a few heady, stimulating people participating in this program with me and I was able to have a very interesting conversation about cartography and the representation of physical landscapes on maps. He revealed to me that the Chinese defined locations on a map not solely based on the type of people you found there but by markets (circulations of capital) present, and how markets actually allowed the Chinese to view everyone as the same (since the only thing that was really changing were the commodities cycling through). Where does that leave me when traveling? Does my personal circulation make me the same as everyone else abroad? Can all of us connect universally through the idea of travel?

I am so thankful for the opportunity to pass through these places, to see maps and know that I am so far away from all that is familiar, to respond to people asking where I am from with “American” rather than with “California” or “Florida.” I love this! Really do. However I can feel myself missing the ability to refer to streets and neighborhoods and have others know what I am talking about. This shall happen in time though! No need to rush myself into familiarity. In fact its quite fun not to know and instead have others tell/show you. And hopefully, years from now, I can be someone that shows others from Indonesia how to maneuver about the countryside or metropolis but for now, I have a whole lot of asking to do in my future.

What day is it? What time? These methods of measuring existence have been completely compromised. Nothing feels permanent except the knowingness I have of myself. Traveling really does help reveal those defining characteristics of yourself and confronts you with survival issues (like where to get food, wheres the next gate, how to get there) that you can solve in multiple ways. Of course I brought some trail mix and fruit to the airport (thank you orianah!) and of course I resisted eating in these travel infrastructures for as long as possible but it felt so good to give in and just eat some rice (I keep talking about food and sleep..two things I need most!).

Well friend, I am going to try and catch some Zs  before I have to check in for my flight from Singapore to Jakarta. Rest yourself well and keep livin’ this wonderful,vast life of yours.

Sunshine smiles,

Ray