Last night we were sitting at a table in front of our hotel when we struck up a conversation with the guys at the next table – who happened to be from Perth, Australia – the place we were at just about a year ago this time.
What started out as just an aside turned into an amazing three hours of discussion as we sat there.
Joe, an architect, and Andy, a music teacher (cello), have been in Thailand for several weeks and, in fact, go back to Perth the same day we leave Phuket.
Our conversation went around many, many things – differences in geography. Driving on the “other” side of the road; the excitement of motorcycle taxis; being far away from your family; creating new families of choice when the biological ones aren’t available.
We went on to talk politics – it’s amazing how much people from other countries know about the US politics. We were at least able to avoid embarrassing ourselves because we knew the name of Australian Prime Minister Rudd (although we did mispronounce it). It was so refreshing to engage in a give and take conversation without being accused of being a traitor because you didn’t support the war in Iraq or weren’t sure which way to go on healthcare. There was a respect for differences of opinion and recognition that none of us knew the answers.
Was this because we were from different countries, and therefore didn’t have to win or lose against the other? Or was it just a simple civilized respect for another point of view?
They didn’t understand the US controversy over healthcare – to be honest, NOBODY that we’ve encountered from another country understands the controversy regarding healthcare coverage for all, and we tend to include ourselves in that same group.
As the hour got late, we separated to go our separate ways, exchanging e-mail addresses and promises to keep in touch, or offers of hospitality should any of us find ourselves on the other side of the world again.
This is what makes traveling abroad worthwhile.
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