To help stir your creative and observational potential, I'm enclosing some clippings from my journal. A lot of my observations were stream of consciousness, because I found I had too much on my mind at any particular moment to write out things in full sentences. I found lists to be a great way to spit things out as they came to mind. See if you can verify (or discredit) these lists. Think about how the ideas they express shed light on the difference between the third world and your home. Better yet, make your own lists. I'm just trying to toss ideas at you. Most of these lists are in no particular order, unless numbered otherwise.

• flip flops
• colored plastic bags
• condensed milk
• plastic drinking straws
• mobile phones
• karaoke
• posters of luxurious homes
• scented sniffers
• Nescafe, Milo, Ovaltine, Horlicks
• kerosene

1. Michael Jordan
2. Leonardo DiCaprio
3. Bill Clinton
4. Monica Lewinsky

EASY STREETSIDE FINDS IN POOR COUNTRIES:

• shoe repair
• shoe shine
• face shave
• full meals
• moneychangers
• cup of milk tea
• watch repair
• cheap local transport

1. Cambodia – back of pick-ups, no roof, no seats, no schedules, crowded, rough dirt roads, many 1-lane
2. Ghana – overpacked sardine cans (tro-tros), baggage is extra, few schedules, crowded, but has seats
3. Burma – pick-ups, buses, crowded, some seats, roof, schedules, passenger pick-up service, 1-lane roads
4. Laos – pick-ups, buses, crowded, some seats, roof, some schedules, some nice roads, some bad ones
5. Burkina Faso – larger sardine cans, buses, crowded, schedules abundant, decent two lane roads, train
6. Nepal – large Indian buses, crowded, schedules the norm, good roads, but slow
7. India – large rough buses, crowded, scheduled, extensive reserved train system
8. Cote d'Ivoire – large dirty buses, padded seats, scheduled, bus stations, fast, train is slow
9. Bangladesh – large clean buses, padded seats, scheduled, decent to excellent roads, reliable train
10. Thailand – large clean buses, extensive network, competition, scheduled, trains clean and on-time
11. USA – modern large clean buses with A/C, schedules, modern trains, but all service is infrequent and expensive, with poor geographical coverage
12. Malaysia – modern large clean buses with A/C, lots of competition, scheduled, fast modern trains
13. Mexico – modern large clean buses with A/C, videos, snack service, intense competition, frequent schedules, self-contained stations, modern trains and subway

• they charge for stored baggage
• they don't let you use their telephone
• they charge for a day-use safe keeping locker
• they won't wake you up early to catch the train to Cambodia

• 6:00am wake up
• 6:15am bathe
• 6:30am eat rice
• morning sit around, chat and listen to music
• 11:00am eat rice
• 11:30am take a nap
• 1:00pm wake up
• 1:15pm bathe
• afternoon sit around, chat and listen to music
• 6:00pm bathe
• 6:15pm study/teach
• evening sit around, chat and listen to music
• 9:00pm go to bed

• "football" means "soccer"
• currency is the US dollar
• a 12 hour, overnight, 3rd class train ride is no big deal
• "food" is "rice"
• it doesn't phase me that I don't speak a word of Thai except "farang"

• bring your two index fingers together, lengthwise, at arm's length = sex (yes, there are others that will work)
• pretend putting things into your mouth = eat
• hold palm of hand onto lower abdomen, above groin = piss
• tilt head sideways, palm of hand underneath = sleep
• pretend dropping things on top of head, repeatedly = shower
• pretend pulling down pants, make hand motion of stuff escaping rear = shit
• index and middle fingers to lips, inhale = smoke
• pretend holding a camera in front of eyes, push button or pretend looking through binoculars, as in one fist to each eye = take photo

• one eye with no pigment in the pupil
• eyes that look in different directions
• part of upper lip is missing, showing teeth underneath
• vomiting on public transport

Myanmar 25 kyat USD 0.07

Malaysia 50 sen USD 0.13

India 6 rupees USD 0.15

Czech Rep. 7 koruna USD 0.19

Nepal 15 rupees USD 0.23

Laos 1500 kip USD 0.23²

Ghana 550 cedis USD 0.24

Bangladesh 12 taka USD 0.25

Singapore 50 cents USD 0.29

Thailand 12 baht USD 0.32

Brunei 60 sen USD 0.35

China 4.2 yuan USD 0.51

Cambodia 2000 riel USD 0.53

Ireland 45 pence USD 0.56

UK 37 pence USD 0.59

Spain 100 pesetas USD 0.59

Luxembourg 25 francs USD 0.59

France 4.50 francs USD 0.67

Portugal 140 escudos USD 0.69

Cote d’Ivoire 400 francs USD 0.73

Japan 80 yen USD 0.75

Belgium 34 francs USD 0.81

Sweden 8 krona USD 0.93

Germany 2 marks USD 1.01

Burma 40 kyat USD 0.12

• Oppose those relying on external elements acting as strangers holding negative views.
• Oppose those trying to jeopardize stability of the State and progress of the nation.
• Oppose foreign nations interfering in internal affairs of the State.
• Crush all internal and external destructive elements as the common enemy.

• "The trafficking of illicit drugs in Malaysia is a serious offence and carries a mandatory death sentence." -- Malaysia Airlines Flight Crew, on arrival at KLIA
• "One hundred and seventy-four members of Kungyangon Township NLD, Yangon Division, on their own volition, tendered their resignations by sending letters of resignation to Kungyangon Township Multiparty Democracy General Election Commission Office and the party concerned on 31 December as they no longer wished to participate in party politics of NLD." – From the daily "More NLD members resign" box in the New Light of Myanmar, 08 January 1999.
• "Attention travelers: You are not required to give money to solicitors. This airport does not sponsor their activities." -- Recorded announcement in the international arrival hall, LAX