compare and contrast

there's a very special kind of jet lag that comes with the return home from a country 13 hours ahead of central standard time. since my return from thailand i've spent lots of time lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, wishing i was asleep. in that time i've thought about all sorts of things, but none more commonly than those comparing life in southeast asia to life in chicago. to mark the first time i've actually given up, turned the light on, and logged into the computer, i thought i'd share with you some of the contrast.

pro-chicago: hot water

pro-thailand: lack of need for hot water

pro-chicago: getting to hang out with people i actually know, who may or may not share their deepest secrets with me, but probably know most of mine

pro-thailand: getting to hang out with total strangers who share all of ttheir deepest darkest secrets with me, but know none of mine

pro-chicago: good coffee

pro-thailand: cheap coffee

pro-chicago: having access to my entire wardrobe, enough clothes to obviate frequent use of washing machines

pro-thailand: only needing about 6 items in wardrobe, as next-day laundry servie is available on every street corner for 30 to 90 cents per kilo

pro-chicago: "massage" not a euphemism for destigmatized prostitution... but very expensive

pro-thailand: massage inexpensive, occasionally interchangeable with destigmatized prostitution

pro-chicago: absence of swelteringly hot january weather

pro-thailand: absence of sub-glacial january weather

of course, some realities are universal:

thailand for 2 weeks on holiday: insomnia

chicago after 2 weeks in thailand: insomnia