On America

I've been out here for just under four months now.  It is crazy how quickly time is going by!  I've probably said this a hundred times already, but time is such a funny thing.  At times, it feels like I've only lived in Singapore for five seconds.  But at the same time, living in Nashville seems like it was a lifetime ago.

One thing that I have definitely noticed so far is that my love for America has shot through the roof since moving out here.  I am infinitely more patriotic now than I ever was when I lived in the US.  Obviously, I've always thought America was great and all, but I think it is really easy to take things for granted and to kind of complain about things, and I definitely did that.  It's weird because sometimes things would happen, either in my every day life or that I would read or hear about in the news, and I used to think that America had some certain things so backwards.  I felt like I was constantly rolling my eyes and thinking - why are people so closed-minded?  How can people's discriminatory thoughts be so thinly veiled?  Why can't we do things more like x,y, or z other country?  It's no wonder why other countries don't love us!

But the thing is - I was wrong.  I did not give America enough credit.  Sometimes I guess you need to just get out there and see things for yourself to realize that what you read about in books and magazines, what you see on television and movies, and what you hear about from other people is only part of the story.  And it also isn't your story.  Sometimes you just need to take some time away to realize how much you appreciate something.

On a lighter note.. hope you guys all had a great Thanksgiving.  I was sad to not have leftovers to eat this weekend!  I'm going to see Argo tonight, and then looking forward to heading to Vietnam on Friday!

And of course, some obligatory random pictures.

This is a Pizza Hut ad.  I feel certain that they are not selling this in the US.  The description says "Two unique crusts, one stuffed with cheesy sausage and another with 3 flavour cheese.  Topped with succulent smoked chicken and turkey ham on two tantilising sauces - Pepper Alfredo and Salsa."  This does not sound delicious to me at all.  

Random cases of orange juice on the MRT.

This picture came out really bad because I was trying to stealthily take this picture without using the flash, but these girls looked absolutely absurd.  And they were old.