The Eastern Perspective

I have settled into my work schedule quite nicely and rather enjoy waking up at 6 and going to sleep at 10. We will finish shoot thinning soon and move on to the next job of moving up the wires so the vines have more support as they grow taller. After that we will begin to harvest the avocados. I spend 40 hours a week in the vineyards, picking the new buds off the vines. It is very repetitive work and many people remark that it's boring. I listened to music for one day but it rained, filled my coat pocket with water, and fried my $400 phone. Too bad, so sad. My 8 hours per day are spent in my thoughts, pondering philosophies, my life, my habits and direction, future plans, friendships, etc. It's peaceful and quiet work and the Taiwanese girls sing beautiful songs in the fields while we work. The days pass rather quickly and I enjoy the opportunity to think. I have learned a little about the weather from spending so much time outside. Manjimup is a windy place and completely clear skies can turn to rain in less than an hour. I watch the skies to see how the weather is changing and take cover before the heavy rain clouds come overhead. When I see the clouds on the horizon, I can tell how much time I have before it arrives based on how hard the wind is blowing that day. It's common for showers to blow in and out during the day. Taking shelter from the heavy rain is important because once you are wet, the rest of the day is absolutely miserable. I learned that the hard way.

Dave, my supervisor, gave me a huge bag of avocados from a tree that had fallen over in the wind. I told him I'd make him some guacamole. Many people have never had guacamole before, mostly the Asians and Australians. Dave was born in England and came to Australia on vacation and decided not to go back home. He has been out here for the last 25 years, working in Western Australia. He took a liking to me right away and when I was on hourly pay, he'd come by to chat and give me a break while we both looked over our shoulders for the big boss to drive by. He sometimes helps me out with my rows (therefore helping me earn more money) and also worked the row assignments so that I could work next to and talk to the cute French girl.

I wasn't so sure about the hostel when I first arrived but I really like the people now and have made a lot of friends. I get along best with the Taiwanese and Japanese and my English roommates. I feel like I'm in high school again, hanging out with all the Asian people, except these guys are actually good at Chinese. I have learned a dozen Mandarin phrases and use them as much as possible. They appreciate that I am interested in learning their language and before they got used to it, would giggle every time I spoke to them in Chinese. So, is Chinese really as hard to learn as people say? Yes. The subtleties between the sounds are very slight. Fortunately for me, I have a very good ear for it and can speak and remember what they teach to me. Both the Taiwanese and Japanese tell me that I have very good pronunciation. This has rekindled my interest in language and I really think I have a knack for it. I took three years of Spanish and it has all stuck with me even though I don't use it. With some study and immersion in Spanish speaking countries, I think I could be fluent within one year. Once I return to the States, I would like to start studying Mandarin and spend some time in Taiwan or China, teaching English or working a job in international business to take advantage of my English speaking advantage. It would be really nice to experience Chinese New Year in a major city. The whole place explodes with fireworks and celebration. I've heard a lot about it and it's something that I want to see with my own eyes.

The Taiwanese have helped me to further understand how Eastern thought and culture differs from the West. I have observed many of the differences for myself just in the small sample of people at the hostel. The Asians all work together and take care of each other. They help each other cook, give and lend freely, ask and return favors, and laugh, joke, and converse constantly. Their experience is one of family. When a new Asian person comes into the hostel, they slip right into the comforts of the group as if they had been there awhile. It takes Westerners weeks or months of time together to form this type of fraternal bond. They don't deal in the traumas and dramas that we do. There are no raised voices or disagreements as far as I can tell. I can't understand the words they speak but I pick up on all the body language and everyone is very relaxed and easy going with each other.

In contrast, there was a big fight between some of the Europeans last weekend. I think the underlying tension was the result of some promiscuity that was going on between some of the instigating parties but basically, a false rumor was started that the cute French girl was sleeping around behind her boyfriend's back. Combined with the effects of alcohol, the whirlwind caused by this ripped through everyone elses peace, resulting in shouting, screaming, crying, bawling, and almost brawling. It went on well into the morning hours, disturbing the sleep of others, before it was all sorted out. Other than this event, there is lots of shouting going on and clashing between people. There was a shouting match just this morning and wow, can the French and English swear! They use much dirtier words than us and such energetic emphasis.

I think that we just don't communicate with each other to the same degree that Asian people do. They sort out their issues when they arise and don't allow tension to build. If you do something to upset them, they will come to you and ask you for your reasoning. They do it in a very neutral manner, not demanding an explanation but curious as to your rationale. For example, one of the Taiwanese asked me why I have a big bag of avocados from the farm and have not shared them. I explained that they had just come off the tree and needed a few weeks to ripen but that I would make guacamole for the group once they are ready. I offered to give her some now and she declined, saying she'd wait for them to ripen.

I realize that I am not very good at speaking my mind, especially when it comes to matters of conflict. I am getting much better at expressing how I feel, which is very important to me. I think this is a big problem back at home. There is so much tension built up in everyone. People don't express negative opinions unless they are close and have a lot of trust built up between them. The longer I am over here, the more soured I am towards American lifestyles. I've always known it was unhealthy, in both body and mind, but the difference between us and others is remarkably striking and is becoming even more clear to me. We truly do have young attitudes in our country and in fact are quite arrogant to think we have it all figured out and are the best at everything, just because we are the USA.

America is known for its diversity but ironically, is incredibly secluded from international influence. Almost all of our television, movies, media, sports, and products, are domestically produced. I showed my English roommates my passport and they joked that any time they had seen an American passport, it was empty. Americans do not travel. Why? We are one of the richest countries in the world but are content to sit around at home. Most Americans have not even traveled their own country. There is pressure to join the workforce and stay put until you retire. There isn't room for travel and finding yourself in the white picket fence American dream. However, with another touch of irony, the people who amass wealth in America are often the ones who break the mold and try something different. They don't slave away for others, going paycheck to paycheck, struggling to pay off their house so they have a home to call their own. No. They use their brain to think, quit their shit job, and start their own business or another venture that other people are too afraid or lazy to take a chance at. I don't know how I will stabilize my financial situation in this life but I'm out here brainstorming for my own way to do it. Making my own way is the only way I can work and still feel free.

I will be working here for two more weeks and then it's off to Melbourne again. Kirsten has come back from Oregon, Danny is making his way back down there, and Lorraine and Angie are flying in from San Francisco for a two week visit. They surprised me several months ago and said they would come down to spend Thanksgiving with us but I didn't think they were going to go through with it. I had been asking them about it but no actions were being taken. I'm really glad that they got it together and finally bought some tickets because now I get to have a Thanksgiving dinner with some good friends from home. I'm really excited to see some friendly faces after being out here for a few months.

I see you in line dragging your feet
You have my sympathy.
The day you were born you were born free.
That is your privilege.

Isn't it strange that the man standing in front of me
Doesn't have a clue why he's waiting, or what he's waiting for?
Maybe it's me, but I'm sick of wasting energy.
Maybe if I look in my heart I could find a backdoor.