Language and Limitations

Google Translate is a great tool, but it has its limits. When living abroad, sometimes your reality can kind of warp — it’s almost like a long-term acid trip to me. That’s pretty cool because I used to love pushing the depths of reality, but now I’m constantly pushing the depths of reality whenever I need something. It’s always to find or explain what I want. Sometimes the shops aren’t updated, or when you drive a long way, they’re closed. When you need something, you have to search in Lao script, then they ask questions in a scripted way. When translated, it seems bizarre — like, why are they asking this?

It makes me think about these Asian languages, like Lao script, and how limiting it must be for their mindset and growth. Everything kind of gets lost in translation between the script and English, so they’re somewhat siloed off from the rest of the world. How fortunate I am to know English. How fortunate I am to have a strong passport and start my journey from here. And how unfortunate our country is becoming.

I hang out at the same local restaurant because the owner is very kind to me. When it rained heavily, she even rode me home. Now I have my motorbike, and I see the girls most days. Usually, one of the girls is sleeping with her head down on the table and sometimes wakes up because I come in. They must think, why would I come here? It’s a shithole, and they’re kind of stuck there.

From my perspective, though, I’m living and breathing the world, and I want to see her perspective to learn and grow. I am not stuck at her restaurant — I choose to go there. Even though I’m in the same country, I live a different life from hers. For me, being in Laos is more comfortable because I am free. The place is messy, and let’s be honest, sometimes it’s a shithole. But I am quite free, and for that, I am so blessed.