BAM.

[triedunture]

14019 / 50000 words. 28% done!

An excerpt from the Handy Traveler's Guide to Southeast Asia: Thailand, Laos, Vietnam & Cambodia (Three Bilges Press, 1987):

Chapter Twenty-Six.

Culture and Customs.

The most important thing for the successful traveler to remember when making a journey through an unfamiliar land is that the people there will be very different than you. Of course they will have the same features that you may expect from a fellow human being, such as a head, a mouth, a nose, arms and legs (excluding, unfortunately, several people in Vietnam and Cambodia; see Chapter Thirty-One: Touchy Subjects), but beyond these surface similarities, you will be coming into constant contact with folks who aren't anything like you. Do not let their friendly and open nature lull you into a false sense of security. You should always be on guard against making a terrible faux pas.

Many distinct differences in another country's language, clothing, values, food, religion, and morals can come under the collective heading of culture and customs. In the region of Southeast Asia, for example, some social situations are treated very differently from the normal way we in the west would handle them. You should be aware of these differences to avoid unnecessary awkwardness between your and the populace of your host country. Weddings, to name one instance, will not look like a wedding from back home. It is unlikely the bride will wear a white gown, unless she is participating in a western ceremony such as those that are becoming increasingly popular in the major cities. (For more on this trend, please read the Handy Traveler's Guide to Japan: Tokyo, Kyoto, and the surrounding islands (Three Bilges Press, 1985).) The Thai or Vietnamese bride might wear blue or purple, sometimes even red. The reasons behind such traditions are unimportant; you are a visitor, not a scholar, after all. However, you should react to these differences in culture and custom with polite interest, as if you are wholly comfortable with the notion. Do not stare or whisper, and of course do not point, as discussed in Chapter Twelve: Hand Gestures You Ought Not to Make. This will endear you to your host country and prevent any cross-cultural tension. Remember, you are representing your home country as well when you travel abroad. It would be a shame to tarnish its image.

Funerals, too, are privy to the same upside-down laws as Southeast Asian weddings. While we in the west look upon the death of a friend or loved one as a somber occasion, other countries weave a celebratory nature into their funeral rites. The funeral might look more like a birthday party to our untrained Anglo eyes. Depending on the region, the ceremony might last several weeks and be accompanied by parades, feasts, and gatherings for Buddhist prayer. In the unlikely event that you come across one such funeral in your travels, it is best not to offer condolences as would be expected back home. This attitude is confusing to those who do not understand it. It is better to merely take stock of the exotic custom, snap some discreet photographs, and absorb the experience as one of many wonderful chances to see this vibrant culture in action. It might be considered exceedingly good of you to offer some small token, such as fruit or packaged crackers, as these items can be used by the "grieving" family as part of the Buddhist offerings that take place during a funeral.

Note: For more detailed information on how to conduct yourself during a cultural gathering in the more remote villages of the area, please refer to Chapter Four: Whatever You Do, Do Not Drink the Lao-Lao.

God, it's only 5 and already it's pitch black out. :( I feel like the day is over. Tomorrow I'll take Janet out on the town for a writing-on-the-go session.

Comments

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

If I believed in reincarnation, I'd say you were Douglas Adams in a previous life. *lol*

[triedunture.livejournal.com]

Oh my, really an undeserved compliment, surely. Thankies.

[pinglederry.livejournal.com]

see Chapter Thirty-One: Touchy Subjects

And the warning about the lao-lao. Oh, dear. XD Did your protagonists forget to read this bit beforehand?

Um, yes, hi, where can I buy this book? *eager face* Not the Handy Traveler's Guide, although that would be lovely (I still plan to go there some day); but I really think you should hurry up and finish this book of yours so I can rush out and buy it. :)

[triedunture.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, it will be at least a year before whatever comes out of NaNo can be shaped up into a proper manuscript. At the rate I'm going, I figure about 20% of what I'm writing is actually usable. Everything else will need to be reworked, edited out or in, blah blah blah.

Oh, after the excerpt finished, this is what follows:


Leon closed the battered copy of the outdated guidebook and groaned. His head was pounding, his arms and legs felt watery, and he was beginning to wonder if he would ever be able to eat again. Beside him in the other bamboo chair, Chris groaned in response.

"Why did we drink so much?" he asked.

"Because you wanted to," Leon mumbled, shielding his eyes from the rising sun.

[pinglederry.livejournal.com]

Oh. Drat. :( It will maybe someday be published, though? Because that's awesome. Can you imagine seeing your book in bookstores? Your name on a best-sellers list? How cool would that be?

Also, XD. Poor boys. I've never actually had the misfortune of being hungover, but I've felt that way before while sick.

[triedunture.livejournal.com]

The odds of me a) producing something publishable and then b) convincing an agent to take on an untested n00b author and then c) that agent convincing a house to buy the manuscript is...so astronomically improbable. I know it happens for some people, but it's like hoping to win the lottery, really.

For me, NaNo is all about reaching a personal goal. The gumption and balls it would take to actually go get published is something waaaaaaay beyond my vision right now.