Southeast Asia Revisited

My 3 months in Southeast Asia were filled with many varied experiences of which I've shared the major ones. But there are many small observations that have been lost in my event-focused reporting. Here is the 10 Ten minor details I'll remember about Southeast Asia:

10. You can learn a lot about the local economy and its affluence by what is being advertised on billboards (e.g. fast cars and jewels in Singapore and water heaters in the Mekong Delta)
9. Beware of any establishment claiming to be a karaoke bar or massage parlor, they probably aren't
8. Street food is often cheaper and better than what you can get in restaurants offering an English-menu and things like fried fish heads really are quite tasty once you get over the initial cultural aversion to it
7. There is a definite lack of creativity surrounding marketing one's products - everything is the same and everyone is content keeping it this way (hence the catchphrase used all over "same same, but different")
6. There are many things we think we need, but really just want (e.g. moving vans and hiking boots - they use motorcycles and flip flops)
5. There is a different importance placed on life - this manifests itself in not only working conditions, but also drivers' willingness to get out of the way for ambulances
4. Business owners usually live behind their shops - ask to use the bathroom and you will often be doing your business in the family's washroom, toothbrushes and all
3. Personal injury lawsuits do not exist in Southeast Asia creating ample opportunity for the kind of adventures at which your mother (or any safety oriented person) would cringe
2. Rice is the staple - Meat is reserved for the wealthy or special occasions (one man asked me how much rice we eat each day and was *shocked* to find out that rice was not a daily component of Western meals)
1. Vendors all over Southeast Asia will maintain that their product is in fact "cheaper" than not buying their product at all