And so begins another controversial posting from the team that brought you "Italy is a third-world country" and "What I did on my summer vacation."
Controversial because I'm sure there are ever so many of you who simply luhve Europe in that oh-so easy-to-love way. And why not? Most of our ancestors are from there (sorry Soleak...). Our language originates there. Our architecture, our food, our laws...the list goes on. So of course we have a natural appreciation for "the Old World" and all it has to offer.
However...
Familiarity just as often breeds contempt. And so, off the hells heels of Croatia and freshly arrived in Asia, we find ourselves as animated as the 5-for-a-dollar, inflatable, flashing, musical Hello Kitty toys that litter the stalls of every Chinatown street vendor in Singapore. Thus, without further ado, we present you with a brief yet brash list of just a few reasons why...
Asia Kicks Europe's Ass.
[BTW, as utterly white-skinned, blonde-haired, seasoned Francophiles who have never been to South America, Africa or Australia, we feel ourselves uniquely qualified to deliver this kind of arrogant bold sweeping generalization.]
Europe: Overpriced and Under-serviced. Asia: Underpriced and Over-serviced.
Sure, sure...Europe's expensive and Asia's cheap. We all know that. But it goes beyond price. In Europe, your waiter hates you and resents your very presence as an intrusion on his paid leisure time at work. In Bali, on the other hand, almost everyone we encountered thanked us for coming. And not in that "Thank you, Buh-Bye" kind of way. Here in Southeast Asia people seem to appreciate the role that tourism plays in their economy and are genuinely appreciative for your patronage. And everything really is just plain cheaper. Ever had a six hand massage? Why not, it only costs $20 an hour.
Europe: Monolithic Cuisine. Asia: Polyethnic Cusine.
First of all, Asia has great Asian food. And by Asian, I mean Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and Korean. AND, it also has great French, Italian, American, and just about any fusion combination you can dream up. Craving Tsatsiki? You can find it. In contrast, try finding decent sushi in Paris. Or an authentic Indian restaurant in Rome. Or anything other than grilled fish in Croatia. Good grilled fish--I'll give you that. But grilled fish every day?Variety is the spice of life, and we all know Asian is the spiciest cuisine of all.
Asia: Hardworking, upwardly-mobile workforce
Europe: Grumpy, lazy, resentful workforce
It's so refreshing to talk to people in Asia who are happily working their asses off to improve their quality of life and the life of their families. Take Kadek, a 22yo Balinese woman we met in Ubud. She's working "part-time" for 42 hours a week to earn a measly $30 a month. But she's happy because the money lets her pay for school so that her mother doesn't have to. At the same time, and all across Europe, workers have less and less desire to...well...how should I put this...to "work." Six weeks of paid vacation. 35-hour weeks. An ever lowering retirement age. No wonder their economies are caving under the immense pressure. It all boils down to a sense of entitlement. Do you take care of yourself, or do you expect your government to take care of everything for you?
Europe: The Past. Asia: The Future.
Again, we came from Europe. It's our history and it's familiar. But let's face it: Europe is in decline and has been for centuries (see earlier posting RE: "Italy is a third world country"). Asia, on the other hand, is a rising star. It's economies are dynamic, it's peoples driven (and innumerable) and it's governments are eyeing the prize. Look at the recent progress of China, adopting a more market driven economy while avoiding the pitfalls of USSR's cataclysmic Perestroika. In Asia, governments are steadily opening up and becoming more liberal, while Europeans are electing more and more Neo-Nazi xenophobic leaders. A tip: tell your kids to study Mandarin in high school, not German.
Europe: Technophobic. Asia: Technocratic.
Europeans resent technology as yet another intrusion on their "traditional" existence. Sure, mobile phones are nearly ubiquitous on a global scale. But at what cost to the citizenry? In Asia, SIM cards for mobile phones are priced between $2 and $4--well within the reach of everyone. In London or Rome, that figure climbs to $60. We consistently had GPRS (email/web) on our phones in the hills of Bali, for christs sake. In Rome and Paris, it was slim. In Croatia, it was non-existent. And while Asia is busy digitizing their entire economy, Europeans are still awash in paper. When I bought an airline ticket in Rome, I had to sign my signature "extra hard" in the words of the cashier so it would pass through the 5 (count 'em: five) layers of carbon paper. Carbon paper? I last used that messy crap in typing class on an IBM Selectric. A machine, by the way, that still features prominently in many Parisian offices.
Asia: White sand beaches. Europe: Lying on large hard rocks.
On this one, I think the matter is beyond reproach. European beaches suck heinously. For those unaware, there is no sand. None. The beaches are instead covered with pebbles, the likes of which you might find covering the bed of your garden. Sure, the water is nice. But Asia has equally beautiful waters kissing sun drenched white sand as far as the eye can see. Why pay $10 for a coke in Nice when you can have 5 beers and a massage for the same price in Thailand?
Ah, Thailand. White sandy beaches. Cheap lodging and even cheaper food. Hmm... Perhaps it's time to call the travel agent...
What's there to be sorry about? I've always known that Asia (esp SE Asia) kicks Euro ass. I'll even go as far as to say that it kicks American ass. It's about time the rest of you realized it. Why do you think I'm not coming back?? :)
Posted by: Soleak | October 06, 2004 at 02:56 AM
Apparently I am just another European-ancestried Technophobe...
Posted by: Suz | October 02, 2004 at 02:52 PM
How dare you say such things about asia!
YOU'VE never been to the REAL asia...
You should have just stayed at home.
what kind of a name is mei mei anyway??
Posted by: Suz | October 02, 2004 at 02:51 PM
How dare you say such things about asia!
YOU'VE never been to the REAL asia...
You should have just stayed at home.
what kind of a name is mei mei anyway??
Posted by: Suz | October 02, 2004 at 02:50 PM