Friday, January 05, 2007

Salaam!

Three guesses where I am? Hmm, I think those not blessed with the psychic gift will need more like 20 guesses. It’s about 1:30 am and I’m sitting on Doha International Airport. That’s in Qatar for those not in the geography-loop, which is quite near Dubai on the Arabian Peninsula, sort of.

I’m on my way back to Vietnam to continue the proletariat task of making a living by actually earning money myself, how working-class *yawn*. I hope everyone had as awesome a holiday as I did with lots of those yummy holiday munchies lining their stomachs. Despite all the sadness and misgivings of leaving loved ones behind again and returning to this tantalising, intriguing country which is Vietnam, I am glad in my heart. A kind of contentment as to what the future can hold has been bestowed upon me as if to say: “There, taste it, that’s what it’s like, now go out and fetch it.”

I feel this last year I’ve grown not in physical stature, except if you count the rotund Friar Tuck holiday-belly I’ve delicately developed, but in, I cringe to say it, an emotional way. It’s easy to palm it off as something that just happens as you get older, but I think it’s more than that – I now actually understand what people mean when they talk about life experience. It really does effect your mental state, absorbing new cultures and experiences and I think the Vietnamese have facilitated in this burgeoning enlightenment inside me. Damn Buddhists, you gotta love ‘em. Then again, many of my friends and family have equally contributed to this process, although some of my friends tried extremely hard to take me three steps backward along this process with them on New Year's Eve.

No, I haven’t turned into some new-age hippy or a positivist philospher or some shit like that, I’m just being realistic. It’s there – a tangible future that you can shape for yourself. Moulding your own life and letting others help you mould it. Actually, I just think it’s my sparkly new LG S1 Express Dual Notebook that’s making me happy. It’s so rad. It’s got like a little fingerprint security thingy so no-one else can use it (unless they shave off my fingertips ala Seven). Gadgets. You gotta love ‘em nearly as much as Buddhists.

Well I’m stuck in this damn desert oasis until 9 pm tonight, which is like another 18 hours away so I might ramble a bit more later…Salaam alaikum as they say in this part of the world…wish they'd actually let me out of the airport so I can go explore it...

9 comments:

Unknown said...

Henno, glad to hear you are on your way back.


Call me when you aren't too tired for a drink for 5.

Anonymous said...

Ag burg, sounds fun. Can't believe our holidays went by so quickly, I have so much shit to cram into the last couple of days! Anyway dude, safe trip.

henno said...

Yeah, so short, so short. Now my damn flight's delayed for nearly an hour, will it ever end!?

arcadia said...

hello! gelukkige nuwe jaar! darem al tuis teen die tyd?

henno said...

Haai, ja finally terug by my tweede tuiste! Ek gaan nou slaap vir dood :)

mich said...

jy slaap seker nog..hehe.
ja, mens word mooi groot - veral as jy in 'n 'vreemde' plek gelos word.
bly jy het ook jou vakansie geniet. ek hoor jy het vir alet ook onthaal..hoop nie sy is deel van sekere vriende wat jou in die verderf probeer lei het oor Oujaar nie ;) ai, alet.
tata!

henno said...

Wat het Alet vir jou gesê? Sy jok. Punt. Hah!

Anonymous said...

Daar sit ek toe doodonskuldig...drink 'n laaste amstel jenni op terrace se stoep...'n mojito in long street..eet 'n wafel (met BAIE roomys) saam milli by Inspirations...baai in die son op 'n wonderbaarlike windstil dag op Blouberg...verbrand my voetjies tot pienk geswelde poffertjies op Kampsbaai...toe ek skielik 'n pyn in my rug voel. En skielik maak alles sin toe ek op my eerste dag by die werk in Jozi die blog oopmaak en besef dis die mes van valse beskuldigings wat julle 2 (viljoen en menno) in my rug steeks wyl ek myself nie kan verdedig nie!! Skaam vir julle!! ;)

henno said...

Hahaha!! Ja sorry Delanie. Loser. Ek wil ook 'n Jenni from the block op Terrace se stoep drink!