Asian nights
by Daniel Reid
I love the glow of Asian nights,
Streets ablaze in neon lights;
The heat and noise of throbbing crowds,
The swirling sea of gaudy sights.
I love the smell of Asian nights,
Kitchen smoke and pungent spice;
The mingled must of sweet and sour,
The heady scent of sweat and flowers.
I love the sound of Asian nights,
Temple bells and cocktail ice;
Shouting touts and chanting monks,
The siren song of tender vice.
I often dream of Asian nights,
With all her charms and soft delights;
If I could have one wish today,
I’d be in Asia’s arms tonight.
What do I love about Asia? Why do I have this strange connection with it? Ever since I met my first Asian man, his name was Kay, when i was 8 years old, at Joyce Connor's house, I've been enthralled with this culture. As I sit out in front of Bert's Music Cafe I ponder the Asian world.
Do I love Asia for it's rickety, exhausted scooters flying by? No, I don't think so. Is it the many colors and designs of face masks and moto helmets? Maybe. How about all the random noises of garbage trucks, Wa Guay Men at 7 AM and dogs barking outside of my window? No, definitely not. And it is certainly not the 90 degree humid weather at 8 AM!
It might possibly be all of this randomness mixed together with beautiful rice paddies, international friends, TAO temples, freedom, lack of enforced laws, intricate characters printed on everything. It also just might be my students and their passion of learning English and discovering culture, the tropical flowers and lush mountains. The conglomeration of all this randomness and the hoards of people packed in like sardines might be another reason why I love Asia. Whatever it is, I feel strong about it.
Something has been telling me ever since I got there that this is where I belong at the moment. That's why I made the decision to not go back to the States, why I took a trip to the Philippines and why I continue to make a way of life here.
I've also come to learn that I can always rely and know that change will always occur. I will keep my heart and my mind. But now, I need to go to work.
