Dirt Roads, and Wooden Houses

               I’ve always envied white kids. They are born socially privileged into fully developed countries.
They have access to all sorts of technology, food, resources that we third culture kids or kids of colour
don’t have. As an Asian kid, it’s difficult when seeing a fully developed country while travelling, while
your country still has dirt roads and wooden houses with thatched roofs. But sometimes, those dirt
roads and wooden houses may hold more value than skyscrapers and large buildings. That was
something I learnt from witnessing and experiencing two completely different cultures.
               When I went to the US, I loved it. It felt so different and better and advanced than everything
in Thailand. I experienced a new way of living for a while, as well as tried different western
delicacies. However, as an Asian in the US, some people didn’t treat us very well. I felt weird that we
don’t discriminate against white people when they come to Thailand, but they look down upon us
when we visit their country. Why was this so? Just because we were Asian doesn’t mean we deserved
worse treatment. That made me ashamed of being Asian and not being born in a country like the US,
because they were born with so much more privilege. Ten-year old me no longer liked being Asian or
living in a third culture country.
               However, a few months later, I went to Vietnam. I was not excited to go there at all because it
was so close to our country that it wasn’t going to feel like a vacation. And as expected, when I got
there, nothing was different from the lifestyle I usually have. Although, as opposed to Thailand,
Vietnam had even more wooden houses and dirt roads. Then, I went to a temple, and I felt really
educated by all the rich history and culture in just one small building. That made me realize that
although dirt roads and wooden houses really aren’t visually appealing, they show the rich culture in
our third world countries.
               That experience made me see the difference between two cultures, but most importantly, it
showed me that there’s nothing wrong with being Asian, or being in a less privileged race, or not being
in an extremely developed country. Sure, skyscrapers and tall buildings and shopping malls are great,
but we don’t need that because wooden houses and dirt roads may very well be the pride and joy of
our people. The roads we built to survive, roads that we paved ourselves, houses that we built with
our bare hands. The houses of our ancestors, the houses that hold the culture and history of our
country. Now, I longer envy white kids, because I am proud of my cultural identity and to be born in a
place with such deep and rich culture and history.