June 27

I live in a country

Where the internet is unreliable

Where entire families sleep and live on the streets

And kids are bathed with a bucket in an alley

Where 40% of the population has lived in poverty for years

And corruption is strongly woven into the fabric of the government

And people will try almost anything to get a visa out

Where the US used to rule

And left a love for fast food, pop music, laws, and language

Where there are numerous malls with high end stores including the largest mall in Asia

Where I go dancing on Saturdays

But don’t walk around at night by myself

Where I can’t drink the water

Or run outside because of the most intense pollution I’ve ever experienced

Where there are some of the most beautiful beaches in the world

And some of the most remote islands

And some islands I can’t go to because of terrorism

It’s the first time I’ve ever been somewhere like this.