Have passport, will travel

A milestone for myself, I've just applied for a passport online. Yes, I'm over 30 years old and haven't had a passport, which pretty much means that no, I haven't traveled out of the country... yet.

So why now? A friend of mine is scheduled to move to Hong Kong in a month and has invited me and another friend to stay with him there for the new year's celebration on January 1, 2011. Of course, to be able to take him up on his invitation, I would need to finally get myself a passport. So here I am, applying for one. Hopefully this will be nothing like my previous application which saw me line up for half a day only to be turned back because of some stupid clerical oversight. If this new application of mine turns out to be another dud, then I will take it as a sign that I'm never going to get a passport and will be happily content to stay put in this tiny archipelago that I call home.

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In a country where a great majority of the population have been brainwashed to believe that opportunities to a better life and career can only be found beyond our borders, the case of my not having a passport all these years has been the exception rather than the rule. Almost everyone is looking to go work, study or live in other countries, taking chances with language barriers, different cultures and beliefs, climate and food, because they believe that to be able to do so is a huge step towards getting the lifestyle that they deserve.

So don't I think that way as well? Not necessarily.

You could probably say that the main reason that I don't think that way is because I'm scared shitless of what's "out there". Sure I could be earning a ton of money operating a crane in some far away desert than doing what I'm doing here, but then I'm scared of scorpions and camels. I could be a nurse in some hospital earning by the hour and sending back thousands of dollars or euros back to the folks, but I would have to endure lonely days and nights and harsh climates. I could even be working on a cargo or cruise ship, finding myself in a new port each day, but I'm afraid of sharks and storms and pirates.

Instead, I chose the life I'm currently living, hot summers and an unbelievably humid rainy season. Working for scraps while braving endless red tape and long lines. Lagging in technology and innovation while watching reruns of western television shows and bored by unoriginal local movies and shows. This is the safe choice, where I know how to get around pitfalls while easily enduring the inconveniences of the third world.

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I realize, however, that there are a lot of things that I would like to see and experience outside of this country at least once in my lifetime:

1. Snow - yes, this is probably one of the most magical things in the world for anybody who has lived in a tropical country their whole lives. What does it taste like? How fast does it melt and is it squishy or brittle? And how much would it hurt if someone threw a snowball at me?

2. Squirrels and Chipmunks - how much cuter are they than the field and sewer rats? And are they edible?

3. An Aurora Borealis (or their Southern hemisphere equivalent)

4. Disneyland - I'm particularly interested in seeing Ariel of "The Little Mermaid" in person, perhaps a little cleavage action would be nice, too.

5. A Bullfight - Putting on that silly hat and getting to within inches of a rampaging bull, really? That is just reckless and insane. Why can't these people play with their cocks as we do here?

6. All 7 man-made wonders - because taking my picture in front of these would look really impressive on a facebook page.

7. Mardi Gras - topless women. 'Nuff said.

8. The North Pole - cause Santa's got a lot of explaining to do.

Well of course there's more, but I guess these are what easily comes to mind. Hopefully I'd be able to get to see some of these until my near-future passport expires. Until then, I guess I'm pretty much stuck here.