Attention! I was very lucky to have THE REAL YES DUFFY E-MAIL ME. He sent me some great photos, and told me I could post them on this site!!!!!! I think that is tha coolest thing that has ever happend to me!
Yes Duffy
Age: 20
Nationality: Thai/Italian/Irish.
Major: Architecture, minor Structural Engineering.
Yes Duffy A.K.A "Smooth Operator" Half-Caucasian, half-Thai, Yes was raised by his mother, who was a stripper in the San Francisco area, and later formed a workers' alliance for strippers. His passion is graffiti art. Yes, 20 years old, has a tendency to question authority, but respects private property. He also plays saxophone in a ska-band. Fiercely independent, he has trouble relying upon others. He currently has a girlfriend(Damn!), but she plans to leave to study abroad in Spain
Here is a short writing by Yes:
Earlier this year I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to circle the globe on a cruise ship for three months. We stopped in 10 different countries, and stayed for about four days in each port. I fell in love with international travel and I just can't stop moving. I love meeting new people, and discovering new cultures. I have learned so much about myself, and others, and even ideas that I have subconsciously inherited still continue to surface unexpectedly.
I feel that this is a time in my life when I can most afford to take risks, and learn as much as I can about other communities around the world. As students in our early twenties with no responsibilities other than school, this has become the perfect opportunity for us to really reach out beyond our comfort zones, and learn as much as we can about the rest of the world in which we live. We can set aside our self-centered American values, do away with our TVs and cell phones, and for a moment, take part in the completely different lifestyles of communities around the world. Our futures are the most shapeable right now, and it's important to take in as much as I can right now, so that I can make good choices in the future as to what I want to do, and where I want to be.
For about six years now, I have wanted to work abroad, in third world communities, doing some sort of international relief. Whether it be Peace Corps, Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, or UN High Commission for Refugees, I know I will be somewhere out there, working for people who don't have as much opportunity as us Americans. I won't be building mansions for rich CEOs, or designing new shopping malls for American consumers. I'll be in the places where they NEED architects. It could be designing low-income housing in India, or designing safe refugee camps in Africa, the list is endless. As for me, I feel the compelling responsibility to give back to the community; to help those who do not have the opportunity to go to school because they have to work to buy food; to help those who are forced to live in poor conditions; and to take advantage of the opportunities that I have been given as an American, and not just waste it all on myself.
My reasons for travel are endless...but I've included a quick, old rough draft essay, which explains a little more about myself. Also, I am including an email I wrote from Vietnam when travelling around the world...Hopefully you'll enjoy reading them, and I would love to hear any comments you might have...(I just hope my English teacher doesn't read these:).
No Title
By Yes
My mother grew up in the countryside of Thailand. I asked her if she was poor when she lived in there and with her head held high, she replied: "As long as we had food in our stomachs, we were not poor." Once I asked my Thai grandmother for a signature and with a smile, I received a wrinkly thumbprint. Illiterate, like thousands of other people in developing co untries, she cannot even write her own name. She too, was not "poor".
As an American, it is somewhat confusing to try to understand that in many countries within the developing world, one is not "poor" as long as they can feed their family. Having been immersed in a self-centered nation of extreme wealth, opportunity and power, it is my hope that foreign travel will further test my American values as well as my morals on an international scale. I believe that even a glance through the eyes of another culture may question the very foundations of what I have been taught for the last 18 years.
As a child, I cried when I didn't get a Nintendo for Christmas. I had to settle for Powerwheels. While I threw out most of my lunch in school because I didn't like egg salad or tuna, thousands died of hunger and malnutrition in Ethiopia and Sudan. "If they're dying and hungry over there then send my food over there", I sarcastically and selfishly used to reply. It seems that I, like many others in this world, have grown up numb to the natural human instincts of sincerely caring about other humans--even though they may live somewhere else, and I may only see them on my large-screen TV in the news. Growing up in an "American bubble" has distorted my perceptions of what true generosity, caring and kindness entail, and for me to stay here without taking part in other cultures around the world would be a truly selfish and close-minded choice.
So the essay question is "What could I gain from international travel and cultural study?" The real trivia seems "What can't I gain?"
If I continue to go to "The School of American Culture", pursuing the all-too-popular degree of selfishness, greed, and self-centered survival, I might just have to go buy a new stereo, a BMW, a cell phone, and a different pair of $150 Nikes for each day at the office. -----And then after that, maybe I can call my brother in Thailand and thank him for gluing the soles on all my new shoes.
(It's true, he works 6 days a week, making about $60 a month, gluing soles on Nikes)
Here are a few entries from his journal:
February 20th, 2000
OK, I know it’s been awhile since I’ve contributed, but I guess I should explain my 30 day absence from the trip.....
I arrived in Vietnam Dec 25th, ready for an adventure of a lifetime. On Dec. 30th, I wandered the streets of Hanoi, trying to recruit some new friends to come to Kat Ba island with us for New Year’s. I stumbled across an email cafe and decidedly to quickly check my email. The third email was from my good friend Anne. The subject said SORRY. I continued to read it and I read “Our good friend Jean Bouchard died yesterday in a car accident...I am so sorry.” Breathless, I felt like I was struck by lightning...I froze up, couldn’t say a word. Guy put his arm around me and I lost it. Tears ran down my face as I struggled for each breath. I immediately lost all desire to be away from home. I tried to act normal, and go about the rest of my day as I had intended. It barely worked. I turned completely numb, like a zombie, blocking out all emotion possible. Luckily my friend Anne was able to call me and talk a couple days later.
I quickly went to an internet cafe and searched for airplane tickets for hours. After a long while, and a whole lot of luck, I found something. I wasn’t too concerned with money becasue I just won a good amount from the Real World Challenge...and I definitely don’t mind spending it to go see my friends and family, and Jean’s family. I left one day later, on a 5 plane, 35 hour trip back to Rhode Island. I had just eaten breakfast with Jean only 10 days before.
My friends picked me up at the airport, and we went straight to Jean’s parent’s house. I was still in a complete daze, not fully comprehending what had just happened. I stayed at Jean’s apartment for 3 weeks. His house is filled with photos of him and his room is the same way he left it. We all got together to share stories of him, and remember all of the great moments we were able to share with him. There’s no way we will ever forget that kid....He’s impacted our lives way too much. He’s definitely the shit. I’ve never had someone so close to me die so tragically, and I hope it never happens again. I still can’t believe he’s dead....I love that kid with all my heart.
February 20th, 2000
Right now I'm on lunch break from getting certified to be a scuba diver. It takes four days, and we get to go down to 60 feet. It'll be amazing! I'm in Ko Tao, one of the most beautifullest places I've ever been. Our bungalows are not accessible by road, we need to take a small boat. If you miis the taxi boat, you can just flag down one of the local fisherman to bring you to town...they really don't mind. THere are beautiful coral reefs everywhere, and big fish swimming all around you. The sunsets are phenomenal, and the food is the bomb shit. We pay about 5 bucks a night to stay on the beach, althogh there is no power for the majority of the day. We only get generator power from 6pm until 10pm. THen it's lights out, time to light some candles. LIving out in the jungle invites a lot of bugs though.....We found two trantula sized spiders in Teddy's bungalow, one right near his head. They were beautiful but huge.
I fell on some coral yesterday when we were jumping off the rocks and cut my hand....blood everywhere, but not a big cut at all. I can still dive today. We will be leaving here when I get certified in a few days, and then we trek north to Chaing Mai to go on a 3 day elephant trek and river rafting trip in the mountains. That should be cool.
February 13th, 2000 - Lost in the Countryside of Thailand
I've had a lot happen since I last wrote.....We went to the waterfalls... but then mom and everyone went to Bangkok to meet Victoria, and then go to the village. She gave us directions to the village...how to get there by bus, and wrote it all down for Teddy. We stayed at the waterfalls for a few more days, and then went off to go on a day long ride of many buses and trucks and shit. About 6 hours into the ride, (and 5 buses,) Teddy had to shit so bad that he left his journal with the directions to the village on the bus. THat left us stuck in the dark in some remote village in central Thailand with nowhere to go. After hanging out with the police for a few hours trying to explain what happened, a guy with a big ass bus offered to take us to a hotel for the night. OK, so we had a place to stay.....THe next morning we figured that we would try to go to the town that in close to the village and ask the police if they knew about any type of wedding or something. We also tried to call my thai bro at the nike factory...no good. We tried a bunch of different villages in the vicinity for about 10 hours yesterday, but no good. Now remember that these are countryside Thai people....very nice .....NO english. I took HOURS to explain our situation. Finally, Yesterday, after trying ALL day, they put us on a bus back to Bangkok, and here we are. No family, no wedding, no monk ceremony, no village. Dirty ass Bangkok. I still don't know what my mom is up to, I emailed her, but there's no email in the village. so much for the last time I see my Thai family. SO much for a genuine cultural experience with people I know. I actually feel that I will never have that opportunity again. That sucks.
February 7th, 2000 - Arrival in Thailand
OK, so here I am in Thailand. Ready to get back on the road again. I met Ian and Guy at the Bangkok airport, and I've been ready to go for awhile.
Two days later....
Went hiking up waterfalls today. Backflips over the edge, I can't even describe how unreal it was. Miles and miles of waterfalls, little pools, waterslides, all in the jungle, just us. AMAZING. I'm sunburnt and sore. We stayed in a longhouse, that must have been 80 feet long, and 30 feet wide. Just us, 10 baht each...=30 cents a night!!!!!!!! BUT there's a catch....I FROZE all NIGHT, and it sucked!!! And then there was a group of Thai university students in the longhouse nextdoor, and we went over there and hung out with all of them all night......definitely the cool. I lost weight here, a whole lot, but I eat a lot. Soccer and breaking and trekking keeps me in shape. I could stay here for sooo long. Mom and everyone went to the village already, we'll meet them there in a few days. It's nomadic5 plus emma. Nomadic five and a half. with the girl. It's kinda funny.
...THings have ben soooo easy here, now that it's my second time. I can't even imagine how easy it would be to go back to all the countries I visited before....
Well, I should go, but I miss Barney's(french burger), Pasta Pom(Conchiglie Gorgonzola with chicken), Mario's burritos, and gringo nachos....Lafiesta and the Super Pollo asado with sour cream and guacamole. Blondie's pesto chicken special, and egg turkey and cheese crepes at crepe's a go go. and the coconut, strawberry, bannanna nutella crepes too! Shit, I would eat anything right now, I'm so hungry. Some things haven't changed.
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