Empowering Positve Change in South East Asia

Phase I

Ever since I moved in the outside hallway of the third floor of my building has been a storage area for what appeared to be unwanted junk. During one of my latest home improvement sessions I set my eye on some old bed framing that I turned into a shoe rack and a laundry holder. As I was collecting the stuff from the hallway one of my neighbors passed through. I really did not think anything about it as I had asked around and was assured that anything in the hallway was public domain. The next day to my surprise I returned from class to find the hallway thoroughly cleaned out. For the first time since my arrival I was able to see the walls of the hallway. Either word got around that the foreigner is a thief and you better get your stuff in if you want to keep it, or word got around that scavenging was allowed so help yourself. Either way the third floor hallway no longer looks like a junkyard.

Phase II

The campus cafeteria where I now find myself eating several times a week is one of three cafeterias on campus and is the one where many minority students eat. The food there is pretty good and everything is not fried in lard. On my second trip there I noticed two students in the back eating with a spoon instead of chopsticks. Then and there I decided to implement my chopstick eradication program. I now carry my own spoon to the cafeteria every time I eat there and salute others who participate in the chopstick rebellion of 2009. It is amazing the trends that just a little bit of encouragement from the cool foreign guy can start. I just returned from supper and I noted more spoons than sticks. Any of you with an entrepreneurial spirit might want to get into the flatware business. There are billions of Asians who will need adequate utensils once they forsake the chopstick.

? of the day for a silver spoon in your mouth, have you ever set a trend?