It’s been I don’t know how long since the last time I’ve seen my friends Matt and Haley. Actually I do, after writing that opening sentence, I went and checked my photo archives in Adobe Lightroom… good thing I keep meticulous tabs on all my images and tag people. February 17th, 2008, at hot pot, that was the last time I saw these two. Anyways, since then they’ve gone on a Eastern World tour. Making stops in Korea to teach English and as this post card suggest now in South East Asia in Laos, it’ll be fun to catch up with them… eventually I hope. I think of all of my friends from back home, we’d never putt Matt aka Commy on the traveling tip. This is the dude that hated camping yet some how found himself in a foreign land, halfway across the world. It would be nice to just fuck off from the Internet world and get lost somewhere.

I used to severely doubt the benefits of world travel and felt those that did it after school were just denying the inevitable of entering the real world. Yet time and time again, those who have come back after substantial travel seemed to always be changed… for the better. It’s a true eye-opener and sets the tone for the rest of your life in regards to how one approaches other people and other cultures as they gain the ability to frame things from different perspectives. Ideally, I’d say go experience a grip of cultures and pick and choose the best elements of each culture. Actually that philosophy can totally be applied throughout life. Just do whatever and take in as much… making mistakes gaining experience just builds that much stronger of a filter when shit goes good and bad.

Anyways, back to the post card, I transcribed it below… I’m pushing Havaianas HARD as we speak.

-Eugene

January 12, 2010

Dear Eugene,

As I sit here in the sleepy village of Muang Ngoi watching the villagers I can’t help but keep on the lookout for the next Hypebeast hat trend. And let me tell you what’s big here right now: flip flops. Fuck sneakers, flip flops are in my friend. Whether they’re washing clothes in the river, piloting a bamboo raft down that same river, worshipping Buddha, attending a tribal wedding or hiking up the side of a mountain that shit is done in flip flops. Flip flops are in and Hypebeast had better get on it. Also, those conical-shaped grass hats that you’d find Orientals wearing in a Tintin comic are quite popular amongst the older crowd. I’m not sure what your target audience is but they’re awesome, as I’m sure you can imagine. I did see a young Japanese fellow sporting one, although he may have been Korean, I’m not sure. I’m much better at spotting Korean women, ye-yeah-yeah. Anyway, if you have have any free time in the next few months you should consider meeting up with us somewhere. You could totally score local prices and not these B.S. foreigner prices, but only if you wear flip flops.

Matt + Haley

P.S.: There’s only 1600 elephants left in Laos, 560 of which work in the logging industry.