I wouldn't say it's normal behavior in the US, but it certainly is more common than what you have probably seen in American tourists in SEA. As far as being "upfront", there is that stereotype compared to some other cultures. In his case though he was just being a dick.

I think OP was saying that traveling opens your mind to new thoughts, not that people don't travel because their thinking is limited.

What is wrong with the mp3 players you're finding on Amazon? What do you mean by something better? What are you trying to get, and what are you trying to avoid?

To me, it's similar to physical books. Yes I could read a book on my phone, and sometimes I do. But there are times and situations where I prefer the original, whether for functionality or just aesthetics.

GW-5610 I bought secondhand for ~$80 and added an aftermarket stainless steel bezel. Uses multiband6 and solar. It's been a fantastic bulletproof watch for the past ~4 years of near daily wear (I like watches so I wear something else if I'm in a particular mood).

Methane is bad, but CO2 is more prevelant and lasts longer. Of all greenhouse gases, curbing CO2 should be the number one priority as its effects last much longer.

We just used to crush up smartees(US) in the wrapper, and pretend it was a joint. The puff of dust was always a nice touch.

-"Kids, don't huff paint!" -"Holy shit, you can huff paint?" -my DARE experience in a nutshell

Yeah, we'd mix it with kool-aid powder and call it diet coke. We were dumb.