The vulnerable observer

I’ve only been in Vietnam for a little over a week and I am ashamed to say that I already find myself getting quickly habituated. I no longer find myself giving a second thought to things that I previously thought were unusual. Crossing the street into continuous traffic? No big deal. Inhaling the equivalent of probably about 2 packs of cigarettes per day in second-hand smoke and exhaust? Pretty standard. Animal organs in bowls on the street? Been there, done that.

Does this mean I’m just not very affected by my surroundings? Or maybe I’m just not a very well-thought person. Or maybe just easily-habituated. Or something else I haven’t thought of?

This feels like blasphemy to write, but I think the more likely answer is that life here really just isn’t that bad. Or, more optimistically, maybe mankind is much more resilient than I like to believe.