No matter how much you’d like to selfishly keep good places from changing, development in the name of progress is inevitable. With growth and the popularizing of travel comes the stampede of crowded tourist buses, over-worn backpacker routes, souvenir shops clamoring for the sell and then comes the irritating habits of tourists…
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What photos have the most meaning for you and does having your picture taken, have meaning for you?
I was wandering through the town when a moustached Indian gent recognized the camera strapped around my neck. He wanted me to take a picture of him in front of the town’s central bathing ghat, so I did.
He wasn’t a local resident of this town but made a special pilgrimage to visit and pay his devotion to the temple.
“Very handsome. You have very strong eyes.” I said, showing him his picture, watching his stern face transform into a smile. Seeing people’s’ faces light up, when they see their faces on the camera viewfinder gives me such a kick!
“Strong”, he repeated with pride.
He called the rest of his tribe to get their photos taken too. Before I knew it, I had become the family portrait photographer. (more…)
Finally, travel with a purpose. Today, I started my yoga teacher training classes!
Whether to take yoga and meditation classes, Ayurvedic or Tibetan Buddhist studies, for volunteer work… or on pilgrimage to meet his Holiness, the Dalai Lama! For the past week I’ve been in Dharamsala– I went hiking, learned to cook Tibetan food, met people, explored the Dalai Lama’s temple, etc…; but yesterday, I finally got to drop my bags!
I have my own “apartment”.
For the next month of my Yoga Teacher Training Certification program, I’ll be at the Sidarth House. I’ll have a room with a mini kitchen, a spacious bedroom with a TV, closet and dressers and an outdoor balcony. I’m just below the yoga shala and in the company of the folk I’ll be training with.
It’s quite a swank pad, especially for lodgings in India!
Last week, expat Laura of Gringation Cancun wrote an article titled, The Ugly Americans, airing out her annoyances with encountering America-bashing in her adopted residence of Mexico. What surprised me, wasn’t only Laura’s encounters of callous and hypocritical American stereotypes abroad (and her decent way of handling critique), but the fact her “Ugly American” outrage mirrored my own, this past trip to Laos.
In the travel world, stereotypes exist. I get it.
The Spanish and French are an easy-going crew, the Japanese are shy but snap-happy photographers and Germans, are supposedly the worst complainers of the tourist bunch. Sometimes these stereotypes are all playful jest among globe-trotters; but sometimes, it’s as offensive as a slap in the face.
Ironically, the insensitive America-bashing didn’t come from my encounters with Laotians. Shockingly, it came from the criticisms of many fellow travelers, who were airing their “observations” about the overly cautious American travel style, our pushy domineering government, our heinous acts of war crime upon Laos and apparently,…everyone else.
For instance:
So what if Americans are overly cautious travelers?
Who cares if we practice religious health safety by going to the travel doctor and getting the “recommended” travel shots before leaving to travel?
Designers, fashionistas, models, wannabes … and me.
Sometimes finding your GRRR in traveling simply requires finding the energy and means to attend some of the more highly-publicized (and velvet-roped) events in your city. The second GRRR is finding a worthy cause, personal belief or positive inspiration to make it meaningful for you. Thanks to my good friend, Josh, animal-loving rogue host of The Discerning Brute (DBTV) (& taxi cab TV’s Fashion’s Night Out for Lord & Taylor VJ host), I got to lay my lens on the NYC Fashion Week’s Green Shows- to cover the hip new “green labels” hitting fashion runways.
Across the world, 884 million people do not have access to clean water and 2.5 billion do not have access to adequate sanitation. Sign ONE.org’s petition to pass the The Water for the World Act of 2009.
Full Story »The gift of giving and saving lives doesn’t always need to be monetary or achieved through great acts. Sometimes, it just takes “a thought” or “the smallest effort of creating time” out of your crazy life to let another person be of concern to you.
Today I received an email from Theo, a French expat who’s made his home in Kathmandu and whom I met during my time in Chobhar Village, Nepal. Theo is a philanthropist responsible for a handful of humanitarian efforts that’s aided villagers towards health, better living conditions and financial recovery.
Today, Theo was asking for advice/ideas for a specific concern and one child in particular.
Full Story »
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