Call me old-fashioned but...Destination unknown
‘Tis the season NOT to be jolly (well,
unless of course you feel so inclined), but
rather to hit the road, set up shop in a summertime
soiree resort, or leave on a jet
plane to some exotic destination. The solstice
is fast approaching, and so it only
seemed natural to write about the typical
itinerary that year after year seems to
accompany said weather. If you catch my
drift, I'm referring to the long pined-for
summer vacation.
After a hard go at school or full-time work, once the birds start their chirping, and the flowers begin to bloom, we all get that feeling - that feverish desire to construct one's days entirely around basking in the sunlight. Spring and summer are after all generative times — the seasons of rebirth — so this desire to explore new terrain, a “summer fling” if you will (vacation and otherwise), is only natural. But the problem, however, is how “contemporary tourism” is done.
While I hate to stereotype, there's something to be said about how our friends from down south, in particular, do the whole “let's visit a foreign country” thing. Last June while I was on vacay in Athens, checking out the one and only Acropolis (undoubtedly one of the most amazing sites one can ever hope to experience in the flesh in terms of witnessing monumental history), is unequivocally where I encountered the worst of the “contemporary tourist” offenses I can imagine.
As I was coming down the peak toward ground level, I heard two Americans behind me quibbling back and forth, stating how they didn't get the “big deal” associated with this place. It was, according to one of them, and I quote, “just a bunch of rocks.” So here I am, a diehard fanatic of all things ancient Greek and Roman, experiencing absolute euphoria because I just got the opportunity to view a part of history in person that I only fantasized about every time I read my textbooks, having to overhear blatant ignorance and a lack of appreciation for the history and longstanding impact with which this place was and continues to be associated. Suffice it to say, it was harder than you can imagine for me to keep my mouth shut.
But even in more mundane circumstances, it seems tourism has gone all wrong. We stay at five-star resorts just to sun our buns and get drunk in the hotels' pools with their built-in bars. We order burgers and fries, instead of daring to give a “taste-test” to the local ethnic cuisine. We go on organized adventure tours with fellow wayfarers, rather than interact with the locals. We relegate ourselves to the upscale “touristy” parts of town, instead of getting in with the “nitty gritty.”
Despite the fact that their impulse to travel was almost exclusively fuelled by imperialistic aspirations, the globe-trotters of the past KNEW how to truly “discover” somewhere. In fact, gents like Alexander the Great (well, maybe not so great) took to immersing himself in the “strange and new” cultures of the places he travelled to such an extent he began to adopt their dress, along with some of their customs (something that didn't fare well with his military, but that's a whole other story in itself).
The point, my dears, is that if you are lucky enough in the first place to be able to jet-set around this fine planet of ours, you should embrace every moment for its full potential. It's rather ethnocentric to desire to lead the same kind of life one does back home in Canada, while stationed in a villa in the Costa Rican rainforest.
For those of you looking for a form of tourism that's even more rewarding personally and as a bonus assists in alleviating social issues, consider going on a “volunteer vacation.” From planting trees in areas plagued with environmental degradation, to teaching English as a second language, to assisting with wildlife conservation, not only can you get a taste for the “true” culture of a people and a land (not just the superficial nicely packaged tourist version), but you can do the world some good. Hats off to ya sailors! Land ho!
So maybe you can't travel...but why not be in a music video instead?
Rose needs extras for her upcoming video project - slated for worldwide release.
HER Records is asking for public assistance for crowd shots on an upcoming music video production planned for filming in downtown London on the afternoons of Thursday, May 27, 2010 and Friday, May 28, 2010. The criteria for extras are as follows:
* Males/Females
* Aged 21-35
* No acting experience necessary
* 4-6 hours of filming required EACH day
* Day 1: Casual concert going wardrobe, Day 2: business casual attire required (NO logos of any sort)
* Must provide own means of getting to each location (two locations in total, one per day)
In appreciation for your efforts, food and nonalcoholic drinks will be provided. If interested in participating please send a recent photo to rose_cora_perry@hotmail.com
*Please note that the video deals with political subject matter. *
After a hard go at school or full-time work, once the birds start their chirping, and the flowers begin to bloom, we all get that feeling - that feverish desire to construct one's days entirely around basking in the sunlight. Spring and summer are after all generative times — the seasons of rebirth — so this desire to explore new terrain, a “summer fling” if you will (vacation and otherwise), is only natural. But the problem, however, is how “contemporary tourism” is done.
While I hate to stereotype, there's something to be said about how our friends from down south, in particular, do the whole “let's visit a foreign country” thing. Last June while I was on vacay in Athens, checking out the one and only Acropolis (undoubtedly one of the most amazing sites one can ever hope to experience in the flesh in terms of witnessing monumental history), is unequivocally where I encountered the worst of the “contemporary tourist” offenses I can imagine.
As I was coming down the peak toward ground level, I heard two Americans behind me quibbling back and forth, stating how they didn't get the “big deal” associated with this place. It was, according to one of them, and I quote, “just a bunch of rocks.” So here I am, a diehard fanatic of all things ancient Greek and Roman, experiencing absolute euphoria because I just got the opportunity to view a part of history in person that I only fantasized about every time I read my textbooks, having to overhear blatant ignorance and a lack of appreciation for the history and longstanding impact with which this place was and continues to be associated. Suffice it to say, it was harder than you can imagine for me to keep my mouth shut.
But even in more mundane circumstances, it seems tourism has gone all wrong. We stay at five-star resorts just to sun our buns and get drunk in the hotels' pools with their built-in bars. We order burgers and fries, instead of daring to give a “taste-test” to the local ethnic cuisine. We go on organized adventure tours with fellow wayfarers, rather than interact with the locals. We relegate ourselves to the upscale “touristy” parts of town, instead of getting in with the “nitty gritty.”
Despite the fact that their impulse to travel was almost exclusively fuelled by imperialistic aspirations, the globe-trotters of the past KNEW how to truly “discover” somewhere. In fact, gents like Alexander the Great (well, maybe not so great) took to immersing himself in the “strange and new” cultures of the places he travelled to such an extent he began to adopt their dress, along with some of their customs (something that didn't fare well with his military, but that's a whole other story in itself).
The point, my dears, is that if you are lucky enough in the first place to be able to jet-set around this fine planet of ours, you should embrace every moment for its full potential. It's rather ethnocentric to desire to lead the same kind of life one does back home in Canada, while stationed in a villa in the Costa Rican rainforest.
For those of you looking for a form of tourism that's even more rewarding personally and as a bonus assists in alleviating social issues, consider going on a “volunteer vacation.” From planting trees in areas plagued with environmental degradation, to teaching English as a second language, to assisting with wildlife conservation, not only can you get a taste for the “true” culture of a people and a land (not just the superficial nicely packaged tourist version), but you can do the world some good. Hats off to ya sailors! Land ho!
So maybe you can't travel...but why not be in a music video instead?
Rose needs extras for her upcoming video project - slated for worldwide release.
HER Records is asking for public assistance for crowd shots on an upcoming music video production planned for filming in downtown London on the afternoons of Thursday, May 27, 2010 and Friday, May 28, 2010. The criteria for extras are as follows:
* Males/Females
* Aged 21-35
* No acting experience necessary
* 4-6 hours of filming required EACH day
* Day 1: Casual concert going wardrobe, Day 2: business casual attire required (NO logos of any sort)
* Must provide own means of getting to each location (two locations in total, one per day)
In appreciation for your efforts, food and nonalcoholic drinks will be provided. If interested in participating please send a recent photo to rose_cora_perry@hotmail.com
*Please note that the video deals with political subject matter. *
