2013 is still a long way away, but I think the EU will find that their preparations to aid the financially struggling in taking holidays will not only lead to greater cultural appreciation of Europe, but will lead to inspired, creative and inventive thinking in people who might not have had much exposure to different national environments before! I can just imagine a struggling couple realising that they can live their lives differently to everyone in their neighbourhood due to witnessing entire communities filled with interesting alternatives of doing every-day tasks, not to mention approaching the spiritual.
I hope this is the start of a world-wide trend, and in a few decades Europeans will be going to Asia, Africans will be going to Australia, and so on and so forth. There will be mandatory circulation of all peoples across on an intercontinental and cross-continental level. Travel writing traditions of all sorts will flourish as travel directly and indirectly informs all writers' narratives. There will be no 'global' anymore, only an increasing awareness of one local space in relation to another - a multiplicity of local(e)s. The travel industries will explode.
Okay, so maybe people in Africa are not likely to elect to travel before they can adequately feed themselves, but maybe the developed countries could lead the way, and the developing ones can join in when they're ready. If Europeans, North Americans, Japanese and Oceanians travel to developing countries more often, they will be more inspired to help those places out of their financial dead ends and into novel ways of reshaping their economy.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
How To Prepare So Thoroughly That Your Trip Will Be Totally Improvisational!
First of all, you can never plan ahead too much... Secondly, you can never trust your instincts and be open to possibilities enough...
These two are not mutually exclusive strategies but rather approaching the same "problem" from two different sides, and if both are done well, they feel like a natural extension of each other!
For example... I have roughly 3 days in Prague, the most heavily touristed capital of Eastern Europe. A Lonely Planet Encounter guide sparked my curiosity about its Communist history and Kafka's The Trial, so I started reading what is apparently Kafka's most famous work yesterday, and found a good book on the Velvet Revolution today. I would guess that I am now 350% more knowledgeable about Prague than I've ever been, even though I haven't finished either text, and there's actually a long way to go until I do. I'm pretty sure that Kafka is studied in detail in Czech high schools, and in even more detail in universities - after all, he's their most famous author! So not only does the work give me an insight into the mind of an articulate, moral and eminent figure, it allows me to better understand the average Czech person who regards Kafka as part of their literary heritage.
In the tiny Encounter book (which I am reading one month before I'm due to leave for Prague) I found out that Wenceslas Square had been a gathering place for dissidents, and still the Peter Sebesteyn history book gave me the details which gave rise to this generalisation, such as the supposed death of a maths student during an unorganic student protest has given me an entirely new reason to visit - details vivid and vague have captured my curiosity, so I am likely to delve into the subject until I can't delve anymore...
This is all great, but it's only a beginning; I want to memorise street names, bus numbers, opening hours, and all sorts of details which will help me create seamless transitions from one place to another. I want to know how to get from one place to another in the cheapest, quickest and most comfortable way, because if I don't focus on these things now, I'll be focusing on them when I get there, and the less I need to concern myself with practical details, the more I can drool over the architecture or watch the people as they stride past.
(The sort of practical details I listed just there can quickly become part of your conceptual knowledge. For instance, knowing what all the major tourist sights are, even if I have no intention of going to all of them, allows me to assess what kind of visitor comes to Prague, and will help me analyse every visitor I see with greater nuance.)
Some people may claim that it's dangerous to plan too far ahead, but all you are doing is increasing your awareness, not pinning yourself down. Just because you know a train is available, doesn't mean you're going to take it at any cost. It does, however, make you flexible and confident once you're there. Remember Foucault: Knowledge is Power!
Knowing that the buses are running until the early hours of the morning (in general) means that you can relax and talk to that friendly stranger at the bus stop for longer without worrying about being stranded far from your hotel. The hypothetical friendly stranger may then decide to show you a side of Prague that is not part of the Lonely Planet tourist itinerary, but is just as revealing, amazing and fun. The next day, you can hypothetically pick up where you left off, all the more awake to the beauties of the place.
Today I decided to dine in a restaurant that served Korean food, and had some lovely Japchae with Wagyu beef. It was the first time I tried this dish, but it won't be the last! Now, when I stop over in Seoul on my way to Prague, I know at least one dish that I can safely order without choking over the spiciness of its contents! (I want to like spicy food, but my system hasn't yet caught up with my mental openness to chili!) I guess I'm lucky that you can find just about any kind of cuisine in Sydney.
Perhaps best of all, I told my waitress that I was interested in all things Korean and she was kind enough to leave me her email, in case I had any questions. I told her I would think of some things to ask her, and look forward to learning about Korea from an insider.
As if on cue, Richard Florida published an article yesterday on Korea's prospects in the future, praising its innovative technology but pointing out that 40% of Koreans hadn't had a conversation with a foreigner in 2006, and the more lucrative it could make itself to foreign creative class members, the higher its levels of prosperity would reach. All of these things help me create a sense of place, for better or worse: it's something to approach the concept of Korea with, ready to be improved upon, or altogether transformed.
It's not often you fly from Seoul to Prague - though part of two prosperous regions which attract a lot of visitors, Seoul mainly attracts businessmen and Prague is not as popular as Berlin or Vienna (I think... wait, I'm assuming. Let me know if it's otherwise!). I'm enjoying the offbeat-ness of my itinerary. In fact, only Berlin will be a super-popular destination of the places I'm going to - Copenhagen, Helsingor, Malmo, Gothenburg, Stockholm and Uppsala are still not mainstream European destinations, although I hear they will attract their fair share of visitors, especially in the capital cities. One exception may be Roskilde, which I will be visiting during its eponymous Festival - seeing as this is the biggest musical festival in Northern Europe, I expect some version of 'a big crowd'. (Note to self: Get to the stage Robyn is playing at early!)
Anyway, I am doing less planning for Denmark and Sweden because I will be shown around by friendly locals, and being with them means bypassing all the typical tourist delays, mistakes and head-scratching. I do have vague back-up plans just in case something happens and they can't make it anymore, though.
I was a Girl Guide for a year or so, and the motto 'Be Prepared' - so rarely evoked is my GG membership in any context that I am surprising myself here - comes to mind... when you are as prepared as possible, being at your most open to improvisation is easiest to achieve. Sometimes planning for improvisation doesn't go all the way - being creative with options is far more effective when you have the knowledge to be resourceful with.
At any rate, no matter how little or much planning you have done, you may surprise yourself by how much you can learn about a place just by walking down a street or watching a group of people socialise with each other. In the event that I'm not as prepared as I'd like to be, I do my best to pay attention to everyone and everything, and hope I will get swept up in the magic (or self-perpetuating vibrancy, if you like) of the eyes of another waiting to be found by those that dare imagine its theoretical existence.
These two are not mutually exclusive strategies but rather approaching the same "problem" from two different sides, and if both are done well, they feel like a natural extension of each other!
For example... I have roughly 3 days in Prague, the most heavily touristed capital of Eastern Europe. A Lonely Planet Encounter guide sparked my curiosity about its Communist history and Kafka's The Trial, so I started reading what is apparently Kafka's most famous work yesterday, and found a good book on the Velvet Revolution today. I would guess that I am now 350% more knowledgeable about Prague than I've ever been, even though I haven't finished either text, and there's actually a long way to go until I do. I'm pretty sure that Kafka is studied in detail in Czech high schools, and in even more detail in universities - after all, he's their most famous author! So not only does the work give me an insight into the mind of an articulate, moral and eminent figure, it allows me to better understand the average Czech person who regards Kafka as part of their literary heritage.
In the tiny Encounter book (which I am reading one month before I'm due to leave for Prague) I found out that Wenceslas Square had been a gathering place for dissidents, and still the Peter Sebesteyn history book gave me the details which gave rise to this generalisation, such as the supposed death of a maths student during an unorganic student protest has given me an entirely new reason to visit - details vivid and vague have captured my curiosity, so I am likely to delve into the subject until I can't delve anymore...
This is all great, but it's only a beginning; I want to memorise street names, bus numbers, opening hours, and all sorts of details which will help me create seamless transitions from one place to another. I want to know how to get from one place to another in the cheapest, quickest and most comfortable way, because if I don't focus on these things now, I'll be focusing on them when I get there, and the less I need to concern myself with practical details, the more I can drool over the architecture or watch the people as they stride past.
(The sort of practical details I listed just there can quickly become part of your conceptual knowledge. For instance, knowing what all the major tourist sights are, even if I have no intention of going to all of them, allows me to assess what kind of visitor comes to Prague, and will help me analyse every visitor I see with greater nuance.)
Some people may claim that it's dangerous to plan too far ahead, but all you are doing is increasing your awareness, not pinning yourself down. Just because you know a train is available, doesn't mean you're going to take it at any cost. It does, however, make you flexible and confident once you're there. Remember Foucault: Knowledge is Power!
Knowing that the buses are running until the early hours of the morning (in general) means that you can relax and talk to that friendly stranger at the bus stop for longer without worrying about being stranded far from your hotel. The hypothetical friendly stranger may then decide to show you a side of Prague that is not part of the Lonely Planet tourist itinerary, but is just as revealing, amazing and fun. The next day, you can hypothetically pick up where you left off, all the more awake to the beauties of the place.
Today I decided to dine in a restaurant that served Korean food, and had some lovely Japchae with Wagyu beef. It was the first time I tried this dish, but it won't be the last! Now, when I stop over in Seoul on my way to Prague, I know at least one dish that I can safely order without choking over the spiciness of its contents! (I want to like spicy food, but my system hasn't yet caught up with my mental openness to chili!) I guess I'm lucky that you can find just about any kind of cuisine in Sydney.
Perhaps best of all, I told my waitress that I was interested in all things Korean and she was kind enough to leave me her email, in case I had any questions. I told her I would think of some things to ask her, and look forward to learning about Korea from an insider.
As if on cue, Richard Florida published an article yesterday on Korea's prospects in the future, praising its innovative technology but pointing out that 40% of Koreans hadn't had a conversation with a foreigner in 2006, and the more lucrative it could make itself to foreign creative class members, the higher its levels of prosperity would reach. All of these things help me create a sense of place, for better or worse: it's something to approach the concept of Korea with, ready to be improved upon, or altogether transformed.
It's not often you fly from Seoul to Prague - though part of two prosperous regions which attract a lot of visitors, Seoul mainly attracts businessmen and Prague is not as popular as Berlin or Vienna (I think... wait, I'm assuming. Let me know if it's otherwise!). I'm enjoying the offbeat-ness of my itinerary. In fact, only Berlin will be a super-popular destination of the places I'm going to - Copenhagen, Helsingor, Malmo, Gothenburg, Stockholm and Uppsala are still not mainstream European destinations, although I hear they will attract their fair share of visitors, especially in the capital cities. One exception may be Roskilde, which I will be visiting during its eponymous Festival - seeing as this is the biggest musical festival in Northern Europe, I expect some version of 'a big crowd'. (Note to self: Get to the stage Robyn is playing at early!)
Anyway, I am doing less planning for Denmark and Sweden because I will be shown around by friendly locals, and being with them means bypassing all the typical tourist delays, mistakes and head-scratching. I do have vague back-up plans just in case something happens and they can't make it anymore, though.
I was a Girl Guide for a year or so, and the motto 'Be Prepared' - so rarely evoked is my GG membership in any context that I am surprising myself here - comes to mind... when you are as prepared as possible, being at your most open to improvisation is easiest to achieve. Sometimes planning for improvisation doesn't go all the way - being creative with options is far more effective when you have the knowledge to be resourceful with.
At any rate, no matter how little or much planning you have done, you may surprise yourself by how much you can learn about a place just by walking down a street or watching a group of people socialise with each other. In the event that I'm not as prepared as I'd like to be, I do my best to pay attention to everyone and everything, and hope I will get swept up in the magic (or self-perpetuating vibrancy, if you like) of the eyes of another waiting to be found by those that dare imagine its theoretical existence.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Say Ciao To Calcata!
Over the past few years I have poured a lot of passion into discovering
hotspots of artistic innovation around the globe. I've almost always
been a city dweller, but a nine-month period in a university village in
California saw me appreciate smaller communities and made me realise
that a place didn't have to be conservative and small-minded just
because it didn't fit into the city mould.
It was with a great deal of interest that I went about learning about progressive small towns - the ones I immediately think of are Santa Cruz & Berkeley in California, Boulder in Colorado, Brighton in the UK, Sitges in Spain and Byron Bay & Lismore in Australia. I have only visited the Cali towns (briefly), plus Byron Bay... I don't think driving through Lismore really counts. The odd place out is Nimbin, Australia, an art-obsessed village where marijuana may as well be legal (just don't smoke it in front of the police, the locals will tell you).
I treasured the discovery of each of these, opening as they have, new worlds of possibility over the years. For as much as I love cities, the prospect of the laid-back atmosphere and friendly vibes, a small, familiar and walkable locus... these things animate and soothe me in equal turns, an alternate and just as interesting mode of living. (It was no surprise that, longing for some peace of mind, I found myself gravitating to small towns throughout my trips in Thailand... alas, there is no 'bohemian paradise' (that I know of) in the Land of Smiles, so I made do with other attractions.)
It is my pleasure to have learned of a village in Italy, not far from Rome, which is almost exclusively inhabited by creative, unconventional types, today. You can read about it by the travel writer who put it on the international version of the Italian map, David Farley, here. I then recommend reading his story of how the article he wrote for the New York Times impacted Calcata, and his relationship with it here.
Calcata is so emerging a tourist attraction that it is not yet in Lonely Planet, but tourists are starting to drip in, and next time I find myself in Italy, it will be one of my #1 attractions... who knows, maybe I'll find a postmodern eccentric or two to hang out with! ;oD
It was with a great deal of interest that I went about learning about progressive small towns - the ones I immediately think of are Santa Cruz & Berkeley in California, Boulder in Colorado, Brighton in the UK, Sitges in Spain and Byron Bay & Lismore in Australia. I have only visited the Cali towns (briefly), plus Byron Bay... I don't think driving through Lismore really counts. The odd place out is Nimbin, Australia, an art-obsessed village where marijuana may as well be legal (just don't smoke it in front of the police, the locals will tell you).
I treasured the discovery of each of these, opening as they have, new worlds of possibility over the years. For as much as I love cities, the prospect of the laid-back atmosphere and friendly vibes, a small, familiar and walkable locus... these things animate and soothe me in equal turns, an alternate and just as interesting mode of living. (It was no surprise that, longing for some peace of mind, I found myself gravitating to small towns throughout my trips in Thailand... alas, there is no 'bohemian paradise' (that I know of) in the Land of Smiles, so I made do with other attractions.)
It is my pleasure to have learned of a village in Italy, not far from Rome, which is almost exclusively inhabited by creative, unconventional types, today. You can read about it by the travel writer who put it on the international version of the Italian map, David Farley, here. I then recommend reading his story of how the article he wrote for the New York Times impacted Calcata, and his relationship with it here.
Calcata is so emerging a tourist attraction that it is not yet in Lonely Planet, but tourists are starting to drip in, and next time I find myself in Italy, it will be one of my #1 attractions... who knows, maybe I'll find a postmodern eccentric or two to hang out with! ;oD
Friday, May 14, 2010
Have You Noticed We Seem To Have A Global Obsession With Paris?
I have read the phrase "_________ is the Paris of the __(insert non-European continent or non-French European region)__" so many times, that I feel it's time to write about it...
Why has Paris made such a big impression? There's Shanghai, the Paris of the Orient, Buenos Aires, the Paris of South America, Beirut (Lebanon), Paris of the Middle East, New Orleans, Paris of the USA, Plovdiv (Bulgaria), the Paris of the Balkans, Riga (Latvia), Paris of the Baltics... and that's just the ones I've heard of!
Is it because Paris is one of those cities that almost every well-travelled person has been to? People from all over the world make it their top priority to visit 'The City of Lights', making it one of the most popular destination in the world. Paris' reputation as one of the most influential cities in the world due to its cultural, historical, economic and political power is then reinforced, so perhaps it's not surprising that it informs how people theorise about their local regions to such an extent.
I do think people shouldn't automatically flock to Paris and select more challenging locations in general... maybe them we would have an abundance of creative comparisons! I want to see 'Vancouver is the Sydney of Canada' or 'Phnom Penh is the Sofia of Asia'!
Perhaps this obsession with Parisian qualities also come from the Eurocentric/Anglophone bias of travel writers? After all, I've never heard of someone deem Paris the Beirut of Europe... What do you think? What other interesting travel comparisons have you come across, and have you made any original ones of your own?
Why has Paris made such a big impression? There's Shanghai, the Paris of the Orient, Buenos Aires, the Paris of South America, Beirut (Lebanon), Paris of the Middle East, New Orleans, Paris of the USA, Plovdiv (Bulgaria), the Paris of the Balkans, Riga (Latvia), Paris of the Baltics... and that's just the ones I've heard of!
Is it because Paris is one of those cities that almost every well-travelled person has been to? People from all over the world make it their top priority to visit 'The City of Lights', making it one of the most popular destination in the world. Paris' reputation as one of the most influential cities in the world due to its cultural, historical, economic and political power is then reinforced, so perhaps it's not surprising that it informs how people theorise about their local regions to such an extent.
I do think people shouldn't automatically flock to Paris and select more challenging locations in general... maybe them we would have an abundance of creative comparisons! I want to see 'Vancouver is the Sydney of Canada' or 'Phnom Penh is the Sofia of Asia'!
Perhaps this obsession with Parisian qualities also come from the Eurocentric/Anglophone bias of travel writers? After all, I've never heard of someone deem Paris the Beirut of Europe... What do you think? What other interesting travel comparisons have you come across, and have you made any original ones of your own?
Thursday, May 13, 2010
The Eccentric Concept
So now that you know a bit about me, let me tell you about the concept for my blog.
'Eccentric' means different things to different people... I am influenced by this following extract from the website of the Eccentric Club:
Definitions of 'eccentricity' and 'eccentrics' have changed a number of times throughout history and, unfortunately, in the recent times became more associated with some ‘slightly mad’ or too extravagant individuals as well as various kinds of exhibitionists and attention seekers.
We think it is about time to re-define the very subject of eccentricity and to attempt to restore the original meaning of it.
Eccentrics of the past and some of the present ones (which for known reasons often refuse to be associated with the eccentrics or labelled as such) are generally very reasonable, talented and educated in a number of fields people, often fairly practical and yet very artistic and original. In our understanding, eccentricity is a reluctance to be bound by social, spiritual, scientific, political, esthetical or any other limitations and an everlasting desire to explore every manifestation of life around us for the benefit of gaining personal experience and translating it through various mediums such as art, business, science, social events - to the others, to the society, and, in particular, those individuals which are seeking new knowledge and experience and are ready to perceive it...
When I am traveling, I concern myself with what is most mind-expanding about the places I find myself in. What is unique about this place? What kinds of innovation does it nurture? What is the most inspiring and heartening thing about it? In what way is it an improvement on other places, and in what ways does it lag behind? How does this place enter my imagination, and what can I do with this new information?
A good way to realise the role of an eccentric is to think about a tourist approaching the Mona Lisa. Most people arrive at the back of the large crowd assembled around it, slowly make their way to the front of the pack, and then take a photograph of the painting in which Leonardo's masterpiece is as centred and upright as possible.
What does an eccentric do? They take photos of the crowd itself, recognising that this is an authentic part of the viewing experience. They take a photo of the painting at a tilt, acknowledging the dizzying excitement of seeing it for the first time, even though the crowd initially appeared to dull the event. An eccentric may choose to stand with their back to the painting itself and watch the faces of the others for a while.
Of course, many highly motivated original wanders off the main tourist trail and finds themselves having adventures very few other travelers care to cultivate. They find a home away from home, finding an appealing combination of blending in and standing out which endears them to the locals while generating much interest.
My point is, an eccentric doesn't look at things like most people. They are interested in unusual perspectives and unconventional approaches to life. They swim against the tide, and often lead the way for others to realise that they too can be a bit braver, more open or ingenious. Eccentrics play an important role in society, but more importantly, they have some of the most interesting travel experiences because they aren't afraid to try new things!
I believe that the world is full of people who want to share their world with me - and all I have to do is stimulate them in the right way, wait, and listen - and then I'm on the way of building paradigm-shifting new relationships.
I believe that travel is about people, even though I invariably end up with more photos of architecture than close-ups of faces. I believe that new visual and built styles can be very exciting, but they mean nothing without the exploration of the psyches for which they were developed. Each environment is the product of its people...
I have stopped looking at chairs as inanimate objects with no relevance to the human world. If you think about it, each chair was dreamed up by a person with a vision, and each section of the chair was made by human hands (or by a machines which was made by human hands), and glued together by yet another creative and soulful human being who specialises in making the chair reach its highest potential.
The ability to be fascinated and enthralled by different cultures on an ongoing and nearly incessant basis is a sign of eccentricity in a world where taking your everyday life for granted is the norm. Appreciating the lifestyle of a culture outside my home base of Sydney helps me appreciate Sydney's uniqueness all the more when I return; being a more frequent foreigner makes me be a better, more inspired and spirited local.
Welcome to Eccentric Travels! x
'Eccentric' means different things to different people... I am influenced by this following extract from the website of the Eccentric Club:
Definitions of 'eccentricity' and 'eccentrics' have changed a number of times throughout history and, unfortunately, in the recent times became more associated with some ‘slightly mad’ or too extravagant individuals as well as various kinds of exhibitionists and attention seekers.
We think it is about time to re-define the very subject of eccentricity and to attempt to restore the original meaning of it.
Eccentrics of the past and some of the present ones (which for known reasons often refuse to be associated with the eccentrics or labelled as such) are generally very reasonable, talented and educated in a number of fields people, often fairly practical and yet very artistic and original. In our understanding, eccentricity is a reluctance to be bound by social, spiritual, scientific, political, esthetical or any other limitations and an everlasting desire to explore every manifestation of life around us for the benefit of gaining personal experience and translating it through various mediums such as art, business, science, social events - to the others, to the society, and, in particular, those individuals which are seeking new knowledge and experience and are ready to perceive it...
When I am traveling, I concern myself with what is most mind-expanding about the places I find myself in. What is unique about this place? What kinds of innovation does it nurture? What is the most inspiring and heartening thing about it? In what way is it an improvement on other places, and in what ways does it lag behind? How does this place enter my imagination, and what can I do with this new information?
A good way to realise the role of an eccentric is to think about a tourist approaching the Mona Lisa. Most people arrive at the back of the large crowd assembled around it, slowly make their way to the front of the pack, and then take a photograph of the painting in which Leonardo's masterpiece is as centred and upright as possible.
What does an eccentric do? They take photos of the crowd itself, recognising that this is an authentic part of the viewing experience. They take a photo of the painting at a tilt, acknowledging the dizzying excitement of seeing it for the first time, even though the crowd initially appeared to dull the event. An eccentric may choose to stand with their back to the painting itself and watch the faces of the others for a while.
Of course, many highly motivated original wanders off the main tourist trail and finds themselves having adventures very few other travelers care to cultivate. They find a home away from home, finding an appealing combination of blending in and standing out which endears them to the locals while generating much interest.
My point is, an eccentric doesn't look at things like most people. They are interested in unusual perspectives and unconventional approaches to life. They swim against the tide, and often lead the way for others to realise that they too can be a bit braver, more open or ingenious. Eccentrics play an important role in society, but more importantly, they have some of the most interesting travel experiences because they aren't afraid to try new things!
I believe that the world is full of people who want to share their world with me - and all I have to do is stimulate them in the right way, wait, and listen - and then I'm on the way of building paradigm-shifting new relationships.
I believe that travel is about people, even though I invariably end up with more photos of architecture than close-ups of faces. I believe that new visual and built styles can be very exciting, but they mean nothing without the exploration of the psyches for which they were developed. Each environment is the product of its people...
I have stopped looking at chairs as inanimate objects with no relevance to the human world. If you think about it, each chair was dreamed up by a person with a vision, and each section of the chair was made by human hands (or by a machines which was made by human hands), and glued together by yet another creative and soulful human being who specialises in making the chair reach its highest potential.
The ability to be fascinated and enthralled by different cultures on an ongoing and nearly incessant basis is a sign of eccentricity in a world where taking your everyday life for granted is the norm. Appreciating the lifestyle of a culture outside my home base of Sydney helps me appreciate Sydney's uniqueness all the more when I return; being a more frequent foreigner makes me be a better, more inspired and spirited local.
Welcome to Eccentric Travels! x
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Welcome!
Hello Dear Reader,
Are you prepared for a travel experience like no other?
This friendly eccentric has thus far had the pleasure of drawing inspiration from 4 continents, 22 countries and 107 cities or towns.
I was born in Tripoli, Libya, and had my first 'safari' (meaning journey) by plane at 7 months old. My parents brought me back to their home country of Bulgaria, and I was raised in its capital Sofia until the age of 7 years, making frequent trips to the small town of Samokov - this was my first experience with the contrast between the urban and rural lifestyle, as well as my first exposure to the city vs. country argument (my mum is originally from Samokov, while my dad was born in the city - they met at a Bulgaria resort in Sunny Beach, hundreds of miles from either of those places)!
This brings us to 1990, just after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the collapse of Communism even in what had been one of its most faithful satellite states. During the totalitarian period of the Balkans' history, travel outside the nation of your citizenship was limited to the very few, and to certain locations at that. After about half a century, travel and immigration once more became possible for every Bulgarian, and my parents chose this moment to set out, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, Sydney on the island-continent of Australia.
There are many stories I could tell you about how different my life would have been if I had grown up in Sofia as opposed to Sydney. The ones I am going to mention may make it sound like Bulgaria is all-bad, and Australia is all-good, which is not the case at all, but I do find the differences in the cultures come out with Sydney on top.
Race was the first issue upon which I reconditioned myself, in the light of growing up in a multicultural environment and accruing many Asian and non-white friends and acquaintances. My parents and Bulgarian culture in general, being homogenously White, were suffering from racism, and I was brought up to be racist myself. I decided on a complete rejection of all the racist values my parents had instructed me to take up at about age 13, and immersed myself in the idealism of Civil Rights Movement rhetoric I learned in history. As a result, my closest friends tend to be Asian, and most of my relationships and bedroom partners tend to be non-White. I am inspired by and celebrate people's racial differences, and I'm glad I live in a city which informs the global notion of 'multicultural'.
Somewhat related was the negation of xenophobia. Learning to communicate with people of a different culture from seven years of age has left me with a love of talking to strangers and otherwise engaging with those who are unlike me.
Lastly, I grew to have a completely different view of heterosexuality, homosexuality and everything in between. Sydney is the most gay-friendly environment outside of San Francisco, so I quickly grew up to nurture my attraction to women (as well as my attraction to men, which came to my attention a few years later). At the time, the discovery that homosexuality was perfectly normal transformed many deeply fixed ideas of mine, and I conditioned myself to ask questions instead of taking anything for granted, no matter how many people thought along a certain line. And when you are open to non-Heterosexual orientations, you tend to get more creative and innovative (see the work of Richard Florida). There are a few labels with are more easy on the open mind than most: pansexual, PoMosexual, "just plain sexual"... but you can call me Epiphanie. ;o)
Most people may not see travel as more than a few weeks per year spent outside the place you normally conduct your entire life in. I see travel as a way of life. When I'm traveling from the suburbs to the city, it's a change of environment. I'm exposing myself to a subtly different emotional and intellectual landscape in the people around me. Dramatic changes (flying to Europe, Asia or North America) are the ones I prefer, but they can only be appreciated if I'm aware of regional, state and country differences.
Right now I am traveling at least once per year to an overseas country, and each journey enhances my awareness of the connections between the local and the global, the familiar and the not-as-yet-traversed, and deepens my appreciation of what I can bring to these places, and what they can bring to me.
By the time I had graduated high school in 2001 my parents had taken me to lots of different places (Thailand, Italy, Hawaii, California, Nevada, Singapore, France, Turkey, British Columbia, Germany, New Zealand and Queensland). I enrolled in university (UNSW) to study English literature, but I was feeling let down by the lack of postmodern theory in my classes, and unhappy with Sydney - I wanted to move abroad, or to travel, at the very least. A mind-bending three-week trip to Shanghai with my then best friend left me feeling more sure of myself than ever, and infinitely more curious about the world. I attended my first confidence as a presenter in South Australia, mid-2003.
In late 2003 I taught English in Opole, Poland, for a few weeks. It didn't work out, so I came back to Sydney via Greece and decided to try teaching in an Asian country instead. In 2004 I found myself working in Hong Kong for a tiny bit, before giving it up and traveling mainland China for a while. Coming back to Sydney, it wasn't long before I followed an American friend back to Stanford, California, and lived with him for the better half of nine months. I brought back from the San Francisco Bay Area a renewed interest in innovative travel, and the intangible souvenir of a Californian accent. 'Frisco' and its small town sister Santa Cruz remain two of my favourite places to this very day. While I was in the country I also visited Philadelphia and some other towns in Pennsylvania, and Buffalo in New York state. My sense of the competition between the West and East coast was thoroughly re-imagined.
I learnt that while Australia and the United States of America were similar in terms of landmass, the States was perfectly inhabitable off the coast, and in fact housed most of its cities there! No wonder, then that there were so many more people, especially when you consider its proximity to Europe and the rest of the American continent(s). Another thing that became clear to me was how different the university cultures were in these two nations - Australia's tertiary institutions were integrated into the city in most cases, while many of USA's were small towns unto themselves, connected to other places but with their own postcode and distinctive regional culture. Given the choice I probably would go back to San Fran, but Australia's awareness and appreciation of cultures outside its own, its universal health care and the higher level of friendliness it offers made coming back to Sydney quite alright, after all. Actually, Sydney, San Francisco and Vancouver have very similar urban cultures and environments.
When it was time to say goodbye to my extended exile in the States in mid-2005, I came back through Japan, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, a trip which was less enjoyable than I had thought it would be due to my inability to predict the humidity of South-East Asia before November, but incredibly eye-opening. I learned the secrets to traveling on a budget thanks to Lonely Planet, my own experimentation and a bit of luck. (I found myself quite unexpectedly taken in by hospitable Cao Dai followers in southern Vietnam and spent the night on the grounds of their religious site after chatting to the young kids who knew English.)
In between 2006 and 2010 I travelled extensively within China, Thailand and Italy, and visited England, The Netherlands and Spain for the first time. I fell in love with Barcelona at first sight.
In less than two months I will visit South Korea, the Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark and Sweden - four of these countries are completely new to me, and I can't wait to have my mind and heart opened in unpredictable ways by each... after that, I have New York City, Boston, Toronto and Montreal on my mind, but it may be that I visit India or South America (especially Argentina, Chile, Peru, Brazil and Ecuador) first due to finances.
Phew, I think that's enough for a first post! Suffice to say that if I could travel all the time, I would. (I'm actually looking into ways of making this happen as I type.)
I wish you the best of luck, and the highest forms of enjoyment on your own travels - remember, travel is a state of mind! :o)
Love,
Epiphanie Bloom
Are you prepared for a travel experience like no other?
This friendly eccentric has thus far had the pleasure of drawing inspiration from 4 continents, 22 countries and 107 cities or towns.
I was born in Tripoli, Libya, and had my first 'safari' (meaning journey) by plane at 7 months old. My parents brought me back to their home country of Bulgaria, and I was raised in its capital Sofia until the age of 7 years, making frequent trips to the small town of Samokov - this was my first experience with the contrast between the urban and rural lifestyle, as well as my first exposure to the city vs. country argument (my mum is originally from Samokov, while my dad was born in the city - they met at a Bulgaria resort in Sunny Beach, hundreds of miles from either of those places)!
This brings us to 1990, just after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the collapse of Communism even in what had been one of its most faithful satellite states. During the totalitarian period of the Balkans' history, travel outside the nation of your citizenship was limited to the very few, and to certain locations at that. After about half a century, travel and immigration once more became possible for every Bulgarian, and my parents chose this moment to set out, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, Sydney on the island-continent of Australia.
There are many stories I could tell you about how different my life would have been if I had grown up in Sofia as opposed to Sydney. The ones I am going to mention may make it sound like Bulgaria is all-bad, and Australia is all-good, which is not the case at all, but I do find the differences in the cultures come out with Sydney on top.
Race was the first issue upon which I reconditioned myself, in the light of growing up in a multicultural environment and accruing many Asian and non-white friends and acquaintances. My parents and Bulgarian culture in general, being homogenously White, were suffering from racism, and I was brought up to be racist myself. I decided on a complete rejection of all the racist values my parents had instructed me to take up at about age 13, and immersed myself in the idealism of Civil Rights Movement rhetoric I learned in history. As a result, my closest friends tend to be Asian, and most of my relationships and bedroom partners tend to be non-White. I am inspired by and celebrate people's racial differences, and I'm glad I live in a city which informs the global notion of 'multicultural'.
Somewhat related was the negation of xenophobia. Learning to communicate with people of a different culture from seven years of age has left me with a love of talking to strangers and otherwise engaging with those who are unlike me.
Lastly, I grew to have a completely different view of heterosexuality, homosexuality and everything in between. Sydney is the most gay-friendly environment outside of San Francisco, so I quickly grew up to nurture my attraction to women (as well as my attraction to men, which came to my attention a few years later). At the time, the discovery that homosexuality was perfectly normal transformed many deeply fixed ideas of mine, and I conditioned myself to ask questions instead of taking anything for granted, no matter how many people thought along a certain line. And when you are open to non-Heterosexual orientations, you tend to get more creative and innovative (see the work of Richard Florida). There are a few labels with are more easy on the open mind than most: pansexual, PoMosexual, "just plain sexual"... but you can call me Epiphanie. ;o)
Most people may not see travel as more than a few weeks per year spent outside the place you normally conduct your entire life in. I see travel as a way of life. When I'm traveling from the suburbs to the city, it's a change of environment. I'm exposing myself to a subtly different emotional and intellectual landscape in the people around me. Dramatic changes (flying to Europe, Asia or North America) are the ones I prefer, but they can only be appreciated if I'm aware of regional, state and country differences.
Right now I am traveling at least once per year to an overseas country, and each journey enhances my awareness of the connections between the local and the global, the familiar and the not-as-yet-traversed, and deepens my appreciation of what I can bring to these places, and what they can bring to me.
By the time I had graduated high school in 2001 my parents had taken me to lots of different places (Thailand, Italy, Hawaii, California, Nevada, Singapore, France, Turkey, British Columbia, Germany, New Zealand and Queensland). I enrolled in university (UNSW) to study English literature, but I was feeling let down by the lack of postmodern theory in my classes, and unhappy with Sydney - I wanted to move abroad, or to travel, at the very least. A mind-bending three-week trip to Shanghai with my then best friend left me feeling more sure of myself than ever, and infinitely more curious about the world. I attended my first confidence as a presenter in South Australia, mid-2003.
In late 2003 I taught English in Opole, Poland, for a few weeks. It didn't work out, so I came back to Sydney via Greece and decided to try teaching in an Asian country instead. In 2004 I found myself working in Hong Kong for a tiny bit, before giving it up and traveling mainland China for a while. Coming back to Sydney, it wasn't long before I followed an American friend back to Stanford, California, and lived with him for the better half of nine months. I brought back from the San Francisco Bay Area a renewed interest in innovative travel, and the intangible souvenir of a Californian accent. 'Frisco' and its small town sister Santa Cruz remain two of my favourite places to this very day. While I was in the country I also visited Philadelphia and some other towns in Pennsylvania, and Buffalo in New York state. My sense of the competition between the West and East coast was thoroughly re-imagined.
I learnt that while Australia and the United States of America were similar in terms of landmass, the States was perfectly inhabitable off the coast, and in fact housed most of its cities there! No wonder, then that there were so many more people, especially when you consider its proximity to Europe and the rest of the American continent(s). Another thing that became clear to me was how different the university cultures were in these two nations - Australia's tertiary institutions were integrated into the city in most cases, while many of USA's were small towns unto themselves, connected to other places but with their own postcode and distinctive regional culture. Given the choice I probably would go back to San Fran, but Australia's awareness and appreciation of cultures outside its own, its universal health care and the higher level of friendliness it offers made coming back to Sydney quite alright, after all. Actually, Sydney, San Francisco and Vancouver have very similar urban cultures and environments.
When it was time to say goodbye to my extended exile in the States in mid-2005, I came back through Japan, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, a trip which was less enjoyable than I had thought it would be due to my inability to predict the humidity of South-East Asia before November, but incredibly eye-opening. I learned the secrets to traveling on a budget thanks to Lonely Planet, my own experimentation and a bit of luck. (I found myself quite unexpectedly taken in by hospitable Cao Dai followers in southern Vietnam and spent the night on the grounds of their religious site after chatting to the young kids who knew English.)
In between 2006 and 2010 I travelled extensively within China, Thailand and Italy, and visited England, The Netherlands and Spain for the first time. I fell in love with Barcelona at first sight.
In less than two months I will visit South Korea, the Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark and Sweden - four of these countries are completely new to me, and I can't wait to have my mind and heart opened in unpredictable ways by each... after that, I have New York City, Boston, Toronto and Montreal on my mind, but it may be that I visit India or South America (especially Argentina, Chile, Peru, Brazil and Ecuador) first due to finances.
Phew, I think that's enough for a first post! Suffice to say that if I could travel all the time, I would. (I'm actually looking into ways of making this happen as I type.)
I wish you the best of luck, and the highest forms of enjoyment on your own travels - remember, travel is a state of mind! :o)
Love,
Epiphanie Bloom
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