Photo: TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³

We’re ripping out a page from the popular Notes from the Road series over at the Traveler’s Notebook and asking you to take a moment to sketch out something that probably crosses your mind now and again: A Personal Manifesto.

When I happened upon Gwen Bell’s, author of the Unconventional Guide to the Social Web, process the other day, I immediately became excited at the notion of going through my own.

Check out her guide on the myriad of ways to go about developing your own manifesto.

Here are a few highlights of possible road-map choices:

Vision Map

Yep, this means breaking out the magazines, scissors, and glue. Good magazines, with positive images, by the way. Cut out pictures of what you want in your life, whether that includes traveling the world or owning a yoga studio. Don’t forget to write yourself a little note about your beauty.

Put it all together in a systematic or wonderfully haphazard fashion on a big piece of cardboard, and hang it up on your wall. I also like Bell’s suggestion of scanning the map in order to have a travel-version.

Life List

Life list, bucket list, whatever you want to call it – just write down a 100 things you want to do before kicking well, you know, the bucket. I like the look of Maggie Mason’s (the inspiration for Bell’s list), and the idea of having mine sitting pretty on my computer and crossing through the ones I’ve completed. Oooh, I want to stop writing this post and go do it right now.

Digitized Goals

Photo: TinyFizzyPop

Bell provides a link to an online questionnaire, which can be helpful for those of us that need prompts. Or cut-offs. Plus, who are we kidding – haven’t most of us forgotten how to write in cursive anyway?

Microactions

To continue the tradition I began of stealing ideas from the Traveler’s Notebook, take a look at their new series, Micro Notes, in order to get primed for this one. I know I can sometimes be wordy in both writing and speech (have you noticed?), and often, the best way to get things done is to define them with brevity. Index cards, short lists, to the point=making things happen.

Finally, here’s one I’m adding to Bell’s list:

Visioning/Meditation On Your Goals

A former dance teacher of mine will freely tell you that without a doubt, “visioning” her future every single day has led to her dreams becoming a reality. After passing the bar exam, Vicki decided to chuck the lawyer-life and pursue her true passion, dance. Now, she along with her business and life partners throw one of the most consistently sold-out club nights in San Francisco, Non Stop Bhangra, and her dance troupe, Dholrhythms, performs up and down the Western Coast of US and Canada.

Vicki has had a daily routine of reciting and meditating on her dreams, and says that everything that has come to fruition began as a thought in this process. In other words, don’t forget the power of intention.

Since fall always feels like a good time for introspection, I’ll be working on my manifesto this weekend, and then will post some of my results and musings at my blog, Living Holistically. I’m hoping to see some of yours, even just bits and pieces, too.

Add parts of your manifesto to your personal blog, and then come back here and paste the link in the comments section below!

Community Connection

While developing your manifesto, don’t forget about the beauty of transparency in your writing, whether for yourself or others. David Miller takes a look at the importance of Material Transparency in creating a personal brand.

Photo: Randy Wick

Swept up in the notion that life is meant to be happily lived, many of us often struggle with what it means to be happy on any given day. Am I feeling good at this moment? Was I feeling better yesterday? Why can’t I get to that balanced state of bliss?

Ah, yes, the “balanced state of bliss.” What in the world could that possibly imply? Some sort of a delusion, at least on my part. After a better part of my childhood and 20s fraught with depressive tendencies, I feel a daily pull of that which remains, on some levels, an enigma. Which gives me full appreciation for something I recently read on the Happiness Project blog:

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned (through a decade of practice with Zen Buddhism) is that melancholy is perfectly normal – it’s neither happy nor unhappy – and it’s all right to walk slowly through it.

Sometimes, I feel with all the positive affirmations, law of attractions, and 2012s being thrown around, we are forced, in a way, to feel “happy” all of the time. Even when we don’t. It’s as if sadness, anger, and discomfort have become four letter words that we beat to a bloody pulp as if they were a rabid raccoon attacking our child.

Here at Matador, we’ve searched far and wide for the ingredients to happiness, best summed up in Carlo Alcos’ piece, 5 Key Ingredients in the Search for Happiness. He found that introspection, freedom, compassion, generosity, and contentment were all necessary aspects for happiness.

But can’t these just as easily be ingredients of melancholy? And is that necessarily a bad thing?

To be human is to feel all the emotions available on the spectrum. I sometimes want to cry out that to accept where you are right at this moment is to be free. The problem comes in when those emotions, whether happiness or sadness, take over. Then we are no longer who we are – we have instead become the emotion.

The Absolute End of Happiness

Photo: | spoon |

Within the context of feeling happiness is necessary all of the time comes the idea that death is looming to take life, happiness, and – as Ian MacKenzie recently explored with filmmaker Patrick Shen – meaning away.

We all only have a set amount of time here, and we best power-pack it full of smiles, giggles, and moments of perfection.

A recent post over at the New York Times contemplates these beliefs around life (and death). Author Todd May explores our fear of death, as it “extinguishes” the light of our future, which we are programmed as humans to be constantly striving for.

But May argues for the validity and awareness of death in truly living life:

It is equally true that a life without limits would lose the beauty of its moments…this is the paradox death imposes upon us: it grants us the possibility of a meaningful life even as it takes it away.

He continues, “we cannot live forever, to be sure, but neither would we want to,” and I believe the same is true for happiness. Would I want to be happy forever? No, because then I could not truly understand what it means to be happy.

And though I believe fully in shooting for a middle-ground, and understand how important this is for the sake of mental health, I also revel in the ups and downs that the universe hands me (or I hand myself?) as a way to feel fully alive.

We can’t get rid of death (well, according to most, though Jason Silva disagrees), and by the same token, we can’t get rid of melancholy. The question is, why do we continue to fight so hard against both?

Do you think sadness or melancholy should be avoided at all costs? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: digitalbob8

Drugs certainly hold the possibility of being mind-expanders, at least for some people.

And many travelers have had the opportunity to partake in an illegal drug or two while visiting spiritually-enhancing areas, which also hold the potential of many years in an extremely scary foreign prison if caught.

But this guy goes above and beyond what few have done, or would ever contemplate doing. The British man, ‘Mr. A’ is reported to have taken 40,000 ecstasy pills over a nine-year period. The previously heaviest lifetime intake was 2,000.

Whoa.

Can’t imagine that was good for the brain, body, or spirit. According to doctors from London University, it wasn’t. The man stopped taking pills seven years ago, but still suffers from:

…severe physical and mental health side-effects, including extreme memory problems, paranoia, hallucinations and depression. He also suffers from painful muscle rigidity around his neck and jaw which often prevents him from opening his mouth.

And it seems like many of the symptoms are permanent. His short-term memory loss, including “the time, the day, what was in his supermarket trolley,” makes living life on a day-to-day basis a frighteningly hard task.

The Dark Side

Photo: azrainman

I think that most who have taken ecstasy, ranging from just once to more times than they would like to count, can still agree that 40,000 is a bit over the limit and would naturally cause trauma to the brain. But I’m a bit more interested in the why of choosing to ingest that massive amount.

Some people might just call this man crazy, off, mentally-deranged. Yet, something in me wonders if this is just an extreme example of what is happening for people all over the world.

A lack of connection – be it to community, self, or the spirit – pushes us, consciously or unconsciously, to search for that connection. For some, this can be a very positive experience, and as Jennifer Blair writes, can lead us to our soul place:

A soul place is an island, a building, a city, or a natural vista that speaks to you in a language unheard. It opens up a space within that you didn’t realize was closed.

For others, the drive may be toward darkness. From a traveler’s perspective, dark tourism, or “the practice of visiting sites related to death and suffering,” can put you face to face with the underbelly of humanity: genocide, natural disasters, terrorism, slavery, the effects of drugs on a community. These are the ugly parts of history that on certain levels, we all share.

And there are many things out there that can make us spiral further into the darkness, including drugs, alcohol, work, sex, TV – the list goes on. None of these things are bad in and of themselves, but it is when we come to depend on them to catch a glimpse of connection that we disconnect from that which we are searching for.

The key, according to many who are spiritually-inclined, is that we must fully and deeply look at our shadow, lest it take over. By shining a light on the darkness that is within each of us, it is no longer dark.

So I wonder, for this man and his 40,000 ecstasy pills (who has since dropped out of his doctor’s care), what shadow was he running from?

What do you think is behind this man’s ecstasy binge? Share your thoughts below.

As you go to or home from work today, possibly dealing with rain or very cold temperatures, trying to protect yourself from the swine flu or thoughts of the looming end of the world, think about what a little laughter can do.

The video starts off a bit slow, but give it a minute:

I love how the annoyed faces can’t help but start to smile. Hopefully it’ll do the same for you. Happy Friday!

What are some other ways to get people smiling? Share your thoughts below!

Feature photo: adobemac

Community Connection

Need some more laughter to take you into the weekend? You can’t help but bust a gut when you read Tom Gates’ piece, The Five Worst Pizzas In the World. And maybe it’s time to be reminded of why Southwest Airlines is Still Cool After All These Years. For more great travel videos, check out the brand spankin’ new MatadorTV.

Photo: Ralph Buckley

Unless you’ve had your head under a rock, you’ve probably heard the world is supposed to end in 2012 (my apologies to those with rocks atop their heads).

Yep, according to many of the great minds throughout history, Nostradamus, the Mayans, the History Channel, it’s all gonna come tumbling down 12/22/2012. Damn, just three days before I turn 34. Oh, wait, maybe that’s a good thing.

Well, everyone from NASA to National Geographic to this guy is out to debunk this “myth.” All it takes is a much-hyped movie coming out on Friday for everyone and their mom to have their say.

So Discovery News got in on the action with the Top 10 Reasons Why the World Won’t End in 2012. The author, Ray Villard, rationalized some of the most common theories, including:

• The Earth’s magnetic field will reverse: “Don’t hold your breath. The last field reversal happened nearly 800,000 years ago. Fred Flintstone and our other ancestor cavemen survived.”
• The Earth’s rotation axis will tip: “An object the size of Mars would have to hit Earth to transfer enough momentum to knock us out of kilter. But Mars-sized protoplanets were kicked into interstellar space over 4 billion years ago. The solar system doesn’t make ‘planets-gone-wild’ anymore.”
• The Sun will align with the galactic equator on the winter solstice: “So what? These are simply coordinates in the sky. It has no physical reality any more than the intersection of Broadway and 7th Avenue at Times Square influences the geology of Manhattan Island.”

Ok, points taken, though arrogantly made. But what kills me is the smuggie, smug, smugness of statements like these:

Apparently the Mayans knew something about the heavens we don’t…our multi-billion dollar telescopes, space probes, and 6,000 professional astronomers somehow just can’t keep up with the mystic knowledge of an ancient superstitious culture.

Once again, we know so much more than those who came before us, right? Right.

Breaking it Down

Let me start off by saying that I don’t believe the world will end in 2012 with any sort of a bang. But I think there are some worthy arguments worth putting forward.

First of all, we don’t know for sure that the Mayans predicted the end of the world in 2012; we might be the only ones assuming because their calendar ends, it means the end of us. But, they did predict certain things with accuracy, such as eclipses.

Second, who said these predictions didn’t include the possibility of human-induced disasters? Yes, global warming is real (ahem), and might go further than any North-South Pole flip-flop. Don’t forget the economic meltdown. Plus, some believe WWIII is on it’s way, with 9/11 as the kick-off and Nostradamus’ accurate prediction of events.

Third, and most important to me, is that many believe 2012 won’t be the end of the world, but the end of the world as we know it. Which essentially means we will undergo a radical shift in consciousness, one which we have been building up to the last few years. What this means exactly is up for debate, but mostly includes the idea that humans will start being nice to humans. Imagine that.

Let’s just hope the consciousness shift comes before the nuclear button is pushed (or another 2012 movie makes it to the screen).

What do you think about the predictions – and their debunkers – around 2012? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: gadl

It’s a tough day for travelers who like to explore outside of “acceptable” countries, as Iran charged the three American backpackers detained in July with espionage. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with them.

So I was glad to come across something a bit positive happening in the world.

Project Explorer, who provides free cultural education programming for kids and teens, is posing the question, “What does it mean to be a global citizen?” They are asking that people make and upload a video answering this question with their own thoughts or experiences.

So far, the likes of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Russell Simmons, and Ziggy Marley have posted their answers. Also, many other lesser known – but just as important activists – such as Scott Harrison of charity: water and John and Charles of…well, Chelsea, add their two cents on “possibility and action” and the importance “being nice.”

Find more videos like this on ProjectExplorer.org’s Good Global Citizen

Now comes your turn. We’re challenging BNT readers to make a video and add their own take on what it means to be a global citizen.

Where To Go For Answers

Need some inspiration? Beginning with desire in the form of a journal entry or a video can ultimately lead us to answers. As Valerie Ng explained in her article, Why I Disobeyed My Family and Traveled the World:

I documented my grand plans for international travel in a Spanish essay in high school…[after traveling abroad] it became increasingly apparent that the world was a fascinating place, and I wanted to acquaint myself with the myriad of cultures inhabiting the earth.

Or, look no further than Daniel Harbecke’s piece, How Travel Will Save The World. In it, he explains, “The belief that humanity is encompassed within a single community is called cosmopolitanism…[it] has come to mean “worldly” or “sophisticated,” but in the original sense meant a universal love for all people that rejects borders.”

And, if you have kids in tow, or plan having them in the future and hope to make them a global citizen, check out Karen Banes’ piece, The Educational Value of Long Term Travel with Kids. In it, she notes:

Kids on the road learn naturally. They learn about physical and human geography, world history, religion (although not just the dominant one in their country of birth), wildlife, nature, environmental issues, campcraft, cooking, art and science. They also learn manners, tolerance, and respect for other cultures. They learn to make friends, and say goodbye.

After you make the video and upload it to Project Explorer site, be sure to post the link in the comments section below.

Photo: smokeonit

For me, going abroad – admittedly with a bit of trepidation and fear – my junior year of college was something I decided to do in part because several good friends had already done the same thing. And they loved it.

Tons of wine, endless pasta, bread, and cheese, and gorgeous surroundings in Florence? This did not sound like a problem.

But, as Nomadic Matt recently noted, I find myself in the minority. He questions why Americans still aren’t traveling overseas, a subject he first tackled in a post last year.

Yes, 21% of Americans have their passports now as compared to 15% a few years ago (obviously, still a pathetically low number). But travel off of the North American, and higher areas of the South American, continents has actually decreased. According to Matt, more people have passports because you need them to get to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, where travel has increased.

Less About Money, More About Ignorance

Photo: Capture Queen ™

His reasoning? It’s not so much that people don’t have the money to travel, even in these hard economic times, but it has more to do with cultural ignorance, as in “not knowing about other cultures” and not “Americans are ignorant buffoons.”

Other factors include fear, priorities around work, and lack of awareness – especially politically.

Despite the rise of China, Brazil, and India, our politicians tell us everything in America is the best (yet #38 in healthcare). Countries will always do what we want. America is the leader. We are the city upon a hill. An when you are the best, why go to “godforsaken” countries where they hate you for being American and might rob you?

Last year, Julie Schwietert asked if Americans are afraid of travel after the not-so-excited reaction to Obama’s Middle East and Europe trip in July 2008. She noted, “It’s a trip that should make America proud (particularly given the geographic and diplomatic gaps in the current president’s consciousness), but Americans’ response to Obama’s trip has been curiously tepid.”

And we all know how media loves to stir up our fears of the “other.” As Sarah Menkedick wrote in response to the media shitstorm blaming the three Americans held in Iran, “There are two themes here. One is that travel (outside of the U.S and perhaps Western Europe) is dangerous, reckless, and stupid. The other is that only starry-eyed, pot-smoking hippie backpackers are dumb enough to try it, and they get what they deserve.”

The Flip Side

On the other side of the argument, you have a few people noting that “Americans are still traveling abroad,” despite the economic downturn. Not sure if this Forbes Traveler piece makes a good argument, though; yes, travel only slipped less than 1% from 2007 to 2008, but the 2009 numbers up until May showed a 7.7% decrease compared to the same time last year.

Or, as Katy Steinmetz stated in a piece she wrote last year, Behind the myth that few Americans have passports, not only is the accepted statistic wrong (the number is really more around 30%), but that economics and poverty really are at play. On top of the high cost of passports, taking care of your family, buying food, and paying for that healthcare plan, people are left with few dollars to go anywhere, even with a good deal on Orbitz.

Do you think Americans don’t travel abroad because of ignorance and politics, or does it have more to do with money? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: Lauren Close

Always ones to stir up controversy about our long-held beliefs, Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner have a new book out, SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance.

Along with arguing that the world is actually experiencing a cooling trend, which has been hotly contended all over the net, there is also a less debated chapter on prostitution.

In it, Levitt and Dubner compare two women – “call girls” if you will – who brought in two very different brackets of money. One, “LaSheena,” worked on the streets on the South Side of Chicago and made about $350 a week; the other, “Allie” worked in her apartment in a “chic” Chicago neighborhood and made the same amount per hour. Why the difference?

Well, according to an excerpt from the book:

[Allie] is the kind of person who sees something good in everyone — and this, she believes, has contributed to her entrepreneurial success. She genuinely likes the men who come to her, and the men therefore like Allie even beyond the fact that she will have sex with them.

LaSheena, on the other hand, doesn’t like “turning tricks.” Her reasoning? “Cause I don’t really like men. I guess it bothers me mentally.”

You don’t have to read far into this excerpt to see that Levitt and Dubner make Allie’s life out to be some sort of Cinderella/Pretty Woman/Business Week character (she “she represents the ideal wife: beautiful, attentive, smart, laughing at your jokes and satisfying your lust“), while LaSheena barely necessitates a mention, except to open up the piece for comparison value.

Blaming the Victim

But something deeper is at work here, as Sady Doyle notes in her rebuttal piece, Prostitution, for fun and profit.

Photo: Capitan Giona

For one, “the fact that Allie is probably white, and that LaSheena is probably not, is never once addressed,” along with the reality that we learn about the inner workings of Allie, while no real history of LaSheena’s life is outlined.

Did LaSheena have no other choice but to be a prostitute? Was she beaten by some of the men she had sex with? Doesn’t really seem to matter to the authors.

The overwhelming feeling that comes off the page is that LaSheena’s poverty is LaSheena’s fault.

Doyle adds:

Hey, here’s an interesting thought: Maybe LaSheena doesn’t like men because she’s trapped in a cycle of poverty, and one of the only ways for her to stay alive is to have sex with men, whether or not she really wants to. Maybe that’s enough to make LaSheena dislike men.

Interestingly enough, although Allie “enjoyed her work,” she got out of it because she was tired of hiding it from her family and friends, and, most importantly, she understood “her commodity was perishable.” I think that statement just took women back 200 years.

Probably my absolute favorite part of this whole damn story is the moral that Levitt and Dubner end with:

So the real puzzle isn’t why someone like Allie becomes a prostitute, but rather why more women don’t choose this career. You have to like sex enough, and be willing to make some sacrifices, like not having a husband (unless he is very understanding, or very greedy).

Thanks, Levitt and Dubner, for your amazing insights on prostitution and what it means to be a woman.

What do you think of Levitt and Dubner’s take on prostitution? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: takomabibelot

So what if Michael Jackson has made over $72 million since his death? Turns out even if you’re a saint, sometimes it pays more to be dead than alive (along with the possibility of even being called a saint).

AOL’s Daily Finance decided to take a look into the top-earning saints of all time.

Not surprisingly, Jesus’ mom ranks number one. The Virgin Mary’s got all those medals, statues, and candles going for her. Plus, think about all the many pilgrimages to places that are often far from home, including “Lourdes, Fatima, Medjugorje, and Guadalupe.”

But, lest we forget, the movie industry does enjoy its saints just as much as the next good Catholic, so when it comes to film, Joan of Arc rocks the big screen money. She’s been the subject of over 16 movies, plus, lest we forget, that TV show with Amber Tamblyn.

Also in the mix are St. Christopher, best known for safe travel (who apparently is also invoked by “bachelors, teamsters, epileptics, gardeners, porters, sailors, and toothache sufferers”), and someone you may have heard of even if you’re not Christian: St. Nick. A bit of sketchiness surrounds the history of the fat, jolly man, though; was he truly based on St. Nicholas of Myrna, Norse God Odin, or the Slavic “dark” and “light” Gods of Czernobog and Byelobog?

Either way, ‘ole St. Nick is making a killing. Or, at least all of the people selling toys in his name are.

The Mother of all Teresas

Which made me wonder about more recent saints, ones who have lived in our lifetime. First person that pops to mind (well, mine at least) is Mother Teresa. I wondered if she actually made any money in her life, and assumed she has made a lot more since her death.

Photo: runran

So I was a bit taken aback at this piece by Michael Parenti. In it, he claims that Mother Teresa received:

…Vast sums from wealthy and sometimes tainted sources, including a million dollars from convicted savings & loan swindler Charles Keating, on whose behalf she sent a personal plea for clemency to the presiding judge…she also accepted substantial sums given by the brutal Duvalier dictatorship that regularly stole from the Haitian public treasury.

Parenti continues, saying her hospitals were often nothing more than “human warehouses,” while she personally enjoyed state-of-the-art treatment when sick. He also contends that she fudged numbers of how many poor her services fed, and that during floods and cholera epidemics, her outfit was often nowhere to be found.

Possibly most damning were diaries found several years after her death and fast-track canonization (there is usually a five-year waiting period before investigations into sainthood can begin). Published as Il Segreto di Madre Teresa (Mother Teresa’s Secret), Teresa said:

In my own soul, I feel the terrible pain of this loss. I feel that God does not want me, that God is not God and that he does not really exist.

I’m not sure that this quote in any way suggests or proves she was a money-grubber; instead, it seems that she was human, and had doubts, just like the rest of us. Yet, it still makes you wonder if being an ultimate giver in the time of Hollywood riches and people desperate for a “perfect” savior is a bit impossible. Look, we’ve even turned all those dead saints into huge profits.

Or maybe, it was never possible to be a “true” saint in the first place.

What do you think of our beliefs about sainthood and holiness when it comes to money? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: King Chimp

The original plan for today was to find and write about something funny making it’s way around the internet, it being Friday and all.

Or maybe something about Halloween, its origins as All Hallows Eve, the day before the beautiful celebration of the Day of the Dead.

But instead, I feel a bit overwhelmed. Overwhelmed with being a woman, living today, in the world in which we live.

That might come as a surprise, what with me being a white gal living in America, and though far from rich, just as far from destitute.

Yet, I can’t turn off what happens to my sisters throughout the world, both abroad and right down the street. From death threats to a doctor who performs reconstructive surgery on women ripped to shreds through female genital mutilation, to the gang rape of a 15-year-old high school student by up to ten 16-25 year-olds in the town next to where I used to live, we are not safe.

We are mothers, we are sisters, we are friends. We give the gift of life to those who wish to keep us down or take our lives.

I can’t help but recount the number of women I’ve known that have been sexually abused, assaulted, or raped repeatedly. There are many more that have than not. I also can’t help but struggle with my own “maybe” and all the implications it has had for my life. Who would I be now if it, whatever “it” was, hadn’t happened?

The Power of a Single Moment

Think, for just a moment, what effect we have on each other in our passing interactions every single day. Bridges are built or destroyed by single words or sentences, intentions are paramount to success or failure, and whether we choose to scream out in anger or somehow engage in dialogue can impact us for hours, days, weeks and months to come.

Photo: Ingorrr

Now think about the long term impact of an unwanted, and as is often the case for young girls, a misunderstood advance. The repercussions are a life of mistrust of themselves just as much as others, and acting out in ways in can take a long time to process or come to terms with.

Further down the line, you have women that will never, ever, EVER experience sexual pleasure in their lives – and in a way, what it means to be a woman – because all that is left “down there” is scar tissue.

What about the ever present “rape as war tactic” that is valued by military (and apparently, peacekeepers) the world over, despite the recent UN resolution classifying it as a weapon of war? What exactly does that resolution do to change anything?

And maybe, worst of all (is this even an area for comparisons?), are those girls and women, living in “free” Western countries, who are sexual slaves. Look no further than the Houston Maria Bonita Cantina or the Asian massage parlors in San Francisco to contemplate the complete ravage of life this $8 billion international industry promotes. I’d honestly rather be dead than in their place.

The End of Oppression?

As I write, I wonder if this world will ever exist without the oppression of women. Even that word, oppression, hardly scratches the surface of what these tactics do to women; they rob part of our soul. There has got to be a word that when said, strikes at the heart of men who commit acts against women – something that implores them to feel what tremendous pain and anguish their actions cause.

At the very least, I’m amazed again and again at the resilience I see in the many beautiful women that surround me near and far. There is a small part of me that understands that even if they rob a bit of your soul, it’s regenerative, like a starfish. We have the power to heal ourselves.

But what can also help it to regenerate are the men who understand it’s not about protecting the women you love – it’s about changing the mindset of the men who don’t love women.

Please share your thoughts on this subject below.

Photo: Daily Mail Online

Last month, a Christian couple in Liverpool was charged with “criminal offense” after a religious dispute with two of their Islamic guests.

The couple, owners of the Bounty House Hotel, and the Muslim guests were apparently having breakfast when a discussion about religion ensued. Although details are scarce, it seems the couple:

…Suggested that Mohammed, the founder of Islam, was a warlord and that traditional Muslim dress for women was a form of bondage.

Ok, certainly offensive, but worth going to jail over?

Seems a little law in the UK called the Public Order Act allows police to arrest people based on offensive comments. The law was enacted, lawyers say, in order to deal with violence and disorder on the streets, not to arrest people having an argument.

Yet police say they were charged due to use of ‘threatening, abusive or insulting words’ that were ‘religiously aggravated’.

Things getting a bit out of control here? It’s hard to know exactly what happened, and the hotel owners obviously have some questionable beliefs about Islam. But going to jail over them? Man, half of America would be in jail if we could get arrested for stupidity.

Freedom of religion, freedom of speech and protection from bodily harm seemed to be getting all jumbled up here. Plus, commentary by the Daily Mail brought up another good point:

It is striking that the Crown Prosecution Service has thought fit to bring this case, when no action was taken to prevent the appalling persecution of Fiona Pilkington, whose disabled daughter was savagely bullied, who called for police help in vain at least 30 times, and who eventually killed herself in despair.

Hmm, makes you wonder what is really going on here.

What do you think about people being arrested for religious offense? Share your thoughts below.

Feature photo: yoshiffles

Eckhart Tolle

Though it shouldn’t come as a surprise, turns out Eckhart Tolle is a threat to all that is good and moral.

Well, at least according to leaders of just about every organized religion out there.

The Canadian magazine Macleans recently ran a feature on the man who some consider “one of the greatest spiritual leaders of our age.”

Other considerations range from heretic, to a mixer of “Hinduism, Buddhism, and New-Age Pop,” to “anti-Christ” (in a beige sweater vest, as the author notes).

What’s his sin? Well, it seems to be one thing essentially, no matter which religious leader you ask. He removes the hierarchical view of God being “above” us, and states instead that God is within each of us. We are all of, and share, the same source, so there is no need to go outside oneself to find connection or peace.

Or, as Mr. Walker, Texas Ranger himself, Chuck Norris had to say:

To me, [Tolle's success] is more evidence of the paradigm shift in our culture from its moral absolute and Judeo-Christian basis to a relativistic world view in which anything goes and everything is tolerated.

Anything goes? Has he read Tolle?

The Purpose of the Now

I’m not sure this commenter on the Macleans‘ piece has either: “Spiritual masturbation. All the good feelings without any intellectual discipline, interpersonal communion, or a perspective informed by tradition or mentorship.”

Tolle’s overall message is to always live in the present moment. To attempt living in the now, it takes extreme discipline. As Ian MacKenzie wrote in his piece, The Traveler’s Guide To Enlightenment, “‘Now’ is what you’re doing at this moment. It is you sitting in your chair, hand on the mouse, pupils reading the words on this screen.”

Are you fully in your body right at this moment, or is your mind somewhere else – thinking about checking Facebook, that annoying thing your friend said earlier today, or contemplating what sex with Eckhart Tolle might be like based on his picture above? (No need to lie, now).

In other words, it’s every day, every second, both within yourself and in connection with others, of not thinking about the past, and not contemplating the future. It means always connecting to the spirit inside of you and all around you.

I hardly consider Tolle perfect, and he certainly is making a chunk of change off of his books, videos and new ET-TV (yes, that’s Eckhart Tolle, not Entertainment Tonight, TV). But as far as I can tell, he has never claimed perfection, or being better than the rest of us; he is simply spreading a message about our own ability to achieve inner peace (a message which can be accessed at the public library for free).

God or Prophet? No. Simple, loving message? Feels more like it.

What do you think of Eckhart Tolle’s message and tactics? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: mfajardo

I know that there are quite a few of us out there that try to stay local when traveling. And by “stay local,” I don’t mean literally staying smack in the middle of town (though that may be part of the agenda).

Rather, I’m saying that many of us like to experience the place we are visiting by eating the local foods, shopping at the local stores, and frequenting local coffee shops and bars.

Enter “Localwashing” – coming soon to a town near you.

Yep, corporations have taken notice of the “shop local” movements happening in countries throughout the world. In a recent post at Utne.com, author Stacy Mitchell notes that HSBC, one of the world’s largest banks, has a new tagline: “the world’s local bank.” Ah.

It gets better, though. Probably a few of you have heard about Starbucks closing shops in Seattle in order to reopen them under the local-sounding name, “15th Avenue Coffee and Tea” (sorry, Starbucks, cat’s out of the bag). And the good ole’ southern US grocery chain, Winn-Dixie, just launched a new ad campaign that states: “Local flavor since 1956.”

Here’s my absolute favorite:

The International Council of Shopping Centers, a consortium of mall owners and developers, has poured millions of dollars into television ads urging people to “Shop Local”—at their nearest mall.

Alright, with the growth of ad campaigns that implore us to “shop local” including both the independent local grocery store and the Wal-Mart that carries some local, organic produce, some may wonder what the true difference is for the town in which they are located.

Well, shop at a chain store, and only $13 out of every $100 stays locally, even when they have some local produce, crafts, or clothes. Shop at a local store (which may still have corporate products on their shelves) and $45 out of $100 goes back into the community.

The Traveler’s Conundrum

Photo: Jason Langlois

In the past, we’ve looked at secrets for eating like a local when traveling to a new destination, and the importance of local self-reliance in the “creation of a local economy for food and other essential goods…relying upon traditional knowledge of medicinal plants, herbs, barks, roots, and ferments in health care.”

But what does Localwashing mean to travelers? Sure, this ‘revolution’ is starting out in American cities and suburbs, but as we all know, corporations reach their grubby little hands all over the world. So watch out for those Maharaja Macs at a local Mumbai eatery – you might just have walked into the golden arches cleverly disguised trap.

What do you think about the “Localwashing” movement? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: nattu

Everyone’s favorite traveling mover and shaker, Nomadic Matt, recently wrote about a question that many – no, most – long-term travelers eventually have to face: ‘What in the bejesus are you running away from?’

Matt states:

…For those who make being a nomad a way of life or people who just linger a bit too long before they make that final stretch home, we are accused of running away…People assume that we are simply running away from our problems- running away from “the real world.”

There is certainly an attitude in much of the world that travel is for fun and should be enjoyed as a break, but sooner than later, you need to ‘get back to work.’ If for some reason you decide that you want travel to be your work, then, well, you’re a) not taking responsibility for something, b) a trust fund baby, c) lazy and incompetent, or d) all three rolled into one.

This is certainly a topic we’ve explored from many different angles here at BNT. As Josh Kearns waxes poetic in The Tao Of Vagabond Travel, Western culture in particular insinuates the importance of “getting somewhere in life” (i.e. becoming a professional of some sort that makes a decent wage), and that unfortunately, very few people believe that experiencing life and its beauty is worthy enough in and of itself.

Travel Envy

Fact is, long term travel is not easy, nor is it something that many people can withstand. As Matt adds:

People may want to travel, tell you they envy what you do, wish they could do the same thing but really, they don’t. They are simply fascinated by a lifestyle so outside the norm.

Or, as Cameron Karsten points out in his piece, 10 Things To Learn About Yourself When Traveling Alone, to travel sometimes means taking on greater responsibility, something that not everyone is ready to do: “To take one’s life within one’s hands and have the freedom and maturity to mold it into shapes, forms and experiences of one’s desires is to embrace (responsibility)…(which) provides us with the power to change.”

Don’t forget, travel can sometimes be more healing than staying at home, as I pondered in Healing a Broken Heart Through Travel.

But, there is an important distinction between two types of travelers, as F. Daniel Harbecke notes is his piece, Response: Would You Be A Perpetual Traveler Or World Citizen? The perpetual traveler “discards the sense of home…for a more profound sense of privacy or non-affiliation,” while the world citizen “sees the entire planet as home, and one’s citizenship as only a historic formality.”

Neither one is better than the other, but both help in defining the ‘why’ of the long-term traveler – some people are not made to stay in one place. Something deep within calls them to roam the Earth, and no manner of guilt, skepticism or attempted coercion will persuade this person otherwise.

And why should they?

What are other reasons that long-term travel does not necessarily mean running away? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: the euskadi 11’s photostream

The moment we stepped off the bus, my panic set in. No, I take that back – the moment I looked out the window as the bus pulled to a stop in Tunduma, the panic set in.

We should have arrived in Lusaka, Zambia about four hours prior. Instead, we left Dar, Tanzania two hours late, and were stopped by the police every 70K along the way. That means we made it to the border crossing way, way after closing.

So now, two white, American girls (we were 23 at the time, so I’m not quite sure I can say “women”) and a bus full of Tanzanians and Zambians had to find our way to an accommodation for the night. Guess who the crowd of locals outside the bus went after?

This memory, among others, makes me identify with what author Lynne Sharon Schwartz is apparently referring to in her book, Not Now, Voyager (I have yet to read it): travel torture. We often talk about the wonders of travel, our amazing and beautiful experiences, how it changes us and makes us better people – all of which is true.

But, there are also the flight delays and cancellations, (hopefully) getting through customs, having all of your money stolen, or being ditched in the middle of the Zambian bush with only the hope that some sort of transport would come your way say, in the next two weeks (yeah, second night of the aforementioned bus ride).

And often, our memory projects those challenges onto the big screen, warping them into something that was painful yes, but beautiful and exciting too.

An article in the Boston Globe has Schwartz quoting the French philosopher Albert Camus: “There is no pleasure in traveling, and I look upon it more as an occasion for spiritual testing.” A spiritual growth test for each of us individually, no doubt.

But are we testing ourselves and the places we visit in a more negative fashion?

Consuming Other Cultures

Schwartz continues:

Preferring to stay put is practically disreputable in a cultural climate that prizes mobility, haste, multitasking and optimum consumption of sights, sounds, and experiences. An economy rooted in the culture of greed must place a premium on consuming rather than producing anything, even experience. . . . To keep the whole machinery running and growing, we need to consume other cultures at the great mall of travel, and we grow bloated on them.

Ah, yes, not the side of spiritual travel at which most of us would like to take a look. We ponder the environmental affects of air travel, the good and the bad of tourism economies throughout the world, but rarely the personal implications of our addiction to new experiences.

The way in the West is certainly to go out and consume rather than sit, ponder, and produce.

My drive to see the world and experience other cultures took me to Zambia all those years ago, but was it also the desire to escape from myself? Maybe there was a deeper lesson for me in the middle-of-nowhere bus drop than I realized.

Do you agree with Schwartz’s negative interpretation of travel? Share your thoughts below.

Small firecrackers play a role in Diwali / Photo: sowri

On Saturday, India celebrates Diwali, their traditional New Year’s, after several days of festivities. It is also known as the ‘Festival of Lights’, because homes are lit with candles, string lights, and clay pots with oil and wicks, which signify the good over evil within an individual.

I was lucky enough to be a part of a big ole’ Diwali celebration three years ago, when Non-Stop Bhangra celebrated their anniversary and this Indian holiday the same night. We danced onto the stage carrying tea lights as an example of the tradition, but I’m sure people were upset we didn’t have any sweets to throw into the audience.

Here’s a clip of that night (minus the bhangra music, unfortunately):

Here are a couple of things worth mentioning that happened to celebrate Diwali this week:

• Seems Dhanteras, which comes right before Diwali, is considered an auspicious time. So Jaspal Singh, along with about 25,000 other people in India, waited until this day in order to buy new cars, since it is the day “considered best to buy metal goods.” I’m guessing those auto dealers are happy.

• Even President Obama got his Hindi-celebration-on, being the first sitting President to observe the holiday by having a pah-ty in the East Wing of the White House. Wonder if he waved his hands in the air, waved ‘em around like he just didn’t care?

• Ok, this wasn’t this week, but who could forget Michael explaining Diwali to us via song on Season 3 of The Office? If you need a little reminder, check out the video.

Light a candle or two on Saturday, the official end of the holiday, to join in the fun.

Happy Diwali!

Community Connection

Check out Shreya Sanghani’s guide to 10 Indian Customs To Know Before Visiting India, and Eva Holland’s review of the popular niche travel book, Wanderlust and Lipstick for Women Traveling to India.

Many thanks goes out to Matador member Linda Golden for alerting us that ‘The Colbert Report’ referenced a BNT article on last night’s episode.

The piece, Overweight Charged For Second Seat On Airplanes: Is “Fatism” To Blame?, was shown as part of Colbert’s introduction of Professor Amy Farrell. Farrell is the author of the forthcoming book, Fat Shame.

Colbert talked about the current US healthcare bill, which has an amendment that mandates lower premiums for people who lose weight. Along with the baby who was denied health insurance for being too large and Ralph Lauren’s dismissal of an “overweight” model, Colbert showed the BNT article and asked,

Oh, they [the overweight] can’t use the same seat as everyone else? You know who that reminds me of? Rosa Parks. [Looks left off stage] Oh, she’s thin? Then why couldn’t she sit up front?

Here’s the clip (article is shown at 1:31):

Canadian visitors can watch the clip here.

Unfortunately, Colbert grabbed the trademark for “weightism.” Damn you, Colbert! Then I’m trademarking “fatism.” Oh, that’s already taken, too.

Any time you see BNT in the news, please share it with us. We really appreciate it!

Photo: ItzaFineDay

A recent post by Abdul Sattar, entitled A Defense of Muslim Activism, got me thinking.

Sattar’s post does not follow along the lines implied by the title. In my mind, he was going to give reasons of how Muslims can and should be activists in this post 9/11 world without being categorized as terrorists.

While noting that some believe, “Islamic activism today is just the tattered remnant of political movements long since gone awry,” his focus instead falls on the idea that some believe to be an activist is inherently anti-spiritual.

In terms of Islam, Sattar notes:

One can easily glean from the Qur’an, Sunnah, and the legacy of our scholars that our primary purpose on this Earth is to worship Allah and die in a state knowing that our salvation is supported by sincere intentions and efforts…we should live as if we are “wayfarers or travelers on the way.”

Take out Allah, insert God, Buddha (with a different sort of afterlife), or Mohammed, and you have the basic premise of most of the world’s religions – worship an entity and live meekly in this life to gain riches after. No room for activism there.

And yet, most wars throughout history have been based on religion (at least outwardly), right? Some might consider war as an activist activity; it is the extreme version of standing up for one’s rights. So the ‘extreme’ activist – who will fight, mutilate, or kill – can certainly be seen as anti-spiritual.

But what about the activists who, because of their religious beliefs, ‘fight’ for the rights of the oppressed, mishandled, and misjudged?

While the ultimate goal in Islam is to worship Allah on the way to the afterlife, Sattar argues for activism, noting, “the Muslim traveler is obligated to strive to prevent injustice when he sees it.”

The real question is, where is the line of activism in the name of religion or spirit, and who draws it?

Do you think that many activists go too far? Share your thoughts below.

Feature photo: ItzaFineDay

Photo: Smoobs

I must admit, when I heard about the two deaths and 22 hospitalized at a sweat lodge near Sedona, Arizona this past weekend, I readjusted my long-held desire to be a part of one.

But reading further into the specifics of what happened made me, well, not so surprised that it happened.

First, as Joseph Bruchac, an expert on Native American traditions and author of The Native American Sweat Lodge: History and Legends noted in the New York Times article about the accident, the number of people taking part in the ceremony at Angel Valley – 55 to 65 – far surpassed the 8 to 12 at a typical sweat lodge.

Bruchac said, “It means that all these people are fighting for the same oxygen.”

Also, a great deal of preparation goes into traditional sweat lodges, and they are usually made of “willow branches and covered in canvas or animal skins, and are not meant to be air-tight.” Authorities at the Angel Valley lodge noted this sweat lodge was covered in plastic and blankets.

A typical ceremony usually lasts an hour, and this one had clocked in at two hours before the organizers called 911.

Understanding the Process

This sweat lodge was led by self-help guru James Arthur Ray. His bio notes he:

…has studied and been exposed to a wide diversity of teachings and teachers – from his collegiate learning and the schools of the corporate world, to the ancient cultures of Peru, Egypt and the Amazon.

Photo: Jeff Kubina

If you take a look at his picture, it’s pretty clear that Ray is not Native American. I have no doubt that he has learned quite a bit about different cultures in his travels, as we all do.

But I have to question, is it right for a white man to lead a Native American ceremony?

After I read the book Coyote Medicine, I understood the complexities of building and running a proper sweat lodge, and how a shaman passes this information on to a shaman-in-training.

As Julie notes in the comments section on RightJuris.com:

Native Americans and ONLY Native Americans understand the entire process of a sweat lodge ceremony. This is their spirituality and their culture, NOT something we can easily adopt nor can we even begin to understand without extensive training BY a Native American traditionalist, and I mean EXTENSIVE.

Finally, the cost of the retreat is a bit suspect: $9,695 per person. On his site, Ray says participants will “experience a new technologically-enhanced form of meditation that creates new neurological pathways.”

While I do believe the last part is possible, a true Native-American ceremony would not cost that much. And unfortunately, deaths and injuries resulting from Ray’s negligence will make many condemn sweat lodges in general, and this will certainly hinder people from developing any “new neurological pathways.”

What do you think about a person who is not Native-American performing a traditional sweat lodge ceremony? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: Source

The picture above is a popular photo that made its way around the internet this week. It was titled, Against All Prejudices.

Cute and happy photo, for sure. But what does the title imply, exactly? That those with mohawks are usually racist? That small children are usually homophobic?

Enjoying the photo for their winning smiles, excitement, and human connection is one thing. But giving it a title that seems to say, “Look, we can all get along if the punk and the black kid can!” is another.

The stereotypical generalizations based on appearance here are endless, and most of the people on the “fringe” and kids I’ve known in my life tend to fall on the low-end of bigotry. Give me a photo of Joe Wilson excitedly handing the Nobel Peace Prize over to Obama with that title instead.

But, as usual, there is a sparked debate about the picture over at Reddit. One person notes:

I believe he was making the point that this flies in the face of OTHER people’s prejudices, not necessarily the characters in the picture.

Maybe that is the point. Or maybe both views can be true.

What do you think about the photo’s title? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: swimparallel

Drinking alcohol tends to be a large part of many traveler’s itineraries.

Ok, maybe not ‘itineraries,’ per se, but checking out a local pub or expat bar usually plays into the travel experience.

Sometimes, drinking is taken entirely too far, and ruins a trip or friendships. Other times, it simply creates too many missed hikes or day trips because of those gosh-darn hangovers that make you want to hurl at the thought of rolling out of that uncomfortable hostel bed.

So here we go with a new study that lets us know if you don’t drink alcohol, you’re more than likely to be depressed. Even more so than a heavy drinker, apparently. Alrighty, then.

And it’s not just depression, no no. It’s also anxiety disorders.

When they try and break down the “why,” it seems that most people who completely abstain from alcohol either have some extreme illness like chronic fatigue, or are former alcoholics, both of which are more prone toward “melancholy.”

Added to that is “the most powerful explanation”:

…It seems to be that abstainers have fewer close friends than drinkers, even though they tend to participate more often in organized social activities. Abstainers seem to have a harder time making strong friendship bonds, perhaps because they don’t have alcohol to lubricate their social interactions.

Yes, alcohol is a lubricant. When traveling, this can be especially helpful in sliding your way into a new situation where you don’t know anyone (especially when traveling alone). But really, abstainers have a harder time making strong friendship bonds? We clearly can’t be trusted to connect without a little tequila (or vodka, or red wine…).

I wonder if this is more an issue of self-acceptance and self-determination more than anything else. Not to say I don’t ever partake in a little drinky-drinky myself…

Do you think alcohol is a necessary social lubricant while traveling? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: jurvetson

Here’s a new way to sell India: it’s like boot camp.

Instead of your regular calming, relaxing (or at least eye-opening) yogic/meditative/slum experience in the country of Buddha, the Taj Mahal, and Bollywood, apparently the latest way to get Westerners into the country is to make it seem as if they have signed up at Gold’s Gym.

Just the purgation/core strengthening route instead of a step class.

In a recent article on the Jakarta Post site entitled, Nature’s Boot Camp, the author notes:

The average day begins at 5:30 a.m. to the sound of bhajan…once up, patients participate in yogic kriyas – a process that induces controlled vomiting or purgation of the nasal, stomach and intestinal pipes…those prone to migraines are encouraged to insert a thin piece of rubbery wire through the nose and out the mouth. Asthma patients often swallow a thin muslin-like cloth down the esophagus to remove blockages. Others drink repeatedly a mixture of hot water, salt and cardamom.

Sounds like a lovely time.

Yes, liquid-based diets are to follow, along with whirlpool baths and your everyday enema or colonic. But make sure to enjoy the “pretty setting with benches to view the sunset over a pristine lake and lots of greenery infused with rare species of migratory birds.”

Ok, given, I actually know people that have gone to India for such cleanses, Panchakarma’s and the like. I’ve been through similar cleanses myself, and believe in their curative effects for the sick.

But really? This is how they are trying to sell India now? How many desperate-to-be-skinny/ “pure” wanna-be famous people are salivating over their assistant’s computer right now?

I will make sure to not spend $1500 for an Executive Single Room or $8,000 for a Deluxe Hut a day to either a. see India, or b. do something that would cost me less than $100 for an entire cleanse at home. No thank you.

What do you think about packaging places in India as “nature’s boot camp”? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: mugley

Time for some controversial religious and political talk from the left:

Frank Schaeffer is a reformed fundamentalist Christian who still considers himself a Christian today. But when it comes to a poll stating that 35% of people in New Jersey believe that Obama may be the Antichrist (the numbers look a bit lower here), he notes “that within our culture, we have a subculture which is literally a 5th column of insanity…can Christianity be rescued from Christians?”

He also believes that as a former life-long Republican, the party must not continue to “cater to the village idiot” (in his words, fundamentalist Christians).

I get where Schaeffer’s anger, his inflammatory speech, and his reactions are coming from. I can’t watch news on TV for fear of a Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh or Bill O’Reilly popping into view and just pissing me off from the first moment they open their mouth. After seeming to bridge some of our differences in the US with Obama’s sweep in the elections, it now feels as if America has become more fractionalized, and fundamentalist on several fronts, than ever before.

At least if you look at corporate media and polling.

Reality Or Reactionary?

Nosing around the internet, I came across such sites as catholicanarchy.org, written by a doctoral student in theology, Michael J. Iafrate. He covers issues from a religious perspective that are close to my own heart, like the unconscionable reality that corporations get away with everything because they are considered a “person” in the eyes of the law.

And what about the activist church/organization Los Angeles Catholic Worker? To them:

If we too desire to become citizens of His Kingdom, then we must live our lives in proximity to and in solidarity with those who are at the margins of our society…[we] regularly offers prophetic witness in opposition to war-making and injustice.

I can certainly get on board with that perspective. Plus, there’s the Christians for Peace in El Salvador, a faith-based organization that bridges the poor communities in El Salvador with ones in the US, and “is politically non-partisan, committed to nonviolence and supportive of the faith journeys of one another.”

Photo: gnuckx cc0

There is no doubt in my mind that there are Fundamentalist Christians who believe Obama is the Antichrist, that all women should stay in the kitchen, and that people like me are going straight to hell really, really soon.

There always have been fringes of every belief and religion, and there always will be.

Yet, is the loud, Fundamentalist Christian sector really becoming the majority, or is that what mainstream media would like us to believe? Is this viewpoint necessary to keep the news sector churning, and to keep us in fear, whether on the left or the right?

It is worth taking a look at the people who surround you, the continued growth of Christian organizations who are social-justice, food-justice, and eco-justice oriented, and getting news from mainstream media in little sound bites instead of heaping spoonfuls before you come to a conclusion.

And, by the way, I’m not a Christian, Fundamentalist or otherwise, if you have yet to guess.

Do you think that Fundamentalist Christians are really taking over the religion, or is it a media ploy? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: NeoGaboX

Yoga teacher Hilary Carter began to notice how often she would look at the clock and notice it was 11:11. Or 2:22. Or 3:33.

Since she was already the type to be interested in such “coincidences,” she decided to start following the numbers, à la The Celestine Prophecy, to see where they would lead her.

After beginning to compile “past lives, premonitions, and number signs,” she found herself purchasing an ancient convent in Spain in order to renovate it. As Hot Indie News noted, after her purchase:

First, her financial backer died, then her first builder ended up in prison and the second builder became paralyzed in a tragic accident – and all this only scratches the surface.

Carter’s book, The 11.11 Code: Secrets of the Convent, goes deeper into the adventures that entailed, but also invites each of us to contemplate our own destiny, and the signs available to direct the process.

Facing One’s Destiny

I remember a time in my life where the idea of such signs, connections, and karma didn’t touch the surface of my brain. I’m sure some beliefs around destiny were hidden somewhere deep inside of me, but they were nowhere near my intellectual comprehension.

Photo: whatmegsaid

And yet now, I live by signs and connections (well, most of the time anyway). Doing so certainly makes life more interesting, more full, and makes me feel, well, more connected.

I think when I’m traveling, I see it most – and can imagine that many of you would agree. That’s part of why it can be so hard to come “home” sometimes, to get back into a daily routine that seems to lack spark, intrigue, or any sense of a life force.

New places provide a sensory overload that is stimulating and satisfying, and people that often think completely opposite from you (or exactly like you, which is even more amazing).

But what if you brought that feeling and view point back home into your daily life? That’s certainly part of what we try and keep alive here at Matador, and debate on how exactly to fulfill this quest.

Often, you have to radically alter your conceptions and perceptions of “home” and whether money or career will dictate your life. Yet this process is powerful in and of itself, and really, isn’t life about shifting, changing, and getting better?

Sometimes, all it takes is to “let go” in whatever way you personally need to. As my friend Amar says, “I take life where it takes me.” Now, that’s a motto to live by.

Do you live by following signs in your life, or do you think it’s a bunch of new-age bunk? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: LA Times

The photo to the right certainly represents a open-minded, poly-religious, world traveler’s dream wedding (or worst logistical nightmare?).

Yep, that’s an East Coast Rabbi, Catholic priest from California, and a European Shinto priest who gathered in Greece to unite a Sephardic Jew groom and a bride with both Shinto and Catholic roots. Pretty darn unique.

Both wanted to please their traditional parents, but also the traditions alive within themselves.

Made me think about all of you out there that have connected with and honored people of different races, creeds, and socioeconomic statuses, and yet remained proud of your own. And just how beautiful that is.

Whether we are debating the nature of love between a white man and Asian woman, or the spiritual implications of a polyamorous relationship, it seems we still can agree that sometimes, love just conquers all.

And maybe it is simply love that we need to bridge different religions. As the groom noted, “Religion should unite people, not separate them. And after all, aren’t all religions one?”

Do you have a story of a religiously-complicated relationship that broke through the barriers, either your own or someone else’s? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: annnna.

We previously talked at BNT about what it might mean when white people take on heritages other than their own.

But I found dialogue on Reddit that delves into an area where we just scratched the surface. Someone posed the question, “What is white culture?”

The purpose and responses of that post happens to be about Glenn Beck’s comment that Obama has “hatred for white people or the white culture.”

Some of the readers believe Beck’s statement essentially implies that white culture is American, Christian and conservative. Other people say that there is no such thing as white culture, that culture in fact comes from:

Where you live, how you were raised, and the collective traditions, beliefs, and prejudices of the people around you.

What is Culture?

While making fun of white people can be well, funny, it got me thinking, is the term “white culture” even valid in the world? I’m taking this question beyond the borders of the US and even other white-majority countries.

Does being born white in Africa mean that a person is culturally linked to someone in Canada? Probably not, unless their family came from there.

But what if you paired the UK and the US, who share a language (minus accents), cultural heritage, and at least on a world stage, have remained political allies? Does the rest of the world think there exists, to some extent, a culture of shared whiteness between the two?

I can think of a lot of people from both the UK and the US who would not concur, though I can see how people in other parts of the world very much connect the two.

But I’m not sure if at this point in history, we can say that culture is at all based on race. While for some cultures, such as the Aboriginal people and South Asians, a large percentage of the people are still not of mixed races, on the whole, our world has intermeshed in a big way.

And place is also key – where you settle often ends up being the “culture” you take on.

This is not to say that culturally-based racism isn’t alive and thriving, or that keeping cultural history alive is not important; far from it. It is only to say that I’m not sure definitive lines can be placed according to race any longer.

And I’m not sure that we should ever listen to anything Glenn Beck has to say. But really, that’s another point entirely.

Do you think there is such a thing as “white” culture? Share your thoughts below.

Community Connection

Check out Matador Night’s Editor Kate Sedgewick’s piece White Privilege – Can You See it? to test your view of whiteness throughout the world. Don’t forget to read Buster’s illuminating piece (and the comments that came with it) about racism in Russia: Should People of Color Go To Russia?

Photo: kudumomo

This headline might make some of you worry:

Pro-Life Activism Adapting And Thriving.

What made me choke on my tea was the first line of the article: “The number one cause of death in the United States is abortion.” And here I thought it was heart disease.

Ok, I’ll give them that the purported number of abortions a year is higher than people who die of heart attacks (whether everyone would concur that abortion is a cause of death is another matter). I can’t say I agree with their statement that “radically pro-abortion politicians now control the executive and legislative branches of the [US] federal government.”

Last time I checked, the Supreme Court upheld the Federal Partial-Birth Abortion Plan in 2008 that President Bush had signed into law in 2003. But while the Bulletin article begins with a decidedly political tone, this “adapting and thriving” of pro-life activists has less to do with politics and standing outside of abortion clinics, screaming at doctors, and more to do with nonviolence.

It seems the group 40 Days for Life is bringing the issue back to what they consider, at its root, a spiritual question. And using spiritual, non-violent action is how they are getting their message across.

Using “prayerful, non-confrontational witness,” the group asks people to pray and fast for an end to abortion where they live, to keep vigil outside a local abortion clinic, and to get the message out to a wider community for 40-days, which many Christians can relate back to Jesus’ time in the desert.

Pro-Choice Vs. Open Conversations

As probably most of you who have read other articles I have written might imagine, I am pro-choice. But I have to say, with the exception of the fact that this group employs the tactic of going door-to-door, I’m actually impressed with their approach.

I’m certainly more willing to listen to what they have to say as compared to when they shout, craft derogatory signs, or use violence to promote a supposed nonviolent purpose.

Using prayer and vigils are actual nonviolent approaches, and allows everyone to take part in the conversation, unlike the comparable religious billboards that imply atheists are murderers and t-shirts that say Muslims are devil-like. And isn’t that what we’ve been hoping for?

Maybe this approach even means there is the possibility of people listening on both sides of the debate.

Or maybe I’m completely deluded.

What do you think about 40 Days for Life’s approach to spreading their message? Share your thoughts below.

Ninth grade partying / Photo: Ashley Sebrell

I spent this past weekend surrounded by old high school friends. One was getting married (the one sitting in the chair in the photo to the right), and his wedding brought quite a few of our old “group” together.

There is something special about seeing people that knew you way back when. Probably the more time that passes, and the older a person gets, the more special it seems.

You tend to look back on the good times more than the challenging ones. At the rehearsal dinner, I began to think about those days of field parties in the country, fast food lunches, and…bouts of drastic depression. Ok, some of the bad stuff crept back in.

I’ve changed in innumerable ways since then (Frosty’s are no longer a part of my vocabulary, and bawling for hours on end is thankfully an occurrence of the past), yet, unlike the usual dwelling followed by patting myself on the back for how much I’ve “evolved,” this thought process stopped abruptly. I realized I no longer needed to think about how much I’ve changed.

Why was this the case? For the last 10 years, I’ve been trying to prove (to myself more than anyone else) how far I’ve come, how much more worthy I am. So what really is so different?

My spirit.

The Importance of Belief

I now believe that connecting to our spirit is the key to really and truly falling in love with ourselves.

It’s often hard to see that many of us look outside of ourselves for that blessing of self worth. We’re pretty much taught from day one that what counts is what other people think and feel about us, so who is really to blame here? Plus, for the most part, we can’t even see that this is our approach.

A long conversation with one friend about his own struggle with finding himself, and his worries over what we remembered and thought about his antics in high school, forced that click of recognition.

l now feel in my bones something that has been said to me time and time again over those last 10 years: to have others look at you with appreciation, you must first appreciate yourself. And the way to attain that appreciation for the self and connect to spirit is to gain some understanding of all those other people out there roaming the earth.

Traveling Spirit

Three months after I graduated from college, I left North Carolina for California. I didn’t know why or what I was going to do; I just knew I had to get out of there.

A much more refined (and less blurry) group / Photo: Jim Ernst

I can now understand what I thought was a drive in me to explore the “unknown” was simply a gentle, intuitive knowing of a process to find my spirit.

The same is not necessarily true for everyone, though I think the generation I find myself a part of seems to have this drive – or gentle knowing – in droves (just take a quick look around Matador).

We often discuss both inner and outer travel here at BNT. This can mean different things to different people, and really can be found in any direction you look. But how exactly did outer travel help me connect to my spirit?

For me, trekking to new places has been about normalizing myself, in a way. As my friend John put it last weekend, I was “always searching for something.” What was cloaked in self-esteem issues was actually my spirit’s ‘gentle approach’ to essentially making me move my ass.

I was propelled to find out how to feel normal, and even possibly – gasp! – truly appreciated. At the same time, I learned to not worry so much about what others thought (or what I think they thought) about me.

Sharing the Desire for Contentment

Whether glancing around at the expats doting the Globe cafe in Prague, or being the only white woman dancing to old school Michael Jackson at a club in Lusaka, Zambia, I began sensing a pattern of purpose.

The more I travel, the more people I meet, the more I feel at my stomach’s base that we are all just trying to eek out some happiness, contentment, and peace in this life.

I admit, it is still sometimes hard to feel connected in a strong political climate where I don’t agree with what the majority (or vocal minority) want. But if you get to the root, even the “enemy” is just searching for a little happiness, contentment and peace in their life, working toward it in the way they know best.

All the places and people I have seen and met, a mere dent in the globe as compared to many of you reading this, led me to return to that place in which I never felt “normal”: home. Only this time, I found myself in full appreciation of those people, my teenage years, and any abnormality I ever felt.

And that, my friends, comes from the power of spirit.

How have you felt returning home after a long journey? Share your thoughts below.

Feature photo: tipiro

Photo: Sue Richards

Ok, so we’ve talked about what the future of travel might look like.

Condé Nast Traveler magazine, on the other hand, decided to recently air out the top five rumors about the future of airline travel.

I must note all of these are much less exciting and futuristic than want we think is going to happen.

Yet in consideration of our hard economic times, and the unfortunate losses that so many corporations are facing daily (’we only made a $999,000,000 surplus last quarter, down from $2 billion last year during the same quarter!’), I think it is our duty to try and help out, at the very least, the airline industry.

I mean, how much can they really be making from charging us for meals, checking in luggage, and cramming in more seats? It really is the only fair thing to do.

Rumor #1: Southwest will fly to Europe

Guess a rumor has been going around that some $99 seats would getcha outta JFK and into Rio. Nice thought, but no dice.

But really, with jokes like, “Pushing the light-bulb button will turn your reading light on. However, pushing the flight-attendant button will not turn your flight attendant on,” I’m willing to pay at least $150.

C’mon, Southwest, then you too could charge us for peanuts. Really, I bet you could get $5 a pack on one of those eight-hour flights.

Rumor #2: Airlines are planning “standing room” seats

If they make it mandatory to check all of your luggage while charging you $50 per piece, there will be plenty of room in the overheard compartments for small women and children.

Also, get some good, sturdy straps and the plane’s wings suddenly become another 30 seats (just make sure there are small TVs installed the length of the wing to keep people entertained). It’s a win-win-wing situation.

Rumor #3: Ryanair is going to install pay toilets on its planes

Photo: Sapphireblue

Soon enough, flying will be just like being about to pee in your pants in Europe and not having €.50 to get into the toilet. Seems this one hasn’t fully been dashed yet, so you can keep your hopes up. Anyone have change for $100?

Rumor #4: A 1,000-passenger commercial jetliner is on the drawing board

Sweeeet! If they could just squeeze in a few more, it could be like an Indian wedding! We’ll have sari-wrapping in one corner of the plane, and bhangra dancing in the other. Maybe even a pig-on-a-spit to give it a little Southern flair?

And we can all be dancing, eating, and laughing as we lift off 50 feet in the air and then crash into the end of the runway.

Rumor #5: Richard Branson will install casinos/discos/health clubs/[fill in blank here] aboard his new planes

Traveler notes that, “Branson has also been a master of smirky references to the mile-high club when unveiling plans for ‘double bed’ suites.” Now that Virgin megastores are on the downward skid, wonder if he’s having more trouble getting some and has to live vicariously through his clientele?

Maybe they can just charge double when people would like to ‘go to the bathroom’ together? Don’t let him down, my friends!

What other crazy rumors have you heard about the future of the airline industry? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: kevindooley

Uh oh, here we go. Seems a new film on Charles Darwin can’t find distribution in the US, despite opening the Toronto Film Festival and being sold to most other countries in the world.

And guess why they can’t seem to find a distributor in the States?

Because Darwin’s “theories on human evolution are too controversial for religious American audiences,” at least according to the film’s producer.

Ok, I know that there are a good amount of people in the US that don’t necessarily concur with what Darwin had to say. But Hollywood isn’t necessarily known for its conservative ways. Didn’t Bill Maher just do a scathing movie about religion not too long ago?

And I’m not quite sure I agree with this comment:

…US distributors have turned down the film that could cause uproar in a country that, on the whole, dismisses scientific theories of the way we evolved.

Really, “on the whole”? But, this is the Daily Mail, and they certainly enjoy making inflammatory remarks.

Then again, with basic health coverage for all US citizens continuing to be labeled as “Socialism,” and that word being worse that the Devil here on Earth, maybe they’re right.

Do you think that on the whole, the US does not believe in evolution, or is this just a media ploy? Share your thoughts below.

“Looking forward, thinking back”/Photo: HAMED MASOUMI

Whether you are a part of the world of travel, finance, or simply a human being in the Western Hemisphere, today certainly marks a tragic day in history.

Around the internet, you’ll find all sorts of pieces related to that fateful day in 2001, all the way from how Obama is handling terrorism to an extremely poignant recount of being in New York the morning of 9/11 by Matador’s own Tom Gates.

Here is a blurb from a 9/11 conversation on Reddit which asks, What were you doing on September 11th, 2001 when the planes hit?:

I called my girlfriend at the time and told her to stay at home because some bad stuff was going down. I made it to work in time to see the second plane hit the towers. Within hours, my company had 6 million dollars worth of software contracts canceled. A week later, 90% of the company was laid off. Over the next 7 years my rights were systematically destroyed, billions were wasted on an unjustified war and the name of America was dragged through the mud.

The terrorists won.

You may need to tweak the story a little, but the last sentence describes how many people feel.

Memorial To The Future

Memorials tend to remind us of the past. In essence, that is their purpose, beauty and how we honor innocent lives lost. But what if, along with remembering the horror of what happened, where we were when a tragic experience took place, or the sometimes painful repercussions of that experience, we contemplate all of the other amazing things that have happened since?

My big question for you on the 8th Anniversary of the US 9/11 is: where have you gone? Where have you traveled that you had previously never even contemplated going; what life work have you accomplished that might have once seemed impossible; what love has been brought into your life?

What have you learned about yourself, and the world, in order to make both better?

How have you memorialized lives lost, whether those lives were in New York at Ground Zero, fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan, your grandmother, or your 23-year-old friend that died of cancer? Beauty begets tragedy and tragedy begets beauty; what I think counts most is what you are doing with the only moment we are guaranteed: now.

Those who have given their lives willingly or unwittingly wouldn’t want it any other way.

What are some of the amazing things you’ve done since September 11, 2001? Share your experiences below.

Community Connection

Check out Julie Schwietert’s thoughts on last year’s anniversary of 9/11 in “History is ours, and people make history”: Some thoughts on 9/11. And I can’t reiterate enough the importance of reading Tom Gates view of 9/11 in 8:46 am, 9/11 Manhattan.

Photo: badlogik

I will attempt not to stray too far in the direction of ‘political’ in this post, but there will certainly be politics involved.

Mostly US politics in fact, so I will go ahead and apologize to those outside America, or who are trying to stay away from the madness. I’m not here to make anyone’s head explode.

But, there has been quite the ruckus about President Obama’s supposed “socialist agenda” stay-in-school speech being shown in classrooms, which finally occurred yesterday. The Obama administration has also had a tough week with what I see as the forced resignation of Van Jones, the Green Jobs czar, over the fact that several years ago, he signed a petition asking that the Bush administration be investigated for allowing 9/11 to happen.

The specific issues don’t really matter when it comes down to it; there will always be something. For me, it brings up the question of how we, both as a nation, and as a world, plan to ever move forward.

We don’t all have to believe the same things, and we never will, but we need to be respectful of each other in the process, whether the question be about religion, our sexual orientation, or our politics. We are 99.9% genetically identical, and doesn’t that count for something?

Or really, most everything?

Thinking Critically and Repectfully

I was moved by a piece by Terrance Heath on Huffington Post entitled, How To Think. In it, Health talks about a high school teacher he once had named Mr. Harrison. Mr. Harrison was politically conservative and a devout Christian, while Heath was a gay teenager who was reading the The Gnostic Gospels.

Photo: Capture Queen ™

But instead of pushing a particular agenda, this teacher was doing what all teachers should do: showing kids how to think critically, and then make up their own mind.

For example, Harrison was supportive of Heath and other students as they wrote letters to the school board opposing the banning of certain books, even though Harrison didn’t approve of some of the books in question.

To think critically, we must see and hear both sides of the story, and come up with our own truth. This truth may not coincide with the truth of the person next to you, but hopefully in the process, you’ll come to understand, at a least a bit, where they are coming from.

Blogger Munz spends this whole post trying to convince us of Van Jones “socialist” and “communist” roots, which are just so anti-American. I certainly have quite a bit to say about this, having worked in the same social justice circles as Jones. But instead, I’ll just ask, so what?

How many openly racist, sexist, and/or classist conservatives have held office over the years, and are those things that the US was supposedly founded on? No. Can these people still do their job? Probably. Because each and every one of us holds some “extreme” beliefs that other people will not agree with.

Stop Blaming, Start Listening

I’m not trying to blame only the right in America – the left is just as guilty in spouting inflammatory remarks. Same goes for either side of a belief system in just about every country in the world.

Maybe the deeper question here is why, as a world facing economic hardship, fear of persecution on just about all sides, and environmental implications that could easily mean the end for us all – really, really soon – do we continue to have these snide and unapologetic discussions in mainstream media? Why are we burning our brain cells on standing in place?

Critical thinking, and listening on ALL sides, is necessary now more than ever.

What do you think it will take to make the world move forward instead of stand still? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: jcheng

I found myself around two old friends in the past week who are living extremely hectic lives.

One friend is in law school, and barely has a moment to breathe, much less sleep or eat properly.

The other has a four-month-old baby to breastfeed, along with taking care of her 22-month-old, working a couple of night shifts as a nurse, finishing her Masters, and somehow cooking and cleaning.

Yeah…

I watched as they moved frantically around me and thought, “wow, I’m not doing enough in my life.” Even as the law school friend’s head just about hit the table at dinner, and I barely exchanged a word in four days with the friend who is a mother, I berated myself for taking too much time to, well…relax.

And then I thought about what “too much” looked like, and how it made me feel, in my 20s: extremely sick.

What You Love

Erica Johansson’s (not related to Scarlet, as far as I can tell) recent blog, Reminding Myself of What I Love, drove it home even further. Many of us can get caught up in what we see other people doing, and compare ourselves – positively or negatively – to how we perceive them.

Instead, as Erica points out, it feels better (and I believe, gets us further) to remind ourselves of what we love in our life. The best part about her list is the fact that she names pretty simple things, ones most people can do pretty much anywhere in the world. Yoga, reading, writing, music, movies, water, driving, cycling, running, dancing, food, and museums made her cut.

As I sat on a long train ride Saturday, I thought about what would make my list, things I could do on the road as well as at home. This is what I came up with:

• Travel
• Writing
• Dance
• Being connected to others
• Driving a different car than my own
• Balancing food (having a little bit from every type of food, but knowing what feels best to my body to eat)
• Hiking
• Plain old excitement

I could go on, but I’ll stop there. The point of this little exercise, though, is palpable: thinking about what you love in your life takes away the need, or desire, to compare yourself to others.

And isn’t at least one of the points of life to find contentment with what you have?

What makes your list of things that you love? Share your lists in the comments.

Community Connection

Interested in finding out the guilty pleasures of Matador editors? Then check out Travel Guilty Pleasures: What’s Yours? And if you want to employ the simple pleasure of saying “Cheers!” just about anywhere in the world, How To Say “Cheers!” In 50 Languages is your go-to reference.

Photo: Fabian Bromann

I’m assuming most of you reading this believe in evolution, or at least parts of it.

The most interesting aspect of an article I just read on the Daily Galaxy website is that it states evolution, as we have known it, is now obsolete.

Oh, really?

The piece begins with this quote from Freeman Dyson at the Institute for Advanced Study:

Now, after some three billion years, the Darwinian era is over. The epoch of species competition came to an end about 10 thousand years ago when a single species, Homo sapiens, began to dominate and reorganize the planet. Since that time, cultural evolution has replaced biological evolution as the driving force of change.

This brings up several questions for me (global warming, anyone?), but for the purpose of this post, I’ll stick to author Casey Kazan’s point of reference: the “domestication” of biotechnology will be the driving force of the next 50 years. To some extent, this is already the deeply-embedded case: take a look at food engineering (with the newest scary idea to breed cows that feel no pain), and the continued debate over stem cells.

But the real gist of the article is that cultural evolution, which is not Darwinian in nature, has replaced biological evolution. So what does this mean for the 21st century traveler?

Cultural Interdependence Vs. Separate Identity

Kazan adds:

Cultures spread by horizontal transfer of ideas more than by genetic inheritance. Cultural evolution is running a thousand times faster than Darwinian evolution, taking us into a new era of cultural interdependence which we call globalization.

Interesting view, especially if we consider whether it is possible to culturally integrate based on nature vs. nurture. But Kazan once again quotes Dyson, who says, “…the rules of Open Source sharing will be extended from the exchange of software to the exchange of genes. Then the evolution of life will once again be communal, as it was before separate species and intellectual property were invented.”

Photo: h.koppdelaney

This information makes me wonder, will the need – or desire – to travel then become obsolete?

If you contemplate that the evolution of man came about from constantly moving to new areas and developing survival mechanisms based on place, if biological evolution is “over,” do we need to keep moving? Or will biotechnology simply bring another place to us?

Part of Kazan’s argument sounds wonderful to me: the holistic interpretation that we are not separate, but instead are all one and interconnected, and that this will extend to how we share and live in a global community.

The other part, though, I must admit I’m afraid of: losing any separate identity, and therefore culture, will negate the need to see other places. We can just conjure up our desired locale based on an antiquated idea that the people of a different place had something to offer us. But these positive differences will no longer be a reality.

Then, we might just long for the past.

What do you think about the “end of evolution” and its implications on travel? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: The Wandering Angel

Is there a common thread between different religions throughout the world?

Of course there is. And there is certainly more than one.

But the one that Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener, author of the new book, Claiming Earth As Common Ground: The Ecological Crisis Through the Lens of Faith, takes a look at is environmental activism.

I have to admit, I’m intrigued about the prospect of religion, science, and environment coming together. Cohen-Kiener, along with being a spiritual leader and author, also heads the Interreligious Eco-Justice Network. In a recent article on the Mother News Network, she claims that:

…The major faith traditions offer not only clear instructions [for taking care of the environment] but also an urgent mandate to do something about them.

She claims that religious leaders the likes of Pope Benedict are on board and are openly discussing the need for conservation. But, she adds, there is also a “trickling up” from the masses to these leaders in the need to be open and honest about environmental degradation.

In 2007, Grist.org published a list of 15 Green Religious Leaders, which included obvious ones such as the Dalai Lama, and maybe the not-so-obvious, like Richard Cizik, vice president of governmental affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals. According to the article, Cizik “travels the U.S. spreading the doctrine of ‘creation care,’ a Bible-based understanding of why Christians have a duty to be environmental stewards.”

The Other Side

But, as usual, there are some out there that disagree. Gerald Zandstra, in his piece Religious Leaders and Social Activism: Prophets or Captives? on the Acton Institute website, argues that at least some environmental groups and causes are simply bringing in religious leaders to “inject religious language into a non- (or even anti-) religious agenda.”

Photo: northbaywanderer

The example Zandstra specifies has to do with a project that is attempting to ban PVC-based products in healthcare. He believes this greening project is both secular and based on “an irrational bias against all things ‘artificial’.”

In an even more convoluted take on environmentalism found on the same site, a blog post by Jordan J. Ballor, a Ph.D. candidate in historical theology, entitled, Pro-Consumption and Pro-Environment, states:

Fossil fuels would thus have the created purpose of providing relatively cheap and pervasive sources of energy. These limited and finite resources help raise the standard of living and economic situation of societies to the point where technological research is capable of finding even cheaper, more efficient, renewable, and cleaner sources of energy.

He adds a statement from the Cornwall Declaration on Environmental Stewardship that says, “A clean environment is a costly good…the tendency among some to oppose economic progress in the name of environmental stewardship is often sadly self-defeating.”

Um, ok. So they are saying we have to essentially wreck the environment in order to save it? That environmental agenda goes along perfectly with the idea that we have to kill people in order to save them in all those “freedom” wars.

Too bad we could have chosen ethanol for our autos back in the early 20th century rather than oil. But, it seems as if most established religious leaders get it…

What do you think about religious leaders taking a stance on the environment? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: inhisgrace

Have to admit, I had a few toxic thoughts this weekend.

First, there was some jealousy of the many friends, acquaintances, and basically everyone surrounding me in Truckee, California who are on their way to Burning Man. This is the first year I really wanted to go, was supposed to perform, and have been living in a town right off the I-80 path to Black Rock City. But I couldn’t afford to go.

Then there was a feeling of being disconnected from one friend, my roommate, and a couple of other people I was hoping to meet up with. Feeling disconnected with one person is doable for me, but these things tend to come in threes, and end up making me feel pretty unhappy.

Yet, toward the end of the weekend, I came across the piece, 10 Ways To Transform Toxic Thoughts by Sandra Ingerman. Aha, right, there is something I can do.

Whether we are on the road or at home, we all face some of those moments or days (or weeks), but without sounding too new-agey (I’m trying hard here), we do have a choice of how to look at things. Sometimes we just need a little prompt to see things in a different light.

In that vain, here are my favorite four ways, from Ingerman’s list, to transform those ugly, unhelpful thoughts:

Breathe Through Your Heart

She says: “Place your hands on your heart and feel your heart moving as you breathe.”

Photo: helgasms!

We often forget both the power of breath and the power of the heart, much less the power of touch (even our own). Put all of those together, and you have a recipe for feeling calmer, safer, and less toxic.

Don’t forget breathing through your stomach. The number one thing that quiets my sometimes extremely loud head is the breath of fire, a kundalini yoga technique.

Breathing at a very fast pace seems to clear out my anxiety and leave my mind soft (yes, you are free to compare it to sex – I have no problem with that).

Express, Don’t Send

One of the issues that I was having this weekend was feeling an acquaintance had some sort of a problem with me, though I had no idea what. I sat with the feeling of anger and general pissed-off-ness (’what did I ever do to him?’), vaguely understanding that hurt lived underneath that anger. Finally, after rolling the situation around in my head for so long that I couldn’t sleep, I realized I had to say something.

I’ve learned that in this life, with my personality, I need to express myself or I will eventually explode in a much less constructive way (to put it mildly). I actually believe most of us need to verbally express our issues, but we are taught we aren’t supposed to, that we need to keep the peace. Yet I wonder if more peace would occur if we actually expressed our feelings more often.

So I want to shift the “don’t send” part of this one to “don’t send negative thoughts and feelings.” Express what you have to say in a respectful and constructive manner. For me this weekend, I started out wanting to write an email saying, “What the hell is your problem with me?” It evolved to asking if there was something that happened which bothered him, as I was feeling hurt by his disregard, and I wanted to clear the air.

Much less toxic.

Connect With Nature

Sometimes, this is easier to do on the road than at home. I know that nature saved me this weekend. Right now, I’m lucky enough to be in a place that is filled with amazing fir trees, so many hikes it would take a lifetime to do them all, and more watering holes (of the lake variety) than most states contain.

Photo: Mike Pedroncelli

I sat by the Truckee River on a warm rock, feet dipped in the cool water, getting my Vitamin D on. It was lovely.

You can’t help but feel better, physically and emotionally, once you get outside in nature. If you don’t have that luxury, try and have a plant or an animal close by – they can also work wonders.

Respond With Love

Ah, yes. The easiest and the hardest thing to do in life: show love. It’s especially hard to show appreciation when someone, or something, has hurt you. And feeling angry, hurt, or upset is completely valid. Just don’t let it take you down.

After fully feeling the pain, it can be really healing to respond with love to whatever has hurt you. It changes the energy of the situation, and probably even the outcome.

If you can’t seem to show love because it feels like the other person doesn’t deserve it, do it for you. Then you get to move on with your life and bring more good people into it.

So I’m sending lots of love to everyone I know and don’t know who is heading to Burning Man, to my roommate, and those I have felt a bit disconnected from. And I’m taking that love along with me to the East Coast. See you guys on the other side!

What are other things a person can do to transform toxic thoughts? Share your ideas below.

Here’s a previously unlikely combination of two of my favorite things, that I’m sure will come together more often in the age of organic açaí-infused energy drinks and late-night yoga jams:

Buddhism and Gangsta Rap. Hells, yeah.

What can the Buddhists say? Recruitment has hit the skids along with the economy. Can always use a llama-turned-woman-in-a-bikini to get the troops motivated.

Go total consciousness Lama Boy.

Community Connection

Buddhists aren’t the only ones who can rap. Southwest Airlines is still keeping it real as Julie Schwietert notes in Southwest Airlines: Still Cool After All These Years. And it’s not just about rap when it comes to Buddhism; alcohol may also be involved, as Ian MacKenzie ponders in Buddha Booze: The Practice Of Mindful Drinking.

Feature photo: utpala ॐ.

Photo: The Gainesville Sun

I don’t take a lot of comfort in the direction we are heading when I read that a 10-year-old wore a shirt to a Florida school proclaiming, “Islam is of the Devil.”

She isn’t the only one. Seems children who attend the Dove World Outreach Center are showing up at school in these kind and loving t-shirts (view the Dove Center’s explanation here).

They are being sent home by school officials when they refuse to change or cover up their apparel.

Free speech comes up against freedom of religion, although district attorneys have said the school is more than likely safe “from a First Amendment standpoint.” The US Supreme Court has ruled several times in favor of schools not allowing speech that may be disruptive to students.

My larger concern is the hate message being espoused to those of other religions by a church “based on the Bible, the Word of God…bring(ing) Godly changes to our entire society.” Especially when the news article notes:

Dove Senior Pastor Terry Jones said no local company “had the guts” to print the shirts.

Guts or anger? One of the member’s daughters, who also wore a shirt to school, said the “statement was aimed at the religion’s beliefs, not its members.” Ah, yes, of course.

I know this is nothing new, with the “shock” religious advertising that seems to have become a daily occurrence, but I have to say I always hope the next generation will be a bit more tolerant. But how can they possibly have tolerance when their parents are instilling these “we’re-just-trying-to-save-the-nonbelievers-from-going-to-hell” messages?

What do you think of this anti-Islam t-shirt? Share your thoughts below.

Indian students in AU protest attacks / Photo: will ockenden

Although I’m under no delusions that racism isn’t alive and well in this world, I have to say I’m a bit surprised about the attacks happening lately to students of color in traditionally white countries.

Between Buster’s piece on Matador Abroad asking Should People of Color Go To Russia?, and a recent article in the Times of India about attacks on Indian students in Australia, the fear reverberating from the ruling class of the past is palpable.

It hardly escapes attention that those being targeted, according to both of these pieces, are students, some of which are working on their Ph.D. To me, it seems like the fact that people of color are being educated to a higher degree than most of the rest of the population is triggering some deep insecurities of being ‘less than,’ which are being acted out with vigilantism.

For both Blacks in Russia and Indians in Australia, the need to tell roommates their whereabouts at all times, be on full alert while taking public transportation, and not be out past a certain time at night certainly makes one feel like a second class citizen.

What Is Being Done About It?

The Times of India tried to come up with a more subdued reason for the prevalence of attacks:

Another possible reason for the attacks against the Indian students could be the fact that they work part-time along with pursuing their studies and travel late in the night, which makes them vulnerable to assaults.

Hmmm. Well, the Victorian Police have started “sensitisation programmes” in order to educate the community about the attacks happening in Melbourne. Also, Buster notes in his article, “most people in Russia are not violent racists.”

While in one way, these are attempts to stem the assaults, I feel like a much stronger message needs to be sent to those initiating the attacks. Unfortunately, that may not come from within these countries, so pressure from the outside – by the media, or your blog posts – might be the way to help keep these students safe.

What can we do to help stop attacks on students of color? Share your thoughts below.

Community Connection

The first week of August was International Blog Against Racism Week, and you can find links to blogs leading the revolution here. And if you think that racism isn’t outwardly tolerated in the US anymore, check out the piece, A “Whites-Only” Pool in 2009?

Photo: Source

Alright, kids: the future is just about here.

A British scientist was recently awarded £100,000 by the Royal Society to develop an invisibility cloak. Yes, really.

It seems the good (mad?) scientist, Professor Ulf Leonhardt, believes he can develop “a material that bends light around itself, making it invisible to the naked eye” in just two short years.

Sweet. Sounds simple enough. Have the cloak simply “grab hold” of light rays so they don’t bounce off into our eyes, which enables us to see objects. Instead, curve the light around the object, basing this approach on Einstein’s theory of curved space. Use the Invisible Woman and Harry Potter as your inspiration. Don’t forget to check with the What the Bleep?! people.

But it seems this type of project has already been in the works for a while. Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley have been working on a garment since at least 2008, with funding from the US Military (hmmm). And way back in 2006, Duke University researchers released this video demonstrating the world’s first working invisibility cloak:

My question is, when will that invisibility cloak get me across the globe without having to board a plane?

What do you think about the possibility of an invisibility cloak existing in the next two years? Share your thoughts below.

Community Connection

Interested in the possibility of time travel? Then check out the article, Is Time Travel Possible? Or, if you think we should be already be farther ahead in our travel options, 6 Revolutionary Forms Of Travel That Don’t Exist Yet… But Should will comfort you during the wait.

Photo: Ingorrr

Many of you who tune into BNT on a regular basis are not only travelers who contemplate life’s big questions, but you are also writers who get those questions down on paper (or the 21st century version of paper – blog).

I’m sure many of you have also thought about what roles traveling and writing play in your life. Are they hobbies? Are they parts of your life that get you through the 9-6 job? Are they your life’s purpose?

For most of my life, I wasn’t sure of my purpose, or even if each of us have a particular calling.

I now blame that lack of belief on a system that doesn’t want us to find our calling, unless it is to be a doctor, lawyer, pharmaceutical developer or sales rep, or some other job that fits nicely into the wheel that keeps the market going.

Yet, I also believe we live in a time that more than ever before, there is an underground movement gently nudging everyone to find their own joy through some sort of spiritual practice and connection.

So when I came across a short interview with author Jill Jepson on American Chronicle, I thought about how writing is both a spiritual and sacred process. Jepson recently released her book, Writing as a Sacred Path: A Practical Guide to Writing with Passion and Purpose, where she “delves into the practices of four great spiritual vocations—that of the shaman, warrior, mystic and monk.”

Using Intuition to Access Creativity

Photo: Temari 09

The book shares an intuitive approach to writing, using myth, meditation, and ritual to find, or ‘get at,’ the creativity hidden deep inside of each of us.

Sometimes, it is hard to access this creativity when we constantly have to be in our minds (and being on the computer and millions of different websites a day keeps us up there).

Even when we are traveling, attempting to see all the sights – and hit all the nightclubs – keeps us disconnected from this inner knowing. And when we are at home, ideas start drying up; inspiration is, well, lacking. We get frustrated and hit a wall…then, nothing.

But if we can remember there are tools, sacred and centuries-old ones at that, which can help us get over, under, or around that wall, than we can ease ourselves out of that frustration. And, more importantly, we can move away from the question, “Am I really capable of doing this?”

Jepson adds:

Keep writing. I know that sounds simplistic, but I really feel persistence is the key to success at writing. It is at least as important as talent and luck, and more essential than connections. Many writers fall by the wayside because they can´t deal with the rejection—or with the many hours of hard work writing requires. It´s vital to learn how to deal with frustration and disappointment and get back to your keyboard or paper.

So if travel writing, or writing in general, is your calling, don’t give up. Get back on that horse as many times as you need to, meditate on what might be blocking you, and share your experiences with others – the community you build will take you where you need to go, and keep you inspired.

Do you have a recommendation on how to stay spiritually connected to your writing and get through those blocks? Share your thoughts below.

Author Elizabeth Gilbert / Photo: jurvetson

I recently learned they are filming a movie version of the much-loved spiritual travel memoir, Eat, Pray, Love.

Have to admit, as soon as I saw it is a big Hollywood affair with Julia Roberts as the star, I cringed.

For those who haven’t read the book, author Elizabeth Gilbert goes on a spiritual-quest-of-sorts to Italy, India, and Indonesia after surviving a painful divorce. Many people have been inspired by both her travels and the lessons she learned along the way.

I have no doubt that Gilbert will fair well monetarily from the big screen version of her book. But I’m afraid that the authenticity, and well, spirit, might be sucked right out of it. Hey, that’s Hollywood’s forte.

Turns out I’m not the only one who is worried, though this group has much more at stake than I do. According to an article on Yahoo! India, there are “concerns among Indian yogis and Hindu leaders about whether the film will portray Hinduism and yoga authentically.”

The leader of the Universal Society of Hinduism, Rajan Zed, is a bit worried that the movie will get Hinduism wrong once again. With Mike Myers’ recent film Love Guru, who can blame him?

Misrepresentation of Religion and Land

There is also the possibility of the misrepresentation of the country often thought of as synonymous with Hinduism – India. For some, even Slumdog Millionaire was a much more a “foreigners’ concept” which, in actuality, “demeans” the country, rather than being a celebration of its people.

Of course, there will be some who will think the film version of Eat, Pray, Love, is a great adaptation, and others who will believe that the production got it all wrong.

But as Zen added:

The people of India will be anxious to see how perfectly Roberts does her job of cleaning ashram floors as a part of her devotional duty, trying to recite 182- verse Sanskrit chant, and going through grueling hours of meditation, while being feasted on by mosquitoes.

It certainly will be interesting to see how much time the film gives to this part of Gilbert’s trip.

Do you think Hollywood will do justice to Elizabeth Gilbert’s book? Share your thoughts below.

Feature photo: Emuishere Peliculas

Photo origin

Thing is, no matter where you go in the world, this is what most people at help desks are thinking.

So beware about those questionable questions now.

Know a link for another funny travel sign? Share it below.

Community Connection

Revisit the signs that signaled America (supposedly) wanted change with Artists For Obama: Signs of Change From Across America, and don’t forget about the The #1 Road Sign You Do Not Want To See.

Feature photo: aturkus

“Gay Liberation” sculpture, NYC / Photo: Tony the Misfit

As people in the US continue to debate over whether or not two people who love each other tremendously, but are the same sex, should be allowed to marry, a new survey shows that gays may be more religiously devout than their non-gay counterparts.

The Barna Group, apparently a well-known evangelical pollster, surveyed 9,000 gay, lesbian, and bisexual Americans and found that 70% describe themselves as Christian, with 60% saying their faith is “very important” in their lives.

David Gibson of Politics Daily added:

…Both anecdotal evidence and some research shows that gays and lesbians who are involved in their churches and denominations are often more committed to the church and more involved in ministry than their straight brethren.

Scott Thumma of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research has been studying gays in churches since the 1980s, and says that he has found gay congregants in every denomination, even evangelical and Mormon congregations.

What are some of the reasons for the stronger showing of faith? Gibson noted a few possibilities, including the desire to “avoid the risk of eternal punishment,” or the draw to minister to others because of their own experiences, which brings in the Christian ideals of forgiveness, redemption, and acceptance.

There is also the theory that once a person has discerned one call from God, they are more adept at understanding God’s call to ministry.

No matter the reason, it certainly makes me wonder if conservative, straight churchgoers will continue to call gay people heathens. This survey seems to throw that insult out the window.

What do you think about the survey’s findings? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: Ed-meister

More than one of us have heard a grandparent or elder say, “Back in the good old days…”

What surprised me is when I began to utter these words, about days that came before I my existence was even a contemplation. I think it is a by-product of studying alternative health, and more specifically, ancient medical and spiritual practices.

I think believing the Eastern spiritually-inclined of the past kinda knew better than we do, or were at least more tuned in than we are, is part of my generation’s burden. We have much more access to Eastern ideals than ever before, and spirit beyond Christianity has infiltrated pop culture.

So when I came across a recent article on Slate.com entitled, Do Shamans Have More Sex?, I chuckled a bit (at myself) when I read author Robert Wright’s opening paragraph:

Wouldn’t it be great to be back in hunter-gatherer days? Back before the human spiritual quest had been corrupted by the “relentless onslaught of Western scientific materialism” and “dogmatic male-dominated religion”? Back when there were shamans—spiritual leaders—who could plug us into “the realm of the magical,” show us “the reality behind apparent reality,” and thus lead us to understand “how the universe really works”?

Wright goes on to say is that he doubts “selfless, spiritual leaders” were any more common in the “heyday of shamanism,” or that the “spiritual quest was any less corrupted by manipulation and outright charlatanism” than today.

Though I’m not sure I agree that there was a heyday of shamanism, I can see his point. Along with our search for purity, we often like to grasp at the grass is greener on the other side.

The Conundrum of Inner and Outer Travel

I know I can also take this approach with travel, as the inner and outer travel are obviously deeply connected. I often think another place (in this case, physical land) is better, offers more, and has more depth than the place I currently find myself.

Where to next? / Photo: Randy Son Of Robert

And so I set up in a new place, and for a few days, I see all of its greatness. But eventually, I begin to notice the less bright spots “hiding” underneath, as the varnish slowly comes off.

Suddenly, many of the issues that were there in the last place have shown up in the new place, and I start to dream of that next perfect destination. But what is the connecting factor here? Me.

If we are always looking outside ourselves for perfection – whether this be an ancient tradition that did spirituality right, or the ultimate place to set up shop – we’ll always be disappointed once we unearth the entire picture, which is bound to have some bad with the good.

So love your shamans and the world around you, but don’t forget to take off those rose-colored glasses and check into reality. It makes life, well, more real.

Do you often think somewhere else is better than the place you are, or are you satisfied with where you find yourself at the moment? Share your thoughts below.

Little monks at play / Photo: Sukanto Debnath

A colleague of mine came up with a wonderful project for her thesis: develop an adult play center.

No, she doesn’t plan to have a jungle gym, at least not that I know of.

But she will offer classes ranging from dance to making art, a cafe where people can just sit and chat (not sure about the allowance of computers), and a free space for people to do anything they’re playfully inclined to – keep your mind out of the gutter – like tumbling or playing hopscotch.

The idea is that we all are so caught up in work, family, and all of those daily to-do’s, that we rarely take time to truly play. And play, is in fact, a central part of life.

Sure, many adults might consider going to happy-hour play time, or taking trips to tropical islands as adult amusement. But what about just jumping on a trampoline or counting the stars? Sometimes, I think these forms of play can be even more fulfilling for adults than kids. And they can actually be an easy way to connect to nature, self, and spirit.

Along those lines, I recently ran across an article by William McKenzie about the role of play in different spiritual faiths. Here are a few excerpts of what religious leaders had to say:

Taoism

Amy Martin, Executive Director, Earth Rhythms; Writer/Editor, Moonlady Media:

Photo: Eustaquio Santimano

Taoism refers often to the folly of striving, the appetite of acquisition that can never be sated…to be like a young child, in a natural state of joy, capable of wonder, seeing only love, is the highest state of man, says Lao Tze…The success of books like “1000 Places To See Before You Die” speaks of a widespread desire to experience more of life, to see the places that are so uniquely of this earthly existence, to experience them with the senses, seeing, hearing, feeling and even tasting what the Earth has to offer.

Christian – Baptist

Larry Bethune, Senior Pastor at the University Baptist Church, Austin

…The Bible reflects nonetheless a playful party tradition in the sense of joyful, self-forgetful celebration. This tradition of the feast which Jesus extended was rooted in the Sabbath tradition of the Hebrew scripture, a day of rest, re-creation, worship, and celebration, a day of grace rather than productivity, a day to be rather than do. Biblically speaking, our need for rest and play are deep-wired into our beings from the beginning of time.

Hare Krishna

Nityananda Chandra Das, Minister, ISKCON Kalachandji’s Hare Krishna Temple Dallas

In the Bhagavad Gita chapter 6.19, it is understood that leisure is a part of a balanced life, “He who is regulated in his habits of eating, sleeping, recreation and work can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system.”…Our recreation becomes an offering to God if our thoughts are of God and/or our purpose is His purpose.

Now that I feel officially sanctioned to go play, I’m off!

How does play fit into your idea of spirit? Share your thoughts below.

Community Connection

Need more religious backing to enjoy a bit of play? Check out Yogis At Play: Spend 10 Minutes Doing Something Fun. Or if you plan to sit by the fire and play some tunes soon, check out Carlo Alcos’ article, Learn How To Play the Greatest Campfire Songs of All Time (For Free).

Photo: paulus68

New research has once again thrown a wrench in the “nature vs. nurture” debate.

Looks like scientists from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory found that when they isolated a Zebra Finch bird, taking away its ability to learn certain songs from an elder male relative, the songs still emerged all on their own.

Ok, they were a bit rusty at first, but within four generations, these songs were as perfect as the originals.

As Luke McKinney over at the Daily Galaxy said, either:

a) Cultural information can be genetically encoded or
b) Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has embarrassingly bad sound insulation.

I agree with his assertion that it is probably a.

What does this mean for humans, and to those who often tune into this blog: travelers? Does this finding implicate that we lack the ability to fully integrate into a new culture, either when we visit or decide to live in a new place?

Even though we are obviously influenced tremendously by what surrounds us on a daily basis (including by cultures other than our own), this might mean that we are simply coded to have certain belief systems and rituals no matter what is happening externally.

Free Will?

There is also the idea that each generation of the bird “worked” to perfect the imperfect song their isolated dad taught them. Sound familiar?

McKinney adds:

At every point, if you’ll forgive the outrageous anthropomorphization, [the birds] “thought” they were working it out for themselves while dancing to the genetic tune. That’s the kind of thing that would make you think very seriously about free will.

I often believe the drive that I have to travel, or dance, or write is solely my own and based on experiences I’ve had in my life. But in reality, am I just playing out the “song” of my ancestors?

Do you think it’s possible to fully integrate into another culture, or are we slaves to our genetics? Share your thoughts below.

Yesterday, as we focused on the detainment of Matador writer Sarah Shroud and two other hikers in Iran, a celebration was taking place for International World Forgiveness Day.

This event, led by the Worldwide Forgiveness Alliance, was held in San Rafael, CA. Honorees included well-known spiritual teacher Marianne Williamson, human and civil rights leader Congressman John Lewis, and Elwin Wilson, a former Ku Klux Klan member who violently attacked Lewis 50 years ago.

In case you missed the story when it was on ABC News a few months ago, here’s a clip of Wilson’s apology to Lewis:

If the tale of a former violent racist asking one of the people he attacked for forgiveness doesn’t move you, an even larger inspiration drew honors at the event: Christopher Rodriguez.

A prime example of the pain that Oakland, CA continues to feel as time marches on, early last year, Rodriguez was hit by a robber’s stray bullet during a piano lesson. This bullet paralyzed him from the waist down. I remember the event vividly, as it happened about 4 blocks from where I used to live, at a piano store in a “good” part of Oakland.

Rodriguez has since shook hands with the gunman and said, “I forgive you.”

If a 10-year-old boy has the capacity to forgive a man who took his ability to walk, and we pray and hope that the Iranian government will “forgive” and release Shroud and the other backpackers, can’t those of us who have had less extreme occurrences say these same three words to those who have caused us pain?

Remember, you also have to forgive yourself in the process.

Do you have an inspiring story of forgiveness? Share your stories below.

Feature photo: ruthieonart

Photo: laihiu

Mashable recently named their top 7 places to watch great minds in action.

The list included the well-known conference TED, and a bunch of other ones based on the TED model (ok, we can easily deduce who is the leader of the great minds in action).

It got me thinking, where could you watch great travelers in action? Sure, there are plenty of great travel blogs out there, such as Nomadic Matt and Everything Everywhere, but what if you actually want to rub elbows with some of the top in the field? A place where you can get to know their secrets, and also find out what is happening in the world of health, sustainability, and cultural tourism?

I searched the internet, and found the top travel conferences that blend these important issues, gives you a chance to schmooze with some of the greats, and offers the opportunity to put your travel writing skills to good use. Here’s what I came up with:

Health/Industry

1. The World Medical Health Tourism Conference

Location: Phuket, Thailand (2009)
What they have to say: “The conference philosophy is designed to further improve the capabilities of healthcare institutions and tour operators who are key players in the medical tourism industry and to provide each individual patient to be well-informed on the standards of medical information worldwide.” Attendees include MDs, Spa & Massage Clinic Operators, travel agents, airline companies, tour operators, and anyone in the hospitality industry.

2. Adventures in Travel Expo

Location(s): New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle.
What they have to say: Marketplace for travelers, offering “unique” vacation options and travel information. Also includes travel seminars, hands-on activities, and cultural performances.

Sustainable and Cultural Tourism

3. Sustainable Tourism: Issues, Debates & Challenges

Photo: swimparallel

Location: Crete (2010)
What they have to say: “The aim of the conference is to provide a forum for academics, emerging researchers, policy-makers, industry practitioners, and destination management and marketing professionals to discuss and debate key issues in the development and management of sustainable tourism in an era of climate change.”
Writing opportunity: Themes include alternative tourism development, sustainability and economic restructuring, and eco tourism as a possible viable route to rural development. They are also accepting paper abstracts with an October 1, 2009 deadline. If chosen, there is an opportunity for possible post conference publication in either the Journal of Sustainable Tourism or the Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management.

4. Sustainable Tourism 2010

Location: New Forest, UK (2010)
What they have to say: “Sustainable Tourism 2010 aims to find ways to protect the natural and cultural landscape through the development of new solutions which minimize the adverse effects of tourism. This can be achieved through the development of new strategies involving the active collaboration of society as a whole. Such solutions ought to cope with the continuous growth of tourism impacts on the country including culture and society.”
Writing opportunity: You can also submit an abstract for a paper here. Papers chosen for the conference will be considered for publication in the International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning.

5. World Cultural Tourism Association

Location: Bangkok, Thailand (2009)

What they have to say: “The aim of this conference is to provide a forum for international educators, scholars, researchers, industry professionals, policy-makers and graduate students with opportunity to explore and discuss issues in the topics on cultural tourism.”
Writing opportunity: They currently have a call for papers for the November 2009 conference due today, July 31st, that are relevant to culture and tourism.

Travel Writing

Photo: ExperienceLA

6. Book Passage Travel Writers & Photographers Conference

Location: Corte Madera, California
What they have to say: “The Conference offers an array of workshops, panels, and evening activities. There are many hours of informal interaction between faculty and students during lunch and in discussions that often last late into the evening. Alumni have published books, articles, and photos — many as the direct result of lessons learned and contacts made at the conference.”

7. Travel Classics International

Location: Quebec City, Canada (2010)
What they have to say: “Conference includes: low writer/editor ratio, editor presentations and panel discussions, scheduled one-on-one meetings with 4 or more editors, writer bios and clips sent to editors in advance, off site dinners and after hours networking, Writers contest judged by conference editors, pre and post conference trips, work showcased on TravelClassics.com.”

Any other great travel conferences we missed? Share your links below.

Community Connection

Want a foundation in travel writing before you venture to a conference? Check out Matador’s Travel Writing school, Matador U, to learn everything you need to know to become a successful travel writer.

Photo: xlordashx

Have to admit, I thought polyamory was a San Francisco Bay Area (specifically, Marin County) original.

Ok, ok, I knew it was probably happening in a few other enclaves throughout the world, like Paris, or Salt Lake City.

But whoa, nelly. Newsweek just did a spread on this type of extreme loving. For those who don’t know, polyamory means having a relationship with more than one person at a time.

What differentiates it from Mormonism is the fact that women also have multiple partners, and marriage isn’t necessarily involved. Newsweek also refers to it as “ethical nonmonogamy,” and estimates that the number of polyamorous couples in the US alone is over a half million.

Naturally, this growing movement has brought out commentary from the religious right. But they are taking a bit of a leap, with some leaders believing that if gay marriage becomes legal, polyamory will become “normalized.” Glenn Stanton, the director of family studies for Focus on the Family, had this to say:

This group is really rising up from the underground, emboldened by the success of the gay-marriage movement.

At the same time, some gay-rights activists are distancing themselves from the polyamory movement. Andrew Sullivan of the Atlantic recently wrote, “I believe that someone’s sexual orientation is a deeper issue than the number of people they want to express that orientation with.”

Exposing False Traditions

Photo: robad0b

Looks like not all Christians are against this lifestyle choice, though.

In my research, I came across the Liberated Christians site.

Here’s their mission statement:

Promoting positive intimacy and sexuality including responsible nonmonogamy or polyamory as a legitimate CHOICE for Christians and others/Exposing false traditions of sexual repression that have no biblical basis.

They believe that polyamory is simply the expression of the “God-given natural desire to connect emotionally and sexually with more than one person.” They say that cheating, so common in today’s society, comes from our repressed culture and the stigma that comes with expressing our true desires.

So, contrary to what both the religious right and the gay movements proclaim, maybe polyamory is the natural way. Or is it just an excuse to do whatever our heart desires?

Do you think that polyamory can be ethical and spiritual? Share your thoughts below.

The nose knows the beach is best / Photo: oblivion head

Recent studies in the world of nutrition have found that our nose knows what foods are best for us.

Our taste preferences for certain foods actually begin with how they smell, and researchers have found these preferences may be linked to the nutritional value of the food.

Not sure how McDonald’s fits into this scenario. But the idea of following your nose for the health benefits led me to ponder about what it might mean to follow your nose when it comes to travel.

No, I don’t think you can smell your way to the best locale of the moment. Yet, what connects the idea of following your nose when it comes to both food and travel is basic intuition. It’s the belief that our bodies know best, or at least a whole lot better than our brains do.

Instinct and intuition aren’t exactly the same thing, but they can both fall into the category of showing up as that first “hit.” This is the hit we often play down once we begin to think about the pros and cons of an issue.

So, what if you decided to follow the first hit you have about where you want to travel next, and stop yourself from going through the pros and cons process? You hop on Hotwire to find a last minute cheap hotel in that town you’ve been wanting to visit, or you log on to Couchsurfing and email a few people to see if they have an open spot.

Maybe Craigslist has a cheap vacation rental, or even a trade. If none of those pan out, you know it’s not meant to be. Or you throw the tent in the car, hit the supermarket to fill your cooler with food and ice, and just take off.

This may be easier to do starting with say, a day trip out of town, but who knows? That day trip may lead you to an overnight, a week away, or to becoming a complete travel vagabond.

Or you may end up back at home because you kind of have work and a family to take care of, and that’s perfectly fine, too.

Yes, it’s a bit of traveling without a plan, but it might just lead you to exactly where you are supposed to be.

Do you think follow your nose travel is a viable option? Share your thoughts below.

Community Connection

See how following her instincts led to amazing travels in Emily Hansen’s piece, Reflections From A Female Solo Traveler. Experience the taste of travel freedom in Carlo Alcos’ article, Why You Should Travel Independently on the Trans Siberian Railway.

Photo: Photographer Christine Taylor

I’ve witnessed quite a few painful breakups over the past couple of months, where people I care about deeply continue to have a very hard time.

My situation is a bit different – it’s not exactly a broken heart, per se.

It is more of a lingering connection that I couldn’t seem to shake without giving myself the medicine that has always worked in the past.

I realize it might be taboo to say that it is a good idea to take off traveling in order to deal with a broken heart. Many would say this is running away, or at least acts as a way to not deal with your feelings head on.

Trust me, I’ve spent months working on how to fully let it go, with all the tools in my mind-body-spirit tool chest. There’s been sitting with my feelings, whenever and wherever they’ve come up; affirmations of better things (and people) to come; rituals to help me let go.

But being in the same small town and wondering when I’d run into him again maintained an energetic tie that I just couldn’t seem to break.

And so, as the people that lived above me were driving me crazy, I was feeling a general lack of inspiration for the things that usually inspired me, and my two-year-travel itch kicked in, I decided to take off.

Knowing that my travels would make me quickly forget about him was just icing on the cake.

The Healing Power of Travel

I can relate that as an undergrad, four months of the food, wine, and spirited Italians of Florence finally got me over the boy to whom I had been attached for way too many years.

The intense year-long crush (that never would have worked out) was mostly gone after two weeks bouncing around Islington, London. It was never to be remembered once I was white-water rafting on the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe.

Photo: Unlisted Sightings

Traveling allows you to see places and meet people that are so different from the situation you may have been stuck in.

It may, in fact, make you realize you’re a very different person than you thought you were. A better, stronger person.

And I’ll admit it, I’m a wallower. I have to get out into the world to get out of (and over) myself.

I’m certainly not saying you should travel just to get over a person, but I’m not too worried that many of you would. You must have the adventure bug and a love for travel for this option to even work. If you aren’t up for meeting new people and having new experiences, then you’ll just end up wallowing somewhere across the world.

But if the spirit of travel implores you to search for a new perspective, I say go for it and don’t let anyone tell you to stay home.

Have you gotten over a break-up by taking off on an adventure? Share your thoughts below.

Community Connection

Need some help deciding where to go after a break-up? Emily Dilling shares her five favorite trips to deal with a broken heart. If you find yourself ready to move on once on the road, be sure to check out The Laws of Love on the Road.

Photo: Goldemberg Fonseca

After reading an excerpt of an interview with author and blogger Lena Katz, I’m now extremely pumped to read her forthcoming books, Sip California, Snow California, and Sun California.

I’m mostly pumped because of something she noted about finding people to interview for her books.

It certainly made me chuckle (and feel exasperated) in my little corner enclave at the Whole Foods (yes, I see the irony):

I…discovered that of all the self-involved, money-grubbing, shallow people in the city, the worst by far are… the Yoga Gurus. If you see “spiritual,” “mind-body” or “conscious healing” in a biography, you’re almost guaranteed that person will not give you 30 seconds of their time without being paid for it.

Visions of The Secret danced in my head.

Thing is, I got my Masters in Holistic Health Education. So I’ve studied the hell out of many prominent MDs-turned-holistic-heath-healers, Consciousness-raisers, and Raw-Food-Lovers (who all add the signature “love” to their ingredients list), and subscribe wholeheartedly to the system.

But between yoga trademarking, the rumors of one very well-known Ayurvedic MD focused intently on money and status, and raw foods that cost $10 for a piece of chocolate love, I get a bit weary of it all.

I like to think of both traveling and delving into holistic approaches to life as ways to expand a person’s perceptions. I see nothing wrong with making money from either; in fact, I think it is an excellent way to incorporate what you do with who you are.

Yet it certainly leaves a bad taste in my mouth when I hear that pretty much any well-known alternative practitioner is focused on making as many bucks as possible, all while spouting that money doesn’t bring you happiness (sans The Secret, of course).

It reminds me of the religious leaders of old (and sometimes new), and it certainly diminishes the quality of the perceived consciousness shift we are going through.

Do you think most spiritual leaders are simply focused on the money? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: h.koppdelaney

Many of you have probably seen coverage of the 40th Anniversary of the first moon landing.

Undoubtedly an amazing feat, the article that interested me most tackled how traveling to the moon changed the lives of the 24 American men (yes, no women) who went there.

Turns out quite a few of the men ended up taking life different paths upon their return to Earth. Buzz Aldrin became an alcoholic, James Irwin founded the religious organization, High Flight Foundation, and Charles Duke formed the Duke Ministry for Christ.

Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, who rode on Apollo 16 in 1971, had this to say about the adventure:

What I do remember is the awesome experience of recognizing the universe was not simply random happenstance…that there was something more operating than just chance.

Mitchell founded the Institute for Noetic Sciences, a leading institute for consciousness studies, upon his return. He also maintains that UFOs are real, and that the US government has been covering them up for 60 years.

The Need to Create Labels

According to the article, an urban myth exists that those who went to the moon come back pretty looney. But David Sington, a documentary filmmaker who has met several of the astronauts, says that simply isn’t true. Rather, the trip gave the astronauts “the ultimate perspective.”

I find it laughable that we, as a culture, so often feel the need to put people in the crazy box because they have had some form of spiritual enlightenment. Most of us who have traveled, even just to the next town over, understand the deep implications that come with knowing a different perspective and place.

It makes perfect sense to me that going to the moon would profoundly change a person’s view of this life and what happens after it has ended.

Then again, there are also those who say the moon landing was a complete hoax.

What do you think of the spiritual shifts felt by the astronauts who went to the moon? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: premasagar

I’m about to take off to Nevada, wind my way up Hwy 80 to Jackson Hole, and then back down 80 to Denver.

I’m using Couchsurfing.org to make travel cheaper and to meet people along the way, but I’m also drawn to camping out in the beautiful west.

Yet, I will admit to having quite a bit of fear come up for me when I think about camping alone.

I want to be the type who forges ahead, knowing it will all work out perfectly. And the weird thing is, if there was at least one other woman coming along, I’d be fine. But there is something about being a woman alone that makes me feel like a target.

I’ve thought about getting pepper spray or mace, and there is part of me that knows this type of camping is simply a challenge. More than likely, after a few nights of camping bliss, I’ll feel totally comfortable. Yet I can also imagine many sleepless nights, or being woken up every 15 minutes by any sound made outside my tent.

Tips and Considerations

The Complete Safety Guide For Women Camping Alone has some good, common-sense tips, such as let the ranger know you are alone, and camp near a large family. Women Camping Alone – Safety Advice also notes the age-old advice to consistently keep in touch with someone back home.

Interestingly, though, as I was writing this piece, Matador Trips Editor Carlo Alcos posted the piece We’re not invincible. In it he discusses the recent brutal attack on a solo male Canadian backpacker traveling in Australia.

Maybe the safety issue isn’t just about women.

Do you think it is safe for women to camp alone? Share your thoughts below.

Community Connection

This issue isn’t just for women camping in the United States. Read 7 Must-Know Personal Safety Tips For Solo Women Travelers to get a head start on traveling alone anywhere in the world, and how to hit the pubs as a solo female in The Gutsy Girl’s Guide To Drinking Alone.

Photo: rednuht

Man, I wish I was at the Mallorca airport when this happened.

Apparently, a man who had just inherited a large sum of money decided to get all liquored up before his flight.

The booze (and being a complete moron?) led him to hand out $83,000 to other people waiting at the airport.

Unfortunately, only about £2,000 of it was in cash – the rest was in British travelers checks. Those have to be signed by the person who bought them, though I’m guessing forgery is possible?

The benefactor was arrested by police, who was supposedly described as “smelly” and “looking like a tramp.” Fantastic.

What are some more, though decidedly not as beneficial for other people, crazy things that people do at the airport? Getting a Starbucks latte right before heading to security, and then holding up the line while finishing it.

Or how about being so involved in a last minute chair massage, they have to tear through airport to get to their flight, knocking a little old lady down in the process (true story)?

It seems that flying elsewhere has given some people license to be utterly ridiculous and impolite.

What the craziest thing you’ve seen while waiting for a flight? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: nyki_m

In the West, are we living in a state of “moral blindness”?

Reading Gilad Atzmon’s recent article on Counter Punch makes me think it’s possible.

Atzmon tackles the idea of two distinct ideologies competing for our beliefs: “liberal” vs. “leftist.”

The first praises individual liberty, while the latter believes in a social science that delineates ‘progressives’ from ‘reactionaries.’

What’s the problem with either of these distinctions? Well, according to Atzmon:

For some reason ‘we’ (the Westerners) tend to believe that ‘our’ technological superiority together with our beloved ‘enlightenment’ equips us with a ‘rational secularist anthropocentric, absolutist ethical system’ of the very highest moral stand.

He continues that westerners tend to think of “secularism is the answer for the world’s ailments,” but in reality, “this very division led also to the rise of some blunt forms of fundamental-secularism that matured into crude anti-religious worldviews that are no different from bigotry.”

In more common language, I take Atzmon’s commentary to imply that our “progressive” western worldview leads us to believe that ‘modern/evolved-is-right,’ and many religious traditions are just ‘backward.’

Many of us travelers tend to think ourselves open-minded and progressive, yet still look down on people and areas that in our eyes, are not just.

Examples that come to mind include the continued debate around banning burqas in parts of Europe, being appalled over yoga being questioned by Muslim clerics, and however strongly we debate either side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

These situations seem to be inequality-in-action to our eyes. But for the religious cultures they are a part of, our reactions and discussions may just be showing our beliefs of “supremacy” over their way of life.

Do you think that leftists and liberals are after justice-for-all, or simply think they are better than deeply religious people? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: Dan Queiroz

Ever pondered what the future has in store for you?

Sure you have. Everyone has.

But, not everyone has been to a psychic. For some people, they may have not had the opportunity to see a real psychic (or intuitive, as I like to call them).

For others, the idea of someone actually being able to tell the future is bull shit. Then there are those who fall in between, and this guide is for you.

I feel it’s important to note that to me, seeing a psychic is more about finding out what is happening for you on an energetic level than anything else. I don’t necessarily believe any person can tell you what your future holds, because there are endless possibilities. What actually happens depends on the choices that you make.

But while most of us can easily tap into what is happening for us physically, mentally, and to some extent, emotionally, quite a few of us don’t understand what is going on with what is sometimes described as our aura, or qi. And this is where an intuitive can shed light that helps you in making decisions about your future.

Here are five ways to make your first time seeing a psychic…ahem, intuitive, a success.

1. Get a recommendation.

I’ve only had the pleasure of seeing one “psychic” who I thought was recommended to me, but actually wasn’t. Turned out the other woman who worked at the “parlor” was the one I was supposed to see.

Anyway, this woman was awful. And although she “read” my palms and got a couple of things right, as soon as she said I was going to be married and have two kids (code for: ‘this is what I tell everyone’), I thought, “WRONG! I’m outta here.”

Trust me, it is best to see someone who at least two people you know really well, or at least 25 people on Yelp!, would lay their lives down for. This means no random woman on the street when you are in Thailand and have an extra $5, because when she is completely off base, you’ll deem every intuitive a fraud. No need to waste your time or money.

2. Go in with an open mind.

Photo: David Sifry

If you are set on not believing what the intuitive is going to say, again, you might as well not waste your time and money by going to see them. It is a much more enjoyable experience if you actually think they may have some good advice to give you.

And if you follow rule number one, than you pretty much have a guarantee that they will give you at least one or two juicy little tidbits.

3. Refrain from asking questions about your future.

‘What?’ you ask. ‘Why?’ you demand. “Isn’t that the whole point of seeing a psy…I mean, intuitive?”

Apparently, you aren’t reading carefully. Ok, you caught yourself on the whole psychic/intuitive thing, so I will give you credit there. But as I mentioned before, seeing an intuitive is mostly about finding out what is going on for you energetically.

And honestly, you can get into some sticky places if you ask specifics about your future. A friend had an intuitive tell her that her dad was going to die within a year or two, which actually made sense since he was a walking-heart-attack-waiting-to-happen.

My friend freaked out and ended up living with her parents again due to this and several other circumstances. Although he had some health scares, he is still alive four years later.

I think intuitives can be of great help in seeing what is happening with different issues in your life. I also think they are horrible at timelines and accuracy of the future (not through any fault of their own–again, things happen due to the choices we make).

4. Be up front with the intuitive about what you want to hear and what you don’t.

Personally, one of the most helpful things that came from meeting a great intuitive was digging deeply into some childhood stuff.

This was the very same stuff that it had taken me three years of therapy to simply to scratch the surface. All the pieces fell into place and I thought, “Oh, now I get it…”

But we were dancing around an area I wasn’t quite ready to face, so I told her I didn’t want to go there. She had already “read” that I wasn’t ready to touch the subject, but it was still good for my own sake to assert myself and boundaries. Do what is right for you at the moment.

5. Work with someone more than once.

Just the same as a doctor, therapist, or tattoo artist, when you find an intuitive you connect with, stick with them for a while. It’s not that you need to see them weekly or anything – I find that every six months to a year, or as I’m encountering a big life change, is plenty – but you get to build on what you’ve already discussed, and “dig a little deeper” each time you go in.

That can end up being 20 times as emotionally rewarding as cranking up that visualization CD when you go to bed every night (not that Deepak doesn’t have his place). It feels a bit like hypnotherapy on crack.

Right before leaving for my current trip, I went to see the woman I call when I need a little guidance. She helped me to take a look at some of the stuff that I was trying my damndest to ignore concerning my travels.

Just remember, sometimes awareness sure can muck things up.

Do you have any recommendations about seeing a psychic for the first time? Share your thoughts below.

Need a little bit of a Baptist jam for your Friday? Check out this video:

I love about mid-way through when the guy is seriously busting out and the woman has to pull her kid back. Reminds me of when I dance in crowds.

Now that it has been sanctioned by the church, go on and rave your way through the day!

Community Connection

Learn how to start your very own dance party in HOW TO: Start a Massive Dance Party and what it means to break through cultural barriers through the common language of dance.

Feature photo: Michael (mx5tx)

Photo: A.K. Photography / Feature: Torley

Would you give up getting your hair cut, walk or take the bus to work, or limit yourself to one happy-hour beer per week to save for vacation?

In this economy, travel has taken a beating. It is often the first thing to go when budgets must be tightened.

But a family in Charlotte thinks that getting away is priority-numero-uno. So they grow their own vegetables, use old-school rabbit ears and a digital converter box on their TV, and drop off their trash instead of paying for pick-up.

They also search out free community events, and when they travel, stay in condos instead of hotels. Condos tend to be both cheaper and allow for cooking meals on the home-away-from-home front.

Plus, once on the road, you can always go the timeshare route for a freebie, if you can handle a nice big sales pitch. And BootsnAll Travel recommends the time-honored tradition of hanging out at your local port (no, not for prostitution purposes). Apparently, boat crews are often looking for a helping hand, and you can build up those muscles in the process (hey, a two-for!).

Personally, I plan to spend a lot less while traveling than I would living in Fairfax. At $1,000 in rent a month, plus general high cost-of-living, Marin, CA certainly ain’t a cheap place to settle.

Moving out of my pad also produced quite a few articles of clothing and shoes that went for sale in the front yard, along with finding their way into consignment stores. Oh, and I can’t forget the many books I bought for school that hadn’t been touched in a year – yep, you guessed it, now on the shelves of used bookstores and Amazon.

What are some things you have cut back on so that you could continue to travel? Share your thoughts below.

Community Connection

Check out Tim Patterson’s diatribe on how to travel the world for free and Ernesto Machado’s musings on how to figure out when budget travel becomes exploitation.

Photo: bowtoo

Apparently, Paganism is where it’s at these days. According to a recent Examiner.com piece, the amount of Pagans is doubling about every 18 months in the US, Canada, and Europe.

So naturally, this increase eventually showed itself in travel.

A record 35,000 attended the Solstice celebration at Stonehenge this summer, eco-retreats are doubling as neo-pagan travel, and there are Fairy/Fairie/Faerie festivals flying in and landing all over the world, from Maryland to Perth.

But beyond travel, the best of all has to be the job possibilities. Or possibility. BBC News ran a piece on the latest Job Centre opening that will bring in £50,000 a year for the right candidate.

Yep, they have a ‘witch’ vacancy. You must be willing to live in a cave at tourist site Wookey Hole, can’t be allergic to cats, and must be able to cackle. Teaching a bit of witchcraft to the people coming through is also a part of the deal.

Hmm, for that kind of money in this economy, I think my cat would dig the darkness and the people-watching. And I’ve certainly been known to let out a good cackle here and there.

What do you think about the upswing in Paganism? Share your thoughts below.

Ian Usher selling it all / Photo: vnecono.vn

Some of you probably heard about the guy in Australia who was selling his entire life – house, furniture, car, friends – on eBay.

Along with the Russian girl selling her virginity in Germany, things didn’t go quite as originally planned. The bidders all dropped like flies once the person with the $400,000 winning bid couldn’t make it happen.

Nevertheless, the guy behind ALife4Sale, Ian Usher, is now cruising around the world in order to complete 100 goals in 100 weeks. These goals range from the life-selling-scheme, to nude sky-diving, to watching a baby being born.

He also includes some charity work, such as trying to raise $50,000 for bowel cancer research. Check out the full list here.

Of his decision to “sell his life” and take on the world, Usher says:

I have had goals and dreams for as long as I can remember, but like everyone else, I have found that living often gets in the way, and goals get put aside for too long! It’s time to start ticking off some goals. It’s time to challenge myself!

I have to admit, I was pretty impressed with some of his out-there endeavors, such as spending the night in a haunted house alone and driving a car off a jetty and escaping it as it sinks (ok, that probably would not make my list). He plans to see the Northern Lights, and just about every cool place you can think of in the world.

And he wants to secure a book deal. Ah, yes of course.

Photo: divemasterking2000

There also is the little tidbit about how the idea to sell his life came from his wife leaving him, which he has since written about in detail.

Readers were able to get the first part of the story on his in-depth website, but had to pay AUS$2.95 to find out how the story ended.

He’s also wrangled out quite a few sponsors, and Disney has optioned a movie deal about the eBay life-selling fiasco.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand that to take on 100 adventures all over the world, it can’t be just about making money. Adventure travel has to be in his heart to even have the energy.

But I wonder if we are getting to the point where every move we make is for sale, including our own suffering. Some could say he has turned heartbreak into something positive, but others might say he has exploited himself and his ex-wife in order to make himself famous and rich.

Do you think Usher is a spirited adventurer, or simply a smart businessman? Share your thoughts below.

Community Connection

What isn’t for sale in society today? Check out Asanas For Sale: The Privatization Of Yoga for a look at the yoga trademarking trend, and Nature For Sale: The Growing Trend Of Wilderness Consumption, which questions the commodification of nature.

Photo: Shelley Seale

Very few people haven’t heard of the Oscar-winning movie, Slumdog Millionaire. The story follows two young brothers as they grow up in and survive the slums of Mumbai, India.

In order to show the reality of life for poverty-stricken Indian children, many scenes in the movie were actually filmed in the Mumbai slums. But in true Hollywood fashion, the ending was heartwarming goodness. The ending for the real children of these slums is not so pretty.

Author Shelley Seale recently released the book, The Weight of Silence: Invisible Children of India, in order to tell the story of the children she met while volunteering in Indian orphanages. BNT spoke with her to find out the reality beyond the movie.

BNT: Due to the popularity of Slumdog Millionaire, millions of Westerners caught their first glimpse of what the slums of India look like. Also included was a storybook ending. What is the reality of the lives poor children are living in India?

Author Shelley Seale

SS: The movie, while a fictionalized account of two brothers trapped in the slums of Mumbai, orphaned and victimized, portrays all too well the actual reality of millions of children in India.

Currently 25 MILLION children there live without homes or families of their own – in orphanages, slums, railway stations or on the streets. They are highly vulnerable to abuse, harassment, HIV/AIDS, and being trafficked into child labor if they’re lucky – brothels if they’re not.

Based on what I’ve seen over three years traveling the country and researching the book, the movie was sometimes very difficult to watch – because everything that happened to those boys, I have seen the real life accounts far too many times.

However, the child actors were incredible and like everyone, I loved the magical, feel-good ending. But I also hope desperately that we will not forget that there IS no such fairytale ending for millions of Indian children in similar circumstances.

What made you decide you wanted to help these children, and how did you figure out the best way to go about doing just that?

When I visited India for the first time, in March 2005 on a volunteer trip to an orphanage where 120 children lived, I assumed the kids there were all orphans in the true sense of the word – their parents had died. Instead, I was shocked by how many of them had been “orphaned” by poverty; their parents had left them at the Miracle Foundation home because they were too poor to feed them.

As I got to know the children and the stories behind how each of them had wound up in the orphanage, I decided to begin writing a book about their lives in order to give them a voice. They, and the millions of others just like them (or in far worse conditions), really are invisible for the most part, in their society and to the world. My goal was to provide a strong and hopeful voice that would let their stories be heard.

Does your book mostly discuss your own personal journey in getting to know and understand the children’s situations, or do you also talk about the larger picture of what local and foreign governments are doing to alleviate poverty?

Both. I tried to weave together both aspects – individual children’s stories and lives alongside my experiences with them and journeys throughout India; alongside the bigger picture of the issues that affect them such as poverty, child labor and trafficking, abuse, AIDS and other diseases.

I conducted an incredible amount of research while working on this book, and I try to weave in small bits of that information as I tell the personal stories of these kids.

Have you come up against any barriers, distrust, or even anger from Indians either living in India or in the West due to the fact that you are a white, Western woman taking on this cause?

Some of the children Seale met on her trips

I have some, but not too much. For the most part everyone has been incredibly supportive, both Indian and non-Indian.

However, occasionally I do get comments online or people who question me as to why I don’t “help my own slumdogs,” or questioning whether I’m aware that children in need, poverty and other social ills exist in my own country.

Well, of course I know this. In fact, I have been a huge advocate for children’s rights in the US for many years before I ever got involved in India. I know we have children in need here, and we also have vast problems with poverty and homelessness, and I care about these issues and work on them here, too.

But I don’t think it really matters where a person lives – all lives are equal, here and India and everywhere. I guess I don’t understand why it should matter if they are Indian or American, or any other nationality.

I will say that I am very aware of being a Westerner writing about India and problems there, and I try to be extremely sensitive about that. We should come to listen, to learn, to assist where and when asked; and so the goal of this book is simply to allow us to hear what those voices have to say.

You commented on the BNT piece about the “Incredible India” branding campaign geared toward high-end tourism. Do you think it is possible that this type of campaign could actually help money trickle down to the children living in the slums?

I do think so, if it’s done the right way. I personally feel that, as with everything related to tourism, the initiatives into this side of a local culture depend entirely on how they are done and what kinds of people are conducting them.

Yes, I think it could be very exploitative, if you are talking about a tour leader who takes people around to basically gawk at people living in slums or on the streets. I think that’s the image that comes to mind when people refer to “poorism.”

But it can be done right. It can be done in a way that involved local people who are living and working in their own communities, and they want to cross cultural divides to truly introduce visitors to all the aspects of their home.

I myself went on such a tour in 2007, with Deepa Krishnan of Mumbai Magic tour company. They provide schooling for kids living in slum communities, and Deepa donates a third of her company’s profits to the organization.

Deepa took me to Dharavi, the slum where much of Slumdog Millionaire, and introduced me to women making pappadam bread while their toddlers hopped around them, and men making clay pottery by the hundreds. Dharavi gave me a resounding rebuttal to the myth that poverty is the result of laziness. I have never seen people work so hard in all my life.

How would you like to see the situation change in say the next 5 years, and do you think it is truly possible for the slums to be significantly reduced?

I don’t have any particular expertise on such large-scale urban planning, so all I know is my own personal experience and opinion. I’m not so sure the so-called slums should necessarily be significantly reduced, because where would all those people go?

I have been in India many times when I have read stories in the morning newspaper about slum dwellers who were basically left homeless when their communities were torn down.

Personally, I feel that more support and services should be made available to these communities and citizens, so that their living conditions could be improved and their children can go to school. But again, I’m not an urban planner and I don’t know what all is involved with this.

Can you tell our readers, many of whom have been or are planning to go to India and also consider themselves conscious travelers, what they can do to lend a hand?

Happiness is a part of the picture

There are all kinds of cool ways that people can lend a hand, whether they’re going to India or from their own homes – and the good news is that they range from the really easy and short-term to longer and more involved!

If you’re traveling to India, there’s an amazing organization called Stuff Your Rucksack.

They act as a middleman between organizations all over the world that need materials and supplies, and travelers who might have a little extra room in their baggage and can take such items.

I also have a list of donation and volunteer points on my website. Here I list all of the organizations that I, personally, visited and interviewed for this book. Travelers can also check out websites such as Global Volunteers and Global Vision International.

At home, people can do anything from sponsoring a child through Miracle Foundation or World Vision India; to signing petitions to protect child rights at places such as Global March. Consumers can also be aware of where products are coming from, and make sure they are not made using child slave labor. One good resource is Better World Shopper.

How do you feel about the author’s perspective on the slums of India? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: AlphaTangoBravo / Adam Baker

This is the last post I’m writing before embarking on an adventure to places known and unknown.

Starting next week, I’ll no longer have an apartment, or a couch; my mail will only go to my PO Box and my cat Greysey will certainly be rough-housing with my best friend’s cat, (crazy) Bobby. I will bid Fairfax, CA adieu for at least a couple of months, if not longer.

My planned road trip around the US is hardly a plan at all.

I know I’ll be staying with friends in Seattle first, and I have a house-sitting gig in Santa Cruz until the middle of the month. Then, I simply have hope that my car, which has 166,000 miles on it (but hey, it’s a Honda!) will stay strong as I make my way to wherever it is that I find myself going.

Why am I doing this? Today, I asked myself that question for the first real time. Most of my trips are planned pretty well in advance, and are mostly set in stone. Set minus the mishaps that always happen, which mostly end up amusing if you have a safety net. I don’t have much of a safety net this time, but I realized that may be part of the point.

I’m banking on the universe protecting me.

So here, without further mumbo jumbo, are six reasons to travel without a plan.

Photo: wili_hybrid

1. Challenge fear.

The fear crept up on me big-time tonight. Everything that had been keeping my mind busy – gotta pack this, take that to Goodwill, file papers, fill prescriptions – came tumbling down as I related my mom’s worries to a friend.

Her biggest concern is the car, and the possibility of me being stranded, to which I have said over and over, “Of all times in history to be traveling alone around the US, this has got to be the most safe and carefree possible. We have cell coverage in almost every last square inch of this country, and roadside assistance responds day and night.”

But of course, there is the possibility of my timing belt breaking. Or my clutch giving out. Or a million other things that could happen down the street from my house but seem much more scary when alone and far from home.

I realize the car is simply a central point for my (and my mother’s) fear to land. So fear, bring it on. Come on up and out of me, so I can take my soul’s next step.

2. Believe that if you trust in your path, it will reward you in the ways you need most.

For many years, I wasn’t sure I had a path. Now, I understand that everyone does, whether or not they know what it is (and the reality is none of us know exactly what it is). Sometimes, I get scared that I’m veering off course, that what I’m doing doesn’t make any kind of logical sense.

But then I remember that anything that has made me happy in life hasn’t been logical. Writing for money is illogical. Dancing (not the table-top variety) for payment is illogical. These were things I wouldn’t have thought possible to do for a living five years ago, even though they have been a part of me my whole life. It was only once I began to trust in the illogical that things began to unfold.

Same goes for traveling. Being illogical means experiencing things beyond your current capacity of knowing. And we all want to go beyond our current capacity, right?

3. Too much restriction can hinder inspiration.

Trip plans are helpful. They are touchstones, a way to get from a. to b., and they fulfill our little pea-brain’s never-ending shouts for stability. But sometimes, making plans creates this need to well…stick to them. Stick to them no matter what.

And when we stick to them no matter what, we can stifle the very part of ourselves that told us to get a move on in the first place. You can forget your purpose, other than to check off that you saw the Eiffel Tower or the Great Wall of China or a live sex show in Amsterdam.

Yes, those live sex shows can be inspirational, but really not for longer than a few minutes.

4. Too much restriction can hinder the spirit.

Contrary to popular belief, our souls lead us through this life. Believe me. That’s why heartbreak happens, we lose jobs, we fight with loved ones – they are all opportunities to learn lessons and become stronger people.

When we attempt to confine our experiences, or to “be safe,” our soul can take offense. There it was, just trying to be in the flow, and we muck it up with our agenda. Then it decides it’s time to show us who is boss.

Photo: travellingtamas

As my friend Theresa and I say all the time, don’t mess with the Trickster. You will be sorry. Instead, be open to the good and the bad in both life and traveling, and I promise the bad won’t seem well, as bad.

5. “If you want God to laugh, tell her your plans.”

Yeah, many of us love to work out every last angle of a trip, where we’ll be at a certain time, what we’ll cover each day. Don’t forget the card with all important numbers and passwords hidden in your underwear is case of the big emergency (not sure where in your underwear, though).

Funny thing is, how often do your plans turn out the way you planned? I feel like the older I get, the more my plans decide to run off and have their own little planning party without me. So that by the time I get to the place I thought I was going, there is usually not even a semblance of what I originally thought I wanted.

Luckily, it is almost always so much better. In other words, you can plan, just don’t get attached.

6. Why not?

This one doesn’t seem to need an explanation. Ok, if you really need one: why not travel without a plan just so you can experience life without plans?

What are some other reasons to travel without a plan? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: mariachily

A few days ago, French President Nicolas Sarkozy gave a speech about the possibility of banning burqas in public.

As many know, France banned headscarves (well, the Islamic ones anyway), the burka, turbans and other “religious symbols” in schools in 2004.

According to the government, the purpose was to completely separate religion and state.

But this time around, they are claiming the possible ban is about women’s rights. Sarkozy stated he believes the burqa “reduced [women] to servitude and undermined their dignity.”

Similar to five years ago, there are people who say that the possible ban, at this point only a proposed parliamentary commission to discuss the issue, is discriminatory against Muslims. Many also blame France for becoming completely homogenized.

Or it could be simply politically-motivated. In an article on The First Post, Neil Clark argues this is a calculated move by Sarkozy, who “knows how to spot a vote winner.”

Islamophobia Or Women’s Rights?

Clark continues his piece by voicing the dilemma that is occurring not only in France, but other parts of Europe as well:

For some leftists, civil liberties, a strong belief in multiculturalism and a determination to fight the rising tide of Islamophobia come first. For others, defending Enlightenment values and the rights of women are paramount.

What this possible ban once again brings to the surface is the debate over whether or not the burqa is actually seen as oppressive by Muslim women.

The Times of India ran a story saying many Muslim Indian women are “disgusted” with Sarkozy’s comments. They believe the burqa “is an article of faith, a pillar of support…in a world where sexual-crime is rampant, the burqa denotes comfort, security and allows a woman her dignity.”

Burqa or bikini – women’s choice? / Photo: DeusXFlorida

I also found an interesting take on what Afghan Muslim women vs. American (non-Muslim women) must face.

In The Choice Between Burqa and Bikini, written by Abid Ullah Jan, he argues that it is, in fact, western women who must face a culture that wishes to control their bodies. He noted:

From the hair removal products that hit the marketplace in the 1920s to today’s diet control measures that seek to eliminate even healthy fat from the female form, American girls and women have been stripped bare by a sexually expressive culture whose beauty dictates have exerted a major toll on their physical and emotional health.

Of course, on the other side is the argument that the burqa represents the ownership of women by their male family members, no personal freedom whatsoever, and complete sexual repression. And, in reality, nowhere in the Qur’an does it explicitly state that Muslim women must wear one.

Sarkozy ended his speech saying “the burka is not a sign of religion, it is a sign of subservience. It will not be welcome on the territory of the French republic.”

Is France fighting for women’s rights or taking away Muslim’s rights? Share your thoughts below.

Community Connection

A bit southeast of France, the opposite is happening as Western women search for veils in Baxter Jackson’s piece, Veil Shopping In Cairo. Also, delve deeper into the debate around religious and cultural norms at Where To Draw the Line When Defending Cultural Norms and Put Some Damn Clothes On!

Photo and Feature photo: René Ehrhardt

Here at BNT and the Matador Network, we often discuss what it means to be a conscious traveler.

As a traveler in the 21st century, respect for other cultures and our environment demands that we question how our choices will affect both people and place.

On that note, I recently came across a New York Examiner.com article entitled Conscious Carnivore that discussed whether or not eating meat can ever be a truly conscious, peaceful choice.

I personally debated this question in a big way at the end of what I term my “vegan era,” considering my ethics had kept me partaking in this lifestyle even as my health and body was crumbling before my eyes. Note: I am not saying veganism or vegetarianism is bad for everyone, just that they didn’t work for my body.

But more than that, reading through this article made me think about my travels during my vegan period.

When I traveled to Africa several years ago, I demanded to have my food completely vegan due to my belief system (and truthfully, as I look back now, also because of my ego).

I also did the same thing in Germany, where my exasperated Grandfather ranted about my requirements to my Mom in German since I couldn’t understand, and also because we hardly know each other.

Although I could easily let his reaction roll off my back because he really and truly is an angry man, I can also now see he had a point in that I should accepting of the culture and food that was available.

Was I being a conscious traveler by staying true to my ethical needs above what was readily available? Or was I a completely unconscious, demanding American tourist, who made people of other cultures that had never seen such a request, fulfill my demands?

Keeping The Peace Or Maintaining Health?

And yet when I last traveled, though no longer vegan, I wanted to “keep the peace.” So I ate quite a bit of wheat and dairy even though I had learned by body was highly allergic to both.

Photo: stlbites.com

Interestingly enough, the aforementioned vegan trip had actually kept my body healthy and in better shape than when I had left home, which I know isn’t true for most travelers.

But this time around, my health suffered quite a bit.

Upon my return home, I had to go on thyroid medication (full disclosure – I believe my low thyroid function had been a part of my body for a long time).

I also had to seriously change my diet for a few months due to elevated liver enzymes (never underestimate the power of eating foods that you are allergic to).

And very soon, I will embark on a trip around the US. While I now eat meat, I will be eating gluten-free and dairy-free because I’m allergic to both foods. I also try and only eat free-range and humanely-raised meat, and wild fish. I know I need to follow this diet in order to maintain my health, because it can quickly slide into a scary place if I don’t.

Of course, it is certainly different to request only certain foods in America as compared to say rural Ladakh. But part of me still debates whether or not it is fair to demand certain foods in places they are not readily available or accepted. Will it be that bad if I consume these foods once and a while out of respect for the place I’ve landed?

Because once again, I might be putting my personal needs above those who are providing their own culture to me.

Do you think maintaining personal ethics around food and health can be a part of conscious travel? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: alicepopkorn

Recently, Julia Ross over at the fabulous World Hum followed up a previous piece on great woman travelers in Asia with her top 10 inspirational woman travelers.

Her list included some well-known names, such as Melinda Gates, who has done amazing work with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation around global health and poverty.

The list also included the beloved Julia Child, whom Ross notes “satisfied a thirst for adventure by signing on as one of the first female spies in the OSS (forerunner to the CIA), which posted her to Sri Lanka and China during World War II,” previous to her work as an internationally known chef.

Also listed were a few lesser known women-with-will: Martha Gellhorn, a US war correspondent who saw the Spanish Civil War, the US invasion of Panama, Normandy, and the Vietnam war (now that’s impressive).

But my favorite of the 10 has to be Jo Rawlins Gilbert. This 79-year-old woman was part of the first group of tourists to visit post-war Iraq, recently camped in Mali, and dug among ruins in Jordan. Since she’s already been to Afghanistan, Syria, and Yemen, Kashmir and North Korea are next on her list.

Ross’ article made me think about my own travel history, and what, or who, inspired me to go down the travel wormhole-of-no-return.

Inspiration Strikes

I finally realized that although my mother, who barely made her way to the US in 1972 as she spoke no English and missed her connecting flight at Heathrow, inspired me to tackle seemingly scary situations, it was actually one of my college roommates who got me to sign up for a semester abroad junior year.

This was a roommate who had not previously left the confines of North Carolina, except maybe to go to Myrtle Beach. She had grown up in a suburb of Charlotte, stayed close to her family, and planned to work with the family business once she graduated.

She didn’t even like going to parties unless she was going to know at least half the people there, and her idea of exotic food was cajun-flavored hush puppies.

I’m not sure what prompted her to even look at studying in Florence for four months – I’m absolutely positive the idea scared the bejesus out of her.

Photo: Gret@Lorenz

But somehow, she overcame whatever fear was brewing deep inside and booked that flight, enrolled in those classes, and tipped that glass of Chianti down her throat in celebration.

I had flown to Germany several times as a child, spent time in Juarez, Mexico with friends that I went to school with in El Paso, TX, and covered almost all 50 states during my family’s summer trips by air-conditionless car.

I was still completely frightened to set up shop for a few months in a country where despite two semesters of Italian, I barely knew a word of the language. But since that roommate took the plunge, and came back a happier, more evolved person, I decided I could do it too.

So for me, the most inspirational woman traveler is my sophomore year roommate, who knew when it was time to push her own boundaries in order to experience a bit more of life.

Do you have someone who inspired you to travel? Share your story below.

Community Connection

Check out the response to Ross’ earlier piece, What Makes A Great Woman Traveler?, and how our travels can inspire humanity in Divine Inspiration: How Travel Teaches Us To Appreciate Humanity.

New religions are looking for you / Photo: mrmanc

Recently at BNT, Chris Wary wrote about six religions virtually unknown in the West.

But have you heard about these three new “religions” (in quotes because they do not necessarily deem themselves this way) starting to thrive in the West?

Although these new systems of belief have an eastern feel to them, they all have a decidedly western approach.

For some, the reality of the dollar signs involved may be a turn off, but to others that is just the way that religion has always been done.

Eckhart Tolle’s New “Now”: GATE

According to Kim Masters at The Daily Beast, Eckhart Tolle and Jim Carrey have teamed up to launch a new religion, if you will, called Global Alliance for Transformational Entertainment (GATE).

Masters notes that Hollywood Reporter blogger James Hibberd described GATE as “a newly formed outfit of producers and artists with a shared enthusiasm for New Age uplift.” To me, it sounds like a combo of Tolle’s message of being in the present – the “Now” – and the law of attraction.

Carrey seems to be keeping perspective about his role in this new endeavor, joking, “I’m Jim Carrey and I’ve come to free the world from sin,” during his appearance at the first GATE conference. The Ministry of Skepticism, though, doesn’t seem to agree:

This is the kind of thing that might go some way towards Jim Carrey discrediting himself as a credible source of information in the vaccination debate.

In reality, GATE was founded by PR “expert” John Raatz. Thus far they’ve only had one invitation-only meeting, but stars including Carrey, Garry Shandling, Billy Zane and Jackson Browne skipped the Laker’s championship-opener game in order to attend.

Scientology be afraid, be very afraid: Knowledgism

Looks like Knowledgism is an off-shoot of Scientology, as a former “upstat missionholder” of ST, Alan C. Walter, developed this knowledge-based entity.

According to Knowledgism.com, this belief system is the “high-tech, high-touch use of knowledge systems, processes and procedures to optimize economies, societies, areas, subjects, objects, groups, and individuals…it is based on win-win accomplishment for all, and includes that which is best from past systems.”

And the Scientologists aren’t happy about it. On the website Gathering Minds, which does not state that it represents Scientology, but suspiciously has a link to “Scientology Public Relations,” has this to say about Knowledgism:

This is a complete perversion of Scientology. Scientology, in it’s actual form, is designed to free spiritual beings, not congeal them into masses. Scientology, in it’s actual form, is designed to allow one’s self to become spiritually free, not to embrace physicality.

The Knowledgism website certainly contains a plethora of information, if you are interested in learning more.

Buddhism Billions: Soka Gakkai

According to NPR, Soka Gakkai “was brought to the United States by Japanese war brides, and in the 1960s, it caught on with hippies.”

Photo: andymangold / Feature pic: dno1967

Based on Buddhism, Soka Gakkai developed from the teachings of Nichiren, a 13th century Buddhist reformer.

His teachings are based on the Lotus Sutra, which essentially states that all people possess the Buddha nature and therefore can live life in a state of freedom.

The Soka Gakkai International (SGI) website states that the organization has 12 million members worldwide, and NPR says there are more than 300,000 in the US alone, mostly middle class, yet stem from many ethnic groups.

But, of course, there is a bit of scandal not mentioned on the SGI site. The leader, Daisaku Ikeda, is a Japanese businessman who has been accused of “heavy-handed” fund-raising (the group has $100 billion in assets), along with intimidating its detractors and trying to “grab” political power. A former member airs out some of his grips here.

Religious Realities

The thing about new religions, or spiritual systems in general, is that they often build on past systems. In a way, it is a bit like science, taking the knowledge we’ve previously gained and refining it, maybe collaborating with other known discoveries.

Even “historic” religions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam built upon, or borrowed beliefs, rituals, and holidays from, religions that came before.

And no matter what, there is always some controversy, so take it all with a grain of salt.

What do you think about these new “religions”? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: Kyle May

Alright, you’ve been to 220 countries. You’ve ridden in the front seat of a speeding Myanmar junta’s jeep, jumped into and splashed around the Citarum river, and kissed a woman (and a man) in Antarctica.

Wait, there’s only like 195 countries.

Point is, you think highly of your well-traveled self. And although the Citarum river swim may be a slight stretch of the truth, you’ve had many crazy and amazing adventures during your world travels.

But now you are pretty much tethered to one place, be it home or expat-land, and are wondering why people sigh when you walk toward them.

Or why your friend has banned comments from you on his blog – I mean, you only called his stories about visiting museums in Italy glib and a complete waste of time twice, for pete’s sake. Can’t the guy take a little constructive criticism?

Yeeah. Here’s some desperately needed advice, even if you don’t think you need it.

Trust me, you probably do.

1. Did I Tell You About The Time…?

Just because you think it’s important to know that the national dish of Azerbaijan, yarpag dolmasi, tastes divine, because of course you’ve made it yourself in the back of a little restaurant…(and thud! your friend’s head hits the table), doesn’t mean anyone else gives a damn.

Telling people stories about your travels can be highly entertaining for both sides involved, but whenever you start dropping in little-known-facts that really are only there to show off how much you’ve seen and done, I guarantee that eye-rolling and head smashing will commence.

Photo: kwerfeldein

2. I Am Right, You Are Wrong. Therefore, I Am Better Than You.

When you read the travel postings of others, don’t tear down what they are saying because you’ve “experienced more” and “know better.” Yeech.

There is always room for noting a difference of opinion.

But there is no need to verbally abuse the author or what they have said even if you were an eyewitness to a situation that completely goes against what they are saying. Mention your experience and move on.

3. I Thrive On Adventure. Therefore, I Am Better Than You.

Don’t act as if the people in your life who are focused on driving to and from work, getting their kids to dance class/soccer camp, or who enjoy watching Survivor, but would abhor the idea of ever participating in it, are less evolved.

Yeah, this one is easy to fall into. But everyone has a purpose in this lifetime, and it may not include flying off into the sunset. We need all types to keep this world a moving and a shaking, so appreciate that you are dependent on the wifi they keep up and running, enabling you to blog about that insane wave you witnessed at Desert Point, man.

4. I Only Visit Small, Unheard-Of Towns And Provinces. Therefore, I Am Better Than You.

Don’t act as if people who call London or Sydney or New York their favorite places to visit are less evolved.

I’m glad you braved traveling through the Congo. It’s wonderful that you took part in the Nettle Eating Championship in Dorset. It doesn’t make someone else less of a human being that they don’t want to have a similar experience.

5. This Place Is Soooo 1999.

Photo: howthebodyworks

Don’t say that [insert here] is SO much better at composting/recycling/biodynamic farming, offers SO much more organic, gluten-free, raw foods, has FANTASTIC public transportation/bars/restaurants/fine looking men and/or women.

Oh, I’m hugely guilty of this one. It can be so easy to just go on and on about how much better one place is than another.

Truth is, every place has their positives and negatives, and really, any place is what you make of it. So get over your trash (even if it’s in a pleasant tone) talk, and appreciate where you’ve landed (even if that’s home).

6. I Vibrate On A Higher Plain That Doesn’t Include Alcohol.

No need to show off how spiritual you are now that you’ve visited Thailand/India/a random ashram in nowhere, Maine.

I’m all for the spiritual epiphanies – they’re fantastic. But when you meet up with some of your old friends in Rio and they are ready to head out for the evening around midnight, the last thing they want to hear is you sniff haughtily and say, “I mustn’t go because I will be getting up at 4:30am for my three hour morning meditation.”

I know it can be hard to navigate a new-found spiritual lifestyle when it collides with your old, let’s say, more social ways, but you have to figure out a happy medium that doesn’t piss everyone off.

When it comes to spirituality, I’m personally all for the seen-and-not-heard path; this way, if people are interested, they’ll ask you about it. And then there’s no need to clobber them over the head with it, or more importantly, have them clobber you in the mouth.

What other seeds of wisdom do you have for the holier-than-thou traveler? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: Sweet Trade [Photography]

MSNBC recently ran an article noting which US cities will reign supreme, population-style, come 2025.

Shock of all shocks, NYC will remain number 1 (yawn), and Raleigh is set to break records with its fastest pace of growth (minus the banks in Charlotte, I assume).

Detroit is expected to slip out of the top 10, but poor Cleveland is gonna move out of the picture entirely.

Ok, that’s great information about American cities, but what about the cities in the rest of the world?

Right now, Tokyo clocks in at number 1 with a stifling 33,200,000, just about double New York’s population. Sao Paulo, Brazil, Seoul-Incheon, South Korea, and Mexico City, Mexico round out the top 5.

But if you think back over even recent history, there have already been some population shifts in the last century that indicate 2025 could look a bit different than 2009.

20th Century Decline

Paris’ population has declined 27% since 1927. Entire countries have also been hit: in Russia, deaths currently outnumber births, with the most of those dying between the working ages of 29-49. Growth in Germany has been so slow that the UN says the country needs to take in 3 million workers a year for the foreseeable future.

And despite what is often said about the insane growth of China, its population is expected to stabilize by 2030 thanks to the “one child” policy (which is also said to also be contributing in a negative fashion to a large over-65 population and shrinking work force).

Somewhat surprisingly, the population of sub-Saharan Africa continues to increase rapidly, despite low life expectancy due to disease, war, and famine. According to Voice of America, by 2050, Africa will constitute 20% of the world’s population.

So which cities are expected to be on top in 2025? Tokyo is expected to stay in the number 1 spot, according to a Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs report. But it looks like Mumbai is going to take over the second spot, Dehli the third, with Dhaka, Bangladesh in the fourth spot and then Sao Paulo rounding out the top five.

The news is pretty clear–out with the West, and in with the East (with Africa and South America thrown in for good measure). But you knew that already, didn’t you?

The Bigger Population Picture

Since we are talking about cities and countries handling their business or dying out, why not take a look at the world’s population as a whole?

Worried about the future / Photo: Ali Brohi

We’re used to hearing about how the world is growing at an alarming rate.

One future scenario predicts that although it took “from the beginning of time” to 1950 to reach 2.5 billion peeps, it’ll only take another 41 years from now to almost quadruple that number.

There will be famine, water shortage, huge repercussions for global warming; you know, all the stuff we hear about on the news everyday.

Scary, isn’t it?

I appreciate Steven Mosher’s, from the Population Research Institute, milder take on the subject:

Since even the most frantic of population alarmists now agree that the world’s population in the early nineties was only increasing by some 90 million per year (an increment which has since fallen to 76 million) there was zero chance that the world would “soon be adding a billion people a year,” much less “every month”…listen closely, and you will hear the muffled sound of populations crashing.

PRI’s projections show that underpopulation may be the real evildoer by the 22nd century, as the population will peak in 2040, and then will fall back to current levels by 2082. That population will be quite a bit older than our current one, though.

And already there are complaints that birth rates are too low, with not enough people in the younger generation to take care of the current ailing generation.

Mosher adds: “By 2004, the U.N. Population Division (UNDP) found that 65 countries, including 22 in the less developed world, had fertility rates that were below the level needed to ensure the long-term survival of the population.”

Uh oh. We can only hope Jason Silva will hurry up and figure out how to break that pesky death trap.

What do you think the world’s population, and possible demise, will look like by 2025? Share your thoughts below.

Feature Photo: adotjdotsmith

It’s been 60 years since George Orwell wrote 1984, his forward-looking satire of a sad and dysfunctional society.

The country of Oceania has a government who monitors every aspect of its people’s lives, participates in a never-ending world war, and rules over a society overrun by poverty due to sacrifices being made for the war effort.

The government officials, though, still live the good life.

Heh, heh, good thing Orwell was so off base about the future.

Love Your Leaders!

Nationalism was the central theme of this imagined society, with unquestioned love for a leader who may or may no longer be alive.

Orwell also looked at the idea of “transferred nationalism,” or the psychology used to transfer the love or hate for one government to another. Sexual repression was yet another overriding theme of the book–though this repression came from the government, not religious organizations.

Luckily, we see no-such-thing today.

To honor the anniversary of this book that gave the previous generation a look at what the future might hold (seriously scary how close he was), The Complete Works of Orwell has the entire book online.

Now remember, Big Brother is always watching, so don’t make any sudden moves on the internet.

Do you think Orwell was dead-on about what was to come for all societies, or is his vision a thing of the past? Share your thought below.

Photo: wili_hybrid

Marketing. These days, everyone is finding their niche, their place in the big-bad capitalist market, their branding, if you will.

And apparently, this includes a new and improved “upscale” India.

Amitabh Kant, former joint secretary in the ministry of tourism, just released a new book called, Branding India — An Incredible Story.

In it, he details how the “Incredible India” campaign, created in 2002, has approached increasing tourism.

Check out the campaign video:

More importantly (to some people), is that since the campaign began, tourism has increased more in value than in volume – leaping from $2.8 billion to $11.5 billion spent, while the number of visitors only grew from about 2.3 million to about 5.6 million.

In the Business Standard article, Position India as an upmarket destination, Kant says:

Based on a well-researched strategy, we worked out a marketing plan…we were clear about the positioning of the destination, in that we were not looking at a mass destination — we were looking at India which was going to appeal to the upper end of the market.

Ah yes, the all important “upper end of the market.”

The Positives And Negatives Of Increased Tourism

It’s a given that more tourists means more employment, as Kant notes in the article. Tourism floods money into a country, often helps with improving health conditions and infrastructure, and makes technology more accessible.

At the same time, increased tourism, especially of the upscale variety, means the development of a consumerist monoculture (snow globes of the Taj Mahal, anyone?), environmental degradation and upheaval, and makes technology more accessible (yes, this can be a bad thing).

Don’t get me wrong. I think all the people of India deserve good clean, running water and basic needs taken care of, and maybe this type of branding will help with that.

But to me, India is about the sacred and divine, over-crowded streets, and dysentery. It’s not always pretty or comfortable, but isn’t that part of the point?

Buddhism At Its Finest

Religion is also being used to stimulate this influx in tourism. As India Reports notes, a spotlight has been turned on Buddhism and it’s power to bring tourists to the country.

Photo: wili_hybrid

Pilgrimages to the Bodhi tree “might provide [India] with more tourist revenue (estimated at one billion dollars) than the Taj Mahal” if their plans for constructing hotels of “international standard” and more direct international flights from places like Japan and China (note the US is not mentioned) goes through.

Alright, so then we could be just as comfortable as if we were visiting the Taj Mahal in Vegas. Fantastic.

But I’m still not convinced that catering to upscale clientele (tourists), who often fall on the high end of resource consumption, is going to be the best thing for the people, or land, of India.

What do you think of the “branding” of India as an upscale destination? Share your thoughts below.

]]> http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/06/11/incredible-branding-a-new-and-improved-india/feed/ 9 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/06/10/photo-plane-falling-from-above/ http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/06/10/photo-plane-falling-from-above/#comments Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:26:51 +0000 Christine Garvin http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=2757 Is it really necessary to have a runway right beside a crowded beach?

During a recent bout of doing entirely too much work, I was dreaming of being on the beach.

Ah, thoughts of sand between my toes, slight breeze running through my hair, the sun beating down on my face. A trashy novel sitting by my side, which I’d glance at in between sips of my daiquiri/bloody mary/pina colada.

I might even paint my toes for the occasion, who knows?

And then, all of a sudden, a cloud begins to block my sun. Not to worry, I’m sure the cloud is just moving lazily through the sky the same way I’m moving through my martini.

The sun will be back in full swing in just a second.

Well, now it seems to be getting even darker out here, as if the sun is totally blocked. And a loud noise and swishing sound is beginning to hurt my ears. Am I going to have to take off my sunglasses, and the cucumbers on my eyes underneath them, to see what is going on?

Photo: W8EB / Feature photo: Richard Moross

Damn you, KLM!!

Got a too-close-for-comfort plane, train, or automobile story? Share your thoughts below.

Shin Dong Hyuk / Photo: Japan Times

Few of us think that concentration camps could exist in our world today.

But with the recent decision by the North Korean court to sentence two American journalists to 12 years hard labor, the stories of escapees and former guards hitting the media show these camps are very much alive.

Shin Dong Hyuk was born inside of North Korea’s “total” control prison No. 14, where he was forced to watch the execution of his mother and older brother because of their attempted escapes.

His mother was hanged and his brother shot nine times.

Falling under the state’s guilt-by-association law, Hyuk was set to be in the camp for life. Due to his family’s attempt to escape, he suffered particularly badly by the hands of the guards.

This included being severely burned all over his back when he was 13 and having his middle finger chopped off for accidentally dropping a sewing machine.

He decided to try escaping himself when he was 22, only after hearing stories of the “outside world” from a new inmate. He has scars on his ankles to always remind him of that day, when his feet got tangled in the electric fence that took the life of his fellow escapee.

Breadth Of The “Work” Camps

An ABC News article says that according to US State Department estimates, there are somewhere between 150,000 to 200,000 political prisoners in the camps, some of which have been depicted to be 200 miles wide.

The same article notes, “North Koreans have been sent to work camps for watching DVDs of South Korean soap operas and sitting on a newspaper that contained photographs of President Kim Jong-Il.”

Worst of all, several years ago it was determined that at least one of the camps had a gas chamber where chemical experiments were conducted on the prisoners, including babies.

As I read through the articles, I couldn’t help but wonder how? How do these camps exist at this point in time?

And yet the accounts of both Shin Dong Hyuk, and Kwon Hyuk, a former military attaché who revealed details about the gas chamber, both believed for many years that the treatment of the prisoners was justified.

For Shin Dong, he felt no pity for his parents because “they tried to escape. Naturally, death was the price they had to pay.” Kwon believed that all bad things that were happening in North Korea were the fault of these prisoners – that is what they were “led to believe.” He explains:

It would be a total lie for me to say I feel sympathetic about the children dying such a painful death. Under the society and the regime I was in at the time, I only felt that they were the enemies. So I felt no sympathy or pity for them at all.

The Psychology Of Oppression

I then realized that once again, it was all about psychology.

Even the young are ready to fight / Photo: ^Berd

Many of us who live in the West often wonder how in the 21st century, the continued bloodshed in Darfur is possible, and why China continues its crackdown on Tibet.

When we look back in history, how could the Nazis ever gain the power to exterminate over six million Jews?

But yet there were few (mainstream) dissenting voices in America of invading Iraq in 2003 and even less of going into Afghanistan after 9/11.

I’m not here to say the latter was right or wrong, but rather to say the psychology behind those actions – threaten what we stand for and we will band together to retaliate, no questions asked – is the same psychology used in all forms and on all sides of oppression, including in the Germany of the past and the Darfur, China, and North Korea of the present.

Sometimes the truly oppressed will use this mindset to creatively gain ground. Other times, instilling beliefs around who is a threat, and who is the enemy, is a way to make people do things we can’t imagine a “normal” human being doing, such as feeling no pity for the death of one’s parents or having no sympathy for a baby who is being killed.

The most important question is, how do we use psychology to free people from beliefs around threat and retaliation? Share your thoughts below.

Feature photo: yeowatzup

On Saturday, I attended a workshop on sacred activism, where the instructor showed this video of environmentalist Paul Hawken’s speech at the 2006 Bioneers conference:

At the beginning of the speech, he says:

It is my belief that we are part of a movement that is greater and deeper and broader than we ourselves know or can know. It flies under the radar of the media by and large. It is nonviolent, it is grassroots. It has no cluster bombs, no armies, no helicopters. It has no central ideology. A male vertebrae is not in charge…it is growing and spreading worldwide, with no exception.

Hawken goes on to describe this movement as the intertwining of indigenous culture, the environment, and social justice. During his speech, on the black screen behind him, runs a list of the 130,000 minimum organizations in the world dedicated to social and environmental justice.

The power of using this tool came when he noted that the list would have taken the full three days of the conference to witness every single name. And though some of these groups employ traditional means of activism, such as loud protests, walking around with signs, or chaining oneself to a storefront, others take a quieter approach.

Sacred Activism

This “new” form of activism can happen alone through the way one decides to live their life (i.e. only shopping locally, so that you know where your food/clothes come from and that the people producing them are garnering a fair wage), or as part of a group via such avenues as microloans or community bartering.

The basic premise combines the tenets of social justice and spiritual connection.

I personally believe we are in a time of shifting perspectives, understanding that the us-vs.-them mentality has mostly lead to pain, war, and a whole lot of bloodshed. It seems that if we engage long enough with anything, there is the possibility of finding common ground, collaborating, and maybe most important of all, feeling a sense of compassion.

This might just be the new world order.

Holy War

Or am I just being naive and living in a bubble? As we watch peaceful protesters lose their lives in Peru, and big oil once again failing to be reprimanded for human and environmental degradation, Hawken’s words can ring as hollow.

China continues its oppression of Tibet (and Lhasang Tsering doesn’t think the Dalai Lama’s “Middle Way” is working), and no matter how much we hope and pray for a positive outcome for both sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it seems to barrel forward.

Plus, our religious divisions worldwide seem to be growing larger instead of being bridged.

So is this where we are actually headed instead?

Illustration: Geoff Olson

Do you think we moving toward a better future or one of annihilation? Share your thoughts below.

Most of us know of two creation myths, or ideas if you will.

In fact, the Big Bang theory and Intelligent Design have been hotly debated in the comments just this week in the BNT article Bizarre Christian Billboard Compares Atheism To Murder?

I thought it best to take it to the next level and break out some of the other, even more “unique” creation myths (yes, there are many more than two) so that the fighting, ahem, gentle discussion of the issue could continue.

So gather around children. Here, in no particular order, are six other ideas of how we all made onto this vast expanse we call Earth (well, some of us call it that anyway).

Hindu Creation Myth: It’s Like Buttah.

The other Hindu Creator, Brahma

Rig Veda, the earliest Vedic text, says it all begin with a big, ole’ monster. Or just a “gigantic being.” Purusha was his name, and he possessed a thousand heads, eyes and feet and enveloped the Earth.

The Gods decided it was time to etgay idray ofway Urushapay, so they sacrificed him. What was left? Clarified butter, but of course.

But this buttah did more than simply be finger licking good; it created the birds and animals. All those crazy body parts became the world’s elements, along with the Hindu Gods Agni, Vayu, and Indra.

Priests, warriors, the “regular” peeps, and servants, i.e. the caste system, also came from his body (so he was classist, I take it?)

Then they decided to go and change the story and make it about Brahma, the creator, Vishnu, the preserver, and Shiva, the destroyer. Vishnu sleeps; Brahma appears in a lotus sprouting from his navel. Once done sprouting, Brahma creates the universe, but only for one of his days…which is 4.32 billion of our years.

Then Shiva’s gotta come in and do her thing, destroying the universe, all so that the universe can begin again. (I think we’re only a bit into a new cycle, so we’re all good.)

Native-American Creation Myth: Dream A Little Dream.

Indian creation mural / Source

Not sure if you can get trippier than the Makiritare myth. It begins with: “The woman and the man dreamed that God was dreaming them.”

The rest involves God singing and shaking his maracas, smoking some tobacco, being happy, but trembling with doubt. The woman and the man, on the other hand, dream that a huge, shining egg appears in God’s dream (still following?), one in which they are singing and dancing and basically causing a ruckus (hey, they were ready to be born, already).

They sang:

I break this egg and the woman is born and the man is born. And together they will live and die. But they will be born again. The will be born and will die again and once more will be born. And they shall never cease to be born, because death is a lie.

I’m guessing they’re a reincarnation bunch.

Chinese Creation Myth: Yet Another Egg?

Pan Gu! Pan Gu!

Heaven and Earth were together at the beginning of time, according to this myth. They were hanging out in a cloud that was, you guessed it, egg shaped.

But chaos was the name of the game for the universe at that time, and a giant named Pan Gu grew in the middle of it. Only took him 18,000 years of sleeping and developing in the egg until one day, he awoke and stretched. Boom, there went the egg.

The lighter egg goo, or elements if you want a nicer word, became the sky and heaven, and the heavier, yolkey- stuff became Earth. Pan Gu was a bit tense that the two might combine again, so he decided to do his part and hold the heavens on his head and the Earth underneath his feet.

Then he continued to grow for a whole other 18,000 years, until finally he felt satisfied when the two were a good 30,000 miles apart. Soon after, he died.

From his death, the Earth was bequeathed some new stuff – his arms and legs became the directions NSEW and the mountains; his blood the rivers; his sweat, the rain and dew. His voice was now thunder, and his minty-free breath, the wind. All elements of land and water came from his body, with his left eye becoming the sun, and his right eye, the moon.

Pretty cool guy, huh?

Scientology Creation Myth: Set Your Thetan Free!

Good times in the streets / Source

Oh, those crazy Scientologists. They sure do get a bad rap, don’t they, what with the Wiki refusing to let their members update their own information and Germany’s attempt to ban the religion.

But have you ever wondered what they believe about the creation of the universe?

According to an undercover article in The Independent, Hubbard stated around 1940 that “writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion.”

Their equivalent to a soul is called a “thetan,” but beyond that is actually a “disembodied soul of alien beings that existed 75 million years ago.” Stay with me here. Especially if you are into Sci-Fi.

Xenu, an intergalactic ruler, was about to be removed from power, and he wasn’t having any of it. Instead, he got rid of the population that was planning to take him out by paralyzing and taking them to Earth (good old Teegeeack at the time). There, he loaded them into volcanoes, destroying them with hydrogen bombs.

Bodies gone, he gathered the thetans – remember, those are the souls – and implanted misleading data, such as all religions, into their memories.

The thetans began to cluster together and inhabit bodies of aliens that survived the blast (how they survived a hydrogen bomb, one can only guess). Voila! You have the predecessors to modern humans, and these thetans continue to move from body to body and life to life accumulating more misleading data along the way.

Only with “auditing” can you remove this data, and set your thetan free!

Japanese Creation Myth: I Shit You Not.

Watch out! It’s Izanagi and his spear

I really can’t say it any better, so I’m just going to let Cezary Jan Strusiewicz over at Cracked.com tell this Japanese creation myth. Hold on to your seats (and lunch):

What country has the honor to say that part of their homeland is basically godly spunk? Well, Japan does. The story of Japan’s creation is the god Izanagi pushed his “jewel encrusted spear” into “the primal ooze of our planet” and, when pulling out, “spilled a salty substance” that created the Japanese island of Onogoro. If you can’t spot the innuendo there, don’t worry, it only gets less subtle from here.

The story goes that when Izanagi finally decided to stop metaphorically “raping” the underage Earth below, he took his soon-to-be wife Izanami and descended on the huge island of dried ejaculate where they married and settled. After having sex on Spunk Island the woman gave birth to eight more Japanese islands.

Izanami continued to get pregnant and squeezed out more babies into the world. One of them was Homusubi (Kagututi), the incarnation of fire. A literal fireball. Learning first hand that fire is hot, Izanami suffered the worst burning sensation down there… and basically everywhere.

Being horribly burned from the inside she suffered agony for a couple of days, losing complete control of her bodily functions (what kind of gods are they?), vomiting, urinating and shitting uncontrollably. Her dying spasms of bodily functions gave birth to new gods, a pair for each substance that flew out of her body:

The Vomit Gods: Kanayamahiko, Kanayamahime
The Urine Gods: Mitsuha no me, Wakumusubi
The Feces Gods: Haniyasuhiko, Haniyasuhime

And there you go.

Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster Creation Myth: Largest Balls Ever.

The Flying Spaghetti Monster

Without a doubt, this is my favorite creation myth (apologies to the Japanese). This religion “came to light” in 2005 while the Kansas School Board was debating whether or not to teach Intelligent Design in the schools.

In a letter to the Board, Bobby Henderson makes the point that there is not necessarily only one theory of Intelligent Design, that in fact many people throughout the world believe the universe was created by the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

Henderson states, “It was He who created all that we see and all that we feel. We feel strongly that the overwhelming scientific evidence pointing towards evolutionary processes is nothing but a coincidence, put in place by Him.”

Their manifesto:

With millions, if not thousands, of devout worshippers, the Church of the FSM is widely considered a legitimate religion, even by its opponents – mostly fundamentalist Christians, who have accepted that our God has larger balls than theirs.

Now that’s a creation myth I can get behind.

What are some other crazy creation myths? Share your myths below!

Competitours: The Amazing Race meets Travel Improv

Gotta admit, I’m not much one for reality shows. I think I’ve seen the Amazing Race once. Yet I got a wee bit excited when I started perusing through the Competitours website.

For those who are like me and only know that they eat bugs on the Amazing Race (wait, that’s a different show, right?), what the people over at Competitours are doing might seem like a whole new phenomenon.

Basically, you travel around Europe as a part of a team and do all kinds of cool challenges based on whether you are in the city or the country that day.

Here’s an example of one of their challenges:

Visit a Torture Museum in Prague, choose three instruments of torture and explain how each could be used as a non-lethal household item.

That’s what I like to see – reduce, reuse, recycle.

Another one:

Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower and recruit and videotape 15 other tourists to do a rousing rendition of the French national dance, the can-can.

That’s actually a good way to get to know people while you’re traveling, and hey, you might end up getting some complimentary Cotes du Rhone from an appreciative French viewer.

Travel Now, Pay Later

Dance, boy, dance! /Photo: earcos

The really interesting part is there’s no upfront pay-to-play; you pay after the trip is over.

That way, you can make your own videos, upload them to your blog, and have a nice little “donate here” button that might get you some cash for the payment (no need to thank me for the idea…actually, please do).

They have a few different packages to choose from – standard for 14 days, express for 10 days, and a nice little budget trip for 8 days.

The next budget trip is soon, June 8-15, but if you can’t swing that, there is an express one that begins June 22 and a standard one on July 9.

Ok, the really REALLY interesting part, I will admit, is the grand prize: a worldwide travel spree, with up to 40 nights (!) paid hotel for the standard trip, with 2 airline tickets and $5,000 in spending money, baby. And you can go just about anywhere in the world there is a Starwood Hotel (yes, staying in a hotel–not a hostel. Ahh, luxury).

Beat “The Hippy” From The Amazing Race

But if you are one of those people that does know a lot about the Amazing Race, you’ll be pumped to hear that the Amazing Race Season 9 winner, Tyler MacNiven (otherwise known as “The Hippy”) and his Mom will be on the July 28th trip.

So if you want to take them down, here’s your chance!

Be sure to check out Eva Holland’s previous piece on Competitours over at Matador Pulse.

Are you up for the challenge? Share your thoughts below.

Human cost of war/ Photo: soundfromwayout

A former German Parliament member, judge, and apparently an honorary Colonel of the US Army has made a controversial offer.

Dr Jurgen Todenhofer promises a million dollars to the person who “brings George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Tony Blair in a fair and legal procedure before an American or an international court on the grounds of the wounding and killing of thousands of American GIs and of the torture, dismemberment and killing of hundreds of thousands innocent Iraqi civilians.”

Very bold.

Even bolder, he essentially compares the tactics of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Blair to Hitler by referencing the Nuremburg war crimes tribunal, which stated:

To initiate a war of aggression is not only an international crime, it is the supreme international crime – differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within it the accumulated evil of all crimes of war.

This made me begin to ponder the moral implications of living during this horrific Iraq saga. Have we become what the Germans were during WWII – at best complacent, and at worst participants?

Mission Accomplished

Sure, there are people out there who would agree with Todenhofer’s bounty.

Jim Horn at the Schools Matter blog asks if anyone at the Obama Administration will step up to the plate after The Raw Story reported four dozen detainees killed during or after their interrogations (warning: the Raw Story article contains one of those awful photos).

And the group National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance has demanded the Bush administration “be held accountable” (i.e. indicted) for what Just Foreign Policy estimates to be 1,320,110 civilian Iraqi deaths since the beginning of the invasion (a much higher number than most news sources would ever report).

But what about the people of the US, and the other countries who have sent soldiers to fight? That’s a whole lot of deaths on our watch, with no end in sight.

A Look In The Mirror

No, there are no concentration camps (though Gitmo may come in a close second), or a Fascist leader (though Cheney is beginning to look as if he deserves an eye patch).

Yet there is an entire culture of people being killed, mutilated, losing loved ones, and being singled out for discrimination when in other parts of the world. As House Democrat Charles Rangel said in a 2005 interview:

This is just as bad as six million Jews being killed. The whole world knew it and they were quiet about it, because it wasn’t their ox that was being gored.

Many of us carry on our lives as if nothing is happening, because what can we do? I wonder if the Germans asked themselves the same question.

Do you think the moral implications of the Iraqi massacre are the same for US citizens as the Holocaust was for the Germans? Share your thoughts below.

Feature photo: War President / Joe Wezorek

He’s thinking about sex in the 1800’s / Photo

I had to chuckle when I came across a recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle that named the top 10 sex scandals in the history of the city.

San Fran, itself birthed from all of the scandal-prone bandits who found their way West, has had some doozies.

As the Chronicle reported:

San Francisco was one wild town in the mid-1800s when it lurched into prominence as a Gold Rush creation of loose pistols, loose wallets and loose women. Brothels proliferated and illegal homosexuality was winked at. Sex wasn’t so much a hush-hush Victorian taboo as it was an open way of life.

But, alas, things have changed a bit, and now the city houses a class of people that have a few reasons to blush.

Relatively recent ones include the “the cable car nymphomaniac” who knocked her head while riding one of the street cars, which unleashed a sexual deviant. She sued the transit system 5 years later, proclaiming the accident had caused her to take over 100 lovers because of her now insatiable need for lovin’.

And of course, the city’s current Mayor had an affair with his appointments secretary. Probably wouldn’t have been that big a deal, but she was the wife of his best friend and campaign manager. Oops. And yeah, he was still re-elected, though with a different campaign manager, I assume.

I decided there are probably even more scandalous scandals out in the rest of the world over the past few 1000 or so years, and it was up to me to research this hard-to-handle subject area.

And boy, were there. Here’s a list of eight ones that stuck out above the others for one reason or another.

1. Queen Hottie

Cleopatra

Cleopatra. She rocked it, first with Julius Caeser and then Mark Antony, causing both of their downfalls. Hot mama? Go figure.

2. Lost Heads

Henry VIII. Has anyone had more movies made and books written about him (well, at least the Tudors)? He became bored with a wife, or needed a new one for political purposes, and well, you know what happened (to be fair, only two were beheaded). Not sure I personally would have stepped up to the plate, say after number two…

3. Horsing Around

Catherine the Great. Yeah, you’ve heard the death rumors, maybe even in your 7th grade World History class. A woman with a penchant for horses between her legs (I’m just talking about her love for riding horses astride), along with a healthy sexual appetite. Did it lead to her death?

This one is a rumor that according to Robert Wilde came about because “her voracious sexual appetite – while modest by modern standards – meant that the rumours [of her death] had to be even wilder.”

4. Brotherly Love

JFK – gets migraines without sex.

JFK. Not sure where to begin with him, so I’ll just focus on the whole pass-Marilyn-off-to-my-brother-when-I’m-done situation.

Well, that about does it.

Ok, here’s a bit more: in a short written history of the President, the author noted Kennedy once told a friend “you know, I get a migraine headache if I don’t get a strange piece of ass every day” (though one book claims it was Jack who had the problems in bed).

For a longer list of political scandals, check out Forbes’ A World Of Sex Scandals or Time’s Top 10 Political Sex Scandals.

5. Slick Willy

Bill Clinton. Sorry, had to do it. Although the ridiculousness of the focus on this one (”I did NOT have sexual relations with that woman”) made the US the laughing stock of the world, who didn’t (other than Hillary) wish we could go back to the days of Monica and the impeachment during Bush’s tour de force?

It’s been said many times before and I’ll say it again: When Clinton lied, nobody died. Well, at least no one who was a part of the sex scandal.

6. Slicker Willie

Willlie Knuckles. Haven’t heard of him? Well, he was the Chief of Staff in Liberia until February 2007…until photographs of him fully nude with two women other than his wife surfaced in the papers. He served under President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, a longtime campaigner for women’s rights.

Although his behavior was not deemed “illegal,” the whole wife-and-kids package made it just a bit, well, immoral.

7. Teeny Bopper

Edison Chen, playboy no more?

This list has to include some scandalous movie stars, considering the industry and scandal are one-in-the-same.

Edison Chen. Hong Kong’s movie star (he was in the award winning The Grudge 2, apparently) Chen liked to use his status to have some sexy time with the (younger) ladies. This included Gillian Chung, a teeny-bop pop star who’s been in ads for Disneyland; Cecilia Cheung and Bobo Chan, two other actresses; and several other lesser stars, with some regular girls thrown in for good measure.

Though it might have been a light affair in say, the UK, when pictures of Chen and his lady friends hit the newspapers in Hong Kong in 2008, the country was in an uproar. Check out some “edited” pictures of the obviously virile Chen at Gawker.com.

8. Amateur Filmmaker

Hayden Kho. A cosmetic surgeon in the Philippines recently rocked the devoutly Catholic country to its core.

Seems he enjoyed going beyond the friendly doctor-patient relationship into the steamy arena of sexual home-movie land. With young actresses. Four of them.

While in the US, these types of videos would guarantee unfounded fame and money been thrown at you for the next ten years for party appearances (ok, sorry, I had to reference Paris. I just HAD to), in the Philippines, it pretty much means these actresses’ lives are over.

Now they’re straight to DVD, as hawkers sell the videos on street corners of Manila.

When it comes to sex, it seems we never learn.

What other sex scandals should make the list? Share your thoughts below.

Here we go with the shock advertising again. How does this advertisement strike you – as valid or infuriating?

Somewhere in Texas / Photo: Answers in Genesis

Here’s how Answers in Genesis describes themselves:

An apologetics (i.e., Christianity-defending) ministry, dedicated to enabling Christians to defend their faith and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ effectively…we also desire to train others to develop a biblical worldview, and seek to expose the bankruptcy of evolutionary ideas, and its bedfellow, a “millions of years old” earth (and even older universe).

Apparently, AIG doesn’t seem to be the only one sprinkling such wonderful Christian sentiment around the US. Dangerous Talk has compiled, and asks people to continue sending in pictures, of the worst Christian AND Atheist billboards around the country.

Personally, I can’t believe they are implying that non-believers, or to whom God “doesn’t matter,” are going to take a gun and shoot someone in the face.

Striking yes; thoughtful, absolutely not.

Here’s the same kid featured in video campaign:

Although supposedly their beef is with evolution, I don’t see how that point is conveyed with this picture. So, according to them, believing what Darwin had to say means a person is lawless and will go on a killing rampage?

I’m honestly surprised they didn’t put an African-American or Middle Eastern child on there. But I guess they know it would completely show their prejudices. With a white kid, they can get away with “anyone can be lawless and moral-free who doesn’t believe in God.”

Equal opportunity to be a murderer, I guess.

What do you think about the message of this billboard? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: Bhaskar Banerji / Feature photo: aperturepriority

“Life can be pretty surreal at times. And travel is no exception to the rule,” write Dave and Deb, the bloggers behind The Planet D.

In recent post, they chronicle a few of their most surreal travel experiences.

We seem to have some of our strangest experiences when we are on the road. Some of them are completely out of our control and we just have to hang on and enjoy the ride. While others have been completely our own doing. A momentary lapse of reason if you will. Either way, they make for some fun stories around the campfire.

Which got me thinking…

Without a doubt, the most surreal travel experience I had involved snow, hot springs, and 3 mailboxes out in the middle of the desert, no houses in sight.

It was mid-May, and we left at 5 o’clock rush hour east of San Francisco, heading up highway 80 towards Lake Tahoe. Hot air came in through the cracked window as we sat in traffic, but I simply relaxed in the passenger seat.

A friend had led this trip many times before, so for once, I was able to completely let go of the reigns and just sit back and enjoy.

Due to a game of “let’s point out all the weird, dreamy stuff we see” (which is pretty easy to do once you start paying attention – pink buses, guy dressed in drag on the side of the road, etc.), several hours passed quickly, and I noticed the air change as we climbed into the Northern California mountains.

Snow And Heat

Suddenly, I noticed snowflakes falling lazily onto the windshield. I literally felt as if I had been transported to another part of the world.

Then the darkness began to set in as we made our way past the brightly-lit casinos on the Nevada side of Tahoe, turning off the road onto a dirt path.

My friend drove the switchbacks through the small bushes and what resembled tumbleweed. I wondered, “How the hell does he know where we’re going?”

Abruptly, we came to a stop at the end of dirt path, and he said to me, “let’s go.”

Out of the rented four-wheeler (it was always his approach to rent, knowing some serious damage might happen to the car in the places we were going) we jumped, and in the dead of night, made our way to a tiny, hidden pool of hot water.

Did I mention it was still snowing? That quickly became the fastest I’ve ever stripped. But I couldn’t believe the feeling of sitting in the middle of nowhere, the snow hitting my face as I warmed my body in the hot spring.

After grabbing a hotel room that night, we headed south to Saline Valley, located right beside Death Valley in California. We had to make a stop by these incredible sand dunes, where the most insane wind I’ve ever experienced made our hike to the top and along the edges a bit scary (and sandy in the teeth), but hardly prepared me for where we would transpire just a couple of hours later.

Oasis In The Desert

Mail call / Photo: Bhaskar Banerji

My friend had often told me of this “oasis in the desert,” but I couldn’t believe it until I saw it.

In the middle of Saline Valley, a humongous desert landscape surrounded by mountains, were two natural hot springs with friggin’ palm trees and grass surrounding them.

Apparently, hippies had been trekking there since the 60s, and somehow planted grass in the middle of the desert, with volunteers keeping it up over the years.

Because it is so hard to get to, and there are no signs, only those who know-the-way make it there. Which made the existence of three lonely mailboxes (what the hell are those doing out there?) all the more bizarre.

On that short, two-day trip, I felt a spiritual connection to the Earth that I had never known before. But I also found myself wondering… was it all just a dream?

What is your most surreal travel experience? Share your stories below!

Photo: killthebird

I have to admit, when I first saw the headline, Netherlands to close prisons for lack of criminals, I thought it was a joke.

But apparently, a “decline in crime has led to overcapacity in the prison system.”

And to deal with the loss of jobs that will occur with the closures, some “reprieve” may come from Belgium, who apparently has too many criminals.

That got me thinking: why does one country have so few criminals it has to shut down prisons, and the country next door has so many they have to export their prisoners?

Boingboing points out in their coverage of the shut-downs that in the Netherlands, “most drugs are legal,” though a commenter who appears Dutch says this isn’t the case; only marijuana is “semi-legal.”

The blog Eideard adds:

Here we are – studying a nation perpetually castigated by Law and Order nutballs for being too soft on drug users, too free and easy on sex, having too many unions and too much personal freedom in the face of a large immigrant population and the danger of terrorism – ending up with empty beds in the prison system. What’s wrong with this picture of freedom, tolerance – absent Christian morality? Apparently, damned little.

Could it be that who we define as “criminals” throughout the world are based more on petty crimes (or taboo choices) more than anything else?

Here’s the problem with that theory: Pot and prostitution are pretty much legal in Belgium too.

And even within the Netherlands, there were some angry reactions to the news that prisons were being closed. An opposition MP, Fred Teeven, stated, “Violent crime is not going down…and we are far too willing to use community service. The Minister is wrong to close down prisons because of falling demand.”

Ok, got it:

Community Service + Falling Demand = Bad.
Believing that violent crime is Up + Keeping Prisons Open = Good.

Sounds like a plan to me.

Do you think that sex, drugs, and rock and roll lead to more crime, or are the morality police bent on keeping some people to jail? Share your thoughts below.

Kids getting high / Photo: xav

Highs. They’re good. Much, much better than lows. It certainly can be easy to turn that frown upside down with a little bit of chemical motivation. But what about the natural highs we can experience during our travels?

This doesn’t have to be about hitting every pub in town or scoring a bag of something that is hopefully-more-than-weeds from the seedy park downtown.

In fact, this type of behavior doesn’t make for good long-term travel; you’re just exhausted after a few days.

So in the great tradition of counting down what is best in life, here are five of the best ways to get high while traveling without worrying about ending up in a foreign prison.

1. Soak in the city life.

Don’t get me wrong; the countryside is always beautiful. But whenever I step into a new city, whether Rome, Italy or Raleigh, North Carolina, I immediately begin to soak in the culture of the people that inhabit that place. The cafes, the bars, the shops – maybe even happening upon a pig-pickin’ in a park (definitely a possibility in Raleigh) – all make my head spin with delight.

2. Randomly run into someone halfway across the world that you haven’t seen in years.

Photo: J.J. Verhoef

When I had some time to kill before meeting my parents in Germany, I knew I couldn’t afford to kill that time in London. So I hopped on over to Amsterdam, where the minute I got off the train, lo and behold, I see a girl walking by that I went to high school with – in eastern North Carolina, for chrissakes.

Yes, us Rocky Mount folk like to think we are special and represent worldwide, but the reality is, this can happen to anyone. And when it does, you can’t help but think, “Man, Universe, you-are-good.”

3. Participate in extreme sports with people you don’t know.

What better way to make a best friend for life than to have your lives be put in danger together?

Whether you decide to go jump off a mountain in Interlaken, Switzerland as a part of a group outing, or you participate in a white-water-rafting trip on the Class Five rapids on the Zambezi River, there is rarely a lack of conversation over beers after said life-threatening adventure.

You can end up talking all damn night, and maybe for weeks to come.

4. Have a spiritual epiphany.

This can mean different things for different people. It can also come in different forms – for some by sitting in a pew of the oldest known church in the world, for others by meditating for two weeks at a 19th century mansion in Poland.

A few people have been known to reach enlightenment through a few shots of absinthe in Prague (OK, not exactly a “natural” high).

But for most people who go beyond vacationing into the whole other world of being a traveler, there is usually some in-depth discovery about the self, the world, and all that is stirred up in between the two.

And it doesn’t always have to include a hangover. Really.

5. Sink your teeth into that thick, juicy burger.

Photo: Marshall Astor – Food Pornographer

The first time I went to Prague was after I had been studying in Florence for five months. Our weekend in the Czech Republic consisted of these four highlights: eating at TGI Friday’s, Hard Rock Cafe, Pizza Hut, and Subway.

Yep, I ain’t afraid to say it. These are all places I never eat in the US. And yet, ten years later, that weekend still sticks out in my mind above most of the others.

I’ve been back since, and eaten the requisite Czech food of pork and dumplings (and some fish with the head still on).

But there is something about eating food from home, especially the first time you go on a long traveling adventure, that is well, kinda orgasmic. Most certainly if it includes a TGI Friday’s bottle-mixed margarita.

Darn, there I go with the whole alcohol-thing again.

What are some other natural highs from travel? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: creativity103

What are some of the deep philosophical questions we ask in life?

Usually these concern health, life, death, or when Grey’s Anatomy will finally be canceled (that show needs to go).

Now imagine that you’re asked to answer those deep philosophical questions while 30,000 feet in the air?

That’s the case for Dr. Bernard E Johnson, an ordained minister who recently wrote an interesting article on the 10 questions he most often gets asked during flights. No-holds-barred cross examinations include the following light and easy fare:

• Does the current economic crisis have spiritual roots?
• Why are so few people truly happy?
• Is the conflict in the Middle East leading to Armageddon?
• Why do bad things happen to good people?

The good minister doesn’t attempt to give an answer to any of these questions (at least in the article) but simply notes that they all touch upon the deeper, “spiritual dimension of life.”

Which got me thinking – What would I ask a minister, or a guru, rabbi, or Buddhist philosopher (and the list goes on) if I sat next to one on a plane? And what would I expect as an answer?

Knowing myself relatively well, I’m sure I’d seek out if they were even moderately intuitive…and then ask them what they could tell me about myself (narcissistic? Probably. Keeps me focused? Definitely).

Beyond The Self

After that, I’d ask what brought them to a life of serving God, or other deity, and if they agree with the rules placed upon them. These are different for each religion, obviously, but for Catholics, what about that no marriage rule? Could that be part of the reason such sexual scandal exists in the church?

Yeah, maybe I wouldn’t ask that.

I would definitely ask the person’s view on women in terms of leadership within that particular religion or spiritual organization. That reveals plenty with just a little bit of information.

I suppose that I wouldn’t expect this “leader” to have any of the big answers in life, any more than the rest of us. I would certainly love to discuss the idea of the economic crisis having spiritual roots and implications, but I’ve already come to my own conclusions around that (of course, I’m open to more thoughts on the subject).

Chances are, they’re searching too, because they are human just like the rest us.

What would you ask a spiritual leader if you sat next to one on a plane? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: The Tech Herald

From the, “Wow, this whole thing is really sad” file:

For those who don’t know, Alina Percea, a Romanian teenage girl living in Germany, recently auctioned off her virginity to an Italian businessman for 8,800 pounds.

Her reasoning was to pay for school.

What smacks of a horrible Hollywood movie plot has gone beyond a moral issue to one of economics: the German government is demanding she pay taxes on her earned income. And that could mean over half of her earnings will be taken by the government.

According to a German official:

It is not a moral standpoint but a fiscal one. Prostitution is not an illegal act in Germany, but not paying tax on earned money is.

Apparently, after the tryst, the 18-year-old discussed how she got along well with the 45-year-old businessman, having “unprotected sex at a luxury Venetian hotel.” Not exactly the poster child for safe-sex; shocking, I know.

Previously, we’ve covered when to draw the line when defending cultural norms, but this feels like it’s gone too far.

It gets worse: Alina had also gone through two medical examinations to prove her virginity. What year are we living in exactly?

Wonder if she still is so keen on him now that she has to part with that much of the money. Kinda makes you wonder if it’s worth it.

What do you think – was the government right to tax her virgin-earnings? Or should they have stopped the transaction in the first place? Share your thoughts below.

Seems as if I can’t walk out the front door without hearing about yoga these days (literally…there’s a yoga study right across the street from my apartment).

In my neck of the woods, more people seem to be coming out of yoga classes on a Sunday morning rather than church.

And it’s not just in new-age central, California, either. Retreats are abounding: everywhere from Massachusetts to Thailand, the best yoga destinations are now hotly debated around the web.

Are traditional church leaders scared? Christian televangelist Pat Robertson called yoga “spooky” a few years back:

Yet it appears that his view on yoga is rooted in misunderstanding. As one blogger put it, “Asking Robertson about yoga is about as futile as asking Paris Hilton for her insights on the theory of existentialism.”

Spiritual Or Religious?

So traditional church attendance appears to be waning. Does that mean Americans are less spiritual?

What might be considered damning to the very fabric of organized religion, a recent Huffington Post article posed an interesting theory: Americans, at least, are searching for spiritual experience over simple spiritual belief.

The author and Spiritual Program Director for Canyon Ranch Health Resorts, Jonathan Ellerby, states that:

Church attendance is down more than 10% from recent years and fewer people self-identify as Christian or religious…more and more people are connecting with regular and diverse spiritual practices such as meditation, yoga, mindfulness, expressive arts (such as dance, group singing/chanting), self-help studies, and spiritual travel.

He goes on to explain that anything in life where there is a felt-sense, like watching a sunset, connecting with a lover or pet, or even playing sports, has more impact than simply reading about it.

Even more importantly, he says: “The tolerance for guilt and passing one’s own ethics and judgment to an authority who is questionable and too human is less and less appealing.”

Yoga As Religion

Then there’s the question of whether or not yoga is a religion, or is at least rooted in one. Over the past six months, yoga has been banned by Islamic leaders in Malaysia and Indonesia due to its Hindu roots.

Food and Yoga blogger Karen Mackenzie questioned whether it’s possible for yoga and religion to work together. And Yoga Journal ran an article entitled, Is Yoga a Religion?, which noted:

There are ancient yogic texts (most notably, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra) that many regard as scriptures, revelations of truth and wisdom meant to guide the lives of yogis down through the ages.

I can see how this might scare some leaders of organized religions, since it is giving people the ability to make choices and come to their own conclusions. Whether we explore externally via globe trotting, or internally via contemplation, breathwork, and movement, we give rise to our own truths.

And those truths may or may not look a whole lot different than what the church is telling you to believe.

For some good fun with a Christian twist, check out the farcical Yoga: A Religion for Sex Addicts.

Feature photo: adhiwus

Community Connection

Find out how some groups are doing to trademark this ancient practice in Asanas For Sale: The Privatization Of Yoga, and how to fit in yoga anytime with 7 Ancient Exercises You Can Do Anywhere.

Do you think yoga is becoming more popular than organized religion? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: Shemer/ Feature photo: myconfinedspace

Happiness…does it come from money? Work? Love? Travel?

Well, according to a recent Forbes article, overall economic health plays a key role in determining who are the happiest people on Earth.

The Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) released a report about the hows and why of the world’s happiest places.

Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands found their way to the top. Apparently, these countries have been hit the least by the economic downturn: there is low unemployment, a good work-life balance, yadi yadi yada.

I have a different hypothesis.

The Joy Of The Ride

I think happiness might have a little something to do with how often you go to one of Cracked.com’s world’s most baffling theme parks.

Think about it: you’ve got Diggerland in four UK locations for all those unlucky enough to not have climbed aboard John Deere tractors at the State Fair in Kansas; New York City’s not-yet-fully-developed Nintendo Amusement Park, where men can remain little boys forever; and who needs the Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya when you can ride go-karts AND rub the Buddha’s belly all in one place at Vietnam’s Suoi Tien Cultural Amusement Park?

Non-Disney characters at Shijingshan/ Photo: Beijing 2008

Plus, I can really get tired of those boring old Disney characters.

So thank God the characters at Beijing Shijingshan Amusement Park are, according to park officials, definitely NOT based on anything remotely Disney (see picture).

The REAL Happiest Place On Earth

But without a doubt, the happiest place on Earth must be South Korea’s Jeju Love Land (well, for the over-18 crowd, at least).

This park boasts (literally) a giant stone penis, statues of sex positions I’ve never seen before, and naturally, a gift shop. For some NSFW pictures of some of the sculptures, check out My[confined]Space.

So popular is Love Land that they decided to become a chain. And what place did it seem to make most sense to open the next sex park? China, duh.

Sadly, readers, just as I was booking my ticket to Love Land’s October opening in Chongqing, I learned it has been demolished. Seems some Chinese officials thought the park was “vulgar, ill-minded and misleading.” Luckily, I believe the original in Korea will keep going for a long, long, LONG time.

Well, I guess I might have to settle on heading over to Denmark’s Bon Bon Land and enjoying the wind on the Hundeprutterutchebane, otherwise known as the Dog-Fart-Switchback.

Hmmm, maybe happiness IS about economic health. You’ve got to be reasonably comfortable monetarily in order to get into these theme parks, right?

Can you find happiness in a theme park? Share your thoughts below.

Jolanda, healer on trial / Photo: Jolanda.nl

Before I left for my last big trip, I went to see an intuitive (or a psychic, clairvoyant – whatever name works for you), as I often try and do at momentous occasions in my life.

I thought she was the woman a friend had recommended to me; it turned out that she was not.

She told me a few things (all of which ended up being wrong) and performed a bit of energy work on me at the end (which I’m assuming helped me in absolutely no way).

And yet last year, I was lucky enough to connect with a different woman who I literally felt knew my soul.

Rather than talking about the future, per se, we discussed more of what was happening for me on an energetic level, all of which really resonated with me. When she performed energy work on me at the end of the session, I definitely noticed it.

Alternative On Trial

So I was saddened to recently read that a spiritual healer and two alternative doctors in Amsterdam are being put on trial for the death of a popular TV star there, Sylvia Millecam.

I tend to believe that anyone practicing outside the “norm,” especially as alternative approaches to health become more and more common, is vilified whenever possible.

Then I got to the middle of the article:

The self-styled medium and faith healer known as Jomanda and two alternative doctors are on trial because they told Ms Millecam she did not need treatment. Jomanda, charged with causing grievous bodily harm, convinced Ms Millecam she was suffering from a bacterial infection.

It’s hard to know if this is the whole story, but if this is true, I’m horrified.

I did a quick search about Jomanda and came across the Apologetics Index, in which psychologist and naturologist Ewald Vervaet states that he has investigated dozens of her purported healings and miracles, but thus far has not one has been verified.

She is known for infusing water so as to give it healing power.

Thing is, she has had a large following since becoming a “celebrity” in 1991 when she started organizing healings in Tiel, so for better or for worse, some people believe she is the real thing. That means they have connected with her, felt healed by her, somehow came out better than when they started.

Beliefs around healing

Photo: Wonderlane/ Feature photo: kshgarg

I have heard countless stories of friends who have visited India or Thailand, or even spiritual areas in the US that have been greatly affected by healers they have come across.

Many of these healers would be considered “quaks” by Western standards.

If, like the crackdown and arrests of supplement sellers or the fight to ban home births in the US, this is a way to put those on the fringe of “accepted” methods of healthcare in their place, I’m not impressed (nor would I be surprised).

On the other hand, if this woman truly convinced Millecam that she did not have cancer, than maybe she should be on trial – or at least have it made publically known her errent influence on people.

Still, this still brings up questions of self-will and our right to choose our own path around health.

What do you think about alternative healers being put on trial? Share your thoughts below.

It hasn’t been an easy week, what with more hidden photos of torture, the arrest of a former Nobel Peace Prize Winner, and learning that all of us recyclers/composters/bikers/tree-huggers are really just taking down the planet by sending out our emails to save the Arctic.

Plus, I locked myself out of my apartment. But I digress.

Even with all the bad news out there, every once in a while, I come across something that makes me ponder the beauty of even man-made creations.

Lanscapes From Above

The Boston Globe recently ran a series of pictures from photographer Jason Hawkes called Human Landscapes From Above. Here is the first pic:

Photo: Jason Hawkes/Boston Globe

Some people may see a sea of red and metal, and think this picture is just an example of our over-consumerism.

While on the one-hand, this is true, I also see the many hands went into creating these cars, possibly being the life’s work of some. The intricacy with which the cars are placed speaks to our ability to create usable patterns that the eye is still able to get lost in.

And every once in a while, stepping back to contemplate that just over a century ago, a very simple version of these machines were just a dream in the minds of a few people, is pretty staggering.

So how are we able to bridge the two – over-production of something that is causing harm to the planet versus the art of creating machines beyond the wildest dreams of our ancestors – and handle these realities without jumping to either extreme?

Call me an optimist (and most people I knew growing up never would have), but I believe that every “problem” has a solution. You shine a light in a dark corner and guess what happens? It’s not dark anymore.

And I have a sneaking suspicion travelers understand this best of all.

Natural landscapes

Another one of Hawkes’ photographs is of the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park:

Photo: Jason Hawkes/Boston Globe

The colors and landscape are a simple reminder that nature outperforms us every time. But that’s ok – we have the ability to work with (not against) nature’s beauty and bounty, enjoying all its free entertainment, if we keep trying to figure out how we can work with (not against) the Earth.

I remember a story a friend once told me about a Native-American tribe who volunteered to hold some nuclear waste on their land. Why would they do such a thing, I asked?

My friend explained: the tribe knew it was better for them, who have always had a give-and-take relationship with the Earth, to figure out what to do with the waste than it was for the US government.

Good point, and a starting place from which to ask questions.

Will human creations be as beautiful – and not harmful – as nature’s? Share your thoughts below!

Feature photo: Garry

Photo: Jessica Shannon/ Feature photo: stuartpilbrow

We here at the Matador Network have been contemplating the whys of traveling during the global recession, how exactly to go about traveling during this currency-strapped time, and how to handle it all by becoming a spiritual activist.

The folks over at F* the ReDepression, however, are taking a different approach to dealing with our global party’s-over “don’t-have-to-go-home-but-you-can’t-stay-here” meltdown.

Along with their handy-dandy tagline, “Might as well, it’s going to f* you,” they recently compiled the top 10 ways to F* the ReDepression, introducing the piece with these instructions:

First things first: You gotta believe. After that, who knows. At FTRD, we believe that the best way to FTRD is to pretend like it isn’t happening. This is the same strategy that FDR used while the Nazis rampaged Europe from 1933 to 1941. It worked then, and it will work now.

Other tasty tips include:

• Move to… China? (def. not Europe, the UK or South America. and DEFINITELY not Africa)
• Get a government job. They control everything. They print the money. You oughta roll with them!
• Get a second family. If your new family has working-age children you just doubled your workforce!
• Collect unemployment. Wait, how is this not #1? Stop reading this and go get it NOW.

Be sure to check out the rest of their list.

The Good News

What about a positive that stems from the greed of all those banker fat-cats?

Well, a group just granted the right to marry in Vermont is shouting a big fat “Hell-No!” to recession. Gay and lesbian travel is forecasted to be higher than heterosexual travel this summer.

The recession has also spawned hilarious t-shirts and cups to express your recession-depression frustrations to the world. Check out Recession Junction’s plethora of choices, including my favorites, “I will cut you, bitch!” and “Alms for the Poor.”

Last but certainly not least, when you are really down, you know who to turn to…The Onion. They’ve put together a video of the best reality show ever, Autoworkers Compete to Keep Jobs, Livelihoods.

What has kept you smiling during the economic crisis? Share your thoughts below.

Complaint Free Bracelets / Photo: A Complaint Free World

Seems the law of attraction is even hitting the church.

Will Bowen, a minister in Kansas City, Missouri, has set fire to a movement aptly titled, A Complaint Free World.

The purpose of the movement is simple: go 21 consecutive days without complaining. To help you along, wear the group’s signature purple bracelet, and every time you make a complaint, switch it to your other wrist.

Some people are able to make the 21 days in a month; others take a year. Bowen says that it takes an average of four to six months to complete the allotted three weeks complaint free, but that awareness of how much we complain just continues to build through the process.

Like the Law Of Attraction, the idea is that the more we complain, the more we have to complain about. Being positive brings positive changes to our lives, and frees us up in many different ways – emotionally, physically, energetically.

So I began to wonder, what would complaint free travel look like? Oh, lawdy.

Complaint Free Travel

One of my favorite points that Bowen makes is that most of us recognize how much other people complain, but not how much we ourselves complain.

Even thinking about all the things that have gone wrong in my travels, things like:

• Flying out of Oakland for a four month jaunt, hungover, not fully moved out of my apartment although my lease ended that day, and arriving at 5:40am only to find out my flight was the next day;
• Several pairs of underwear falling out of my backpack as they kicked us out of a bus in the dark of night, nowhere, Zambia;
• Balling my eyes out as I caught the last train out of my semester abroad in Florence with two huge suitcases that I could barely move and then realized I was on the wrong train,

All of these make me cringe at how much I’ve complained on the road.

And the truth is, most of those “things that went wrong” make for the best damn stories when you come back (especially to write about).

Change Your Experience

Just smile/ Feature Photo: JAIRO BD

Complaint free travel means you’d have to hold your tongue when you get to sit on a runway for five hours waiting to take off.

It means you’d have to smile and mean it when miscommunication occurs at a restaurant where you think you’ve ordered garlic tofu and instead you get garlic rooster balls.

It also means that coming back to your hostel and finding a couple having sex on the sleeping bag you so neatly laid out earlier for easy access after pub closing time would dignify only a request to move to another mattress.

And yet, not complaining may open you up to people, places, and adventures that would otherwise have been nixed.

Think about landing the perfect job because you met someone on an organized tour that your friends deemed not hip enough, seeing the most amazing landscape on Earth when you decide to visit somewhere that is “known” to be a criminals haven, or getting to know the love of your life by sitting on that airport tarmac for five hours.

Welcome to traveling with gratitude.

How would complaint-free travel affect your trips? Share your thoughts below.

Robi Damelin / Photo: Speaking of Faith

This past weekend, BNT’s Best of the Week roundup included a link to Deepak Chopra’s article Seven Spiritual Practices for Peace.

The piece begins with the following idea:

The approach of personal transformation is the idea of the future for ending war…If enough people in the world transformed themselves into peacemakers, war could end.

So I was inspired when I came across an article about an unlikely pair trying to wage piece in the Middle East: a former Palestinian fighter, and a Jewish mother whose son fought in the Israeli army.

Personal transformation occurred for both of these individuals due to something that will touch each of us at some point in our lives: death.

Robi Damelin, the Israeli mother, lost her son to a Palestinian sniper seven years ago; Ali Abu Awwad’s brother Youssef was killed by an Israeli soldier two years before that.

They met five years ago through Parents Circle, an organization that brings together the families of Israelis and Palestinians who have lost close relatives in the conflict.

Awwad says of his relationship to Robi:

If someone had said to me when I was 15 that I would have someone like Robi as a friend, in my wildest dream I would not have imagined it. But when I met her she began to tell me about her relationship to her sons and how the killing of David affected her relationship with her other son. I felt this very deeply because my mother didn’t pay much attention to me after the death of my brother, because she was closer to him than me. We made a connection.

They stress that their relationship is not one of no disagreements, but one of understanding. After all, reconciliation is rooted in understanding the suffering of the person on the other side.

Ali Abu Awwad / Photo: Encounter Point

And they are taking this message to as many parts of the world that they can: speaking together at mosques, synagogues, parliaments and public meetings throughout the Middle East, and most recently at an Amnesty International event in Britain.

To me, this story signifies that we are all allowed to maintain our own beliefs, ideals, and points-of-view when working toward peace.

Conflict occurs when any beliefs are taken too far, or when they’re pushed on another who doesn’t agree.

When we travel, we often come up against points-of-view that are completely different than our own. But I believe that most travelers see these different approaches as the diversity that makes our world beautiful, and can make each of us a better person in some way (even if we completely disagree with the belief).

And maybe those disagreements simply give us a chance to practice waging peace within ourselves.

To learn more: check out Encounter Point, a doc featuring the story of Ali and Robi.

What do you think about peace through personal transformation? Share your thoughts below.

Here’s a little something fun for your Friday:

The rats are quite cute when they play, aren’t they? / Photo source / Feature: anniemole

Even though this is a (fake) New York subway advisory, many people who have traveled the world over or live in a metropolitan area can relate (and yet New York’s Metro PA system certainly has it’s own specific flavor, doesn’t it? Garblegarblegarble).

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system costs an arm and a leg, stops at 1am just in time for the 2am clubbers to drive home across the Bay Bridge after they’ve been drinking all night, and only has six stops in the actual city of San Francisco.

But, it’s pretty clean on the whole, has air conditioning (though we rarely need it), and the BART people tend to be helpful.

My favorite train systems I’ve encountered so far have been the tube in London (although I know many people will not agree, and there is that whole soot-filled-snot thing that happens when you ride it too much) and the U-Bahn in Berlin. I don’t even speak German and I was able to figure that one out almost instantly.

And although this advisory makes some good points, gotta appreciate the fact that you can get ANYWHERE in New York pretty darn easily in a relatively inexpensive manner.

That is…If you can figure out what they’re mumbling to change trains halfway to your destination.

What are some of the ups and downs of different subway systems throughout the world? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: Azam Sa’ad

I tend to believe that many of us want to live forever.

Or at least think we will. At age 20.

But, according to a poll conducted by Reader’s Digest, it turns out most of us do not want to partake in a never-ending existence.

Except Brazilians – 72% of them wanted eternal life (duh…it’s because they’re out partying all night).

Indians ranked next in hoping to break the death barrier, with 67% voicing an affirmative yes! to life.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, only 36% of Russians, 39% of Singaporeans, and 40% of Germans are hoping against meeting their maker (or not heading on to their next life). Americans also came in at 40%, Brits 41%, and Canadians at 42%.

It’s interesting to contemplate why the numbers range so much between certain countries. What exactly do these statistics imply?

Views On The Afterlife

Does wanting to live forever or just get it over with have to do with religion, socioeconomic status, or a general outlook on life? Or is it just a random process?

I suppose Indians on the whole are less stressed than Americans (although the Westernization that is currently underway may be changing this belief), so inevitably, they’d want to live longer.

But then a good chunk of the Indian population believes there is more than this one life, and hopefully the next life will be better, so that makes me think they’d want to get on with it.

I might also hypothesize that Russians have had to deal with quite a bit since the fall of Communism, and it’s not been exactly smooth going, so maybe they want the misery to end.

Plus, the largest religion is Russian Orthodox Christianity, which is pretty clear on the trials and tribulations of life and death, and the kickass-ness of the afterlife.

And yet, Russian artists seem intent on capturing the timelessness of life. As Maxim, a Russian couchsurfer, explains in a recent interview conducted by by Matador Trips co-editor Carlo Alcos, in his culture “poets, writers and musicians have always been the ‘conscience of the people.’”

For some, creating a masterpiece is certainly something worth living a long time for.

Contemplating the reasons for or against life eternal based on one’s current life seems to split 50/50. But maybe there are other reasons why the populations of different countries had such a varied response to this question.

Why do some countries want a never-ending party, while others think a finite amount of time is just fine with them? Share your thoughts below!

Community Connection

Don’t miss BNT’s recent interview with Jason Silva about how science can eliminate death, along with the interesting debate in the comments section.