If you grew up in the 90’s, it’s likely your after school hours consisted of the following: Saved By The Bell, Full House, and Family Matters. But there was one show that transcended the corny sitcom genre and was actually clever and consistently funny – The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air.

The success of the show was largely the result of Will Smith’s comedic timing and aw-shucks likability. It wasn’t a surprise then when Will made the leap to the big screen, all the while continuing to release non-offensive rap albums, and befriend all of Hollywood.

These days, while many of the top names have dropped off the A-List, Will Smith remains the world’s most bankable star.

What’s the secret? Apparently, it’s that he’s “willing to die on a treadmill.” See what I mean by watching below.

You have to hand it to Will. His obsessive drive has certainly served him well, and offers a number of takeaway truths for any wisdom seeker.

Feature photo: Andrew Eccles/JBGPhoto.com

What do you think of Will’s wisdom? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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: 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.

The infamous Hollywood sign / Photo: T Hoffarth

I attended a typical art festival recently, complete with emo-haired candlemakers and sexually liberated painters.

Eventually I spotted two normal-ish young gentlemen (what were they doing there amongst the oppressed peoples of the upper middle-class?) and what they were peddling: angry bumper stickers with a revolutionary message: F*$# Hollywood!

I’m no stranger to hearing the H-bomb, which is what happens when the somewhat oblivious dilettantes express their anti-mainstream sentiments towards many hard-working citizens in showbiz. Why must we always envision a maniacal development girl on her cell phone shoo-ing away scripts with any class in lieu of ‘high concept’ pieces with the magic formula?

As any traveling American (or Canadian who has been mistaken for one) will tell you, it’s hard work facing stubborn opinions of our culture. The fast food, the big cars… perhaps rightfully so. But I’m starting to enjoy defending this particular cornerstone of it.

During political turbulence, Hollywood usually plays a starring role: think Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Full Metal Jacket, Inherit the Wind, The China Syndrome…

However – and I’m paranoid of sounding snobby when I use this disclaimer – I’ve worked at an international film festival for years, so I adore indies just as much (usually more). While that might give me incentive to drop the H-bomb everywhere, I usually don’t. Here’s why.

The Beauty Of Escapism

When I come out of a foreign cinema with any qualms whatsoever, I’m pelted with: “But you’re American. You just didn’t like [insert scene/actor] because it wasn’t Hollywood. It was realistic.”

Batman impersonator / Photo: don.lee

My nationality invalidates my taste, brands me with the Scarlett (Johansson) Letter. Suddenly I’m back in junior high, wondering why people are dissing my Batman slippers. Doesn’t everybody like Batman? The answer is yes, but it’s much cooler to splatter paint and write cuss words in magic marker on your Converse until you get detention. Now that’s art.

You see, movies learned to walk (and talk) during wartime. Not the kind we’ll all yell about tonight when we’re inebriated and angry about oil, but wars where college students were nurses, stockings were turned into parachutes and sailors kissed their sweethearts in Times Square.

“Going to the pictures” was escapism, because we needed and longed for it, as much as butter and paperclips. Cliché and unrealism were beautiful. In 2009, when ten seconds is too long to wait for something and we’re stuck in our idyllic suburb bubbles, now we’re longing for reality in a box.

Today, more ‘indie’ films are born daily than there are awkward clauses in a Michael Cera movie. That’s not a bad thing, as long as it’s understood that rewarding trailblazers and their minimalist mise-en-scene is not exactly world domination.

It’s evolution, and the last thing a butterfly should do is spit on a caterpillar.

What About Frodo?

You know what the real problem was? Not the bumper sticker itself, but that I’m pretty confident both its hucksters owned at least two copies of the Lord of the Rings between them.

If those maniacal production devils weren’t brave enough to bank on an obsessive, geeky nutcase (God bless you, Mr. Jackson), we would all be Frodo-less today, and probably Vader-less too.

Films like Star Trek, in spite of its anticipated brilliance and undeniable fun, are now out of fashion because of a lack of gritty reality or controversy, Spock’s eyebrows aside.

So come now, children, less complaining. The average moviegoer doesn’t have the stomach for The Machinist or the patience for Gus Van Sant’s occasional cinematic modern dance. They want Aniston. That’s alright.

And H-bomb-droppers still might see Tom Cruise’s movies because they’re usually good. Admit that at least a few of your favorite films had someone’s big fat wallet behind them, and that your life may be a tiny bit better for it.

Supporting Indie Films

Most importantly, actually start watching the films that need your support – that means paying for them, by the way. Helping an indie involves being one of its tiny statistics, not one of the moochers who appreciate it in silence.

You can’t just stare; you must put the bill in the thong if you want the stripper to feed her kids and come back tomorrow night.

The irony is amusing once you get it: some people justify their video piracy with “not financing rich execs who value profit over quality”… and yet said pirates clearly save money by sacrificing viewing quality. Hardy har-har, no?

My advice: when traveling, embrace opportunities to support foreign films in their home countries, not just the lucky films that get bought, shakily subtitled and shoved into Netflix. Also, indie means independently produced, not necessarily controversial.

Lastly, the exception proves the rule, so if you prefer the quirky exceptions, respect the mainstream rule. It’s possible to love both Parker Posey and Natalie Portman. Heck, you probably already do.

Now all I need is to fit all that on a witty bumper sticker.

Community Connection

Don’t miss 10 Movies Guaranteed To Blow Your Mind, and the aptly titled follow up 311 More Films Guaranteed To Blow Your Mind. Many of the picks are in fact, courtesy of big budget Hollywood.

What do you think of despising Hollywood? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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.

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

Host, Charles Runnette

Earlier this year, I wrote about the vapid show on Travel Channel Bridget’s Sexiest Beaches. Most of you readers agreed with my argument, that we should expect better from the Travel Channel.

Unfortunately, they’ve now given us Confessions Of A Travel Writer.

Hosted by Charles Runnette, the show offers a sneak peek behind the scenes of this “dream job”. The pilot aired last night, and the reactions are now flooding in…and they’re not good.

The World Hum interview with Charles has been flooded with outraged comments:

“Charles comes off as a completely pretentious snob who is quick to ridicule everyone else in order to generate pleasure for himself. I wouldn’t want to follow his advice when travelling. He seems to take no joy in ANYTHING.”

“I’m 20 minutes into this show. I had never heard of Charles Runnette before but I already hate him. What an arrogant, self absorbed, petty jerk.”

“This guy is an arrogant, negative joy-sucking jerk. Please, please don’t ever let him go on another press trip or ever get in front of a camera again. And never interview him again.”

“Huge misfire from the normally dependable Travel Channel. Charles Runnette is like the watery diarrhea you get from eating the wrong food in a foreign country.”

Similar comments were left on Jaunted’s coverage of the show as well.

To be clear, I haven’t actually seen the show myself yet. I’ve only read the reactions of others across the web.

What can we make of this decision by the Travel Channel? Was it actually another blunder? Or a calculated risk to generate an outpouring of negative publicity, and hence, interest in the show?

Share your thoughts in the comments!

Community Connection

If you’d like to check out a show about travel writers that has good reviews, check out Word Travels. And see my behind the scenes photo essay here.

For many, being a travel writer is the proverbial “dream job.” After all, it sounds so romantic: getting paid to travel the world and write about it.

The reality, as revealed by the show Word Travels (now in its third season), is far different. Travel writing is hard work. You dig for stories. You deal with flights, buses, trains, and traffic. You pitch editors, more often denied than accepted. But luckily, this actuality is what makes travel writing so entertaining.

I joined the crew of Word Travels to see for myself how a show about travel writing is put together. The goal? Visit three countries: Georgia, Italy, and Portugal.

Here are my favourite shots from the shoot, offering a glimpse seldom seen by others, and a peek behind the curtain.

1.Tbilisi, Georgia. Robin learns the basics of medieval Georgian swordplay. Sean Cable (director of photography) crouches below, always committed to capturing the best angle.

2.Tibilisi, Georgia. Julia and Paul Vance (sound recordist) take a break from shooting and join a sing-a-long with Georgian metal heads.

3.Countryside, Georgia. Never one to miss an opportunity to fist pump in a massive green field, BNT editor Ian MacKenzie is snapped by Robin. (Photo: Peter Steel)

4.Tibilisi, Georgia. Robin is always ready to use any elements in the scene to tell the story to camera. (Photo: Peter Steel)

5. Lambourghini Plant, Italy. Julia reflects from the floor of the Lambourghini assembly plant, where staggeringly powerful (and expensive) cars are produced.

6. Modena, Italy. Robin and Julia eagerly await their taste of traditional balsamic vinegar, fermented up to 25 years.

7. Modena, Italy. Shooting a travel show isn’t always easy, as this shot reveals. Robin suggests another scene to director Peter Steel, while Julia looks on.

8.Modena, Italy. When ordering a plate of food, be careful what you wish for. Robin shows his astonishment at the amount of meat (which he’ll never eat anyway, as he doesn’t eat pork).

9. Rome, Italy. Julia takes a stab at gladiator training with her instructor Alex.

10. Terceira, Portugal. Paul Vance (sound recordist) scours the crowd and matadors at a bullfight for the perfect shot.

11. Terceira, Portugal. Robin and Ian try not to look afraid before watching the locals in a traditional bull run in the streets. (Photo: Deb Wainwright)

12. Terceira, Portugal. Unfortunately, Paul’s sound equipment became tangled in the feet of a charging bull. A tug of war ensued, with the boom mic (and not Paul) taking the brunt of the attack.

13. Terceira, Portugal. The weather doesn’t always cooperate with a shoot. Robin eyes the rain and wonders when the sun will return.

14. Lisbon, Portugal. Sean Cable is always eager to experiment, including hopping a Segway to enhance a tracking shot.

15. Lisbon, Portugal. Robin describes his experience while on a “blind tour” with Lisbon Walker. The tour aims to use other senses to explore the city.

16. Lisbon, Portugal.High above the city, Robin sits in a window while Sean Cable experiments shooting during “golden hour” – the time just before afternoon becomes dusk. (Photo: Peter Steel)

17. Terceira, Portugal. Robin and Julia share a smile, in the ruins of an old fort. Clearly, they realize they have the best job in the world.

Want more Word Travels? Check their website to see when it’s on in your area. And visit Robin Esrock and Julia Dimon for more from the shows’ venerable hosts.

While clever, the animation is obviously highly selective in the historical dates it chooses. That said, there is still a strong argument for the legalization of the plant – check out an interview with pro-pot activist Rick Steves, and our Guide To Smoking Pot Around the World.

Enjoy the weekend!

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.

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.

From the brilliant web comic xkcd.

Who wouldn’t want to visit Rome at the height of the empire? Photo: Carla216

Two hundred years ago a traveler had to wait months to traverse oceans. We now have the means to wake up in New York and fall asleep in Sydney, all in the same day.

The trend: travel is becoming exponentially more accessible to the common man.

But the tradeoff is that culture and history are being lost. Remote islanders maintain their outdated tribal customs merely to get a buck from the nearest walking wallet with a camera. Cities that in ancient times were considered quaint and romantic have become nothing more than identical concrete jungles.

We’re losing the remnants of human history with each passing day – why not find a means to time travel for leisure? Where would you go if you had a weekend in any city in any century?

1. Rome, Height of the Empire

No one in living memory has ever really seen the Colosseum. Whatever your religious beliefs, there used to be gods in that city; watching over the empire from their marbled countenance, and ensuring trade on one of the first greatest centers of business in the western world: the Roman Forum.

Imagine being able to walk down the epitome of civilization; they didn’t call the period after Christianity spread and the empire fell The Dark Ages for no good reason. ..

2. Kyoto, 16th Century

Giesha Girls in Kyoto / Photo: Anna Pearson

In the 1500’s, Kyoto served as the national capital and home to the imperial family. Tokyo (then Edo) was little more than a fishing village at this time, not yet placed on the map by the empowering of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

In modern times, many travelers journey to Kyoto to discover only remnants of what was once one of the most beautiful and mystical places on the planet. Back in its heyday, this Japanese city would have been the richest and most populated next to Osaka.

The predecessors to geisha gently walking in their kimonos, made from imported Chinese silk; visions of the mountains to the north and east not yet lost in a sea of grey; everything under ten meters high.

The only downside? Not much fresh fish or sushi: transporting the latest catch from Osaka to Kyoto took a while to perfect, and sushi was still in its infancy.

3. United States, The Old West

Back to the Future had the right idea – many people at one point imagine themselves as a cowboy or cowgirl.

What would you give to be riding on horseback on a cool summer morning in the undeveloped expanse of the western territories? Nothing for hundreds of miles in any direction, except perhaps the whistle of a steam locomotive and wandering tribes of Native Americans.

Of course, if you go back far enough in history, any land can be considered unexplored or undiscovered, but there’s a certain romantic connotation that stirs up when thinking about the American movement to the west.

It’s the promise of the unknown – traveling towards the Pacific, having uprooted everything stable, everything civilized in the east, and seeing where the Oregon Trail took you.

4. Ancient Egypt, c. 2500 BC

Imagine it like this…only newer. / Photo: liber

Watch the building of the pyramids and learn more about archaeoastronomy – skylights in the pyramids were carved so that certain constellations could be viewed at a set time of year.

Even the great structures themselves were arranged on the sand corresponding to the placement of three stars overhead. Discover the meaning of the Great Sphinx – who knows why it was built? Maybe some pharaoh just had a mutant pet.

Cairo will surely be hot and dry during this period in history, so remember to pack light loose-fitting clothing and plenty of sunscreen. If you wait around for another five hundred years, you might catch the finishing touches on Deir el Bahri.

5. London, 14th Century

“…the truth was that the modern world was invented in the Middle Ages. Everything from the legal system, to nation-states, to reliance on technology, to the concept of romantic love had first been established in medieval times.”

- Timeline, Michael Crichton

Everyone wants to be a knight in shining armor or a princess fair and true. Chivalry isn’t dead. In fact, if you choose to travel to London roughly seven hundred years ago, you’ll find it quite alive and well.

A walking tour of this city will let you face the first real London Bridge, providing the only access across the Thames. Canterbury Tales by Chaucer paints a rather vivid picture of this era. Many of the buildings in London we associate with medieval times were already in place: The Tower of London, Westminster Hall, Westminster Abbey.

Remember to apply insect repellant liberally, as the Black Death was known to pass through Britain and France in this century.

6. Chang’an, Han Dynasty

The origin of The Silk Road and a golden age in Chinese history, when Confucian principles laid down the foundation for society and Buddhism was just beginning to spread. Travel west along this trade route and in a matter of months, you’ll reach the Roman Empire.

7. Chichen Itza, 5th century

Although you may not be in a temple of doom, it’s wise to heed the words of Indiana Jones and “protect your heart!” As one of the largest Mayan cities on the Yucatan Peninsula, Chichen Itza was the site of human sacrifices.

It’s true that quite a few of the largest temples are very well preserved in modern Mexico, but I challenge you to find another time or place in which ancient games that could rival basketball were played. Best to arrive before the Toltec siege.

8. India, c. 600 BC

The Buddha had about forty-five good years of teaching from the time of his reaching enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree to his death. Don’t waste them. Meeting the Awakened One and learning the dhamma firsthand would be an experience for which almost anyone in Asia would trade his or her life. Try and eliminate the suffering in your heart before your departure…

9. New York City, Roaring 20’s

By the time the 1920’s dawned in New York City, the modern version of a cityscape was already formed: Macy’s department stores, the public library, Grand Central Terminal, and the then world’s tallest Woolworth Building.

Unfortunately construction on the Empire State Building won’t commence until after the crash of ‘29, but take advantage of this period in history with your choice of taxicabs or horse drawn carriages. Watch Lindbergh start his journey across the Atlantic. Gaze at the audience of women in hoop skirts and men in all too stiff and uncomfortable suits.

10. Babylon, c. 600 BC

One of the seven wonders of the ancient world: the hanging gardens of Babylon. As one of the first empires in human history, Babylon was built in the shadow of ancient Sumeria near the Euphrates River, and may have even been the source of the legendary Tower of Babel with its own Temple of Marduk.

I’m sure there are many asking “Why not see some dinosaurs?” Think a little practically in this impractical form of travel and question if you’d prefer camping in the late Cretaceous (and being trampled to death), or blending with the masses and observing the election of a Roman consul firsthand.

Besides, if a Tyrannosaur doesn’t get you, the meteor will later on.

Community Connection

You’ve been to the past, now meet travelers that we still remember tale. Read 10 Travelers and Why Their Tales Made History. Also, what other trends might we see in the future of travel? Check out 6 Predictions For the Future Of Travel.

Where and when would you go if you had a ticket guaranteeing a weekend of fun in any place at any time?

How do you feel when you see this ad?

Photo: Cordaid/People In Need

I’ll tell you the truth: I uttered “whoa” as I finished reading it. The ads were created by Cordaid for third world poverty.

Sometimes a nice smack-in-the-face reminder is just what we need when we’ve been complaining about not having the latest Google phone, or top-of-the-line Mac, or even a sweet pair of sunglasses (although considering I always sit on my sunglasses, I refuse to spend more than $10 on a pair. Still, that’s $10 a pair).

But some people do not appreciate this form of manipulation, or are downright offended by advertisements like these. Two recent campaigns that caused some negative backlash.

Depression Notes

The NYC Child Study Center used a ransom note as a means of portraying how depression can “take your child.”

This campaign also included a note about autism, saying, “We have your son. We will make sure he will no longer be able to care for himself or interact socially as long as he lives.” The campaign was pulled because critics complained these ads reinforced negative stereotypes.

The Booby Wall

Another offensive campaign was Schick’s Booby Wall (check out another one of their not-so-gender-correct ad campaign’s about “trimming the bushes“), which is supposed to bring awareness around breast cancer via an online picture exhibit of breasts.

This campaign is still in rotation, despite the fact that some viewers think it is trying to “sex-up” cancer, that it is thinly-veiled exhibitionism, and reinforces the objectification of women.

But, Do They Work?

Some social campaigns are obviously going to be smarter than others, and I’d be hard pressed to find people who don’t agree with the Dutch Cordaid/People In Need campaign.

I mean, who can argue with water being more important than sunglasses?

The real issue is whether these “shock ads” lead to much needed awareness, or merely outrage.

What is the more effective to promote behavioural changes: shame, or by positive experiences, such as directly connecting with other cultures? Share your thoughts below.

The road trip. In the minds of all people, young and old, it conjures up images of neverending highways, new adventures, and the freedom that comes with a full gas tank (or vegetable tank).

Various films throughout the years have tapped into this sense of freedom. Here’s 5 classic road trip scenes that will have you yearning for the open road.

1. Tommy Boy (1995)

The dynamic duo: Chris Farley and David Spade in their best film. While they tried to follow it up the formula with Black Sheep, it lacked the heart of Tommy Boy. In this scene, they’re on their way to sell brake pads to save Farley’s family company. Laughter ensues.

2. Road Trip (2000)

In an interview I read somewhere, director Todd Philips confessed he wanted to make an homage to films like Fast Times At Ridgemont High and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. (Basically an excuse to show Amy Smart mostly naked).

Yet it’s undeniable the film captures the zest of heading out with your best buddies with little more than a direction and the promise of good times.

3. Dumb And Dumber (1994)

A classic scene in a classic movie. There are so many one-liners from this film still being used today, it rightly stands up as one of the best comedies of the 90’s.

4. Easy Rider (1969)

It’s possible motorcycles sales shot through the roof once these bad-ass opening credits were first shown in theatres. For sheer dripping cool-ness, this scene has yet to be topped. After all, who needs a helmet when you’ve got a handlebar mustache?

5. Good Will Hunting (1997)

“I’ve had to go see about a girl.” With those words, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck cemented their careers for the next 10 years. This final roadtrip scene manages to mist the eyes of even the most emotionless men. SPOILER ALERT: Don’t watch unless you’ve already seen the movie.

How do you like them apples? Any favourite road trip scenes I missed? Share in the comments!

Queen Harish / Photo: Monica Bhatnagar

I laughed as the San Francisco hipster ceremoniously handed his hat over to the drag queen performer from India.

Only in San Fran, I thought, could a literal dancing queen, Queen Harish, force seven guys on stage to dance with her, the men a mix of younger and older Indians, punk/goth white boys, and of course my favorite, the hipster.

They even enjoyed themselves.

Before Harish had taken over the stage, I got to watch the ladies of Clandestine, my favorite belly-dancing troupe, perform.

I marveled at not only how fun they are to watch, but the beauty of the different shapes and sizes of the women, which seems hard to come by in the media these days.

Dance has always been a connecting experience for me, joining me to all of the other people in the room, regardless of their background or beliefs, what they look like, whether they are dancing or simply taking in the scene.

Clandestine / Photo: SharonaGott

But then I began to think, is this happening everywhere, not just San Francisco? Is our world sneakily coming together by way of the vehicle of dance?

Carnevale hosts multicultural dancers in cities throughout the world, African Tribal Dance classes are offered at just about every high-end gym, and people are eating up tango tours in South America.

The continued popularity of Matt Harding’s traveling-dance video, Where the Hell is Matt, also makes me think dance is a force to be reckoned with.

This is what Matt had to say about his experience:

A lot of people wanted to dance along with me, so I started inviting them to join in everywhere I went, from Toronto to Tokyo to Timbuktu…here’s what I can report back: People want to feel connected to each other. They want to be heard and seen, and they’re curious to hear and see others from places far away.

Ah yes, connection. What could be better than that?

Have you experienced dance bridging people of different cultures and backgrounds? Share your thoughts below!

1. Un-Roadtrip

In April of 2009, Boaz is setting out on an Un-Road Trip. He’s criss-crossing the United States using every mode of transportation except for car. He’ll be traversing dozens of states by kayak, bicycle, dog sled, scooter, hot air balloon, horseback, segway, hang glider, fishing boat, crop duster, and whatever else he can find.

2. Twitchhiker

Paul Smith set out on March 1, 2009 to travel as far around the world as possible in 30 days via Twitter. Last week, he finished.

Here’s what he had to say in his final post: “The Twitchhiker project showed that kindness is universal, that the whole can be infinitely greater than the sum of its parts, and that social media may begin online but it will converge with the real world whenever and wherever you let it.”

3. The Odyssey Expedition

Also in 2009, Graham Hughes aims to set a new world record by setting foot in every nation on Earth in just one year, without flying. He calls his journey The Odyssey Expedition, and is posting frequent blogs and video clips on his adventures.

4. Hitch 50

Scotty and Fiddy started in Times Square, New York with the intention of hitchiking 50 states in 50 days. Hence, the name Hitch50.com. Between Oct-Nov 2006 they managed this feat, and have the hilarious video clips to prove it.

5. One Week Job

Do you know what you want to do with your life? Sean Aiken graduated college and had no clue. So in 2007 he figured he’d find his passion by trying a different job a week for one year. The result One Week Job.

I was actually part of the project and am currently editing the documentary. Stay tuned!

Any outrageous travelers we missed? Share your thoughts in the comments!

That’s one happy baby / Photo Silwertand

We travelers all tend to look inwardly at times, searching for the source of our desire to travel.

Whether we’re exploring Buddhist meditation or just walking along the street to work in a different country, each of us may arrive at unique conclusions. Were we always this way? Probably not, but it’s hard to imagine at what point in our lives we finally decided to run with our dreams.

Maybe you were exposed to more culture at university than that which existed at home. Maybe you set out to spite the author of your less-than-appealing high school prophecy.

Maybe the actual source of your wanderlust started back at a time when you cared for nothing but sugar and Saturday morning cartoons.

What animated classics most influenced us twenty-somethings in our passion for travel?

1. Ducktales

It’s always one travel adventure to the next with each passing episode of Ducktales.

Join Scrooge McDuck, Launchpad McQuack, and the nephews as they travel to Scotland and match wits with everything from an ancient Druidic cult, to the heart of the Yukon to pan for gold, and to ancient temples to discover buried treasure and hidden tombs.

Ducktales taught us to reach out into the world, while never losing sight of that enormous Moneybin waiting back home.

2. Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?

The franchise that spawned a cartoon, a successful line of computer games, a board game, and even a game show.

Where is Carmen Sandiego?

Somewhere in the world, that’s for sure, and only through a series of geography and history questions will you find your way to the next clue, and that much closer to catching the elusive woman.

3. Talespin

Talespin is the ideal cartoon for those with their minds on Alaskan bush pilots or island-hopping the Polynesian chains.

Although there are a few episodes completely land-locked, the bulk of the series is all about flying from island to island in search of adventure with Baloo and Kit Cloudkicker in the SeaDuck.

Dodging the dangerous Air Pirates, stopping for a well-deserved drink on Louie’s Island, and flying “free as a bird… the skies are yours!”

And from later years…

4. Pokemon

Despite the marketing intent backing the Pokemon cartoon, kids still have the chance to pick up on some valuable tips, not one of which is “gotta catch ‘em all”.

Ash Ketchum does in fact teach us the appeal of traveling by foot for the majority of the journey. When he and his team arrive in a new town, they immediately turn to the nearest “Pokemon Center” for local information, food, and company – I suppose the equivalent would be youth hostels.

And every week it’s an adventure to a different town and a new world of possibilities.

5. Dora the Explorer

Many of my generation were in our teens by the time this show premiered, but I applaud Nickelodeon for trying to instill the virtues of travel at a young age.

Each episode features Dora and Boots – her monkey and best friend – venture to three or four new places, meeting friends and speaking foreign languages (depends on the country of broadcast).

Although the show is intended for a very juvenile audience and thus a little repetitive, Dora teaches children the value in being bilingual, to always have a map handy (in her case, a talking map), and to pack for any eventuality (Several ladders, Dora? Really?)

What cartoons influened your wanderlust growing up? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Feature photo by Hazel Motes.

Most of us have seen the movie Fight Club. When it hit theaters in 1999 with an unbelievably carved Brad Pitt and ingeniously beleaguered Ed Norton, author Chuck Palahniuk found himself with a giant, rabid, new fan base dedicated to Tyler Durden and his philosophy.

Avowing anti-consumerist ideas and an explosive refusal of passive acceptance, Durden led the other characters into a violent awakening and encouraged audiences’ vicarious participation.

Whether leaving the theater or flipping the last page of the book, viewers and readers alike were left with the stinging thematic message: “This is your life, and it’s ending one minute at a time.”

For travelers, this message has been the underlying pulse humming in the background of every flight, ticket, hostel, and trek.

Subtle, but never forgotten, the drive to make the most out of life is the communal thread linking backpackers, flashpackers, travelers, and adventure-seekers alike.

Ten years later, Tyler Durden’s philosophy still has a lot to teach us about travel:

“It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything.”

Photo by Marko Bucik.

This is less about wiping our slates clean of all accomplishments, relationships, or manufactured goods, and more about cutting free from the obsessive attachment supported and fed by modern consumerist and business culture.

When we board that plane or get that visa stamped, we are instantly reminded that we are fundamentally free beings. We are free to go where we want and do what we want. Our car payments do not dictate our life choices.

Travel shows us that we’re free to do anything. We can stomp grapes in Italy, surf in Costa Rica, or fire dance in Thailand. We just need to make that choice. Freedom is inherent in travel and imperative in Fight Club.

“You’re not your job. You’re not how much money you have in the bank. . . You’re not your fucking khakis.”

In the shuffle of seductive television ads, competitive social comparisons, and overbearing societal barometers telling us just how far in life we should be, we tend to misplace our own identities.

We measure our feelings of self worth on how shiny and new the plastic of our recent purchase is. We define ourselves by the brands we wear or don’t wear. We allow automated computer programs to categorize our likes and dislikes for us.

Travel reminds us who we are and what we aren’t. We aren’t jobs, currency, automobiles, or textiles. And that’s never more clear than when drifting down the river in a bamboo raft on a sunny day. We’re never more in touch with our identity than when we’re navigating the streets of a new city whose language we can’t understand, using a map we can’t read.

We can be nothing but ourselves when we travel. And we should always remember that.

“People do it everyday, they talk to themselves… they see themselves as they’d like to be, they don’t have the courage you have, to just run with it.”

Travel takes courage and teaches us courage. Many are afraid to step outside their comfort zones and be without an anchor in the familiar.

As travelers, our bravery is continually challenged. Whether it is packing up all our belongings to move to another country or joining in a cliff diving session during a summer trip, travel is relentlessly asking more of us and testing what we’re made of.

But once we’re there, flying over borders or off the cliff’s edge, the rewards are immense. We are no longer seeing ourselves as we’d like to be; we are becoming the people we’d like to be. And that feeling is incomparable.

“I say never be complete, I say stop being perfect, I say… let’s evolve, let the chips fall where they may.”

Every new trip breeds new understanding. We see new landscapes, meet different people, gather new experiences. Travel helps us further along our intellectual, psychological, and emotional evolution.

Travel reminds us that life isn’t a series of boxes to be checked off or a succession of requisite motions. We are alive to be alive, learning growing and along the way. Everything else is minutiae.

Stop being perfect. It is more important to be evolved.

As with travel, Fight Club warns us to never lose sight of the essential. It’s easy to get hustled along on a guided path, but much more satisfying to forge your own way. As travelers, we need to keep in mind these reasons and our goals for why we travel.

And always remember, “This is your life, and it’s ending one minute at a time.”

COMMUNITY CONNECTION:

For a list of other movies that have changed travelers’ lives, check out “The Red Pill: 10 Films Guaranteed to Blow Your Mind.”