Posts Tagged ‘Guest Blogger’

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4 Simply Relaxing Afternoons in London

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

Guest post by @benjaminspall

London is well known to be one of the busiest cities in the world. If I was to hear somebody say “I’ve booked a nice relazing weekend away” London would very rarely flicker on my radar of consciousness.

I grew up in the calming Westcountry, England. Now, that really is the definition of a relaxing weekend away (or eighteen years, in my case). Could it really be possible to recreate this simply relaxing feeling in London?

After living in London for 4 years, I’ve got some ideas. Watch out for the wild card…

1) Hampstead Heath, North London

All rights reserved by Brett Jordan

All rights reserved by Brett Jordan

Only 10 minutes out of the city centre on the tube (easily walked in an hour) you come across Hampstead Heath.

Despite offering stunning views across the city, this is the most ‘outside’ of the city I’ve ever felt while still being contained within its parameters. If it wasn’t for the very faint hum of the city below you could easily believe you were deep within the British country side.

This is a very upmarket part of town. Hampstead village itself is the most perfect example of a village being reached out to by a city I’ve ever seen. It has completely kept its shape and feel as a village, despite being surrounded on all sides by the largest city in the country.

2) Embankment, Waterloo

All rights reserved by nadine ballantyne

All rights reserved by Nadine Ballantyne

Embankment is on the south bank of the river Thames, just above Waterloo. It’s a very popular area with tourists due to its location (attractions dotted nearby include the London Eye, and Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey).

Despite the hustle and bustle of the immediate area, if you walk further afield you can discover some beautiful relaxing spots along the river. They’re still busy with people rushing through, but the footfall is substantially less than up near Waterloo. Relax with a drink in one of the classic English pubs along the riverbank.

3) St. James’s Park, Buckingham Palace

All rights reserved by SaffyH

All rights reserved by SaffyH

Although St. James’s Park is actually one of the smallest parks in central London; I often find it to be the most relaxing simply due to its location.

St Jame’s Park runs in parallel to the Mall, the long road running up to Buckingham Palace. Whether it’s out of respect, or simply because it’s a largely touristy area (tourists who, respectfully, don’t want to ruin the experience for others) I find St James’s Park to be a very calming experience – even when a brass band takes up the band stand from time to time!

4) Behind Oxford Street, West End

Some rights reserved by tim166

Some rights reserved by tim166

This is my wild card. This is both a tip to find a relaxing spot to sit in central London, as well as a tip to avoid the queues if eventually you give in to a bit of shopping.

I worked in the largest department store on Oxford Street for nine months (you know the one), and I was beginning to find it impossible to walk down the street during my lunch break to pick up a sandwich. I was stressed enough with my long days at work, and standing on other peoples toes, having them stand on mine, and generally not getting anywhere fast in a huge line of people was the last ting I wanted to do with my one hour of lunch each day.

I quickly realised that by walking down the parallel back streets I was saving tonnes of time. I was walking done completely empty streets in the height of summer, whilst Oxford Street, a mere 20 meters to my left, was dipping under the weight of people on it.

Benjamin Spall

Benjamin Spall blogs over at  Liferapture.com. Follow him as he attempt to create a location independent lifestyle and travel the world financed purely through his entrepreneurial endeavours. Check out one of his most popular post, The A-Z of Lightweight World Travel: 26 Tips & Techniques.

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Posted in Europe | 7 Comments »

A Taste Of Everything In Puerto Rico

Wednesday, May 18th, 2011

Guest post by@VitraSin

My Puerto Rican getaway consisted of great food, fun activities, peaceful walks on the beach at sunrise, and getting flashed by a creep on the beach!

One of my most memorable experiences was the nighttime bioluminescent lagoon kayak tour.  I cannot swim, nor had I ever kayaked before, but once you reach these magical waters, the fright (and exercise of paddling out 35 minutes) is definitely worth it.  To see the water light up as you swish your hand in the water is amazing. (Though many have tried, it’s been impossible to capture this in pictures.)

Puerto Rico is also home to a rainforest called El Yunque.  I walked through a trail that led to a beautiful waterfall.  The best part of El Yunque is that it is totally free, but it is a bit far out from San Juan so arranging the excursion with your hotel is probably the most convenient way to get there.

Old San Juan is worth the .75 bus ride (a taxi will cost you close to $30, and taking the public bus for less than $1 gives you  a chance to interact with locals and people-watch.)  There are a ton of things to see in Old San Juan, but rather than going to any sites and paying for tours, I simply chose to walk around the city and enjoy the beautiful architecture, the cobble-stone streets, and take in the beautiful views of the ocean.

One of my favorite things to do is eat and while in San Juan, I tried to go to as many restaurants as possible.  Overall, the mojitos in Puerto Rico far outdid any mojito I have ever tasted…anywhere!!!

They were amazing!  Here’s just a sampling of the dishes I ordered during my time in Puerto Rico:

And to round up my experience in Puerto Rico was one of my morning walks on the beach. I like to get up early and take advantage of the solitude of an empty beach to clear my mind and think about life.

Everyone is so friendly and says “Good Morning,” or “Buen Dia,” as they pass each other during their morning walks or runs.

It felt great to greet people so pleasantly first thing in the morning–something we definitely don’t experience in NYC.  As I passed a man sitting on the beach, I raised my hand to say Morning as I was approaching, and when I passed him and looked his way–no pants!

At least I can say I did experience a little bit of everything!

Vitra  Singh

Vitra was born in Trinidad and lives in NY.  She has been to 16+ countries and has dozens more on her list.  She has a passion for travelling, photography, media, and talking to anyone and everyone she can. You can follow Vitra @VitraSin and @BeTheTeam and don’t forget to check her out at www.BeTheTeam.Blogspot.com.

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Posted in Latin America | 7 Comments »

What To See On A Kenya Safari

Friday, January 28th, 2011

Sponsored post written by Elliot Majere from Responsible Travel

Kenya safaris are an experience of a life time. There are many different Kenya safaris holidays to enjoy, so making sure you choose the one that is right for you is so important. A Maasai Mara Safari offers a magnificent game reserve where the annual migration of the majestic wildebeest, gazelles and zebras can be observed. It also has the “big five”, elephants, buffalo, rhinoceros, lions and leopards, in addition to the cheetahs and hyenas.

There is a fantastic giraffe centre where the children can feed the animals. On the Kenya safari you will be fascinated by the gigantic size of the crocodiles and the large hippo pools and wonder as you watch these amazing animals graze on the savannah.

Whilst safari-ing in Kenya you can visit Lake Nakuru where the pink flamingo annually visit to feed on the pink shrimp living in the lake. You can also see the great rhinoceros grazing at dawn. It is also home to the Rothschild giraffe and other endangered species. At Ndere Island National Park you will see crocodiles lying in wait, hippos wallowing in the cool waters, monitor lizards, a variety of birds and the famous water antelopes. Amboseli National Park has beautiful landscapes where elephants, lions, cheetahs, leopards, giraffes and buffalo can be seen grazing and is a truly amazing Kenya safari.

Kenya Safaris in the Tsavo East and West National Parks is a popular tourist haven. This exotic landscape holds the secrets of many wild birds as they come and drink at the watering holes. Samburu National Reserve in the north of Kenya has a more rugged landscape and a diverse number of animals. There are a number of swamps and grazing areas where the animals can be found, but there are also a number of muddy rivers where the crocodiles hide and the deep pools and where the hippos conceal themselves. It also has Somali ostrich, oryx and Grevy zebra to be discovered, along with the birds such as sunbirds, Kingfishers and bee-eaters.

When safari-ing in Kenya in the Aberdare mountain range, the eastern area of the park is known as the salient and was once the migration route for the elephants. At lower levels around Nyeri there are vegetable smallholdings, along with tea and coffee plantations also ample supply of bamboo to be viewed. Alpine vegetation can be found at the highest point of the mountain such as Heather and St John’s Wort. It is also home to Queens Cave waterfalls.

A different type of Kenya safari holidays is at Mombasa and the south coast marine parks, here the magnificent coral reefs can be seen in the bay, along with the colourful scenery there is the beautiful marine life, such as damselfish, angelfish, butterfly fish and ribbon eels. Sharks and Turtles can also be seen swimming around the shore and dolphins play nearby.

Whichever Kenya safari holidays you choose the experience will be a magical adventure and one you will never forget.

Photo credit: Maulik Eye

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Posted in Africa | 10 Comments »

How to Learn History from the Locals

Monday, January 24th, 2011

Guest post by Francis Tapon


One of the most fun and educational activities while traveling is to learn history from the locals. Whether you have a PhD in history or whether you don’t even know their damn capital, you’ll end up learning a lot about that country’s perspective—as well as your own.

Obviously, there are some shortcomings to learning history from the locals:

  1. Their knowledge of their country’s demographics and economic activity might be based on their town, not their country.
  2. Their impression of their neighbors frequently had no empirical evidence, just hearsay.
  3. Their recollection of history is highly selective. People remember and forget different events. They emphasize certain events while overlooking others.

Every country does this. Throughout my three years of non-stop travel in Eastern Europe, people would vividly recount both how their country came to be and the root cause to their country’s problems. I would travel 100 kilometers to another region and listen to others describe, with equal passion and zeal, the same events in a completely different way.

One of the things important about history is to remember the true history. — George W. Bush

Not exactly, George. I always believed that there was only one true, objective version of history. In theory, that might be true, but in practice it isn’t. First, even if all history books in the world said the same thing, what really matters is what the people believe, because that is what they will teach the next generation.

It is said, “victors write history.” That’s true, but the losers don’t necessarily read or believe it. Instead, they tell their children “what really happened.”

History is a set of lies agreed upon. — Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)

If you dig deep enough, perhaps you can uncover the truth, but it is often a murky and tricky affair.

However, perhaps trying to discover the truth is not that important to you. Are you a historian or an explorer?

Perception is reality; the people’s version of history is, in many ways, the history that matters. Therefore, while you travel, do your best to hear the history parents tell their children.

Even when you know the locals are wrong, you may not want to bother trying to change their minds. Instead, try to understand them, their reasoning, their beliefs, and their world view. Later, do some research to compare their view of history with “what really happened,” while recognizing that your sources (as objective as you hope they are) have their own biases. If this all ends up making you more confused than ever, wonderful. Welcome to traveling the world.

Francis Tapon

Francis Tapon has traveled to over 80 countries, hiked across America four times, and walked across Spain twice. His mom is from Chile and his dad is from France. He wrote Hike Your Own Hike: 7 Life Lessons from Backpacking Across America. He is now writing his second book, The Hidden Europe: What Eastern Europeans Can Teach Us, which will be available in August 2011. He has a degree in Religion from Amherst College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Learn more about Francis Tapon.

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Posted in Uncategorized | 8 Comments »

Have You Failed To Seize An Opportunity In Your Travels?

Tuesday, January 11th, 2011

Guest post by @Kantankkerous

All rights reserved by Marian hushayan

The best aspects of travel involve the reflections and tale-telling of the amazing highlights of your holiday. People love to depict the finest details of how astonishing and impressive the locations were that they had visited. However, there is a greater form of adventurous travel that warrants story telling of a whole different benchmark – one of struggle and bewilderment.

What am I talking about?

The stories you hear of travelers finding themselves in situations so outlandish, one would think that it was a carefully crafted thriller written by a novelist. Stories of travelers whom somehow find themselves on the back of a maniacal rickshaw, or perhaps being forced to drink the urine from a holy cow during an Indian festival! These are the stories I want to tell! Not of how white the sand on the beach were, or how friendly the locals were or what amazing food I had for dinner.

That comes completely part in parcel with travel. It’s a given. It’s the unexpected that makes our trips memorable.

And in mentioning that, China almost felt too smooth.

Sure, I have plenty of hilarious stories from the trip that I’ve yet to share, but the little voice yapping in the back of my head tells me that I should have wandered a few more steps outside my box of comfort. Being fluent in the local language perhaps would’ve contributed to the lack of obstacles, however there were innumerable situations I recall throughout my month on the road where I had told myself, “Nahhhh maybe next time!” that may have helped contribute to my growing archive of travel anecdotes. Ultimately, there were more opportunities made available that I had failed to seize.

Travel reflection will forever be one of positivity and take this as important advice, that no matter how traumatic the predicament you find yourself to be in on the road, if you’re alive out the other end, it is a worthwhile experience. As cliche as it sounds – what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger – can very much so epitomize how you can improve your travel experiences.

As one of my travel buddies would say, ‘live life a little!’. So the next time you find a strange Chinese man at the food market offering you goats testicles for a quid, make sure you accept and have it medium rare. I guarantee you that the taste will matter very little once you return home.

Have you failed to seize an opportunity in your travels?

Kan Huang

Kan is a current university student completing his major in Events Management, a photography enthusiast and a travel addict. He resides in Sydney, Australia and currently works in the hotel industry and hopes to one day be able to combine travel and work together. In the meantime, he hopes to share his experiences on his flashpacking trip to China and explore this enormous land of deep culture and economic prominence, combining his photography with anecdotal tales of his travel (mis)adventures. He keeps a personal blog Tales of a Globetrotter & you can also find him on Twitter @Kantankkerous.

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Posted in Asia, China | 8 Comments »

Do Good Thursday: Volunteer With We Women Foundation

Thursday, December 9th, 2010

Guest blog post by Ursula Cats

We Women Fundation

“Some people would like to study to help themselves. Some people think they will study and then go to another country to work and make a lot of money. But for me I don’t want to go anywhere. I want to help my people. I know a lot of people who need help. I have a plan.” -Pao Naing, Unrecognized Refugee from Shan State , June 2010

We women from Burma project assists unrecognized refugee women from Burma.

I have always had the motivation to support people who have fewer opportunities than I do. To gain more knowledge on developmental work, I decided to enroll in the Master’s program in anthropology in September 2009. It was not complicated to find a focus for my fieldwork: the women who had fled from Burma to Thailand who did not obtain a refugee status. The anthropological agency based theories I used, however, did not correspond directly with what I actually saw and experienced. The women flee from a country ruled by a military regime, who make them leave their homes because of human rights violations. Upon arrival in Thailand they are forced to live illegality with no affordable acces to healthcare, education and other basic human rights. Living daily life in fear of police checks does not seem to give much room for agency to the people and so I met a lot of women who tried to survive within uncertain circumstances. The women felt they were oppressed by the state and their traditional positions as women. Through these stories I was eventually able to gain a perspective of the women themselves, which I used in my thesis to shed light on the situation of unrecognized refugee women from Burma.

The future aspirations these women had, as became apparent in my research, inspired me to keep taking part in the lives of my informants and their communities. I wanted to turn research into action and decided to start a new foundation: We Women. This foundation offers unrecognized refugee women from Burma the opportunity to become community leaders through obtaining higher education. The reason why We Women’s focus is on education, is that the women we work with told me during my fieldwork, that studying was an aspiration that helped them getting through the difficulties of their daily life existence and would give them the oppertunity to become active in the struggle for human rights for the people from Burma.

It is incredibly rewarding to work with unrecognized refugee women from Burma. The women are highly motivated: they know that there are few chances for them to study and put their souls into their work. They never complain about the long days and you can see their passion shine through their expressions and body language. They are proud women that want to work hard to attain equal rights for their people.

My experiences throughout my life, including my master study taught me to take on the perspective of the people I work with. Researching the background and needs of the target group is thus a very important aspect of the We Women foundation. It’s about the women themselves; they are getting the opportunity to realize their dreams and ideals: they make the difference, not me!

I hope that after reading this blog more people get enthusiastic about working with unrecognized refugee women, because we need volunteers around the world and in Thailand to help the women to achieve their future dreams.

Available positions:

  • Fund-raising and networking assistant
  • English teacher
  • Social media employee
  • All-round employee

Job descriptions can be found here.

Ursula Cats

Founded by Ursula Cats, an anthropologist and drama therapist, the We women foundation was established after Cats’ work and research in Burma and Northern Thailand. For many years she has been active in human rights.  Working as a lobbyist, campaign organizer and action coordinator for Burma her passion for the people of Burma deepened. She is dedicated to supporting those who live without the liberties and freedom too often taken for granted in many parts of the world. She is motivated by her passion for her work and research. The we women foundation is based in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

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Posted in Asia, Do Good Thursday | 3 Comments »

‘Tis The Season: Six Countries & How They Celebrate Christmas

Monday, December 6th, 2010

Guest post by Lindy Howard

December is the one time of the year when people throughout the world join together to celebrate Christmas. Although it may be referred to in different terms, Christmas is a time for celebration and hopes of ‘peace on earth’. It is a time that many spend with family and friends. All countries have unique, traditional ways of celebrating. Here are six different cultures around the globe and how they spend the festive season:

Hong Kong: Church Services are Prevalent

Hong Kong Church Service by Candlelight. (Source: Nat Chiu)

Hong Kong celebrates Christmas with hundreds of church services complete with choirs and candlelight, conducted in Chinese. There are dozens of other church services held in English for international speakers. The people spend a lot of time decorating their Christmas cards and the cards show the ‘Holy Family’ in a Chinese setting.

Hong Kong Friends at Christmas. (Source: PrincessCCCC)

Most of the homes are decorated with the Nativity scene along with Poinsettias. In many places Lan Khoong, or Dun Che Lao Ren, who we recognise as Santa Claus makes his presence.

Syria: A Unique Christmas Celebration

Old Syrian Church at Christmas Time. (Source: Laura’s Eye)

Many Syrians gather together on December 6 for a special mass is held in churches throughout the country. This is to honour Saint Nicholas Thaumaturgas, a legend who was said to have been a kind and generous man. On Christmas Eve, families gather outside their homes with each person holding a candle. The youngest child reads the Christmas story and then a bonfire is lit. Then, depending on the direction the flames spread, this informs the family about the luck of the house during the coming year. During the burning, psalms are sung. When it nears the end of the flames, everyone leaps over the embers as they make a wish.

Guatemala: A Celebration with Parades and Processions

A Christmas display in Guatamala (Source: Roberto Urrea)

This Central American country offers a number of religious statues which are put in an elaborate parade. Then, at the rear of the procession, there is an image that represents God. However, this white-bearded man also has a resemblance to Santa Claus.
The night before Christmas the festivities end at midnight with a Misa de Gallo – or the Mass of the Rooster. Although the churches and other public places offer manger scenes throughout the season the Christ child is not put on display until Christmas Eve.

All Smiles in Guatemala at Christmas (Source: Roberto Urrea)

Germany: Celebrations throughout December

People begin celebrating Christmas in Germany on December 6. Families spend a lot of time between this date until Christmas Eve baking all kinds of goodies; particularly ginger bread houses and spice cakes along with little dolls made from candy.

The tradition is that the Christ child had a messenger. This messenger brings toys to the children. The messenger appears in the form of an angel.

Christmas Angel at Nürnberg Christkindlemarkt (Source: Geach)

Children write decorated letters to the angel and place them on the window sill. Each home locks one room in the house. This is the special room where the presents are kept until the big day arrives. On Christmas Eve, at midnight, the parents wake their children. They take each child to the locked room. When the door is opened the children find all kinds of presents sitting under a beautiful Christmas tree.

A Christmas tree in Wirtheim, Germany (Source: Lauke)

In Germany, where Christmas trees are really loved, most every house has more than one tree. The family also keeps an advent calendar and the children track how many days remain until Christmas.

India: Christmas is Sacred Yet Joyful

Christmas Gujarati-Style, India (Source: Nat Chiu)

The Christians in India decorate the banana or mango tree. They light small oil burning lamps as Christmas decorations and celebrate in the week preceding advent. They fill their churches with red flowers and some put on nativity plays, often performed by young children, and carols are sung before Santa comes out to give out sweets. In their native language, Father Christmas is called ‘Christmas Thaathaa’ (Tamil) and ‘Christmas Baba’  (Hindi). Family members receive gifts as do the poorer members of society. Most Christian homes in India display a nativity scene in their front window and more remote tribal Christians spend the week carolling in nearby villages to spread the Christmas story

Japan: Christmas Cake and Hotei-osho as Santa Claus

The Japanese decorate their homes and offices with evergreens during the season. They also exchange gifts as part of the celebration. They have a Buddhist deity figure called Hotei-oshi who, I suppose, is the equivalent of Santa Claus. The story is that the gentle old Japanese god takes presents to each house where he leaves them for the children.  Like Santa Clause, Hotei-Osho has a large belly and carries around a linen bag (called hotel) which he uses to distribute gifts.

Happy Salesgirls Sell cakes in Southern Osaka, Japan (Source: Jannem)

Although Christmas in Japan adopts many western influences, probably the most traditional Christmas food in Japan is fried chicken and Christmas cake. The Japanese usually go to great lengths to decorate their Christmas cakes, often covering it extravagantly in ornaments, bright colours and textures.

Family Celebrations of Christmas (Source: Isado)

Christmas in Japan is not a day for the family and there is rarely turkey involved. But the Japanese do love any excuse to give each other lots of presents…but don’t we all!

This guest post was contributed by Anytrip.com, which offers Christmas deals including cheap hotels in London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Mumbai and in over 70 countries worldwide for all those who want to spend Christmas a little differently this year.

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Posted in Asia, Europe, India, Latin America | 8 Comments »

Kauai’s South Coast

Wednesday, December 1st, 2010

Guest post by Jake Garrett from Villas at Po’ipu Kai

Vacationing on Kauai’s South Coast is like going to your local buffet – without the regrettable, over-stuffed feeling that follows.  The island is small enough that discovering each of its regions is easily accomplished within one trip.  But, like a buffet, there are the definite “Eat Me” spots that you will want to try at the beginning so as to maximize your enjoyment.  Although it goes against buffet protocol you might even give repeated attention to one dish.  Kauai’s southern coastline is this island’s version of the repeated dish.

Finding accommodations in the southern region is not difficult since there are several resorts, hotel chains, and rentals to choose from.  Your home base will you give you better access to certain beaches and restaurants and will require a little travel to get to the others.  By car, the whole coastline can be travelled in a leisurely hour.  You will find, however, that the attractions on the south shore are so many that you can spend plenty of time in one area.

There is no shortage of beaches on Kauai and the south shore is no exception.  It would be impossible to go through them all in one article, so here are the most notable.  Po’ipu Beach Park is a nationally awarded beach which makes it a must-see.  Good for families and a variety of activities the beach sometimes becomes crowded but is worth the visit.  A few miles to the east of Po’ipu Beach you will find Maha’ulepu Beach which is actually a chain of beaches.  Much less crowded than Po’ipu but with less friendly waters, Maha’ulepu is best for relaxing or strolling on the shore.  And finally, back on the other side of Po’ipu is Kiahuna Beach.  This beach is visually stunning and is perfect for every beach activity you could want.  Check it out at sunset for a special treat.

Now what are you going to do for food?  If you are staying a while there is a Wal-Mart a few blocks from the airport in Lihue.  As you travel from there towards the south you will pass a Costco.  The biggest local grocery store is called Big Save and can be found in several locations, including in Koloa in the south.  Eating out is easy both in hotels and in locally owned spots.  A couple of local favorites are Bubba’s Burgers and Lappert’s Ice Cream.  With homegrown ingredients Bubba’s gives burgers a unique flavor with a great variety of burgers to choose from.  There are only a few locations on the island, but make it a point to get to one.  Just around the corner from Bubba’s in the south is Lappert’s, a Kauai original.  This fast melting ice cream is delicious, so eat quickly or get it in a bowl to preserve it.

There are many more attractions along the south shore that will fill out your trip.  On your next visit to Kauai make sure to see as many as you can but start with the ones above and you will leave with a great taste in your mouth.

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Posted in US | 6 Comments »

Christmas Around The Globe

Monday, November 29th, 2010

Sponsored post by Claudia Lonjedo

All rights reserved by Citizen of the world1

Snow falling slowly on a white landscape, gloves, scarves, roaring fires, mulled wine and pine trees instantly come to mind when you think of Christmas. The wintry season plays a key part in our stereotypical view of the holiday – why else would Santa wear such a thick, fluffy red and white uniform, sport a beard and ride a sleigh driven by winter-friendly creatures? However, while we base our idyllic picture of Christmas on this traditional snow-filled ideal, the other half of the world has a very different image of the holiday and therefore a very different way to celebrate Christmas around the globe.

On 25 December, Australia finds itself in mid-summer with temperatures hitting the mid-thirties. Therefore, they have an extremely different Christmas to those in the northern hemisphere. Traditions such as sledging, snowball fighting and snowman building have to be abandoned. In fact, a lot of Christmas traditions have been adapted to fit in with the summer season. Here are a few things that they do differently down under…

Christmas Decorations

Preparing for Christmas is very important on both sides of the globe. Hundreds of Christmas cards need to be written and dozens of Christmas gift hampers need to be distributed. But when it comes to homely decoration, expectations are quite different. This is mainly due to the different tools available in each place. Mistletoe used to be used by Druid priests because it retained its green colour throughout the winter and was therefore adopted as a symbol of new life at Christmas. Holly wreaths used to be placed on doorways to drive away evil and have also been factored into the Christmas theme. However, Australians have managed to add to this list of themed plants. Using the bountiful season of summer to their advantage, they use bell-shaped flowers and other colourful shrubs known as ‘Christmas plants’ to decorate their homes. These include Christmas bells, Christmas bush and the Christmas Orchid.

Christmas Day

While up in the north we tend to spend Christmas inside by our fires or perhaps braving the cold and enjoying any snow that might have fallen, most Australians spend the day outside topping up their tans. In fact, many bring their Christmas dinner picnics to the beach and eat them there. Every Christmas, 40,000 people are said to visit Bondi Beach in Sydney. If they stay at home, families tend to take part in outdoor activities such as cricket and swim in their pools. This is a high contrast to the mainly inactive day we spend in the north, wrapped up inside with a large amount of food.

Christmas Dinner

And even the food is different. While we have our three bird roast with brussels sprouts, bread sauce and piles of roast vegetables, the climate in Australia means they have abandoned this traditional hot food. Instead, they eat cold turkey, ham, salads and seafood – much more fitting for warm weather. Puddings are also different, as Christmas pudding is served with cold custard or ice-cream, and the meringue-based pavlova is also considered an acceptable dessert for the day.

Whether it’s a sunny or a snowy Christmas for you this year, spare a thought for the people thousands of miles away who are enjoying the same occasion in a very different season and in a very different way.

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Posted in Australia | 11 Comments »

Cultural Explorations in China

Wednesday, November 24th, 2010

Guest post by @Kantankkerous

Some rights reserved by Steve Webel

Humanity

One late afternoon, two canonical ladies had knocked on my door. I shut the dog in one of the bedrooms to muffle the constant barking and peeled open the day to a cheerful hello. We discussed the usual riff-raff of (my lack of) personal religious beliefs and enthused about scientific rationale as a basis for reasoning and discounting religion as simply an inexplicable series of phenomena that seemed to have been anecdotally miscommunicated across time. As our conversation digressed, I was asked by these two women what my plans were this impending summer break – to which I responded in a particularly over-zealous manner about my China trip, so much so that they began to glance back and forth between each other, almost as if to suggest whether they should’ve even asked this question in the beginning.

Why do I travel?

Their attention was snapped back again at the mention of beliefs in my travels, though to an irrelevant degree as I shared with them the origins of Taoist and Confucian foundations in Chinese culture and beliefs. I remarked how astoundingly consistent and simple the principles were in prescribing people on how to speak, eat, sleep, drink and ultimately live. And I was to embark on my journey in December to have a taste for myself in a framework of presupposition that has thrived for so long. The big cities of China are a fantastic stomping ground for my touristic appetite, but I personally believe that materialism is only a minor aspect of why I hit the road whenever I can. More importantly, the villages; the locals; the historic monuments; the street food; and most significantly, the stories that are evoked from each and every site I stumble upon.

Taoism

It’s often debatable as to whether or not Taoism and/or Confucianism should fall under religion, in which I can fiercely say that neither do. Taoism is in fact, iconoclastic right from its origin. Madelyn Hamilton best sums up Taoism in her piece “The Search for Tao”: ‘Taoism is the consolidation of a number of concepts and practices that make up the ‘Path’, or ‘Way’, of living. The consolidation of ideas and concepts include basic principles or ‘theories’ regarding the body, diet, breathing and physical exercises, use of herbs, philosophical inquiry and, of course, meditation. All of which the Taoist feels brings a human being into closer alignment with the ‘natural order’ of life and living – pathway that humankind appears to have gotten derailed from.’ Confused? Here are a few words – ying and yang; fengshui. Both derive from the beliefs of Taoism and its meanings. Its laws of living and its ideals of living with nature rather than against it are practiced innumerably all over China.

Confucianism

Skipping the explanations about the origins of Confucianism, it is essentially an ethical belief system based upon the concept of relationships, featuring dual aspects of responsibility and obligation. Mother and child; husband and wife; brother and sister all have their own responsibilities and obligations. These extend further than the family environment and aim to formulate an empirical back-to-basics framework in which people are expected to abide by in order to live within a harmonious and just world.

China 2010

It is forthright to acknowledge that my trip to China will have so many of these ‘case in points’, each city or town with its own derivatives and variance in Taoist or Confucian beliefs. It’s an attempt for me to understand my roots again, comprehending why practices of such etiquette are so important in a population of people with so many ethnic groups. Yet for the majority of Chinese people these two archetypes have existed for generations without many of them knowing. Understanding the culture and asking the key “why” question will ultimately be a beneficiary in a travel adventure (at least so I think so). And so what initially was meant to be a discussion of scripture related to its many variable forms of deities, had transfigured itself into an enthusiastic reminiscence of why I love travel so much. Strange! The two ladies bid me a succinct goodbye and I turned back inside, ignored the orders of my mother to take out the garbage and planted myself back onto the computer to decide which hotel I wanted in Shanghai when I arrive on December 1st.

Kan Huang

Kan is a current university student completing his major in Events Management, a photography enthusiast and a travel addict. He resides in Sydney, Australia and currently works in the hotel industry and hopes to one day be able to combine travel and work together. In the meantime, he hopes to share his experiences on his flashpacking trip to China and explore this enormous land of deep culture and economic prominence, combining his photography with anecdotal tales of his travel (mis)adventures. He keeps a personal blog Tales of a Globetrotter & you can also find him on Twitter @Kantankkerous.

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