You have been reading to much Chomsky mate. Good informative piece and I particularly liked the photos. I reckon your a closet copper though. All this 'policemen in my head' malarkey. I can't wait for your next blog, ever fancied going to Hampshire?
Remember impossible is nothing, so bring it on.
Mohandas Gandhi As what Gandhi preached, "Be the Change that you want to see in the world". If we could make that simple change within ourself, the way we think and act, then hopefully that change will radiate to the people around us and create the domino effect towards peace, love and harmony throughout the world.....cheers ! JC....P.S. Great Blog by the way ;>
Kamsamneedarma i enjoyed that matey. Very tidy and interesting piece. I can't wait for the next blog to find out what you needed that tux for, ohh the excitement! All the best..
quite interesting this was interesting... it amazes me how there are people who enjoy travelling this much...and have the will to share it afterwards... bon voyage! greetings from croatia :)
angie
To Everybody: The way it goes I've read more or less everything here, blogs and comments, and here is what I think.
I don't really find it interesting to argue whose side is right and wrong, and who has done this that and the other. These rights and wrongs go so far back in time that they become irrelevant and people commit terrible acts every day: palestinians bomb cafe's and Israelis bulldoze a few schools. The guilt is evenly distributed on each side and there are no winners and losers. What we have here are people hating and killing and this has made Israel and Palestine pretty rotten places. If people really wanted this violence to stop it would, but barbarianism and bloodlust continues to govern this part of the world. Nothing can fix this and that is, I regret to say, the way it goes. Should I save a palestinian boy today he'll blow up a cafe tomorrow, protect an israeli and she'll be getting a bulldozer drivers licence.
So this is where I seize to care. These people will never work this out and I think we better leave them to it and care about things we can actually do something about.
Ah, the Mergui I enjoyed your writing about Mergui. I also went but didn't post it under Mergui as it wasn't offered at the time. Feel free to read it over. (Peter Neu/ Father Neu) I saw lots of Moken folks and traded for fresh fish once. But I have to say, after diving many spots I was surprised how unpristine places were due to rampant uncontrolled overfishing (80s or 90s?) Continue to explore the unexplored!
some good reading Hi Jason,
Your blog reminded me of my summer trip to the States this August. I went to Burning Man but besides that serene interlude I also felt (again) the problems you discussed. I study Russian in Dublin and I just finished an essay comparing aspects of the totalitarian reality portrayed in the Russian classic Dystopian novel 'WE' to modern America. I recommend reading the German Psycologist Erich Fromm's 1942 novel "Fear of Freedom". It was a real eye opener for me and I can even claim to have gotten a bit high from reading it...if this is even possible. He goes beyond the norm also by offering solutions to society's problems. Essential reading for anyone interested in sociology in the context of modern issues of genuine personal freedom.
Eddie,
I am this old fart from Southern California who writes poorly. However, I am one who knows what good writing looks like, and your essay is the best I've read so far. I love reading and re-reading your essay and also have read it to my wife. Thanks Brit for sharing your experiences.
Great read... You aren't a moral hair splitter, others make reductionist arguments about this issue. I've never understood why these unions are any different from a western woman improve her station through marriage. Filipinas aren't as desperate as we often believe.
Life After Love At First Sight To the author..I wish you know whats going on with the life of Derek and his "wife" now so does what happened to properties he invested millions of pesos with...poor derek...sighh
from Mika Hello Jason, thanks for your response to my post, clarifying your position on Tibet. It was interesting to read your views on media in America. I would agree with you on many of the problems you've pointed out, but I'm wondering, do you have any solutions or better alternatives to try and prevent these problems? Is this as good as it gets? Mika in Finland.
Disneyland and Sandstone The belly of beast isnt so bad huh? Everything west of the Rockies allows us to conveniently forget about political bullshit and focus on whats most important- seeing the gemstones that the natural world has to offer! The Goering quote is haunting, if only George W. had the balls to eat a cyanide containing glass ampule we would all save ourselves the trouble of an impeachment!
Don't believe the truth? I agree with your philosophical stance Marco. "We Know the truth not only by reason, but also by the heart" Blaise Pascal, who also said "There are truths on this side of the Pyrenees, which are falsehoods on the other"...Still "Chase after the truth like all hell and you'll free yourself, even though you never touch its coattails" Clarence Darrow.
Heartbreaking, but true. Well said, aspiring nomad...great name, btw. America the paradox. Your photos capture the beauty, your words, the pain. When you have time, check out the Redwoods and the Oregon coast....
Happy adventuring!
Welcome back! So, you were in the US. Nice to read something yours again. As for your point of view on the media (strictly in philosophical terms) you might just apply the same principle infinitely and never know where the truth lies. i.g. one could claim that those who claim that those who are favourable to a war have been manipulated are actually those who have been manipulated. And so on infinetely.
Best bet: pay attention to Jennifer and keep the damn political show turned off :-)
sad but true Long time ago before tourism, the ideal habitation was when filipino girls were only for filipino boys. In that way the pinoys retain their stock and all. In the advent of world interaction, of which tourism is one, the eyes of most of filipino women have been diverted to these white visitors..big stature, tall, handsome, different and most especially with bulging pockets. No longer do pinoy fathers willingly give their daughters' hands to locals but prefer to yield them to some white foreigner who promises them freedom from poverty. The old pinoy culture is somewhat chipped away slowly and lost forever. If the culture of poverty persists in this island republic, more and more pinoy moral and cultural values would be lost.
bravo you hit the nail on the head, i am australian born to macedonian parents, and i could not agree with you more.yes its a wonderful place, beautiful in fact but the people...... where do i start lazy and dumb so and so who like to free load off more fortune people (relative in particular that have come from overseas that have saved there pennies for years to make the pligrimage back to the home land only to have everyone of the relatives use them)yes very lazy.had the opportunity to spend 5 weeks there not so long ago did not see one relative go to work during that time(apparently it was not worth it, the monthly wage was very low) but was happy to free load off a relative that they had never met before.
and the women yes slut material. im amazed that there isnt many known reports of rape (but most of them are so masculine the men would not be game to attack)
thank you for your blog had a wonderful giggle
- mika It is a little bizarre to receive a comment on this particular blog after so long Mika, as when I’d initially posted it, I expected a flood of protest which never actually materialized. I was apprehensive about including some of the negative experiences, since I believed their inclusion may somehow have undermined people’s solidarity toward the plight of the Tibetan people, and anger the many proponents of their cause. However I felt if I were to dismiss the ‘one off’ behavior of a group of Tibetans, and refuse to comment on it in my blog because the perpetrators are victims of Chinese imperialism, then I would be a hypocrite.
Firstly let me address your concern and any misunderstanding over the Tibetan truck driver who transported us from Darchen to Saga. He was in no way whatsoever in danger of getting in hot water as what he is doing is not illegal. If tourists are discovered without permits it is them that have to answer questions/pay fines, not the driver.
My experiences in Tibet were often an antithesis of what I had expected to find, as is often the case when travelling to lesser known corners of the world. I would love to write as an apologist for the behavior I witnessed firsthand in Tibet, and list the mitigating social factors that I personally believe created it, but that is beside the point. I make no excuse for Chinese imperialism. The principle of self determination should be granted to all peoples of the world whether we agree with the actions or customs of a particular nation, or ethnic group, or not. A universal right which should be upheld regardless, in the same vain as political freedom, freedom of religion and freedom of speech.
He's been too busy preparing for his wedding! But I'm sure that we'll soon get a long blog from that, with lot's of pictures and details. And maybe even some shots of the new baby? You can only hope!:)
Much as I enjoyed your blogs Eddie, I have to say you come across as a bit of a hypocrite, mainly through this one. You're obviously a supporter of the Palestinian cause, and rightly so IMO, yet you're quite ready to dismiss the sufferings of the Tibetans, and make excuses for Chinese imperialism, simply due to one bad experience on a bus with the natives.
Later in Myanmar, you decide not to travel unauthorised by truck, for the very good reason that your presence could get the driver in hot water. Yet this is exactly what you did in Tibet, with no thought whatsoever for the drivers well-being.
other side!!!!!!!!? for who say u dont show the other side, i think this artile is spoken about something happened, the guy said only what happend, no other side in that, so i want tell to who disliked show this truth, israel is the only democracy in the mid east (as all the world say) , this means that the leader in this state are elected , that means they present the majority of people there, that means that the majority of israelis are agree with this barbarian way which their govt use it against an unarmed pp, so if there is a scullar israelis reallly who like and orefer peace, how much they are one ,two, one thousand? they have no influence this is the other fact and truth which those people who claim " the other side view" ingnore, try to be real, israel own tanks , planes, missiles , nukes, , and palsitinians own what, kassam misslies? some RPGs, so who present really a threat to the other, if really the good israelis are who govt we would never had this shameful situation there, but like u see your pp reflect the image of your govt cause it allow them to behave like that,? hope so one from who claim the "other side" idea can comment what i said or answer me
Martin
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You have been reading to much Chomsky mate. Good informative piece and I particularly liked the photos. I reckon your a closet copper though. All this 'policemen in my head' malarkey. I can't wait for your next blog, ever fancied going to Hampshire? Remember impossible is nothing, so bring it on.