ACAM: Vietnam – The Quiet American

Posted on February 23, 2012 by lisafindley

Graham Greene’s The Quiet American isn’t exactly what I meant when I said I’d do A Country a Month research. I do like to read fiction about the places I’ll be visiting, but I like it to be written by people from those places. It’s hard finding history books at CPS about Asia that aren’t written by white scholars from Britain and its former colonies, but at least the library has more options when it comes to fiction.

just Europeaning my way through Vietnam, don't mind me

But Greene’s novel was one of the ones on my shelf that needed reading, so I picked it up. And it was really good! It’s set during the French part of Vietnam’s decades-long war on its own soil against foreigners and sometimes against itself. Greene is concerned, as many mid-century novelists are, with the changing nature of power as it shifts from Britain to the United States. He’s also concerned with the many ways people can betray one another, and whether it is worth trying to be a good person in a war zone, and how love and friendship might fit in all this.

Greene’s protagonist, Fowler, is a middle-aged journalist prone to philosophizing about what Vietnam means, what the Vietnamese are like, what the French are like, what the Americans are like. So we see everything through his eyes, and through the eyes of a 1955 writer, and thus everything has that special glow of “benevolent” racism–the kind that sees nonwhites as childlike and just looking for guidance from wise Westerners. Greene does complicate this somewhat, alternately acknowledging and disregarding his girlfriend Phuong’s agency and intelligence, and speaking on equal terms with the man who reveals the nefarious plans of the “third way” group. He even seems to realize that Vietnam isn’t just a staging ground for Western political dreams or an escape route for disillusioned journalists. There’s real affection for the country and its inhabitants here, from the dedication at the front made out to friends living in Saigon, right through the story as Fowler travels the length of the country.

It’s a well-written story, and a good meditation on power, innocence, and betrayal. But The Quiet American is not a good way to learn about Vietnam as the Vietnamese live it or see it. So, moving on! Any suggestions?

Image.

ACAM: Hawaii — Where to Go

Posted on February 16, 2012 by lisafindley

Now that I’ve included Hawaii on my itinerary, I should do a little research into figuring out where to go and what to see. I told Heather (my sister and traveling companion on this leg of the trip) that we’re flying straight to paradise. But what do you do in paradise? Other than beaches. Lots of them.

Anyone up for a swim?

Take a hike
Heath and I aren’t the heartiest of hikers, but we are both excited to explore the many natural wonders of the islands. The Akaka Falls on the Big Island sound beautiful, and at less than half a mile, definitely a hike we can handle. On Oahu, the ocean views on the (paved, mile-long) Makapu‘u Point Lighthouse Trail sound enticing. Some other hikes found on this site look good, too.

One of the few NON-surfing spots in Hawaii

Walk into a volcano
Yes. You can walk into the Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes on the Big Island. These are active volcanoes, which means rising steam, flowing lava, and the ever-present (if slight) possibility of eruptions. Exciting stuff. It’d be cool to see the lava flowing at night, but everything seems to indicate that you have to hike in pretty far, over rocky terrain, to do that, which sounds outside the range of possibility for Heather and me. So we’ll probably do one of the easy or moderate walks mentioned here.

The coolest look

Snorkel
Such a Seussian word, snorkel, like the Snorkels of Pampozzle wear sneeds (a sneed being, as we all know, a thing that most everyone needs). Anyway, it looks like you can rent snorkel gear from just about everywhere, or even buy it if you’re going to be there for more than a week. You can go out and find fish on your own, or you can join a tour and they’ll take you out on a boat to their favorite snorkeling spots. Either way sounds okay to me. Now how do I wear my glasses under those goggles?

Any excuse for a "Dirty Dancing" reference

Attend a luau
I’m a little wary of luaus for tourists; they seem to be an overpriced show of razzmatazz. (After all, you can see free hula shows elsewhere, like at the Volcano Art Center on the Big Island.) But Heather is excited about the idea, and I’m not trying to pretend that I don’t like a good show. (See how accommodating I am of my traveling partner’s needs? Join me on the trip and this could be you!) Also, at some luaus, there’s a hands-on arts and crafts portion before the meal and show starts, so you can get a slightly bigger picture of Hawaiian culture before gorging on pork and mai tais.

What am I missing, dearest fellow travelers?

Image 1. Image 2. Image 3. Image 4 from my personal movie collection.

Stowaway Connections — Readers, I Need Your Help!

Posted on February 9, 2012 by lisafindley

Hello, dearest fellow travelers! As Tuesday’s post announced, I have made plans official by putting down money on an airplane ticket. This is very exciting for a couple reasons: 1) I’m actually doing this, and 2) it means more planning. Even a cursory glance at this blog will show that I love planning. Some people get anxious when planning, and I feel for them, but I find the anticipation part of the fun of the whole travel experience. Which is all to say: will you help me plan?

Who do you know?
It seems every time I mention to someone that I’m going on this trip, they know at least one person living abroad. Often, they’ll offer to put me in touch with this friend abroad, which I greatly appreciate. One of the main reasons I want to go on this trip is to meet people everywhere I go, see how they live, make friends (as opposed to just meeting fellow travelers in hostels; that has its own charm but is often a more fleeting personal connection and no geographic connection at all).

A couch to crash on, or just a friendly face in a new place
So do you know someone living on my route? I would especially appreciate a place to stay (no more than three nights! I know the Benjamin Franklin quote: “Fish and visitors stink after three days.”). But not everyone is able to or wants to accommodate guests, and I totally understand that. If the friend abroad could have coffee or a meal with me, or even just give me pointers via email if they’ll be too busy to meet up, I’d appreciate it. All connections are helpful.

Below is a rough outline of my route and about when I expect to be in each place (so your friend can know when to expect a call). I’m putting down the names of cities I expect to visit, but I certainly won’t confine myself to just cities, so if your friend wants to make a pitch for their particular corner of the world, go for it! I love planning, but I know that half of all travel plans fall apart and flexibility is key.

The Suggestion Box
Drop by The Suggestion Box and add in some advice on where I should go, or have your friend abroad do it. I’d especially love to have the Google Map updated with restaurants, sights to see, cafes, bars, etc. from people who live there or who’ve been there (that may be you!). Do it this weekend before you forget all those places you went last time you were on the other side of the world.

Come join me!
Also, now that you can see where I’m going and when, you can plan your own vacation to come visit me. I am serious about this–if you have vacation time and some money, give it some thought. We’d have great fun.

Leave a comment or send me an email/Facebook message if you have a connection you’d like to share. Thanks so much!

Lisa’s World Trip, Part 1*
Oceania & Asia, September 2012-August/September 2013

USA — Honolulu, Hilo — 2 weeks 9/3-9/17
Australia — Sydney, Alice Springs (for Uluru), Cairns (for Great Barrier Reef), Byron Bay, maybe Melbourne? — 6 weeks 9/17-10/31
New Zealand — Auckland, Christchurch, maybe Dunedin — 6 weeks 10/31-12/12
Indonesia — Jakarta, Bali — 3 weeks 12/12-1/2
Singapore — 1 week 1/2-1/9 (too expensive for much more time!)
Thailand — Bangkok, Chiang Mai — 4-5 weeks 1/9-2/13
Laos — Luang Prabang — 3 weeks 2/13-3/6
Cambodia — Siem Reap, Phnom Penh — 2 weeks 3/6-3/20
Vietnam — Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Hanoi — 4 weeks 3/20-4/17
Japan — Tokyo, Kyoto — 3 weeks 4/17-5/8 (to see the cherry blossoms, but if this is too expensive from Vietnam I might make it the last point on the trip)
China — Guiyang, Shanghai, Beijing — 4-5 weeks 5/8-6/12
Korea — Seoul — 3 weeks 6/12-7/3

You’ll notice that the timing lands me back in the states in early July, but I’m planning to return mid-August or September. That’s because this is my general idea before I leave; I just know that I’ll stay longer in some places and shorter in others, or that I’ll find a cool volunteer program that requires me to stay in one place longer than originally expected. So consider that flexibility built in.

* Parts 2 and 3 will include Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India, and Latin America. So if your connections are in that part of the world, rest assured I will need your help in 2013-2014!

Let the Trip Begin!

Posted on February 7, 2012 by lisafindley

I’VE BOOKED MY TICKET. I booked a ticket to Hawaii, the first stop on my trip around the world. On Labor Day of this year, September 3, I’ll be flying from Chicago to Honolulu. My sister Heather will be joining me, and we’ll spend time on Oahu and the Big Island for two glorious weeks. Then Heather will head back home and I’ll carry on to Australia. I’m super excited and more than a little scared that I’ve taken the leap. It’s all very real now. Hurrah!

Image 1 here. Image 2 here.

Elegy for the Saturn

Posted on January 31, 2012 by lisafindley

This past weekend, I sold the Saturn. You may remember this car from a post I wrote last year pleading for just a few more miles of functionality. The car came through wonderfully, I’m happy to report, but seasons have changed, and even in this bizarrely mild winter we’re having, the car isn’t holding up so well. That, plus the registration and insurance fees and the always-high gas prices, and it became clear that I should say farewell to the car sooner than expected. But who knew it would be such a sad experience?

The M-22 sticker says you're a Michigan car forever, no matter what the license plate claims

The actual selling of the car was really easy. I went to the CarMax out in Glencoe, and after a short wait, a nice gentleman chatted with me about his tour of duty as a medic in Vietnam while an appraiser checked out the car. The company offered me $200 (oh how far you have fallen, Mme. Sunroof), I filled out the paperwork, and voila! They had my car, I had a bank draft, and my friends T&K picked me up to take me back to the city. No problem. But I was almost teary-eyed as I signed the paperwork. I don’t think my parents or siblings were untouched either, when I told them about it. This car has been in our family a long time.

It’s a ’96, and my dad bought it new in September of 1995 to use on his trips around the state selling phone systems for AT&T. After a few years, he got another car and the Saturn became the main vehicle the twins and I learned to drive in. We used it through high school, and after they graduated, my parents sold it to me and I took it from Kalamazoo to Naperville to Chicago. It’s sixteen years old and has seen a lot.

This car has been to Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. It’s crossed the Canadian border. It’s been up north in Michigan and in the western suburbs in Illinois. It’s been through Indiana as quickly as possible (“Crossroads of America,” indeed). This car has been in two fender benders, at least two traffic stops, and no major accidents. It’s been through ice, wind, snow, fog, and a summer hailstorm. It’s been to beaches, farms, forests, cities, and the very edge of a swamp.

This car has been the site of acts of passion–raging fights, tearful make-up talks, and fevered make-out sessions. It’s blasted hip hop, rock n roll, Beethoven, and Beyonce. It’s seen feasts of candy, pop, fast food, homemade granola, and giant sandwiches. It’s been the designated driver. It’s been the speeding driver. This car has been the solution to problems, the means for movement, the impetus for plans. It’s been the starting point for road trip dreams and fantasies of escape, and finally, it’s always been the way home.

BFFs forever

Here are some things I found when cleaning out the Saturn:
48 cents in change
1 euro coin
11 maps
1 baggie of q-tips
2 safety pins
an entire winter wardrobe in the trunk (hat, sweatpants, jeans, two shirts, even undies–you need to be prepared in the Midwest for whatever the weather might throw at you)
3 quarts of motor oil
1 first aid kit circa 2003 (judging by the expiration dates)
2 flashlights
1 mostly-working umbrella
2 hair brushes
1 fossilized French fry
1 snow shovel
2 blankets
handwritten driving directions to my dorm room freshman year of college

Rest well, Mme. Sunroof. And in the words of Neil Young:

We’ve been through some things together
With trunks of memories still to come.
We found things to do in stormy weather
Long may you run.

Long may you run, long may you run,
Although these changes have come.
With your chrome heart shining in the sun,
Long may you run.

Transportation Problem SOLVED

Posted on January 19, 2012 by lisafindley

Forget the RTW/one-way ticket debate: I’m driving to Australia!

Playing for Change

Posted on January 17, 2012 by lisafindley

Several months ago, the video “Stand by Me” went viral, and the eyes of many all over the world welled up with tears at the sight of musicians all over the world playing the same song, separated by distance but united by song. Turns out the organization that distributed that video, Playing for Change, has been busy making many more such videos, touring the United States with some of the featured musicians, and starting up a foundation to build music schools in communities worldwide. The snazzy website features some fun and some touching videos, like “One Love,” “La Tierra del Olvido,” “Satchita,” and “Gimme Shelter.” And at first I was a little wary of the whole operation.

“Good grief, Lisa, will you never just be satisfied with a good thing when you see it?” I hear you asking. And the answer is no, I will always want to look critically at an organization to find its shortcomings, so that I can 1) be fully aware of what efforts I’m supporting, and 2) be in a position to offer constructive criticism to that organization. Mostly, I saw the artists page, which looks like this:

And then I saw the crew page, which looks like this:

And I thought, “Uh oh, white people, what are you doing?”

Because we are so terrified of being called racists that we won’t even talk about racism in this country, white Americans are sorely uneducated about their own privilege and what they can do about it. This leads to a whole lot of nastiness on the more conservative side of the spectrum, and well-meaning condescension of the “let us tell you how to fix your life” variety on the liberal side. None of which goes very far toward mending race relations in the US.

Granted, the whole aim of this project is to go global, to not be confined to the United States. But look at that crew, and the founder, and the company that owns their for-profit arm; they’re all white folks who are likely living a pretty comfortable lifestyle. Contrast that with the artist pages, which shows many people of color in small, poor villages, and maybe you can see why I’m wary of the relationship.

But after I looked into the site more and saw more videos about the foundation, I’m happy to say I think there’s much more good than harm going on here.

Saving the world is a wonderful goal, of course, so long as you’re aware that you can’t do it on your own or all your way. Fortunately, PFC seems to get this. They hold a passionate belief that music is a uniting force that can and will bring peace to the world. They find musicians who share the same belief, and they work together to put the ideal into practice.

Their foundation came about from asking some of the musicians who came from poorer backgrounds, “What can we do to help?” Not “you should do this” — a crucial difference. It was the musicians who said they wanted to schools to teach the next generation how to make music and be a force for peace. The people of Kirina in Mali took the money and supplies provided and built their own school; no outsider crusaders doing it for them and expecting gratitude. This is the kind of assistance — monetary, material, non-invasive — that activists the world over consistently say is the best, most sustainable kind. Kudos to PFC for getting that right.

Everyone involved in the project is devoted to the idea that music can and must be a force for good in the world, that the act of creating music is a unifying one. I absolutely agree, and it’s encouraging to watch thousands of musicians, videographers, editors, villagers, and audience members from all corners of the earth enthusiastically supporting this idea. Check out the participation page on the PFC site to see how you can support an organization supporting the work of musicians and peacemakers all over the world.

And enjoy the music.

What Do You Want From Your Travels?

Quote

Posted on January 5, 2012 by lisafindley

Seems the ancient Roman tourist wanted statues and holy sites, but no million-dollar views. On the typical tourist of Imperial Roman times, as he ascends the Acropolis in Greece:

“The view was staggeringly beautiful, too, but the visitor was less inspired by that. Like the mountaintop, it was too grand and imposing, not the kind of sweet scenery he favoured. And since the gods, too, were thought to prefer intimate settings, there was nothing ‘divine’ about sweeping vistas–they just conveyed emptiness.”
— Maxine Feifer, Tourism in History: From Imperial Rome to the Present, 1985, page 18

Embarrassing Myself for Your Entertainment

Posted on January 3, 2012 by lisafindley

I talk so much about the travel I’ve done and the travel I plan to do that I think there’s an assumption I’m travel-savvy at all times. Not true! I make plenty of travel blunders, and sometimes even repeat the same mistakes I’ve vowed to learn from.

at least I got the station right

Take a couple weeks ago, for example: it was the week before Christmas and I was going down to the south side of Chicago for dinner with my aunts and uncles. My dad was in town and would pick me up from the commuter train station, and we’d meet up with everyone else for dinner. The next day, Dad and I would drive up to Michigan together for holiday festivities. A simple plan. Hard to get it wrong. And yet…

It was a combination of factors. I had the day off of work, so I simultaneously over- and under-planned. I planned to fit too much stuff into the day–see my out-of-town friend! pack! run errands! all after a generous lie-in!–and then under-planned the time each one of those would take. So by the time my friend and I hugged goodbye, I had nothing packed and was supposed to leave my apartment ten minutes prior. I rushed around my house, tossing into a suitcase more clothes than I’d need and jewelry I knew I’d never wear. (Poor planning leads to poor packing, y’all.)

Then out the door, dash to the el, get off at La Salle, up the escalator, to the ticket booth, turn around and face the several trains awaiting passengers. Dearest fellow travelers, here is where I made the fatal mistake. Each train berth is headed up by an electronic sign detailing the time the train would depart and the stations it would call at. I glanced at the signs, found the soonest departure time, and walked confidently to that train. I seated myself, tucked my suitcase on the floor next to me, and turned the music up on my headphones. Note that at no point did I check the sign to see where I was going.

Next thing I knew, the train was in motion and the conductor came around to collect tickets. I handed him mine and he said, “Where are you going?” “99th Street,” I replied. “We’re not!” he said cheerily. Wait, what?

Not exactly a train to nowhere, just not to where I wanted to go

Yup, I’d got on an express train. It skipped right past 99th Street, past all the stops I recognized, and went on to a town I’d never heard of–Midlothian. Sounded like a villain from the Bible. I could get off at Midlothian to turn back, but the next train back to Chicago wouldn’t be for another 45 minutes and it was pretty cold out. Not only that, I’d got on a quiet car, where cell phones are forbidden, so I couldn’t even call my dad without stumbling over my suitcase and walking to the vestibule between cars. I stayed in my seat and texted madly, my face hot with embarrassment and my eyes prickling with tears (which only frustrated me more–this wasn’t so bad that I needed to cry about it! good grief).

It all worked out, of course. Dad kindly offered to pick me up in this mythical Midlothian, and we weren’t even late for dinner. Everyone ragged on me a little, which is only fair, after which the whole affair faded as we dug into our food.

But you’d better believe I was a little shaken; if I can’t even navigate a train system I’m familiar with, in my hometown, how on earth am I going to make it in cities with schedules written in non-Roman script and train staff not speaking English? With a lot more planning and a lot less rushing about, that’s how.

So take heart. If you’re an inexperienced traveler, know that no one has it perfect, so there’s no reason for the possibility of making mistakes to hold you back from heading out the door. And if you’re a more experienced traveler and never make such elementary mistakes, well, you sound about as mythical as Midlothian.

Photo 1. Photo 2.

Findley Sibling Road Trip 2011 Part Two: Montréal

Posted on December 8, 2011 by lisafindley

Heather, Em, and I took a road trip in September, and recorded much of the silliness that took place. Part 1 of that video debuted last week, and now Part 2 is here, the three days we spent in Montréal. Soundtrack choices, while sure to get me hit up by the RIAA, were made for maximum comic and dramatic effect. Laugh, cry, gaze enviously at the rain-soaked city–it’s all here. Enjoy!