This is not a travel account about romantic vacations, impeccable beaches, spectacular cultural events, awe-inspiring ruins… No, not those kinds of exultant and unforgettable experiences promised by tourism commercials. Rather Road Rash is about travelers and other tourists, tourists and local people… about the English language, world music and guidebooks… about hashish, touts and bribes… about how all these players inadvertently shape the “Global Village”. Highly readable and thought-provoking.
PART ONE (Essays on Tourism and the Global Village)
What is the nature of tourism? How does it contribute to globalization? What are the politics of being a Western expatriate in Asia? This intro lays down the general premise of Road Rash.(more…)
This chapter looks outlines various theories about what the global village is and what it may look like in the future. It also looks into some of the politics relating to globalization.(more…)
This chapter looks at the changing definitions of home. Even though more and more expatriates are finding a comfortable life abroad, their ethnics roots will always haunt them. What is the balance between the country where you were born and the place where you currently live?(more…)
This essay looks at how music creates bonds that bring people together. As World Beat creates new fusions, and the Internet makes “foreign” sounds more accessible and easy to download, new questions arise about how to control the sale and distribution of global music.(more…)
This essay seeks to understand some of the distinctions between tourists, travelers, and expatriates. How are they different? How are they the same?(more…)
This chapter explores recreational travel. It compares different ways that tourists choose to relax: cruise ships, package tours, etc. It also explores differences between quality tourists and budget backpackers. (more…)
This section looks at the power of schools to bring people together. It explores the advantages of student exchange programs and also addresses some of the negative drawbacks suffered by some foreigners experience at US universities.(more…)
This section looks at those that get paid while traveling. It explores issues such as work visas, seasonal jobs, brain drain, and the motives for some recent university graduates to become English teachers in Asia.(more…)
This section briefly points out some of the less talked about reasons to travel. Some people get off on the risks of going to dangerous locations, while others seek out red light districts, and other are just hoping to find God or get in touch with themselves.(more…)
This essay was originally written for my tourism studies class. It enumerates ten of the most controversial issues that relate to tourism. My goal was to persuade students to debate these issues in class, but ultimately these topics proved much more interesting to discuss among other travelers while on the road. (more…)
