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…)
This introduction to Part Two marks an important transition from academic-style essays about tourism to stories about actual travel experiences. “Northern Threads” was designed to illustrate the learning process of a novice traveler. It explores many of the mistakes that I have made while on the road and offers warning about how to avoid them. (more…)
Lost luggage can happen to anybody, especially when trapped in a major typhoon. This true story show how difficult it can be to track down a suitcase from inside a speeding taxi cab while unable to speak the language of a foreign land. It also explores the joy of being stuck at an airport after a canceled flight. (more…)
This true story recalls the time that a Mikey Finn was slipped into my drink on Christmas day, while I was celebrating and drinking cheap whiskey with local Thai hoodlums. Not surprisingly, I woke up without my wallet near a secluded alleyway. It was at this time that I discovered the real meaning of Christmas. (more…)
Package tours can be a curse to free-spirited travelers. This story describes my one and only experience with a package tour and the sensation of being stuck on a bus full of people that don’t like each other. It ends with a truly horrific experience on a crowded Korean train.(more…)
English teaching can be an accidental path taken by recent university graduates, who often have more student loans than job options. For the new expatriate, pubs are a great place to meet and share ideas about a foreign land. However, if you look underneath the surface, there are many social politics and conflicting cultural dynamics hidden within the walls of taverns. (more…)
Part Three demonstrate the process and hardships of an extensive journey. Personal growth is a strong element behind a journey, so this section marks a transition toward a deeper style of travel writing (than parts 1 & 2). This section, based in India, is also designed to show the differences between a seasoned traveler and a basic tourist. (more…)
This journey begins with a horrid temp job in Portland, Oregon. Employees are forced to unload a container full of merchandise from India. It has been sprayed with toxic chemicals by the US Customs Department to kill rodents and pathogens. As my eyes and skin burn, I realize that I will escape this life inside the United States.(more…)
Newly arrived at 2:30 am, the gates of India swing open to me at the airport. I set out on my journey loaded with luggage and mental baggage. Cultural shock kicks in as I seek a cheap dive to crash.(more…)
An old friend persuades me to visit his family in Bangalore. He introduces me to well-developed aspects of his country and points out the economically progressive side of India. We listen to Jazz, drink Karnataka rum. and go on a road trip.(more…)
After 58 hours of non-stop travel, I arrive in the mountainous town of Manali. Here, I am promptly introduced to the dark side of tourism as several long term tourists sell hash or opium to fund their travel. Meanwhile, other travelers attempt to parasitically feed off new arrivals. I eventually met a quasi-guru named Black Gift, who offers me an unusual lesson.(more…)
India can be a schizophrenic nation. There is a progressive and wealthy side, which I saw firsthand in various exclusive nightclubs. There is also the traditional, conservative, side that can reflect deep levels of poverty. As I was surfing a wave among the wealthy and privileged in Dehli, these two side of one nation suddenly crashed - resulting in some seriously shocked housemaids and the eviction of the French women that I was staying with.(more…)
The magic of India slowly seeps in. The mood of a journey can give special meaning to brief encounters that you experience along the way. Even the act of getting swarmed by gangs of begging children can be a learning opportunity.(more…)
A journey may involve spontaneous expenses in the form of bribes. Corruption is commonplace in India, and it can drain your budget quickly. This story looks at the time that I refused to pay a bribe to a government official, and the resulting night in which I was forced to wander aimlessly around a strange city because I could not find an opened place to sleep.(more…)
Unprepared tourist can be a cash cow for many touts and vendors. There are many ways to take advantage of someone by pretending to offer assistance. At the same time, many tourists attempt to exploit locals to save a few coins. It is a two-way street. As Westerners collide with locals in Asia, there is sometimes a tug-a-war to see who can exploit whom. (more…)
What is the connection that we make with other Westerners while traveling? Is there a spiritual connection behind the chance encounters? Is it romance of lust? This story looks at the blessing of meeting somebody that you can connect with while traveling solo. (more…)
Every now and then, one gets tired of having to deal with other tourists on a “spiritual” journey. This story looks at a particularly claustrophobic train ride with some “religious” travelers. Despite our sharing a common goal in India, this encounter results in a clash of wills as we fight over the material possession of a single train seat. (more…)
This story looks at the Manali-Goa tourist loop. In this experience, I meet up with some Western travelers on a bus that have smuggled hashish and opium from Manali to sell on the Goa rave scene. I also have a bad encounter with a monkey as I run out of travel money. While racing a motorcycle around the city, I find out that a good friend has just died on the road. (more…)
All good journeys must come to an end. This story is about my struggle to return home in time for my friend’s funeral. He had drowned while swimming in Thailand, so I decided to go back to the United States — where I had the greatest culture shock of my life. (more…)
This is the fourth and final section of Road Rash. It focuses on my return to Asia for employment as an English teacher, after few job opportunities were revealed in the United States. My aim in this section is to show the transition from the life of a traveler to that of an expatriate. I also want to explore the politics of being a US citizen in Southeast Asia. (more…)
This story is about my private ritual on Jomtien Beach to honor a friend who had drowned there earlier. It looks at the concepts of faith, ceremony, and spirits. As a side plot, I explore the rapid growth of tourism in Thailand and wonder about the ghosts of the country’s past. (more…)
This story was written shortly after the bombing or the World Trade towers on September 11. Just days afterward, I traveled through former Khmer Rogue strongholds in Cambodia and stayed at Muslim owned hotels. I look at terrorism, the cycle of violence, and impact on tourism. Ultimately, I ask what it means to be a US citizen in a world that is becoming resentful of American actions abroad.(more…)
This story was written shortly after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. The United States had just invaded Afghanistan, and I was traveling through Lao to see sites that America had heavily bombed during its secret war. Travel warnings were issued to Americans across the globe as anthrax scares proliferated back home. I continue to explore the impact of the tourism industry and my role as a US citizen living abroad.(more…)
This is the grand finale of Road Rash. It looks at the tremendous impact that foreign NGOs and the booming tourism industry have had in Nepal. It asks the questions: Is all this globalization a good thing or is it just destroying traditional cultures? Does this push for widespread global capitalism threaten quintessential elements of the human soul? I look at my own ethnic roots and explore how they are being lost in the great American “melting pot”. As the stroke of the New Year arrives, I race to the top of a building trying to escape numerous attempts to sell me something.(more…)
