Posted: August 30th, 2010 | Author: Shawn | Filed under: blah blah blah | 1 Comment »
This is the predominantly factual story of how I was very nearly murdered to death, in Reykjavik, by Yoko Ono. I would consider this a cautionary tale for anyone who doesn’t personally know Yoko, or for anyone who occasionally enjoys going outdoors. Or I guess both of those types of people, but I can’t imagine such a person. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: August 26th, 2010 | Author: Shawn | Filed under: blah blah blah | 6 Comments »
China and I are not cool. Or more accurately, China is the current scapegoat for my travel conscience. I firmly believe that how I spend my money needs to try and match my ethical standards. Really, the only feedback you have into products or places is your money. No corporation or government goes on to Facebook and randomly checks how many members the anti-whoever groups have. Why would they care? The only statistic they want or need to know is money. All of the rhetoric and slogans in the world are barely a murmur compared to the sound of cash. So when you choose to travel to a country, you contribute your money to their community and government, and in turn you’re endorsing them and their policies. That is why I will not visit China — I strongly disagree with the Chinese government’s policies and tactics and will not support them with my hard earned money. Things are always a bit more complicated though, aren’t they? Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: August 13th, 2010 | Author: Shawn | Filed under: blah blah blah, web | No Comments »
The original purpose of postcards has obviously been long since antiquated by Facebook, Skype, Foursquare and of course email. However, there’s definitely still plenty of great reasons to stick with this old traveling tradition. As a born again postcard sender, I’ve compiled a glorious list bemoaning the questionable benefits of sending and receiving postcards.
To even further alienate you from my point, I’m going to give some unfortunate sucker the chance to experience the joy of receiving some real postcards first hand. The unfortunate part being that the postcards will be from me. Plus they may possibly have genuine boogers stuck to them. Here’s how you too can possibly become the maligned nemesis of your postal carrier… Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: July 6th, 2010 | Author: Shawn | Filed under: places | 2 Comments »
Cuba was delightful, and so very Cuban. All those stereotypes you hear when folks talk about Cuba turned out to be true. Loads of classic cars and cigar shops just like you would expect. Sprinkle in some Che Guevara and Castro imagery and you pretty much have it. There was definitely satisfaction to be had in visiting a country that fulfilled all my assumptions, but there were also some things I hadn’t quite predicted.
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Posted: May 18th, 2010 | Author: Shawn | Filed under: blah blah blah | 4 Comments »
There’s a sentiment amongst some folks that volunteers in disaster struck countries are simply morbid tourists. As though the destruction and suffering is little more than a sensationalized backdrop to a Kodak moment. I’m currently a disaster response volunteer, and I’ve seen hundreds of volunteers come and go in the past few months. Consequently, I’ve got a first hand perspective on the type of people that show up as volunteers after a large disaster.
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Posted: March 28th, 2010 | Author: Shawn | Filed under: dining | 4 Comments »
Victoria, British Columbia has plenty of great qualities and features. Obviously there’s the amazing ocean stuff, rain forest junk, great gardens, recreational options galore, etcetera so on and so forth. However, let’s quit beating up bushes and get down to what really matters: stuff that intentionally goes into my white man tummy. There is a disproportionate amount of world class cafes and baristas in Victoria. There’s also an overly great selection of brew pubs and breakfast spots there, but I’m saving those for another post. In order to help the casual Victoria visitor nail down some world class latte action I’ve undergone extensive sampling and compiled the Top 5 Cafes In Victoria BC. Read the rest of this entry »
