It’s going to be tough to validate any definitions of legitimate volunteer and morbid tourist. However, I would say the legitimate volunteer is the person that becomes a part of the community they’re helping. They also seem to make significant personal sacrifice in order to volunteer. Perhaps in the form of leaving a job, using every minute of their annual vacation time, spending a large percentage of their income to volunteer, or staying for a longer than usual time. The morbid tourist could probably be defined as those who volunteer for a short period of time, make little to no personal sacrifice, and most importantly are never really engaged with the local community.

There’s also a much less tangible aspect to volunteers that is the true defining factor between these two classifications. Their genuine motivation. Which, as you can guess, is sometimes quite different from their announced motivation. Volunteers seem to fall into two groups, which also mirror the legitimate and tourist labels. These two groups are the selfless and the self righteous. I’ve seen volunteers that were motivated by their own self righteous need to confirm their superiority. They need to validate how successful and great they are by having disaster victims shower them with gratitude. Then on the other hand there are the selfless volunteers that are not interested in appreciation or recognition. They’re simply interested in doing the right thing for the sake of doing it.

A large focus of the morbid tourist finger pointing is specific to the unskilled volunteer. People with clearly applicable skills, such as doctors, engineers, etc are seemingly excused from the morbid tourism moniker. However, in my practical experience, it appears that the opposite is more often true. I’ve seen plenty of examples where a skilled person will arrive at a disaster and spend their brief few days neck deep in photo opportunities and detached judgments. As though in a bubble, they stay separate from the people they are there to help. They leave as quickly as they arrived and then pronounce their experience to be genuinely life affirming, humbling and stunning. Whereas the unskilled volunteers I’ve encountered are more often than not desperate to help in any way they can. They eagerly throw themselves into any helpful task and are quick to engage the community that they’re helping.

Naturally, with every black and white comparison there is plenty of grey to go around. There isn’t a legitimately selfless volunteer out there who doesn’t slip into those moments of tourism or indulgence. On the other hand, there’s certainly times that the tourist gets caught up in the community and ends up genuinely moved to help. All this said, I’m glad to be able to say that the morbid tourist is certainly the rare exception. The overwhelming majority of volunteers that I’ve encountered has been genuinely interested in just lending a helping hand.

The moral of all this? I guess it’s to be aware of yourself while you’re in that beautiful pre-trip phase where you’re all caught up in the idealism of volunteering. Why are you actually going? Would the disaster victims honestly be better off with your airfare, or with your presence? Honestly.

.
// shawn

Thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed, I appreciate it! Please be sure to stop by the site sometimes and leave a comment so I know you're still alive. I worry about you. Are you eating okay? Ok, see ya! -- Disaster Response Volunteer, or Morbid Tourist? is a post from: Rerunaround

Morale wise things here are going fine. There’s plenty of times where I can think of much better places to be. Then there’s other times where I can’t think of any place better. So it works out. The hard adjustment for me this week is getting used to people leaving. There’s some really cool folks volunteering down here and it’s quite sad when they head home.

For those folks curious what the various international presence was like here, it’s pretty mixed, but not as mixed as you might think. Léogâne was the quake epicenter, so we see a ton of relief groups pass through here. Generally, on the international front the largest impact group is the Canadian military. They began leaving this week though. Then I see a mix of smaller groups like the Japanese and Canadian Red Cross, the Korean army (arriving this week with heavy machinery), and a smattering of UN military police. Then there’s also various food and medical relief charities here and there. The only American presence in town is from private charities, not the military.

Well here’s a smattering of various photos from around town. A lot of these came from the market. Although it may not look much like a market to you. I’m off to see if I can find some leftover rice and beans.

.

// shawn

Thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed, I appreciate it! Please be sure to stop by the site sometimes and leave a comment so I know you're still alive. I worry about you. Are you eating okay? Ok, see ya! -- Haiti Photo Potpourri is a post from: Rerunaround

If I had to describe Haiti in one sentence; it’s just like some mad snow globe maker took equal parts people, cement, and mosquitoes, put it all in the oven, then shook the hell out of it. The devastation here is really amazing. Everywhere I look there are collapsed buildings and houses. There are shacks sitting in the streets made of out everything possible. Wherever there used to be a courtyard or field there’s now hundreds and hundreds of people trying to live in tents and under tarps. In this heat the middle of those packed solid tent cities must be pure hell. The streets are packed all day with people looking for work or running kids. I can’t imagine how they have the energy to run in this heat, but it’s really nice to see them having a good time. Despite all the suffering, the Haitians I have met so far have been quite nice. I suppose it says a lot about these people that they can be subjected to such catastrophe and still keep going.

The group I’m working with here is Hands On Disaster Response. We have a cool little base here in Léogâne built out of an old disco. We have  a lot of projects on the go all the time, but the one I started on was building some outdoor showers at a local hospital/clinic. Other projects are things like clearing rubble, transporting and organizing relief supplies, building fences and buildings, and so on. The projects change all the time, so the variety is fantastic. It seems like there are about three dozen folks here and everyone has been really nice. I suppose jerks aren’t drawn to travel really far to horrible conditions in order to volunteer.

So far I’m really happy with HODR and the projects here. I could do with a little less heat, humidity and mosquitoes, but such is life. Anyways, I’ll work on getting some good pictures soon — I feel bad taking pictures of people because it feels like the rest of the world just likes to gawk at the suffering. You know, like those jerks who slow down to stare at car crashes. If there’s anything you would like to know about Haiti, HODR, Heat, Humidity, Helicopters (you get to see some awesome UN and various military helicopters here), just holler.

.

// shawn

Thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed, I appreciate it! Please be sure to stop by the site sometimes and leave a comment so I know you're still alive. I worry about you. Are you eating okay? Ok, see ya! -- First Impressions Of Volunteering In Haiti is a post from: Rerunaround

The plan is to spend about 3 months in Haiti. Although I reserve the right to cut that time short if the humidity and bucket showers are making me homicidal. I’ll be working with Hands On Disaster Response in Léogâne. I’m expecting a lot of hard work in a really bleak place. So we’ll see how that plays out. I haven’t really had to work hard for a few years, so that too will be interesting. It sounds like a lot of the projects we’ll be doing will involve clearing rubble and the such. At least to start.

I’ll do my best to get in some posts on what it’s like in Haiti. I’m sure my spare time will be unreliable though. If there is anything in particular you’d like to hear about or see from the area certainly let me know. Ted Beatie is also down there right now, so if you’re interested you should definitely check out his accounts of the scene.

After Haiti I hope to get to the Dominican Republic and Cuba. I’m betting that both those places will be great. Especially after months of labour. Then it’s up to New York for a few days at the end of June then… who knows. I kind of have my eye on Oktoberfest, but it’s just too far away to tell for certain.

As I said, I’ll be sad to leave Victoria. It really is a lovely city and well worth a visit if you have the opportunity to do so. I’ve met several great people in the past month here and had a lot of fun. So that’s pretty much the state of the union  for me. Keep on truckin’.

.

// shawn

Thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed, I appreciate it! Please be sure to stop by the site sometimes and leave a comment so I know you're still alive. I worry about you. Are you eating okay? Ok, see ya! -- T-Minus 3 Days To Haiti is a post from: Rerunaround

We had walked past countless sailboats and it was just another morning in the harbour. All the proverbial chat topics were going on, “ohh that one is pretty” and “I could sail around the world on that baby”, and so on. Then amongst all the fancy boats this little beauty suddenly caught my eye and ignited my day dreaming muscles.

She certainly isn’t anything stunning to look at, I admit. I know the photo is a bit busy with all the rigging in the background and it came off my phone so the quality isn’t hot. How often do you see such a cute little sailboat like that though? Definitely older since she’s all wood construction. And even a wood burning stove chimney. You sure wouldn’t get anything like that these days. She isn’t fancy by any stretch of the imagination, but she sure has personality.

I have no idea who lives on there or what the boat’s story is. However, I’ve spent plenty of time imagining how if she were my boat I’d get up early to warm up the stove. Maybe have afternoon projects like replacing some rigging here and there or sanding down the deck for a fresh coat of stain. I wonder how she would sail. Probably fairly heavy compared to newer boats, but I bet she’d be seaworthy enough to go plenty of places. Maybe drift into a quiet inlet for the night. Nobody around but some dodgy looking seals and a random gull.

I have no idea what this particular boat’s name is. I think I’d name her Ingrid though. It sounds about right to me.

.

// shawn

Thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed, I appreciate it! Please be sure to stop by the site sometimes and leave a comment so I know you're still alive. I worry about you. Are you eating okay? Ok, see ya! -- Look At This Boat! is a post from: Rerunaround

It’s so warm and sunny today that the closest thing to snow here is the layer of cherry blossoms lining the sidewalks. I had taken completely for granted that I was walking around clean, safe downtown streets. Passing great architecture, interesting shops, and several tempting little cafes. I got to further considering the amazing amount of activities in this region and all the great spots to see. Just in this small, yet beautiful, corner of the world there’s more things I want to do than I can comfortably list.

To illustrate my original point a little bit, here’s what Victoria looks like from that random spot where I paused to let the photographer get his shot. Taking this hasty photo gave me something to do while I waited. It’s by no means the most picturesque spot in town. In fact, it’s a bit average. Which is what I find really exceptional.

No, I’m not canceling my future trips to instead stay here and partake in the myriad local experiences. I am however clear in my mind that as I continue to travel around, I’m not looking for something better, but am instead simply looking around.

.

// shawn

Thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed, I appreciate it! Please be sure to stop by the site sometimes and leave a comment so I know you're still alive. I worry about you. Are you eating okay? Ok, see ya! -- Is The Grass Greener? is a post from: Rerunaround

No Real Issues

I don’t know how many Air Canada flights I’ve taken over the years. Lets call it dozens. I’ve never had a flight arrive more than 15 minutes off of the scheduled time. I consider 15 minutes to be a pretty acceptable buffer.

Comfy & Clean

There have been times on other airlines where I’ve had visible food smudges on my seat, trash in the pocket, random stickiness, you name it. Air Canada planes always seem to be pretty clean. And to me, clean is half the battle of comfy. I can’t get comfortable in a dirty seat. The seats on Air Canada flights are probably about average for comfort I suppose. Plus I can cross my legs without any coxal bone contortions.

Video On Demand

I’m generally appalled these days when I’m on a plane with those little TVs hanging from the center of the ceiling. They always seem to have that one worn out VHS copy of Harry and the Hendersons where the audio cuts out right when he chases Harry back into the woods. Every Air Canada flight I’ve been on in the past few years has had the seat back LCD with a full catalog of movies, TV, music and games on demand. Not even crappy shows either!

USB & Power

Smack dab right beside said video on demand screen are a USB plug and a power plug. This is as good as it gets in geek land. When my flight is just the first part of my trip it’s so nice to be able to have my MP3 player charging while I listen to it. So the battery doesn’t die on me in the middle of a train ride the following day.

Snacky Snack Snack

Yea, Air Canada still gives you a snack with the beverage service. How nice is that? I love the snack! Usually it’s some kind of nuts, or chex mix or a chewy snack bar. So the one time I decide to take a phone pic of my snack for the purpose of this post it’s Bran Crunch. Which sounds pretty crappy, but it was surprisingly tasty.

Mobile Boarding Pass

When I check in online, from my phone, or even at the airport kiosk, I have the option to receive a paperless boarding pass sent to my phone. This is very cool. I just show the bar code image on my phone to security and at the gate and that’s it.

Canada

I’m a big sucker for patriotism, so just the fact that they’ve got Canada in their name makes me like it. If there was Canada brand gum, underpants, or chocolate bars I would buy the hell out of them. Are you reading this Canadian gum entrepreneurs?!

Star Alliance

Air Canada is a Star Alliance member, which means their flights have a strong partner list for connections and the such. Plus their mileage points will quite easily get you anywhere in the world. After reading Frequent Flyer Master I know just how important that really is.

Nice People

I like nice people. Generally, there’s no good reason to be rude to people. If someone working for a company is rude, I unintentionally take it as a negative aspect of the entire company. I’ve never had any rude interactions with an Air Canada employee, and they always seem to be quite nice.

Napkin?

Okay yea, this one at first sounds like filler to bump this list to an even dozen. Basically, one small change they’ve made that I noticed is that the napkins no longer have the dyed logo on them. They’re just white with the white logo stamped on them. There’s been a few little things they’ve done like that to be more environmental, and I appreciate those types of things. Especially when you consider the scale of each small step they take to be greener. Imagine how many napkins they use worldwide every day.

Haitian Relief Efforts

There have been some really touching stories in the news about Air Canada sending multiple flights full of relief supplies and people into Haiti, and bringing home orphans and refugees. I feel really good about supporting a company that is a generous global citizen.

The Beautiful People

No, I don’t mean the flight attendants are foxy. Oh, but I’m not saying that some aren’t either! I mean they are well groomed, healthy looking people. I’ve been on some airlines where the sickly and sloppy looking attendants turned me right off of my free orange juice.

Well anyways, those are my dozen reasons for preferring Air Canada. I suppose not all of those reasons appeal to everyone, but they are what they are. Do you have a preferred air carrier? Or is brand loyalty dead in favour of saving a dollar or two?

.

// shawn

ps: This post is dedicated to Jeannie.

Thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed, I appreciate it! Please be sure to stop by the site sometimes and leave a comment so I know you're still alive. I worry about you. Are you eating okay? Ok, see ya! -- A Dozen Reasons Why I Prefer Air Canada is a post from: Rerunaround

I really like the style of those roundtable posts they do at Where I’ve Been. Comparing the different answers from various travel folks gives a different sense of perspective on the topic. Plus it’s neat when all three of the contributors give the identical answer to a question. Then you know there must really be something to it beyond personal opinion. This is actually the second one I’ve contributed to and with some luck I hope to do more in the future. Anyways, check it out!

Oh, Canada: In a few days, epic NBC Winter Olympics montages will remind the world that its rugged environs have provided us photogenic landscapes, hockey, poutine and moose for decades. And while Bob Costas and co. might boost interest, Canada remains a remarkably overlooked tourist destination. Why?

Continue reading Travel Tuesday Roundtable: Canada on the whereivebeen.com blog.

.

// shawn

Thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed, I appreciate it! Please be sure to stop by the site sometimes and leave a comment so I know you're still alive. I worry about you. Are you eating okay? Ok, see ya! -- Visiting Canada? is a post from: Rerunaround

On Cheating The Fiddler
“Then we will have tonight!” we said.
“Tomorrow — may we not be dead?”
The morrow touched our eyes, and found
Us walking firm above the ground,
Our pulses quick, our blood alight.
Tomorrow’s gone — we’ll have tonight!

I had considered “Enough Rope” as the title of this very site in honour of Dorothy. A sober point that it’s very easy to throw out your baby with all that bathwater. The freedom and wherewithal to shrug off the nine to five and be independent for a living really is just enough rope to hang yourself, isn’t it? Note: should anyone ever wish to give me a treasured gift, I’d eternally swoon over an Enough Rope first edition. Just saying. Ultimately, it came across as a bit too sobering of a title for what should be a fairly sunny genre of writing. So I opted for nonsense instead.

If you ever have the opportunity to acquire a copy of The Portable Dorothy Parker I highly recommend seizing it. As I got down to the very last handful of items in my apartment to toss, I came across my copy. As one of the only books left on my shelf I was torn over what to do with it. My old back says there’s no way I’m toting it around in my backpack, but my bloody heart says that it surely must come with. At the time of this writing it rests tentatively on the “pack me” pile. We’ll see. I leave you with some of Dorothy’s shorter and more famous quotes. Good day.

“Drink and dance and laugh and lie, Love, the reeling midnight through, For tomorrow we shall die! (But, alas, we never do)”

“I don’t care what anybody says about me as long as it isn’t true.”

“Lips that taste of tears, they say are the best for kissing.”

“I shall stay the way I am because I do not give a damn.”

“I wish I could drink like a lady / I can take one or two at the most / Three and I’m under the table / Four and I’m under the host”

Finally, my very favourite, “You can drag a horticulture, but you can’t make her think.”

.

// shawn

Thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed, I appreciate it! Please be sure to stop by the site sometimes and leave a comment so I know you're still alive. I worry about you. Are you eating okay? Ok, see ya! -- Dorothy Parker, My Unlikely Inspiration is a post from: Rerunaround

I learned that pumpkin beer is delightful. If you enjoy beer – I mean real beer, not budweiner – and you’re not struck infertile at the site of a pumpkin, then I recommend trying out some pumpkin beer. Good friends of mine are wise in the ways of beer, and they assembled a few pumpkin beers for me to test drive. For the record, pumpkin is pretty much one of my favourite things. There was Swans, Phillips, and I think the other was Granville Island. All three were quite good, and each surprisingly different from one another. It was nice though how well the pumpkin flavour fit with the natural beery flavour. It wasn’t out of place or contrary like some of the more gimmicky beer types can be. So if you have the means, I definitely recommend giving pumpkin beer a try, you may just be pleasantly surprised.

I learned that you can put salt on grapefruit. It was a normal grapefruit, not a pink one, and it was surprisingly pretty good. It doesn’t taste at all how you would think. Try it.

I learned that Chupacabra on 6th street in Austin not only makes damn fine cheap tacos, but they also have a good selection of imported Central American beers. Also some from the Philippines, Portugal and elsewhere. Definitely worth a visit since they’re just $2 a bottle! Speaking of taco beers, Adam just showed me this awesome Dos Equis commercial that makes me want to drink it even more.

I learned that playing tons of Wii frisbee golf on xmas day will totally make you want to play it for reallies. I’ve got my eyes open for chances to play now.

I learned that if you can make a bored barista laugh she just might give you an extra cupcake for free. Sweet!

Lastly, I learned that it only leads to frustration if I set lofty or detailed expectations of people. No one can match the expectations of a bored guy with a good imagination, so I need to just let people do their thing and be cool with that.

What did you learn this week? Have a nice new year, and keep on truckin’!

.

// shawn

Thanks for subscribing to my RSS feed, I appreciate it! Please be sure to stop by the site sometimes and leave a comment so I know you're still alive. I worry about you. Are you eating okay? Ok, see ya! -- What I Learned This Week: Jan 2 is a post from: Rerunaround