Log> Videoblogger on the beach

This from Ko Phangan - along with the three book reviews I've piled up recently, posted below. Next Kuala Lumpur, then the island of Pulau Tioman, then Singapore. Let's go.



 

Words> Everyman by Philip Roth

Rarely have I finished a book in one sitting, and to be perfectly honest, I did move from the breakfast table to the hammock halfway through Philip Roth's Everyman. But I think that counts.

It's a sobering novel of family, death and love, told in straightforward, uncomplicated language, the kind that you must speak to yourself in when laying down how life really is. Starting and ending with the same death, brushing others on its way from grave to grave, it is nonetheless surprisingly full of hope and understanding. It is indeed the story of everyman. Only read it if you know you can take death at a face value.



 

Words> The Cult of the Amateur by Andrew Keen

A word of warning. "The Cult of the Amateur" must be one of the worse books I've read and gotten through. Penned by Andrew Keen, a Silicon Valley Brit who, it sounds, has grown bitter at the web 2.0 phenomenon, is chock-a-block with misinterpretations, misinformation and data taken our of context. Keen has a couple of valid concerns about web 2.0 and couple that are not really related, but most of the rationale he puts behind these concerns is empty and conservative in the worst way. He undermines any little credibility the book might have by wrongly describing the principle of Google's and other search engines; by comparing apples to oranges in both music and movie industry figures; and by using the word 'indeed' more often than any Briton should get away with, as if to echo his own words at the fear of not having enough of an audience.

The book could have discussed valid points and suggested solutions for increasing media and source criticism, and respect for intellectual property - instead, it reads like a sudden burst of negativity from the resentful sidelines. After all, the sub-title is "How Today's Internet is Killing Our Culture and Assaulting Our Economy", and the tone of the rest of the book doesn't get much better. I can't figure out why it was published, since it's not even worthy of any sensationalist edge Keen so seems to despise in his description of how blogs and YouTube videos are uneducated trite - yet, as he laments after big-budget movies underperforming at the box office, he gives as an example the movie SNAKES ON A PLANE? Oh yes, Internet, please kill our culture if this is what it has become.



 

Words> On Writing by King

I just finished reading On Writing, the memoir of the craft by Stephen King. I read King a lot when I was young, and I think The Stand was the first book I read in English that I was completely obsessed about, probably when I was around 13. It left me exhausted, wondering how a better story could ever be told, the scope encompassing human survival, love, evil and higher purpose, all in a tight package (well, a tight 1,000-page package). Later in life, I've put a book or two of his down halfway through - Gerald's Game I'm sure about. It grew tepid too quickly, but the setting, in its desert-like scarcity of material, was a tricky one.

There's a tone in On Writing that grips you. It's an unspoken urgency with much effort put into sincerity that comes through first, and by the end of the book you'll know writing it wasn't easy. King was hit by a van that almost killed him halfway through this book, and while I wouldn't recommend that as a source of inspiration or purpose, I think it made a difference. This book doesn't let you put it down - the author sure as hell didn't let himself put it down, either.

The book is part memoir, part words of guidance on how King finds books are born. Not a how-to, though there are many points that a writer - especially a fiction writer - can benefit from. Encouragement is the biggest of these points. Dealing with pain is a close number two. Reading the first chapters on a riverboat from Saigon, I realized I was crying freely in a public place since I can't remember when (no, yes I can - I was 11 and on a boy scout camp I hated). I don't think anyone noticed.

As a child, King had gone through multiple painful operations due to ear infections that required puncturing the eardrum and draining the infected liquid with a large needle. This all resulted in tonsillectomy later, but the "ear-lancings" were enough to traumatize him.

I could relate - no, I had lived through the same. I was 17 when I had a throat abscess punctured for the same purpose. First time, then another, then a tonsillectomy, then a third lancing since the tonsillectomy didn't help, then a second tonsillectomy (these episodes helped me bring my clinical operation record to over a dozen hospitalizations before I was 18).

The terror involves the doctor darkening the room while the nurse lights an alcohol lamp for sterilization of equipment. The lamp is the only other light source in addition to the doctor's head torch, whiter than any light you've seen. My doctor never bothered to tell me it's not going to hurt. He just told me to sit still - or would I rather like to be strapped into that chair over there, he asked gesturing towards a chair that seemed fitting decoration for Hannibal Lecter's cell. The thin smell of alcohol was everywhere. Local anesthetics were sprayed and injected in my throat, but unfortunately infected tissue doesn't absorb anesthetics too well. Too bad. Voluntarily holding your mouth open as an unsymphatetic someone with a torch sticks in your throat a needle you'd think to encounter only when salting pork is bad enough, but the pain and the crunching sound from the back of your throat (or is the neck already? Can't tell in that sweaty darkness) as the needle penetrates layers of different tissue, well, it just has to be experienced. Just by the third time, even seeing the door of the room where the lamp is being lit triggers sheer panic.

For the love of darkened rooms and limited choices all ending with pain - well, I'm not surprised King writes about the subject material he does. Great, illuminating read.




 

Sights> The ruins of Angkor Wat

I've piled up posts a lot lately. Not that I haven't been doing stuff, but for some reason there are still drafts standing in the list. I'll offload them sooner or later, but now y'all deserve to see some of the Angkor Wat photos.

The Trip: Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is unmissable. You shouldn't come in the vicinity if you can't go and see it, that important it is. I don't want make comparisons, but I had to think of it relation to Tikal in Guatemala, the first major ruin I've seen, and Angkor Wat may just beat it, if not in vibe, in sheer size and variety.

Of course, these tourist attractions are tricky to navigate sometimes. I had two full days to dedicate to the temples, and the morning of the first woke up at 4.50 am to go and see the main temple in sunrise. Well, so did about 2,000 other people. It was insane, elbowing through a crowd at 5.15 am to catch a glimpse, let alone a photo of the towers without others looking through their digital viewfinders, a thousand-headed herd of three-eyed visitors waiting for the sun to rise. Further - the stupid thing was partly covered by scaffolding. Duh...

I quickly made my way to the inner temple. I couldn't see the silhouette against the dawn that way, but I'd also lose the herd. It was fun for a while, but I was more concerned about getting to the places I really wanted to see - Ta Phrom being the first one.

Sure enough, the tourist buses and tuk-tuks and taxis all move clockwise on the trail, so I asked my tuk-tuk guy to go the other way, counter-clockwise, skipping one temple and heading straight to Ta Phrom. He protested at first, probably on the grounds "but it's always done this way", but did my bidding.

And if it wasn't worth it. I had all of Ta Phrom to myself at 6 am as the first rays of the sun made their way through the thick jungle surrounding the wild ruins. Majority of my photos are from here, this is what I had come for, to witness the sheer power of the jungle against the huge stone edifices made by man centuries ago.

We did the smaller circuit that day and the next day I both ventured further and returned to some of my favorite places, but the rain and the amount of people on the second day deducted from the experience.

So I did snap some photos, and while I was at it, I was wondering about the whole tourist photography thing. In Siem Reap, the town built on the popularity of Angkor Wat, had quite a few oversized billboards advertising Nikon's and Canon's latest pro-level digital SLR cameras. We are all photographers, now, and the simple lessons of composition and light are quickly learned and applied. There are artists among photographers, but the line is blurring. Maybe we are all artists some day.

A photo extends the experience. The 'something to remember this by' is just that - unwillingness to let go, to extend the experience as far into the future as possible. And the photo, seemingly immovable, has a promise of time frozen into eternity in it. With a photo, it seems we can hold on for ever, and we just love the thought of eternity. Playing with the frame, we can focus and solidify that memory further, and when it works out, it much better than the memory of the real thing. Ever first seen a photo of something, then seen the real thing and been disappointed? Not necessarily the case with Angkor Wat, but you get my point, maybe.

Another thing I was thinking about among the massive rubble in the beating heat: everywhere Ta Phrom was mentioned in more than two sentences, the information that it was used in filming Tomb Raider was also supplied. If Ta Phrom survives, I wonder how historians in the year 3,997 CE will attribute the place? As the stage that finally cemented the enormous revenue potential of films by pouty-lipped actresses?

EDIT: Lifehacker just posted this on the Nikon Digital Learning Center. Looks good. It's on Flick though.



 

Thoughts> Retro perfection on two wheels?

The more I think about travelling in Australia, the more dedicated I am to spend at least 2-3 months there - and buy a motorcycle. It's turning out difficult to get insurance for a Finnish guy with a UK license on an Australian bike, but paperwork's never stopped me (until it's been too late, on a few occasions). Onto the shopping, then!

I thought I'd want something like the Yamaha V-Max. It's got the looks and the grunt, but it may not be terribly practical for long touring. The seat isn't really conducive to placing luggage, for example.



Now, I'd also thought that the old BMW tourers were probably the ugliest bikes in existence. Boxy, bulky-looking, something that your dad's Octoberfest-bodied friend might ride, they certainly weren't for me. Not even on the same road as me, thanks very much.

Until it hit me. The BMW K100RS did. No, not literally. I was looking at one on the street in Bangkok, a battered old boy, and I realized what a retro beauty it was. The lines were balanced, the expression utilitarian and effortless. It didn't try to be cool, but it was. Something about the finishing and the angles reminds me of my old Star Wars toys, especially the X-Wing.

(from Motorcycle.co.uk)

It's still a bit ugly, sure. The prettiest retro-styled bike I know is the faired Suzuki Bandit 400V from early 90's and late 80's. That is pretty retro already, but the round nose cowl just takes you smack back in the 60's. Too bad 400 cc is a bit small for a touring engine - and you can't really find these anywhere.

(from Suzukicycles.org)

What shall it be? Suggestion accepted. And if you want to insure me, do let me know.



 

Log> Tie my shoelaces for me

Finally, an answer. This is why my footbag technique has been sub-par all these years.



Brandish picked up a great article on tying shoelaces for different styles and purposes. The season is on at all the hostels and beaches I'm hitting, so will keep this in mind.



 

Wisdom> Waiting for art

Something I stumbled upon today and wanted to share with y'all.

Josh Greene is a San Francisco-based waiter and artist. A common combination in Nor-Cal art circles, I've observed based on the little experience I have from there. What makes Mr. Greene special is his private, personal foundation Service-Works. Every month, he donates one night's worth of tips to fund a project of his choosing. Anyone can apply, the scope of the projects is defined in the FAQs based on Greene's interests. The projects he has funded in the past are all detailed on the site, with a little story on how that month's project money was made (seems to range from $200 to $400).

To keep smiling, it's worth going over some of Greene's other projects. I love this one, oh, and the unlicensed therapist, too. This is art in action, unpretentiously walking into your everyday life and fitting you with a new set of glasses, ones that are tinted in that strange polarized smoke that makes contrast so much stronger.


 

Sights> Albums from Cambodia

The Trip: Cambodia, S21

Two small photo albums from Cambodia, very different in nature. The Nikon D40 is starting to make a difference - I'm shooting more if nothing else. The first one is from S21 in Phnom Phen, where Pol Pot's regime detained and executed thousands of Cambodians. School turned torture center, it's a harrowing place to visit even today.

The Trip: Kids are weird

The second one is a small set of crazy photos of kids I've snapped in the last couple of days. They are an endless source of joy. I'll add to this, I've some old ones that will fit here too. Warning: full frontal nudity.

Sights> Log> Sold down on the Mekong

The Trip: Vietnam #2

This comes from Phnom Phen, but here's more photos from the way up here on the Mekong river. We stayed in a little border town for one night on the way, so it took a total of two days on a wooden slow boat.

What made me blog now is intellectual capital and the little value it seems to have in these countries. Sure, if you're getting by with $40 a month, selling counterfeit t-shirts with a multi-billion corporation brand on them doesn't feel like you're doing too much harm. But, as hard as it is, it's the principle that counts.

I'm working on launching a couple of, if not brands, at least branded commercial identities, so I've thought about this quite a bit lately. Arriving in Bangkok at first I was awed by the amount and quality of counterfeit goods sold practically everywhere. The actual department stores sell inferior brands since Polo, Nike, Burberry, D&G, et al. are covered by the stalls in the night market. I thought hell, why not stock up and send some home to the bro and sis while I'm at it - maybe one of those superficially faithful Patek Philippe copies wouldn't look too bad on me. But I didn't, and I won't. I'll wait until I can afford the real thing, thanks very much - if I really feel I need it then.

What really made up my mind were the "publishing houses" in Vietnam and here in Cambodia. There's a row of copiers on one side, and bookshelves on the other side. None of the books are originals. In fact, a fellow traveller told me she tried to buy a book that had just come out, and they'd told her "no no, not for sale, for copy". I would've possible hit that person on the mouth at that point. Seeing this in action finally underlined the bad vibe I've had about downloading music for free (though, yes, I've discovered tons of music I've paid for eventually). I have such immense respect for writers that I could only see this as a great wrongdoing. If I'll ever write my book, get it published and find it in a Cambodia publishing house, I'll burn the damn establishment down.


 

Log> Saigon, suddenly

Saigon. Shit. I'm still only in Saigon.*

But when I wake up I don't think I'm going to wake up in the jungle. Yet it's a movie worth making a pilgrimage for. Today I went to see the Chu Chi tunnels the Viet Cong inhabited for long years and tomorrow I'm taking a boat from Saigon (or Ho Chi Minh City as the Hanoi government renamed it) to Pnomh Phen. There are very capitals that you can easily traverse between by river, and it seems like a worthy alternative to yet another bus, and the Mekong River, featured in such important pieces as Sisters of Mercy's 'Doctor Jeep', is something I'm looking forwards to.

Another important pilgrimage for me in Saigon was the street corner of Nguyễn Đình Chiểu and Cách Mạng Tháng Tám, pictured here (the small shrine is in the background on the other side of the crossroads). 44 years ago, Thich Quang Duc burned himself to death in opposition of the persecution of Buddhism by the government then. It's a famous incident, and I remember learning about it at a quite early age, possibly from my maternal grandfather - he had a great collection of science and history books (well, aged current affairs books really) that I flipped through eagerly. The combination of suicide, possibly unbearable pain and devotion to an external cause was so puzzling to me that I thought of it often, and forms a part of my interest towards cultures influenced by Buddhism.

But have an early call tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have more things to post, especially now that I replaced my two broken cameras with a Nikon D40. Finally a real digital SLR, makes such a difference (well, not yet, let me practice with it a bit...).



 

Log> Let's maybe start a videoblog. Or I don't know. Let's try it out.

This is an experimental video blog post. No holiday stuff, just internal monologue about the impacts of travel. I may or may not make this a habit, let's see how it grows on me (watch the video to get the pun. If you did already: weak, cheap pun, I admit).

While I'm at it, uploading the video and all, I've run into the most futile form of censorship: the Thailand Ministry of Information blocks access to YouTube but allows Google Video. Duh. It's the same company and same content, sillies. Here, they're watching you / me / each other:

Log> Sights> India: we're working on it

This is me jumping into conclusions, I guess, but I fail to see what the India-hype is about. Granted, I've only been to major cities, some countryside in between and seen the main sights - I tried to get to Rishikesh but the main road was closed due to the holy month processions and the alternative road was closed due to flooding. Sitting duck in Bombay (wish I was a duck, would fit better on the flooded streets), I figured I could go and check out Goa for a few days, despite it not being in season - or alternatively allocate a bit more time to the South-East Asian trek. I decided on the latter. It's drier on the east-facing coast that I intend to go down, there's some business in Thailand before that.

Now, I'm sure this is a nice enough country to travel if you have a lot of time and are willing to figure out the ways to make your travel here cheap. I'm lacking a bit in both, and am left with a feeling of being ripped off and, like stated above, wondering what the hype is about. I've met so many people who're enthralled with India, and every time the riksha driver stuffs the hundred rupia bill in his pocket and ignores me until I get tired of demanding my change back, I wonder - what am I doing wrong getting this bad a picture of the country?

A few things that piss me off: entrance fee to Taj Mahal is 750 rupias for foreigners and 20 rupias for Indians. That's just 37 times as much. That's not a fair adjustment even if you'd base it on income per capita of the richer countries where the tourists come from. Oh, and you pay more if you have a camera with you in many places, yet some 'monuments', such as the Amber Palace in Jaipur, are just rubble and trash, and urine-smelling rubble and trash at that. Which in comparison didn't bother me too much, after a lady from a people-carrier driving in front of us vomited on our windscreen on the way there. Trying to leave the temple, I was asked for the entry ticket. I'd misplaced it somewhere in the receipt-burial pocket of my backpack, and the guard wanted to charge me the entrance fee again - upon leaving. I laughed them off and was pointed (not quite escorted) to the exit from the complex. After having enjoyed rather enlightening moments in temples in Japan and Indonesia, this was just a slap in the face.

The food is consistently very good, though. I've eaten only vegetarian here and had the best, most diverse meals. And the Taj is majestic indeed, one of the best monuments on Earth.

But I think the country, 60 years old now, will not stand a chance against China's economic might and scale. There's no question in my mind who will dominate the latter part of this century. A simple, albei anecdotal, consumer-level observation: China is on the verge of getting 100% Chinese brands on the Western mass market - they are all over rest of Asia already, from cars to clothes. On the other hand, name an Indian brand sold abroad? The world's largest democracy it may be, but it must start to relax protectionism to export anything else than VOIP services from it's BPO call centres and lines of code from IT outsourcing outfits.

Words> Adventure Capitalist

Two books with titles Investment Biker and Adventure Capitalist had caught my eye over the years many times. Finally, in Hong Kong, I decided to go out and buy the latter one. Written by Jim Rogers, co-founder of the Quantum Fun (with George Soros - not that his name gets mentioned by Jim; I wonder why), about his 3-year drive around and all over the world, the book did further encourage me to combine fun and productive activity (don't you dare call it work) on my trip.

So, I found the book in Hong Kong's Page One. They carried two editions, and upon opening the latter one, I saw it had an inscription on the first page. Odd, I thought, it was selling for the same price as the other edition. I took it to the counter to ask if they had more of the same edition to see if they had been signed by the author as well. They didn't, and upon misunderstanding my inquiry as a complaint, knocked 30% off the price for me. I haven't yet found out how an autographed copy was standing alone in a bookstore in Hong Kong.

I found a lot of parallels to how I view the world from the book. Jim is a free-market capitalist of the first order, attested by his views as well as his wallet. Having followed the African development discussion in the UK and having seen some of the continent recently, I was quite receptive to Jim's idea of 1) forgiving all African debts and 2) ending all aid to Africa. Many of my peers will readily agree with the first one but may be appalled of the second item. Yet, with the risk of sounding horribly right-wing, I think free, public, NGO'd money will always be counter-effective in spurring the countries to their feet. As long as they stay on their knees, they'll keep receiving the alms. And the 30 billion dollars in interest payments the continent shells out annually could be much better used on the continent. Investing one's own money will always be done with more care than investing someone else's money that one is not economically responsible for. This should of course be done in steps and stages to minimize human suffering from the change of gears.

He also keeps a keen eye on internal developments of other countries, looking for investment opportunities. The logic he applies is proven, I'll have to admit, and the global comparison of nations in this way, from the viewpoint of a profit-seeking individual investor, does make sense for economic development. After all, he is investing in markets, not exploiting specific niches such as dirt-cheap labour costs as many international capitalists (and entrepreneurs, I'm reminded) do.

Of course, Jim has a bit more to invest than I do, and I would like to fashion myself more as a 'nomad entrepreneur' than an 'adventure capitalist', on both counts - I much prefer drifting into over specifically looking for an adventure. They'll come along. They always have. And of course because I'm lazy.

Good read, but don't grab it along as a travelogue if you yearn for a taste of the exotic and the cultural - partly because Jim had already seen most of the places he was going to on his previous trips (he was often just showing something extraordinary to his wife, Paige), he doesn't emphasize the feeling of discovery at all. Re-discovery, perhaps.

Tomorrow, Delhi!