Novel Times, Novel Measures

IMG_1346, originally uploaded by noveltimes.

I must say that the week or so I just spent in Laos has been some of the most enjoyable time of my trip so far. I’m in Cambodia now — just arrived this morning after a terribly early and woefully delayed flight from Vientiane, Laos. I haven’t seen much of Cambodia other than Siem Reap, the gateway to the ruins of Angkor, but already it reminds me of the hustle and bustle of Thailand. Motorscooters, throngs of tourists, general mayhem. Laos was anything but.

As one of the poorest nations in the world, infrastructure — and, hence, tourism — has been slow to develop in Laos. That being said, development is not far behind. You can feel it in the streets of Luang Prabang, which already cater to a surprisingly ritzy euro clientele. With the NY Times Travel Section recently ranking Laos the top destination of 53 featured spots around the world, the days of a sleepy Laos are numbered. For now, though, the countryside is beautiful and rugged, the people kind and welcoming, the going somewhat rough along winding routes through craggy mountains. In fact, Laos is one of the few places where I have actually seen an abundance of agriculture in or around cities and towns, which tells me that many folks here still tend to the soil and live close to the land.

Despite the immediacy of the Loas experience, it brings up some misgivings for me. It would seem that so much of the “real” travel experience hinges on witnessing another culture or country’s misfortune and poverty. There are certainly plenty of Westerners that would prefer to jump from Starbucks to KFC to 7-11 and never be inconvenienced or confronted by the reality of another culture, content to skim the cream off the top. But just as many tourists are looking to see and feel life on the ground in the developing countries they visit. Perhaps the desire exists to remove themselves, if only for a few days or weeks, from the amenities and abstracted maze of the developed world. But the very process of purchasing this cultural experience, of inserting oneself in another culture, brings about change which cannot be reversed. Such transmission of money, information and values cannot be avoided, I suppose, but it weighs heavy on mind my as I participate in the tourist frenzy that is the high season in Southeast Asia.

More photos of my time in Luang Prabang are waiting for you here.

Filed under: Southeast Asia

IMG_1039, originally uploaded by noveltimes.

I snapped this photo on my way to the ruins at Sukothai and it really sums up my questions about the developing world and our global future. First of all, let me say that Thai children are adorable, and this little fella was no exception. I don’t know what kind of scrap he got into that left those scrapes on his forehead, but they only increased the cute factor. He was fidgeting quite a bit on the bus ride out of town. All that stopped completely, though, when his mom handed him a single -serving package of potato chips. When she did, my heart sunk.

Although I don’t eat too many chips these days, I have certainly had my fair share in the past. After all, who am I to say that Thai children shouldn’t have the same conveniences as I? In fact, every child here of a certain age seems to have his or her own cell phone/camera. I am not begrudging them their chips or their cells. In fact, if we Westerners can have them, shouldn’t every nation be allowed, even encouraged to have the same? And there’s the rub.

In many ways it saddens me to see the wholescale adoption of the Western lifestyle by cultures that only a few decades ago had but the smallest exposure to our virtues and vices. Certainly there is the problem of environmental impact, not only in the production of consumer goods but also in their disposal — a problem which only intensifies as more efficient production lowers price points and allows greater access to consumer goods. I won’t even go into the market penetration being pursued by some of the usual multinational corporate suspects. More insidious, though, is how these goods begin to influence cultural change at a pace far beyond that which has been experienced by traditionally rural communities. Changes in diet, probably not for the better; changes in social communication and values, probably not encouraging the strength of family and community units; changes in local economies, probably not ensuring long-term stability for access to basic needs.

I don’t claim to have any answers to these problems. Heck, I’m not even sure these are problems to begin with. The broad view of cultural evolution is certainly beyond my comprehension. Somehow, despite the bleak future to which these trends seem to point, all of my questioning eventually resolves into some sort of unsettled acceptance of our wild and wily 21st century. An acceptance that contains a shard of hope and faith that evolution will continue to pursue higher forms of expression and Life. After all, countries like Thailand have been host to some of the most beautiful expressions of Life yet to grace our planet. There’s no reason to think that such beauty will not be seen again.

Filed under: Southeast Asia

IMG_1027, originally uploaded by noveltimes.

Nothing like being bored in a train station with plenty of time to kill.

Filed under: Southeast Asia