Amateur Traveler Podcast Entertains & Educates

A perfect job would include reading and writing and traveling. And, eating the local cuisine. And, drinking some local beers. Sounds like the perfect job to me. Traveling the globe, writing, reading, eating and drinking… yeah, Anthony Bourdain has pretty much the world's best job.

I don't travel much. Teaching geography, one would think I travel a lot. I did as a child. My parents, especially my father, drove us all over the American Southwest. Arizona, New Mexico, and southwest Colorado have a special place in my heart. As an adult, I've made a couple of really bad choices with my revenue stream which I get to pay for into the next decade. I also had stomach surgery years ago which left me unable to vomit. To be a really adventurous traveler, one needs to have the ability to puke. Bacteria conform to a certain geography. Not all places have the same bacterial flora as Kentucky or Missouri or Arizona. People living in Eastern Europe, Russia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Argentina do not have identical intestinal flora.

When we travel to exotic places our bodies need time to adjust. The "adjustment" period goes by several names, like "traveler's tummy" or "montezuma's revenge." I do not like the fact I only have one egress for problem foods and substances so I pay attention to where I travel and what I eat.

From spectrum of human conditions arises an interesting question:

"What can a person who might be home-bound or otherwise unable to travel do to develop some sense, experience or knowledge of other places ?

With such cable stations like The Travel Channel and Public Broadcasting shows like "Rick Steves' Europe" anyone with access to cable television or the Internet can travel vicariously through others to far-off lands and never leave their kitchen table, desk, or bed. I recommend one should try to travel someplace, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, England or the United Kingdom of Great Britain or Ireland, or even Japan. All U.S. citizens should try to travel outside our country once in a person's life. I do recognize traveling may fall outside a person's ability or means, though.

One of my favorite podcasts to which I frequently listen is Chris Christensen's "Amateur Traveler." The Amateur Traveler podcast is a 30-60 minute interview-style podcast. The host, Chris Christensen, interviews a person who has recently returned from a trip somewhere. You can literally replace "somewhere" with a place name and Chris has probably interviewed someone who has traveled there. I believe the archive of his podcasts date to 2007 and perhaps earlier. I am guessing he has over 500 shows available through iTunes.

Over the last week or so, I've listened to travelers tales of Cyprus, Bulgaria, two places in China, Stonehenge, and Oklahoma. Yes, even places in the United States are fair game. Today, I downloaded a podcast for Brooklyn, NY. I also downloaded a podcast for Northern Iraq, too, and Bangladesh.

Chris is a great host. He has traveled extensively himself and often has knowledge of the precise place the interviewee has visited. His geographic knowledge is pretty vast allowing him to ask good questions, and good follow-up questions. He allows his guests to talk freely, as well. He does not talk over them or interrupt. He asks good leading questions which help the guest interpret their travel, as well. You can almost hear the guest's voice change as he or she realizes some new impression or detail about their trip.

Throughout their conversation, which is really what the podcast feels like, that you are simply eavesdropping on two or more friends talking about their travel experience. The conversation is light-hearted yet educational. Chris makes sure to hit the mark, covering climate, weather, the best time to travel, the worst time to travel. He also helps listeners plan their own expedition, in essence.

"If you had to give someone advice about traveling to Albania what would you want people to know?'

Some of his guests are not professional travelers. They sound as if they have not given much thought to helping someone travel. When posed with question like the one above novice travelers will stumble. Other guests are very seasoned travelers and watchful of traveling pitfalls and very willing to share their experience. Some of his guests have worked for language programs, or health programs, have experiences related to mission trips or aid organizations. Some of his guests simply travel for fun, using vacation time. Regardless of the guests background Chris is deftly able to entice an interesting conversation even from such mundane a place as Oklahoma.

"You know you are in Bulgaria when ___[blank___.

Every place has a "feel," and "atmosphere" which you notice almost after deplaning or going ashore. How do you know you are in a specific place versus being someplace else? What gives your new location away as being unique? The question above Chris poses to his guest. Without video or pictures, how do you communicate the essence of a place in audio only when your audience has no experience of such place?  Chris asks the same set of questions near the end of his podcast. The guest, who I think may be brief on these question ahead of time - yet many never seem to give the questions much thought, surprisingly - often let their minds wander for several seconds as he/she tries to recall definitive memories of their time.

After listening to a few episodes traveling seems easy and within reach of everyone and anyone. Whether you merely want to investigate St. Louis, Missouri, Portland, Oregon, or Prague, Czech Republic, the Amateur Traveler podcast will lure you into fulfilling your own travel dream.

Here is what I do. I like music and listened to music as I exercised but at some point I felt as if I really should be learning something during the 1-2 hours of exercise time, jogging or rowing or biking. I decided to load up my iPhone with Amateur Traveler podcasts and listen to stories of people who have used their time wisely, traveling to interesting places or traveling to mundane places and uncovering fascinating stuff, such as the best Vietnamese dining west of the Mississippi in Tulsa ( I think; could have been Oklahoma City). When I jog, I'm learning new geography, which is what I'm supposed to being doing - expanding my horizons and educating myself.

I also listen at work. I have the luxury of not sharing an office with anyone. When I get bored with NPR I'll tune in the Amateur Traveler and learn something.

Do your brain some good and plug in some Amateur Traveler while you drive your daily commute or exercise.

The Amateur Traveler. Chris Christensen, host. Podcasts available via iTunes Store. Free.

U.S. Citizens Worry Me

I'm trying to get out of the habit of saying, "Americans." As a society, we are really a self-centered lot. North America is comprised of both Canada and the United States. Technically, a Canadian could call herself an "American," as she lives on the continent of North America. But, would that make people living in the United States, er, "Statesians?" or, "USians?"

Someone living in Mexico could call themselves an "American," too. By some geographers account, Mexico is part of North America. I tend to prefer to link Mexico with Central America. Even so, "Central America" is an "America," thus qualifying anyone from the Rio Grande to the Panama Canal to adopt the moniker of "American."

South America is also an "America." A few years ago, I spoke with someone from Brazil. The running joke in Brazil is people in the United States think their country is the only one in the Western Hemisphere. Brazilians, I was told, are "Americans" as much as residents of the United States.

Now, don't misunderstand me. I am not saying these other "Americans" fall under protection of the United States Constitution, nor are governed by U.S. Civil and Criminal Codes. I am saying anyone essentially living in the Western Hemisphere, from an area historically described as being the "Americas" has as much right to call themselves an "American" as anyone in the United States.

Which brings me to a couple points, the first I will cover here, the other I will cover in a second post.

Each semester, the very first activity I engage in, before I even determine attendance, or recite the syllabus, is give a map quiz. My map quiz is not any old map quiz. I present the students with a world map. I ask they identify 18 specific countries. The 18 countries I have them attempt to locate are countries featured prominently in the news: Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, and so on. I tabulate correct responses and create a frequency distribution.

At the end of the semester, students making their way to the end of the course are then presented with the same map and asked to identify the same collection of countries. I tabulate correct responses and create a second frequency distribution.

I've been collecting statistics for about 8 years or so.

I have no idea if college students are representative of the U.S. population. At first blush, I would say, No, simply based on the fact more than 2/3rds of the U.S. population never receive a college degree.

Walking in the door and sitting down at a desk, the initial results I find disturbing. Also, the initial results have not appeared to significantly improve over my measurement period. Thus, I can only conclude people are just as uninformed today as they were in 2004.

Here are some notable statistics:

Despite having been actively engaged in Afghanistan & Iraq for 10 years or so, both countries are the most commonly misidentified countries, at 99% error rate.

Many people self-identify as "Christian" yet cannot find Israel on a map of the world, with an error rate of 95%, only slightly less than Afghanistan or Iraq.

Venezuela, an important supplier of oil products to the United States, fares about the same as Israel, as does Pakistan and North Korea.

Do people ever incorrectly identify the United States? Yes, a few individuals cannot locate the United States on a world map. The error does not happen very often; out of 100 students I can almost guarantee at least one person will not correctly identify the United States. Whereas about 1% will miss the United States, about 5% will miss Mexico.

Finally, most of my college students cannot label correctly all 50 United States. I'm still working on current statistics, but historically greater than 90% of college students taking my courses cannot identify all 50 United States.

We are buffered by two of the world's largest oceans. Yet, in today's globalized economies, I cannot find any excuse or reason why we, U.S. citizens, should have such a poor grasp of our planet's geography.

I would like to give a map exam to all of our state and national leaders, see how well they do. Then, fire all the ones which get less than a 70% (C).

Iraq and Iran: Together for the First Time

Folks, I see this as a big deal. I have read numerous international articles, within the Arab world and without, and I see this as a concern.

Iraq and Iran spent the better part of the 1980's fighting over the Shatt al-Arab waterway in the southern part of Iraq. Oil, of course, was the contention.

Saddam became the buddy of the United States, as a way for us to conduct a proxy war against Iran. After all, the fundamentalist Shi'ites in Iran had just overrun our embassy and taken hostages, keeping them for almost a year. Donald Rumsfeld even took it upon himself to engage Saddam directly during this time, helping deliver non-military assistance, agriculture products supposedly. Supposedly, these where then converted over to chemical weapons that Saddam used to kill 200,000 Kurds in the northern part of Iraq.

The U.S. has not been friendly with Iran ever since we supported the overthrow of the theocratic government in 1952, replacing the president with Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran. The former government had nationalized the oil industry, taking away the investment that a U.S. oil company had made.

The Iranian President enjoyed two days in Iraq. He announced his visit weeks in advance. While security was high, he appeared to travel with impunity and without much regard for his personal safety. He also appeared to enjoy the personal attention of Jalal Talabani and al-Maliki. He visited several places around Baghdad and Iraq, and also received accommodations outside the Green Zone. President Ahmadinejad enjoys the support of the Shia minority in Iraq, the southern portion of Iraq. Iran supported the Kurds during Iran-Iraq War so the Kurds also appreciated Iran's attention. The only ones that seemed upset were the Iraqi Sunni Muslims, who are quietly backed by Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

In contrast, President Bush has stayed little more that 4-8 hours at a stretch in Iraq, has not been outside the Green Zone, and only announces his visit after the fact. Granted, he is a bigger "trophy" for opposition forces so requires more security, but it also says a lot about how the U.S. currently viewed, as well.

When all was said and done, Iraq and Iran signed agreements to improve and promote cooperation, cultural and strategic ties.

Iran is, and will continue to be, an important player in stabilizing Iraq, particularly for the Shia.

Movie Review: In the Valley of Elah

About 70% of a human brain is water. The human brain has a consistency not unlike that of a firm jello. A recent Washington Post article cites research that ties concussions to PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). The question you may be thinking is: what does a jello-like brain and PTSD have to do with "In the Valley of Elah"?

Tommy Lee Jones portrays a father, Hank Deerfield, searching for his son, Mike, who has gone AWOL soon after his return from a tour of duty in Iraq. Jones' character is also a former MP and knows the Army bureaucracy well enough to know that he has to push through it to get answers. Charlize Theron portrays a local police detective assisting him in his search.

**Spoilers Ho'***

We soon find out that Mike is dead, and not just dead, but butchered and barbequed. Rather than hoping his son is AWOL trying to work through the stress of battle, Hank finds himself at odds with the Army in trying to discover his son's murderers.

What we learn throughout the course of the movie is that ordinary people forced to make extraordinary decisions can seem outwardly fine but have undergone serious emotional damage. I begin the discussion by introducing the brain material because we are only now beginning to realize the damage done to the brain by explosions and concussive-type damage. Soldiers subjected to concussive forces as a result of IED explosions, mortar attacks, of even firing their own weapons are at risk or may have already suffered some brain damage.

The damage to their brains will most likely go unrecognized and thusly undiagnosed. Then, the soldiers walk among us with undiagnosed brain injuries. Of course, not all are dangerous, but many are "wounded," psychologically and perhaps even physiologically wounded. Couple this with the fact that these are young men and women whose brains are really still developing, and we have a serious medical condition that left untreated could affect not only the soldiers life for years to come but everyone they come into contact with.

The movie was very good, thought-provoking, and hints at the dangers of war that shadow everyone who has been involved in the military.

Michael Yon: Embedded Blogger in Iraq

Michael Yon was featured on NPR yesterday. At his own personal expense, he has embedded himself in the U.S. Army as an independent correspondent, photographer, etc. He is working on a book of his experience, and has several pictures posted on his blog.

I have skimmed his postings and they ready very well, in my opinion, despite being published "RUB."

Keeping ourselves apprised of situations around the world is important for us to do as American citizens. It is our money and our lives that travel abroad, in the service of our government, and therefore it is our responsibility to hold those we elect accountable and responsible. This seems to be Michael Yon's mission, to clarify and verify news that issues from Iraq and the immediate region.

According to one comment, Michael's site cannot be viewed by servicepeople abroad, as his site has been blocked by the DoD. Maybe because he called the violence in Iraq a "civil war" a year before our news media identified it as such.

Independent voices are important. Otherwise, we all end up drinking our own Kool-Aid.

Blog: Inside Iraq

"Inside Iraq" is a blog updated by Iraqi journalists working for McClatchy Newspapers. They are based in Baghdad and outlying provinces. These are firsthand accounts of their experiences. Their complete names are withheld for security purposes. [This is a cut-and-paste job, as it was easier to post their own "About" than write my own.]

Firsthand experiences are always better than heresay, and that is what this blog is about. Not a visit but a resident, the blog's author shares with us the details of her life. I appreciate this insight much, as I feel it helps us as Americans get a feel for the daily issues of Iraqis. I personally do not care what Wolf Blitzer has to say about Iraq, I want to know what the citizen Iraqi has to say.

Whose the Greater Destabilizer?

In geography, we talk about devolution. Devolution is the breakdown of a state [country/nation] due to internal division. Some other terms that are also associated with devolution are Balkanization, Shatterbelt, and Failing/Failed States. When people within a region, whether that region be a state, nation, or realm, become disenfranchised with their government or method of governance, conditions are ripe for devolution.

The United States is embroiled in a process of nation-building in Iraq. We are encouraging Iraqi people to reduce their cultural ties to their tribes or larger family units and increase their identification with the greater Iraqi state. However, admirable this action might seem, the United States has not proven to be the Great Unifier.

I begin my argument by submitting that the current state of U.S. affairs in Southwest Asia can be traced to 1953. In reality, the creation of the state of Israel might be the birth of the modern era of conflict in Southwest Asia. I choose 1953 as my baseline due to the U.S. support of the Iranian Coup that overthrew the democratically-elected government of Mohammed Mossadeq. The British petroleum company, BP, was the private oil industry in Iran at the time. The Iranians, weary of seeing their oil and oil profits siphoned off to the West, nationalized the oil industry. The West, namely the United States and Great Britain, saw this as a threat. Operation Ajax was born out of the desire to regain control of oil resources in Iran.

Eventually, this would lead to the overthrow of the Shah of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, in 1979, beginning the theocratic rule still in place today.

Let us not forget that Iran was once Persia, which was once the Persian Empire, and is a nation and a people whose history pre-dates that of any European nation.

In 1982, the United States threw their support behind Saddam Hussein in his war 8-yr war against Iran. At that time, the war was turning against Iraq, and the U.S. did not think that it was in its interests for Iraq to lose.

In the meantime, during the decade of the 1980's, the United States cast its lot with the Muslim Afghan rebels in Afghanistan. The effort to help the Afghans against the Soviet march resulted in the most successful covert action in the history of the CIA. We also helped train those we are at war with now, in Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

In 1990, two years after its war with Iran, Iraq found itself at war with its former weapons supplier, the United States.

In 2002, the United States instituted a policy of regime change in Afghanistan, a nation that we were the benefactor of for almost a decade.

In 2003, the United States implemented regime change within Iraq. The coup in Iran in 1953 might also be termed, "regime change."

Currently, the United States has engaged both Syria and Iran in helping resolve conflict within Iraq. Both Syria and Iran have been marginalized through the "Axis of Evil" label. Both the United States and Iran have engaged in finger-pointing - "You're responsible for making this worse!"

Iran is being accused of providing more sophisticated IEDs and other weapons to Iraqi insurgents. In April 2007, ABC News ran a story about our secret efforts in Iran.

Lebanon had parliamentary elections the other day. A predominantly Muslim nation, but with sizable Christian and Armenian minority populations, by the way. The candidate supported by the United States - lost. The former president, Amin Gemayel was trying to win the seat vacated by his son. Analysts believe that the support by the Bush Administration doomed his election.

In closing, I offer this. Destabilization of this region cannot be attributed to any single nation. Russia, China, France, Great Britain, the United States, Iran, Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Libya - who am I leaving out? - are all responsible. Destabilization may have a core cause: Oil.

One thought I do have is this: discounting Oil, the basis for this destabilization is founded on the inherent disrespect that nations have for each other. Nations, and administrators of those nations, lack fundamental respect for differences among themselves, the people they government, and the lives in the far-flung reaches of our global that their policies directly or indirectly affect.