I like how this cartoon illustrates the way tourists often see themselves: everyone else is a tourist (an annoying, oblivious person who goes to the "standard" places and wants all the home comforts), but not you: you are a real traveller enjoying the genuine experience.
Did you know this distinction became apparent in Europe around 1830? After the Napoleonic wars, there was an explosion in foreign travel, creating a need to separate yourself from the masses that were joining you abroad: travellers vs. tourists.
And this concludes our history lesson for today :)
I've wanted to a do a straight "tourists vs. travelers" comic for a while. I know I can certainly be guilty of snobbery myself. It's good to check yourself sometimes...
Hah, well, I'm sure being vegan comes with its own set of challenges, particularly somewhere like Italy (dairy), Argentina (meat) or France (all of the above). No?
French vegan here. France is definitely challenging, but less and less so. Veganism is a growing movement there. Most supermarkets, even in smaller places, now sell vegan food, there's farmers markets everywhere with delicious fresh fruits and veggies, and restaurant starts to include vegetarian/vegan options (more in bigger cities than in small villages though, obviously). I find Japan much more complicated as a vegan.
I spent my childhood in Santa Marta, Colombia. A friend of ours lived in the Amazon region, ranging back and forth over the area between Colombia and Brazil in his work with various indigenous tribes.
Whenever he came to visit, he brought me a big jar of dried giant ants, which I loved--at the time. I remember them tasting like peppery peanuts. They weren't fried, though, probably because they were prepared by indigenous people rather than bought at the supermarket. We called them 'honey ants', but when I looked that up recently, it was a different kind of ant; I'm not sure what kind they really were, other than big.
The way they were 'prepared' is kind of nasty: basically, they filled a jar with live ants, sealed it, then set it on a shelf for a few months. The ants bit each other into handy bite-sized portions, then their corpse bits dried. At 7 years old, I thought this was brilliant, and didn't give any thought to the fact that I was eaten months-old unpreserved bug corpses....
I absolutely love Itchy's body language in this one! XD
ReplyDeleteAlso: I will now add "sheeple" to my list to describe "the ignorant masses" :P
Although be careful when you do... https://xkcd.com/1013/
Delete:)
I like how this cartoon illustrates the way tourists often see themselves: everyone else is a tourist (an annoying, oblivious person who goes to the "standard" places and wants all the home comforts), but not you: you are a real traveller enjoying the genuine experience.
ReplyDeleteDid you know this distinction became apparent in Europe around 1830? After the Napoleonic wars, there was an explosion in foreign travel, creating a need to separate yourself from the masses that were joining you abroad: travellers vs. tourists.
And this concludes our history lesson for today :)
I've wanted to a do a straight "tourists vs. travelers" comic for a while. I know I can certainly be guilty of snobbery myself. It's good to check yourself sometimes...
DeleteA good way to avoid gross local dishes: be vegan. No insects or spiders or testes!
ReplyDeleteHah, well, I'm sure being vegan comes with its own set of challenges, particularly somewhere like Italy (dairy), Argentina (meat) or France (all of the above). No?
DeleteFrench vegan here. France is definitely challenging, but less and less so. Veganism is a growing movement there. Most supermarkets, even in smaller places, now sell vegan food, there's farmers markets everywhere with delicious fresh fruits and veggies, and restaurant starts to include vegetarian/vegan options (more in bigger cities than in small villages though, obviously).
DeleteI find Japan much more complicated as a vegan.
I spent my childhood in Santa Marta, Colombia. A friend of ours lived in the Amazon region, ranging back and forth over the area between Colombia and Brazil in his work with various indigenous tribes.
ReplyDeleteWhenever he came to visit, he brought me a big jar of dried giant ants, which I loved--at the time. I remember them tasting like peppery peanuts. They weren't fried, though, probably because they were prepared by indigenous people rather than bought at the supermarket. We called them 'honey ants', but when I looked that up recently, it was a different kind of ant; I'm not sure what kind they really were, other than big.
The way they were 'prepared' is kind of nasty: basically, they filled a jar with live ants, sealed it, then set it on a shelf for a few months. The ants bit each other into handy bite-sized portions, then their corpse bits dried. At 7 years old, I thought this was brilliant, and didn't give any thought to the fact that I was eaten months-old unpreserved bug corpses....
"The ants bit each other into handy bite-sized portions" - you're right, that is kind of nasty. I'd totally try them though!
DeleteGo rather on taste rather than look or think how its made (if its weird look close eyes and let smell/tastebuds decide its worth)
Delete