Recently I was turned on to a website that allows you to stream television shows: Hulu. Pretty good site for a quick t.v. fix. I like that they have many PBS series to watch. I just watched the Nova series on the ancient art of Tibet and the ancient kingdom of the Maya. Amazing.
Having been accused of being a t.v. baby and a cultural geographer, I must stick up for myself and say, that I was learning cultural geography via the boob tube. These two episodes explore one of the cultural geography questions of "what's it's like" which is essential to understanding any physical and culture oriented place on the planet.
The more I watch television (I probably shouldn't be fessing up to this) the more that I am finding so much of what people understand about their own surroundings and other places comes from what is represented/depicted by television shows. I am not talking about just the nice nature shows like Nova or National Geographic or even Frontline, but main stream network and now cable programming. I am not saying this is bad or good, but that it removes much of the imagination and wonder of exploring a new place.
Here comes the circular argument: People may not know about particular places with out television and thus would never want to go there with out seeing it. But I say what happened to looking over the map and doing a bit of old fashion research? Like reading travel journals of early explorers or residents? What about talking to people from or who have traveled these places?
Perhaps now that gas prices are so high, including jet fuel, that gaining a sense of wonder via the television will have to suffice for global exploration for now. Wait, I forgot books!
What better way to spend the summer than sitting outside reading a great travel/geographic book, working on your tan and drinking a cold beer?
Here are some titles that I am reading this summer (yes I know I should be doing my thesis):
The Mapmakers Wife - Robert Whitaker
In Search of Captain Zero - Allan C. Weisbecker
Leading Out: Mountaineering Stories of Adventurous Women - Edited by Rachel Da Silva
Why in the World: Adventures in Geography - George J. Demko, Jerome Agel, and Eugene Boe
I, Rigoberta Menchu: An Indian Woman In Guatemala - Translated by Ann Wright
There are a few good old thesis titles too, but I won't bore you with that.
Happy Reading!
1 comment:
The motorcycle really revolutionized our travel experience, here in the U.S. at least. We find ourselves always taking back roads with a giant map exploring little towns and mountain passes.
I have to say, Pari and I often get sucked into PBS for hours watching random documentaries.
Thanks for the book recommendations, Rigoberta Menchu is amazing.
P.S. I'm looking at possibly going to Bolivia in Sept. for a wedding and then climbing/snowboarding down Huayna Potosi (20,000ft summit) Think about it.
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