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January 30, 2005
Photos from Iraq, Sex Slavery Follow-up
An interesting photo essay--pictures by soldiers in Iraq. Here.
Also, a few weeks ago we blogged Nicholas D. Kristof's series on sex slavery and his follow-up a year later after buying the freedom of two teenage prostitutes. The multimedia presentation is a definite must-see.
Posted by insideoutmag at 09:51 PM
January 26, 2005
Smokers Beware
I read an article the other day about Bhutan's ban on smoking, now it looks like San Francisco's heading the same direction, well the ban won't be city-wide but they are starting with parks...
Since we're doing research on San Francisco for the guidebook we're writing, I've been reading a lot of local stories but I promise, I will try to post other travel news!
Posted by insideoutmag at 08:33 AM
January 24, 2005
Don't Spend Another Valentine's Day Alone!
If you're not doing anything this Valentine's Day, and you're in San Francisco, why not get some friends together and head to Hyphen Magazine's Speed Dating event? You may meet some cool people, and you'll be helping out a great magazine so come on, think about it, what have you got to lose?
Oh and that way, you may have a date for our Travelers Happy Hour on the 24th too!
HYPHEN Magazine presents:
Single on V-Day? You're not alone. HYPHEN MAGAZINE has your hook-up - an easy way to meet 20 new faces!
This Valentine's Day join us for
HYPHEN MAGAZINE'S 2nd Annual
SPEED YOUR LOVE FUNDRAISER
WHEN: Saturday Feb 12; 6 - 11 pm
Session One starts PROMPTLY at 6:30 pm (with Lesbian and Straight
groups)
Session Two starts PROMPTLY at 8:30 pm (with Gay and Straight groups)
WHERE: Jon Sims Center 1519 Mission Street (btw. 11th & S. Van Ness) in SF
WHAT: HYPHEN'S SPEED YOUR LOVE FUNDRAISER brings together a range of singles from the local Asian American community - and beyond - for wine, women, men and song (if you feel like singing) in San Francisco's SOMA district.
Admission includes TWO FREE DRINKS!
WHAT IS SPEED DATING?: Not willing to waste an entire evening on a blind date? Sickened by Valentine's Day frou-frou? Speed dating is the perfect answer. In one evening you'll meet up to 20 eligibles for 4 minutes each. If you like each other, we'll make sure you get each other's contact info and the rest is up to you!
HOW: Pre-register on our website up to 24 hours before the event begins.
You can register here: http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/events/speeddate/
NOTE: there will be no walk-in registration.
There will be two sessions at 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm with a cocktail reception before each session. Each session will have one queer group and one straight group: Lesbian group at 6:30; Gay group at 8:30. Groups are capped at 40 participants each (20 of each gender in straight groups) so please register early to ensure your place!
At the start of each session you'll receive a MATCH SHEET, to record all of your mini-dates. You'll mark down the ones you'd like to see again and give us these sheets at the end of the session. Those you chose who chose you back are "matches." We'll contact you within a week with the contact info of your matches. After that, it's up to you.
Valentine's Day Package: We're offering a 45% discount off our regular subscription rate. So for the best deal, buy a subscription when you register.
HOW MUCH:
Registration: $30 per session
Women pay $15 for their second session Men and women who register for one queer and one straight session pay $15 for their second session
Valentine's Day Package: Buy a one-year subscription to HYPHEN when you register and the subscription costs $10! (compared to $18 for a regular subscription)
NOTE: YOU *MUST* REGISTER BEFORE THE EVENT! THERE WILL BE NO WALK-IN REGISTRATION!
ABOUT HYPHEN: HYPHEN MAGAZINE is a news and arts magazine that illuminates Asian America through hard-hitting investigative features on the cultural and political trends shaping the fastest growing ethnic population in America. We offer in-depth profiles of change-makers in our community and a glimpse into the world of artists and writers who are re-envisioning and rewriting what it means to be Asian American. Through balanced and incisive reporting and sometimes irreverent commentary, we hold a mirror to the enormous richness, contradiction, and vitality that define the Asian American experience to stimulate debate, raise awareness, and build bridges within and beyond our community.
FOR MORE INFO: contact Claire at claire@hyphenmagazine.com or check out our website at http://www.hyphenmagazine.com
Posted by insideoutmag at 02:42 PM
January 22, 2005
Travelers Happy Hour and Guidebook
Two big announcements:
Our next Travelers Happy Hour will be on Thursday, Feb. 24, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at least.
We are very happy to be holding it at a great space that just celebrated its one-year anniversary, Rx Gallery. We'll be showing many of our photo contest entries and will announce the winners.
If you live in San Francisco or want to come visit (for one of our happy hours, maybe?), check out "San Francisco: The Unknown City," to be published by Arsenal Pulp Press this October. Josh and Helene here at InsideOut Travel Magazine are busily writing and researching away to give you the inside scoop on the cheapest, best, weirdest, and most interesting characters and attractions the City by the Bay has to offer.
If you haven't bought it already and want to learn more about the Big Apple, the latest guidebook in the Unknown City series, "New York: The Unknown City" is definitely worth a look.
Posted by insideoutmag at 11:39 AM
January 20, 2005
Good Deeds from Travelers
Here is an inspiring story of a man who traveled to Cambodia and with only a small amount of money, saved two girls from prostitution. He goes back a year later to find out how the two girls are doing.
This article was published in the New York Times and requires a free registration.
And while we're on the subject of good deeds, today Brad Newsham announced the start of Phase 3 of Backpacknation.
He writes "beginning this morning (Jan 20--presidential inauguration day here in the U.S.) and continuing for the next six weeks, Backpack Nation is seeking stories that highlight relationships between Western travelers and people in the poorer countries. A small committee will read all submissions and select twelve for posting on the Backpack Nation website by April 1, 2005. During April and May, the general public will be invited to read these twelve stories and vote for four of them. When the votes are tallied, in early June, 2005, the authors of the top four vote-getting stories will each be sent a $1,000 Backpack Nation award.
TSUNAMI TWEAKS: While all stories will receive careful consideration, the selection committee will hold a slight prejudice in favor of stories from the tsunami-hit areas.(Please, however, DO NOT withhold a story because it is not tsunami-related--the rest of the world didn't disappear when the waters hit.)ALSO, the selection committee will be partial toward stories that promise to deliver $1,000 (if awarded) to the situations described, and which present viable delivery plans."
Posted by insideoutmag at 09:27 AM
January 19, 2005
Are You Scared Yet?
I think people are worried enough as it is about what can go wrong on a backpacking trip but if you're a traveler who likes horror movies, you may want to check out the new Australian movie, Wolf Creek. I just hope it doesn't make you want to never leave your house again!
"Written and directed by Australian Greg McLean, Wolf Creek tells the chilling story of three backpackers travelling in the remote outback.
They are thrown into danger when they accept help from a local who turns out to be anything but friendly."
The producer, David Lightfoot, admits that he can't watch the movie he produced because it's so scary and violent.
He says "[A] couple of people went outside and hid in the toilets for a while before coming back in to see what happened.
Now, hiding in the restrooms at the movies is not really my idea of a good time, but a backpacker never knows where he/she'll find the best travel stories...
Posted by insideoutmag at 08:40 AM
January 18, 2005
How cool is this camera?!
I've been waiting for reviews from the Consumer Electronics Show and it looks like Cnet.com now has a bunch of reviews of all these cool new gadgets.
I love this Wifi-enabled camera. I know I know, it doesn't compare to a digital SLR but it sounds fun to carry this thing around and be able to e-mail your pictures right away.
Here are some of the features:
"It has a bright 3-inch LCD screen, 256MB of onboard memory, and a 4-megapixel CCD sensor, but the Kodak EasyShare One's most compelling feature may be its optional 802.11b Wi-Fi compatibility, which will allow photographers to instantly e-mail photos to friends and wirelessly manage their online Ofoto albums."
Posted by insideoutmag at 03:14 PM
January 17, 2005
Ocean Beach Bonfire
Josh and I went to Brad Newsham's gathering on Ocean Beach last night and had a great time talking to him and his friends. Starting Jan. 20th, Brad will be accepting stories so be sure to check out
www.backpacknation.org for submission guidelines.
Here is a picture of Brad and friends around the fire.
Posted by insideoutmag at 01:47 PM | Comments (0)
January 16, 2005
Join Brad Newsham and Friends Tonight at Ocean Beach, in San Francisco
Brad Newsham, the author of "Take me with you" is inviting you to a "Gathering of the Tribe/Tsunami Watch" bonfire at Ocean Beach in San Francisco tonight, Jan. 16, 5-8 pm.
The forecast is for clear weather, and (unless the weather turns really ugly) Brad and his family will be in front of the Beach Chalet Restaurant.
Bring any food or drink you might want. A couple of pieces of firewood would be most welcomed.
Local travel book author Brad Olsen may also be there. Brad is going to Malaysia soon, and he is taking a suitcase full of supplies for delivery to the tsunami relief, and is also collecting cash to deliver to an appropriate situation that he will discover.
If you'd care to send something with him, please email him at brad@cccpublishing.com to find out what's appropriate.
Hope to see you there tonight!
Posted by insideoutmag at 11:22 AM | Comments (0)
January 13, 2005
The Indianas vs. The Amazons in Jordan
This reality-TV-like article made me smile so I thought I would share. It's a reprint from Wanderlust Magazine which we mentioned the other day. It was published in The Independent.
"To find out once and for all whether men or women make the best travelers, Wanderlust magazine sent two single-sex teams to Jordan to test their skills. Piers Pickard went with them."
So, are men better travelers than women? Find out!
Posted by insideoutmag at 12:26 PM | Comments (0)
January 10, 2005
I Think I'm Turning Japanese
I'll admit that PDAs don't really interest me but if it's free, I can use it to get on the Internet, call people and find my way around Japan during my stay... I'll try it out!
According to an IHT article, in February and March, hand-held computers will be given to select tourists to use during their stay.
"The PDAs also have complete Internet access and can be used as a mobile phone within Japan. On top of all that, the gadgets have built-in voice translation software and can receive e-mail updates of sightseeing information.
[...]
E-mailed applications from potential candidates are due by March 18. To qualify, you must be coming to Japan on a Japan Airlines or All Nippon Airways flight from London, Washington, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Honolulu or Vancouver. More information is at www.narita-airport.or.jp/e-navi."
Read story here
Posted by insideoutmag at 08:58 AM | Comments (0)
January 08, 2005
January 2005 Issue is Up!
If you haven't already, check out the new articles we've posted in our January 2005 issue. Here are links to each story:
Jennifer Baljko finds out the scoop on whether to get travel insurance or not.
Check out Lucy Corne’s profiles of travel snobs.
Amy Loftsgordon tells us how dangerous Colombia really is.
Joel Hanson shares an encounter with a stranger in Morocco.
James Postell has the information you need for a gem-hunting vacation in Australia.
Helene Goupil interviews the author of “Molvania: A Land Untouched by Modern Dentistry” and “Phaic Tan: Sunstroke on a Shoestring.”
Nancy Pelligrini, a monolinguist, tries to learn Chinese.
Daryl Grove attempts to get away from a strict train employee.
Posted by insideoutmag at 06:13 PM | Comments (0)
January 05, 2005
Paul Morrison, Publisher and Co-Founder of Wanderlust Magazine
I check out the Wanderlust magazine website on a regular basis to see what cool destinations they're covering. This evening, I was saddened by the news posted. Paul Morrison, publisher and co-founder of the magazine passed away on December 1, 2004.
Lynn Hughes and Paul Morrison started the magazine in late 1993, having had the idea when bored on a long flight to South America.
Lynn Hughes, Paul Morrison's wife, writes a touching tribute here
Posted by insideoutmag at 11:10 PM | Comments (0)
Another Tsunami Aftermath Dispatch From India by Kate Hall
Kate Hall, an InsideOut Travel Magazine contributor, sends this tsunami aftermath dispatch from India where she works for a social development organisation.
Sharana has currently suspended all its day-to-day programs (English and homework classes) to focus directly on tsunami relief for the families affected in our area.
In Kuruchipuram, the district in the north of Pondicherry closest to the sea, Sharana is working with approximately 120 affected families, some of which include sponsored children. About 70 of these families lost half or more of their homes, while the others suffered damage and lost possessions such as clothes and school materials in the flooding. Some houses were flooded by seawater, some when the seawater caused Pondy’s open sewers to overflow.
The families are now mostly living in government schools, which will remain closed for the next two weeks while the government decides what action to take. Last Friday it was announced that lunch and dinner would be provided for these families, but the meals have so far proved to be sporadic and inadequate. As these people currently have no way of cooking and are unable to provide for themselves, Sharana has taken the step of providing breakfast each morning for all the children from the affected district.
Last week, Sharana social workers undertook preliminary surveys of the area to find out who and how many had been affected by the tsunami—the estimated figure was about 400 children in our area.
On Monday morning, the first day of the program, some 160 children came to Sharana’s old office to receive a breakfast of a bread roll, boiled egg, milk and a banana. Yesterday, a similar number came. Today, word had spread and over 300 children came.
Much of our time has been taken up with making food stamps to ensure that the food is being distributed equally and fairly, and so Sharana can monitor which families are receiving aid. Each child receives a token and mothers/fathers can also take tokens for babies at home or children unable to come to the office because of sickness.
However, the schools cannot stay closed forever and the government is making plans to provide families with some form of housing. The current idea is to build government housing in an area away from the sea, a proposal that has social workers up in arms. As fishermen by trade, these families would struggle to make it if denied lodging on the coast. The beach provides space to spread out nets to dry, or to clean and repair them, a place to keep a boat, and of course, direct access to the sea. The government has also suggested it will provide funds for the purchase of new catamarans, as approximately 70% were destroyed by the waves. Whether this will be enough remains to be seen.
In the meantime, Sharana plans to extend its breakfast program at least until families have the facilities to cook for themselves. It is also collecting clothes, linens and utensils, the distribution of
which will take place on Friday.
If you’d like to donate to Sharana, you can do so in the following way. As Sharana is a very young charity, it is still awaiting its Indian charity number which allows it to accept international
donations. Until then, donations can be made through Sharana France (Treasurer: Toulis Francois), at the following address:
Name of Bank: Crédit Agricole Sub Méditerranee
Address of Bank: 30 rue Pierre Bretonneau, Perpignan, B.P. 243-F-66832 Perpignan Cédex
Account Number:185 164 83 000
Name of Holder: Sharana France
Holder’s Address: St. Paul, B.P. 09700, Le Vernet,France.
All donations will go directly to relief in the Pondicherry area, initially in providing emergency food, and later for provision of rice and subsidies towards new houses and fishing equipment.
And to finish…
While the districts which Sharana works with are within the boundaries of Pondicherry (autonomous),those which Voluntariat works with—my fellow volunteer Leila’s organisation—are in Tamil Nadu.
We originally feared that the Tamil Nadu government had banned all help from NGOs in the state, however it seems that this was misinformation and what they are actually doing is preventing unauthorized NGOs from entering the area. The trouble is, no one has ever dealt with a catastrophe of this scale before and everyone is
jumping in to help with almost no coordination.
Many NGOs are not from the affected areas, and the results have been that some villages get fed 10 times a day and others not at all.
Hopefully monitoring by the government will prevent this and ensure that everyone gets the help they need. Voluntariat is working on a long-term approach including water purification systems to prevent disease in the area.
Kate Hall
Are you interested in sharing news from tsunami-affected areas? Send dispatches to editor@insideoutmag.com.
Posted by insideoutmag at 08:25 AM | Comments (0)
January 04, 2005
Backpackers Stay in Sri Lanka
USA Today published a nice little story about some of the backpackers who stayed to help Sri Lanka recover from the tsunami. Some are helping by creating relief efforts while others are helping local economy by just being there.
"One of them was Evert Jan Van Hoek, a 35-year-old Dutchman with a stud in his tongue and a ring in his lip who, with the help of a few other European travelers, has organized a mini-relief effort. Van Hoek said he uses the Blue Fox, a hodge-podge of chairs and tables with a balcony overlooking the town's main street, as his "office," sending e-mails about the plight of Sri Lanka to his friends in his hometown of The Hague."
[...]
"Most foreign tourists fled beach resorts in Sri Lanka when tsunami devastated coastal areas a week ago, but some never left Hikkaduwa even though the waves battered many lodges, forcing them to close down. On Sunday, about two dozen foreigners sat in open-air restaurants, walked or bicycled down the smoggy main road, or lazed in the debris-strewn beach sand. A few surfed."
Posted by insideoutmag at 10:41 AM | Comments (0)
January 02, 2005
Tsunami Aftermath Dispatch From India by Kate Hall
Kate Hall, an InsideOut Travel Magazine contributor, sends this tsunami aftermath dispatch from India where she works for a social development organisation.
As you’ve seen on TV, the effects of the wave have been devastating. Sri Lanka has suffered complete desolation in some areas, with locals and tourists alike losing their lives. Most of the Indian deaths were in the Andaman Islands, where 6,000 people are still missing and where relief missions were delayed because so much of the infrastructure was damaged and aid couldn’t get in.
On mainland India, while the majority of deaths have been in my state, Tamil Nadu, most have been limited to fishing villages and those unfortunate enough to be strolling along the beach at 9 am that morning. In Chennai, 167 people were swept off Marine Drive.
There was no warning of the wave, and it arrived with deadly speed, not growing tall until it reached shallow waters. By the time the people saw it, it was too late to run. The only indication was that the rivers started to spookily flow backwards and the low-lying water on the beach disappeared.
The fishing villages south of Chennai were also badly hit. Ironically enough, those fishermen out on the sea had no idea what was happening until they returned home to discover they couldn’t find their village, and had lost their families.
As the tsunami hit Pondicherry after Chennai, many had time to leave their houses. In fact, lots of people flocked to the beach to have a look. Pondy is no stranger to big waves and has an excellent sea defence and police accustomed to clearing the sea front at a moments notice—which they seem to do regularly and without good reason.
As a result, walking down the promenade you would have no idea that a tidal wave had hit the city at all—Gandhi still watches over the evening strollers and India’s ugliest café still sells popcorn to the masses.
A couple of kilometers up the coast, in the coastal suburb of Kanchipuram where many of
Sharana’s sponsored children live, it was a different story.
Ramya, 13 and her brother Manimaran, 11, live in a thatched hut right by the sea. Half of it collapsed, the other half flooded. They lost everything. Vairum, also 13, and her little brother were in their house when it flooded up to their necks. They’ve lost all their things too.
Down the coast, the workshop where Leila works is right on the sea front, protected by the sea wall. The women there were fine, but Leila was distressed to hear that Silva, the man she works with, had lost his wife and son…to find them again half an hour later—I don’t think Indian English stretches to euphemisms. His house was flooded, but he was able to rescue his motorbike before it floated away. Many of the women in the organization were still in tears when Leila got there.
The main problem now is that the most badly hit areas are very cut off. Plenty of rice has been donated but people don’t have the utensils to cook it with, or buckets to collect drinking water. Many of the coastal villages now have no water as their wells have been polluted by seawater. And above all, everyone is afraid.
The place is rife with false alarms that send people fleeing at all hours, while others are too frightened to go home. The children are too scared to sleep, and spend their days sleeping at school where they feel safe. Homeless families are living in schools and marriage halls, where they get thrown out in the morning and never get a proper nights sleep. Everyone is exhausted.
Sharana is collecting and handing out clothes, bedding and utensils for the affected families. The sea is still very high and the money that the government is providing—2000 rupees per head, about 25 pounds/35 euros—is not enough for them to build another house, even one made of banana leaves like the previous ones.
I don’t know how long they can continue sleeping in these places, or whether they will have to move into tents, as many of the villagers have done along the coast south of Chennai. The fishing industry has been severely affected, which will continue to have an effect on communities in the weeks and months to come.
Certainly, it seems unfair that the people with the least to lose are the ones that have lost the most.
However, it’s great to hear that so many people in Britain—if not the government…have given so much to charities to help these people and those like them.
Although India has suffered greatly it, countries like Sri Lanka and Indonesia bore the brunt of the wave and need as much help as they can get. These people are facing the same problems and more, including infected water that spreads cholera and malaria and the risk of landmines in the north of Sri Lanka hampering relief efforts. We are very lucky to live in a country with no tidal waves, earthquakes or cyclones.
Kate Hall
Are you interested in sharing news from tsunami-affected areas? Send dispatches to editor@insideoutmag.com.
Posted by insideoutmag at 12:42 PM | Comments (6)