Trying to compare different faiths of the world is like trying to compare car insurance, each is different in its own way, each claims to be better than the other, yet all generally exist to serve the same purpose and deliver the same end result.

Multi Faith Prayer Rooms / Flickr photo by welou

Diversity of the earth and of the human race

In the vast majority of cases a person’s religion is dictated by the circumstances of their birth.  Someone born to a Muslim family in a Muslim country (or even a non-Muslim country) will probably become a Muslim, someone born into a Christian family in a Christian part of the world will probably become a Christian, someone born into a remote tribe will carry the same beliefs as other tribe members.  It’s highly unlikely that a Buddhist family in Tibet would raise a child who follows Islam.  This hereditary tradition creates few problems until the diversity of the human race is revealed, and it is considered that faiths are no longer concentrated almost exclusively within different nations which are wholly of that faith.

At the mercy of your place of birth

Since the different major religions of the world all spawned in different corners of the globe, whilst the world beyond the horizon was vastly unknown to many, is it realistic to still believe today that simply by virtue of birthplace much of the entire human race may be forever condemned to a life of no spiritual significance, with no hope of an afterlife, simply because they do not follow your faith.

How do we integrate? Can we integrate?

This theological question is further complicated as a new generation of people with different faiths and cultures become integrated, and whose families are burdened with the possibility of an inter-faith marriage.  Is one party forced to convert to please the other, or can there be a happy union of souls?

Note:
This article was inspired by a lecture given by Philosoper and Theologian, John Hick, titled ‘Religious Pluralism and Islam’.

Airshow audience / Flickr photo by kbaird

Making new things old

There are new products and services available now across all sorts of areas that quite amusingly attempt to make new things old again.  Many supermarket products now carry vintage style labels and branding; people will pay exorbitant amounts of money for old ‘vintage’ clothing; one of the best selling iPhone Apps of 2010 was Hipstmatic, which turns your phone into an old style camera in order to make your new photos appear old, it claims ‘digital photography has never looked so analog’.  We’ve all been pushed forward so fast over these last ten years into a cheap, temporary, disposable, stretched existence that people are now beginning to push back and lean on the more solid and genuine articles that we left behind.

Obsessed with taking photos

A slow photography movement was recently suggested by Tim Wu in his Slate article, ‘The Slow Photography Movement – What is the point of taking pictures?‘.  I certainly agree with what Tim has expressed in his article, photography has got out of control.  Whether it’s tourists snapping indiscriminately at landmarks, point-and-shoot photographers laden with thousands of pounds worth of equipment, or parents watching their child perform in a play through a viewfinder.  We are obsessed with trying to capture moments.  It’s as if we feel that what we can immortalise on film is of higher value than any reality unfolding at that particular moment in time.

We all need to be more conscious

Taking photography seriously is not for everyone, it is a rather technical skill, and like painting it requires time and a great attention to detail.  The slow photography movement already exists amongst serious photography enthusiasts, it’s integral to the skill; just as slow travel and slow food have always existed amongst serious travellers and foodies, it’s integral to the experience.  What the proponents of all these movements are really pushing for is a population with a higher level of consciousness, where even the most disinterested individuals understand the art of living.  We have all become so buried in work, technology and the fast pace of life that we’ve lost our heads and our vision; we’re depriving ourselves.

What do you think about these slow movements? Are they niche or are more people now climbing onboard trying to return to how things used to be and get back some of what we’ve lost?

I recently blogged about “10 Major internet developments in 2010“, and smartphone photography, or rather the new opportunities it is giving rise to, is definitely one of those.  Particularly in the case of the iPhone, apps like Instagram have really contributed to the rise in popularity of the camera phone.

As the larger news outfits look to cut costs on covering local and international stories, citizen journalism and backpack journalism, look to become increasingly important. The proliferation of smartphone photography will undoubtedly lead to huge libraries of real time images shared though various apps and websites.

News source:

This video was discovered through Twitter via a retweet from @BenColclough.

RT @CailinONeil: "What Camera should I buy?" http://su.pr/1XshXS thanks to @spudhilton @ibackpackcanada @candicewalsh @eloren

December 13, 2010 12:03 pm via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite

@MarksTravels

Mark Sukhija

As such, it’s easier for us to build buildings than invest time in people through things like trainings & education programs.

If we fund a building, we can see it and touch it and know that our money went where we had intended it to go.

But, what are we missing when we invest only in things we can put our name on?

We are missing out on investing in real change.

The changes we say that we want to see in the world—in health, education, the environment, and in all of the social ills plaguing our schools, families, and our planet—cannot be fixed by investing in things. More schools, more bednets, more health centers, more books, and more school uniforms are not going to solve these problems, no matter how many we give away.

We can’t emblazon our name on a person’s forehead the way we can on a hospital building: Funded by the Smith Family. Investing in people isn’t as rewarding in the short term – you don’t see a space turn from empty to full, a building go up brick by brick, or books lining shelves. But, as we fill people with knowledge and skills, connect them to the ideas and resources they need to make the changes they want to see in the world, and create opportunities that didn’t exist before, we start to fill the real voids we have in the world: people with the skills and passion to go out and make the changes they believe in.

Continue reading this article on Lessons I Learned.

Travellers and foodies visiting London need no longer be confined to the newest eateries that have hit town, the swankiest bars or the latest trends in food and cuisine. A contender has arrived on the scene delighting train travellers and gourmands alike.

Last year’s trip to London took me on a voyage of culinary discovery right in the heart of St Pancras International. The refurbished train station became home to the Eurostar in 2007, and with a modern makeover, a remarkable range of eateries and bars have made themselves at home and turned a vintage station into a food haven.

From the moment you step through the station, your eyes are draws to the arched blue steel and deep orange bricks. Geometry plays an integral part of the design, leading your eye into the distance adding another dimension of space.

Comprising two levels, the lower level is dominated by the Eurostar departures and ticketing. Further along, you might think you’re in a shopping mall or retail arcade were it not for the trolley bays and travellers wheeling their luggage. A strip of shops and informal eateries run along each side where you can pause for a coffee and croissant at the likes of Le Pain Quotidien, enjoy a glass of wine at a Wine Bar or browse through a bookshop for something to read on your outward journey.

Away from the ebb and flow of commuters, the upper concourse offers a more subdued ambience. Art and upmarket eateries occupy the vast space surrounding the platforms from which the Eurostar and regional trains depart.

The statue of former poet Sir John Bentjeman pays homage to his role in saving the old station. Equally impressive is The Meeting Place, a tall statue of a modern couple locked in an embrace.

Continue reading this article on Trains on the Brain.

During our time in Berlin we lived near Kottbusser Tor in the Kreuzberg neighborhood, smack in middle of what our visiting friends deemed “little Turkey.” Food was fresh, accessible, brimming with flavor and typically served by folks who took pride in their cuisine, interest in us as human beings, and great pleasure in serving up an experience.

So here’s our top ten cheap eats in Berlin. Many Turkish, some German, one Asian. Mind you, this list reflects not only what is inexpensive, but more importantly what is high-quality.

1. Gel Gör Inegöl Köfteci

Köfte usually means herbed minced lamb meatballs, but Gel Gör does it with a twist by using veal instead. And the result is astronomically good. They charcoal grill the meat just tender; the aroma and taste are both unforgettable. Next up, the bread: perfectly fresh, soft, then (blow my mind) dabbed and toasted on the charcoal grill. The whole thing is topped with salad greens, red onions, arugula (rucola) and mint. Sauces are also standout: spicy red pepper sauce, garlic yogurt, and a yellow herb sauce. Go for all three. Have them top the whole thing with a dash of sumac and some red pepper flakes (for spice lovers) and your taste buds will go insane.

I’m told the proper way to down a Gel Gor köfte baguette is to drink it with ayran (drinkable Turkish yogurt). However, Gel Gor offers a formidable beer selection featuring prices only a few dimes over prices at a bottle shop.

Note: Gel Gor has a brother-location on Oranianstrasse called Doyuran. Unfortunately, the experience there can’t hold a hot charcoal to the one at the far superior Kottbusser Damm location. Not to mention, no golden herb sauce and a lackluster beer selection.

What to get: Köfte baguette (3.00€); even bigger köfte spezial (4.50€). Meatatarians take the plunge with the köfte plate.
Where to get it: Gel Gör Inegöl Köfteci, Kottbusser Damm 80, Kreuzberg / Neukölln Phone: 030 69582753. Open 24 hours.

2. Tadim Lahmacun

Lahmacun (Turkish pizza) at its best. A friend who visited likened lahmacun to the Turkish version of a burrito. But it’s much more than that. Lahmacun is a rolled, thin flatbread dough topped with an herbed ground meat and baked until crispy. Ask the guys to top it with salad (tomato, flat parsley, onion, lettuce), some hot or yogurt sauce and a bit of sumac, a squeeze of lemon; they roll it up a la burrito. You can also try it with döner meat inside, but we are fans of the lahmacun alone.

Call us purists. Turkish pizza purists.

What to get: Lahmacun (Turkish pizza) with salad (1.50€) or salad and sauce (1.70€).
Where to get it: Tadim Lahmacun, Adalbertstrasse 98, Kreuzberg. Phone: 030 61609280.

3. Maroush

Tasty, accessible Lebanese food. Excellent falafel sandwiches stuffed with freshly fried falafel balls, salad and a surprisingly hefty dose of tahini (sesame sauce). Chicken shawarma sandwiches are chock-full of chicken and feature a tuck of French fries. Sounds odd, but the combo works oh so well. The final touch on both sandwiches: the stuffed pita is “sealed” in a sandwich press.

Open late and usually packed. We ate here so often that we became shareholders when we departed Berlin.

What to get: Chicken shawarma or falafel sandwich (3.00€)
Where to get it: Maroush, Adalbertstrasse 98, Kreuzberg. Phone: 030 61609280.

4. Knofi

Gözleme generally refers to spinach and cheese or meat-stuffed Turkish crepes. But Knofi takes it up a notch with their gössies, Turkish-Mediterranean crepes rolled thin and stuffed with a spinach or ground meat-vegetable filling and cooked atop a circular iron.

It should be a crime to serve something so delicately crepe-like and tasty for so little money. The real secret, however, are the sauces Knofi sides with its gössies. Tatziki, hummus paste, and an otherworldly adjika-like, not-so-spicy chili walnut sauce. Our only regret: not eating here more often.

The cafe is labeled as an “art cafe” and features a segment of clientele trying very hard to fit that profile.

What to get: Gössies (3.80€), vegetarian or meat.
Where to get it: Knofi, Bergmannstrasse 98, Kreuzberg. Phone: 030 6945807. Note that Knofi has a deli location on Oranianstrasse which carries beautiful deli items and spreads, but not gössies.

Continue reading the best of Berlin’s cheap eats on Uncornered Market.

Paris, fashion central / Flickr photo by Melissa Segal

This city breathes fashion. But this isn’t always good for your wallet or the society, certainly not when you think of the poor labour conditions for the workers who make most of these clothes. Fortunately, there are more sustainable options for people who like shopping but don’t want to have a bad impact. Shopping for ideas and inspiration for example, this cost you nothing! Paris also has some nice second-hand shops to offer.

Retro & Vintage: History repeats itself

The funny thing is that fashion nowadays is mainly copied from the previous decades. Vintage clothing and retro style that are hip these days, are often a copy of pieces from the 60s, 70s and 80s. For example: the hairstyle that Madonna was wearing in her video clip ‘Like a virgin’ (1983) is now a big hit for young people. Since history repeats itself in fashion terms you’ll find a mass of fashion inspiration at second-hand stores and flea markets.

What is fashion?

Is it haute couture a la Jean Paul Gautierre, a watch designed by Rolex or a fancy dress in H&M? Every designer believes he or she contributes to fashion. As a consumer, you can follow this trend. It’s easy, just buy what they sell. But – in my opinion – this lacks creativity. Why should you follow their trend? Why don’t you pioneer your own fashion! Don’t copy the fashion, be the fashion!

Continue reading this article @ Travel jockey

Be one of 1,500 fans on our Facebook Fan Page and you will automatically be entered to win an Urban Adventures tour for two of YOUR choice!

Now it’s not that hard, simply click the “Like” button on the top of our Facebook Fan Page and you’re entered! Choose any of the nearly 100 cities Urban Adventures is located for an experiential day tour to delve deep into a city, an experience only found with locals who know it!

Maintaining a good reputation online will never be an easy task nowadays with facebook updates, tweets, user reviews all being passed around the internet amongst a global audience at lightning speed.  Bad press can destroy a business and it doesn’t have to be a well regarded journalist writing in a respected publication, it can be a single Blogger in his bedroom sharing an opinion or one disgruntled customer writing a negative review.

Flickr photo by bondidwhat

A good example of this is the Blogger that almost put an end to Tribewanted just as it was getting out of the starting blocks.  He wrote a report calling the project a scam and membership levels plummeted overnight. Tribewanted – a pioneering new model for tourism – is in its fourth year now and setting up a second destination in Sierra Leone this month… clearly not a scam.

Knowing how to deal with bad press is tricky, some people suggest ignoring it and others suggest tackling it, one thing is for sure you can’t prevent it.  Just who is liable for the opinions posted on review sites like TripAdvisor? Are anonymous public broadcasts of customer complaints the best way to reconcile differences?

If you’re going write a review why not write it using your full name and let the business know directly if you’re not happy, that way they have the opportunity to correct a mistake.   This is where the open nature of the Internet fails, valuable feedback is not given to hotels but posted somewhere that they may never find it.

“The European Ecotourism Conference brings together great experts and speakers on different aspects of ecotourism, including certification, web-marketing, climate change, innovative product development and green travel,” commented Aivar Ruukel, representing the Estonian Ecotourism Association, one of the event organisers, along with The International Ecotourism Society and the Pärnu Convention Bureau, with support from the Estonian Tourist Board, Estonian University of Life Sciences and Estonian Ecotourism Cluster.

“While there will be great presentations to listen to,” continued Ruukel, “the conference will also give EVERY participant a voice to give voice to his/her hottest topic and discuss it with like-minded colleagues through Open Space and World Cafe workshops.”

Following two days of pre-conference ecotourism experiences, discussions over two days will cover multiple themes from the global perspective on ecotourism in Europe and green travel marketing to biodiversity conservation, community-based initiatives, certification programs and new communications innovations that help spread the word. Considerable time has been made available for open-forum discussions during which all participants are free to interact.

WHL Group Represented

The WHL Group will be represented, among others, by Luke H. Ford, CEO of Gunyah, who is also on the event’s advisory committee. Ford will speak on Tuesday 28 September at 2:30pm about the momentum growing behind the notion of local travel, as exemplified by WHL Group companies and the Local Travel Movement.

“We as a group have realised that a traveller’s experience (for the most part) isn’t just about the bed he or she is booking; it’s all about the things around the hotel – the meals, the transport, the conversations with the locals, the chance to experience everyday life as it should be in the destination, the local travel experience,” shared Ford. “We are bringing the responsible and local tourism concept to the mass market.”

A Wide Circle of Participation

Other presentations by WHL Group friends and partners include “How to Market to Green Traveller?” by Richard Hammond, the “Parks Tourism Model as a tool to protect Europe’s Wilderness” by a representative from the PAN Parks Foundation and “How to integrate Web 2.0 tools in promoting Ecotourism” by Ron Mader of Planeta.com, who has issued a call for photos of ecotourism and responsible travel in Europe.

“We would like to see photos of national parks, city parks, recycling, environmental education, good signage, local wildlife and quality guiding in Europe,” said Ron Mader. “Ecotourism Europe is a great ‘show and tell’ that connects visitors and locals.”

For anyone unable to attend, but interested in both the topic and what will be shared at the conference, there are several online platforms for discussions, images and reactions. These include LinkedIn, Flickr, YouTube and Facebook.

In addition, in anticipation of the conference, a free Ecotourism in Europe webinar has been planned for Thursday 23 September from 1-2pm GMT with Ruukel as lead speaker and other guests including Zoltan Kun (Executive Director of PAN Parks) and Ben Colclough (Co-founder of Tourdust.com).

“For me the success of conference can be only measured by the satisfaction of participants,” concluded Ruukel. “I hope that the methods that we chose and the way we have organised this event will help to achieve it.”

This article was originally posted on The Travel Word, the WHL Group blog.