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

One thing that is always overlooked and is perhaps the most frequently used ingredient of all time is salt. Without seasoning food would be dull. Too much is bad, not enough is disastrous. But how many people have actually made it themselves? It is so ludicrously simple to make: collect a jug of seawater, boil it and reduce it down till you are left with a white residue= salt. Done. I could end the post there…that is all there is to it. But to really sell it to you and hopefully urge you to give it a go yourself, I shall continue.

Salt is something that has been used for 1000’s of years, Sodium chloride has been found as far back as the Neolithic around 6000BC, mainly used in the context of preserving, but no doubt our ancestors found it had the ability to heighten the flavour of whatever they were eating. Along with fire, salt was probably man’s second greatest discovery.

Mastering the basics is a must for anyone who cooks: whipping up a béchamel, making mayonnaise, pastry, ragu, stock, bread, the list goes on…

One thing that is always overlooked and is perhaps the most frequently used ingredient of all time is salt. Without seasoning food would be dull. Too much is bad, not enough is disastrous. But how many people have actually made it themselves? It is so ludicrously simple to make: collect a jug of seawater, boil it and reduce it down till you are left with a white residue= salt. Done. I could end the post there…that is all there is to it. But to really sell it to you and hopefully urge you to give it a go yourself, I shall continue.

Salt is something that has been used for 1000’s of years, Sodium chloride has been found as far back as the Neolithic around 6000BC, mainly used in the context of preserving, but no doubt our ancestors found it had the ability to heighten the flavour of whatever they were eating. Along with fire, salt was probably man’s second greatest discovery.

The basics are important, as any bushcraft nerd (ahem) will tell you, making fire by friction is about as fundamental as crafting bush can get…I would say that the kitchen equivalent of creating fire from a few sticks is equal to tasting your first flake of homemade salt. These two ‘fundamental skills’ actually came together on a regular basis during my time in the Cook Islands. Three months with no matches and no seasoning meant fire saws from bamboo at dawn and boiling gin-clear south pacific seawater was a daily occurrence. Salt intake was crucial for helping our bodies regulate water content in the searing heat just as much as bringing our meager rations to life on the palate.

I was allowed to take a luxury item to the islands with me, my first thought was spices…actually at first I thought salt would be most useful, until I realized I would be surrounded by it and settled on garlic powder and hot curry powder. After a bit of research I found out that the salt content of seawater is roughly 3.5%, hence every litre of seawater contains 35g of dissolved salts. And so it was every day or so someone on our island would be in charge of making salt, which ranged in colour from pure white to dusty grey depending who was making it, quite often it was grey on the days the girls made it as they were a little more preoccupied with the application of make-up or topping up their tan rather than making sure the salt didn’t burn…

It must be said that making salt from seawater can be touch and go, I’m not sure how pleasant a raw material murky brown English channel water would be to work with, I think the further west the better for clarity and piece of mind, lets just say I wouldn’t collect it off Brighton beach!  Out here in Hossegor the Atlantic is a pleasant shade of green and blue, but I have heard rumours of bad pollution- trust the French to dump all their shit in the sea and cover everything else in pee (what is it with their penchant for public urination?!!).

With this in mind, I felt a healthy 20 minutes of fierce boiling would at least kill any bacteria, but first I had to collect my said raw material. Below is a short video of how to make salt, collection of seawater not recommended the day after a big storm: see for yourself!

Making Salt from Nick Weston on Vimeo.

Continue reading how to make salt from sea water on Nick Weston’s blog, HUNTER:GATHER:COOK -Adventures in Wild Food.

Murray, a primary author of the Tourism 2023 report, described how “there were a lot of environmental campaigns that were going on, but not enough work being done in the solutions space.” The Forum for the Future works with industries to develop scenarios to help understand the kind of futures they want, and how to get there. She faced initial resistance. “The tourism industry is short term focussed, they couldn’t see that it [tourism futures planning] was all about protecting their product.” That resistance eventually wore down, and mainstream tourism industry partners started coming on board to participate in the industry-wide futures planning process.

Constructing scenarios

Why think about tourism in 2023? “In 2008, 2023 was 15 years into the future, just far enough to not feel like science fiction and be ignored but further than the 3-5 year time span that people are generally able to think about.” The report took 18 months to develop and was put together by a diverse group of futurists and sustainability experts including historians, transportation planners, sustainable accounting professionals, and environmental consultants working with industry partners. “The four scenarios have been constructed to be plausible. They are not meant to predict the most likely outcomes for 2023 nor represent favourable or unfavourable futures. Instead, they offer a set of possible futures and provide a challenge to the industry, each with their own risks and opportunities. They are tools that industry bodies can use to assess current strategies and come up with new ones that will be fit for a range of futures. ” The two axes of scenario construction were the two major uncertainties of the future–will the economy, politics, technology and energy costs enable or inhibit travel and whether the sensitivity of consumers to the environmental impacts of their travel make it more attractive or less attractive.

Scenario 1: Boom and Burst

We really enjoyed the use of fictional “postcards sent back home” to give a flavor of life for British tourists under each scenario. For example:

“Dear Mum, Sorry to send you another postcard this year, but this trip really has been eye-opening. You were right, the supermarket did pick a great itinerary for me, but Manila is not how it looked in the video brochure–it’s a lot more crowded. Still, I got my teeth done more cheaply than I could have in the UK and now I have tried remote working I see why you think a second home abroad might be fun! See you next week in Brazil! – Love, David”

• All is well in the world but it’s not clear for how long. Technological fixes like the use of algae-based fuels for planes and carbon scrubbers that clean the air as we fly have allowed travel to continue and grow.
• The spread of broadband has allowed UK citizens to work from anywhere so binge flying is common and many have second homes.
• The high prices of oil have made low carbon travel alternatives an economic necessity, so all modes of travel are seeing growth. Kazakhstan transit railway opened to link China to Iran and the Caspian sea. Russia has begun work on the world’s longest tunnel that will connect to Alaska and accommodate a high speed train line, gas pipelines and fiber optic cables.
• This travel boom has led to overcrowded destinations and upped the demand for more land to be opened up to the industry. There is now a paved road to Mt. Everest’s base camp complete with vending machines.

Continue reading this article and scenarios 2-4 on the Year of No Flying.

Travel Industry – booming business because of you?
There are millions of people worldwide who travel every year, with different goals, different destinations and different budgets: People who are backpacking, those who go on business trips, enjoy a safari or a health treatment holiday, go camping, visit family or friends or participate in language studies. Without all these travelers, the travel industry, which is an important source of income and jobs, wouldn’t exist.

Some facts
In 2009, the total revenues from international tourism in 80 countries worldwide amounted to over 1 billion US dollars. In fact, tourism exports account for as much as 30 per cent of the world’s exports of commercial services. Globally, as an export category, tourism ranks fourth after fuels, chemicals and automotive products. For many developing countries, it is one of the main sources for foreign exchange income and the number one export category, creating much needed employment and opportunities for development (source: UN World Tourist Organisation Tourism).

Push the industry, push yourself
Clearly, tourism goes a lot further than buying souvenirs. It’s a big business, that focuses on profit and export. How does a business make profit? By getting us, consumers, to spend, whether it’s on food, clothes, entertainment or travel. That is why I believe that consumers’ – travelers’ – behaviour can influence the industry.  If we ask for fair and green options and we are willing to spend our money on this, businesses can’t deny it. They simply need us.

Continue reading this article on Travel Jockey.

Glasgow's Clockwork Orange (underground) / Photo by Jools Stone

Apart from the occasional trip to the excellent Kelvingrove Museum & Gallery, the city means two things to me: shopping and gigs.  Last night I was on my way to see the brilliantly animated ‘gangsta country’ band Felice Brothers, and more on that soon.

Glasgow seems to get the lion’s share of decent bands in the central belt, Edinburgh – despite having some fine venues – just doesn’t compete.  I don’t know why: maybe the Edinburgh Festival saps everyone’s event energy for the year or perhaps it’s just the  innate conservatism of the place.

A circular line of 15 stations with overwhelmingly orange interiors

Anyway, as last night’s gig was at Oran Mor, far away in the boho, studenty enclave of Ashton Lane and Byres Road, (you can tell it’s a posh bit of Weedgieland cos they’ve got at least 2 artisan delis and a Waitrose) I jumped straight off the overland train from Queens Street to the underground one at the confusingly named Buchanan Street station, which is directly outside, to the right of the main entrance.

Continue reading this article @ Trains on the Brain

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!

You may choose to plan your destination, accommodation, route, places to visit down to the finest detail or you may follow the ‘fly by the seat of your pants’ approach, either way solo travel is liberating.  Things like luggage, the climate, budget, food and health are some of the more basic considerations that everyone must deal with before heading off and it always help to follow some tips and advice left by other travellers.  Here are some of ours:

Taking the train / Photo by Stephen Chapman

10 tips for travelling alone

1. Keep your most important things with you at all times, wherever you go.
2. Your visa, passport, mobile, cash etc. should always be in another bag, not mixed with your luggage so that it’s easier to access an important item when you need it.
3. At the beginning of your journey make a note of points to remember like places to visit, things to buy etc. to ensure you don’t leave without doing or seeing something you had intended to.
4. On down times during your trip – there will be some, try listening to music or writing a story to keep yourself busy. If you start to feel lonely, calling home using online phone cards can make all the difference to your mood and act as a great ‘pick-me-up’.
5. Always try to stay clean and hygienic – don’t wait until you get sick to appreciate your health. Also, wash any fruit and vegetables that you purchase and drink clean water.
6. Find a room that’s close to shopping and leisure activities, depending on your interests. If you are staying somewhere more rural make sure you learn about the local area and leave ample time to explore it.
7. Take good care of your belongings. You never know who’s watching and looking for an opportunity to separate you from your possessions.  Be confident and aware but not paranoid.
8. Try to learn the language of the place/country you are in. Locals will always appreciate your effort.
9. Make some new friends by discussing places, talking about home, sharing photographs and involve yourself in group activities.
10. Give yourself time to feel comfortable being alone, don’t immediately seek company when you start to feel lonely.  Learning to be alone takes time but will give you much greater confidence when you’re away and enable you to feel much more relaxed.

Not long ago I was talking to an Argentinian friend, who like so many others has Italian heritage. He told me how his mum was always making her own pasta. I confessed I’d never made pasta in my life. For me, ‘cooking pasta at home’ always meant just tipping brittle bow shapes out of a plastic bag.

But here in Argentina ‘pasta casera’ really does mean homemade pasta.

Handmaking pasta / flickr photo courtesy of Magic Madzik

Impacto has a rolling machine (a bit like a large electric mangle) in the corner. They’ll serve various styles (spaghetti, ravioli), which you can dress any way you wish, or you can buy a pot of one of their sauces.

Earlier this week, when I knew I was going to be too busy to cook, I popped by to pick up some ricotta cannelloni (canelones). Smothered in white and tomato sauce, they cost me 10 pesos (£1.60) and was much more satisfying that your average supermarket ready meal.

Having been in business for almost 40 years, Impacto seems to do a good trade from catering orders and (free) home delivery, but I wonder how long these traditional independents can survive somewhere like Palermo.

Continue reading this article on Vicky’s blog, Going Local Travel.