Over the last few months I have taken buses, trains, boats, rickshaws, bikes, and horses through a multitude of cultures and minorities therein. It occurs to me that a lot can be inferred about these places based upon my main means of communication: the internet cafe.

Leaving Japan at the start of my journey, I also left the home of the world’s best internet cafes, which is a term that comes quite short of describing these establishments. The rows of basic computers found in every cafe are accompanied by huge selections of manga comics, DVDs, and video games. Booths are available, complete with leather reclining chairs, with TV setups and game consoles, and just outside are banks of vending machines. In fact, since such places stay open all night these media meccas are the best place to sleep if you miss your last train home. It’s a well-oiled machine, but you pay for it. Service is top notch, but you pay for it.

Into China, we generally find a high level of sophistication in the internet cafes. Connections speeds are fast and computers new. Computer interfaces use customized desktops with a large variety of games and computer software at your disposal, which I have to believe is all pirated. The difference is the Big Brother factor in China. The customized desktops allow them a degree of control over how you are using the computer. Its no secret the Red China has an amazingly advanced firewall system, referred to as the Great Firewall which you can read more about here, that allows them to monitor or block nearly all net traffic. One expat assured me upon opening an email with derogatory comments about China that the internet in only his neighborhood was quickly cut-off. Perhaps, but speed definitely suffers and many sites you must use a proxy to access (The Chairman doesn’t use Facebook). Since I visited during the Olympics, these restrictions were supposedly relaxed a great deal due to the influx of foreigners who don’t normally put up with this kind of totalitarian bullshit at home.

Upon entry into Pakistan, you are now officially on the Indian subcontinent, but with a Muslim twist. Muslim people are exceedingly hospitable and very eager to help (this is different from India), but the technological infrastructure is quite poor with old computers and slow connections. What to do?

Over in neighboring India its a bit harder to categorize. India has a booming IT sector but you wouldn’t know it based upon their internet cafes since all the people educated to operate computers are not working in the local cafe or even in the country in many cases. Speed and hardware are generally better than Pakistan, but the problem lies in the lack of maintenance and administration. For Indian internet cafes, the business model is plug it in and charge money. The result are virus-laden computers with software that is non-existent or outdated.

Every computer in an internet cafe should offer a basic set of software that is up to date, not to mention free. Things like Firefox, Skype, Acrobat Reader, Flash, and Java to mention some basics. This stuff is free yet very few cafes actually have these things installed and ready to use in India. One particularly ignorant cafe worker (they tend to be 12 years old but he was old enough to know better) refused to have Firefox, by far the best and most useful internet browser, installed on his computers. Instead it was an older version of Internet Explorer and thus lacking tabbed browsing (stolen from Firefox anyway) and features like remembering all the sites you have open when the browser/computer crashes… which is often in India with unreliable electricity. In fact without this its quite futile to get anything done on computers in India. So people, myself included, would take their own time, which they pay for, to download this on slow connection speeds and do him a favor by installing it… only to have it removed. No amount of reasoning can explain why this is bad policy to him. Remember, I am making parallel comparisons here. This is the same culture that pours untreated human waste in their “holiest” river in the Hindu religion…. where thousands take a bath in every day.

Never once in India did I use a computer that wasn’t logged in as administrator, giving users full access to download the things that should already be installed and much more that shouldn’t. It was quite shocking to cross the border into Nepal and find things as they should be. Electricity is a big problem, but the things that they can control, like having iTunes ready to use, is done! In fact, internet cafes in Nepal are the best since I left Japan with modern fast machines and clean comfortable spaces. Cost is slightly higher in Nepal versus India, but when things actually work its a small concession.

Fasting Buddha

From the 6th century BC to the 11th century AD the Kingdom of Gandhara prospered in modern day eastern Afghanistan, northern Pakistan and Kashmir. Before falling to Muslims the area was ruled by Buddhist kings.

From the 1st Century to the 6th, an interesting style of Greco-Buddhist art arose due to the influence of Alexander the Great’s invading armies. The Bactrian Greeks brought their classical Hellenistic style with attention to realistic depictions of the human body.

The synthesis of Buddhist religious symbols and life-like Greek artistic ideals resulted in a sculptural sophistication unknown to prior depictions of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas. Mediterranean curly hair and mustaches began to adorn statues and the figure is in proportion; less cartoon-like and more Hellenistic.

The cities of modern day Taxila (I had visited) and Peshawar (currently seeing violence) were important centers of commerce and learning.

The historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, spent 6 years in self renunciation in an effort to gain insight on the human condition and this image depicts just that. In a moment of epiphany, Buddha later embraced the “Middle Path” between the two extremes.

The attention to detail in Gandhara art is generally not found in Indian art but would continue in north India and Tibet. The neck and sunken eyes are especially rendered with such extreme realism that the viewer shares the suffering.

This is the crowning piece in the excellent Lahore Museum in Lahore, Pakistan.

Fasting Buddha @ Lahore Museum

Sources:

Life of the Buddha: The Emaciated Buddha

This essay was written in 2001 for a competition sponsored by the National Collegiate Taekwondo Association. I was a three-time member for Iowa State University’s Taekwondo Team and this essay won first prize. I was handed the cash prize in an unmarked envelope and it felt very Korean mafia-esque. The theme related to your philosophy of fighting and specific methods used.

“The weather means the seasons.”

-Master Sun Tzu

There once was a young student who became very proficient in the skills of archery. After winning several archery competitions, the young man became rather boastful and proud of his accomplishments and challenged a Zen master who was renowned for his skill as an archer. On his first try, the youth hit a distant bull’s eye. On the second, he split the first arrow right down the middle. It was obvious that he possessed great technical proficiency but the master, undisturbed, did not draw his bow. Instead he motioned for the young man to follow him up a mountain. Curious about this surprise, the champion followed up the mountain until they reached a deep chasm spanned by a rather flimsy log. The Zen master stepped upon the shaky bridge, picked a far away tree as a target, and fired a clean direct hit. “Now it is your turn,” he said as he nimbly returned to more stable ground. The young champion stared with horror into the seemingly bottomless pit. He could not force himself to advance on the perilous log, much less attempt to shoot a bow. Sensing the situation the master said, “You have much skill with your bow, but you have little skill with the mind that lets loose the shot.”

On the eve of important occasions, whether it be a martial arts tournament or some other event, it is important to remind oneself of one thing: readiness is not just physical preparedness. Without a suitable mental state, sheer physical power is not enough to guarantee a victory. The path to victory is instead paved with unification, harmony, and coherence.

In previous experiences, I have encountered many individuals like the young archer in the opening parable. These are competitors who posses great speed, strength, and flexibility, but lack that all important harmony between the mind and body. Sometimes this is enough for them to win. Even so, the win is less certain than one achieved through intelligent thought processes; and the entire situation is hit or miss. Undoubtedly, people like the archer have talent; but the real talent lies in being able to apply your skills in even the most adverse situations without fear or hesitation.

In the waning 24 hours before a tournament, I begin to slowly prepare my mind for the task ahead. I do not become obsessed with it; at first I occasionally bring the competition to consciousness. Just like the philosophy behind the Tae Guek symbol featured on the Korean flag, the body must be brought into balance. School work and social activities can bring about much stress, which can lead to disharmony. The Tae Guek shows perfect balance between opposites that are contained in the same circle. Like the mind and body, this represents both opposites as powers in one cycle. Instead of working antagonistically, they are mutually interdependent of each other.

Concerning sparring, I stress the importance of knowing when to act and when not to act. Existence is contrived of fluctuating currents of human thought and action. These two must flow together into actions that are dictated by intelligent thought and executed with power and confidence. Again, unity is the key. If I let my emotions, such as anger, become too strong I will surely be defeated. To me sparring is less a physical trial and more a mental game.

In Poomse competition, I use a technique that I also use in sparring, but that is best exemplified in forms: visualization. There are two sides to this. The first is commonly overlooked and is not so much what you do visualize but what you do not visualize. I do not visualize getting beat. I do not visualize forgetting my forms. The second side is a focus on the positive; I visualize the outcome I desire. I first create a clear image of what I want. I imagine myself moving with speed and snap, power and precision. Next I combine this with a strong emotion. I think about the pride I will feel helping my team capture the team trophy. I think about the personal satisfaction involved. More specifically, I focus on certain moves in my form that are more difficult for me; I see myself executing a sidekick with great flexibility and snap or a spin move with precision. Visualization is a powerful tool of the conscious.

As the hours dwindle before competition, I tend to draw into myself using the techniques described above. As the time for competition closes in I add physical preparation: stretching, limbering up, and running through forms. I begin to feel like the bowstring stretched tightly on the master’s bow. By the time my name is called to enter the ring, I am ready. Mind and body act with a seamless unity.

At the beginning I quoted Master Sun Tzu, author of The Art of War. He said, “The weather means the seasons.” When I first read this, it did not make immediate sense. I took it literally. But then I related it to the idea of mind and body. In the summer the sun shines hotly and in the winter snow falls. This is always the case. The weather patterns determine the overall situation. The mind is like the weather; if I think negatively or space off, my body will behave accordingly. I have the ability to control my mind, my weather, effectively. Once I control my psychological dimensions, my physical ones follow; and with both in harmony, I cannot be defeated.

The web is a vast wasteland of -let’s face it- opinions you just don’t care about. We, of which there is actually one of, have only your best interests in mind and present 11 of the best travel oriented blogs out there plus a few other resources to quell your wanderlust.

A note about selection: These sites aim to inform about general travel news, no matter the location. Most are multi-author (though not a requirement) and have an independent component to them. While there are many fantastic narrative/photo style blogs being maintained by 1 or 2 people on the road, and locale specific offerings, those aren’t what we are after here.

1. Brave New Traveler
2. Vagabondish
3. World Hum
4. Geeky Traveller
5. The Traveller’s Notebook
6. Intelligent Travel
7. Gadling
8. Viator Travel Blog
9. Vagabonding
10. Working Nomad
11. Jaunted

Plus:

• The Big Guys
• Travel Communities

11. Jaunted

URL: Jaunted
Motto: “Pop Culture Travel Guide”

Want to know where Angelina Jolie will be adopting her next child? This blog is your … ermm … blog.

Posts are often more than a little irrelevant to travel and the sheer number of posts makes it daunting to find articles you actually want to read. This one is geared towards fans of celebrity gossip blogs with a passing interest in hard-core travel.

But, they do pull a winner out of the hat every so often, like last year’s Osaka Travel Guide series. For more, check the 2007 Jaunted Travel Awards.

10. Working Nomad

URL: www.workingnomad.com
Motto: “Working remotely over the web and traveling around the world.”

So, some guy creates some websites, puts up some ads, and makes enough to travel around without a permanent home. We all want to follow, so hoards of people visit the site to learn how, enabling said guy to earn even more.

A weird sort of circular existence is born for Working Nomad, and you can even buy the PDF “How I did it.” For US $18. That’s all there is to it. $10,000/month off 5 web sites.

Of course, it’s not as easy as that and, as of late, site posts number a few per month as the author settles out of the lifestyle. Plus, I just don’t think I’m interested in articles about selling 500 copies of an e-book (but maybe if I was selling my own e-book?).

This is an early example of an enviable class of people who live in no permanent abode and generate income via online ventures. Check out a list of such people at Location Independent. Certainly, for those aspiring to follow, there is good stuff here and it is commendable what has been accomplished. Forums are an added bonus and a good place for beginners with questions.

9. Vagablogging

URL: www.vagablogging.net
Motto: none

This one is Rolf Potts’ travel blog and online advertisement of his book of the same name (which I have not read).

The site’s links dizzyingly bounce back and forth from Vagabonding to Rolf’s personal homepage where you can find useful advice about travel writing.

Various writers update his blog once a day, many of whom can be found on other sites in this list as well.

The site is a little narcissistic, but, hey, gotta make a living somehow. I’m not sure I completely trust someone who refers to his or her own story as a “gonzo classic.” Blog posts are generally well informed, though the design needs an update.

8. Viator Travel Blog

URL: http://travelblog.viator.com
Motto: “Travel inspiration, advice & recommendations.”

Viator is a new one to me, but fast rising on my list due to the quality of the posts. Actually, the blog is an offshoot of a commercial travel agent website.

Don’t let that fool you though. Posts are not geared at selling anything and instead focus on quality pieces. Stories are in-depth, such as their ‘Suggested Itineraries’ series. They are even sponsoring a team on the Mongol Rally, an overland race from England to Mongolia!

7. Gadling

URL: www.gadling.com
Motto: “go there.”

In the quality vs. quantity argument, Gadling is definitely the quantity (second only to Jaunted). The AOL Weblogs blog is written by an ever-changing group of bloggers who sometimes have dubious journalistic qualifications (but, hey, who am I to talk?). The articles often are a rehash of other travel related news, meaning if you have to choose just one, this is it.

Articles rarely break the five-paragraph barrier. So while things are served in bit-sized, easily consumed chunks, sometimes you are left wanting a little more.

At any given time, Gadling features a number of ‘Writers on the Road’ in a number of recurring series and these are usually the best posts. Currently, Matthew Firestone’s Big in Japan keeps you updated about the latest in the Land of the Rising Sun; Kelsey Mulyk’s No Wrong Turns chronicles a road trip from Calgary, Canada to (hopefully) Tierra del Fuego, the tip of South America, in a ’91 VW Golf; and in the latest addition, The Cockpit Chronicles, Kent Wien offers tales from the front end of a commercial jet.

For me, my once favorite travel news site has become the Paris Hilton of travel blogs: I love to hate on it. Since I read a lot of other sites, a high percentage of their stories I have already read by the time they hit Gadling. Yet, I keep coming back because there is always that story that falls through the cracks.

Repetition of stories from other sites.

Posts are a mixed bag. Mediocre entries (not to mention obvious flame bait) could easily be transformed into much more engaging articles if only a little more time was put into their construction.

That said, it would be incredibly cool to write for them and actually try to make good on my critiques.

6. Intelligent Travel

URL: http://intelligenttravel.typepad.com/it/
Motto: “The blog about sustainable and authentic travel.”

The good folks at National Geographic Traveler have expanded their horizons with this blog format site.

Green travel is all the rage these days, and this one can fill your environmental friendly needs (yeah, save paper and get your news online).

This travel blog and award winner is Gadling (above) done right. Featured travel photos and well quoted commentary on the latest travel news, you can really see the difference of professional vs amateur writing styles when compared to other blogs.

Negative points for hosting on Typepad, though. Come on, National Geographic can’t afford a proper URL? This one is relatively young and I suspect, as it gets more popular, we will see changes.

5. The Traveler’s Notebook

URL: www.thetravelersnotebook.com
Motto: “Expert travel from the Matador Community.”

Kudos to The Traveler’s Notebook, like BNT a branch of the Matador travel community, for soliciting and publishing paid travel articles. It’s nice of them to give back a little to the readers, an in the process generate some extremely well-written articles.

They have carefully selected interest specific categories of Destination Guides, How To, Photography Q & A, Podcasts, Top 10 Tips, and Travel and Adventure Jobs.

Articles are culled via Matador’s Bounty Board, a great resource for aspiring travel writers. If they responded. From my several inquires I have had absolutely no response.

UPDATE: They have in fact returned an inquiry and I have written an article for submission. We’ll see how it goes….

4. Geeky Traveller

URL: www.geekytraveller.com
Motto: “Gadgets, tools, and tips for geeks who love to travel, and travelers who are geeks.”

I like gadget and other materialistic motivated blogs (Uncrate, Product Dose, Gizmodo). It allows me to see the latest and greatest without having to confront the shopping mall crowds.

Enter Geeky Traveller, combing both the love of gadgets and travel into one lovely place. I guess it doesn’t quite fit the theme here, but who cares since it’s a way cool site.

3. World Hum

URL: www.worldhum.com
Motto: “Travel Dispatches from a Shrinking Planet.”

Named after the rush one feels when traveling, World Hum is another polished offering with articles of a professional caliber.

Articles tend to be a bit longer and in-depth than your usual travel blog. ‘Nuff said.

Don’t miss The (Full Moon) Party’s Over, an interesting comparison of a Thai beach after 12 long years. Prolific blogger Rolf Potts answers your questions in Ask Rolf.

2. Vagabondish

URL: www.vagabondish.com
Motto: “Travelzine for Today’s Vagabond.”

I know what you are thinking… “Why, yes, I am ‘today’s vagabond’ and ‘travelzine’ sounds hip. I am hip.”

Right you are, hipster, this is an elegant looking blog chuck full of relevant content in the same vain as Brave New Traveler.

Content is divided into Features, cornerstone articles that serve as the core of the site; News and Sidelines, briefer posts; and Dispatches, articles of a narrative nature about place.

See for yourself with such selections as Seven Days on a Train: How to Keep Busy on the Trans-Siberian Railway.

1. Brave New Traveler

URL: www.bravenewtraveler.com
Motto: “We publish thoughtful and entertaining articles exploring travel in the 21st century.”

It’s independent and well written (see The 50 Most Inspiring Travel Quotes Of All Time). It’s thought provoking and original (see Hostel Sex). Yes, it’s Brave New Traveler!

What makes this blog stand above the rest is not it’s snazzy look, but it’s original content. Many blogs (we are all guilty of it) post like your mom cooks, dishing up last night’s sloppy joe leftovers in a different form. Not BNT… these articles don’t regurgitate travel news from the blogosphere but offer *gasp* content you can’t get elsewhere!

In addition, BNT offers tips and hints for the aspiring travel writer, like 50+ Travel Magazines That Want To Publish Your Writing and 6 Steps To Succeed As A Travel Writer Abroad.

Add this one to your RSS reader. Prolific travel blog writer Tim Patterson is co-editor.

The Big Guys

Don’t forget our corporate overlords. Their articles are sterile and polished, politically correct in that Associated Press cookie cutter kinda way. You will like their content, but feel a little dirty after reading.

• CNN Travel
• Fodors
• Frommers
• Guardian Travel
• Lonely Planet

Travel Communities

Another overlooked resource for great travel blogging is online travel blogging communities. These communities offer a free place for today’s rucksack wanderers to post pictures and stories while on the road. It’s the Blogger platform reinvented in genre specific ways. Peruse at your own leisure.

• Boots ‘N All
• Matador Travel
• Travel Blog
• Travel Blogger
• Real Travel
• Virtual Tourist

So there you have it! Some of the best, and a few of the not so best, travel blogs available. Missing your favorite blog? Please leave a comment and maybe we can add it!

Polaroid is from flickr user Brainless Angel.

I originally wrote this essay in the fall of 2005 for Art History 495 at Iowa State University under Dr. Julie Schlarman. I present it here with updates and addenda.

“Album jackets are still a mine of arcane information and secret knowledge, the thrill of a new acquisition is still as physical as it is aural.”

-Brett Milano, Vinyl Junkies

On February 3, 1959 the music died. The plane was a Beech-Craft Bonanza, painted red with white and black trim and it crashed carrying three musicians enjoying resounding chart success. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. “Big Bopper” Richardson, and the plane’s pilot all lost their lives that day in northern Iowa. Later in 1971, Don McLean released his perennial “American Pie” and forever immortalized the event as “The Day the Music Died.”

[See post to listen to audio]

Lives taken on February 3, 1959

This assertion is wrong. Indeed the events of the 3rd of February, 1959 were a dark day for the music industry, but by no means was the casket being lowered. In fact quite the opposite was about to happen. A motley group of four from England would explode onto the scene and usher in more creativity and sonic exploration than ever before. Bob Dylan fused political awareness into his unique brand of folk. Groups like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath would invent ‘heavy metal’ while punk bands like the Ramones and the Sex Pistols further pushed the envelope. And that was just the 60’s and early 70’s.¹

Crash Site Memorial near Clear Lake, Iowa

Perhaps McLean lived too close to the times to fully realize that status of the music industry. Looking out over the cliff of the 21st century, we can now analyze with better perspective events tied to popular music and in doing so identify the real “Day the Music Died”.

Music takes many forms; everything from early Homo sapiens beating rocks and dancing around fire to teenagers text messaging a vote for their favorite American Idol. At the heart of it, there is an artist involved. The identification of the artist gives a face to the music, another person with who we can identify with. But that person is often neither the single representation of the music nor even a true representation at all. ²

Our inquest into the real “Day the Music Died” lies not in plane crashes or rock ‘n roll suicides, but in matters of artistic integrity. The creation of the music itself and the means it is propagated has everything to do with our investigation. Corporate invasion for the purpose of the bottom line is like a cancer. Remember those old vinyl LPs? Ask anyone who grew up with them and a fondly smile will likely cross their face. Compare the size of the cover of an LP to a modern CD (psst, it’s a lot smaller!).

If fact, therein the transition from LP to CD lies the true “Day the Music Died.” Both literally and figuratively, the CD in many ways represents the virus-like co-called demise of popular music. Corporate roots reached deep into music and began to suck the money out, in effect changing the very nature of the industry. At the same time the shrinking canvas size stifled creative freedom.

Roots

To understand something you must understand where it came from. This is no different with music, specifically recorded music. History points to Thomas Alva Edison, an inventor of the highest caliber, recording “Mary Had A Little Lamb” in the 1890’s. His work was in fact the result of several inventors each making distinct contributions.³ The reaction was less than positive and would set the precedent for subsequent advances, right up to our current day. ⁴

Thomas Alva Edison

Broadcasting in general cast a wary eye on prerecorded music. Radio depended on live acts for their content, and the new medium was seen as an attack upon the livelihood of those involved. In Britain, more extreme measures were taken as the “needle time” policy was established. For every minute of prerecorded music played, union members had to be compensated for lost wages. Even more shocking, the policy remained until the early 80’s.

To avoid these regulations, the BBC commissioned artists to come in and record live “session” versions of their songs. These recordings date back to the 1920’s and the sessions of nearly every popular British band in the 60’s remain wildly popular with fans today, providing alternate versions of favorite songs.

Ironically, this early example of corporate stifling ultimately had opposite effects. Fans today now have hundreds of song variations of their favorite album hits to choose from.

Fast forward to 1945. After shellac resources, the material records were made from, were eaten up by World War II, normalcy eventually returned in production, but it brought a new war with it. Know as the “War of the Speeds,” Columbia and RCA Victor battled for supremacy in the recording industry. The standard of the day was the 78, referring to how many times the record spun per minute. To increase the amount of music on a single record side, Columbia proposed the LP (long player) at 33 1/3 rpm. RCA fired back with the 45 rpm disc. LPs ultimately won, but the 45 made enough niche to survive as singles, usually in jukeboxes.

The Golden Age: The LP

So the hero of the story, the vinyl LP record, takes stage. Twelve square inches around, the LP has become an icon in a world where CDs and subsequently MP3s are the favored medium for music.

In Brett Milano’s book Vinyl Junkies: Adventures in Record Collecting, the author delivers a monologue that sums up a lot of the attraction of vinyl:

“The urge to collect records begins with the fascination of the record as an object, going beyond simple appreciation of the music…..a vinyl junkie would make discoveries about the record itself. Compact discs will remain a sticking point for collectors, but you don’t have to be one of those vinyl snobs- the kind who think that digital sound is flat and heartless- to appreciate that playing a record is a whole different experience. Placing the needle in the groove is a physical act- maybe a sexual one, if you really want to stretch the metaphor- and it’s just not the same as pressing the button on your CD player, where you can’t even see what’s going on. And even though they’re more high-tech, CDs just aren’t as mysterious. There’s a computer-age explanation for why that digital sound gets reproduced, just as there’s a computer-age explanation for everything” (Milano).

The obvious difference between the LP and the CD is the actual canvas space. On an LP the workable space is much larger and as a consequence the artist took more consideration in the composition. Many tricks and gimmicks that were used on the covers are evidence of that total package consideration.

Some records used the die-cut cover. The Rolling Stones implemented this on their Some Girls cover with the die cut revealing the record sleeve underneath. The Doors’ L.A. Women put a different spin on the die cut by affixing a clear yellow tinted window to their die cut.

Die cut Covers

Some of my favorite record conventions are the inserts included with many discs. Inserts could be anything, as long the distributor agreed to produce it. One early favorite is from the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Not only do we get stunning cover art, but also a frame worthy gatefold spread and psychedelic record sleeve. A full size sheet of cut-outs accompanied the record featuring a mustache, badges, uniform stripes, a picture card, and, of course, a stand up of the Beatles themselves.

Sgt. Pepper’s Gatefold

Sgt. Pepper’s Cut-outs (left) and record sleeve (right>

Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon included several additions consisting of sticker sheets and two full size posters. It is not even physically possible for a CD to include anything of this caliber.

DSoM Poster #1

DSoM Poster #2

DSoM Stickers

Other notable inserts include a cardinal t-shirt iron-on from Chicago’s VIII and the 3D glasses included to be able to view Grand Funk Railroad’s 3D cover and included poster of Shinin’ On. Colored vinyl was also a popular gimmick.

Grand Funk’s Shinin’ On (left) and Chicago’s VIII (right)

Andy Warhol got his start in the art world composing covers for jazz artists on the Blue Note label. He continued to produce cover throughout his career for such artists as Billy Squire, John Lennon, and the Rolling Stones. He famously designed The Velvet Underground’s The Velvet Underground and Nico‘s banana cover, with peel-able banana sticker, and the Rolling Stone’s Sticky Fingers, with zip-able crotch.

Selection of Andy Warhol’s Cover Art

Roger Dean’s classic cover art still remain a staple of record cover ingenuity. He is known for his fantasy art for groups like Yes and Asia.

Selection of Roger Dean’s Cover Art

Other important cover designers include pop artist Peter Blake who made waves with covers for artists like the Beatles (Sgt. Pepper’s) and Paul Weller (Stanley Road).

Another important aspect refers to the quote from Thompson’s Music Lover’s Guide to Record Collecting at the beginning of the paper. It reads: “Album jackets are still a mine of arcane information and secret knowledge, the thrill of a new acquisition is still as physical as it is aural.” That arcane information and secret knowledge is tied to the particular history of the individual album itself. Often times a name, or even an address, is scrawled upon the jacket. Maybe there is an unusual stain or an odd tear. These observations lead to thoughts about previous owners…Who was that person? Why did they get rid of it? How did it arrive in the shape it did? Again, this is baggage that a CD just doesn’t carry.

In Vinyl Junkies the author stumbles upon two copies of the same record, one clean and the other rather beat up. As he began to walk away with the clean one, he lamented about the used one. It was a Mardi Gras song, so it must have been played at parties. “Maybe it was played at some society function as the debutantes got into costume.” Finally he decides he “couldn’t let the thing sit in a dusty box forever; it needed to be the soundtrack for a few more parties.” It’s this mystery that LPs seem to hold that turn even a used copy into a doorway to a different place.

The Real Day the Music Died

The real “Day the Music Died” is less an actual day and more a year: 1982. The first commercial compact disc, Billy Joel’s 52nd Street, was released to much speculation. Many believed CDs would self destruct in only a few years. The thought only new releases would be available in the new format was prevalent (but really, have record companies ever passed up the chance to cash in?). Others cringed at the idea of replacing a lifetime’s collection of vinyl on CD.

Happy Family? A LP, 45, and CD

According to Thompson, 750 million new CDs are sold every year in the US alone, and that reflects only sales of new CDs. One collector called the medium “cold” and “soulless” (Milano). And in many ways they are; you can’t watch them spin like vinyl and you may need spectacles to view the cover.

In many ways the compact disc has cheapened the value of a record. After all, almost anyone can record themselves and put it on a CD today. New technology places more and more mixing and editing control in the hands of the common man. This is great in one sense, but in another it only increases the amount of crap to shift through to find good music.

In other ways the CD has made of for vinyl’s transgressions. Portability is one of these areas. Cassettes and 8-tracks were portable too, but did anyone really enjoy those? Or ever try listening to vinyl in your car? Surprisingly, Chrysler’s 1956 DeSoto did try to market an in-dash record player!

In-Dash Record Player

The days of getting up every 20 minutes to flip your vinyl to side 2 are gone, just point a remote and instantly go to a song.

The introduction of vinyl has also spurned the remastering of albums. Some argue that remastered works are not how the songs were originally meant to be heard. In reality, the sonic quality attained actually is a truer sound to what the artists wanted. Instruments and beats that once were minuscule on the original now contribute more to the overall experience. Not all remastering is good though. Even George Martin, the Beatles’ producer, claims is you haven’t heard the mono version of Sgt. Pepper’s you haven’t heard it at all (Thompson).

The biggest issue in the CD versus LP debate seems to be about the overall sonic quality. Some like the pops and clicks of vinyl that give LPs individual character. Others claim a clean vinyl will sound better that a CD any day. Chris Tham’s study of spectral and dynamic comparison between CDs and LPs may finally put this issue to rest.

Her conclusion is this: “LPs do have a usable dynamic range far greater than the measured dynamic range would suggest, and LPs consistently have higher relative dynamics over digital formats. But it is also true that LPs have higher distortion levels which translate to ultrasonic frequency harmonics.”

The remastering of CDs has lead to what some call the “Loudness War.” Take a look at this video to see exactly what is going on.

Waveforms Comparison Between LP (top) and Remastered CD (bottom)

In essence, LPs are hindered by inherent problems with the vinyl medium itself (like ease of scratching). But if a perfect copy is played, that LP will demonstrate more dynamics in its frequency range than a CD. This is not to mention that very expensive speakers and a well trained ear may also be necessary to differentiate.

Music producer Bill Inglot, in Vinyl Junkies, asserts that sound quality is relative to facts about the recording itself. Sometimes the LP is better, sometimes the CD.

“There are just too many variables- how well the master tape has held up, whether the remastering engineer can get inside the original engineer’s head- to give either medium the objective upper hand.”

-Bill Inglot in Vinyl Junkies

Conclusion

The LP marks the high point of artistic merit in the music industry. Creative covers and inserts add a dimension not found in any other medium. Compact discs do add a dimension of portability and convenience that is hard to dismiss. Perhaps the best solution is a mix of both?

Vinyls by memorymotel

The physical presence of the LP can never be replaced. Its appeal is a lot like a mail order special released in conjunction with Led Zeppelin’s Presence album. They offered a small statue, featured on the cover in apparently random scenarios. It was called “the object” (right) and was valued basically because it existed, plain and simple. The object, like an LP, influences the beholder in a way only inherent to that item. Holding an LP, smelling its musty odor, seeing the light refract off the vinyl scratches, and watching it spin on a player are an experience that only the LP can offer.

CDs do the same in a much more manufactured empathy. The cold, sterile plastic casing emits feeling that every other CD offers because they all share that plastic case. Even so, the ease of use and portability lend a convenience to the listening experience.

The smaller canvas size of a CD reduces the importance of the cover art. Where is today’s cover equivalent of Sgt. Pepper’s or the trippy artwork of Roger Dean that accompanied so many Yes albums?

So, both mediums offer equally indispensable qualities. To truly appreciate the music, nothing beats holding a record. The thrill of opening a gatefold cover, of being required to flip it over to side two (to make sure you’re still listening) is priceless. Yet throwing a CD mix together for a friend or grabbing your favorite albums for a road trip are a luxury that will not be relinquished.

Personally, I own a collection of over 600 vinyl records and under 30 CDs. My digital music library is gigantic, clocking in at over 200 GB. I do not buy CDs, but I will enthusiastically purchase vinyl, new release or old, and I have turned several friends into vinyl junkies in the process. Living abroad, they are the possession that I miss the most. Nothing beats throwing on a record at the end of the day.

So give me both: let me choose how best to fulfill my musical needs (You hear that RIAA??!). But if, for some inexplicable reason, just one must be chosen, I’d pick vinyl every time.

Footnotes

1. A strong case can be made that the “day the music was born” was perhaps the debut of Elvis or the Beatles.
2. Case in point: the 90’s phenomena of “Boy Bands” such as the Backstreet Boys and ‘N SYNC. Members serve as perpetual puppets, neither writing their songs or playing instruments. Instead, they sing well and look pretty.
3. Other inventors include Emile Berliner, Chichester Bell, Alexander Bell, Charles Tainter, Charles Cros, and Leon Scott.
4. Current speculation about MP3s and downloading are virtually the same as speculations about vinyl LPs when they were first introduced. Current figures show that while CD sales for 2004 were down, the addition of legal downloads has again increased the net profit for the music industry to over 4 billion dollars.

Bibliography

• Day the Music Died, The. 6 June 2004. Fifties Web.
• Marsh, Graham. Blue Note: The Album Cover Art. San Franciso: Cronicle Books, 1991.
• Milano, Brett. Vinyl Junkies: Adventures in Record Collecting. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2003.
• Record Covers… More Tan Just Protection. The Record Collector’s Guild.
• Spectral and Dynamics Comparisons of LPs vs. Digital Formats by Chris Tham.
• Thompson, Dave. The Music Lover’s Guide to Record Collecting. San Francisco, Backbeat Books, 2002.
• Polaroid photo by flickr user thijshere

More Information

• BBC’s History of Vinyl
• History of Vinyl

Point a camera towards any Japanese person. Go ahead, I’ll wait. Chances are you got either got the back of a fleeing pedestrian or a picture like this:

Not my students.

The V for Victory sign. The peace sign. The ever present staple of picture taking in North East Asia. The origins of this mysterious practice is not one of great socio-anthropological importance, yet it is hard not to notice and wonder, “Where did this behavior come from and why does everyone do it?”

Japan Today asked a random sampling of Japanese why they make this sign in photos. Perhaps the most telling reply was:

“I make the peace sign but I don’t know why I do it, who invented it and when we started doing this. I think I’ve been doing it since I was born. The peace sign gesture must have been programmed in my DNA, or foreigners mind-controlled Japanese to make the peace sign subconsciously when we pose for a photo to keep the peace after the war.”

-Seiichi Igeta, 17

Exactly! No one knows. Furthermore, Japanese culture has become so influential in a number of areas, particularly with youth and pop-culture. The sign has spread and is now a mainstay in many Asian countries, particularly South Korea and China, so that nary a photo can be taken without its presence.

Subversive exportation.

As the quote states, the use of the peace sign has become an inseparable meme from Japanese culture. Children from very young ages are exposed to the fact that this just is what you do in a picture. Like smiling or wearing Hello Kitty inspired clothing.

Not my kids.

Origin

But I want to know where this practice really did come from. Let’s start at the beginning:

A debunked yet popular claim places the origin of said gesture in the Hundred Years’ War, which actually lasted 116 years from 1337 to 1453, pitting the French and English in battle. The story follows the French promised to cut the two fingers in question off the right hand of any captured archers. When the outnumbered English won, the “archer’s salute” was a sign of defiance.

No one believes this, though, because injured soldiers can’t be held for ransom and thus useless. Plus, there is no mention of such practice until much later in the 1500′s by some French guy:

François Rabelais, responsible for the V sign?

In the UK, this gesture is called the “Winston Churchill” after the WWII-era leader famously often used the “V for Victory” as a rallying point for allied forces and became his trademark. He boasted a huge increase in it’s popularity.

Other leaders were soon to follow like France’s Charles de Gaulle (who used it in just about every speech) and Richard “not a crook” Nixon.

Not a crook.

Not so fast, leaders of the free world! The symbol was quickly snapped up by American counterculture (read: hippies) while saying “Peace” to symbolize their anti-Vietnam War sentiment in the late 1960′s. Henceforth and still to this day, we have the name “peace sign” most common in the West.

So who was responsible for exporting this to Japan? History points to one Janet Lynn, American figure skater during the 1972 Olympics in Sapporo, Japan. In true ‘ganbatte‘ spirit, she fell on her ass only to get up in cheerful ignorance determination and went on to take bronze. Her blissfully smiling face made her an instant celebrity in Japan, where the peace activist and skater generously flashed the sign all over the media. The masses were to follow.

Janet Lynn: she even dresses like a Japanese school girl.

In late 2007, a Japanese variety program called Down Town DX traced the true root of the gesture to Jun Inoue, who was known as Junji Inoue at the time. In 1972, the popular actor starred in a series of commercials for camera maker Konica. He photographed a number of persons all with one thing in common. You guess it: the peace sign! According to Inoue, the idea for the sign was an ad-lib based on his perception of its popularity overseas. The critical number had now been reached for the Hundredth Monkey Effect to take effect and the rest, as they say, is history.

Variations

Interesting variations of interpretation have now resulted from the popularity of this oft overused sign. In the Philippines its use is seen as a mockery of other Asian countries while in the UK and English speaking Oceania, a reverse (palm facing inwards) flashing is the equivalent of saying “f*@% off.”

Even in Japan I have noticed a couple variations and unique usage of the sign. First, note placement of the symbol. For most in the West, its held about shoulder high in the front of the body and this is most common in Japan too. Sometimes you even get two signs from the same person. Distinctly Japanese is the placement next to or over some part of the face, which can be see in images above and below.

Wacky placement.

For the truly trend setting among us, great liberty can even been taken the form one’s hand takes. Its like a postmodern peace sign conveying the same ideas and saying, “No really, look at me! I am wild and crazy!” The ever changing all-girl J-Pop group Morning Musume (モーニング娘) can often been see flaunting such craziness:

Not good music.

The first of two main variations is the “under-extend.” This peace sign means well, but just doesn’t quite get there and the fingers are curled over. The result is the flasher looking like they are trying to make little claws and saying “Rawr!” I believe this usage is an attempt to garner even more cute points and often be seen placed near the face.

The “under-extend.”

The second main variation is the “over-extend.” Like the previous but opposite, too much force has been applied to the flash and the fingers curve with a painful looking convexness. Genetic mutation? Maybe. Some people seem to naturally be able to bend their fingers this way, though it may be the result of years of practice. The image shown, it should be noted, is a very tame play on this variation.

The “over-extend.”

Conclusion

The question about the origin of the two fingered Japanese “Victory Salute” is often one that confusions the non-initiated. It is a question that most Japanese also can’t answer: its just something that has always been done. Nevertheless, everyone from an age young enough to poop their pants to an age old enough to poop their pants will fearlessly greet any camera with the peace sign. We can now trace the roots of using this sign from age old myths to its entrance into pop-culture via an unlikely celebrity.

Many foreigners living in Japan for an extended time will quickly pick up this practice. I know, because I did. I can happily say I am now a recovering peace sign flasher, though occasional relapses do occur.

With a little digging we have found the origins of this mysterious practice and can all sleep a little better tonight. In a final note, I would present an ulterior theory for the meaning behind its usage: “We owe you two, Yanks!”

[sources not quoted in-text]
1. V Sign @ Wikipedia
2. Photo in Polaroid courtesy of Flickr user ortizmj12

Joe Vento owns a Philadelphia restaurant specializing in Philadelphia cheesesteaks. He has come to national attention with a sign he displays that says “This is America, when ordering speak English.” Actually it uses some caps, which implies shouting, and suspect use of quotes as above.

Should he be able to display such a sign? Absolutely. A recent city ruling has agreed with this. Is he an asshat for doing so? Absolutely. An asshat is someone who proverbially has their head up their ass, thus wearing their ass like a hat. Please look at the following image for clarification:

Let’s examine in context with the foundation of the United States and the arrival of European settlers. Columbus was an Italian sailing for the Spanish crown, but it wasn’t until Spaniard Ponce de Leon in 1513 before a European would land on what would later become mainland United States and then nearly a hundred years to 1607 before the first successful British ethnic and presumably English speaking settlements. The British colonies would go on to be the most prosperous economic and military settlements and thus wield great influence linguistically and culturally.

Perhaps the native Indians (who are named such because the Europeans thought they were in India looking for spices) should have erected signs in Wampanoag stating, “For help cultivating food so you don’t die, please speak Wampanoag.”

That alludes to the issue of the languages spoke by the people already living on the North American continent. More than half of American states have borrowed their name from American Indian languages, not to mention city, river and lake names (actually I did just mention it).

Language is a continually evolving creature. The first pilgrims who set out in 1620 were among the first generation of people to use the s form of verbs, that is saying has instead of hath and so forth. Were the Pilgrims any earlier those older verb forms may have been preserved in American English.

Also, please look at this only slightly tangential graph. It appears I should be typing in German right now.

Anyway, where do we draw distinction between British English and American? Perhaps shops in England should warn customers who want to spend their money there to “please speak British English.” After all, America has introduced many words that never existed in Britain: teenager, telephone, striptease, hangover, blizzard, weekend, and gadget to name a few. Why do Americans spell it color and the English (the language is named after them) as colour? Don’t get me started on aluminum! In England the Royal Mail delivers the post and in America the Postal Service delivers the mail. That seems annoyingly contrary to me.

Even within America the English language differs greatly. I’m from the Mid-West of America. If I visited a cheesesteak restaurant in Pennsylvania I could be confronted with such menu items as, scrapple, subs, snits, and fat cakes- none of which are in my Iowa lexicon. Maybe a further sign is needed so I’m sure to “please speak East Coast American English.”

Perhaps I have misconstrued the intent of this sign. Afterall, a 1993 study found 21% to 23% of adult Americans were not “able to locate information in text”, could not “make low-level inferences using printed materials”, and were unable to “integrate easily identifiable pieces of information.” Our own president has publicly stated:

“Is our children learning?”

-George W. Bush

The answer: yes, they is. Bill Bryson points out a 1985 study by the Rand Coorporation that 95% of the children of Mexican immigrants can speak English and by the next generation over half claim English as their only language.

I have heard the claim by some that they do not want to ‘press 1 for English.’ While this does return at least several seconds that could be spent watching TV, does it encourage non-speakers to learn the language? I feel the result may in fact be disenfranchising sizable minority populations that could lead to their exploitation. Here in Japan, I greatly wish my local ATM’s operated in English because when it comes to money I don’t like pushing random buttons (I just know one button says ‘transfer all funds to the terrorists’).

Nonetheless, English is the language of business and most likely the clear leader as a world language. Around 330 million can claim to be a native speaker, though 750 million can make the same claim for Mandarin Chinese. And you just try to order a cheesesteak with Mandarin! Especially in China where I do not believe they sell cheesesteak sandwiches.

English is so important the the Japanese government is dropping huge wads of cash just to have ME come to the country and TEACH the goddamn stuff. What an experience that is! The Japanese reaaaally want to speak it too! There is even a separate alphabet, katakana, for words transcribed from foreign languages that is mostly English. Transcribed is used loosely here, as most words are well beaten to fit into the Japanese syllabicity. For example, my name, Tyler Bell, is spelled　タイラ　 ベル which in Roman characters (lets not go into that distinction) is Taira Beru which phonetically is something like Ty-ra Bay-ru, which, may I point out, is not my name.

Further complicating matter is the fact that *gasp* I don’t speak Japanese! The horror! I rely on speaking Japanese like a 10 year old, dictionaries, friends, phrase books, hand gestures, smiling broadly and adding an -o to the end of every word I don’t so at least it sounds Japanese.

And I have seen signs requesting you to bugger off (that means f*ck off for you American readers) if you don’t speak Japanese (on the internet) and not to enter if you aren’t Japanese, probably largely to language barriers (in person). The distinction between these signs and Mr. Vento’s is they said it in Japanese, Korean, AND English. If if was not in English, why, I might blindly just walk into that place. Likewise if I did not speak English, how in the world could I read Mr. Vento’s sign when I got hungry for a cheesesteak? Whoah, dude (for British readers, that is a general term for a person), what a conundrum!

The other distinction is the sign I saw in Japan was in fact barring me from something based on my ethnicity. Mr. Vento’s is merely a suggestion to “please speak English” and he has never denied service because of this, though by his own admission you might receive Cheez Whiz (hey, that’s not the real English spelling… or real cheese) on bread if you don’t follow the suggestion. Therein lies the difference between asshat opinion and breaking the law.

When I saw that sign, it made me feel less than a person (umm, not the Cheez Whiz one- that makes my mouth water); I wasn’t good enough to go in there based on facts entirely out of my control. Don’t get me wrong, this surely is one of the most mild of discriminatory practices ever committed in the world and I didn’t lose any sleep but it doesn’t make it right.

I doubt Mr. Vento and others of the similar opinion have been on the ‘other side of the sign’, so to speak. I would eagerly invite him to come visit me in Japan. I will take him to some amazing temples, beautiful mountains, and neon-clad streets and at the end of a long day I know just the bar to go to for a cold adult beverage to relax. Unfortunately we’d have to turn around and go home when we find the following sign:

My apologies for not being scholarly rigorous. Much of the information not quoted here is from Bill Bryson’s entertaining book about the English language called Mother Tongue. I welcome all comments, including grammatical mistakes, which I’m sure exist.

It’s no secret that one of the best places to look for travel advice is Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree (TT) Forum, currently in its fourth incarnation.

New changes to the forum come on the heels of the sale of LP by founders Tony and Maureen Wheeler to the BBC. So, the formerly independent travel juggernaut is now a corporate travel juggernaut. This is hardly a surprise as the popularity of LP’s books are such that most establishments recommended have increased price and are populated with like-minded travelers, LP in hand. Their stock is up and the appeal of cashing in too great.

Without a doubt, though, the freshest place for the latest dirt is TT. While print publications are at best months old by publication, forum advice is often administered by persons at the destination and delivered piping hot in only hours.

With the subsequent sale of the company, the forum was upgraded from version 3 to 4 and built upon a new scripting language, JavaServer Pages (JSP).

And, oh, how the complaining began. Users, seemingly blindsided with this upgrade, extolled the injustice of this “upgrade.”

For the most part they were correct too. The new layout devotes more space to advertising that greatly reduces usable screen real estate. New ways of sorting posts seem to skirt intuition. Previously mundane tasks, such as linking to a website, was now a complicated process that even I gave up on. Without further disavowing the site, instead I returned in several weeks time to allow for sufficient fixes.

Like most users, I was not happy about the changes though I did realize that like in most anything, change brings protest. People don’t like their familiar to change and with time this actually might be a good thing.

On the other hand, in most web development projects the first thing I ask myself is, “Is it broke?” As the flowchart would dictate, if no then don’t fix it. Our new BBC Overlords are fixing something that isn’t broke.

Forward several months and things are in better perspective. Feedback from users is largely being utilized, initial kinks have been smoothed, and I can now link a website without using my degree in Computer Science. Just like your mom’s new hair color, you are used to it, and, hey, its actually not that bad.

The new sorting options actually are useful. The new tagging system is in keeping with all the latest web trends. The new admins are listening and utilizing feedback.

Most importantly, though, the quality of information shared is still top notch. That is why I will continue to use Thorn Tree.

After the absolute chaos of a city like Ho Chi Minh City, it is quite nice to step off the plane and see men with tongs scouring the parking lot for trash and short-shorts (not on the trash guys) in January as opposed to half-naked children and stumbling into pockets of urine odors.

I honestly, though, can’t figure out why Japan is so bad at English. From my experience, only in France did I encounter near the kind of problems only speaking English, and that was because they didn’t want to speak it, not because they couldn’t.

I don’t mean to say every country has impeccable English. Certainly many places are void of it, like rural China and the American South. But I’m not sure any country that devotes so many resources, time, and money to the English education falters to greatly. Half of my high school freshman students, with at least 3 years under the belt, usually can only manage, “I’mu fiftee years old-o” [sic] or “Mai favorito (look at friend and whisper, pause) food-o (pause, possibly more consultation with friend) rice!” That is not hyperbole either.

Even customs officials, immigration officers, and the help attendants in the airport have extremely poor English skills. I can answer most of the questions in Japanese, but invariably something comes up and they pause, stumble, and ask in English. The customs declaration has basic grammatical mistakes. It’s like they make these mistakes on purpose. It’s who they are.

While in line for immigration to get our newly mandated foreigner photographs and fingerprints to prevent terrorism even though to my knowledge the only terrorism attacks such as the Tokyo gas attacks in Japan have come from the Japanese themselves, Korean youths (I saw their passports) happily directed English comments at me. In SEA, children as young as ten have held English conversations/sales pitches with me demonstrating better English than some teachers I have met in Japan.

But, it is nice how polite everyone is. Things are on time. Clean. Orderly.

In Cambodia, it’s nice how friendly everyone is. Big difference. On the bus from the airport, the politeness extended so far that everyone in the full capacity bus (heads down, eyes shut- just like the plane, train, etc) generally ignored the overflow of bags in the aisle, allowing them to slide up and down and bang the ends of the bus. The politeness extended so far that the owner of the bags did not speak up as to not bother anyone.

Well, I’m probably just frustrated because I managed to get sick on the plane within 4 hours of being around Japanese people again, not that the two are related. Since September I have had some recurring dizziness, dehydration, and stomach nausea. It seems I brought the Mekong River with me running out my backside. I can’t understand it this time because I took great pains to drink lots of water. One theory is I have some vitamin deficiencies because the diet in Japan is either still-moving raw or fried beyond recognition with little to no fruits and vegetables, but its probably migraines or something.

In a related story, on my way out of the country the usually fast and speedy Fukuoka airport security and immigration was at a standstill. Nearly an hour wait to the front, I found no less than four employees holding small bottles of water and explaining in Japanese you can’t take this on a plane. Like the big sign says. Women lost bottles of this and that left and right from their bags.

Through the check point, sluggish young security workers placed bags and coats in bins and sent through the x-ray. The one and only observer of the monitor on my side was sleeping. Bullshit. I pointed and loudly and firmly (but not yelling) asked what’s the point of an hour wait if she is sleeping. It was a massive mistake.

The shocked security guy stammered and stumbled asking ‘what’ in Japanese. I told him again. Because the burden of comprehension is upon the listener in Japan (as opposed to the speaker in the West) he nodded in confirmation, clearly not understanding. Another toy-cop woman wandered over, put two and two together and probably explained, but I was gone.

Because of the delay, I couldn’t use my voucher for the first-class lounge. I was forced to go that route on the Seoul leg due to availability. It actually worked out in the end because I was able to use in during my whopping 5 hour layover once in Korea.
At least upon returning it was a full 2 hours before I heard anyone exclaim, “Samui!” (Cold!). That phenomenon is another story though.

Skinny Buddha and Fat Buddha. What’s the difference? Well, there are many popular depictions of “Buddha.” The general term “Buddha” is a title given to someone who has reached enlightenment and often refers to Gautama Siddhārtha, the original founder of the religion in India and Nepal.

The skinny depiction is, in fact, Gautama Siddhārtha. This is who is referred to when using the name Buddha. After renouncing his wealth and living as an ascetic, he reached enlightenment under the Bodhi tree and realized the truth of the middle path.

The “fat Buddha” is generally a depiction of the Chinese monk Budai (Hotei in Japanese), who in turn is regarded as an incarnation of Maitreya, the future Buddha. Budai wandered the Chinese country side helping other around 950 A.D. He is also referred to as the “Laughing Buddha” for his jovial appearance. This version is considered the Chinese god of good luck and fortune.

In my visit to the Buddhist monastery in Tengboche, Nepal, the main hall contained three large Buddha statues as the centerpieces. On the left was the “past Buddha,” in the center the “present Buddha” and largest statue, and on the right was Maitreya the “future Buddha.”

Maitreya can be found in the canonical literature of all sects of Buddhism who’s coming is regarded to be an actual event, with parallels to the second coming in Christianity. L. Ron Hubbard even suggested he was a “Metteya” in a 1955 poem (yeah, right).

Particularly in the West, the Laughing Buddha is a popular image found everything from Chinese takeout to little red statues, though he is not the Siddhārtha Gautama as many think.

These two versions are just the most recognized for most in the West. There are many more incarnations represented the world over.

More info can be found here.

The above picture is from Flickr user Theobald Gloom.