Current News

I'll admit that I'm not the best when it comes to keeping up with the news, but some topics flood the media and bombard you in any form. Such is the case with swine flu. In the past week or two the cases of people infected with and dying from it are popping up all over the place! From Mexico to New York and now, even Europe is being affected by it. It's inciting all sorts of arguments about who's carrying it, where it's originating from, and why it's so deadly. It isn't comforting in the least to hear that the symptoms are like the regular flu, and that there isn't a cure or preventive method just yet. Of course tips on how to prevent catching it are trailing the stories of growing numbers of victims being infected by it, throwing about the most common of practical tips like:

-washing your hands
-covering your mouth and/or nose when you sneeze/cough
-staying away from people who sneeze/cough

and a bunch of other tips that would probably throw a germophobe into a tizzy. I'm surprised that I haven't heard as many stories about people delaying their travel plans, or putting off trips to destinations that are affected by the flu.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Buffy and co. sang it best when they posed that question. Granted, that was after fighting a few epic battles against evil. Now what?

Most of you may not know that this blog was created for a writing class, although some of you may have gathered that from the odd strictly academic posts here and there. Although the genesis of this blog lies in the, "it was a school assignment" category, I've become more aware of the broad range of topics that writing about travel can entail and even though I may become spotty with updating I'm motivated to keep an eye on travel news and blog about it when I can. I'll continue to blog about the places I'm going ("Oh the places you'll go!"), whether local or far, far, away.

As a heads up for my summer itinerary (when not occupied with job and grad. school hunting), there's an Irish culture and music festival down in Irvine [June 20-21], multiple film releases (HP: HBP anyone?), Gilroy's grand garlic gathering, and Spamalot is coming to the Ahmanson!

Keep in mind, an open mind is the most handy thing to have when traveling anywhere!

Widget Gadget Paper 4

As a novice traveler, it might take a bit of experience, or research to discover that there's an abundance of local attractions that provide just as much entertainment as a tourist one would, with the benefit of being immersed in the local culture.After dealing with the frustrations of booking flights and hotels, I always put off the task of planning an itinerary. It's not that I don't get excited about compiling a list of places I'd like to see, or things I'd like to do, but often because I don't know where to start. This is where Joobili comes in, and it's quite possibly one of the coolest things I've stumbled on through the internet. Joobili is an events generatorand social network, and all you have to do is let it know what dates you're planning your trip around and it pulls up events related to an assortment of topics, like: culture, food, arts, sports, and more!

Jared Salter and Tomas Gabor of Joobili Timely Travel, conceived the idea after returning from a trip to Switzerland and learning that they had each experienced vastly different events (tourist spots and Cartier's Polo World Cup) at the same time. With the realization that timing is essential to travel, and knowledge of attractions that are off the beaten path, Joobili was born.

The site aims to match events with travelers according to their interests and travel dates, while connecting users to other travelers via a social network. Users are encouraged to interact with one another and build connections through comments and ratings of events. It's still in the baby beta stage, which means that it suffers from occasional spazfests if you try to navigate the site too quickly, but the creators seem keen to perfect it, and take all manner of feedback as soon as it seems the site isn't working. Joobili is definitely geared to the recreational traveler, possibly the budget oriented college student on their three month pilgrimage to all things arty in Europe, or a retired couple eager to break free from the trite and true sightseeing landmarks.

Here's a breakdown of how it works and the background information behind it: Joobili Prezi

L.A. Is a Lady

I'm probably misquoting that, but I'm pulling it out of a dusty corner of my mind, mind you. My Cultural Guide to L.A. class has made a couple of interesting trips in the past weeks. We've visited the studio of a local, emerging designer brand (Endovanera in Echo Park), took a tour of Machine Project, and sat in for a Thursday night show at the Echo Park Film Center. Both were more fun than I would have given them credit for (but that just goes to show what I know, right?), and the latter two were designed for the community to enjoy. The Echo Park Film Center has an impressive library of DVDS, VHS, and actual film reels available to borrow for a week. They provide classes at various levels of expertise, and have weekly showings of different films. It's a hidden treasure, and one that I would never have known about if not for this class. I'm quickly learning that Los Angeles is a treasure trove for artsy, locally based institutions.

For our final class, we're going to be taking a trip to one of Los Angeles' iconic locations, the Stahl House (or Case Study #22). I can't wait! I've got to remember to pack my camera for that one.

Joobili

Ever get tired of lugging guide books around, circling "hot spots" that are sure to inject some level of uniqueness into a holiday? I often find that I stock up on guide books, and hardly ever refer to them once I get to my destination, leaving me with the sometimes anti-climactic tourist spots that everyone visits. Now if you've never been to, say... Paris, or seen the Mona Lisa in the Louvre, then it might be worth your while to pay her a visit. However, if you've trekked around the Louvre, taken candids at the Eiffel Tower, and walked the Champs-Élysées then you may want to base your next Paris trip around something a little different.

That's where Joobili comes in. It's designed to give you a list of events (arts, cultural, sports, food and drinks...yay!, etc.) that match your designated travel dates, giving you a chance to explore the city or country of your choice the way the locals do. I'm keen on trying it out the next time I take a trip to Europe, and I've already got my sights set on a few events. There are things both familiar (depending on your knowledge of them): the Galway Oyester Festival, or Glastonbury, and obscure: The Spirit of Speyside Whiskey Festival and Fragrances of May (a festival devoted to the herbs sage, fennel, and nettle) in Croatia.