Annotations the Second

Here are some more resources that are helpful (hopefully I can find four, travel seems to be such an arbitrary search topic, and I'm pulling up articles for the most random things...unrelated to this):

Dunn, Kevin C. (2004).
Fear of a Black Planet: Anarchy Anxieties and Postcolonial Travel to Africa.
Third World Quarterly, 25(3), 483--499

This article looks at the way the Western world has constructed an "otherness" when traveling to Africa and in its consumption and connection to it. This postcolonial approach is exemplified in the exotic image that has been thrust onto the continent's countries as a destination that is both "natural" and "native" (somehow implying primitive) The article looks at the way the Western world has historically viewed Africa as a place that needs external "fixing," and how places that don't adhere to this perceived image are seen as a threat to the Western world. Dunn looks at the way the world has changed its perception of Africa in a post 9-11 world, and the possible implications for its future in international relations.

Koenker, Diane P. (2003).
Travel to Work, Travel to Play: On Russian Tourism, Travel, and Leisure.
Slavic Review, 62(4), 657--665

Diane P. Koenker examines the interrelations of travel, tourism, and leisure through Russian tourists and their contrasting definitions of both the tourist and the traveler. She raises the theme of a quest for knowledge and the importance placed on it, the creation of leisure activities, and the issues that arise from tourists and travels wanting to be in control of their own experiences. Koenker explores the ways travel has formed identities, both national and cosmopolitan, and analysizes the consequences of travel, and leisure outside of the home.

Gabriel, Philip (2002).
Back to the Unfamiliar: The Travel Writings of Murakami Haruki.
Japanese Language and Literature, 36(2), 151--169.

In this article, Philip Gabriel looks at the writigs of Haruki Murakami relative to Japanese travel writings. Murakami's writings are imbued with a sense of nostalgia, loss, and reflection of the limits of knowledge. He writes about Murakami's reactions to his own work and how it's received as well as his philosphy about writing. The article functions as a discussion about the works of another writer and his focus on traveling.

Annotations the First

I'm hardly the best at remembering what I've bookmarked sources for, which is why annotating them is helpful when I need to sort them out at a later time. Plus, I'll admit, I'm lazy and having to reread whatever I've piled up later is a major pain. We're supposed to start forming the skeleton for a paper in my writing class, and utilizing these sources as a spring point from which to develop. I'm not sure where I'll find peer edited sources for travel, or what I want to write about (this seems to be a reoccurring obstacle for this blog....) Anyway, I thought I'd start out at Amazon and look at some of the guide books, or memoirs (since everyone seems to be writing one nowadays)

Tessan, Christina Henry De (2002).

Expat: Women's True Tales of Life Abroad.

Seal Press

Keywords: {Anecdotes, Voyages} and {travels, and Women} travelers

Through a collection put together by 22 contributors, Expat: Women's True Tales of Life Abroad, detail life abroad through the eyes of women. The writers come from a variety of backgrounds, from: students, teachers, and workers, to those chasing after a romanticised ideal of a foreign country. The one thing all of the contributors have in common (aside from this book) is that they've lived as expatriates. Through a recounting of their experiences, the writers reflect on the obstacles they've faced, different perspectives they've come to accept, and the lessons they've learned overall.

Bond, Marybeth (2003)
A Woman's World: True Life Stories of World Travel.
Travelers' Tales

This series of essays is similar to the tales told in Expat: Women's True Tales of Life Abroad, but the tales in this collection aren't from women who've exclusively lived as expatriates. This mix of contributions comes from novice as well as veteran travelers, as well as writers. One of the chapters, an essay by Jo Broyles Yohay, recounts her time in India and and the change in perspective she experienced once she accepted the cultural differences she encountered. With essays spanning countries on a number of continents, the variety of experiences documented offer advice mingled with entertaining anecdotes about cultural misunderstandings

the thing about blogging is...

While I was looking over my blog roll, and a few rss feeds, I came around to the idea of writing on one of these topics;

-american expats (us citizens leaving the country to live elsewhere)
-budget accommodations becoming more chic

It's a bit difficult to narrow things down when it comes to traveling, since the blanket topic itself is so broad, but as a student I think it's pretty nifty when the traveling industry shifts to attract a younger or more budget inclined demographic. I'm interested in the various reasons Americans choose to leave their country and settle in another, and why they've chosen their adopted homes.