Reverse culture shock?

I am going home to Dubai early next month for 3-weeks, to be with the family. I haven't left Europe for about 18 months and am excited, but at the same time a bit anxious and quite pensive.

I know that being home will be great. But I know I have changed, and I know Dubai has changed (probably a lot more than I realize), so I'm not quite sure how I will feel. This will also be the first time home after such a long spell living abroad, it will be the first time I look at my life in Madrid from far away, and re-look at my life as it was 2-years ago in Dubai.

I was speaking to a friend yesterday about the first time he went home to the US after a year in Spain -- he said he had "reverse culture shock" (is that a formal term?). Having lived in Dubai over 6 years, culture shock is the last thing I expect, but I really don't know what I'm going to feel. Dubai and Madrid are as different as gold and omelette, so we'll just have to see.

Have any of you been in the same position? How did you deal with going back home? How did you feel at home? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Pedaling for peace: Women's Mideast Bicycle Tour

250 women from about 30 countries are pedaling across the Middle East to promote intercultural dialogue and bring back stories of love and kindness, something not much heard of in context of the Middle East.

This is the fourth such tour called "Follow The Women" that will cycle through Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and the West Bank over a two week period. The tour ends in Bethlehem on Thursday, May 15.

What's particularly awesome about this trip, is that of the 250 women, many are Arab (from Iran, Turkey, Tajikistan, Afghanistan etc) -- they will be cycling in 25-30 degree heat fully covered: head scarf/long sleeves. There will be eye-opening social interaction and dispelling of stereotypes on two levels 1) between the group of women cyclists 2) between the women cyclists and the women they meet on their travels.

It is hoped that these women will play an active role in opening the minds of people around the world as they travel, as well as when they go back to their country, by sharing what they experienced as a means to smoothening what I think is one of the main causes of conflict: misperceptions between Arab and Western cultures.

Being a large all-woman group, the ride in itself is a feat to celebrate. And thinking about the it's organisation is overwhelming -- route, border crossing with 250 bicycles, accomodation arrangements, food, first aid etc, etc.

Admirable and inspiring. You can read more about the people behind this activity on their website: Follow The Women.

Paris writing workshop students debut new works in print and onstage

One of my favorite things about teaching writing at the Paris American Academy every summer is the chance to see our students find success in print, onstage, and onscreen in the months and years that follow. A number of Paris writing students from 2006 and 2007 have recently debuted new work in venues around the world. Here are some examples (and unless otherwise noted, they are all students from 2007):

• Andrea Ronkowski's Japan-based travel tale Hustling Nakamura-san appeared in The Smart Set last October.
• Cass McGovern's memoir "Something Special in the Air," which details her experience of flunking out of the American Airlines stewardess school, appears in the Spring 2008 issue of the Massachusetts Review.
• Dulci Pitagora performed a nonfiction monologue at Stage Left Studio in New York last fall, and was recently named managing editor at GO Magazine.
• Subzero, Razvan Marc's travel documentary about Arctic Finland, debuted on Romanian television last fall. A trailer for the DVD version of his show is online here.
• Alexis Apfelbaum has a story appearing in "It's All Relative," an upcoming issue of the Global City Review.
• Perth-based Carmen Jenner, who attended the Paris writing workshop in 2006, has published a number of travel stories in The Australian, including an article about traveling with children in Paris.
• 2006 student Marlene Nichols will be performing her new solo show "Seeing Voices" at New York's Stage Left Studio later this month. Performance dates are Thursday-Friday, May 29th & 30th; then Friday-Saturday June 6th and 7th, at 8pm each night. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. More information available here.
• John Biguenet, who teaches literary fictions at the Paris writing workshop, has had a string of successes for his Pulitzer-nominated play about Hurricane Katrina, Rising Water. The 20th annual Big Easy Entertainment Awards named Rising Water its Best Original Play of 2007, naming Biguenet "Theatre Person of the Year". The play debuted at Southern Repertory Theater and became the playhouse's bestselling show ever. It is scheduled for production in several cities in the United States, and has recently debuted in southern California.

On a final note, I'll note that registration is still open for the July 2008 session of the Paris American Academy writing workshop, and we welcome new applicants! For more information,, check out our official website here.

What's wrong with the Peace Corps, and what can be done to improve it?

A former volunteer, recruiter, and country director for the Peace Corps, Robert Strauss knows the organization inside and out. More than anything, he knows the problems inherent in sending thousands of people-- many inexperienced, many recent college grads-- all over the world to try to "make a difference." Writing for Foreign Policy, Strauss recently dispelled some myths about the organization, and offered suggestions for improving the Peace Corps' reputation and its effectiveness.

Although some of Strauss' column is spent shooting down straw man arguments in favor of the organization, as in "The Peace Corps is a Potent Diplomatic Weapon" and "The Peace Corps Recruits Only the Best and the Brightest," he makes a number of serious and important points.

For starters, volunteers aren't sent where their help is needed most.

Like many bureaucracies, the Peace Corps operates predominantly on inertia. The agency sends most volunteers to the same places where volunteers have been sent before, often to do the same thing volunteers were doing 20 and 30 years ago—regardless of whether their mission still makes sense.

Why, Strauss wonders, are we still sending volunteers to Romania and Bulgaria when they're already part of the European Union? Why not concentrate on the poorest of the poor?

Strauss also questions whether the Peace Corps is a true development organization:

The reason the Peace Corps is overlooked as a development organization has a lot to do with the youth and inexperience of the majority of its volunteers. Equally important is its unwillingness to decide if it is a development organization or an organization with a mission “to promote world peace and friendship,” as stipulated by Congress in the Peace Corps Act. It would like to be both, but finds itself falling short on both objectives because it cannot decide which is the more important.

So how to improve the Peace Corps? Recruit less, but recruit better. Less emphasis on we-are-the-world hand-holding, more on economic development in the places that really need it-- and want it. To live up to its founding ideals, Strauss suggests, the Peace Corps

must go out and recruit the best of the best. It must avoid goodwill-generating window dressing and concentrate its resources in a limited number of countries that are truly interested in the development of their people. And it must give up on the risible excuse that in the absence of quantifiable results, good intentions are enough. Only then will it be able to achieve its original objective of significantly altering the lives of millions for the better.

Reactions to Strauss' piece from returned Peace Corps volunteers, both pro and con, can be found here and here.

That the Peace Corps is often inefficient-- sending fluent Spanish speakers to Africa, maintaining small presences in dozens of countries rather than focusing on a select five or ten-- is sort of the nature of the beast. It's a government-funded (that is, taxpayer-funded) organization with little accountability for its failures.

It goes without saying that many volunteers are passionate about their work and do making positive contributions to their host communities, even if they don't always recognize it. A few friends of mine are currently working their tails off in the Philippines, and I admire and applaud them for it. I've always thought, and still do think, that the Peace Corps is a fantastic opportunity to live and work in a less privileged part of the world. But in all too many situations, as Strauss so forcefully argues, the opportunities created for the volunteers, at a total cost of $41,000 per year for each volunteer, are probably greater than the opportunities created by them.

Vagablogging on "development tourism" here.

Should you book long term accommodation before you arrive?

If you're planning to stay in one place for longer than a month and want slightly more salubrious surroundings than a hostel, it is often cost effective to stay in self-catering accommodation - especially if there's several of you.

This is even more important if you're a working vagabond who runs a business at the same time, like my husband and I do. One of the most difficult challenges we've found is deciding whether to book and pay for accommodation in advance or wait until we get there to do it.

The advantage with the first option is that you can (sort of) rest easy, knowing you won't have to go gallivanting around in your first few days trying to find somewhere to stay plus you can often negotiate a hefty discount for booking longer term, in advance; the disadvantages are obvious...can you really get an accurate impression of a place and an area from pictures on the internet?

After several less-than-ideal experiences booking in advance last year, we've now found a solution which seems to work well and covers all bases...

Firstly, draw up a short list of areas and ideally apartments to visit when you arrive - the ideal number is between 3-5; enough choice to get a good idea of what's on offer but not too much that you exhaust yourself looking.

Secondly, book short term accommodation (a hotel or hostel), as close as possible to the areas you plan to visit - or at least centrally-located if they're spread out - for the first 5 days, minimising the cost of short term accommodation but giving yourself enough time to get acclimatised and review your short list upon arrival.

In a worst case scenario, if the options on your short list don't measure up, then you should still have enough time to ask around on the ground and find somewhere that suits you.

Matador Travel launches the Matador Network

I've posted before about my ongoing love affair with travel networking sites, and specifically with Matador Travel. Now I'm thrilled to announce the launch of the Matador Network, a series of travel blogs covering everything from gear reviews and study abroad info to global nightlife guides and volunteering opportunities.

The coolest thing about the network is the way it integrates blog articles and advice with the existing community content - so you might read an article about a great cooking school in Thailand, and then get linked to another member's personal blogs about her experience there, or read about nightlife in Buenos Aires and then get a list of Matador members on the ground in BA and ready to meet for a drink.

Six new sites have been added to Matador's existing blog offerings (Brave New Traveler, The Traveler's Notebook). Matador Trips offers detailed destination guides, Matador Study covers study abroad, languages, and other learning opportunities, Matador.org showcases worldwide organizations in need of volunteers, Matador Nights tracks down the globe's best nightlife, Matador Goods reviews the latest gear and travel books, and Matador Pulse - which, full disclosure, I'll be co-editing - collects news and notes from around the Matador network and the world wide web.

The network's just getting started, but it looks to be yet another great, free online resource for travel junkies. Also, for all of us aspiring travel writers, it's a great opportunity to get published, and paid! Check out the "Contributors" page on any of the sites for details.

Getting insider advice from a local

Maybe this has happened to you: you realize that you’re learning more about the home countries of your fellow backpackers than the place you're traveling. Or your only interaction with the town residents is limited to a ‘hi’ and ‘bye’ with the owner of the internet café around the corner.

You don't have to be convinced that it's time to meet the locals.

Unfortunately, making a connection isn't as easy as it sounds. You might start by thinking like a local. That means visiting the ordinary places of daily routines—like the laundromat, the daily market, a sporting event, or a class.

But even then, you'd be hard-pressed to establish the rapport needed for an insider's restaurant recommendation, or to ask the types of questions on your mind.

If you’d rather not leave that up to chance, you might try out Like-a-Local.com. It's an online community, at-the-ready with local advice and wisdom. Browse profiles to find the activity and guide that best suits you—whether you end up spending an afternoon at a local’s favorite hangout, or eating a meal she prepares for you herself. Based in Amsterdam, the group currently offers events (at varying costs) in seven European countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK.

Or else, you might try these other networks: ToBeLocal.com, Viamigo.com, or HospitalityClub.org.

Tips for keeping your credit card valid and secure when you travel

I remember a few years ago when I traveled to Thailand from Dubai, when I arrived in Bangkok, I wanted to buy flight tickets around the country. When I offered my credit card to make the purchase, the operation was denied. Why? My bank didn't know I was traveling and they blocked the card when they traced international activity.

Yes, great bank looking out for me, but I wish I'd known. I would have informed the bank and would not have been left with 200 Baht until I could get in touch with them, prove I was me, and get them to unblock my card. Rather inconvenient when you've just arrived in a new country.

Luckily, I've never been robbed, but I use my debit/credit card loosely when I travel: I always throw receipts, or sometimes don't even remember to take them. If something happens to my credit card on the road, I'd be quite stuck.

With that in mind, here are a few informative reads/advice on avoiding credit card scams and blocking issues when you travel:
Travel Rants: Advice on avoiding your credit card getting frozen when you travel
EuroCheapo: Keeping your credit cards secure
The Australian: On retail credit card fraud

I have one to add: as annoying as they are, carry some travelers checks!

Travel Off The Cuff?

With the explosion of travel-websites and blogs, I wasn't surprised when I came across website "Travel Off The Cuff" -- a Digg or Stumble Upon type site, exclusively for travel.

The site is simple: a section on popular reader submitted travel-news stories, a blog, and a section called News On Standby, where it looks like the site founder -- a certain Mark -- scouts the Internet and posts a selection of the latest travel articles. Not quite sure why it's called News On Standby though.

I think the idea has merit, sites that aggregate industry news and highlight popular stories are great.

My issue with this website is that I can't figure out what it has to do with travel off the cuff. It promises information on what to do in places when you travel and haven't planned your days, but other than a few sporadic travel-blog postings, there is no such relevant information. Nor is it a social website. How do I meet people? In the comments section?

Why do new websites do this? This guy is probably the first to 1) have a "Digg" type site only for travel 2) offer information dedicated to traveling off the cuff. Why would he launch it without offering the entire point of the site? Maybe I wasn't supposed to stumble on it.

Got a venue for Rolf's book tour this fall?

As I mentioned a couple weeks back, I have a new travel book coming out this fall. Entitled Marco Polo Didn't Go There, this book will likely debut in September, and I will go on the road to promote it in October and November. Right now I plan on hitting various bookstores, writing conferences, and universities in Washington, Oregon, California, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey.

Might you have some suggested stops and venues for me in these places? Are there other parts of the U.S. or Canada that might make a good stop on my book tour? If so, let me know by emailing me directly! (My address is under "contact" in the index bar at left.)

In addition to standard readings from my new book (as well as Vagabonding), I'm also game to do short talks or seminars on travel writing and/or long-term travel -- especially at universities and book festivals. I welcome your suggestions!