Word for the Travel Wise (03/19/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

This
evening I went hunting for a word that would knock your socks off and wow the natives in the lesser explored world of
Bangladesh, but the results weren’t so fruitful. In fact I think I’m even a little bit more confused about certain
rules the native tongue possesses than before I embarked on this linguistic journey. So to save myself from any type of
embarrassment in this lesson I’ll throw the word at you, but I’ll leave it to you to really further your research and
make sure the word flies in the south Asian land.

Today’s word is a Bangla (Bengali) word used in Bangladesh:

bhromon –
travel

If I’m not mistaken the word above is not a pure Bangla word, but one that was
borrowed into the language from Sanskrit. The Bengali Wiki
explains that native Bangla words do not allow initial consonant clusters and the syllabic structure is CVC. Do you
follow? Whatever the case this word may not be a true Bangla word, but chances are you’ll certainly hear it once or
twice in Bangladesh. What will
probably impress the locals more is your extensive knowledge of where the word does come from, but are we really
concerned with wooing people with our language skills or just trying to get by?

Web resources for Bangla
are few, but you can pick up quite a few words reading (not skimming) through the Wiki and from this Bangalinet site which has a small tutorial on how to write in the
script. Beyond those two I’m sure there are others, but as I mentioned above it was like pulling teeth to get this word.
With that being said class is dismissed.

Bird-Flu Posters

by Adrienne Wilson on

The fight against bird-flu is on! Best
way to avoid our infected feathered friends would be to stop eating them in my book, but these government issued
posters spotted in Vietnam don’t suggest you hide from them at all. In fact they are translated to read:

"To minimize the chance on contracting bird flu, please cook the absolute crap out of all poultry."

That certainly may not be the exact translation, but it sounds like a pretty darn good one if you’re still
willing to take chances eating poultry in high-risk bird-flu areas. May the force be with you.

via Pology

The Expat Expert

by Adrienne Wilson on

When the time comes to relocate to
far away lands and toss in everything you know about your country from the national anthem to your passport to embrace
that of another wouldn’t you want to consult the very best on your new lifestyle?
Really? I mean I would. Wouldn’t you want to know everything from how to uproot your children and beloved pets to
finding work in these new and uncharted worlds?

Let me back track for a second. How many of you have ever
been on that fantastic vacation to (insert exotic tropical island here) and thought I could live here for the
rest of my life? You probably even threw in some remark like screw the U.S., yada yada, Bush, and blah, blah, while
sipping some cool margaritas on the soft white sandy beaches thinking you’d trade it all in and bartend at the local
discoteca in the evenings. Maybe you could even spend your days cashiering at the neighborhood
mercado, taking life a bit slower and easier than your days spent in the old world. Sounds fabulous to some,
but without the appropriate research life in this new world could become challenging.

Know before you go
and consult the Expat Expert, Robin Pascoe. I’m pretty impulsive and I’ve had to
catch myself a number of times from high-tailing it to St. Lucia or Switzerland for a new life. Okay, so it may have
been monetary restraints that kept me from proceeding, but when the time is right I’ll want to know the A-Z on how to
settle in as an expat. Pascoe is known internationally and has spoken on topics such as moving your marriage, children,
culture shock and so on. If you can’t find what you’re looking for through her very own experiences or in her books
you’ll definitely want to check out her extensive link
sections with info for expats all over.

Rice Terraces of the Philippines

by Adrienne Wilson on

Now that I’m back from my last
great adventure I’ve got a number of people not only hounding me to divulge every dirty detail on the events, but they
also want to know about my next big trip. My friends and family knowing me far too well and figured I must have
something up my sleeve for the coming months and for the most part they are correct. Just like all the other
day-dreamers in the world I’m dreaming of an Asian or African adventure later this year, but only time will tell. One
thing I know for sure is I’ll want to soak in more of the outdoors and nature this go round.

In my
wanderlust online clicking tonight I discovered a collection of photos from Bernard Billedo that makes me want to book travel to the
Philippines immediately. It’s no secret I’ve been dying to go for ages, but these beautiful shots of the Batad Rice
Terraces and Banga-an Village of Banaue, Philippines put the
icing on the cake. The rice terraces have been a work in progress for the last 3,000 years
and is a continuous project by men in the area. Without babbling too much, if you’re home on this Friday evening like
me make sure you give them a looksie and perhaps we’ll plan travel together.

RoadJunky Friends Network

by Adrienne Wilson on

Chances are in the
process of some of your wildest trip planning schemes one of your close, conservative family members or friends
probably frowned upon your wacky notion of running that marathon in Cameroon or biking the entire length of the U.S.,
but deep in your heart you knew better than to think your idea was too far-fetched to be achieved. You knew 
thousands of people felt the way you do and it was only a matter of finding them. Rallying up your couch-potato pals
back home in Montana should no longer be one of your headaches in adventure planning with friends. Heck, let them stay
home. Bring them an oversized pencil souvenir back. Now you can rely on the assistance of another networking engine to find like minded individuals,
your better map-toting half, and even someone to practice the local tongue with you (language folks, language) at RoadJunky.
Use it if you’re bored, procrastinating on
some grueling corporate project, or in dire need of a buddy to accompany you on your crusade through the Congo to
protect say, the chimps. You’re not alone.