“Best job in the world” winner looking for assistants

by Katie Hammel on

Ben Southall, the guy getting paid A$150,000 to gallivant around the Great Barrier Reef Region (and write about it) has come under fire for not blogging all that often. Tourism Queensland, who sponsored the “best job in the world” contest, blamed the lack of blog posts on poor Internet access and the fact that well, Ben’s just too busy “working”. Somehow, I don’t think those of us who spend our days in a windowless office have much sympathy for poor Ben.

To help Ben with some of his workload, he and Tourism Queensland are planning on launching another contest – this time to find four assistants. At this point there are no additional details on the positions or what the application process will entail, but Ben promises he’ll give us the scoop soon. Hopefully, he can find the time.

Is the “best job in the world” winner too busy working to blog?

by Katie Hammel on

Ben Southall became the envy of many when he beat out 34,000 other applicants and was awarded the “best job in the world” – the chance to spend six months in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef region. He even got to bring his girlfriend along for the adventure. In exchange for priceless experiences and A$150,000, Southall was to detail his adventures on regular blog posts.

But, according to The Courier-Mail, some people feel that Southall hasn’t keep up his end of the bargain. Since the job started on July 1, Southall has logged just seven posts. Tourism Queensland blames difficulties with Internet access for the skimpy posting and says that they are pleased with Southall’s performance so far, especially given his hectic schedule. Tourism Queensland also claims that Southall has conducted over 50 interviews and has a documentary crew filming his every move. From what is posted on the blog, it does seem as though Southall has a very busy schedule, with dawn-to-dusk activities planned nearly every day. Tourism Queensland also said that they were looking at ways to clear up Southall’s schedule a bit.

Hopefully they can work things out and allow Southall more time to blog. And if it turns out that Tourism Queensland isn’t pleased with his performance, I’m sure they’ll have no trouble finding a willing replacement!

Dim Sum Dialogues : An Introduction

by Stephen Greenwood on

This post is the first installment in a twice-weekly feature column covering the culture, sights, sounds and current events of Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.

I think the best way that I can introduce myself is to explain how I ended up in Hong Kong.

A year ago I graduated from UCLA’s film school after studying interactive design & media for two years and documentary film for two years. With no firm job offers and an eager desire to travel, I accepted an invitation to chronicle the construction of an orphanage in Arusha, Tanzania. Our original assignment got sidetracked when we stumbled upon a different orphanage that had essentially been abandoned by its staff and financiers. We sought to find out how this could happen, and what it could tell us about the larger picture of international aid in countries like Tanzania.

My partner on the project is a classmate from UCLA, and a native of Hong Kong. He invited me to return to Hong Kong to edit the material together. After six months of eating beans & rice, a bout of malaria, and once-a-week hot showers, the glittering skyline of Hong Kong sounded pretty appealing. Okay, very appealing.

It’s been nearly four months since I arrived on the Asian continent, and I’ve long forgotten chips mayai for tasty dai pai dong and the unpredictable dalla dallas for the ultra-efficient MTR. I’ve been lost in shopping malls that surpass the luxury and scale of any that I’ve found in America, and been engaged by the blend of modernity and ancient Chinese culture.The title of this series, Dim Sum Dialogues, stems from a famous type of Chinese cuisine. Dim sum literally means “a bit of heart” or “touch heart”, because it was originally only served as a light snack – not a main meal. It’s a practice traditionally served from early morning until noon, intended to be an occasion shared with family members or close friends with long conversations over many cups of tea. I like the idea of Dim Sum as a practice, and I want this series to be simply something that serves as a snack until you are curious enough to find out more about Asia by yourself. I want it to be something that engages you to debate, ask questions and participate with me, as if a friendly conversation over a long serving of steamed buns and rice noodle rolls. And occasionally, I hope the naiveté of a westerner’s first experience in Asia makes you laugh.

I’ll be covering my revelations about Chinese culture, the colorful history that has shaped Hong Kong, and applicable current events from all over Southeast Asia. Occasionally, I’ll be reflecting on my experiences from Africa as we continue to edit the project and make follow up trips to Tanzania. So whether you’re fluent in Cantonese or have never even considered making a trip to see the Great Wall, I hope that you’ll find something in this series that you enjoy – and that you’ll join in the dialogue too.

– Stephen

NY Times realizes Twitter is useful for travel

by Tom Johansmeyer on

It takes the NY Times to catch up with the world around it … especially when technology is involved. Hey, the newspaper wouldn’t be in so much financial trouble if this weren’t the case. But, they don’t get it wrong; the reporters over there just take a bit longer to grasp what’s happening.

So, I was pretty psyched when I saw in the “Frugal Traveler” column that Twitter can be used to get dinner reservations – even when you’re on jury duty! Did you know that you can just peck a few characters into your cell phone or Blackberry and send it to thousands of people who might have an answer?

The Frugal Traveler is not ready to “Twitter [his] way across the country,” but the Gadling team is.

The Incorrigible City: Detroit

by Grant Martin on

I’ve spent the better part of ten years around the city of Detroit, but except for brief forays into the city for DEMF or to visit St. Andrew’s Hall, have been too shy to spend much time downtown. To many of us metropolitan folk, Detroit is trouble. Dirt, crime, poverty, empty buildings and dilapidation, while not really that prevalent downtown, is what many people come to view the city as, and perhaps as a result, much of the core has suffered.

Detroit has a much more to offer, however, the old city full of culture, rich architecture and history. You just have to look in the right places. The Incorrigible City, a new blog about Detroit, does just that.

The blog looks past much of the grime that Detroit has now collected and is an interesting look at the culture, architecture and development of Michigan’s largest city. It’s stories hit a particular chord right now, too, as the automotive industry begins to crumble and jobs and people flee from the state. It’s a sobering, beautiful look at the city, but well worth the visit.