Italian museums on strike November 12

by Sean McLachlan on

If you’re going to be in Italy on November 12, you might want to sit at a cafe and order an extra espresso, because many of the tourist sights will be closed.

Workers at museums and archaeological sites across the country plan to shut their doors on November 12 to protest massive budget cuts to arts and culture programming to the tune of 58 million euros ($82.02 million) annually in 2011 and 2012. The cuts were approved by the national government this summer.

Actually, when you factor in all the cuts to local government, which of course got passed on to arts and culture funding, the figure is more like 1.1 billion euros ($1.5 billion) over the next two years.

The strike will also include other public institutions such as theatres and libraries. It’s unclear at this stage how many will participate, but considering recent large protests in places like Greece and France over austerity measures, Italy’s may be a big one.

[Photo of the statue Laocoön and His Sons in the Vatican Museum courtesy Damon Green via Gadling’s flickr pool. Chances are the Vatican Museum will remain open because it’s actually in another country!]

Help Wanted: one mermaid

by Sean McLachlan on

With the economy the way it is, it’s hard to get a job, so if you can’t find a position in your own field perhaps you should try a career change and become a mermaid.

That’s what the SeaQuarium in Rhyl, Wales, is offering. It wants one mermaid (or merman) to swim around with its fish during visitor hours. The applicant needs to wear a half-fish costume, have good hygiene, be a licensed scuba diver, and (here’s the downside) be willing to swim with the sharks.

Oh, and you have to clean the tanks too, so basically you’re a janitor with danger pay.

BBC reports that the company has been “flooded” with applicants, which says something about the state of the economy and the BBC’s sense of humor.

Hopeful merpeople must have their applications in by November 5. If the folks at SeaQuarium read Gadling, they wouldn’t be bothering with trying to hire humans; they’d go to Israel and get one of the real mermaids sighted there.

[Image of A Mermaid by John William Waterhouse, 1901, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons]

Ask Gadling: What to do when you have to fly coach

by Annie Scott on

It could be worse. Whether it’s lack of funds or lack of availability in your usual class, almost everyone flies in Economy Class (charmingly called “Fiesta Class” by Philippine Airlines) now and then. Heck, some of us fly coach all the time.

Flying is an enormous privilege many of us have come to take for granted. Consider the miraculous nature of it: you get on a big metal tube with wings, speed up really fast and suddenly start flying through the air for thousands of miles, sometimes to continents far away — lands previous generations would have had to travel for weeks or months to see. We’ve lost our awe for air travel. It’s not our fault; it’s the times. In all fairness, we lost our awe for the wheel millennia ago.

And just as many of us are loathe to ride in the back of a bus, we hate to fly coach. You may recognize some of these descriptors: cramped, rushed, dirty, packed, uncomfortable, bad wine, worse food, no blankets, stinky restrooms, too many people too close together. Economy class can be trying, but if you plan ahead, it doesn’t have to be horrible.

You can request an exit row at check in, but if there isn’t a seat available, you’re kind of out of luck as far as space. There’s not much you can do. Lose a few pounds? I kid, I kid — but make the most of your space. Be sure to take your coat off and store it overhead. Dress properly: lightweight or stretchy materials can help you feel more comfortable than jeans on a long haul. Bring airplane slippers and take off your shoes. If you’re traveling with your spouse or significant other, pull up the armrest and snuggle.

Next, think of a perk you really love about your class of choice. Is it the champagne? The eyeshades?

View more Ask Gadling: Travel Advice from an Expert or send your question to ask [at] gadling [dot] com.

These are things you can bring yourself … albeit the former will have to be brought in teeny, tiny bottles — yeah, maybe forget the champagne, but you can always bring teeny, tiny shots of your favorite spirit to mix in your complimentary soda (as suggested by Bruce from Gadling’s Travel Talk). Bring a blanket that folds up small and a pillow if that will help you sleep. As much as everyone loves the service in first class, all that attention can sometimes be a pain anyway. Try to think of the anonymity of coach as refreshing; a kind of privacy.

Give yourself something to look forward to. This idea comes from the road trips I used to take with my family as a kid: we’d get a sticker or activity book we couldn’t open until the car hit the bottom of the driveway — it really took the focus off of the long ride ahead. Get yourself a little present you can’t open until the flight. A book works well. That way, your mind will be occupied from the start and less prone to jump straight to complaining.

If none of that helps and you’re still just dreading the very thought of boarding the plane? Do what many would have done in first class anyway: pop a couple of sleeping pills and say goodnight.

[Photo by lovely lemur via Flickr.]

Archaeological discovery reveals China’s link to Africa

by Sean McLachlan on

A Chinese and Kenyan archaeological team has discovered evidence that Chinese traders visited Kenya in the 15th century. A coin minted between 1403 and 1424 and a sherd of porcelain dating to the early Ming dynasty were found in the remains of a village. The excavation by Peking University and local archaeologists was searching for clues to the voyages of Zheng He, who led a fleet of more than 200 ships on numerous trips across the Indian Ocean.

The coin was of a special make used by representatives of the emperor and the porcelain may have came from a kiln reserved for the use of the royal family, so these finds are evidence of an official visit.

An article on BBC gives further details, and adds that China is renewing its historic ties to Africa. In 2008 China had $107 billion in trade with the continent, a figure that’s been increasing dramatically every year. This trade outstrips every other nation including the United States. During my trip to Ethiopia I saw Chinese engineers with Ethiopian road crews building highways and bridges, and the Chinese are beginning to build factories too.

In the past few years there’s also been a dramatic increase in Chinese tourists. Ten years ago I never saw a Chinese tour group in Oxford or London; now I see them every day. The face of travel is changing.

While the discovery is big news to Western archaeologists, it only confirms what the Chinese and Africans knew all along–that there have been centuries of ties between the regions. Residents of Lamu, a port near the excavation site, have a tradition that they’re descended from one of Zheng He’s shipwrecked crews. Many have Chinese features. DNA tests show some of the residents do have Chinese ancestry. When I was in the medieval trading center of Harar in Ethiopia I noticed several people with vaguely Chinese features, and Harari coins have been found in China. Perhaps Chinese researchers should conduct some DNA tests in Harar.

[Photo courtesy user Hassan Saeed via Wikimedia Commons]

Recession’s been done for a year: start traveling!

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The recession’s over … haven’t you heard? So, why aren’t you traveling yet?

The National Bureau of Economic Research put the end of the recession at June 2009, though it obviously took the group a long time to come to this conclusion. So, if they average vacationer wasn’t able to figure it out as quickly as a group of econ nerds, forgiveness is easy. After all, most people (including me) measure recessions based on our own households – and much less from a macro perspective.

Now that the recession is officially more than a year in the past, it’s time to book those tickets!

[photo by herval via Flickr]